Entertainment and Tickets Information

2012-01-06T09:30:00.003-08:00

2011 NFL Playoffs: What Will Be The Next Great Moment?

The NFL Playoffs have historically been ripe with classic and indelible moments. These plays are so unforgettable and so league-shattering that they are given cute nicknames like "The Immaculate Reception," "The Holly Roller," "The Music City Miracle," and "Eli Manning's Pass to David Tyree." Okay, that last one needs some work.

Who knows what great moments the 2011 NFL Playoffs will produce. That's why we thought it would be fun to throw out, and name, some possible treasured moments that MIGHT happen during the upcoming playoffs. On second thought, "might" is probably too strong of a word but if any of the stuff listed below does actually occur it would be very cool.

The Atlanta Astonishment
In a remarkable turn of events, Matt Ryan leads the Atlanta Falcons to a playoff victory. I know. I know. This article was supposed to be about things that can actually happen. Well, how about this: the Falcons lose but the Tony Gonzales catches three touchdown passes. That could definitely happen.

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow
Ike Taylor makes a key interception thanks to William Gay's massive hit on a wide out. The Steelers' opponents demand a pass interference call but the officials rule that the ball touched a defender before Taylor's contacted the wide receiver thus making the play legal. In actuality, the ball only brushed Troy Polamalu's hair. The stadium nearly riots when replay doesn't overturn the call. In the offseason, the NFL thinks about changing the rule but decides against it after heavy lobbying from the makers of Head and Shoulders.

The Coughlin Countenance
Fans with New York Giants playoff tickets are stunned when they see head coach Tom Coughlin drop the perpetual "where in the hell is that keno girl" expression and replace it with a genuine, real-life smile. Brandon Jacobs was so shocked by Coughlin's grin that he fumbled the ball. Wait! That might have just been a fumble.

The Motown Miracle/Massacre
The Detroit Lions haven't won a playoff game in 20 years. So when they win their first one it's a bona fide miracle. The city reaches sheer elation when they win another and nirvana when they make it to the Super Bowl. Sadly, the Lions are the Lions and they find a way to blow it. After the loss, fans take their frustrations out by destroying what's left of Detroit Rock City. President Obama offers to give Detroit to Canada as a way of apologizing for American franchises always winning the Stanley Cup but the Canucks politely say "no thank you."

The Brees-Way
Drew Brees does it again. His late game heroics make Saints playoff ticketholders very happy. Now, Brees has rallied the Saints to victory numerous times so makes this occasion so special? Well, Brees did it on defense and special teams. The all-pro quarterback turns into a two-way player, like Chuck Bednarik, and is on the field for the entire game. He even leads his team in tackles with three. His stellar defensive play—correction—his defensive play keeps the opponents' point total to just 43. Then after the game, Brees helps builds a split-level for Habitat for Humanity, scoops chowder at a homeless shelter, and donates part of his liver to a dying Rhesus monkey.

The Brady Scores-A-Bunch
In an effort to cut out the middle man, coach Bill Belichick orders his defense off the field and into the showers. The maneuver allows the Patriots' opponents to score at will but Tom Brady and company more than keep up. If you were lucky enough to have Patriots playoff tickets for this affair, you saw the highest scoring game in NFL history. There is a caveat to this immortal event. It can only happen if the Pats play the Pittsburgh Steelers. That's because in the playoffs everything the Patriots do against the Steelers works.

The Hand-Off
There's the "The Catch," "The Tackle," 'The Fumble," and "The Drive" so why not "The Hand-Off." Late in the fourth quarter, with the Green Bay Packers leading by just 17, Aaron Rodgers hands the ball off to some unknown running back that coach Mike McCarthy drafted in the umpteenth round. The back takes the ball and scampers 22 yards for a touchdown. Okay, it's not that dramatic, and it's certainly not memorable, but we think the Packers are going to stroll to their fifth Super Bowl title. In the 2011 postseason, teams will be lucky to be down just 17 points in the fourth quarter to the vaunted Packers.

The Second Coming
With all the talk of "miracles," and with the Hail Mary being a common play for teams trailing at the end of games, it was only a matter of time until we got around to Mr. Tim Tebow. Okay, so here's what happens: the city of Denver is soaked by a torrential downpour. There's so much rain in such a short period of time that Mile High Stadium becomes flooded. The only player that can successfully run in the muck and mud is Tebow. Get it? He walks on water! Tebow leads the Broncos to a playoff victory but unfortunately none of his fans see it. They were all too busy "Tebowing" to watch the game.

2011-12-20T17:16:00.001-08:00

Coldplay To Launch First U.S. Tour In Nearly Three Years In 2012

In December of 2011, Coldplay had two diametrically opposed gigs on their schedule, and we're not even counting their New Year's Eve show in Abu Dhabi.

A special 90-minute episode of Austin City Limits showcased Coldplay's new album, Mylo Xyloto, as well as many of their greatest hits. The pre-recorded concert was dubbed, "Coldplay New Year's Eve: An Austin City Limits Special."

ACL is cool. You don't get an invitation to perform on its stage, much less a rare 90-minute episode, if you rely on auto-tune or your stage show involves choreography and costume changes.

On Dec. 11, Coldplay performed on the second night of the two-part finale of The X Factor UK. Many were surprised by the band's decision to appear on Simon Cowell's singing competition.

The X Factor has an awful reputation in the Commonwealth. It's what hipsters think of American Idol but worse. In other words, it has the exact opposite reputation that ACL has.

In the U.K., The X Factor is viewed by many as the devil; it's everything that's wrong with the music business. That's why Coldplay's management was very worried about the backlash the band would receive for performing on such an anti-cool show. They already have a small army of haters and performing on The X Factor would only help with recruitment.

Of course, a few thousand negative tweets and a few hundred disparaging Facebook updates are no match for the amount of albums they'll sell from their X Factor appearance. Like American Idol in the States, people who watch The X Factor buy albums. And if they like what they hear they might also buy Coldplay tickets.

So in less than one month, Coldplay performed on a show with serious "street cred" and on a show watched by millions of consumers. Say what you will about their music, but Coldplay certainly knows what they're doing.

In 2012, the British alternative band is set to launch their first tour of the United Sates in almost three years. The excursion is in support of their latest album, Mylo Xyloto.

The band's string of concert dates is split into two legs, one in the spring and the other in early summer.

The first leg kicks off April 17 in Edmonton, Alberta at Rexall Place. Highlights of their spring jaunt include Coldplay in Vancouver, B.C. on April 20; Coldplay in Seattle, Washington on April 25, and Coldplay in San Jose, California on April 27.

The outing culminates with a pair of Coldplay concerts at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on May 1 and May 2.

Their summer dates begin June 22 with a Coldplay concert in Dallas, Texas and ends Aug. 11 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Coldplay shows are also planned for Houston, Tampa, and Miami. On July 23, Coldplay will be in Boston for a show at TD Garden. Then on Aug. 3, look for Coldplay in East Rutherford, New Jersey at the IZOD Center.

2011-12-08T11:46:00.000-08:00

Red Hot Chili Peppers To Launch First U.S. Tour In Four Years

A lot is going on for the Red Hot Chili Peppers in the waning days of 2011. The band is about to kick off their first U.S. tour in four years and they were just inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The Chili Peppers are part of the 2012 class that also contains Guns N' Roses, The Beastie Boys, The Small Faces/Faces, Donovan, Laura Nyro, Freddie King, and Don Kirshner (he created The Monkees and The Archies). The induction ceremony is planned for April 14 and will air on HBO sometime in May.

Say what you will about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, getting inducted is an honor and of all the 2012 recipients, RHCP are the most deserving. They actually play rock, they're pioneers in the genre of funk rock, and unlike some inductees, most people can name more than one of their songs.

Personally, I think the R&RHOF is a joke. Or at least it has become a joke. There are probably just 50 to 60 artists/contributors that have the necessary credentials worthy of enshrinement into some contrived "hall." Of course the current Rock and Roll vestibule includes significantly more than a few dozen acts.

Since the organization seems to let just about anyone in—regardless of the genre of music they play or whether or not they actually influenced future generations—the honor has lost some of its luster (or all of it). The Beastie Boys don't play rock; The Small Faces were pretty much a blimp on the rock and roll map; Donovan's music is about as timeless as a housefly; and who has ever even heard of Laura Nyro?

Sadly, Nyro was inducted because she's a woman and The Hall has a dearth of female rockers. While that's definitely a concern, inducting someone because of who they are and not what they've done defeats the purpose. It's like giving Jay Buhner or Joey Cora a bust in Cooperstown because there are not enough Seattle Mariners in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Of course none of this matters to fans of the Chili Peppers or to the band themselves. Flea posted on the group's Web site that he's very excited about being part of the Class of 2012. If he's happy, I geuss we should be too.

Regardless, fans are exciting about the opportunity to cash in their Red Hot Chili Peppers tickets and see their favorite hall of famers on stage as part of their highly anticipated "I'm With You Tour."

Their long-awaited trek begins Jan. 20 in Sunrise, Florida and ends March 16 in Little Rock, Arkansas. Highlights of their itinerary include stops in Orlando, Memphis, New Orleans, and Houston.

The band's last major outing was in 2007 when they launched their "Stadium Arcadium Tour." The upcoming series of Red Hot Chili Peppers concerts will be the first with guitarist Josh Klinghoffer.

The band, who is currently performing all over Europe, is touring to support their tenth studio album, I'm With You. The Rick Rubin-produced collection dropped in August of 2011.

Red Hot Chili Peppers' 2012 Itinerary
>>Jan. 20 - Red Hot Chili Peppers tickets for Sunrise, FL @ Bank Atlantic Center
>>Jan. 21 - Red Hot Chili Peppers tickets for Orlando, FL @ Amway Arena
>>Jan. 23 - Red Hot Chili Peppers tickets for St. Petersburg, FL @ St. Pete Times Forum
>>Jan. 25 - Red Hot Chili Peppers tickets for Charlotte, NC @ Time Warner Cable Arena
>>Jan. 27 - Red Hot Chili Peppers tickets for Raleigh, NC @ RBC Center
>>Jan. 28 - Red Hot Chili Peppers tickets for Columbia, SC @ Colonial Life Arena
>>Jan. 30 - Red Hot Chili Peppers tickets for Duluth, Georgia @ Gwinnett Center
>>Jan. 31 - Red Hot Chili Peppers tickets for Greensboro, NC @ Greensboro Coliseum
>>Feb. 3 - Red Hot Chili Peppers tickets for Memphis, TN @ FedEx Forum
>>Feb. 4 - Red Hot Chili Peppers tickets for New Orleans, LA @ New Orleans Arena
>>Feb. 29 - Red Hot Chili Peppers tickets for San Deigo, CA @ Valley View Casino Center
>>March 6 - Red Hot Chili Peppers tickets for San Antonio, TX @ AT&T Center
>>March 8 - Red Hot Chili Peppers tickets for Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
>>March 9 - Red Hot Chili Peppers tickets for Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
>>March 13 - Red Hot Chili Peppers tickets for Tulsa, OK @ BOK Arena
>>March 15 - Red Hot Chili Peppers tickets for Oklahoma City, OK @ Chesapeake Energy Arena
>>March 16 - Red Hot Chili Peppers tickets for Little Rock, AR @ Verizon Arena

2011-12-02T10:14:00.001-08:00

Tim McGraw Free From Curbs Record, Touring With Kenny Chesney

Over the years, I've written hundreds of articles about popular music. In those wonderfully composed and amazingly insightful tomes I've discussed just about every aspect of an artist's life a fan can imagine. I've penned prose about their reading habits, their diets, what they bring with them on the road, and even their tawdry affairs, but I've never discussed (or mentioned) their record labels.

That's because record labels are meaningless.

They don't affect the sound of the music, or its availability, and who really cares what company cuts the checks that are eventually cashed by our favorite artists. The only groups truly interested in record labels are record collectors, industry insiders, and unsigned acts.

I will make an exception if an artist and their record label are embroiled in a major contract dispute. That's important because it usually means no new music, or in Tim McGraw's case, a whole bunch of old music.

Country music superstar Tim McGraw recently won a court battle against his former record label, Curb Records (the only label of his career). McGraw is now free to record with any label his wishes or he can form his own.

As alluded to, the dispute was responsible for six compilations released in a five-year period (the label was trying to draw out McGraw's expiring contract). McGraw accused his former label of holding onto a finished album called Emotional Traffic. Although nothing has been announced, fans should expect Emotional Traffic to hit store shelves in the very near future.

It makes sense since the judge's ruling was handed down six months and two days prior to McGraw's big tour with Kenny Chesney. One can safely assume that McGraw would love a new album to promote when he and his good buddy hit the road to play football stadiums all over the United States.

McGraw and Chesney's "Brothers of the Sun Tour 2012" launches June 2 in Tampa, Florida. The 20-date trek ends Aug. 25 in Foxboro, Massachusetts.

Speaking of Foxboro, the duo just added a second show at the home of the New England Patriots, Gillette Stadium. McGraw and Chesney will play at the venue on Aug. 24 and 25.

The two country music superstars have been close friends for years. Long before they combined forces to sell hundreds of thousands of Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw tickets, the would-be icons shared an apartment in Nashville.

In case you're wondering, McGraw will perform first. Chesney is closing but he has promised fans that the evening's finale will feature plenty of McGraw.

Opening for the dynamic duo are Grace Potter & The Nocturnals and Jake Owen.

"Brothers of the Sun Tour 2012" Itinerary
>>June 2 - Kenny Chesney & Tim McGraw in Tampa, FL @ Raymond James Stadium
>>June 3 - Kenny Chesney & Tim McGraw in Atlanta, GA @ Georgia Dome
>>June 9 - Kenny Chesney & Tim McGraw in Dallas, TX @ Cowboys Stadium
>>June 10 - Kenny Chesney & Tim McGraw in Kansas City, MO @ Arrowhead Stadium
>>June 16 - Kenny Chesney & Tim McGraw in Philadelphia, PA @ Lincoln Financial Field
>>June 23 - Kenny Chesney & Tim McGraw in Nashville, TN @ LP Field
>>June 24 - Kenny Chesney & Tim McGraw in Charlotte, NC @ Bank of America Stadium
>>June 30 - Kenny Chesney & Tim McGraw in Pittsburgh, PA @ Heinz Field
>>July 1 - Kenny Chesney & Tim McGraw in Cincinnati, OH @ Paul Brown Stadium
>>July 7 - Kenny Chesney & Tim McGraw in Chicago, IL @ Soldier Field
>>July 8 - Kenny Chesney & Tim McGraw in Minneapolis, MN @ Target Field
>>July 14 - Kenny Chesney & Tim McGraw in Anaheim, CA @ Angel Stadium
>>July 21 - Kenny Chesney & Tim McGraw in Denver, CO @ Sports Authority Field at Mile High
>>Aug. 11 - Kenny Chesney & Tim McGraw in East Rutherford, NJ @ MetLife Stadium
>>Aug. 12 - Kenny Chesney & Tim McGraw in Landover, MD @ FedExField
>>Aug. 18 - Kenny Chesney & Tim McGraw in Detroit, MI @ Ford Field
>>Aug. 24-25 - Kenny Chesney & Tim McGraw in Foxboro, MA @ Gillette Stadium

2011-11-30T10:00:00.000-08:00

Neil Diamond To Tour Behind 'Best Of' Album Beginning In Mid-2012

Is Neil Diamond rock, pop, easy listening, adult contemporary, or some other genre of music?

He's been elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and according to Billboard he's the third most successful adult contemporary artist of all-time behind Barbara Streisand and Elton John. I've seen his music classified as easy listening (he does share a large section of fans with that music genre) and his songs certainly have a pop sound.

Does it really matter how we classify Diamond? The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame doesn't seem to care about music genres (they let in just about anyone) so why should we? Ultimately, it doesn't matter what category in iTunes you select for your Neil Diamond tracks, he's still one of the greatest songwriters of the 21st century. Even so, his music makes for an interesting case study.

The artist's career got a boost in the mid-sixties when The Monkees recorded a few of his songs. Those songs, as well as most of his early material, have a definite rock and roll feel. Then, in the 1970s, he mellowed out and recorded songs like "I Am… I Said," "September Morn," and "You Don't Bring Me Flowers."

His songs have been covered by a wide range of artist, everyone from Elvis Presley to Nancy Sinatra to Urge Overkill to Crooked Fingers. You'll find his albums in record collections belonging to your grandfather, mother, and little brother (provided he's a hipster).

Comparing him to previously mentioned legends, he's not as edgy as Elton John but rocks way harder than Barbara Streisand. Had Diamond leaned more towards rock he would have rivaled John. Instead, he followed in Babs' footsteps. Maybe it cost him a few fans, and a few notches on the cool meter, but with more than 115 million albums sold I think he did okay for himself.

If you don't believe in the awesomeness of Diamond just check out his latest release, "The Very Best of Neil Diamond - The Original Studio Recordings." The 23-track album features tunes like "I'm A Believer," "Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon," and "Sweet Caroline."

To support the opus, the 70-year-old (he turns 71 on Jan 24) is planning a tour of North America this spring and summer. His trek launches June 1 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and ends Sept. 1 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Neil Diamond tickets will be sold in cities all over the continent including Atlanta, Washington D.C., Boston, Toronto, and Seattle.

Neil Diamond's 2012 Itinerary
>>Feb. 16 & 18 - Neil Diamond in Honolulu, HI @ Neal S. Blaisdell Center
>>June 1 - Neil Diamond in Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ BankAtlantic Center
>>June 3 - Neil Diamond in Tampa, FL @ St. Pete Times Forum
>>June 6 - Neil Diamond in Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena
>>June 8 - Neil Diamond in Wantagh, NY @ Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
>>June 14 - Neil Diamond in Washington, DC @ Verizon Center
>>June 16 - Neil Diamond in Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena
>>June 18 - Neil Diamond in Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
>>June 21 - Neil Diamond in Montreal, BC @ Bell Centre
>>June 23 - Neil Diamond in Boston, MA @ TD Garden
>>June 26 - Neil Diamond in Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
>>June 28 - Neil Diamond in London, ON @ John Labatt Centre
>>July 1 - Neil Diamond in Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena
>>July 3 - Neil Diamond in Detroit, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre
>>July 6 - Neil Diamond in Chicago, IL @ United Center
>>July 8 - Neil Diamond in Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest
>>July 11 - Neil Diamond in St Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
>>July 13 - Neil Diamond in Saskatoon, SK @ Credit Union Centre
>>July 16 - Neil Diamond in Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place
>>July 18 - Neil Diamond in Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome
>>July 21 - Neil Diamond in Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
>>July 23 - Neil Diamond in Seattle, WA @ Key Arena
>>July 28 - Neil Diamond in Salt Lake City, UT @ Rio Tinto Stadium
>>Aug. 7 - Neil Diamond in San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion
>>Aug. 29 - Neil Diamond in Phoenix, AZ @ US Airways Center
>>Sept. 1 - Neil Diamond in Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand Garden Arena

2011-11-17T15:15:00.000-08:00

Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Nutcracker Inspire X-Mas Spirit

This holiday season, merry revelers have the opportunity to attend three great shows, all designed to get you into the Christmas spirit. Those three classic shows are The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, a Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert, and The Nutcracker. The Radio City Christmas Spectacular premiered in 1933 in New York City, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra released their first album in 1996, and the Nutcracker debuted in St. Petersburg in 1892.

As an early Christmas present, we've decided to take a closer look at all three holiday traditions. Our breakdown of the productions should help you decide which one is perfect for you and your family. We understand that some shows may not be appropriate for all ages, but if at all possible, we recommend attending all three.

The Radio City Christmas Spectacular
The Radio City Christmas Spectacular stars the world famous Rockettes. The high-stepping dancers treat fans to a variety of holiday numbers including their famous "Parade of Wooden Soldiers" and "The Living Nativity." Other rousing musical numbers include "The Twelve Days of Christmas," "Here Comes Santa Claus," and "Joy to the World." At one point in the production, a double-decker bus is rolls onto the stage.

This year, the Spectacular is called "The Rockettes Magical Journey." Those with Radio City Christmas Spectacular tickets will be treated to a spectacular 3-D film digitally projected onto a flying LED screen. Don't worry, 3-D glasses are included with the price of your Rockettes tickets. Fans can catch the Spectacular at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City and a touring production set to visit Boston, Durham, and Nashville.

Santa Claus Appearance: Yes.
Who Will Like It The Best: The members of your family that like dancing and beautiful costumes.
Christmas Spirit Meter: From beginning to end the Spectacular is all about Christmas. If it doesn't get you into the holiday spirit nothing will.

>>Nov. 11 - Jan. 2 - Radio City Christmas Spectacular in New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall
>>Nov. 10-27 - Radio City Christmas Spectacular in Durham, NC @ Durham Performing Arts Center
>>Nov. 18 - Dec. 24 - Radio City Christmas Spectacular in Nashville, TN @ Grand Ole Opry House
>>Dec. 2-28 - Radio City Christmas Spectacular in Boston, MA @ Wang Theatre

Trans-Siberian Orchestra Winter Tour 2011
Since 1999, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra has made heavy metal the reason for the season. The brainchild of composer and producer Paul O'Neil, TSO annually tours North America thrilling fans with their energetic and festive blend of hard rock, classical music, and Christmas songs. If you'd rather celebrate the holidays with some serious guitar shredding, instead decking the halls with boughs of holly, then the Trans-Siberian Orchestra is for you.

Since 2000, the group has split into two, TSO West and TSO East. The pair of touring bands means they can visit more arenas and melt more faces with their tasty guitar licks. Regardless of which group your Trans-Siberian Orchestra tickets are for, plan on a night of great music, awesome pyrotechnics, amazing special effects, and lasers. Also, be prepared for a strained neck due to all the headbanging you'll be doing. Some of TSO's most well-known songs are "Wizards in Winter," "Christmas Canon," and "A Mad Russian's Christmas."

Santa Claus Appearance: No.
Who Will Like It The Best: All members of the family that like to rock!
Christmas Spirit Meter: It's not exactly an Andy Williams Christmas special but you'll leave the arena pumped up (as well as with short-term hearing loss).

>>Nov. 26 - Trans-Siberian Orchestra in Hartford, CT @ XL Center
>>Dec. 15 - Trans-Siberian Orchestra in Milwaukee, WI @ Bradley Center
>>Dec. 23 - Trans-Siberian Orchestra in Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
>>Dec. 29 - Trans-Siberian Orchestra in Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre

The Nutcracker
It's hard to breakdown The Nutcracker since the show is produced by so many ballet companies. The production in your area may be much better than a production clear across the country. Still, this show, especially its music, is one of the great joys of the holiday season. If the opportunity arises, you should definitely acquire Nutcracker Ballet show tickets for you and your family.

