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Melissa Etheridge, Rob Thomas perform for Water benefit

2010-03-10T15:03:40-08:00 - Melissa Etheridge [ tickets ] and Rob Thomas [ tickets ] are set to take part in the Dow Live Earth Run for Water event, the largest worldwide water initiative to combat the global water crisis, according to a press release.

Longtime environmental advocate Etheridge will perform April 18 in Los Angeles. The Run for Water event will begin and end in Exposition Park near downtown Los Angeles.

Thomas will perform on the same day in downtown Atlanta.

Both performances will take place following a series of 6km run/walks, which is the average distance many women and children walk every day to get water, according to the release.

Pete Wentz, Angelique Kidjo, Alexandra Cousteau and Jenny Fletcher also will support the April 18 events, which will take place in nearly 100 cities across 50 countries. Additional artists for events in Chicago, Minneapolis and New York will be announced soon.

Funds raised from the Dow Live Earth Run for Water will benefit Global Water Challenge, a coalition of non-profit organizations working to bring clean, safe drinking water to millions of people worldwide.


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Marie Osmond returns to the stage

2010-03-10T15:03:20-08:00 - Marie Osmond returned to the Flamingo Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas last night (3/9) for her first performance since the death of her son. Marie told the audience, "The way Osmonds survive is we keep singing," according to a People.com report. "That's what we want to do tonight. I know my son would want that and this show is for him."

Osmond's son Michael Bryan, 18, took his own life Feb. 26 in Los Angeles. Marie's return to her Las Vegas variety stage show came one day after her son's private funeral in Utah.

Osmond and her brother Donny Osmond reportedly wanted to accommodate fans who had purchased tickets to shows that were canceled last week. This week was intended to be part of a previously scheduled two-week vacation for the duo, which launched their Donny & Marie show in September 2008, according the Las Vegas Sun.

The show's producer, Chip Lightman, told the Sun that Marie Osmond was eager to return to the stage, finding the process "cathartic."

The siblings canceled six shows following the death of Bryan, who also was known as Michael Blosil. Ticket information for regularly scheduled shows as well as the fill-in dates is available at the Flamingo website.
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Batusis head to SXSW

2010-03-10T15:03:06-08:00 - Sylvain Sylvain from the New York Dolls and Cheetah Chrome from Dead Boys/Rocket From The Tombs will debut their new band, Batusis [ tickets ], March 18 at the Prague in Austin, TX.

The coming out will happen during the annual South by Southwest Music Conference and Festival. Batusis also will perform in Austin at Cheapo Music on March 19, according to a press release.

The band, which derived its name from an episode of Batman in which Adam West dances a version of the watusi, will release its self-titled debut EP on May 4. To coincide with the release, Sylvain and Chrome will head out on a UK tour that starts May 3 in Glasgow.

The EP also features Enzo Penizzotto and Thommy Price of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.


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LiveDaily Interview: George Thorogood

2010-03-10T15:03:00-08:00 - After 35 years of playing trademark boogie and blues, George Thorogood [ tickets ] has no thoughts about making any changes to his image, style or music. His last two albums--2006's "The Hard Stuff" and last summer's "The Dirty Dozen"--have been balls-to-the-wall, hard-charging boogie efforts, reminders of his earliest albums from the 1970s when the Delaware Destroyers seemed to be the lone practitioners of a gritty art form rooted in the earliest days of rock 'n' roll.

With original drummer Jeff Simon still in the band, Thorogood, bassist Bill Blough, guitarist Jim Suhler and saxophonist Buddy Leach started a North American tour Feb. 26 in Bakersfield, CA, that runs through June 5 in Montreal. And guess what? It's still a collection of rough-and-tumble boogie blues tunes such as "Bad to the Bone," "Madison Blues, "Move it On Over" and "Ride On Josephine," as well as songs that closely resemble them. As Thorogood says: "There are only so many ways you can deliver a cheeseburger."

The current show, Thorogood said when the tour was announced, would be a combination of fan favorites and "George's favorites." Now that the tour has started, it sounds like the fans' choices are paramount, an issue he discussed along with his take on recording, his acting potential and Bob Dylan.

LiveDaily: How do you distinguish between a "George favorite" and a "fan favorite"?

George Thorogood: You go out and play the song and if nobody claps, it's out. Everybody applauds, you keep it in the show. It's a very simple process.

But there must be songs that you want to get behind that perhaps the audience does not know that well.

We have always selected material 100 percent for entertainment purposes. We happen to like all the songs we record, but [on stage] these are the ones people pay money for. It's a very conscious decision. We're not about to go into "Bridge Over Troubled Water" or pay tribute to Miles Davis.

From day one--and I have been going to see you since "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer" was a brand new record--your fans know what they're getting. Does it feel like it changes from your perspective?

It's organized chaos now. It got out of hand for awhile there, too many people throwing bottles and ladies didn't want to come to our shows anymore. You know, it's fun to go to WWF wrestling, but you don't expect to fight.

After all these years, it feels like we're back to where we were in the late 1970s. Nobody was playing John Lee Hooker or Bo Diddley and you stood out as unique, then there were a few blues-rock acts to crop up in the '80s and now it's back to you guys being the torch carriers for this music.

It was because of the Allman Brothers and Johnny Winter that I learned heavy blues with slide guitar. It wasn't a strange or even different idea at the time. When I was young and first picked up the guitar, it was all about The Allman Brothers Band, The Elvin Bishop Band, Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal, Little Feat, Canned Heat. It didn't dawn on me to go to Bill Graham's house and ask him to put us on a bill, so by the time we got established, Duane was dead, the J. Geils Band was playing more commercial stuff, Steve Miller had stopped playing blues. I was left holding the blues-boogie bag. So lots of newcomers, people who had not grown up with those bands, were saying, "What's this?"

All the bands you mentioned had some stylistic changes after they had hits, but you have never abandoned the music that inspired you in the '70s. Your music is more "Who Do You Love" than "Bad to the Bone." What has driven that attitude over the decades?

When we did "Ride 'Til I Die" (recorded in 2002, released in 2003), I pretty much felt used up. I was getting kinda tired and the idea of laying out another boogie album felt old. I was eager to get to the stage where Eric Clapton and John Fogerty and Rod Stewart were--you paid your dues and now you can just play the catalog. I didn't want to be Rod Stewart and start recording show tunes--are there any show tunes left for him to record?--but I know that you have to keep the profile going by making new records. I was chafing at the bit to just play the songs that had made the legacy. But new albums keep the live show going even though there's not much room for new songs.

How do you work "Dirty Dozen" songs into the show?

It just lets people know you're still with it. When we made "Get a Haircut" (in 1993), I knew would make it (into the set). I knew that one would make noise.

What was the impetus for "Dirty Dozen"?

"Dirty Dozen" was a very weird experience. We went into the studio and we weren't sure if we had a deal, but there were people interested. When we were half way done, we had no deal. We had six songs. Capitol came in and rescued us and said, "Let's put some fan favorites on there with the new ones." There's no real mystery with "Dirty Dozen."

How so?

We're so obvious that critics and people who think too hard about it don't get it. It's a Three Stooges skit, a cold Bud and a cheeseburger. The best bourbon followed by the coldest beer. It's not pheasant under glass or filet mignon, but it's still on the menu.

You recorded Dylan's "Drifter's Escape" in a straightforward, acoustic style but there don't seem to be any examples in which you have taken a non-blues tune and applied a boogie style to it.

Tried, but not with very good results. You're damned if you do that as much as you're damned if you don't. If I take "Mr. Tambourine Man" and turn it into a rockin' tune, some people will ask why don't I stick with what I know. Of course, others tell you that you have started to repeat yourself.

There must be something you want to do, some musician you have yet to appear with.

Bob (Dylan) has the best guitarist in the world in Charlie [Sexton], so no need for me there. Maybe I could play maracas. Actually, I'm waiting for De Niro to call. I know all the lines. I want to make a movie with Jeff Bridges: "The Return of Lebowski." Or we can make "Crazier Heart" and play car washes instead of bowling alleys.

Have you ever acted?

Nope. People like Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Paul Muni could play anything. I want to play character roles. That's what I should be doing.

[Note: The following tour dates have been provided by artist and/or tour sources, who verify its accuracy as of the publication time of this story. Changes may occur before tickets go on sale. Check with official artist websites, ticketing sources and venues for late updates.]


March 2010
9 - San Antonio, TX - Majestic Theater
10 - Austin, TX - Paramount Theater
11 - Houston, TX - House of Blues
12 - Biloxi, LA - Hard Rock Casino
13 - Robinsonville, MS - Bluesville @ Horseshoe Casino
16 - Atlanta, GA - Varity Playhouse
17 - Nashville, TN - Wildhorse Saloon
18 - Ashville, NC - Orange Peel
19 - Myrtle Beach, SC - House of Blues
20 - Valdosta, GA - Wild Adventure
21 - Lake Buena Vista, FL - House of Blues
23 - Durham, NC - Carolina Theater
24 - Glenside, PA - Keswick
25 - Reading, PA - Sovereign PAC
26 - Erie, PA - Warner Theater
27 - Merriville, IN - Star Plaza Theater

April 2010
15 - Lemoore, CA - Tachi Palace Casino
16 - Anaheim, CA - House of Blues
17 - Scottsdale, AZ - Handlebar Saloon

May 2010
8 - Tacoma, WA - Emerald Queen Casino
9 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
10 - Bellingham, WA - Mount Baker
12 - Victoria, British Columbia - Save On Foods Memorial Center
13-14 - Coquitlam, British Columbia - Red Robinson Show Theater
15 - Kamloops, British Columbia - Interior Savings Centre
16 - Vernon, British Columbia - Wesbild Center
18 - Calgary, Alberta - Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
19 - Edmonton, Alberta - Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
20 - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan - TCU Place
21 - Regina, Saskatchewan - Casino Regina
22 - Winnipeg, Manitoba - Centennial Concert Hall
24 - Thunder Bay, Ontario - Community Auditorium
26 - Kitchener, Ontario - Centre In The Square
27 - Windsor, Ontario - Coliseum @ Caesars
28 - Toronto, Ontario - Massey Hall
29 - Ottawa, Ontario - National Arts Center
30 - Kingston, Ontario - K-Rock Center

June 2010
1 - Quebec, Quebec - Theatre Capitole
2 - Sherbrooke, Ontario - Theatre Granada
4-5 - Montreal, Ontario - Metropolis



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Black Eyed Peas plot second leg of North American tour

2010-03-10T12:03:02-08:00 - The Black Eyed Peas [ tickets ] have added a second leg of North American dates to their long-running world tour in support of last year's chart-topping studio release, "The E.N.D."

The summer leg both kicks off and ends in Canada, starting with July 27-28 shows in Toronto, and ending Aug. 23 in Edmonton, Alberta. Highlights include stops in Boston (8/3), Chicago (8/11) and St. Louis, MO (8/14); details are shown at right. Tickets for select shows among the newly added dates go on sale March 13.

The current leg of the tour continues tomorrow night (3/11) in Milwaukee, WI, and runs through an April 11 show in Vancouver, British Columbia. Details are included at right.