The Nutcracker tells the story of a young girl who gets a nutcracker from her godfather during a Christmas party. Later that night, when the girl sneaks downstairs to the Christmas tree, her nutcracker comes alive and takes her on a magical journey where mice come alive and desserts dance. The ballet's indelible score is punctuated by holiday classics like the "Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy," "The Russian Dance," and "The Dance of the Reed-Flutes."

Santa Claus Appearance: No.
Who Will Like It The Best: The Nutcracker is for everyone that doesn't have a short attention span. If you can't leave the Smartphone alone for two hours the ballet isn’t for you.
Christmas Spirit Meter: Christmas plays a relatively minor role but since The Nutcracker has become synonymous with the holidays you'll definitely walk out of the theater ready to enjoy the season.

>>Nov. 25-27 - The Nutcracker in Boston, MA @ Boston Opera House
>>Dec. 8-11 - The Nutcracker in Atlanta, GA @ Fabulous Fox Theatre
>>Nov. 25 - Dec. 3 - The Nutcracker in Houston, TX @ Brown Theater
>>Dec. 1-3 - The Nutcracker in Los Angeles, CA @ Dorothy Chandler Pavilion

2011-11-04T11:09:00.000-07:00

North Carolina, Syracuse Will Contend For National Championship

With the NBA embroiled in what appears to be a protracted labor dispute, eyes of the sporting world will be on college basketball much sooner than the usual week after the Super Bowl. Fortunately for hoop fans, the 2011-2012 college basketball season could be one of the most competitive and exciting campaigns in years.

To get fans ready for all the exciting non-conference games, pivotal conference matchups, and the historic rivalries, we've compiled a list of six things you should look for as the season unfolds. Hopefully our list will get you exited for what is shaping up to be a great year of college basketball. Just make sure you pace yourself. March Madness is still a few months away.

Syracuse Will Win National Championship
We want season tickets to the North Carolina Tar Heels. Ohio State is going to be very good. Kentucky will be a Final Four team. However, we like a stacked Syracuse Orangemen to win the National Championship. Besides being a fan of Jim Boeheim, we want to see 'Cuse cut down the nets in order to stick it to the powers that are breaking up the Big East.

Related Big Games
North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Jan. 29
North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Duke Blue Devils on Feb. 8

Jared Sullinger Wins Naismith Award
We didn't pick the Ohio State Buckeyes to win the National Championship but we think Jared Sullinger is the best player in the country. He's big, physical, can establish himself on the block, has tons of low post moves, and can drain a three if the situation arrives. We hope the Buckeyes make it deep into the tourney just so we can see Sullinger play more games. More so for the date than the matchup, but we're looking forward to Ohio State's New Year's Eve game against the Indiana Hoosiers.

Related Big Games
Indiana Hoosiers vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers on Jan. 12
Indiana Hoosiers vs. Iowa Hawkeyes on Jan. 29

Boston College Goes Winless in ACC
Fans with Boston College Eagles tickets better get ready for a long season. The program lost their top five scorers from a year ago and they have a new coach in Steve Donahue. To make matters worse, the ACC, which was down last year, is much better. Going winless in conference is rare for a BCS school, but it will happen to B.C.

Related Big Games
Boston College Eagles vs. Harvard Crimson on Dec. 29
Boston College Eagles vs. North Carolina State Wolfpack on Feb. 1

California Wins Pac-12
Pac-12 basketball isn't what it used to be. Regardless, Cal has an excellent chance of winning this once formidable conference. The team, led by Jorge Gutierrez, has four returning starters. That experience is why we pick them instead of a young Arizona team. Watch out for UCLA. The Bruins have the best frontcourt in the league.

Related Big Games
UCLA Bruins vs. Arizona Wildcats on Jan. 5
UCLA Bruins vs. Oregon Ducks on Jan. 21

Georgetown Hoys: No Tournament Bid
The Georgetown Hoyas won't have their ticket punched to the "Big Dance" nor will Notre Dame, West Virginia, or Villanova. In other words, the Big East won't supply the NCAA Tournament will 11 teams like it did in 2011. UConn, Louisville, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse are definitely in, and probably Cincinnati and Marquette, but other than that the Big East won't make up 16 percent of the tournament field in 2012.

Related Big Games
Georgetown Hoyas vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Feb. 27
Georgetown Hoyas vs. UConn Huskies on Feb. 1

It's A Family Affair In The ACC
This season, Cameron Crazies with Duke Blue Devils tickets will get to watch sons of two famous NBA players. Scoring extraordinaire Seth Curry is the son of Dell Curry, the all-time leading scorer for the New Orleans Hornets, and teammate Austin Rivers is the son of former NBA point guard, and current Boston Celtics head coach, Doc Rivers. Meanwhile, the starting shooting guard for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets is Glen Rice Jr., his father is three-time NBA All-Star Glen Rice. If you have ACC tickets this season, look around. You might see a former NBA star or two sitting in the stands.

Related Big Games
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. Alabama Crimson Tide on Jan. 3
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. Duke Blue Devils on Jan. 7
Duke Blue Devils vs. Florida State Seminoles on Jan. 21
Duke Blue Devils vs. North Carolina Tar Heels on March 3

2011-10-31T17:39:00.000-07:00

Phish Plays Madison Square Garden On New Year’s Eve

New Year’s Eve is one of the most overrated nights of the year. The pressure to have fun is so severe and the expectations to party like a rock star are so high that the evening is usually a huge let down.

You either have to spend a lot of money, or drink a lot of alcohol, to make your celebration memorable; I would go so far as to say tolerable. I generally like to skip the parties, soirees, and shindigs, have an early dinner, and then watch Dick Clark on television before calling it a year.

If you ask me, the New Year is nothing more than a fancy reminder to hang a new calendar. As for those pesky New Year’s Resolutions, if you really want to change your life why wait for Jan. 1? Make your changes right now!

However, there is one quasi-New Year Eve tradition that you should resolve to do. Unlike losing weight, writing the great American novel, or cleaning out the attic, this resolution must wait until Dec. 31.

That’s because on New Year’s Eve Phish culminates a four-night stand at Madison Square Garden. Can you say “Phish New York tickets stocking stuffers?” The band’s run at the “World’s Most Famous Arena” begins Dec. 28.

Phish also ushered in the years 1994, 2002, and 2011 at Madison Square Garden.

When the group is all done with their four MSG shows they will have played that venue 23 times.

You’ll see that total in nearly every article about the upcoming Phish concerts. Apparently, it’s impressive. While it’s definitely an achievement (it’s 23 more times than my band played Madison Square Garden) it seems like they would have performed at that venue a lot more. Phish has been around for more than a quarter of a century and all they do is tour. Don’t you think that number would be in the 40’s not the 20’s?

Fans had been speculating for a while on where Phish was going to perform on New Year’s Eve. Gotham was one of the places in the running along with Atlantic City, the Boston-Area, and Miami. Phish played in Southern Florida on New Year’s Eve in 2009. Some pundits (this one included) thought the band would take the night off; Phish has already announced that they will be on hiatus throughout much of 2012 in order to attend to family obligations.

Prior to their four-night engagement at MSG, fans can catch Phish bassist Mike Gordon at the Portsmouth Music Hal in Portsmouth, New Hampshire on Nov. 12; the Lebanon Opera House in Lebanon, New Hampshire on Nov. 13; The Met Café in Pawtucket, Rhode Island on Dec. 9; the Calvin Theatre in Northampton, Massachusetts on Dec. 10; and The Egg in Albany, New York on Dec. 11.

2011-10-21T18:56:00.000-07:00

Wilco: On The Road Through Early 2012

One of my all-time favorite rock jokes is about Wilco.

During an episode of 30 Rock, Congresswoman Regina Bookman (played by Queen Latifah), brought up NBC’s lack of diversity in its primetime lineup. The contentious lawmaker asked Jack Donaghy, "Why is it that NBC looks about as diverse as a Wilco concert?”

No one is a bigger fan of Wilco (or 30 Rock or diversity) than am I, but I literally rolled on the floor laughing after I heard that quip. I know it wasn’t that funny but my chair broke shortly after Latifah finished her line.

Yes, Wilco fans are pretty white. Okay, they are as white as the driven snow, but don’t let that stop you from getting your alabaster hands on some Wilco tickets. They are one of the best bands in world and are even better live.

If you want diversity, attend a Black Eyed Peas show. If you want to hear some good old fashion alternative rock, with hints of country and pop, attend a Wilco concert.

The band, fronted by Jeff Tweedy, just released dates for 2012. Their first show of the New Year is set for Jan. 19 in Denver at the Fillmore Auditorium. The tour keeps the band in the Western part of the United States—they have seven dates in California alone. Their itinerary wraps Feb. 20 with a performance at the Arlington Theater in Santa Barbara.

Highlights of their 2012 route include shows at the Hollywood Palladium, San Francisco’s The Warfield, and Seattle’s Paramount Theater. The band has just one show planned for the Great White North. Wilco travels to Vancouver, B.C. for a concert at the Orpheum on Feb. 5.

Wilco is currently in Europe and will be there until mid-November. They’ll return to the Old World in late February of 2012 for another 11 shows—Wilco is big in Europe.

If you don’t live in the Western part of the United States, or you don’t want to travel across the pond, you can always catch a Wilco concert later this year.

Starting Nov. 29, Wilco plays several dates in Texas and the Midwest. Their outing begins in Dallas at The Music Hall at Fair Park before moving on to Austin and The Moody Theater. The group also has shows in Kansas City, Minneapolis, and Detroit.

The band finishes their outing with a mini-tour of Chicago set to go down Dec. 12 through Dec. 18. Wilco has gigs planned for the Civic Opera House (Dec. 12), the Riviera Theatre (Dec. 13), The Vic Theatre (Dec. 15), Metro (Dec. 16) and Lincoln Hall (Dec. 18).

I wonder how many Chicagoans will be attending all five concerts.

The band is scheduling these shows to promote their latest studio release, The Whole Love.

If you plan on attending a Wilco show make sure you visit their Web site. For every one of their performances you can request a song. So please do this blogger a favor and select “Impossible Germany” for the band’s Feb. 8 show in Portland, Oregon!

Wilco's 2012 Tour Dates
>>Nov. 9 - Wilco in München, BY @ Circus Krone Munich
>>Nov. 12 - Wilco in Berlin, BE @ Tempodrom
>>Nov. 29 – Wilco in Dallas, TX @ The Music Hall at Fair Park
>>Dec. 1 – Wilco in Austin, TX @ The Moody Theater
>>Dec. 3 – Wilco in Kansas City, MO @ The Uptown Theater
>>Dec. 4 – Wilco in West Des Moines, IA @ Val Air Ballroom
>>Dec, 6 -7 – Wilco in Minneapolis, MN @ The State Theatre
>>Dec. 9 – Wilco in Milwaukee, WI @ The Riverside Theater
>>Dec. 10 – Wilco in Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore
>>Dec. 12 – Wilco in Chicago, IL @ Civic Opera House
>>Dec. 13 – Wilco in Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre
>>Dec. 15 – Wilco in Chicago, IL @ The Vic Theatre
>>Dec. 16 – Wilco in Chicago, IL @ Metro
>>Dec. 18 – Wilco in Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
>>Jan. 19 - Wilco in Denver, CO @ Fillmore
>>Jan. 21 - Wilco in Tempe, AZ @ Gammage
>>Jan. 22 - Wilco in San Diego, CA @ Copley Symph. Hall
>>Jan. 24 - Wilco in Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
>>Jan. 28 - Wilco in San Jose, CA @ Civic Aud
>>Jan. 29 - Wilco in San Francisco, CA @ Warfield
>>Jan. 31 - Wilco in Oakland, CA @ Fox Theatre
>>Feb. 1 - Wilco in Davis, CA @ Mondavi Center
>>Feb. 3 - Wilco in Eugene, OR @ Hult Center
>>Feb. 5 - Wilco in Vancouver, BC @ Orpheum
>>Feb. 6 - Wilco in Spokane, WA @ INB Performing Arts Center
>>Feb. 7 - Wilco in Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theater
>>Feb. 8 - Wilco in Portland, OR @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
>>Feb. 10 - Wilco in Santa Barbara, CA @ Arlington Theater

2011-09-30T18:14:00.000-07:00

Radio City Christmas Spectacular Can Be Seen In New York, Durham, Nashville, Boston

Chalk up another causality to the nation’s poor economy.

This year the Radio City Christmas Spectacular will be playing in just four cities. In the past, the annual holiday production, starring the Rockettes, could be seen in Manhattan as well as cities all over the country. Two national tours would be launched with one visiting theaters and the other visiting arenas.

Now, I haven’t found anything on the internet that says specifically “the Spectacular isn’t launching a tour because of the economy,” but you don’t need to be CPA to put two and two together. People are spending their money on presents not the Rockettes.

It’s too bad that the show has decreased its touring schedule. I’ve always considered the Spectacular one of the big three Christmas live shows next to Trans-Siberian Orchestra concerts and your local production of The Nutcracker.

For most of us (especially those on the West Coast), 2011 will be the year without Radio City Christmas Spectacular tickets.

As always, the show can be seen at the world famous Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Now in its 79th year, the Spectacular takes over that historic venue from Nov. 11 through Jan. 2.

Keep in mind that on most days the Rockettes perform more than one show. For example, on Nov. 11 the Spectacular can be seen at 11am, 2pm, 5pm, and 8pm.

As always fans with Radio City Christmas Spectacular New York tickets will be treated to the classic numbers of “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” and “Living Nativity.” They should also expect dazzling costumes, awe-inspiring stage effects, and the wonderful dance steps of the beautiful and exquisite Rockettes.

A quick aside, I’ve always appreciated the Spectacular’s shotgun approach to Christmas. From the secular to the religious, the high-kicking dames cover just about every angle of the holiday season. It’s only a matter of time before they add a dancing menorah and a “Happy Kwanza” number.

New this year is a 3-D movie. The special effects laden film starts the show by taking the audience on a magical sleigh ride of the Big Apple. The driver of the reindeer-powered sleigh is none other than the big man himself, Mr. S. Claus.

As for the other three cities, the Spectacular opens in Durham, North Carolina at the Durham Performing Arts Center on Nov. 10. The last show in that city is set for Nov. 27.

The Radio City Christmas Spectacular opens in Nashville, Tennessee on Nov. 18 and wraps Dec. 24. The show will be gracing the stage at the Grand Ole Opry House.

The Citi Performing Arts Center’s Wang Theatre welcomes Radio City Music Hall’s Christmas Spectacular to Boston, Massachusetts beginning Dec. 2. The show finishes its run in Beantown on Dec. 28.

The runs in Durham, Nashville, and Boston each have several days where multiple performances have been booked. You should have no problem finding a show time that fits your family’s busy holiday schedule. Be aware that all venues go dark on Mondays with the exception of the Wang Theatre on Dec. 26.

2011-09-27T12:25:00.000-07:00

Jay-Z, Kanye West Kick Off ‘Watch The Throne Tour’ Oct. 28 In The A-T-L

I recently got quite a laugh from a slideshow posted on inc.com. Not exactly the funniest site on the internet, but the slideshow in question wasn’t intended to be comical. Its hilariousness was completely accidental.

Before I tell you the name of the slideshow, I recommend that you lie on the floor (so you don’t fall over from laughing) and that you swallow your milk (I don’t want anything coming out of your nose once the funny arrives).

Are you ready?

Good.

Now, here it comes. The title of the slideshow is “6 Branding Ideas From Jay-Z and Kanye West.”

Yeah, I know. It’s frickin’ hilarious.

I’m not laughing at the concept of branding, the six ideas, or the recent alliance between Jay-Z and Kanye West (they call themselves The Throne).

The info contained in the slideshow was well-written and very informative. The dynamic duo’s album, Watch The Throne, is awesome and I can’t wait to see them in concert.

The concept that tickles my funny bone is using “Watch The Throne” as an example of branding. How can you possibly learn anything about branding from a partnership that is arguably one of the most famous collaborations of all-time?

Watch The Throne was going to go to number one on the Billboard 200 and the album was going to be certified platinum regardless of Twitter, Facebook, or the blogosphere.

The duo is going to sell thousands of Jay-Z and Kanye West tickets because they’re Jay-Z and Kanye West, not because of a slick branding campaign.

Jay-Z and West teaming up for an album and tour is like John Lennon and Mick Jagger joining forces in the mid-1970’s or Michael Jackson and Prince getting together in the mid-1980’s. It’s a huge event that needs no introduction. When two megastars combine their talents fans will be there regardless. A marketing campaign is not necessary.

Did branding help “Watch The Throne?” Of course it did. Without branding, the album wouldn’t have been certified platinum on Sept. 15, 2011. It would have been certified platinum on Sept. 16, 2011.

Entrepreneurs can probably learn something from Watch The Throne (like how to keep an album from being leaked onto the internet) but there are much better examples of branding. Say, any project that doesn’t involve a rapper with more number one albums than Elvis—that’s “Presley” not “Costello”—and a hip hop artist who has won 14 Grammy Awards.

By the way, here are the six branding ideas:

1. Create strong and exclusive content.
2. Host an offline event that’s promoted online.
3. Build awareness and collect customer data.
4. Form partnerships that will benefit the brand.
5. Use nontraditional media outlets to create brand-awareness.
6. Monitor the internet for mentions of your brand but participate sparingly.

Hova and Yeezy launch their much anticipated “Watch The Throne Tour” in Atlanta, Georgia on Oct. 28. Their route has them visiting 24 cities and playing 28 concerts. Highlights of their itinerary include stops in Philadelphia, Boston, Toronto, and Los Angeles.

The duo concludes their trek of North America on Dec. 18. That’s the second of back-to-back nights at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, B.C.

Watch The Throne dropped Aug. 8 and it debuted at number one. The album was produced by a variety of artists including Swizz Beatz, The Neptunes, Q-Tip, RZA, and 88-Keys.

The Throne Tour With Jay-Z and Kanye West
Oct. 28-29 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena
Oct. 30 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in Greensboro, NC @ Greensboro Coliseum
Nov. 1 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in Baltimore, MD @ 1st Mariner Arena
Nov. 2 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
Nov. 3 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in Washington, DC @ Verizon Center
Nov. 5-6 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in East Rutherford, NJ @ Izod Center
Nov. 14 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Bank Atlantic Center
Nov. 15 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in Miami, FL @ Fort American Airlines Arena
Nov. 19 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in Atlantic City, NJ @ Boardwalk Hall Arena
Nov. 21 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in Boston, MA @ TD Garden
Nov. 22 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in Montreal, QC @ Centre Bell
Nov. 23-24 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
Nov. 26 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in Auburn Hills, MI @ Palace of Auburn Hills
Nov. 27 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in Pittsburgh, PA @ Consol Energy Center
Nov. 29 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center
Dec. 1 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in Chicago, IL @ United Center
Dec. 3 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in New Orleans, LA @ New Orleans Arena
Dec. 5 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
Dec. 6 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
Dec. 9 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand Garden Arena
Dec. 10 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion
Dec. 12 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center
Dec. 16 - The Throne Tour: Jay-z and Kanye West in Tacoma, WA @ Tacoma Dome
Dec. 17-18 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena

2011-09-26T22:06:00.000-07:00

Sting Supports ‘Best of ‘ Albums With ‘Back to Bass Tour’

Over the weekend, one of Sirius XM’s music stations, Classic Vinyl, counted down the Top 26 British artists of all-time. Topping their list, of course, are The Beatles. The Fab Four are followed by The Rolling Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin, and Paul McCartney. Two more Beatles, John Lennon (#8) and George Harrison (#19), also made the list. The only other two-timer was Eric Clapton. He came in at #6 and at #10 as a member of Cream.

I have several disagreements with the list. Elton John (#13) and Rod Stewart (#19) are way to low and Electric Light Orchestra (#14), Moody Blues (#15), and Traffic (#16) are way too high.

Nevertheless, my problems with the Anglophile directory aren’t going to stop me from giving it praise. Classic Vinyl’s contrived countdown has the three things you need when making a good list: a bona fide number one (The Beatles are the top Earth band of all-time much less Great Britain), a few well researched selections to show everyone that you “know your stuff” (Jethro Tull [#17], released back-to-back number one albums in the early 1970’s ), and at least one really dumb pick to get people mad (Fleetwood Mac at #9 even though half the band [the good half] is American).

The list in question is especially easy to accept if you realize that the selected artists are also on the satellite radio station’s playlist. That’s why the list includes Deep Purple (#18), Bad Company (#23) and Peter Frampton (#25) and excludes The Clash, The Smiths, Black Sabbath and Paul Weller (for those playing along at home U2 are Irish).

I started to think about what the list would look like if it included British artists from every generation not just the classic rock era of the 1960’s and early 1970’s. In particular, where would Sting be on the list of Top 26 British artists of all-time? Would he make it as both a solo performer and as a member of The Police?

I mention Sting because he’s slated to perform all over North America this fall as part of his “Back to Bass Tour.” The trek has Sting returning to his bass guitar and playing with just five other musicians. It’s a far cry from his last outing which had him singing in front of the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra.

Sting kicks off his outing Oct. 21 in Boston, Massachusetts at the Wang Theater. He’ll wrap his odyssey on Dec. 8 in Vancouver, B.C. at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Sting tickets will be sold to venues in Toronto, Houston, San Francisco, and Los Angeles—just to name a few.

The tour celebrates Sting’s 25th anniversary as a solo artist as well as supports two of his new “best-of” releases. “Sting 25 Years” is a three-disc box set detailing his insanely successful solo career. That collection drops Sept. 27. A single-disc compilation, called “Sting: The Best of 25 Years,” hits proverbial store shelves Oct. 18.

Obviously, you have to be very good to put together a solo career of 25 years (not to mention another eight years fronting the iconic post-punk band, The Police). During that time Gordon Sumner has sold tens of millions of albums, hundreds of thousands of concert tickets, and won more than two dozen Grammy Awards.

The question isn’t whether or not Sting is a legend but is he legendary enough to be included on a list of the 26 greatest British artists of all-time?

The answer is yes.

Sting should definitely be included on the expanded list and you can also make a strong case for the inclusion of The Police. After all, if the Jeff Beck Group can make it to #26 with nary a top ten album or hit song, then The Police are shoo-ins.

Sting certainly has enough hits as a solo artist to be mentioned in the same breath as Elton John, Rod Stewart, David Bowie (#12), and Joe Cocker (#24). Unlike many of the artists on the list, Sting is a pioneer. He successfully combined rock music with elements of worldbeat, reggae, and jazz. The argument can be made that without Sting’s contributions, popular music would sound a lot less diverse than it does today.

I don’t think Sting would crack the top 10, but he would definitely make the top 12. I would probably slot his before Bowie but after Queen (#11). I would have the Police in the early 20’s, sandwiched between The Kinks (#21) and Yes (#22).

Where would you put Sting on the list of the 26 greatest British artists of all-time? Where would you put The Police?

If you were keeping track, you would have noticed that I mentioned all 26 positions but #7. The British artist at that spot is Pink Floyd.

2011-09-15T13:18:00.000-07:00

Here Comes Baseball in October

Remember Mr. October? Well, Reggie ain't playing anymore, but there are still some sluggers to watch out for this upcoming MLB post season. For instance if you get some Red Sox playoff tickets you could see Adrian Gonzalez hit a few out of the park in the playoffs.

Or if you're into the whole 'Evil Empire' thing then you may see A-Rod hit a few long balls if you purchase Yankees playoff tickets.

In the National League expect to pay a pretty penny for Phillies playoff tickets or D-Backs playoff tickets too.

But it really doesn't matter which team you want to see in the MLB playoffs. It's just good to know how wonderful it is that there is a post season to watch in the first place. The MLB is fantastic!

2010-05-07T09:55:00.000-07:00

Adam Lambert's "Glam Nation Tour" Gets Underway This Summer

Adam Lambert's "Glam Nation Tour" Gets Underway This Summer

Billboard.com has just released their top 24 American Idols of all-time.

This list isn't some arbitrary collection of Idol finalists based on the opinions of a room full of geeky editors. Instead, it tries to rank the idols based on their success.

To do this, Billboard looked at each Idol's album sales, track sales, and radio plays.

Topping the list is the original American Idol, Kelly Clarkson. The 2002 winner has sold over 10 million albums, 15 million tracks and notched over 4 million radio plays.

In second place, despite selling more albums than any other Idol (11.5 million), is Carrie Underwood. She's regulated to second because her track sales and radio plays trail Clarkson's.

Chris Daughtry finished fourth in 2006 but he's third on Billboard's list.

Idol's youngest winner, the squeaky clean Jordin Sparks, sits at number four and rounding out the top five is 2008 champ David Cook.

Idols six through ten are Clay Aiken, Kellie Pickler, David Archuleta, Fantasia, and Ruben Studdard.

Jennifer Hudson is ranked at lucky number 13. A case could be made that she is the most successful Idol of all-time. Not much in entertainment can surpass winning an Oscar.

The only non-finalist on the list is William Hung (21st place). He got his 15 minutes of fame with his rendition of "She Bangs" back in 2004.

All the American Idols winners from 2002 to 2009 made the list. The lowest ranking champion is Taylor Hicks (19). The "Soul Patrol" Idol is sandwiched between Kimberly Locke and Blake Lewis.

Despite being an Idol champion and a former Idol finalist for less than a year, Kris Allen and Adam Lambert found themselves 11th and 12th, respectively, on Billboard's ranking.

Lambert just notched his first Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 hit, "Whataya Want From Me," and is about to launch his first solo U.S. Tour.

The Glam Nation Tour gets underway June 4 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania and concludes Sept. 18 in St. Petersburg.

Currently, most of Lambert dates are in June including an Adam Lambert Show in Sayreville, New Jersey on the 5th; an Adam Lambert concert in Council Bluffs, Iowa on the 10th; and an Adam Lambert performance in Mashantucket, Connecticut on the 24th.

On July 15, Lambert rocks Kansas City, Missouri. Then Costa Mesa collects Adam Lambert tickets on July 27 and 28 at the Pacific Amphitheatre.

In August, Lambert plays Musikefest in Bethlehem on the 13th and then in September the Idol runner-up visits St. Petersburg on the 18th--the tour's final show.

Opening for Adam is fellow American Idol contestant Allison Iraheta (she ranked 24th) and former Michael Jackson guitarist, Orianthi.

What should the Lambert Army expect if they buy a ticket to Adam Lambert? Fans should expect a theatrical show with great costumers, special-effect lighting, and plenty of "glam."

"I hope the audience will be able to escape for a few hours and fall into a world full of glam, drama and excitement. And I would love everyone to come away with a new appreciation for the music on my album," said Lambert in a written statement.

Other highlights of the Glam Nation Tour including a June 11 Lambert concert at the Shooting Star Casino in Mahnomen, Minnesota; a June 22 Lambert concert at the Nokia Theatre in New York City; and a June 26 Lambert show in Atlantic City.

2010-04-09T12:07:00.000-07:00

Neil Young To Launch 14-Date Solo Acoustic Tour

Neil Young To Launch 14-Date Solo Acoustic Tour

One of my strongest rock and roll memories involves a Neil Young concert and PBS.

I think he was in Boston? Or maybe it was Chicago? It really doesn't matter. All that's important is It was a nice auditorium with a captivated audience.

The concert was one of those performances the network airs during its pledge week. You know the deal, PBS airs a program you really want to watch but they interrupt it every five minutes to beg for money.

Well, this particular performance featured a stage full of instruments--guitars, pianos, organs, electrophones, and then some stuff that looked like it was straight out of a Star Trek episode--and Neil Young.

That's it. No band. No lasers. No scantily clad dancers.

On this sparse stage, the former member of Buffalo Springfield would sing a song while playing one of the umpteen instruments lying around. When finished, Neil would move to another instrument and sing another song.

I thought he was making the songs up as he went along until I heard him play "Cinnamon Girl" on a Vulcan lute.

The concert was quite fascinating. Young's ability to play all those instruments was quite impressive.

I'll be perfectly honest. I'm not a fan of Neil Young. I find his music rather boring and discordant.

However, I'm not a Neil Young detractor. The Toronto-born musician is incredibly talented, successful, creative, and brave. To get on stage and play solo like that, to thousands of people, while wearing flannel and ill-fitting jeans, takes a lot of courage (or a lot of drugs).

Those types of concerts must be enjoyable because this spring Young is launching a 14-date solo acoustic tour of the United States. It's his first solo acoustic tour in more than a decade.

Young's road trip begins May 18 in Albany, New York at the Palace Theatre. He'll finish the tour about three weeks later, June 7, at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas.

Fans can also catch Young at the Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford, Connecticut (May 23), Young at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta (May 29), and Young at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville (June 1-2).

Joining Young, and also performing a solo acoustic set, is Scottish folk musician Bert Jansch.

Young has been busy lately. In February, he performed at the closing ceremony of 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Last month, his concert film, "Neil Young Trunk Show," debut in the U.S. The film chronicles two Neil Young concerts from 2007.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer is supporting his 2009 album, Fork in the Road, but organizers have said Young will also play some songs he's never recorded before.

Additional highlights of Young's upcoming tour schedule include a Neil Young Concert in Houston, a Neal Young concert in Spartanburg, and a Neil Young concert in Knoxville, Tennessee.

2010-04-02T15:35:00.000-07:00

Justin Bieber Scheduled For 42-Date North America Tour

Justin Bieber Scheduled For 42-Date North America Tour

The cool thing about stars like Justin Bieber is they are always in the "news." Or at least if you Google their name you'll always find that they are the topic of oodles of "news" stories.

Now, these aren't actually "news" stories. Most are nothing more than poorly written fluff pieces. But that's what you get when you mix an über popular teen sensation like Bieber with the ubiquitous tween-friendly internet.

Karl Rove, Jack Welch, and Meryl Streep are much more famous than Bieber, but their fan base generally doesn't scour the internet to see what they got for their birthdays or who they think is super rad cute.

I Googled Bieber's name and here are the headlines that just popped up (all published on the same day):

Justin Bieber Discusses Career Backup Plan On 'Tonight Show'
Twitter Petition Urges Justin Bieber To Dedicate Song To April Phann
Justin Bieber Flirts With Chelsea Handler, Wants To Woo Kim Kardashian
Justin Bieber Weighs 110 Lbs
Justin Bieber Debuts A Number One
Justin Bieber Or Tim Urban: Who Has The Better Hair Swoosh?
Justin Bieber To Appear On 'SNL'
Justin Bieber Hearts McQueen, But Didn’t Know He Died
Justin Bieber, Nick Jonas land on 100 Unsexiest Men list

That's an impressive slew of headlines for a teenager from Canada. Think of what the internet will look like after he launches his North American "world" tour?

Bieber hits the road June 23 in Hartford, Connecticut for the first of his lengthy 42-date tour. That' an ambitious itinerary for a kid that's only been legally able to drive for a month.

Not only is his schedule impressive but so are the venues where he's scheduled to perform. He's taking the stage in arenas, theaters, and gardens that elude the routing of accomplished veteran artists.

On July 20, Bieber performs at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

On July 24, Bieber is set to take the stage at the Planet Hollywood Theatre for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas.

Then, on August 31, Bieber plays the mother of all arenas, Madison Square Garden in New York City.

"I want to show that I love to perform. There are going to be some cool tricks, some electronic things that haven't been seen before, for sure," says Justin.

Additionally, the bubble gum crooner plays the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon; the Amway Arena in Orlando, Florida; and the Air Canada Center in Toronto, Ontario.

The Bieber experience concludes Sept. 4 in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Joining Bieber for the "What I Did On My Summer Vacation Tour" is reggae rapper and singer Sean Kingston, 20.

Actually, Bieber has named his upcoming concert series "My World Tour" (although it never leaves North America).

2010-03-03T15:10:00.000-08:00

Eric Clapton Touring With Roger Daltrey

Eric Clapton Touring With Roger Daltrey

In early February, Roger Daltrey, as lead singer of The Who, performed during halftime of Super Bowl XLIV. The little game just so happened to be the most watched program in the history of television.

So what can Daltrey do for an encore? Well, nothing. He'll never be able to top that performance but opening for Eric Clapton in concert is the next best thing.

As for Slowhand, he may not have performed at a major sporting event but he did co-headline three shows with former Yardbirds alumni, and fellow guitar god, Jeff Beck.

After his rock adventures with Beck wrapped, Clapton and Daltrey hit the road (Feb. 25) beginning with a show in Pittsburgh. Their jaunt is scheduled to hit 11 markets, a majority of which are in the south.

After rocking the Steel City, Eric and Roger traveled to Nashville, Birmingham, Tulsa, and Kansas City.

On March 5, Clapton and Daltrey will rock Memphis at the FedEx Forum. The following day Clapton and Daltrey are scheduled to visit New Orleans.

From there, Clapton and Daltrey will perform in Raleigh, North Carolina. The next day, March 9, Clapton and Daltrey play The Arena at Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Georgia.

The tour concludes in the state of Florida. There's a Clapton/Daltrey concert set for March 11 in Ft. Lauderdale and another Clapton/Daltrey concert planned for Orlando on March 13.

From Orlando, Clapton (sans Daltrey) returns to Europe for a series of shows with his Blind Faith comrade, Steve Winwood. That tour starts May 18 in Birmingham and wraps up June 13 in Istanbul (not Constantinople).

As for Daltrey he might hit the road with another guitar god, Jimmy Page. And by "might" we mean in the Who's frontman's dreams.

“I’d love to do an album with Jimmy Page. He needs a singer to drive him. I’m a great blues singer,” explained Daltrey.

Apparently Page is itching for a project, especially since his Led Zeppelin mates have been so busy. Robert Plant has been working with Alison Krauss and John Paul Jones is rocking it old school in the supergroup Them Crooked Vultures. Their endeavors have fueled Page's desire to return to making music.

“[This] year I have every intention of playing music live and manifesting it,” said Page. “I’ve got the music waiting, and that’s what I’ll be doing.”

First, it was Clapton and Beck. Now, it's Clapton and Daltrey. Soon, it will be Clapton and Winwood. And maybe in the future, Page and Daltrey. It's a good time to be a rock and roll fan.

2010-02-12T14:21:00.000-08:00

Los Tres Tour

Los Tres Tour

Our Spanish is a bit rusty. We know "Los" means "the" but we have no idea what the English translation is for "Tres." It's probably a very obscure word or maybe a technical term of some sort.

Oh well, it doesn't matter. What does matter is that you know that the "Los Tres Tour" features three of Mexico's most famous musical artists, Alejandro Fernandez, Joan Sebastian, and Marco Antonio Solis.

During the "Los Tres Tour" each performer will take the stage for a solo set and then all three will perform together.

That's a welcomed concept for a tour like this. It turns three co-headlining acts into a cohesive show instead of some cheap marketing trick used by a promoter trying to squeeze every penny out of renting the arena for the day.

Maybe "tres" means "tour." Wait, then it would be "The Tour Tour." No, that's not it.

The U.S. Tour, which favors fans on the West Coast, begins April 10 in Anaheim.

They trio stays in California for three more shows, San Diego (April 11), San Jose (April 17), and Sacramento (April 18), before heading east.

The tour makes its lone stop in the Midwest April 24 at the Allstate Arena in Chicago. Then it's off to the south for visits to Miami (May 14) and Atlanta (May 16).

The Los Tres Tour concludes with a Texas-two step. The penultimate concert of the Los Tres Tour takes place in Houston on May 28 with the final stop in Dallas on May 30.

Also look for the Los Tres Tour to visit Duluth, Minnesota.

I got it now! "Tres" means "trays" although "The Tray Tour" makes no sense. Nevermind.

Fernandez is hot right now as he tops both the Mexican pop and ranchera charts. Widely regarded as one of the most successful Mexican singers of all-time, Fernandez has sold more than 18 million albums.

Besides having a great career of his own, Sebastian has produced and written hundreds of songs for other artists including tracks for his tour mate, Fernandez. Sebastian has won three Grammys and five Latin Grammys.

Solis is one of the most influential singer-songwriters to ever come out of Mexico. As a member of the insanely successful Los Bukis, and as a solo artist, Solis has recorded over 20 albums and composed over 300 songs.

Maybe "tres" means peregrination? No the Spanish word for "peregrination" is "peregrinación." How could I ever forget that?

I guess we must resign ourselves to the fact that the "Los Tres Tour" has no English equivalent.

2010-02-05T21:21:00.000-08:00

Trans-Siberian Orchestra Hitting The Road With 'Beethoven'

Trans-Siberian Orchestra Hitting The Road With 'Beethoven'

Don't panic.

Just because Trans-Siberian Orchestra is touring doesn't mean the holidays are back. However, I'm a 36-regular and I could really use some tube socks.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra, a concert-staple around the merry months of November and December, are preparing to embark on their first ever non-holiday, spring trek. The 31-market tour begins March 25 with a Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert in Cincinnati. The outing is scheduled to conclude May 2 in Grand Prairie.

For this musical voyage, Trans-Siberian Orchestra will eschew the large arenas that usually host their holiday shows and instead they will visit more intimate setting like theatres, music halls, and performing arts centers.

Highlights of their sojourn include an April 1 performance in Boston, an April 9 concert at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, and a May 1 show in Houston, Texas.

TSO plays just once in the Great White North. On April 13 Trans-Siberian Orchestra performs in Toronto at Massey Hall.

What brings Trans-Siberian Orchestra out of their spring hibernation? The outfit is performing their 2000 album "Beethoven's Last Night" in its entirety and with storytelling devices.

“Beethoven was the world’s first heavy metal musician,” said TSO front man Paul O’Neill. “The main theme in Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony could easily have been written by Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath.”

In addition to the "dramatized" Beethoven story, TSO will also play selections from their 2009 release "Night Castle," which went gold in less than eight weeks.

Insiders believe this tour will eventually lead to a European leg. The band has never toured that continent. As it stands now, Euros will have to come to the States, to places like Chicago or Washington, to see their favorite heavy metal symphony.

The Trans-Siberian Orchestra is the creative offspring of producer, composer, and lyricist Paul O'Neil. He started the group, along with collaborators Robert Kinkel, Jon Oliva and Al Pitrelli, back in 1996.

TSO comprises a hard-rock band, a complete orchestra, and a bevy of vocalists. They cover a wide range of genres in a distinct style that blends classical music with heavy metal.

2010-01-31T17:51:00.000-08:00

Yo Gabba Gabba Touring In 2010

Yo Gabba Gabba is a children's show that airs on the cable network Nick Jr. It was created by Christian Jacobs and Scott Schultz and debuted in August of 2007. Its third season is set to premiere in June of the 2010.

At first glance, Yo Gabba Gabba appears to be no ordinary kids show. Its name is a chant taken from a Ramones song and it's hosted by a character named DJ Lance Rock.

The show doesn't feature songs from failed pop composers and appearances from washed-up actors that chose to work in the kid's entertainment field rather than in the porn industry. Instead, Yo Gabba Gabba has welcomed the likes of Jack Black, The Shins, Elijah Wood, Rahzel, Andy Samberg, The Roots, MGMT, and Devo's Mark Mothersbaugh.

Yes, Yo Gabba Gabba is the kid's show for "the cool." Actually it's the kid's show for parents who want their kids to be cool. Kids like what they like. They don't care about the politics of media. They have no clue that music is identity. They watch what they want to watch or what their hipster parents put in front of them.

Therefore, Yo Gabba Gabba only appears to be a "different" type of kids' programming. Ultimately, it's exactly the same as Barney or the Wiggles or Sesame Street. That's not a bad thing as those shows have delighted kids for decades. It's just that Yo Gabba Gabba caters to parents who still dye their hair blue and pretend to like movies with subtitles.

In 2009, Yo Gabba Gabba launched a tour called Yo Gabba Gabba Live!: There's A Party In My City. It was such a success that the show is hitting the road again in 2010. This time playing seven dates in six cities.

The 2010 trek begins March 13 with a Yo Gabba Gabba concert in Minneapolis. That's followed by a Yo Gabba Gabba show in Milwaukee (March 14) and then two Yo Gabba Gabba dates in Toronto (March 16 and 17).

The 2010 Yo Gabba Gabba tour concludes with shows in Fort Wayne, Cincinnati, and St. Louis.

Also of note, DJ Lance Rock is set to perform at the Coachella Music Festival in April.

Parents should expect a state-of-the-art production with music, singing, dancing, and animation. The show is hailed as an interactive experience and has received positive reviews from critics and parents alike.

Generally, Yo Gabba Gabba performs two shows a day, one in the early afternoon and another in the early evening. The live show features DJ Lance Rock, Biz Markie's Beat of the Day, and the Aquabats (Christian Jacobs' band).

2010-01-12T06:01:00.001-08:00

NFL Playoffs 2010

Wildcard weekend is over and now there are only 8 teams left. In the NFC you've got the Vikings Cowboys game and the Saints Cardinals game. And over in the AFC you've got the Chargers Jets game and the Colts Ravens game.

This weekend you can expect to see each of these games. After that, you've got the NFC and the AFC championship and then the big game, the 2010 Super Bowl 44.

It is sure to be an excellent end to the 2010 NFL season.

2009-12-28T21:22:00.000-08:00

Carrie Underwood Reveals 'Play On' Tour For 2010

Carrie Underwood Reveals 'Play On' Tour For 2010

How do you know when you're no longer just a singer but a celebrity? When your engagement ring makes headlines.

This Christmas season (actually Dec. 20) Carrie Underwood became engaged to hockey player Mike Fisher (apparently she likes athletes remember her fling with Dallas Cowboy quarterback Tony Romo).

Her gaudy engagement ring quickly became fodder for gossip sites and blogs. According to sources, the ring costs $150,000 and is comprised of a 5-plus carat flawless yellow diamond replete with diamond sidestones.

The ring was made by jeweler to the stars, Jonathon Arndt.

Since Fisher is a hockey player he obviously had help in choosing the ring, paying for it, and finding his way out of the jeweler's store. He probably had to be taught how to put the ring on her finger too.

Fisher, 29, plays center for the Ottawa Senators. Amazingly, he still has all of his teeth.

The two lovebirds met in 2008 at one of her shows in Ottawa. We wonder if Fisher bought a ticket to see Carrie Underwood in concert?

Probably not.

Since he most certainly got in for free we can't help but wonder: why buy the singer when you can get the music for free?

The couple has not set a date for their wedding nor have they named a place for the ceremony. We suggest Atlantic City, Las Vegas, or Worchester. You know, some place romantic.

While we have no idea when the couple WILL get married, we do know when they won't be exchanging vows.

Underwood has announced plans for a 45-city tour in 2010. The outing will support her latest studio release, Play On.

This is her third album since winning "American Idol" in 2005. It dropped Nov. 3 and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. A few weeks later, it was overtaken by the juggernaut that is Susan Boyle and her debut album, I Dreamed A Dream.

Carrie's North America trek begins March 11 in Reading, Pennsylvania and finishes May 30 in Spokane, Washington.

Some of the cities Underwood will be visiting include Austin, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and New Orleans.

"I am getting so excited about next year as we are currently working through all the big plans for the tour," Underwood told reporters. "I cannot wait to perform new music and see familiar faces across the U.S. and Canada!"

Joining Underwood for tour will be Craig Morgan and a band called Songs of Sylvia. The latter were formerly known as the Clark Brothers and they did some worked on Underwood's latest release.

There will also be a Carrie Underwood show in Pittsburgh as well as an Underwood concert in Portland. Also look for Carrie Underwood to perform in Providence.

2009-12-11T16:11:00.000-08:00

Eric Clapton Hitting The Road In 2010

Eric Clapton Hitting The Road In 2010

Of all the Sixties icons still kicking Eric Clapton has probably had the most consistent career. Yes, his popularity has waned a bit and yes he's had his share of clunkers. But when you're a guitar god and one of the world's preeminent blues men it's easy to stay relevant.

While some duffers have to worry about writing music or keeping their voice in shape, all "Slowhand" has to do is play some blues. He can cover anyone from the Brady Bunch to the Yeahs Yeahs Yeahs and as long as he keeps true to his roots fans will still buy his albums and flock to see Eric Clapton in concert.

In 2010, the only three-time inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is planning to tour both North America and Europe.

Clapton's tour of the States commences Feb. 15 in Pittsburgh and ends March 13 in Orlando.

Those on the Left Coast will miss out. The furthest west Clapton ventures is Tulsa and Kansas City. His dates are mainly confined to the south, places like Nashville, Birmingham and Raleigh.