On the road, the Peas continue to support their multi-platinum-selling fifth album, "The E.N.D.," which surfaced last summer.

The Grammy-winning set, which was produced by the group's own Will.I.Am, topped The Billboard 200 and has spawned four chart-topping singles: "Boom Boom Pow," "I Gotta Feeling," "Meet Me Halfway" and "Imma Be," which the band performed in January at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, and is currently sitting atop Billboard's Hot 100 chart.

The band took home Grammy Awards in three of the six categories for which it was nominated at this year's awards, including Best Pop Vocal Album for "The E.N.D.," Best Pop Vocal Performance for "I Gotta Feeling" and Best Short Form Video for "Boom Boom Pow." The three awards doubled the band's career haul of Grammy statuettes.

[Note: The following tour dates have been provided by artist and/or tour sources, who verify its accuracy as of the publication time of this story. Changes may occur before tickets go on sale. Check with official artist websites, ticketing sources and venues for late updates.]


March 2010
11 - Milwaukee, WI - Bradley Center
13 - Chicago, IL - United Center
18 - Houston, TX - Reliant Stadium at Reliant Park
19 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
20 - Tulsa, OK - BOK Center
22 - Saint Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center
24 - Kansas City, MO - Sprint Center
25 - Des Moines, IA - Iowa Events Center
27 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
29 - Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center
31 - Glendale, AZ - Jobing.com Arena

April 2010
2 - San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion at San Jose
7 - Sacramento, CA - ARCO Arena
10 - Tacoma, WA - Tacoma Dome
11 - Vancouver, British Columbia - General Motors Place

July 2010
27, 28 - Toronto, Ontario - Air Canada Centre
31 - Montreal, Quebec - Bell Centre

August 2010
1 - Ottawa, Ontario - Scotiabank Place
3 - Boston, MA - TD Banknorth Garden
4 - Newark, NJ - Prudential Center
6 - Hartford, CT - XL Center
7 - Atlantic City, NJ - Boardwalk Hall
10 - Baltimore, MD - 1st Mariner Arena
11 - Buffalo, NY - HSBC Arena
13 - Chicago, IL - Allstate Arena
14 - St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center
18 - Winnipeg, MB - MTS Centre
20 - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan - Credit Union Centre
22 - Calgary, Alberta - Pengrowth Saddledome
23 - Edmonton, Alberta - Rexall Place



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Goo Goo Dolls add 'Something' to spring tour

2010-03-10T04:03:45-08:00 - Alt-rockers the Goo Goo Dolls [ tickets ] have extended their spring headlining trip in support of the forthcoming studio album "Something For the Rest of Us."

The outing, which launches April 6 in Augusta, GA, now runs through a May 16 date in Peoria, IL, with additional shows to follow that will extend the trip through mid-June, according to the band's publicist. Currently confirmed dates are shown at right.

Additional ticketing information, including pre-sales availability, can be found at the group's website.

"Something For the Rest of Us," the band's ninth album and first since 2006's gold-selling "Let Love In," is due in stores later this spring. The group recorded the new studio effort in its hometown of Buffalo, NY, and in Los Angeles. Producers Tim Palmer (U2, Switchfoot) and Rob Cavallo (Green Day, Paramore) both were brought in to assist on the sessions, along with mixer Mike "Spike" Stent (Radiohead, Dave Matthews Band).

"Originally, we were going to put it out in the fall and we decided to put it out in the spring instead," bassist Robby Takac told Billboard.com in December, "so we had a little bit of time to listen through. I think it really led us to be pretty hyper-critical about what's on the record. There's a few things we want to tend to, so I think we're gonna get a great result."

"Let Love In" peaked at No. 9 on The Billboard 200 in 2006, with lead single "Better Days" reaching No. 3 on the singles charts.

[Note: The following tour dates have been provided by artist and/or tour sources, who verify its accuracy as of the publication time of this story. Changes may occur before tickets go on sale. Check with official artist websites, ticketing sources and venues for late updates.]


April 2010
6 - Augusta, GA - Rock Fore! Dough
8 - Wilmington, NC - Trask Coliseum
10 - Oswego, NY - SUNY Campus Center
11 - Wilkes Barre, PA - FM Kirby Center
13 - Hershey, PA - Hershey Theatre
15 - Hampton Beach, NH - Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
17 - Erie, PA - Penn State Behrend
20 - Richmond, VA - The National
21 - Norfolk, VA - The NorVa
23 - Greensboro, NC - War Memorial Auditorium
24 - North Charleston, SC - Performing Arts Center
27 - Orlando, FL - Hard Rock Live

May 2010
2 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
4 - Knoxville, TN - Tennessee Theatre
5 - Louisville, KY - Louisville Palace Theatre
9 - Columbus, OH - Palace Theatre
11 - South Bend, IN - Morris Performing Arts Center
12 - Ann Arbor, MI - Michigan Theatre
14 - Kettering, OH - Fraze Pavilion
15 - Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theatre
16 - Peoria, IL - Peoria Civic Center



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Bullet For My Valentine to bring 'Fever' stateside

2010-03-10T04:03:39-08:00 - Welsh metalcore act Bullet For My Valentine will spend a month on the US tour trail this spring in support of their forthcoming third studio set, "Fever."

The band--singer/guitarist Matt Tuck, guitarist Michael Paget, bassist Jason James and drummer Michael Thomas--will begin the road trip with an April 30 stop in Worcester, PA. The club tour will visit 20 markets before finishing up with a May 30 performance in Detroit. The full schedule is shown at right.

Special guests Chiodos and Airbourne will handle opening duties.

Bullet For My Valentine is set to release "Fever," its third studio effort, April 27, though the album's first single, "Your Betrayal," is currently in rotation at alternative radio stations nationwide.

Produced by Don Gilmore (Linkin Park) and recorded in both Wales and Los Angeles, "Fever" will follow the group's 2008 set, "Scream Aim Fire." That album sold more than a million copies worldwide and reached gold status in the UK and Canada, according to the band's website.

[Note: The following tour dates have been provided by artist and/or tour sources, who verify its accuracy as of the publication time of this story. Changes may occur before tickets go on sale. Check with official artist websites, ticketing sources and venues for late updates.]


April 2010
30 - Worcester, PA - The Palladium

May 2010
1 - East Rutherford, NJ - Meadowlands Sports Complex
2 - Baltimore, MD - Ram's Head Live
4 - Atlanta, GA - The Tabernacle
5 - Nashville, TN - Rocketown
7 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues
9 - Tulsa, OK - TBA
11 - Tempe, AZ - The Marquee
12 - Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues
14 - Anaheim, CA - The Grove of Anaheim
15 - San Diego, CA - SOMA San Diego
16 - San Francisco, CA - Regency Center
18 - Magna, UT - The Great Saltair
19 - Englewood, CO - Gothic Theatre
21 - Saint Louis, MO - The Pageant
22 - Chicago, IL - Riviera Theatre
23 - Columbus, OH - Crew Stadium
25 - Milwaukee, WI - Eagles Ballroom
26 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
28 - Grand Rapids, MI - Orbit Room
30 - Detroit, MI - The Fillmore Detroit



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Green River Ordinance plots spring course

2010-03-10T04:03:39-08:00 - Fort Worth rockers Green River Ordinance [ tickets ] will continue supporting last year's "Out of My Hands" with a spring itinerary of US club shows.

The trek gets underway close to home with a March 26 show in Oklahoma City, OK, followed by several gigs throughout the Midwest before heading to the West Coast. In all, the band will perform in 23 cities, including the May 6 conclusion in West Hollywood, CA. All of the scheduled dates are shown at right.

Green River Ordinance will also take part in the VH1 Best Cruise Ever, which will head to Grand Cayman from Tampa April 15 and return April 19. Rockers 3 Doors Down will host the event with special guests Lifehouse, Shinedown, Finger Eleven and more than a dozen other acts. Additional information about the cruise can be found at the event's website.

"Out of My Hands," the band's Virgin Records debut, surfaced early last year. The 11-track set, which peaked at No. 10 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart, features two singles--"Outside" and "On Your Own"--that have made it onto a handful of television programs, including MTV's "The Hills" and "So You Think You Can Dance."

Earlier this year, the band created a song entitled "Rise Up" exclusively for the AT&T Team USA Winter Olympics soundtrack, which is currently available via iTunes and features singles from Mariah Carey, Puddle of Mudd and Rascal Flatts, among others.

[Note: The following tour dates have been provided by artist and/or tour sources, who verify its accuracy as of the publication time of this story. Changes may occur before tickets go on sale. Check with official artist websites, ticketing sources and venues for late updates.]


March 2010
26 - Oklahoma City, OK - The Conservatory
27 - Austin, TX - Stubb's Bar-B-Q
29 - Lawrence, KS - The Bottleneck
31 - Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall

April 2010
1 - Saint Paul, MN - Station 4
2 - Des Moines, IA - House of Bricks
3 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave Bar
6 - Nashville, TN - The Mercy Lounge
7 - Knoxville, TN - The Square Room
8 - Atlanta, GA - Vinyl at Center Stage
9 - Louisville, KY - Headliners Music Hall
11 - Birmingham, AL - WorkPlay Theatre
13 - Tampa, FL - Ritz Ybor
15-19 - VH1 Best Cruise Ever
22 - Houston, TX - House of Blues
24 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues
26 - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater
27 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court
28 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory Concert Hose
30 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon

May 2010
1 - Portland, OR - Berbati's Pan
3 - San Francisco, CA - Cafe du Nord
4 - Modesto, CA - TBA
6 - West Hollywood, CA - Troubadour



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Smashing Pumpkins mount search for new band members

2010-03-09T15:03:02-08:00 - Unemployed bassists and keyboardists, take heed: Billy Corgan is seeking one of each to join Smashing Pumpkins [ tickets ].

Corgan, who last year found new Pumpkins drummer Mike Byrne via open auditions, will undergo a similar process as he hunts for both a new bassist and a keyboardist who "is a fan of--and can play in the prog-rock style of--Jon Lord and Rick Wakeman," according to a press release.

Word of the search comes simultaneously with the announcement that latest Pumpkins bassist Ginger Pooley has left the group to raise her new baby.

"With sorrow and yet with much thankfulness for the opportunity to have played in the Pumpkins, I am sad to say that I can no longer tour with the Pumpkins," Pooley said in a prepared statement. "... I wish Billy all the best and look forward to seeing the Pumpkins in the near future. I would also like to thank all of the Pumpkins fans for all of their support. I will see you at the Pumpkins shows!"

"Although I am heartbroken that Ginger is leaving the group, I really respect her decision to put her family first," Corgan added. "I appreciate everything that she has contributed to The Smashing Pumpkins, and I'm proud of her for being such a great musician and friend."

Until a new permanent bassist is found, Mark Tulin of The Electric Prunes--who last year toured with Corgan as part of Spirits in the Sky--will fill in on an interim basis. Plans for a world tour will be announced soon, according to a press release.