The Who's Roger Daltrey will open. Remember The Who is the halftime show at Super Bowl XLIV taking place in Miami on Feb. 7.

Backing up Clapton for this excursion will be drummer Steve Gadd, bassist Willie Weeks, keyboardists Chris Stainton and Walt Richmond, and background vocalists Michelle John and Sharon White.

Clapton is also set to play three shows with a fellow guitar legend, as well as a fellow former member of The Yardbirds, Jeff Beck.

The two will trade licks during three shows: Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck in New York on Feb. 18; Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck in Toronto on Feb. 21; and Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck in Montreal on Feb. 22.

Clapton and Beck performed together in Tokyo in February of 2009. Look for each guitarist to play about an hour followed by a combined jam session lasting around 30 minutes.

There are some rumors circulating that Jeff Beck may join Clapton's U.S. tour full time. It's probably less of a rumor and more wishful thinking on the part of fans.

After his North American road trip, Clapton is off to Europe for a series of shows with Steve Winwood. That trek begins May 18 in Birmingham and concludes June 13 in Istanbul.

Earlier this year, Clapton and Winwood released a live album of a Madison Square Garden concert recorded in February of 2008. At that concert, the duo performed several Blind Faith songs (of course there are only about a dozen to begin with). Blind Faith was a supergroup that released one album in 1969.

Clapton and Winwood also teamed up for a 14-date tour of the United Summer this past summer.

At 64-years of age it's hard to say how many more tours "Slowhand" has left. So if you have the chance to see Clapton live take it.

Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck
February 13, 14 - London, UK - O2 Arena
February 18 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
February 21 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Center
February 22 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Center

Eric Clapton
Feb. 15 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Mellon Arena
Feb. 27 – Nashville, TN @ Sommett Center
Feb. 28 – Birmingham, AL @ Birmingham Jefferson
Mar. 2 – Tulsa, OK @ BOK
Mar. 3 – Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center
Mar. 5 – Memphis, TN @ FedEx Forum
Mar. 6 – New Orleans, LA @ New Orleans Arena
Mar. 8 – Raleigh, NC @ RBC Center
Mar. 9 – Atlanta, GA @ Gwinnett Center
Mar. 11 – Ft. Lauderdale Bank Atlantic Center
Mar. 13 – Orlando, FL @ Amway Arena

2009-11-01T21:32:00.000-08:00

Bon Jovi Set To Launch 2-Year World Tour

Rock band Bon Jovi is set to launch a two-year world tour to support their new album The Circle. This is the band's 11th studio album and it's scheduled to drop Nov. 12.

Bon Jovi's mammoth world tour gets underway Feb. 19 in Seattle and ends 135 shows and 30 countries later. Highlights of the tour include being the first band to perform at the new Meadowlands football stadium and an extended stay at London's O2 arena.

Bon Jovi will rock concerts in Las Vegas, Philadelphia and Dallas (sorry that concert won't be held at the new Cowboys Stadium). The band will also venture to the Great White North for a pair of Bon Jovi shows in Montreal.

This is exciting news for rock fans as Bon Jovi is one of the world's great live bands. They are also extremely popular as fans find them easy to relate too, accessible, and unpretentious. Basically, Bon Jovi is one of us.

However, that standing might be in jeopardy.
Bon Jovi has recently made a deal with the devil and in this case the devil is NBC.

Bon Jovi has signed a promotional deal with NBC Universal that will feature them, as well as their music, on NBC and their family of cable networks.

We understand the need to promote their new album and sell Bon Jovi concert tickets, but we worry that this is nothing more than insidious corporate synergy.

If it means an appearance on the Jay Leno Show, and songs from The Circle used as background music in Heroes, than that's fine. But if the band suddenly starts working for Dunder Mifflin we'll be upset.

The question still remains how exactly will Bon Jovi be integrated into NBC Universal programming?

Will Richie Sambora be a suspect on Law and Order?

Will Tico Torres be Liz Lemon's love interest on 30 Rock?

Will Jon Bon Jovi break down Iran's nuclear program on MSNBC?

Obviously this one business arrangement won't turn fans, or this blogger, against Bon Jovi, but it is disconcerting and disappointing. While it seems natural to mix rock music with network television such a union must be organic. If it's forced, and/or lawyers are involved, than it's never a good thing.

There is one saving grace though. No one watches NBC. More people will see Bon Jovi on "The Circle World Tour" than on the Peacock Network.

2009-10-23T15:49:00.000-07:00

Lady Gaga's The Monster Ball Tour Begins Nov. 27

Lady Gaga's The Monster Ball Tour Begins Nov. 27 in Montreal. From there, the 23-year-old pop singer from New York City will perform in Toronto and Ottawa before coming to America.

She will return to the Great White North on Dec. 9 and 10 for a couple of Lady Gaga concerts at Vancouver's Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

The Diva is billing The Monster Ball Tour as a "pop-electro opera," whatever that means. The Monster Ball was thrown together after a planned outing with Kanye West was canceled in early October.

"I wanted to really put together a show that would be the most beautiful, expensive-looking, delicious show, but that my fans wouldn't have to pay a ton of money to come see.," Gaga told Rolling Stone magazine. "I've got super loyal fans, so I feel this tremendous obligation to take care of them."

A "beautiful, expensive-looking, delicious show" that fans won't "have to pay a ton of money to come see" is code for "cheap." However, Gaga is a consummate professional. She'll more than make up for any short comings in production with her energetic and captivating stage presence.

On Nov. 24 Lady Gaga is releasing a new album... kinda. This new opus is called The Fame Monster. It's a repackaging of her tremendously successful The Fame with an additional eight new songs.

We're not sure if this is laziness, greed, or a real treat for her fans.

On one hand, if you don't already own the album the eight extra songs are a great incentive to finally buy it.

If you already own the album are eight songs enough to make you want to buy it again (assuming you're not going to download the new tracks)?

And couldn't Gaga just add a few more songs to the eight and release an entirely new album?

Regardless, the newly repackaged album is being incorporated into her tour. "Monsters" will be a theme for some of her show's visuals. In particular, personal demons or the wrongs we've committed as flawed and fragile human beings.

"I believe, that innately we're all born with the monsters already inside of us — I guess in Christianity they call it original sin — the prospect that we will, at some point, sin in our lives, and we will, at some point, have to face our own demons, and they're already inside of us," preached Gaga.

The idea of original sin eventually developed into another source of inspiration for Gaga's upcoming tour, evolution.

"We started talking about evolution and the evolution of humanity and how we begin as one thing, and we become another,” Gaga waxed.

Fans will be able to see what the heck she's talking about when Lady Gaga performs in Los Angeles and San Francisco this fall. Lady Gaga is also selling tickets for a concert in Miami.

The Monster Ball Tour wraps up Jan. 21, 2010 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. In March, Gaga launches a tour of Australia.

Thanks to her on-line success—20 million downloads sold—Gaga is one of the biggest-selling artists of 2009. She just completed her first headlining trek, The Fame Ball Tour, at the end of September. Prior to that, Gaga opened for New Kids On The Block and The Pussycat Dolls.

2009-10-07T07:16:00.000-07:00

The 2009 MLB Playoffs

The 2009 MLB playoffs has shaped up to be a fantastic post season. From the Boston Red Sox playing the Angels in the playoffs, to Yankees to the Twins in the American League. Or from the Cardinals and Dodgers playoffs to the Rockies vs. the Phillies in the playoffs, this post season has some excellent match-ups.

How will the world champ Phillies do? Will the Yankees meet the Red Sox in the playoffs? Who's going to win the 2009 World Series?

Watch the MLB playoffs to find out! I know I will be!

2009-09-18T16:48:00.000-07:00

Megadeth: Loads Of Fun

It’s the tour metal fans have been waiting to see for years. The “Big Four” of thrash metal, Anthrax, Megadeth, Metallica and Slayer, together on tour.

It would be “The Mount Rushmore” of thrash performing in the same city, in the same arena, on the same night, and on the same bill. This would be such an important event that metal fans would even wear white t-shirts to make it happen.

Happily for metalheads this dream has never been closer to coming true than it is right now. Metallica bassist, Robert Trukilo, recently confirmed that his band to trying to make this happen.

"I think it's great. We've had a few different conversations on the subject. . . . There's a lot of history there. I think it'd be great for metal. I don't think all four bands have played together at the same time," said Trukilo.

Stay tuned for that historic announcement. Of course it won’t really need to be announced. Instead, the skies will open up and angels will blow trumpets heralding the greatest tour in the history of the universe. You won’t even need the internet to know it’s coming to a town near you.

Until then you can just listen to Endgame. Released on Sept. 15, Endgame is the 12th studio album for one of the “Big Four,” Megadeth.

For the uninitiated, Megadeth’s front man Dave Mustaine was an original member of Metallic. That’s partly why these four bands have not embarked on a tour before.

The lead single from Endgame is the rocking “Headcrusher.”

While the band is getting up there in years, their latest offering indicates that they have no intention of letting up.

"This is a Megadeth album for the fans, and if you don’t love it after playing it once, give it a second or third try and you’ll rediscover everything you originally loved about the band and the metal god known as Dave Mustaine," wrote album reviewer Shawn Loeffler of Craveonline.

Tickets for Megadeth’s Endgame Tour are on sale now. It launches Nov. 14 in Grand Rapids and is scheduled to conclude Dec. 13 in Las Vegas.

Megadeth is set to visit Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, and San Antonio as well as other cities in the Midwest. A Megadeth concert in Dallas is also on the itinerary.

Joining the boys are Machine Head, Suicide Silence and Arcanium. Warbringer replaces Machine Head starting Dec. 5 for the Kansas City concert.

The big four may not be playing together any time soon, but two of the four are, Slayer will join Megadeth (as well as Machine Head and Suicide Silence) for some shows in Canada. Starting Nov. 8, you can catch the pair of thrash bands all over the Great White North including a concert in Toronto.

The duo will also play some shows in early October in New Zealand and Australia.

Recently, Megadeth promoted Endgame with an appearance on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.

There’s also plenty of reading material for Megadeth fans to consume. The band has been interviewed by the following publications: RollingStone.com, Decibel, Revolver, Guitar World, AOL, Noisecreep, and Thrasher.

2009-09-13T23:58:00.000-07:00

Mavericks Aren’t Old, They’re Just Experienced

The Dallas Mavericks have a huge problem entering the 2009-2010 season—they’re not the Los Angeles Lakers.

Then again you can pretty much say that about any team in the Western Conference.

With the addition of Ron Artest, Lamar Odom resigning, and Kobe Bryant still on the team, the Lakers can win 62 regular season games without breaking a sweat. They are the consensus pick to win the West.

Despite getting another year older, NBA experts still list Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs as the second best team in the conference. You can even find a few pundits that think the Spurs have made enough positive offseason moves to sneak past the Lakers.

So where does that leave the Mavs?

This off season the Mavericks, in a complicated four team deal, sent forwards Devean George and Antoine Wright to the Toronto Raptors and Jerry Stackhouse to the Memphis Grizzlies. In return, the Mavs received small forward Shawn Marion, power forward Kris Humphries, center Nathan Jawai and guard Greg Buckner.

Marion will start, Jawai will back up Erick Dampier, and Humphries and Buckner are long shots to make the team.

The Mavs’ other big offseason move was resigning future hall of fame point guard Jason Kidd to a 3-year, $24 million deal.

The team also signed power forwards Drew Gooden and Tim Thomas for size and depth.

Fans with Mavs tickets are likely to see a starting five comprised of Kidd, Josh Howard, Marion, Dirk Nowitzki and Dampier.

The youngest member of that starting five is Howard and even he's 29. Combined, the Mavs’ starters are 161-years-old. Meanwhile, the starting five of the Portland Trail Blazers are just 119-years-old.

Entering training camp, the Mavs have on their roster 7 players with 10 or more years of NBA experience.

The Mavs’ wisdom and talent should be enough to win 50 to 52 games. Unfortunately in the West that will earn a team just a 5th or 6th place finish. Last year’s team finished 50-32—good enough for the 6th seed in the Western Conference Playoffs.

The trick for the Mavs in 2009-2010 is playing small ball as much as they can and keeping those old bones fresh. That might be easier said than done in a season in which they play 19 back-to-back games.

If the Mavs can stay healthy and somehow garner home court advantage for the first round of the playoffs, they might be able to to knock off the Lakers or the Spurs and reach the NBA Finals.

However, such a contingency would more than likely involve Bryant or Duncan sitting on the sidelines in street clothes… next to either Pau Gasol or Tony Parker.

For the Mavs to be real contenders in the West, owner Mark Cuban needs to make at least one more significant roster move.

2009-09-10T15:10:00.000-07:00

Wicked the Musical on Another U.S. Tour

If you haven't heard of Wicked the musical then you may be living in a entertainment bubble. It's a sort of prequel to the very first color motion picture: The Wizard of Oz.

Wicked is a Tony Award-winning Broadway and West End musical, with songs and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman.

It's been running on Broadway in NYC for years now. In fact, The musical debuted on Broadway on October 30, 2003.

One of the things that shows what hugely popular musical is that it has also been on numerous national tours as well. It's been in large cities across the U.S. such as Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Boston, and Philadelphia. And it has also visited smaller markets.

This fall, winter and spring of '10 there's another Wicked tour visiting much smaller cities. For example, if you live in Ohio you'll be able to see Wicked in Dayton and Toledo, Columbus and you'll be able to see Wicked in the larger city of Cleveland.

Wicked Tours Down South in 2010

People who live in Kansas will be able to see Wicked in Wichita, KS at the Century II Convention Center and Wicked in Kansas City showing at the Music Hall. Folks in Virginia will be able to see Wicked in Richmond at the Landmark Theater. Other southern states included the tour include Wicked Louisville and Wicked Nashville at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center - Andrew Jackson Hall. And people in North Carolina can see Wicked in Charlotte at the Ovens Auditorium.

Other cities in which you can expect to see Wicked include Miami, FL at the Ziff Opera House and Durham at the Durham Performing Arts Center.

If you live in any of these cities I strongly urge you to consider going to see Wicked the musical. Maybe take a date and make a night of it. It's very enjoyable for men and woman, young and old alike.

2009-08-29T12:11:00.000-07:00

KISS Alive 35: 2009 North American Tour

That's right! KISS Is back! They are going on the road for their KISS Alive 35: 2009 North American Tour.

As they celebrate 35 years of rockin', KISS today announced the dates of the KISS Alive 35 North American tour. The tour kicks off with a rapidly selling, special multiple-show engagement in Detroit beginning September 25, where KISS will be playing the classic album that started it all: "Alive!" The tour leg will then hit more than 40 additional cities before concluding in December.

This incredible show will feature a new stage set, pyro effects that only the "hottest band in the world" could deliver, and all-new costumes. Fans will be treated to a two-and-a-half-hour set of some of rock's greatest hits, including "Rock and Roll All Nite", "I Was Made for Lovin' You", "Detroit Rock City", "God Gave Rock & Roll to You" and "Shout It Out Loud", as well as songs from the band's new album "Sonic Boom". BUCKCHERRY will be main support on all of the KISS Alive 35 North American dates.

Said Gene Simmons, "For 35 years, KISS raised the bar for what a rock concert should really be. This year is no different -- all new, all killer... all KISS! The master's class in rock is in session! KISS rules. Oh yeah!"

After completing their biggest tour ever of South America, selling out stadiums once again in Europe, and leaving fans clamoring for more in Australia, KISS is excited to give North America its due. KISS Alive 35 North America marks the first leg of the world's first fan-routed tour -- more than 10,000 individual cities across Canada and the U.S. mounted their own unique campaigns to bring KISS to their towns. The fans have spoken, the votes have been tabulated, and the waiting is over as KISS unveils the first markets.

"Modern Day Delilah", a brand new song from KISS, is available for streaming in its entirety below (courtesy of KissOnline.com). The track comes off KISS' first new studio album in over a decade, called "Sonic Boom", which will be released on October 6 exclusively at Wal-Mart properties.

Here are some of the big cities Kiss will be visiting on their KISS Alive/35 Tour:

2009-08-27T21:43:00.000-07:00

The Allman Brothers Band Celebrate 40 Years

They’ve been called the Grateful Dead of the South. They’ve been called the "principal architects of Southern rock." In 1971, Rolling Stone Magazine called them "the best damn rock and roll band" of "the past five years."

Whatever ever accolade you wish to use one thing is for certain, the Allman Brothers Band have been jamming for 40 years.

This past March, ABB celebrated their fourth decade together with a 15-show run at the famed Beacon Theatre in New York city.

During their historic stint, the band played over 100 songs and mixed it up with the likes of Buddy Guy, Phish’s Try Anastasio and Page McConnell, Boz Scaggs, John Hammond, Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow.

Tickets to see the Allman Brothers Band for March 19th and the 20th were simply priceless. That’s when they had their first-ever onstage meeting with Eric Clapton. Besides jamming to some old blues standards, Clapton and the band performed “Layla.”

Incidentally, the late Duane Allman played guitar on the 1970 Derek and the Dominos’ recording of “Layla.” Clapton once called Allman "the ideal recording man."

On the band’s official 40th anniversary, March 26th, they performed their first two studio albums, The Allman Brothers Band and Idelwild South, in their entirety. They had no visitors on stage that night.

Since that memorable fortnight the band has toured extensively throughout the spring and summer. You catch ABB on the road this fall as they continue to celebrate 40 years as the South’s preeminent rock band.

Look for The Allman Brothers Band in Chicago in the first of September.

After a few shows in the Windy City, ABB travels to Colorado for a concert at Red Rocks on Sept. 5.

Only three of the original members remain, Gregg Allman (vocals, organ, and piano), Butch Trucks (drums) and Jaimoe Johanson (drums and percussion).

They’re joined by Warren Haynes (guitar), Marc Quiñones (drums, percussion), Oteil Burbridge (bass) and Derek Trucks (Butch’s nephew and slide guitarist).

Two of the original six members of the band are deceased, bassist Berry Oakley and the aforementioned Duane Allman.

Oakley passed away a little over a year after Allman. Both died as a result of injuries suffered in motorcycle accidents. Their respective crashes occurred just three blocks apart.

The third absent member, guitarist Dickey Betts, was asked to leave the band for personal and professional reasons in 2000.

Despite 40 long years, more tragedy then one band should have to endure and too much self indulgence, ABB continues to sounds great. Gregg Allman’s 61-year old voice still holds up and Trucks and Johnanson can still whale on those drums.

Joining ABB for several dates this fall is another jam band, Widespread Panic. They will be at the Chicago show but not at Red Rocks.

You can see Widespread with the Allman Brothers Band in Nashville on Oct. 12 as well as the Dallas concert on Oct. 14.

The Allman Brothers Band seems to favor venues in the south but they do make an appearance on the left coast. The Allman Brothers Band goes Hollywood on Oct. 20.

Fans have a great opportunity this year to celebrate 40 years of the Allman Brothers Band. If you’re new to the legends of rock now is a great time to get to know them. You really haven’t lived until you’ve heard a 34-minute rendition of “In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed.”

2009-07-03T00:50:00.000-07:00

Alan Jackson Is Country Music

Alan Jackson writes and sings the type of country music that you can scoop with a spoon. He’s straight country. He’s not pop-country. He’s not alternative-country. He’s not new- country. He’s just plain old country music.

When fans in Henderson or Abbotsford go to see Jackson perform, they go because they want to hear real country music.

Jackson could have been a successful country music star in the ‘50’s or ‘60’s. His music is that timeless.

To say he’s straight country is not meant as a slight. The blonde Georgian has managed to put together a great country music career that’s spanned two decades.

Recently, Jackson took to the stage in front of 1,400 people at the famed Cadillac Ranch in Nashville to play 35-songs from his stellar 20-year career.

"We're gonna play a bunch of junk tonight, and see what happens," Jackson quipped to the receptive audience.

His self effacing humor is appreciated but even Jackson has to admit that his music has been anything but “junk.”

Starting in 1990, Jackson has recorded 12 studio albums and placed more than 50 singles inside the Top 30 of Billboard’s country music charts—25 have reached number one.

He’s also a member of the Grand Ole Opry and the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.

Besides recording and performing hit after hit, Jackson has also written songs for other artists. Randy Travis charted three songs co-penned by Jackson. Clay Walker, Chely Wright and Faith Hill have also had hits with Jackson compositions.

"It's still hard to kind of understand all this, but I'm just glad y'all like my music," Jackson told the crowd at the Cadillac Ranch.

People have liked his music enough to buy 50 million of his albums and thousands of Alan Jackson tickets to his concerts.

This summer, Jackson is taking his down-home country charm and his gaggle of hits back out on the road. Fans can catch Jackson in places like Costa Mesa, Raleigh and Columbia.

Jackson will also make several appearances in the Great White North, including Kamloops, Regina and Red Deer.

The country music superstar is touring to support his 2008 album Good Time. When not performing, Jackson is putting the finishing touches on his 13th studio album. It’s set to drop this fall.

Jackson may have an “ahh shucks” attitude but he’s keenly aware of the state of country music and his place in it.

In 1999, at the Country Music Association Awards, Jackson stopped in the middle of his song to play George Jones’ “Choices.” Jackson did this to support his longtime friend who boycotted the event because they asked him to cut his performance by a minute and a half.

A year later, Jackson recorded a duet with fellow country singer George Strait called “Murder on Music Row.”

The song, never released as a single but still managed to reach #38 on the country music charts, criticized the current state of country music. The song claimed country music was getting to similar to rock and pop.

The song, first performed by Larry Cordle and Lonesome Standard Time, laments that greats like Merle Haggard, Hank Williams and George Jones, “wouldn't stand a chance on today's radio.”

That was nearly a decade ago, but not much has changed. In fact, country music has only gotten worse.

Ultimately, country music needs Alan Jackson more than Alan Jackson needs country music. Current country stars act like rock stars while performing their pop-country or their rock-country or their alternate-country.

Jackson reminds us that country music isn’t just a twang and a cowboy hat. It’s about having passion and respect for the people who call the country home.

2009-06-16T00:21:00.000-07:00

Phillies and Dodgers: Class of National League

It’s time for a little National League theater.

Carlos Beltran of the New York Mets: "The reality of this is, coming here to Pittsburgh and getting swept, me, I feel embarrassed… It just can't happen… I know they're a big-league ballclub, but we're better than them."

Beltran was referring to the Mets losing three-straight games to the Pittsburgh Pirates to start the month of June.