According to a press release, bassists and keyboardists interested in trying out should send their background info (including age, a resume of any bands/recorded work), photos and performance web links via email only, either to pumpkinsbass@gmail.com or pumpkinskeys@gmail.com. Only musicians with video clips can be considered; applicants are encouraged to use "YouTube.com-type posts," which is how Byrne was found. The final date for submissions is March 31.


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Muse Gallery Spotlight: Boston, MA - March 6, 2010

2010-03-09T13:03:26-08:00 - After years of plugging away under the mainstream radar, British alt-rockers Muse [ tickets ] have finally reached A-list status, filling arena shows around North America in support of "The Resistance."

Matthew Bellamy (lead vocals, guitar), Christopher Wolstenholme (bass), and Dominic Howard (drums) released their fifth studio set last September and it quickly landed the No. 3 spot on The Billboard 200 album chart. Fans in Montreal can catch the guys tomorrow (3/10) at the Bell Centre, and Friday (3/12) they're set to perform at Chicago's United Center. Muse has also just been confirmed to play at Stubb's on Saturday (3/20) during SxSW.

LiveDaily photographer Mary Ouellette attended Muse's show at TD Garden in Boston on Saturday (3/6), and here are some of the highlights.


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Skillet to stay 'Awake' for headlining run

2010-03-09T13:03:22-08:00 - Following an in-progress support tour with TobyMac, Christian rockers Skillet [ tickets ] will take to the road for their own headlining trek behind last year's "Awake."

The Grammy-nominated quartet will continue roadwork with TobyMac through mid-April before kicking off its headlining run with an April 15 performance in Scranton, PA. So far, 17 concerts have been added to the itinerary, which currently wraps May 21 in East Lansing, MI. The full schedule is shown at right.

Nashville-based rockers Red and hard-rock outfit The Letter Black will provide opening support.

"Awake," Skillet's eighth studio effort, surfaced last August, debuting at No. 2 on The Billboard 200. The set, which was produced by Howard Benson (Daughtry, Three Days Grace), also reached No. 1 on iTunes' Top Albums chart within 24 hours of release, according to a press release.

"He's been a favorite producer of ours for quite a long time and we've talked about working with him in the past, but this time all the pieces fell into place," singer/songwriter/bassist John Cooper said of Benson in a message posted at the band's website. "He really has a knack for the elements an audience enjoys the most, which often times are the vocals and the lyrics, and then he gives the band a chance to be themselves and be proud of the artistic output."

"Awake" follows the group's Grammy-nominated 2006 release, "Comatose."

[Note: The following tour dates have been provided by artist and/or tour sources, who verify its accuracy as of the publication time of this story. Changes may occur before tickets go on sale. Check with official artist websites, ticketing sources and venues for late updates.]


March 2010
11 - Champaign, IL - Assembly Hall (w/ TobyMac)
12 - Evansville, IN - Roberts Stadium (w/ TobyMac)
13 - Bristol, TN - Viking Hall (w/ TobyMac)
18 - Hershey, PA - Giant Center (w/ TobyMac)
19 - Baltimore, MD - 1st Mariner Arena (w/ TobyMac)
20 - Johnstown, PA - War Memorial Arena (w/ TobyMac)
21 - Toledo, OH - Lucas County Arena (w/ TobyMac)
25 - Tallahassee, FL - Tallahassee Civic Center (w/ TobyMac)
26 - Fort Myers, FL - Germain Arena (w/ TobyMac)
27 - West Palm Beach, FL - Cruzan Amphitheatre (w/ TobyMac)
28 - Auburn, AL - Beard-Evans Memorial Coliseum (w/ TobyMac)

April 2010
1 - New Orleans, LA - UNO Lakefront (w/ TobyMac)
2 - Tyler, TX - Oil Palace (w/ TobyMac)
3 - Jackson, MS - Mississippi Coliseum (w/ TobyMac)
8 - Norfolk, VA - Norfolk Scope Arena Prism Theatre (w/ TobyMac)
9 - Huntington, WV - Big Sandy Superstore Arena (w/ TobyMac)
10 - Lynchburg, VA - Liberty University (w/ TobyMac)
11 - Asheville, NC - Civic Center (w/ TobyMac)
15 - Scranton, PA - Scranton Cultural Center
18 - Charlotte, NC - Bojangles Coliseum
22 - Raleigh, NC - TBA
23 - Savannah, GA - TBA
24 - Aiken, SC - USC Aiken Convocation Center
25 - Pensacola, FL - Saenger Theater
29 - Lafayette, LA - Cajundome Convention Center

May 2010
2 - Jonesboro, AR - ASU Convocation Center
4 - Fort Smith, AR - Fort Smith Convention Center
6 - Park City, KS - Hartman Arena
7 - Dodge City, KS - Dodge City Civic Center
9 - Topeka, KS - Kansas Expocentre
11 - Bismarck, ND - Bismarck Civic Center
13 - Rapid City, SD - Rushmore Plaza Civic Center
15 - Fargo, ND - Urban Plains Center
20 - Saginaw, MI - Dow Event Center
21 - East Lansing, MI - Michigan State University Concert Auditorium



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Jackson Browne maps summer tour with David Lindley

2010-03-09T13:03:04-08:00 - Jackson Browne [ tickets ] will head out on the road this summer with longtime collaborator David Lindley, as the two performers support a new 2-CD live set recorded during the pair's 2006 tour.

The tour kicks off July 20 in Las Vegas, and will hit 16 cities over the following four weeks, winding down Aug. 15 in Atlanta. Details are shown at right.

"Love is Strange," a two-disc set featuring material culled from Browne and Lindley's 2006 tour, is due in stores May 11.

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Browne released "Time The Conqueror," his most recent studio set, in 2008 and spent most of last year touring behind the record with the same four-piece band he's stuck with for most of the past two decades: Kevin McCormick (bass), Mark Goldenberg (guitars), Mauricio Lewak (drums) and Jeff Young (keyboards, backing vocals).

Browne has released 11 studio albums since his 1972 self-titled debut, including his most successful, 1977's "Running on Empty," which was nominated for a 1979 Grammy Award and has sold more than 7 million copies nationwide.

Lindley, a prominent sideman in the '70s with Browne, Warren Zevon, David Crosby and Graham Nash, among others, broke through to mainstream success as a solo artist with 1981's "El Rayo-X," which featured the Top 10 hit "Mercury Blues." His most recent solo effort was 2008's "Big Twang."

[Note: The following tour dates have been provided by artist and/or tour sources, who verify its accuracy as of the publication time of this story. Changes may occur before tickets go on sale. Check with official artist websites, ticketing sources and venues for late updates.]


July 2010
20 - Las Vegas, NV - The Joint
21 - San Diego, CA - Humphrey's
23 - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre
24 - Berkeley, CA - Greek Theatre
27 - Eugene, OR - Cuthbert Amphitheater
30 - Woodinville, WA - Chateau Ste Michelle
31 - Goldendale, WA - Maryhill Winery

August 2010
2 - Boise, ID Idaho Botanical Gardens
3 - Bozeman, MT - Theater at The Brick
5 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
7 - Sioux City, IA - Orpheum Theatre
8 - Kansas City, MO - Starlight Theatre
10 - St. Louis, MO - Fox Theatre
11 - Tulsa, OK - Brady Theater
13 - Grand Prairie, TX - Nokia Theatre
15 - Atlanta, GA - Chastain Park Amphitheater



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Billy Idol debuts new band in Russia

2010-03-09T12:03:52-08:00 - Billy Idol [ tickets ] will debut a new band this summer when he launches his upcoming world tour in Russia. Idol will be joined on June 5 in Moscow by longtime guitarist Steve Stevens, bassist Stephen McGrath and keyboardist Derek Sherinian, according to a press release. His new band also will feature guitarist Billy Morrison and drummer Jeremy Colson.

In addition to Moscow, the rocker will play St. Petersburg (6/7) before heading to Europe for a tour that includes a mix of headlining gigs and summer festival stops. The Malmo Sweden Rock Festival, the T Music Festival in Croatia, and the Freeload Festival in Bremen, Germany, are among the festival dates on Idol's current itinerary. He also will make his second appearance at the Download Festival at Donington Park in his native UK.

Idol is expected to include early Generation X cuts in his set, along with his new wave/punk hits, including "White Wedding," "Hot In The City" and "Eyes Without A Face." The rocker's music has reached the new generation with the inclusion of "Rebel Yell" on 2008's "Guitar Hero World Tour" game. In 2009, Idol released his first live DVD, "In Super Overdrive Live," which was filmed at the Congress Theatre in Chicago.

Idol's upcoming tour, dubbed Billy Idol with Steve Stevens, will head to North America following the last European date, July 11 at the Bospop Festival in Weert, Holland.


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Serj Tankian performs orchestral interpretation of 'Elect the Dead'

2010-03-09T12:03:40-08:00 - Serj Tankian [ tickets ] will perform an orchestral interpretation of his solo debut, "Elect the Dead," at two US shows this summer: July 9 at Chastain Park Amphitheater in Atlanta and July 30 at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. Tankian debuted the orchestral interpretation of his album at New Zealand's Auckland Town Hall in March 2009, according to a press release.

The shows will follow a series of symphonic performances Tankian is giving in Europe in June.

In related news, Tankian's New Zealand performance of "Elect the Dead Symphony" hits stores today (3/9) on CD and DVD.


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God Street Wine reunite for MS benefits

2010-03-09T12:03:15-08:00 - The members of God Street Wine [ tickets ] will come together July 9-10 for two shows benefiting the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The concerts at the Gramercy Theatre in New York City will be the first live performances by the band in nearly a decade, according to a press release.
The band decided to reunite after their longtime stage manager Michael Weiss, who was diagnosed in 2004 with MS, encouraged them to support his MS-related charity work.

The announcement of the reunion coincided with MS Awareness Week (3/8-14) in the US; tickets for the two benefits go on sale Friday (3/12).

God Street Wine split up in 1999 after playing a three-night farewell run at the Wetlands Preserve in New York. Selected performances from those final shows were compiled and released as part of the live album "Good To the Last Drop," which surfaced in 2000. The original five members of the band reunited in September 2001 to mark the closure of the Wetlands.


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Blue October maps rescheduled headlining trek

2010-03-09T08:03:43-08:00 - Alt-rockers Blue October [ tickets ] will headline a rescheduled version of the Pick Up the Phone Tour, a postponed trek from last fall to benefit suicide-prevention services and raise awareness of mental-health issues.

The outing gets underway April 8 in Atlanta and continues through a May 15 show in Houston. Details are included at right.

Originally set to kick off in October, last year's dates were scrubbed when singer Justin Furstenfeld was hospitalized after suffering an "extreme mental-anxiety attack," according to a press release.

"Mental-health diseases are unpredictable," Furstenfeld said in a prepared statement issued at the time. "And on the eve of this tour in support of a cause that means the world to me, I am in need of time to heal from a setback in my own personal life, which is severe enough for me to seek hospitalization. I hope that my action to seek the strength and safety of treatment will inspire others that are suffering to do the same."

The band's fifth studio album, "Approaching Normal," surfaced last March. The record, which was produced by Steve Lillywhite (U2, Dave Matthews Band) and recorded at Willie Nelson's Pedernales Studios, debuted at No. 13 on The Billboard 200 and peaked at No. 4 on the magazine's Top Modern Rock/Alternative Albums chart.