Adam LaRoche of the Pirates: "You know, if we're as bad as he says we are and we swept them, then what's that make them?"

The barbs didn’t stop there, LaRoche, whose biting retort was quite astute, said Beltran “had zero class.”

A week after being swept by the pesky Pirates, in a display of karmic retribution straight out of a Broadway play, Mets second basemen Luis Castillo dropped an easy fly ball in the bottom of the ninth inning that allowed two Yankees to score. The Mets lost a heartbreaker of a game on a walk off error. In the theater business that kind of ending is called a deus ex machina. This season, Mets fan call it "what else is new?"

While there are elements of Greek tragedy in the aforementioned tale, the drama isn’t necessarily manufactured. As the month of June wanes, it’s starting to become clear just who are the contenders and the pretenders in the National League.

Beltran’s frustrations, unjustly aimed at the Pirates, are warranted. The Mets loaf. Their frequent lack concentration and discipline has cost them several wins this season.

While the Mets are only four games back of the defending champs, the Philadelphia Phillies, it feels like eight. In the National League, the Phillies are second to the last in team ERA and they've allowed the fifth most runs. The Mets have a much better team ERA and a better team batting average than the Phillies, but they haven’t been able to put together a run.

Ultimately, the Phillies are leading the NL East because of their guts and determination. The Mets are trailing because they lack mental toughness.

Philadelphia's lead maybe small, but you have more confidence in the San Francisco Giants overtaking the Los Angeles Dodgers than you do in the Mets capturing the NL East crown. And the Giants aren’t going to overtake the Dodgers in NL West this year.

Even without Manny Ramirez, who won’t be back from suspension until July 3rd, the Dodgers have been flat out killing the ball and at the same time they're leading the entire Majors in ERA. This is a complete team.

The Giants are a robust seven games behind the Dodgers and they too have a great pitching staff—they’re second in the Majors in ERA.

If they Giants could score a few more runs, either some guys get hot or they make a move at the trade deadline for a big bat, they could win the wild card. Right now, you must have more confidence in the Giants making the postseason then you do in the flaky Mets.

As for the Pirates, Beltran’s lament was a little harsh. The Pirates certainly aren’t the worst team in the National League. While the Bucs have a very good defensive team, they aren't dynamic at the plate or on the mound. The Pirates will be fortunate to finish the season at .500.

Certainly the Pirates, just a hand full of games out of first, are still within striking distance of the NL Central leading Milwaukee Brewers. However, the Mets and the Giants have to chase only one team, the Pirates must leap over the Chicago Cubs, the Cincinnati Reds, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Brewers. The Pirates are just not that good to battle day-in and day-out all those teams.

The war of words between Beltran and LaRoche makes for great drama and provides salacious material for sports columnists. It also shows, like Yogi Berra once said, “it’s getting late early.” The season is nearing the midway point and teams are starting to realize just who they really are. For teams like the Mets that’s difficult news to process.

2009-05-17T09:49:00.000-07:00

One of the qualities I most appreciate in a musician is their understanding of how important live concerts are. Not only is a chance for fans to see their favorite musician showcase their talent front and center minus all of the bells and whistles of a recording studio, but also it’s an opportunity to enjoy being in the midst of an excited frenzied crowd.

That being said, there is nothing more disappointing to a true fan than a show that is abruptly canceled, which is what fans of country superstar Kenny Chesney had to endure earlier this month.

The mid-show commotion happened in Frisco, Texas on May 2. Fans had gathered to see Chesney, along with phenomenal opening acts Miranda Lambert and Lady Antebellum, for the first stop on Kenny Chesney’s Sun City Carnival Tour.

Pizza Hut Park was packed deep with more than 25,000 fans when the thunder suddenly began to roar --- literally. As rain pelted the crowd, they were so psyched to see Chesney, they endured strong rain, crazy wind and a few strikes of lightening --- without making a break for cover.

Through the two opening acts and the first portion of Chesney’s set, fans were still in the moment, cheering and roaring every step of the way.

"It was more of a unique connection with an audience than I've ever had, since I hit the road in 1993," Chesney told the Dallas Morning News. "You could just feel the stadium rise up when I walked out there. It was dangerous, yeah, but for a short while in that rain, it was almost a religious experience."

Yeah, I don’t know about standing through an authentic Texas thunderstorm, I don’t care how much I paid for the tickets. Nevertheless, this crowd was clearly full of die-hard fans who didn’t give two flips about some rain.

The female component of the crowd was probably content to watch him slosh around in the rain, t-shirt sticking to his super hot bod.

In fact, Chesney told the Dallas Morning News that staying for as long as possible almost became a dare between himself and the audience, "Well, if he's gonna stay up there singing, I'm staying,” he said. “[I thought] "Well, if they're gonna put up with this kind of rain, I'm staying."

Chesney and his crew finally called off the show after an hour, citing the risks to himself, his crew and the crowd.

Nonetheless, Chesney said he felt so “incomplete” that he held a free makeup concert to give his fans a chance to enjoy his super sexy brand of entertainment – sans the rain and lightening. The best part for fans was that the make up show was all Chesney and no opening acts.

Squeezing the free concert in was quite a feat given the jam packed 40-city tour which currently offers Philadelphia Kenny Chesney tour tickets, Seattle Kenny Chesney tour tickets, Chicago Kenny Chesney tour tickets and more.

Even Canadian fans will get a chance to rock out with the country crooner with the Toronto Kenny Chesney Sun City Carnival Tour stop as well as the option of Calgary Kenny Chesney tickets.

The Sun City Carnival Tour comes on the heels of Chesney’s latest release, Greatest Hits Vol. 2, which celebrates Chesney’s diverse catalog of hits logged during his 15-year career.

While he is known for his sappy ballads, Chesney said this tour will be different in that it will be high energy and full of upbeat songs and less slow numbers.

"When I first started out, the record labels really thought you couldn't sell unless you had a bunch of ballads, so that's what I was doing," he told the Dallas Morning News. "But I always wanted to put on more of a rockin' show. ... I remember saying a couple of years ago that I wished we could do a whole show without a single ballad. In this tour, there's not a ballad until 47 minutes into the show. I do two then, and then not another one till the encore."

2009-05-08T09:03:00.000-07:00

The American Idol Tour 2009

American Idol is back and it's never more popular. And, as has happened many times before, the final 10 idols are taking the show on the road for the American Idols Live tour 2009. So expect to see all your favorites in a city near you. See the official American Idol website.

Here are the final 10 contestants for Season 8:

Adam Lambert
Allison Iraheta
Anoop Desai
Danny Gokey
Kris Allen
Lil Rounds
Matt Giraud
Megan Joy
Michael Sarver
Scott MacIntyre

Learn more about the final 10 here.

The Following are some of the top cities American Idol will be visiting:

You can search for and purchase American Idol tour tickets here.

2009-05-07T08:08:00.000-07:00

Green Day Tour 2009

That's right. Green Day is going on tour this year in Europe and North America and tickets are going on sale this weekend for many of the shows. The rest of the shows onsales are the following week. Singer/guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist Mike Dirnt and drummer Tre Cool are going on tour to support their new album due out in the middle of May "21st Century Breakdown."

The tour kicks off July 3 in Seattle before heading to Canada for a few dates. The group will play in 38 cities across North America during the trek, which wraps Aug. 25 in Inglewood, CA. Then in September, Green Day embarks on their European leg of the tour.

The pop-punk trio are supporting their first album in five years, "21st Century Breakdown," which hits stores May 15.

The following Green Day 2009 Concert Tour Schedule is from LiveDaily.com
July 2009:

Note: These tour dates are provided by the artist and/or tour sources. Always be sure to check the Green Day official site to verify. (Click on the links below to buy Green Day tickets and more info.)

July 2009
3 - Seattle, WA - Key Arena
4 - Vancouver, British Columbia - GM Place
6 - Edmonton, Alberta - Rexall Place
7 - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan - Credit Union Centre
9 - Winnipeg, Manitoba - MTS Centre
10 - Fargo, ND - Fargo Dome
11 - Minneapolis, MN - Target Center
13 - Chicago, IL - United Center
14 - Auburn Hills/Detroit, MI - Palace of Auburn Hills
16 - Hamilton, Ontario - Copps Coliseum
17 - Ottawa, Ontario – Scotiabank Centre
18 - Montreal, Quebec - Bell Centre
20 - Boston, MA - TD Banknorth Garden
21 - Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Spectrum
22 - Pittsburgh, PA - Mellon Arena
24 - Hartford, CT - XL Center
25 - Albany, NY - Times Union Center
27 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
29 - Washington, DC - Verizon Center
31 - Nashville, TN - Sommet Center

August 2009
1 - Atlanta, GA - Gwinnet Arena
3 - Tampa, FL - St. Pete Times Forum
4 - Miami, FL - American Airlines Arena
5 - Orlando, FL - Amway Arena
7 - New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Arena
8 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center
9 - San Antonio, TX - AT&T Center
11 - St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center
12 - Kansas City, MO - Sprint Center
13 - Omaha, NE – Quest Center
15 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
16 - Salt Lake City, UT - Energy Sol Arena
18 - San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion
20 - San Diego, CA - Cox Arena
21 - Las Vegas, NV - Mandalay Bay
22 - Phoenix, AZ - US Air Arena
24 - Sacramento, CA - ARCO Arena
25 - Inglewood, CA - The Forum

September 2009
28 - Lisbon, Portugal - Pavilhao Atlantico
29 - Madrid, Spain - Palacio de la Comunidad

October 2009
1 - Barcelona, Spain - Palau Sant Jordi
2 - Toulouse, France - Zenith
4 - Paris, France - Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy
5 - Cologne, Germany - Lanxess Arena
7 - Berlin, Germany - 02 World
8 - Hamburg, Germany - Color Line Arena
9 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Forum Copenhagen
11 - Stockholm, Sweden - Stockholm Globe Arena
12 - Oslo, Norway - Oslo Spektrum Arena ANS
16 - Rotterdam, Netherlands - Ahoy' Rotterdam
17 - Antwerp, Belgium - Sportpaleis
19 - Glasgow, Scotland - S.E.C.C.
20 - Belfast, United Kingdom - Odyssey Arena
21 - Dublin, Ireland - The 02-Dublin
23, 24 - London, England - The 02-London
26 - Sheffield, England - Sheffield Arena
27, 28 - Birmingham, England - LG Arena
30, 31 - Manchester, England - Manchester Evening News Arena

November 2009
3 - Munich, Germany - Olympiahalle
6 - Vienna, Austria - Wiener Stadthalle
8 - Zurich, Switzerland - Hallenstadion Zurich
10 - Assago, Italy - Mediolanum Forum
11 - Bologna, Italy - Palamalaguti
12 - Turin, Italy - Pala Olimpico

2009-04-27T16:42:00.000-07:00

Creed is Reuniting

Creed has announced all four of the original band members are going to reunite for a 2009 summer tour and they're going to make a new album as well! The tour, the band's first in seven years, begins Aug. 6 in Pittsburgh.

The original four members of Creed are Scott Stapp, Mark Tremonti, Scott Phillips and Brian Marshall, and all four will be a part of this reunion.

The band has also teamed with I Love All Access, a division of Front Line Management, to provide a variety of VIP ticket packages for the tour, including premium seats, meet and greets, photo ops, parties and more.

The Creed tour itinerary:

Aug 6: Pittsburgh, PA
Aug 8: Darien Lakes, NY
Aug 9: Hershey, PA
Aug 11: Saratoga Springs, NY
Aug 13: Philadelphia, PA
Aug 15: Wantagh, NY
Aug 16: Holmdel, NJ
Aug 18: Boston, MA
Aug 20: Hartford, CT
Aug 21: Washington, DC
Aug 22: Virginia Beach, VA
Aug 25: Detroit, MI
Aug 26: Cleveland, OH
Aug 28: Cincinnati, OH
Aug 29: Indianapolis, IN
Aug 30: Chicago, IL
Sept 1: Milwaukee, WI
Sept 2: Columbus, OH
Sept 4: Raleigh, NC
Sept 5: Charlotte, NC
Sept 11: Atlanta, GA
Sept 12: Birmingham, AL
Sept 15: Orlando, FL
Sept 16: West Palm Beach, FL
Sept 18: Lafayette, LA
Sept 19: New Orleans, LA
Sept 20: Bossier City, LA
Sept 22: Dallas, TX
Sept 24: San Antonio, TX
Sept 25: Houston, TX
Sept 27: Las Vegas, NV
Sept 29: Glendale, AZ
Sept 30: Irvine, CA
Oct 2: Salt Lake City, UT
Oct 3: Denver, CO
Oct 6: Minneapolis, MN
Oct 7: Omaha, NE
Oct 9: Tulsa, OK
Oct 10: Kansas City, MO
Oct 13: St Louis, MO
Oct 14: Nashville, TN

2009-04-21T14:19:00.000-07:00

Eddie Vedder Touring This Summer

Ron Wood knows how to do it. You learn some great guitar licks and then find one-in-a-billion singers that can belt out classic rock tunage.

In his illustrious career, Wood has teamed with Rod Stewart (The Faces) and Mick Jagger (in a little band called the Rolling Stones). Now the Wood is teaming up with Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam.

Okay, they’re not forming a band and touring the country but Vedder did sing on a track from Wood’s upcoming solo album, "More Good News." Producer Bob Rock confirmed all this earlier in the month at a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame after-party held at the House of Blues.

That wasn’t Vedder’s only brush with rock and roll royalty this spring. April 4th, Vedder performed with Beatles Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

The concert was a benefit for the "Change Begins Within," some cult that wants to brainwash a million school children into transcendental meditation. Hey, if it keeps them out of my hair like a cartoons do, then I’m all for it.

Vedder has another New York concert coming up. On May 3rd, the grunge crooner is scheduled to perform at Madison Square Garden for Pete Seeger’s 90th birthday gala. Which is appropriate since every Pete Seeger song feels like its 90 years long.

I would rather buy Eddie Vedder tickets for a Bob Seger birthday party. Eddie screaming “Feels Like A Number” or “Rock and Roll Never Forgets” would be quite memorable.

After the Seeger engagement, the diminutive Pearl Jam front man is heading out on the road. Vedder is scheduled to play 14 dates this summer starting June 8th in Albany, New York and concluding July 2nd in Honolulu, Hawaii.

His short jaunt is interesting because the 14 dates include just eight cities. Vedder performs two shows in consecutive nights at every stop except Nashville and Kahului.

The remaining cities Vedder will visit are Baltimore, Philadelphia (Upper Darby), Memphis, and Atlanta.

Joining the singer for his brief U.S. tour is Liam Finn. Vedder used Finn last year when he toured to support the "Into The Wild" soundtrack.

Looking at his schedule again, Vedder is a very smart man for ending his tour in Hawaii. After his final performance, he can just walk off stage and directly onto the beach for an extended vacation.

However, that vacation has to wrap up before October 2nd because it looks like his band Pearl Jam will be headlining the 2009 Austin City Limits Music Festival. The festival runs through the 4th in Austin, Texas. An official announcement comes April 25th.

2009-04-10T14:29:00.000-07:00

New Kids On The Block Hanging Tough

If you’re in your late twenties or older, every time you hear the phrase “hanging tough” you immediately think back to the chorus from the 1989 hit of the same name by the New Kids On The Block.

It’s not something you’re particularly proud of but you do it nonetheless.

New Kids On The Block are comprised of Jordan and Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, and Danny Wood. They were assembled in the Boston in 1984 by producer Maurice Starr.

They released their first album way back in 1986 but the quintessential boy-band didn’t rocket to stardom until 1989 when their seminal bubblegum album Hangin' Tough hit store shelves.

For the next year, New Kids On The Block were the world’s hottest band, making 12-year old girls cry everywhere they went. However, by the end of 1991, the Kids’ run was over.

To illustrate their rapid decline, look at the band’s third studio album, Step By Step which was released in 1990. The first single from the album, the title track, was the New Kids’ biggest selling single of all time. The last single released from the album, "Let's Try It Again,” failed to crack the top 50 as most radio stations refused to play it.

That’s what happens when your songs are the musical equivalent of the nutritional value found in Funyuns. It’s also what happens when you stop going by the name “New Kids on the Block” and start going by the initials “NKOTB,” which the band started doing in 1991.

Incidentally, NKOTB is the worst acronym of all-time. It’s impossible to remember and looks awful when written.

The group has released more greatest hits, remixes, and Christmas albums than they have studio albums. That includes their 2008 release, The Block. Miraculously, it debuted at number one on the Billboard Pop Album Chart and number two on the Billboard 200. It sold over 100,000 copies in its first week.

Last year, the group launched a successful reunion tour, “New Kids on the Block: Live,” and they will once again be hitting the road in 2009. The “Full Service Tour” begins May 28th in Atlanta and concludes July 18th in the Woodlands, Texas.

Touring with the New Kids on the Block will be Jabbawockeez, season-one winners of "America's Best Dance Crew" (that’s a sentence I hope I’ll never have to write again).

New Kids will be visiting venues all across America, like Bristow, Cuyahoga Falls, Las Vegas, and Mohegan Sun just to name a few.

The “Full Service Tour” offers a variety of ticket packages including one that allows fans to dine with the Kids in a backyard style barbecue.

However much that costs it’s worth it. Having ribs with the New Kids in Dallas or Maryland Heights or Raleigh would be priceless.

Think of all the great stories they can tell. They’re probably more forthcoming and friendlier then other artists. And you know they’d be appreciative that you forked over big money to eat with them.

As for their set list, what does it matter? All their songs sound the same and other than Joey, none of them can sing (sadly, they can't dance either).

But you don’t go to their show for the music. You go for the experience of seeing forty-year-olds trying to sing and dance like they were teenagers. Yes, that’s right, the New Kids are pushing forty!

If that doesn’t make you feel old, nothing will.

The New Kids are old enough to have kids that have actually out grown the Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus.

That’s okay though, because Jordan, Jonathan, Joey, Donnie, and Danny are still hanging tough.

2009-03-26T22:29:00.000-07:00

U2 360° Tour

Theater-in-the-round, where the stage is surrounded on all sides by the audience, was used by the ancient Greeks and Romans. It fell out of favor for centuries until it was revived in the second half of the 20th century.

Producers like to use the theater-in-the-round set-up for classical productions. Directors claim the configuration creates an intimidate relationship between the audience and the performers.

Now a theater-in-the-round type of stage is being utilized by U2 for their upcoming 360° Tour. Willie Williams, the band’s show director, and architect Mark Fisher have combined forces to create a stage that puts U2 in the center of the arena, completely surrounded by their fans. This gives the audience an unobstructed view of the band and also gives U2 an unobstructed view of the audience.

The tour’s website offers visitors the chance to see a virtual panoramic image of the stage. The representation portrays the band performing on a sparse, circular stage with a ring of video monitors suspended above. This structure is connected to a larger structure that resembles a head-less, four-legged spider. Racks of speakers, shaped like a claw, hang on either side of the super-structure’s legs at the point in which they intersect with the assembly’s canopy. And of course, the audience completely surrounds the stage.

According to U2’s website, this is the first time a band has toured with this type of configuration. However, Def Leppard employed “in the round” in the late 1980s and the early 1990s. And Metallica has used a similar type staging for some of their arena shows.

The European part of the U2 360° Tour begins June 30th in Barcelona and wraps up August 22nd in Cardiff.

On September 12th, 2009 the American leg is schedule to start at Soldier Field in Chicago. That’s followed by dates in Tampa, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Phoenix.

Proponents of theater-in-the-round say the configuration gives the audience the best view possible and therefore the best show possible. Of course that’s what they tell you, but what they really like about theater-in-the-round is it saves money.

For a stage production, theater-in-the-round eliminates the need for a curtain and scenery. It also makes the theater bigger which means there are more seats to sell.

U2’s 360° design has nothing to do with actually being closer to their fans or their fans being closer to them. It has everything to do with creating more seats and generating more revenue.

It’s a win-win for everyone. Fans buying U2 East Rutherford tickets or U2 Toronto tickets have the opportunity to see the band like they’ve never seen them before. Meanwhile, the band has a lot more tickets sell to compensate for lower prices brought on by the down economy.

Regardless of the motivation, let’s just hope the theater-in-the-round is a great experience for U2 fans and not an exercise in, “When’s Bono going to turn around?”

2009-03-25T13:38:00.000-07:00

Incubus Hits the Road in 2009

Heavey rockers Incubus is celebrating the release of a new Greatest Hits album with a tour this year and will be playing at the Coachella Festival as well. Michael Roffman of Consequence of Sound website wrote this on 3/11/09:

Just in time for spring, California-rockers Incubus are back with a new greatest hits release. Titled Monuments & Melodies, the upcoming batch of hits will be honored in a two-disc package, with the first disc focusing on the singles and the second unleashing a few unreleased gems. Been there, done that? Hold on, there’s more. Wedged in the digital gift basket, the band has decided to throw in two new songs, as well.

That’s not the best part, however. In celebration of the release, Incubus will be taking on the road again. On the band’s online message board, Renman, the band’s manager, gave a brief description of the upcoming summer jaunt: “The tour is scheduled to start around the first week of July and continue thru the last week of August. Most of the dates will be in outdoor amphitheaters but the band will likely do a couple of other fun type dates along the way as well. The general public on sale date will likely be in the end of April or early May.”

Incubus will be playing at some fantastic venues on this tour If you want to rock out with Incubus and then do a little gambling in Connecticut, see Incubus at Mohegan Sun.

Another really cool venue to consider is seeing Incubus at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

Here are the cities in Texas you can expect to see Incubus this summer:

See Incubus' full concert tour schedule 2009

2009-02-11T20:29:00.000-08:00

Coldplay 2009 Tour

I had completely forgotten about the Grammy Awards until I turned on my television and saw Jennifer Hudson singing an inspirational song left over from American Idol.

Following her emotional performance, a band by the name of Blake OU812, or Blake Edwards, or Blake’s 7 (I’m not sure what they were called) came on stage and announced they were reuniting.

I immediately yawned.

After that, the band and their tattoos awarded the Grammy for best rock album to Coldplay. Then I remembered why I don’t watch the Grammy Awards.

I suppose if I really thought about it Coldplay is an actual rock band. But if I had Coldplay tickets I would be anticipating a mild night of pop not a wild night of rock and roll.

I doubt there will be a mosh pit when Coldplay performs in Charlotte. Nor would I expect to see fans banging their heads to “Clocks” when Coldplay plays a show in Mansfield, Massachusetts.