"Approaching Normal" follows the band's 2006 release, "Foiled," which spawned the hit single "Hate Me." That cut landed at No. 2 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart and garnered regular play on mainstream radio stations nationwide.

[Note: The following tour dates have been provided by artist and/or tour sources, who verify its accuracy as of the publication time of this story. Changes may occur before tickets go on sale. Check with official artist websites, ticketing sources and venues for late updates.]


April 2010
7 - Atlanta, GA - Center Stage
8 - Richmond, VA - Hat Factory
9 - Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of the Living Arts
10 - New York. NY - Webster Hall
11 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
14 - Boston, MA - Reason to Live
15 - Millvale, PA - Mr. Small's Theatre
16 - Rochester, NY - Water Street Music Hall
17 - Columbus, OH - Lifestyles Communities Pavilion
18 - Cleveland, OH - House of Blues
20 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues
21 - St. Louis, MO - The Pageant
23 - Omaha, NE - Sokol Auditorium
24 - Englewood, CO - Gothic Theatre
25 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theatre
27 - Lubbock, TX - Lonestar EC Pavilion
28 - Odessa, TX - Dos Amigos
29 - Tulsa, OK - Cain's Ballroom
30 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues

May 2010
1 - Mission, TX - Las Palmas Race Track
8 - Austin, TX - Stubb's BBQ
15 - Houston, TX - Sam Houston Race Park



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Hot Chip adds gigs to US run behind 'One Life Stand'

2010-03-09T08:03:40-08:00 - British electro-pop group Hot Chip [ tickets ] have added more East Coast shows to its forthcoming North American tour in support of its recently released effort, "One Life Stand."

The band will kick off the short outing with an April 16 show in Oakland, CA, before heading east. The trek, which is slated to wrap up with an April 25 performance in Philadelphia, now includes a second night in New York City (4/22-4/23) and a DJ set in Washington, DC, April 24. The full schedule is shown at right.

English dream-pop trio The xx will provide opening support on the outing.

"One Life Stand," Hot Chip's fourth full-length studio album, hit shelves early last month. The set peaked at the top of Billboard's Top Heatseekers chart and at No. 11 on the UK Albums Chart.

"We never have any plan when we record," singer/percussionist Joe Goddard explained at the band's website. "Things happen and we try to follow the thread wherever it leads.

"People might be surprised by a song like 'I Feel Better' coming from us. It's kind of a big commercial song that came from nowhere. We decided to embrace that instead of discarding it on this album."

The album's second single, "I Feel Better," is slated for a digital release April 20. The track is currently streaming at the band's MySpace page.

[Note: The following tour dates have been provided by artist and/or tour sources, who verify its accuracy as of the publication time of this story. Changes may occur before tickets go on sale. Check with official artist websites, ticketing sources and venues for late updates.]


April 2010
16 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theater
19 - Chicago, IL - Riviera Theatre
20 - Toronto, Ontario - Koolhaus
22, 23 - New York, NY - Terminal 5
24 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
24 - Washington, DC - Sweetgreen Dupont Block Party (DJ set)
25 - Philadelphia, PA - Theater of the Living Arts



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Indigo Girls push 'Poseidon' run through late spring

2010-03-09T08:03:35-08:00 - Indigo Girls [ tickets ] have tacked more dates onto their in-progress US tour behind last year's "Poseidon and the Bitter Bug."

The itinerary, which begin late last month, continues with a March 17 performance in Missoula, MT, moving south along the West Coast before heading inland to the Midwest. Since last check, 16 new concerts have been added to the end of the schedule, now pushing the road trip into late May. Details are shown at right.

"Poseidon and the Bitter Bug," the folk-rockers' 11th studio effort, hit shelves last March. The two-disc release debuted at No. 29 on The Billboard 200 and marked the pair's first album on their own IG Recordings label.

For the latest release, the Indigo Girls teamed up again with producer Mitchell Froom, who produced the pair's 2006 album, "Despite Our Differences."

"Mitchell was able to build a bridge between Emily's songs and my songs more successfully than anyone we've worked with," Ray explained at the band's website. "He's a musician's musician and has a very clear idea of what will work."

In November, the Grammy-winning duo unveiled "Live at the Roxy," a concert DVD that captures the Girls' July 2007 show at Atlanta's Roxy Theater.

Ray, who started the not-for-profit label Daemon Records in 2004, has released four solo albums, the most recent of which is 2008's"Didn't It Feel Kinder."

[Note: The following tour dates have been provided by artist and/or tour sources, who verify its accuracy as of the publication time of this story. Changes may occur before tickets go on sale. Check with official artist websites, ticketing sources and venues for late updates.]


March 2010
17 - Missoula, MT - University Theatre
18 - Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory Concert House
19 - Tacoma, WA - Pantages Theater
21 - Vancouver, British Columbia - Commodore Ballrom
23 - Corvallis, OR - Lesells Stewart Center
24 - Reno, NV - Knitting Factory Concert House
25 - Santa Rosa, CA - Wells Fargo Center for the Arts
26 - Modesto, CA - The State Theatre of Modesto
27 - Arcata, CA - John Van Duzer Theatre

April 2010
13 - Aspen, CO - Belly Up Aspen
14 - Boulder, CO - Boulder Theater
16 - Billings, MT - Babcock Theatre
17 - Fargo, ND - Fargo Theatre
18 - Lincoln, NE - Rococo Theatre
20 - Rochester, MN - Mayo Civic Center Presentation Hall
22 - Sheboygan, WI - Well Center
23 - Madison, WI - Barrymore Theatre
24 - Bloomington, IN - Burskirk-Chumley Theater
25 - Saint Louis, MO - The Pageant

May 2010
26 - Fayetteville, AR - Arkansas Music Pavilion
28 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues
29 - Austin, TX - La Zona Rosa
30 - Kerrville, TX - Kerrville Folk Festival



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Country Throwdown Tour firms up spring plans

2010-03-09T08:03:33-08:00 - Organizers of Country Throwdown--a traveling multi-stage affair headlined by Montgomery Gentry [ tickets ], Jamey Johnson, Little Big Town and Jack Ingram--have firmed up the tour's itinerary with dates in 23 cities this spring.