After all, this is a band fronted by a man who named his kid after a fruit.

Suffice to say, Coldplay doesn’t have the greatest reputation.

Only a few months ago, I heard ESPN personality Jim Rome lambaste America for making Coldplay the number one band in America for 2008.

Then there’s this old joke: Why do guys listen to Coldplay? They have girlfriends.
Had I continued to the watch the Grammy Awards, I would have seen Coldplay’s “Viva la Vida” win Song of the Year.

It’s quite ironic that Coldplay won Song of the Year (an award that goes to the composers) for a song they’ve been accused of stealing—not once but twice.

The first accusation of plagiarism came from indie band Creaky Boards. Lead singer Andrew Hoepfner went so far as to post a video on YouTube stating his case.

Hoepfner claimed Coldplay’s lead singer Chris Martin was at a Creaky Boards show in New York in October of 2007. It was at this show that Martin heard the song in question, the appropriately titled, “The Songs I Didn't Write.”

Coldplay refuted Hooepfner’s accusations and offered two pieces of evidence to back up their statement.

One, Martin was working at AIR Studios in London at the time he was supposed to be at the Creaky Boards show. And two, Coldplay recorded a demo version of "Viva la Vida" way back in March of 2007.

Perhaps the band realized the song’s similarities were coincidental or perhaps they received all the media attention they wanted, but Creaky Boards recanted their accusation.

"I'm not sure if there was any copying going on," Hoepfner said. "I think it's possible that Coldplay and I are just heavily influenced by 'The Legend of Zelda.’”

Surprisingly, Nintendo isn’t the next entity to accuse Coldplay of plagiarism. Legendary guitarist Joe Satriani claims “Viva la Vida” contains substantial parts of his 2004 song, "If I Could Fly."

Satriani’s suit was filed in December of 2008, but the band has since avoided being served. There was talk by Satriani’s lawyers that Coldplay would be served at the Grammy Awards, but apparently Kanye West’s process server license has expired.

Did Coldplay rip off “Viva la Vida?"

No.

“The Songs I Didn't Write” sounds very similar to “Viva”, especially the first line, and the same can be said for Satriani’s “If I Could Fly.” All three songs are reminiscent of the other two, but all three are distinct and separate compositions.

Whenever cases like this arrive, experts like to remind fans that western music contains only 12 notes and songs are bound to sound alike.

The experts may want to back off teaching musical theory and instead explain how a song that sounds like two others won a Grammy for songwriting?

And if Coldplay were the artists accusing the Creaky Boards and Satriani of plagiarism, the case would have gone to court yesterday.

Still, I would love to hear Coldplay at the Gorge in George, Washington or Coldplay in Mountain View, California at the Shoreline Amphitheatre perform “Viva la Vida." Hearing their version of the song outside and under the stars would be breathtaking.

2009-02-04T22:28:00.000-08:00

Taylor Swift is Fearless on Tour

Taylor Swift has an appropriate name since her rise to fame has been “swift.”

Swift’s already accomplished more at the age of 19 than most performers accomplish in a career.

According to Nielsen SoundScan, Swift was the biggest selling artist of 2008.

Her latest album, Fearless, debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart.

Swift was the most searched musical artist on MySpace in 2008.

Although no one watched, because no one watches baseball on television anymore, Swift sang the Star-Spangled Banner at game three of the 2008 World Series.

In January of 2009, Swift became the youngest country singer to be a musical guest on Saturday Night Live. Even though her performance was awful and irritating, the episode did give SNL their highest ratings in months.

In February and March, Swift will perform at several hootenannies and hoedowns, including the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, the Florida Strawberry Festival and the Houston Rodeo.

Then in April, Swift will embark on her first ever headlining tour.

The Fearless Tour 2009 will have the young star performing in over 50 cities in America and Canada. The tour begins April 23rd in Evansville, Indiana and is scheduled to end October 10th in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

In between, Swift will visit places like Calgary, Winnipeg, and Cheyenne.

"Headlining my own tour is a dream come true! This way I can play more music every night than I ever have before," Swift wrote in her diary with a purple ink pen while dotting all of her “i’s” with hearts.

"Having written my own songs, they are all stories in my head, and my goal for this tour is to bring those stories to life."

If two hours of Swift singing on stage isn’t enough of a draw, American Idol alumni, Kellie Pickler, will be the tour’s opening act.

Prices for Swift’s shows are expected to start around $20. That’s how much you have to pay for Taylor Swift Tickets, not how much they’ll pay you to take Taylor Swift Tickets.

“I want to be sure that everyone has the opportunity to come see my show, so we have affordable tickets available for every date we do this year," Swift told the yearbook staff.

Her tour will feature a fairy tale castle decorated with millions of small lights and multiple costume changes.

Swift designed the stage and all the graphics that will be used in the show.

“My favorite thing when I go to a concert is having lots of changing things to look at, so I've been working really hard to make this show as multi-dimensional as possible,” said Swift from her usual table in the mall’s food court.

What is behind Swift’s immense popularity?

Is it her talent? After all she plays the piano and five different guitars (a black guitar, a pink guitar, a red guitar, a purple guitar, and a plaid guitar).

Is it her song writing capabilities? The New York Times described her as "one of pop's finest songwriters, country’s foremost pragmatist and more in touch with her inner life than most adults." And as well all know the New York Times never gets anything wrong.

Or is it something else?

Certainly Swift’s music affects people and certainly she connects with her audience. Swift does bring energy to the stage and she does have a unique songwriting perspective.

Her meteoric rise to stardom and her crossover from country celebrity to pop princess is impressive. However, she has one very important trait that can’t be overlooked. That trait is her good looks.

Swift is drop-dead gorgeous. Not only that, but she’s young. Swift is so young, she cites LeAnn Rimes as an influence.

Swift is a 19 year-old woman that looks like a 14 year-old girl. That combination equals fame and fortune in the U.S.A.

There is no way Taylor Swift would be touring and playing in place like Los Angeles and Las Vegas if she looked like Lawrence Taylor or Jonathan Swift.

While Swift’s talents have enabled her to maximize the opportunities her looks have given her, there’s still no denying that most people who listen to her, would rather have the sound turned off.

Taylor Swift will also being touring with Kellie Pickler of American Idol fame. Here are some more of the shows they'll be doing together:

2009-02-04T05:30:00.000-08:00

The Flight of the Conchords Are All Cleared for Take Off in '09

The dynamic duo are going to be flying high in 2009. Air traffic control has given the green light, the flight attendants have gone through their routine. My seat belt is secure, I know where all the exits are and my seat is in the upright position.

We are ready for for take off. Let us join The Flight of the Conchords.

These two guitar-strumming funnymen are taking their HBO show on the road and performing live in concert in venues throughout America.

Here's the 2009 tour schedule for the two New Zealanders Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement:

The tour is intended to match the release of the Conchords newest album, which will be distributed by their label, Sub Pop.

* 4/6/09 - Tampa, FL: Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center (with Kristen Schaal)
* 4/7/09 - Coral Gables, FL: University of Miami BankUnited Center (with Kristen Schaal)
* 4/8/09 - Orlando, FL: UCF Arena (with Kristen Schaal)
* 4/10/09 - Nashville, TN: Ryman Auditorium (with Kristen Schaal)
* 4/11/09 - FOTC Atlanta, GA: Fox Theatre (with Kristen Schaal)
* 4/13/09 - Washington, D.C.: Constitution Hall (with Kristen Schaal)
* 4/14/09 - New York, NY: Radio City Music Hall (with Kristen Schaal)
* 4/17/09 - FOTC Boston, MA: Agganis Arena (with Kristen Schaal)
* 4/18/09 - Philadelphia, PA: Tower Theatre (with Kristen Schaal)
* 4/19/09 - Kent, OH: Kent State University (with Kristen Schaal)
* 4/21/09, 4/22/09 - FOTC Toronto, ON: Massey Hall (with Eugene Mirman)
* 4/24/09 - Detroit, MI: Fox Theatre (with Eugene Mirman)
* 4/25/09 - Bloomington, IN: IU Auditorium (with Eugene Mirman)
* 4/26/09 - Madison, WI: Overture Center for the Arts (with Eugene Mirman)
* 4/28/09 - Chicago, IL: Aerie Crown (with Eugene Mirman)
* 4/30/09 - St. Louis, MO: Fox Theatre (with Eugene Mirman)
* 5/2/09 - FOTC Milwaukee, WI: Riverside Theatre (with Eugene Mirman)
* 5/3/09 - Minneapolis, MN: Northrop Auditorium (with Eugene Mirman)
* 5/5/09 - Dallas, TX: Nokia Theatre (with Eugene Mirman)
* 5/6/09 - Houston, TX: Jones Hall (with Eugene Mirman)
* 5/7/09 - Austin, TX: Bass Concert Hall (with Eugene Mirman)
* 5/10/09 - FOTC Vancouver, BC: Center in Vancouver for the Performing Arts (with Arj Barker)
* 5/11/09, 5/12/09- FOTC Seattle, WA: Paramount Theatre (with Arj Barker)
* 5/14/09 - Portland, OR: Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall (with Arj Barker)
* 5/16/09 - Denver, CO: FOTC Red Rocks Amphitheatre (with Iron& wine and Arj Barker)
* 5/17/09 - Salt Lake City, UT: Abravanel Hall (with Arj Barker)
* 5/19/09 - Phoenix, AZ: Dodge Theatre (with Arj Barker)
* 5/20/09 - San Diego, CA: RIMAC Arena (with Arj Barker)
* 5/22/09 - Santa Barbara, CA: County Bowl (with Arj Barker)
* 5/23/09 - FOTC Las Vegas, NV: The Joint (with Arj Barker)
* 5/24/09 - FOTC Los Angeles, CA: Greek Theatre (with Arj Barker)
* 5/25/09 - Berkeley, CA: Berkeley Community Theatre (with Arj Barker)

Ed Condran reviewed the Conchord's during their 2008 tour, writing for the Seattle Times before "The Flight of the Conchords Land at Sasquatch" that, "the shows have been standing-room only.... It's not difficult to understand why FOTC tickets are a tough get. Their HBO show is consistently funny and entertaining. Clement and McKenzie possess an undeniable chemistry just like bandmates in a straight act."

There's always something really cool about being at a live show where the act is at the same time funny and musical. Of course this can sometimes go horribly wrong. But if done properly, the show can be rockin'. I think the Conchords do it right.

So to continue with my lame commercial flying metaphor, be sure to pay for checking your second bag in, pay for your headphones, pay for your bag of peanuts, buy a nip bottle of whiskey or something and mix it with your Coke, put your seat back and listen to the illustrious Flight of the Conchords.

2009-01-28T22:30:00.000-08:00

Jimmy Buffett is My Nemesis

Generally, only super heroes have a nemesis.

However, despite my lack of super powers, I have a nemesis. His name is Jimmy Buffet.

Suffice to say, I won’t be hanging out with the Parrotheads during Buffet’s 2009 Summezcool Tour. I won’t be attending Buffett's concert at Waikiki Shell in Honolulu, Hawaii or his concert at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Buffet has become my nemesis not because he thwarted my plan at world domination, but because he stands for everything I despise.

Buffet is the spokesperson for the “island lifestyle.” He sings about lounging around in the sun, drinking colorful tropical cocktails, smoking illegal substances, recreating in water crafts and overall enjoying yourself. He probably goes barefoot a lot too.

Meanwhile, my perfect weather day is 50 degrees and cloudy. I’m always sober. I hate the water. Fun is counterproductive and I need shoes on my feet at all times.

If Buffet and his easy going ways weren’t enough to make him my archenemy just check out the so called “Big Eight,” songs played at every Jimmy Buffet concert:

1. “Margaritaville"
2. "Come Monday"
3. "Fins"
4. "Volcano"
5. "A Pirate Looks At Forty"
6. "Cheeseburger in Paradise"
7. "Why Don't We Get Drunk (And Screw)"
8. "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes"

You may see a list of eight classic party songs, but I see eight cringe-worthy dirges. The only thing worse than wasting a day on the beach under the sun is hearing someone sing about wasting a day on the beach under the sun.

Just read these revolting lyrics from “Boat Drinks:”

I should be leaving this climate
I got a verse but can't rhyme it
I gotta go where it's warm

I don’t understand why the temperature should matter. If you’re cold just work harder.

If Buffet stopped right there he’d still be my rival, but he continued to record more of this so called “vacation music.” Here is a sentiment I can’t even imagine following. The lyrics are from “It’s Five O’clock Somewhere:”

Pour me something tall and strong.
Make it a hurricane, before I go insane.
It's only half past twelve. But I don't care,
it's five o'clock somewhere.

Actually that’s not true. I’ve written Mr. Buffet several times to tell him the world’s divided into time zones by the hour, so it’s only five o’clock somewhere in the world at the top of the hour. Mr. Buffett has not replied.

His upcoming tour is called “Summezcool.” Summer isn’t cool! It’s hot and sweaty, making it hard to get things done.

His past tours had similar unappealing names: 1978’s Cheeseburger in Paradise Tour, 1997’s Havana Daydreamin' Tour, 1998’s Don't Stop the Carnival Tour; and worst of them all, 2006’s Party At The End Of The World Tour.

Even reading about these tours makes me want to put on a tie and sit in traffic.

I’m sure my point of view is hard to understand. And I fully expect Parrotheads at Jimmy's upcoming concerts in Raleigh, North Carolina and Clarkston, Michigan to disagree with my outlook (I also expect them to ask me for munchies)

That’s okay, enjoying grey skies and working long hours is its own reward.

However, I must make a confession (just please don’t tell Mr. Buffett). Whenever it’s on the radio or whenever it plays in ITunes, I sing along to “Margaritaville.”

Wasted away again in Margaritaville
Searchin' for my lost shaker of salt.
Some people claim that there's a woman to blame,
But I know, it's my own damn fault.

Jimmy Buffett maybe my nemesis, but even I have to admit “Margaritaville” is a very catchy tune.

Maybe I’m a little bit of a Parrothead after all.

2009-01-16T19:56:00.000-08:00

Brooks & Dunn and Big & Rich

Brooks & Dunn and Big & Rich are two country artists that seemingly have nothing in common other than their musical genre and their ampersands.

Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn debuted as a duo in 1991. Since then, they have put forty singles on the country music charts and half have reached number one. With the exception of 2000, Brooks & Dunn have won the Country Music Association Vocal Duo of the Year award every year between 1992 and 2006.

Big Kenny (Kenny Alaphin) was lead singer of a group called luvjOi. John Rich was former vocalist and bass guitarist of Lonestar. The two first started performing together in 1998 but didn’t release their first album until 2004.

Brooks & Dunn are your traditional country music artist. While they have allowed other influences to creep into their music (rock, pop and gospel) they’ve always stayed true to their country roots.

Their signature song is “Boot Scootin' Boogie.”

Meanwhile, Big & Rich’s music spans from Honky Tonk to Hip-Hop. They have recorded with such diverse artists as John Legend, Wyclef Jean and Bon Jovi. They’ve also covered such non-country tunes (both musically and in sensibilities) as Madonna’s “Like a Virgin,” The Beastie Boys “Fight For Your Right To Party” and John Lennon’s “Nobody Told Me.”

Their signature song is “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)."

Why the comparison? Both acts are out on the road in 2009.

Brooks & Dunn are on a tour which is apparently restricted to casinos: Coushatta Casino Resort in Kinder, Louisiana; Winstar Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma; and San Manuel Indian Bingo & Casino in Highland, California.

Meanwhile, Big & Rich will visit the Table Mountain Casino in Friant, California; Star Of The Desert Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada; and Sandia Casino Amphitheater in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Which act do you see?

While you may assume that if your bedtime is before 9pm and you still read the newspaper, you should buy Brooks & Dunn tickets.

You may also assume that if your main source of communication is texting and you can name the entire cast of “The Hills” you should probably buy Big & Rich tickets.

But hold on cowboy…

Brooks & Dunn are notorious for their high energy live shows replete with state-of-the-art production values.

In 2006, the duo opened for the Rolling Stones for their Omaha, Nebraska show.

Brooks & Dunn has also toured with younger acts like Montgomery Gentry, Gretchen Wilson, Keith Urban and Sara Evans.

Some Upcoming Brooks and Dunn Concerts:

Brooks & Dunn Coachella Tickets

Brooks & Dunn Highland Tickets

Brooks & Dunn Indio Tickets

Brooks & Dunn Kingston Tickets

Brooks & Dunn Las Vegas Tickets

Meanwhile, Big & Rich aren’t the rebellious punks they appear to be. They’ve toured with country music stalwarts Martina McBride and Tim McGraw and recorded with Hank Williams Jr.

Also, their single "8th of November," a patriotic song about heroes of the Vietnam War, was nominated for the 2006 CMA Song Of The Year Award.

And let’s not forget that Brooks & Dunn and Big & Rich toured together!

In 2005, Brooks & Dunn and Big & Rich (along with the Warren Brothers) played 32 dates on the Deuces Wild tour.

So who should you go see, Brooks & Dunn or Big & Rich? The answer is easy, you should see them both.

2009-01-15T09:11:00.000-08:00

Wicked the Musical National Tour 2009

When you hear the word "wicked" do you think of The Wicked Witch of the West? Or do you think about Boston, MA sports fans yelling out that their team is "wicked good"?

If you thought of The Wicked Witch of the West then you're probably very familiar the classic family movie The Wizard of Oz, which has the Wicked Witch and the Good Witch as central characters.

The Wizard of Oz was groundbreaking in a number of important ways. But one the most interesting facts about this movie is that it was the first movie to appear in color ever! If you remember, the whole movie is in black and white while Dorothy is is Kansas. But when she awakens in the Land of Oz, everything turns to color. Remember the yellow brick road? When everything turned to color marked the very first time in cinema.

If The Wizard of Oz resonated with you, like it has for so many people of all ages, then chances are the new musical Wicked will move you as well.

The best part of this is that Wicked has been so popular that it's not exclusively showing on Broadway in New York City.

Wicked launched its first North American tour in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in March 2005. Since then it has visited numerous cities throughout North America. The original touring cast included Kendra Kassebaum as Glinda, Stephanie J. Block as Elphaba, Derrick Williams as Fiyero, Jenna Leigh Green as Nessarose and David Garrison as the Wizard.

The tour was a huge success so another one was planned. This second tour of the United States and Canada is scheduled to begin on March 7, 2009 at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall in Fort Myers, FL.

This tour will play until March 29 at the Florida venue, before traveling to Birmingham, Jacksonville, Norfolk, Indianapolis in June '09, Salt Lake City, Phoenix and Memphis.

The the production will be heading out to the West Coast. For instance, Wicked will be in Portland, OR starting March 4th and Wicked is in Seattle starting in September '09.

And Wicked is in San Francisco this month. An open-ended engagement is scheduled to begin on January 27, 2009 at the Orpheum Theatre.

And two cities in the great state of Texas will be hosting Wicked in 2009 as well: Wicked in San Antonio in June and Wicked in Austin, TX in August.

Additional cities and casting will be announced later.

In a statement Wicked producer Marc Platt said, "Theatregoers across North America have embraced Wicked, creating an overwhelming demand for Wicked tickets and a wildly successful 1^st North American tour. The upcoming launch of this second touring company will allow us to bring Wicked to markets which we have not yet been able to visit, as well as return to cities which have been asking for a second (or third) engagement".

Keep in mind that regardless of the city in which the Wicked production is showing, or regardless of the particular production, you can be confident that it's being held to the same high standards as the original New York City production.

The actors are all high-caliber, experienced and talented. The stage, lighting and music in each and every Wicked production are also top-notch.

If Wicked is scheduled to be in your city some time in 2009, I highly recommend you buy your Wicked tickets online and see this classic musical. You'll be talking about it for years to come.

2009-01-11T09:17:00.000-08:00

Phish Are Back in 2009!

The band Phish is set to tour this spring again after a long break that lasted 6 years. I am a huge Phish fan and cannot wait to see them live. I'll either catch Phish in Boston or Phish at Jones Beach in New York. Actually, the concerts in Boston are in Mansfield at what used to be called the Tweeter Center but is now the Comcast Center.

Wherever I see them I am going to be sure to have some good Phish tickets in hand when they go on sale.

I remember my first Phish show. It was at the Sommerville Theater in Sommerville, MA which is just outside of Boston. Trey and Mike bounced on trampolines as they played guitar and bass respectively. They would rotate at the exact same time on the on or off beats and played simultaneously. It was awesome.

You can expect to see Phish at the Ashville Civic Center in North Carolina, as well as in St. Louis, and Phish will be at the Post Gazette Pavilion At Star Lake in Burgettstown.
They'll be ending their tour at the Alpine Valley Music Theater in East Troy, WI.

These shows are all going to be great, I can just tell. The guys in Phish will all be rested and excited to be jamming on stage once again.

2009-01-05T16:32:00.000-08:00

Billy Joel and Elton John

Two of the most beloved pop rock stars in recent American history are pairing up once again and touring this year. Whenever these two get together, the music that's created is awesome and their previous concert tours have been both groundbreaking and hugely popular.

Of course Billy Joel and Elton John, a.k.a. The Piano Man and the Rockman respectively, are very different people and have written very different types of music. But one of the things that binds them is their talent and their skills at creating and then signing pop hits.

Here are the cities Elton and Billy will be visiting on their '09 tour:

There may be more cities on the Elton John and Billy Joel 2009 tour, so stay tuned.

2009-01-05T14:32:00.000-08:00

The Dead Tour 2009

The Dead are touring in 2009. Unfortunately, Jerry won't be with them.

The last full lineup in 1995 was the following:

Jerry Garcia – lead guitar, vocals
Bob Weir – rhythm guitar, vocals
Vince Welnick – keyboards, vocals
Phil Lesh – bass, vocals
Bill Kreutzmann – drums, percussion
Mickey Hart – drums, percussion

Jerry Garcia died in 1995, thus ending the incredible run the Dead had. I've been to a few Dead concerts back in the early 90's and they were unforgettable experiences.

But now the remaining members of the Grateful Dead are reuniting and touring again in 2009. bassist Phil Lesh, drummers Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann and guitarist Bob Weir are going on the road together again.

The Allmanss and Gov't Mule's Warren Haynes will replace Jerry Garcia, who of course is unreplaceable, which I know is not an actual word.

I miss Jerry Garcia.

Here are the cities on The Dead 2009 Tour Schedule so far:

Although there is no replacing Jerry Garcia, both in vocals or in lead guitar, these shows ought to be very special and there is no doubt that The Dead is still full of irreplaceable talent.

2008-12-26T14:19:00.000-08:00

Jerry Seinfeld

For Seinfeld fans, it’s hard to go a day without being inspired to quote a line from his television show.

“No soup for you!”

“These pretzels are making me thirsty”

“Yada Yada Yada”

“Not that there's anything wrong with that”

For Seinfeld fans, it’s hard to go a day without being reminded of some event from his television show.

“Festivus.”

The "re-gifter."

“Shrinkage.”

The “sidler."

"Man hands.”

Seinfeld is a huge part of our culture. But before defining life for middle class, white Americans, the show's namesake, Jerry Seinfeld, was selling tickets to his stand-up act.

Seinfeld started his career as a stand-up comedian in 1976 when he tried out for open mic night at Catch A Rising Star in New York City. Soon after, he won an appearance on a Rodney Dangerfield HBO special.

Seinfeld’s big break came in May of 1981 when he appeared on the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. His appearance was a success and he soon became a regular on the Tonight Show, as well as Late Night with David Letterman and The Merv Griffin Show.

Comedy Central ranked Seinfeld 12^th on a list of the 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time.

Seinfeld is known as a tireless worker and artist extremely dedicated to his craft. This distinction is strengthened by his post Seinfeld career. Instead of pursuing a film career, like so many other comedians have done, Seinfeld returned to his roots of stand-up comedy.

It is common to find the name of one of television’s all-time biggest stars on the marquee of comedy clubs: Seinfeld at Caroline's on Broadway or Seinfeld at Foxwoods.

In 1998, Seinfeld recorded a comedy special called I'm Telling You for the Last Time. The special was later released as an album (which was later nominated for a Grammy Award).

What’s remarkable about Seinfeld’s stand-up act is how different the experience is from seeing him perform on stage to just hearing him perform on stage.

To see Seinfeld on stage is like watching a master at work. He’s at one with his material, his audience and his medium.

To only hear Seinfeld’s act, you’re immediately skeptical—no one can be that calm, that smooth and that precise. Not a word is wasted. Listening to Seinfeld, you’re constantly wondering if he’s reading from a script and splicing together multiple takes.

So does buying a ticket to see Jerry Seinfeld perform live at Atlantic City mean you’re guaranteed to see a flawed show?

Of course not!

What it means is when you see Seinfeld perform live you won’t be distracted by his perfection because you’ll be too busy laughing.

2008-12-23T05:27:00.000-08:00

Britney Spears’ Latest Come Back

Pop music has never been the same since Britney Spears and the debut of her first studio album “…Baby One More Time” in 1999. Not only did the title track of the album chart as number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The album also achieved the number one position on the Billboard 200 albums for that year.

Since then Britney Jean Spears has been seen to experience a meteoric rise in the world of American pop music. She has collaborated with some of the most famous stars from the American music industry including Madonna, Fred Durst, Justin Timberlake. Christina Aguilera and T.I.

A native of Louisiana, Spears first appeared on television as one of the participants in the show Star Search. After that, she starred in The New Mickey Mouse Club for two years until 1994. However, after signing a deal with Jive Records, there was no turning back for this teen star. She released four studio albums between 1999 until 2003:

…Baby One More Time
Oops!… I Did It Again
Britney
In the Zone

In 2004, Britney Spears married back up dancer Kevin Federline after annulling her 55-hour impromptu wedding with her childhood buddy Jason Allan Alexander, at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Vegas. The marriage to Federline lasted for two years after which divorce ensued. Along with the divorce proceedings, Spears landed herself in the middle of a messy public custody battle for her two children (Sean Preston and Jayden James).

Since her marriage to Federalize Spears has been under the media’s attention for all the wrong reasons. First, she was criticized for her impulsive wedding with Jason Alexander. And then her marriage to Federline has been reported on constantly. After it ended in 2004, during the custody battle, Spears was caught behaving very irresponsibly with regard to her children more than once by the paparazzi.

In the meantime, her music career suffered a tumultuous fall from her much-publicized rise to zenith.

Finally, in 2007 Britney came out with her fifth studio album Blackout. The first single “Gimme More” climbed the third position on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Although the album did not break all records like her first one, it did receive above average ratings from all over.

After her marriage was over with Federline, Spears started acting out in public. She began attending parties regularly, giving rise to rumors of her alcohol addiction. She continued to be seen in shabby outfits, giving ample proof of having weight problems. The final straw came when she suddenly walked into a parlor and shaved off her hair on her own. Things seemed to have reached their limits and Spears was admitted into a rehabilitation center.

In 2008, Britney Spears released her sixth studio album titled “Circus”. Its first single “Womanizer” reached its number one position on the Billboard Hot 100; first time since her first single “…Baby One More Time”.

Spears has finally decided to pick up the pieces of her over-publicized star status by working out regularly to get back in shape and also star in quite a few television sitcoms. Included in the latter are How I Met Your Mother and the British talent contest The X Factor. Both shows recorded staggering TRPs during the episodes showcasing Spears.

Although many of her critics had written her off as a hopeless case, Spears has managed to salvage her position and proved them wrong. At the same time, there have been millions of fans all over the world who have supported Britney Spears through her troubled times. When she came back with her later albums in 2007 (Blackout) and 2008 (Circus), they were proven right in their faith in this superstar.

Spears has an elaborate tour scheduled in 2009. It starts of in New Orleans on March 13, 2009. Other locations included in this tour are Boston, Pittsburgh, Miami, Dallas, Los Angeles, Toronto, Mohegan Sun, Vancouver, Montreal, Las Vegas and finally ends in Chicago on April 28, 2009. She also has plans of touring Paris and London later that year in June.

The tour has been named The Circus Starring: Britney Spears. The Pussycat Dolls will be opening the tour with their performance. This tour is Spears’ sixth tour and her first since the incomplete Onyx Hotel Tour in 2004.

Spears has several titles to her name with the Guinness Book of World Records including the most searched individual on the Internet, beating Obama in 2007! She has also opened the MTV Music Awards three times so far.

2008-12-18T13:09:00.000-08:00

The Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

The Boston Celtics have started the defense of their championship crown with a 24-2 record. The Celtics are 14-1 at TD Banknorth Garden and impressive 10-1 on the road.

Despite losing super-sub James Posey to the New Orleans Hornets and veteran power forward P.J. Brown to retirement, the Celtics actually have an improved team thanks to point guard Rajon Rondo and center Kendrick Perkins stepping up their games.

Of course the Big Three, Kevin Garnett, Paul Peirce and Ray Allen, have played brilliantly this season, but Rondo is a legitimate all-star candidate and Perkins is having the best year of his career.

Even though the NBA season is a marathon and far from over, the Celtics already have an insurmountable lead in the Atlantic Division. Suffice to say, Boston Celtics can already start selling tickets to the post-season.

Some upcoming games that could be very interesting include Boston taking on the Cleveland Cavilers, Boston matching up against the Detroit Pistons and Boston hosting the Houston Rockets.

The next best team in the Atlantic division is the New Jersey Nets. Currently hovering around .500, the Nets are fueled by superstar-in-waiting Devin Harris. The fifth overall pick from Wisconsin is averaging nearly 24 points a game and six assists.

Meanwhile, former “Vin-sanity” star, veteran Vince Carter, is playing inspire hoops (22 points and five boards a game). Coach Lawrence Frank has lots of young talent on his squad and they should make the playoffs as a seventh or eighth seed.

The Philadelphia 76’ers acquired Elton Brand in the off-season but fired coach Maurice Cheeks just 23 games into the regular season.

Replacement Tony DiLeo has gone on recorded as saying his two main priorities are defense and running the fast break on offense.

While the jury is still out on DiLeo’s philosophy, the early results are promising. In his first game as coach, the Sixers easily defeated the Washington Wizards and Brand scored a season-high 27 points.

However, Brand is the key to Philly’s success. If Dileo can find a way to consistently incorporate Brand into the mix (something Cheeks couldn’t do) the 76’ers will return to the post season.

Of course, integrating Brand will now take even longer since the power forward is out with a dislocated shoulder.

With the amount of attention the New York Knicks have received this season you’d think the Knicks would be challenging the Celtics for the division lead. Actually, the Knicks are well below five hundred.

Head coach Mike D’Antoni has done the impossible: he’s made the Knicks relevant again. Forget the Stephon Marbury drama, the Knicks have some ballers. Al Harrington is a great fit, Chris Duhon is a candidate for Most Improved Player and Nate Robinson is a spark coming off the bench.

Like the 76’ers, the Toronto Raptors also made an early season coaching change. After an 8-9 start, the 2006-07 NBA Coach of Year Sam Mitchell was sacked and Jay Triano was inserted as boss.

Triano has the unenviable task of dealing with Toronto’s lack of athleticism at the wing spots, guards that can’t defend, and the league’s second worst rebounding team.

A squad with Chris Bosh, Jermaine O'Neal, and Jose Calderon should not be this bad. But they are and the playoffs look doubtful.

Central Division

It’s a travesty that one of the biggest stories of the young NBA season is speculation that Lebron James will leave the “Mistake-By-The-Lake” for New York City after becoming a free agent in 2010.

What isn’t a travesty is the Cleveland Cavilers’ season.

One of the main reasons the Cavs are leading the Central Division at 21-4, is the addition of Mo Williams. With Williams, James is finally playing with another offensive threat that opposing teams must guard.

The bad news for the Cavs is they’ve played every bad team the NBA has to offer. Granted, if you can’t beat the bad teams, you probably can’t beat the good teams either.

When the Cavs do finally get tested, look for their Achilles’ heel—their bench—to rear its ugly head.

The Detroit Pistons sent shockwaves through the league when they traded Chauncey Billups to the Denver Nuggets for Allen Iverson. With Iverson and his shot-jacking tendencies, the Pistons have radically altered their offense.

Give this veteran squad sometime to gel and they will be one of the East’s best teams along with the Celtics and the Cavs.

The Chicago Bulls have a shot to grab the East’s last playoff spot, but who really cares. Right now they are just fodder for a Celtic first round sweep.

Why then should you pay attention to the Bulls? The answer is Derrick Rose.

You’ve probably already seen his eye-popping crossover he made on the 76er’s Andre Miller—ESPN practically had the clip on a loop.

Rose, the first overall selection in last year’s draft, has already put together an impressive and lengthy highlight reel.

The de facto Rookie of the Year, plays a team-high 38.7 minutes, is second on his team in scoring (18.2 points) and dishes out 6.3 assists. Amongst rookies, Rose is second to O.J. Mayo in scoring.
Rose also became the first Bulls rookie to score 10 points or more in his first 10 games since Michael Jordan in 1984. Rose is already being mentioned in the same sentence with his “Airness?” Yes, the rookie is that good.

I dare you to name two Milwaukie Bucks players. That’s what I thought you can’t do it. Just for the record, Michael Redd leads the Bucks in scoring with 20 points a game and Andrew Bogut leads the team in rebounding with 10 boards a game.

Richard Jefferson is also on the roster. The former Net is averaging 18.4 points a game and pull down five boards.

Head coach Scott Skiles has the Bucks playing hard, but his team’s inability to finish has them off to an 11-16 start.

Also Milwaukie is in Wisconsin and that’s about all you need to know for NBA’s most forgotten franchise.

The Indiana Pacers’ claim to fame this season is they are one of two teams to have defeated the Boston Celtics. While that was a big win, Pacers have found it difficult to accrue any more.

Of course part of the blame can be placed on their schedule. Of the Pacers' first 24 opponents, only six would not be in the playoffs if the postseason were to start today. By the way, Toronto, Philadelphia and Dallas are included in those six. If that wasn’t enough, the Pacers have already played 14 road games.

You can also blame the Pacers’ defense for their status as Central Division bottom dwellers. On average, Indiana is allowing a whopping 104 points a game.

Southeast Division

The Southeast leading Orlando Magic are more than just a one player team. Granted that one player, the NBA's leader in All-Star voting, Dwight Howard, is wickedly good. The all-pro center is averaging 21 points and 14 boards a game.

Joining him in the starting line-up is Rashard Lewis and his 19 points and six boards a game.

Hedo Turkoglu can play big in big games. Already this season, Turk sank a game winning three pointer to lift the Magic pass the Portland Trailblazers.

Jameer Nelson is shooting over 38% from beyond the arch and Mickael Pietrus, when healthy, is averaging 12.9 points a contest.

What all those numbers mean is all five Magic starters are in double figures. However, the offensive production drops from there as the Magic’s bench is the team’s one big weakness.

As bad as their bench is, the Magic still should be able to hold off the Atlanta Hawks and win the division.

The Hawks maybe the sexiest team in the Eastern Conference. The dirty birds are young, long, and athletic. If that wasn’t enough, they play defense too.

Joe Johnson is the team’s franchise player averaging 23 points a game along with five assists. Mike Bibby provides veteran leadership and facilitates the offensive. Al Horford leads his team in rebounding, pulling down eight boards a night.

While this team may be a year or two away from seriously contending, the Atlanta Hawks, whether they’re playing at Philips Arena or on the road, will be very entertaining.

Atlanta versus the Chicago Bulls should be pure excitement. Another intriguing match-up is the Hawks battling the Detroit Pistons. And look for the scoreboard to start smoking when the Hawks host the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Miami Heat selected Michael Beasley second overall in the 2008 NBA draft. The rookie is the team’s second leading scorer, averaging half as many points as Dwayne Wade. However, the 6’9” forward is pulling down just as many boards as 6’4” guard.

Therein lies the Heat problem, they rely on D-Wade way too much. The gold-medal winning Olympian is averaging 28 points per game, and leads the Heat in assists, steals, and blocks. Wade also leads the team in heart and determination.

D-wade alone is good enough to keep the Heat hovering around .500 and that win-lose record will be good enough to get the Heat into the postseason.

Recently, the lowly Charlotte Bobcats traded Jason Richardson and Jared Dudley to the Phoenix Suns for Boris Diaw, Raja Bell, and Sean Singletary. Diaw played well in his first game as a Bobcat, but Bell, who the Bobcats would love to be their starting two-guard, did not.

Diaw helps the Bobcats down low, and Bell will be consistent (consistently average), but they will do little to lift the Bobcats out of obscurity—the team is already 10 games below .500.

The Bobcat’s brain trust of Larry Brown and Michael Jordan know this and they will try to make more roster moves. Rumors are already swirling that the Cats are looking to trade starting point guard Raymond Felton to the Golden State Warriors for either rookie Anthony Randolph or forward Brandan Wright.

The Cats can make this move thanks to the stellar play of rookie D.J. Augustin, the ninth overall pick of the 2008 NBA draft.

Cats leading scorer Gerald Wallace’s name is also being bandied about in trade rumors.

The Bobcats won’t be competing for anything this season, and with owners as bad as they have, the Cats might not be competitive for a while.

However, seeing the Charlotte Bobcats at the Time Warner Cable Arena will be interesting just for the mere opportunity to see who takes the floor.

Who will play for the B obcats against the Boston Celtics? Will Augustin start for the Bobcats when the Los Angeles Lakers come to town? Will Wallace still be on the team when the Bobcats host the New York Knicks?

Saving the worst for last, the Washington Wizard are not only the worst team in the Eastern Conference, they are also one of the worst teams in the entire NBA.

They also have the distinction of making an early season trade (Antonio Daniels to New Orleans for Mike James and Javaris Crittenton) and an early season coaching change (fired Eddie Jordan and hired Ed Tapscott).

Trades and coaching changes can’t make up for injuries. Agent zero, Gilbert Arenas is out with a bum knee and center Brendan Haywood has yet to play this season. Haywood is still recovering from surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right wrist.

With "Hibachi" out, Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison are the Wizards’ only scorers. Butler is averaging 21.4 points a game and Jamison is averaging 19.9. No other Wizard is scoring in the double-digits.

A date for Arenas’ return is still unknown, but the shooter may be back with the team sometime in January. Meanwhile, Haywood could miss the entire season.

Overview

The east is a three tier conference. The Celtics sit alone on the top tier. The C’s are not only the best team in east they are the best team in the NBA.

In the middle tier sits the Pistons, Cavs and Magic, teams that could, with some luck, threaten the defending champs.

In the bottom tier, is everyone else. In a conference that will probably send a team with a losing record to the playoffs, no club, at least this early, is out of the hunt.

Yet, with the Celtics playing so well, and with so much drive and determination, there may not be a hunt.

2008-12-11T03:28:00.000-08:00

Fleetwood Mac is an odd band.

At their zenith, the band was headlined by Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie, but the band’s appellation is taken from the surname of its drummer and founder, Mick Fleetwood, and its bassist, John McVie (who would later marry Christine).

Incidentally, the band was called Fleetwood Mac to entice John McVie’s participation. McVie did eventually join but only after Fleetwood Mac played its first gig.

Fleetwood Mac is one of the quintessential “California rock” bands of the 1970’s, but the group was formed in London in 1967. Most of its core members are British (Buckingham and Nicks are Americans).

Sure to be a hot ticket, Fleetwood Mac will begin a world tour in March of 2009 after more than 40 years as a band. However, most of us only care about a decade’s worth of their existence. A time period stretching from the mid 1970’s to the mid 1980’s.

Fleetwood Mac’s line-up has changed 14 times. However, most of us only care about the lineup comprised of Buckingham, Nicks, Mick Fleetwood and the McVie’s.

Fleetwood Mac has performed countless concerts from the Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh to Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul. These shows were used to promote their 17 studio albums. However, the only four Fleetwood Mac albums you really need in your IPod are their self titled released from 1975, Rumors, Tusk and Mirage.

In 1976, just prior to the release of Rumors, the members of Fleetwood Mac were breaking up. They weren’t breaking up the band, they were breaking up their romantic partnerships.

John and Christine McVie divorced, Buckingham and Nicks ended an affair which started before they joined the band and Mick Fleetwood was in the process of divorcing his wife.

Despite the incredibly complicated and complex relationships forged in the wake of their failed romances, the band was able to stay together and write and record one of the best selling albums of all-time, Rumors.

“Don’t Stop,” “You Make Loving Fun,” and “Go Your Own Way,” are just three of the great tracks from aforementioned masterpiece. The 11 pop-rock tunes that comprise Rumors still sound great live and whether you’re at the Garden in Boston or the Palace of Auburn Hills in Michigan, the songs still make you want to dance.

Although, in comparison to similar bands from that era (mainly the Eagles), Fleetwood Mac does seem a bit dated. Constantly changing your lineup and 40 years of releasing inconsistent studio albums takes a toll on your legacy.

While the Eagles, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt still possess a bit of relevancy, Fleetwood Mac is just music your parents use to listen to.

That’s because Fleetwood Mac had neither the energy to endure the ravages of time nor the good fortune (and sense) to quit while they were ahead. Instead, the band is stuck in the middle, teetering between being a relic and being a classic.

Despite starting slow and hanging on for too long, Fleetwood Mac has performed a bevy of well-written and catchy tunes. Those classic songs will definitely keep Fleetwood Mac around long enough for their sound to come back into style.

After all, like Fleetwood Mac once sang, you can never break the chain.

2008-12-03T07:43:00.000-08:00

What to Expect in the A.L. East in 2009

The American League East is arguably the toughest division in Major League Baseball. Red Sox Nation and the Yankee Empire, alone, are enough to earn that reputation, but now you can add the pennant winning Tampa Bay Rays to the A.L. East’s impressive resume.

If you’re still not convinced, after a mid-season managerial change, the Toronto Blue Jays finished 10 games above .500 to become the best 4th place team in the wildcard era. As for the Baltimore Orioles…well, someone had to finish last.

The Tamp Bay Rays are young and inexpensive—they have less than $50 million in 2009 commitments. They also have a farm system overflowing with talented prospects, giving the defending A.L. Champs plenty of options to fix weaknesses.

Their biggest weakness is hitting left-handed pitching (see the World Series). With Rocco Baldelli, Eric Hinske and Cliff Floyd testing the free agency waters, Tampa Bay will try to add a bat that can improve the league’s third-worst OPS against lefties.

Read the Entire Article About the A.L. East

2008-11-24T22:24:00.000-08:00

The Eagles have been around for so long they mean something different to several generations.

For some, the Eagles were the soundtrack of the 1970’s and one of the decade’s best live acts.

For others, the Eagles are known through Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975), the bestselling album of all-time in the U.S. and the fourth best selling worldwide.

Another generation knows the Eagles as the band that performed “Desperado,” the song that captivated Elaine’s boyfriend’s attention in the Seinfeld episode, "The Checks."

As for myself, the country-rock band from California has two diverse meanings.

The Eagles are legends of American rock music. They successfully fused country and rock music, wrote some of the greatest songs of all-time and were exceptional musicians—Eagles’ live shows have always been highly acclaimed.

However, the Eagles, along with other California musicians of the 1970’s—Jackson Browne, Fleetwood Mac, Poco—symbolized the safe and bloated corporate pop music that comprised rock and roll at the time.

With the major acts of the 1960’s either disbanded (the Beatles), dead (Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison) or struggling with drug addiction (The Rolling Stones), rock and roll drifted away from its revolutionary roots and became a mass-media marketing tool meant to sell albums and t-shirts. Instead of being destructive, Rock and Roll was constructive.

It was bands like the Eagles that inspired bands like the Sex Pistols and the Clash to pick up guitars and play as loud as they possibly could. Teens quickly grew tired of hearing well played chords and opted for the discord of untalented musicians and shouting front men with Mohawks and multi-colored hair.

While it may be a reach, I don’t think it’s preposterous to theorize that the Eagles helped inspire this new rebellious form of Rock and Roll called punk music.

Of course with the passage of time, politics fade. You can only listen to distortion and yelling for so long before it loses its vivaciousness. Good music stays, while fads fall to the wayside.

The Eagles have definitely stayed. They are Rock and Roll legends and their enduring music has transcended not only their own era but their genre as well.

Still, every time I hear the Eagles, whether it’s one of their seven studio albums or in concert, I can’t help to marvel at how good they are and how much they’ve influenced, whether positively or negatively, rock music.

Besides, the Eagles rock and how many bands can still say that?

2008-11-05T07:37:00.000-08:00

The Killers Concert Tour 2009

The Killers are going on tour across the world. From Europe to Canada and the U.S., The Killers are goin' muderin' again and this tour is supposed to be great. Look below to see if they plan on visiting your city.