The trek will get underway May 14 in Tampa, FL, and travel through the Southern and Midwestern states before ending up with a West Coast slate that concludes June 20 in Mountain View, CA. Dates are at right.

Pre-sale tickets are currently available for the June 17 show in the San Diego area and the June 19 show in Irvine, CA. A second wave of pre-sale tickets will roll out March 12, covering most of the remaining dates, according to organizers, and can be obtained through the event's website, as well as at all Ticketmaster locations.

The four aforementioned acts will hold down the festival's main stage, while two separate side stages at each venue will feature a roster that includes Eric Church, the Eli Young Band, The Lost Trailers, Heidi Newfield, Ryan Bingham and The Dead Horses, Jonathan Singleton & The Grove, and Emily West.

"Being part of this tour is a very exciting prospect for us," Mike Eli of the Eli Young Band said in a press release. "It brings together a group of similar-minded artists. And the organizers have done some impressive things with other tours in the past, and from what we've seen, we're excited about what they're going to do with country music!"

In addition to the three stages, the tour is partnering with Nashville's Bluebird Cafe--a venue that helped launch the careers of Garth Brooks, Faith Hill, Keith Urban and many others--to showcase nine emerging singer/songwriters in an intimate, in-the-round-style setting.

Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry released their seventh album as Montgomery Gentry, "Freedom," earlier this month. The album's first single, "Oughta Be More Songs About That," debuted in November, peaking at No. 40 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs Chart.

[Note: The following tour dates have been provided by artist and/or tour sources, who verify its accuracy as of the publication time of this story. Changes may occur before tickets go on sale. Check with official artist websites, ticketing sources and venues for late updates.]


May 2010
14 - Tampa, FL - Ford Amphitheatre
15 - West Palm Beach, FL - Cruzan Amphitheatre
16 - Jacksonville, FL - Metropolitan Park
20 - Cuyahoga Falls, OH - Blossom Music Center
21 - Cincinnati, OH - Riverbend Music Center
22 - Chicago, IL - First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
23 - Noblesville, IN - Verizon Wireless Music Center
27 - Charlotte, NC - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
28 - Raleigh, NC - Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion
29 - Burgettstown, PA - First Niagara Pavilion
30 - Saratoga Springs, NY - Saratoga Performing Arts Center
31 - Gilford, NH - Meadowbrook US Cellular

June 2010
4 - Virginia Beach, VA - Virginia Beach Amphitheater
6 - Bristow, VA - Jiffy Lube Live
9 - Houston, TX - Sam Houston Racepark
10 -Dallas, TX - Superpages.com Center
12 - Salt Lake City, UT - USANA Amphitheatre
13 - Englewood, CO - Comfort Dental Amphitheatre
16 - Bakersfield, CA - Rabobank Arena
17 - Chula Vista, CA - Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre
18 - Phoenix, AZ - Cricket Wireless Pavilion
19 - Irvine, CA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
20 - Mountain View, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre



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Simon & Garfunkel reveal North American tour plans

2010-03-09T06:03:19-08:00 - Just days after announcing a pair of Midwest dates following their April appearance at the New Orleans Jazz Fest, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel have revealed plans for a complete spring North American tour.

The iconic folk duo kicks off the outing with the aforementioned April 24 appearance at New Orleans' Jazz & Heritage Festival before playing their first North American headlining show in more than a year April 29 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Dates follow in Canada and the US Upper Midwest, including stops in Detroit (5/11), Toronto (5/12) and Montreal (5/15). Details are included at right.

Tickets for most of the shows go on sale March 12 at 10 a.m. local time. The St. Paul, MN, and Madison, WI, dates go on sale the following day, also at 10 a.m.

Simon & Garfunkel [ tickets ] originally broke up in 1970, but have reunited frequently over the years for tours and one-off appearances, including 1981's legendary free concert in New York City's Central Park, which attracted more than a half million attendees and spawned a live album and video, and led to the pair touring the world in 1982-83.

The duo's most recent reunion came last fall, when the duo performed at a 25th Anniversary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame concert in New York's Madison Square Garden. Last summer, the pair launched a brief tour of Australia and New Zealand.

[Note: The following tour dates have been provided by artist and/or tour sources, who verify its accuracy as of the publication time of this story. Changes may occur before tickets go on sale. Check with official artist websites, ticketing sources and venues for late updates.]


April 2010
24 - New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
29 - Vancouver, British Columbia - General Motors Place

May 2010
1 - Edmonton, Alberta - Rexall Place
2 - Calgary, Alberta - Pengrowth Saddledome
4 - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan - Credit Union Centre
5 - Winnipeg, Manitoba - MTS Centre
7 - Fargo, ND - Fargodome
8 - St. Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center
9 - Madison, WI - Kohl Center Arena
11 - Detroit, MI - Venut to be announced
12 - Toronto, Ontario - Air Canada Centre
14 - Ottawa, Ontario - Scotiabank Place
15 - Montreal, Quebec - Bell Centre



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