The Killers Scheduled U.S. Tour Stops

Outside the U.S. Scheduled Concerts

2008-10-23T11:58:00.000-07:00

The Eagles Tour 2008

The Eagles are going on tour again this Fall and will be hitting cities across North America they have not visited in many years. See below for the cities and where to buy tickets.

Eagles Members

Glenn Frey
Don Henley
Joe Walsh
Timothy B. Schmit

The Eagles News from their official website

October 17, 2008 – CMA Performance
The Eagles will perform on "The 42nd Annual CMA Awards," which airs live from the Sommet Center in Nashville, Wednesday, Nov. 12 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on the ABC Television Network.

October 15, 2008 – American Music Award Nominations
The Eagles scored American Music Award nominations for: artist of the year, favorite band, duo or group -- pop or rock music, favorite artist -- adult contemporary music, and favorite album pop or rock music for "Long Road Out of Eden." Click here to vote!

Voting Ends 11/7 at 11:59pmPT

Winners will be announced at the American Music Awards on Sun. 11/23 on ABC at 8/7pm CT

September 25, 2008 – Houston Show Rescheduled
Eagles and Toyota Center are pleased to announce that the Eagles will return to Houston on Monday, December 1 for an 8:00 p.m. performance. This date is the make-up date from the September 11 performance that was postponed due to Hurricane Ike.
Customers who purchased tickets for the September 11 date may use their original tickets for admittance to the December 1 performance.

2008-10-08T05:59:00.000-07:00

Trans-Siberian Orchestra Tour and Information

Trans-Siberian Orchestra (often abbreviated as TSO) is a rock orchestra founded by Paul O'Neill, Robert Kinkel, and Jon Oliva in 1996. The band's musical style is often described in different terms, incorporating progressive rock, symphonic metal, and heavy metal, with influences from classical music. The group is based in New York City, but frequently tours worldwide, bringing their music to sometimes obscure areas.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra Tour Dates 2008/2009
11/01/2008 - Council Bluffs, IA (Mid-America Center)
11/01/2008 - Youngstown, OH (Chevrolet Centre)
11/02/2008 - Grand Forks, ND (Alerus Center)
11/02/2008 - Hershey, PA (Giant Center @ Hershey Park)
11/03/2008 - Winnipeg, MB (MTS Centre)
11/04/2008 - Saskatoon, SK (Credit Union Centre)
11/05/2008 - Calgary, AB (Pengrowth Saddledome)
11/05/2008 - Wilkes-Barre, PA (Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza)
11/06/2008 - Baltimore, MD (1st Mariner Arena)
11/07/2008 - Charleston, WV (Charleston Civic Center)
11/07/2008 - Vancouver, BC (GM Place)
11/08/2008 - Richmond, VA (Richmond Coliseum)
11/08/2008 - Seattle, WA (KeyArena at Seattle Center)
11/09/2008 - Columbia, SC (Colonial Center)
11/09/2008 - Portland, OR (Rose Garden)
11/10/2008 - Nampa, ID (Idaho Center)
11/12/2008 - Jacksonville, FL (Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena)
11/13/2008 - Salt Lake City, UT (The E Center)
11/13/2008 - Sunrise, FL (BankAtlantic Center)
11/14/2008 - Reno, NV (Reno Events Center)
11/14/2008 - Tampa, FL (St. Pete Times Forum)
11/15/2008 - Orlando, FL (UCF Arena)
11/15/2008 - Sacramento, CA (Arco Arena)
11/16/2008 - Atlanta, GA (Philips Arena)
11/16/2008 - San Jose, CA (HP Pavilion)
11/17/2008 - Tallahassee, FL (Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center)
11/19/2008 - Charleston, SC (North Charleston Coliseum)
11/19/2008 - Fresno, CA (Save Mart Center)
11/20/2008 - Charlotte, NC (Time Warner Cable Arena)
11/20/2008 - Las Vegas, NV (MGM Grand Garden Arena)
11/21/2008 - Anaheim, CA (The Theater at Honda Center)
11/21/2008 - Greensboro, NC (Greensboro Coliseum Complex)
11/22/2008 - Raleigh, NC (RBC Center)
11/22/2008 - San Diego, CA (San Diego Sports Arena)
11/23/2008 - Greenville, SC (Bi-Lo Center)
11/23/2008 - Phoenix, AZ (Glendale Arena)
11/25/2008 - El Paso, TX (Don Haskins Center)
11/26/2008 - Manchester, NH (Verizon Wireless Arena)
11/28/2008 - Atlantic City, NJ (Boardwalk Hall)
11/28/2008 - St. Louis, MO (Scottrade Center)
11/29/2008 - Kansas City, MO (Sprint Center)
11/29/2008 - Philadelphia, PA (Wachovia Center)
11/30/2008 - Hartford, CT (XL Center)
11/30/2008 - Oklahoma City, OK (Ford Center)
12/03/2008 - Denver, CO (Pepsi Center)
12/03/2008 - Montreal, QC (Bell Centre)
12/04/2008 - Colorado Springs, CO (World Arena)
12/04/2008 - Ottawa, ON (Scotiabank Place)
12/05/2008 - Hamilton, ON (Copps Coliseum)
12/05/2008 - Wichita, KS (Kansas Coliseum)
12/06/2008 - Buffalo, NY (HSBC Arena)
12/06/2008 - Des Moines, IA (Wells Fargo Arena)
12/07/2008 - Albany, NY (Times Union Center)
12/07/2008 - St. Paul, MN (Xcel Energy Center)
12/10/2008 - Green Bay, WI (Resch Center)
12/10/2008 - Providence, RI (Dunkin’ Donuts Center)
12/11/2008 - Madison, WI (Kohl Center Arena)
12/11/2008 - Worcester, MA (DCU Center)
12/12/2008 - Uniondale, NY (Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum)
12/12/2008 - Peoria, IL (Peoria Civic Center Arena)
12/13/2008 - East Rutherford, NJ (Izod Arena)
12/13/2008 - Moline, IL (i wireless Center)
12/14/2008 - Milwaukee, WI (Bradley Center)
12/14/2008 - Washington, DC (Verizon Center)
12/17/2008 - Jackson, MS (Mississippi Coliseum)
12/17/2008 - Pittsburgh, PA (Mellon Arena)
12/18/2008 - New Orleans, LA (New Orleans Arena)
12/19/2008 - Lexington, KY (Rupp Arena)
12/20/2008 - Birmingham, AL (BJCC Arena)
12/20/2008 - Columbus, OH (Nationwide Arena)
12/21/2008 - Detroit, MI (The Palace of Auburn Hills)
12/21/2008 - Nashville, TN (Sommet Center)
12/22/2008 - Indianapolis, IN (Conseco Fieldhouse)
12/22/2008 - Knoxville, TN (Thompson-Boling Arena)
12/23/2008 - Grand Rapids, MI (Van Andel Arena)
12/23/2008 - Memphis, TN (FedExForum)
12/26/2008 - Little rock, AR (Alltel Arena)
12/26/2008 - Toronto, ON (Air Canada Centre)
12/27/2008 - Bossier City, LA (CenturyTel Center)
12/27/2008 - Rochester, NY (Blue Cross Arena)
12/28/2008 - Houston, TX (Toyota Center)
12/28/2008 - Lansing, MI (Breslin Center)
12/29/2008 - Cleveland, OH (Quicken Loans Arena)
12/29/2008 - Tulsa, OK (BOK Center)
12/30/2008 - Cleveland, OH (Quicken Loans Arena)
12/30/2008 - Lubbock, TX (United Spirit Arena)
01/02/2009 - Cincinnati, OH (U.S. Bank Arena)
01/02/2009 - San Antonio, TX (AT&T Center)
01/03/2009 - Chicago, IL (Allstate Arena)
01/03/2009 - Dallas, TX (American Airlines Center)
01/04/2009 - Austin, TX (Frank Erwin Center)
01/04/2009 - Dayton, OH (Nutter Center)

Concert Review: Trans-Siberian Orchestra At Verizon Center, Washington, D.C., 12/16/07

Written by Nancy Dunham
Published December 23, 2007

Call it a feast for the senses, a near-religious experience, or a stunning display of creativity — those terms all describe holiday shows put on by Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

The problem is that none of those descriptions do justice to these three-hour multi-media shows that include some 60+ world-class musicians, dancers and singers, pyrotechnics, lasers, hydraulic stage lifts, and at least two stages. Even though the holidays are soon coming to a close, TSO is touring about two more weeks. Do yourself a favor and attend; you won't be able to contain your enthusiasm

That was certainly true when . . . read full TSO concert review

TSO Members

Composer

* Paul O'Neill - Composer, lyricist, producer
* Jon Oliva - Composer
* Robert Kinkel - Co-Producer, Keyboards, music director

Vocals

* Tommy Farese - Vocals
* Anthony Gaynor - Narrator/Vocals
* Alexa Goddard - Vocals
* Kristin Lewis Gorman - Vocals
* Heather Gunn - Vocals
* Erin Henry - Vocals
* Steena Hernandez - Vocals
* Jay Pierce - Vocals
* Patti Russo - Vocals
* Bart Shatto - Vocals
* Jennifer Cella - Vocals
* Steve Broderick - Vocals
* Danielle Landherr - Vocals
* Andrew Ross - Vocals
* Maxx (Max Mann) - Vocals
* Scout (Scout Ford) - Vocals
* Bryan Hicks - Narrator
* Peter Shaw - Vocals

Guitar

* Al Pitrelli - Lead guitar
* Chris Caffery - Guitar
* Alex Skolnick - Guitar
* Angus Clark - Guitar
* Jon Bivona - Guitar

Bass

* Johnny Lee Middleton - Bass
* Chris Altenhoff - Bass

Drums

* Jeff Plate - Drums
* John O. Reilly - Drums

Keyboards

* Mee Eun Kim - Keyboards
* Jane Mangini - Keyboards
* Derek Wieland - Keyboards
* Donald Rooney - Keyboards

Violin

* Mark Wood - Violin
* Anna Phoebe - Violin

2008-09-30T06:13:00.000-07:00

Four Fall Concert Tours are Big Names

Three big name acts are touring this season, and the music couldn't get any better than this. These concerts are all going be fantastic, and these artists couldn't be more divergent. Here they are and their tour dates.

Oasis on Tour 2008

Oasis embarked on their World tour this past August and is slowly making their way to the States. They're touring in support of their seventh album to date, Dig Out Your Soul. Ryan Adams will be with them for a number of shows. Oasis has been prolific, selling more than 50 million records worldwide, have had eight UK number-one singles and have collected 15 NME Awards, 5 Brit Awards and 9 Q awards. The Gallagher brothers are the band's leading songwriters and the only continual members. (Official Oasis website). See below for all their tour dates in 2008 and which shows will include Ryan Adams:

Oasis 2008 World Tour Dates:
08/27 - Vancouver, BC @ GM Place *
08/29 - Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place *
08/30 - Calgary, AB @ Pengrowth Saddledome *
09/01 - Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre *
09/04 - Ottawa, ON @ Scotiabank Place *
09/05 - Montreal, QE @ Bell Centre
09/07 - Toronto, ON @ Virgin Mobile Toronto
09/09 - London, ON @ John Labatt Centre
10/08 - Liverpool UK @ Echo Arena
10/09 - Liverpool, UK @ Echo Arena
10/10 - Sheffield, UK @ Arena
10/11 - Sheffield, UK @ Arena
10/13 - Birmingham, UK @ NIA
10/14 - Birmingham, UK @ NIA
10/16 - Oasis London, UK @ Webley Arena
10/17 - London, UK @ Webley Arena
10/20 - Bournemouth, UK @ BIC
10/21 - Bournemouth, UK @ BIC
10/23 - Cardiff, UK @ International Arena
10/24 - Cardiff, UK @ International Arena
10/29 - Belfast, UK @ Odyssey Arena
10/30 - Belfast, UK @ Odyssey Arena
11/01 - Aberdeen, UK @ Exhibition Centre
11/02 - Aberdeen, UK @ Exhibition Centre
11/04 - Glasgow, UK @ SECC
11/05 - Glasgow, UK @ SECC
11/26 - Mexico City, MX @ Sports Palace
11/28 - Guadalajara, MX @ VFG Arena
11/29 - Monterrey, MX @ Arena Monterrey

12/3, Oasis Oakland, CA (Oracle Arena) *
12/4, Oasis Los Angeles, CA (Staples Center) *
12/6, Oasis Las Vegas, NV (The Pearl) *
12/8, Denver, CO (Broomfield Events Center) *
12/10, Oasis Minneapolis, MN (Target Center) *
12/12, Chicago, IL (Allstate Arena) *
12/13, Detroit, MI (Palace of Auburn Hills) *
12/15, London, Ontario (John LaBatt Centre) *
12/17, New York, NY (Madison Square Garden) *
12/19, Camden, NJ (Susquehanna Center) *
12/20, Washington, DC (GMU Patriot Center) *

* = w/ Ryan Adams

View All Oasis Tickets

Smashing Pumpkins

The Smashing Pumpkins (Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin) have announced the details of their fall tour, which marks the 20th anniversary of the group’s formation. The five-week run will feature several two night runs in a handful of cities where the Smashing Pumpkins promise to play two unique sets with no songs overlapping either night. Here's the Pumpkins' tour schedule:

October 26, 2008 - Shoreline Amphitheatre - Mountain View, CA
November 01, 2008 - Playhouse Square Center - Palace Theater - Cleveland, OH
November 03, 2008 - Massey Hall - Toronto, Ontario
November 04, 2008 - Massey Hall - Toronto, Ontario
November 06, 2008 - United Palace Theatre - New York, NY
November 07, 2008 - United Palace Theatre - New York, NY
November 08, 2008 - Borgata Resort Spa and Casino Event Center - Atlantic City, NJ
November 11, 2008 - DAR Constitution Hall - Washington DC, Washingon DC
November 12, 2008 - DAR Constitution Hall - Washington DC, Washington DC
November 14, 2008 - Citi Wang Theatre - Boston, MA
November 15, 2008 - Citi Wang Theatre - Boston, MA
November 16, 2008 - Pumpkins Mohegan Sun Arena - Uncasville, CT
November 18, 2008 - Chicago Theatre - Chicago, IL
November 19, 2008 - Chicago Theatre - Chicago, IL
November 21, 2008 - Auditorium Theatre - Chicago, IL
November 22, 2008 - Auditorium Theatre - Chicago, IL
November 24, 2008 - Midland Theater - Kansas City, MO
November 25, 2008 - Midland Theater - Kansas City, MO
November 26, 2008 - Fox Theatre - St. Louis, MO
November 29, 2008 - Pearl - Las Vegas, NV
November 30, 2008 - RIMAC Arena - San Diego, CA
December 02, 2008 - Gibson Amphitheatre - Universal City, CA
December 03, 2008 - Gibson Amphitheatre - Universal City, CA

View all Smashing Pumpkins Tickets

Neil Young Tour

Neil Young's concerts will feature Young with the same band that so ably backed him in Europe - Ben Keith, Rick Rosas, Chad Cromwell, Anthony Crawford and Pegi Young. Song sets are expected to be eclectic, featuring both newer material and classic Neil Young hits. Death Cab For Cutie and Everest will support dates from Oct 14 through Nov 5; Wilco and Everest are on the bill for dates starting November 29 through the tour's conclusion, with the exception of the December 9 Chicago date which will feature and Everest in support.

See Neil Young's website called 'Neil's Garage'

Tue 10/14 - Saint Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center
Thu 10/16 - Neil Young Winnipeg, MB MTS Centre
Sat 10/18 - Regina, SK Brandt Centre
Sun 10/19 - Calgary, AB Pengrowth Saddledome
Tue 10/21 - Everett, WA Comcast Arena At Everett Events Center
Wed 10/22 - Vancouver, BC General Motors Place
Wed 10/29 - San Diego, CA Cox Arena
Thu 10/30 - Inglewood, CA The Forum
Sat 11/01 - Reno, NV Reno Events Center
Tue 11/04 - Kansas City, MO Sprint Center
Wed 11/05 - Neil Young Omaha, NE Qwest Center Omaha
Sat 11/29 - Halifax, NS Halifax Metro Centre
Mon 12/01 - Neil Young Montreal, QC Bell Centre
Tue 12/02 - Ottawa, ON Scotiabank Place
Thu 12/04 - Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
Sun 12/07 - Auburn Hills, MI The Palace Of Auburn Hills
Tue 12/09 - Rosemont, IL Allstate Arena
Fri 12/12 - Neil Young Philadelphia, PA The Wachovia Spectrum
Mon 12/15 - Neil Young New York, NY Madison Square Garden Arena

View All Neil Young Tickets

Metallica Concert Tour 2008

Metallica’s new album, Death Magnetic, has inspired a North American concert tour. The band has won seven Grammy Awards, and has had five albums peak at number one on the Billboard 200, making Metallica the only band to top the chart five times. The band's 1991 album, Metallica, has sold over 15 million copies in the United States, which makes it the 25th highest selling album in the country. Metallica has sold over an estimated 100 million records worldwide as of the release of their latest album Death Magnetic. See Metallica's website.

10/21/2008 Glendale, AZ Jobing Arena
10/23/2008 Metallica Albuquerque, NM Tingley Coliseum
10/25/2008 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center
10/26/2008 Des Moines, IA Wells Fargo Arena
11/1/2008 Metallica Portland, OR Rose Quarter
11/3/2008 Salt Lake City, UT Energy Solutions Arena
11/4/2008 Denver, CO Pepsi Center
11/6/2008 Omaha, NE Qwest Center
11/8/2008 Moline, IL iWireless Center
11/9/2008 Columbus, OH Schottenstein Center
11/17/2008 St. Louis, MO Scottrade Center
11/18/2008 Tulsa, OK BOK Center
11/20/2008 Metallica Houston, TX Toyota Center
11/22/2008 Little Rock, AR Alltel Arena
11/23/2008 New Orleans, LA New Orleans Arena
12/1/2008 Seattle, WA Key Arena
12/2/2008 Metallica Vancouver, BC GM Place
12/4/2008 Calgary, Canada Pengrowth Saddledome
12/5/2008 Calgary, Canada Pengrowth Saddledome
12/7/2008 Edmonton, Canada Rexall Place
12/12/2008 Ontario, CA Citizens Business Bank Arena
12/13/2008 Fresno, CA Save Mart Center
12/15/2008 Metallica San Diego, CA Cox Arena
12/17/2008 Los Angeles, CA The Forum
12/18/2008 Los Angeles, CA The Forum
12/20/2008 Metallica Oakland, CA Oracle Arena
1/12/2009 Milwaukee, WI Bradley Center
1/13/2009 Detroit, MI Joe Louis Arena
1/15/2009 Metallica Washington, DC Verizon Center
1/17/2009 Philadelphia, PA Wachovia Center
1/18/2009 Metallica Boston, MA TD Banknorth Center
1/26/2009 Metallica Chicago, IL Allstate Arena
1/27/2009 Metallica Chicago, IL Allstate Arena
1/29/2009 Uniondale, NY Nassau Coliseum
1/31/2009 Newark, NJ Prudential Center
2/1/2009 Newark, NJ Prudential Center

View All Metallica Tickets

2008-09-15T06:58:00.000-07:00

The 2008 NFL Season

The 2008 NFL season is upon us and as always, there is plenty of excitement in almost every NFL city across the country. Every fan is hopeful about their team at the start of the season, but when it comes down to it, the best teams will always end up at the top of the heap. Only 12 teams can make it the playoffs out of 32, so the odds aren’t always on your side. But as the Giants showed the world last year: once you’re in the playoffs, anything can happen and anybody can win the whole thing and go home as Super Bowl Champion.

New Head Coaches

Going into the 2008 NFL season there will be four teams with new head coaches. They are the Atlanta Falcons, Washington Redskins, Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins. The Falcons are coming off their disastrous 2007 campaign, their first without Michael Vick, when first year head coach Bobby Petrino quit with several weeks remaining. The new coach is Mike Smith, formerly the defensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

After a long and public search, the Redskins hired Jim Zorn to replace Joe Gibbs. Zorn, who came from the Seahawks organization, was initially hired as the offensive coordinator until another head coach was never found and he got promoted to full head coach status. Across the beltway in Baltimore, the Ravens fired Brian Billick and hired John Harbaugh to come in and lead their time. In Miami, the Dolphins brought in Bill Parcells, but not to be their head coach. Parcells will sit in the offices while his disciple, Tony Sparano coaches the team in a rebound season.

Biggest Off-season Acquisitions

Every off-season, there are free agent signings, draft pickups and trades. Trades have become increasingly more popular in the NFL as teams try to negotiate difficult salary cap restrictions and would rather trade a player they can’t sign and get something in return.

By far, the biggest move in the off-season was the New York Jets trading for Packer icon Brett Favre.

...Read rest of NFL article

2008-09-15T05:09:00.000-07:00

NCAA College Basketball Thoughts

I was recently thinking about when me and a close friend of mine loved two, competing college basketball teams. He loved the Syracuse Orangemen and I loved the St John's Red Storm. What was so cool was that one of the years these two met in the championship if I remember correctly.

It was the mid-80's and me and my buddy played hoops pretty much every day. We watched every NCAA college basketball game we could, and especially Syracuse and St. John's. When it came time for March Madness and the Final Four, we watched every minute.

But I still remember what a great team St. John's had. First, Walter Berry was the team leader and he was awesome to watch. Walter "The Truth" Berry played only two seasons at St. John's but his impact was huge. Berry was the 1986 BIG EAST Player of the Year and John R. Wooden Award winner, citing him the National Player of the Year for 1986. He totaled 1,424 career points in just two seasons, and was a key member of St. John's 1985 NCAA Final Four team and 1986 BIG EAST Tournament championship squad.

Lou Carnesecca was St John's head coach and had a career record of 526-200. And then of course there was point guard-extraordinaire Mark Jackson. St. John's all-time leader in assists with 738, Mark 'Action' Jackson was the floor general for the great mid-1980s teams under Lou Carnesecca.

Things are different today. College basketball teams don't stay together as long. Georgetown and St. John's, Syracuse, North Carolina, or Duke and UNLV had guys on their team for three to four years. There was continuity.

Lately, the NCAA Tournament has been boring, except for last year. There have been few upsets and a Final Four with two No. 1 seeds and two No. 2 seeds. But last year had some major upsets and a Cinderella team make it to the Final Four, George Mason (who upset college hoops powerhouse UConn Huskies.)

Here are some more Div 1 NCAA Men's college basketball teams to watch out for this 2008-2009 season:

2008-09-06T07:09:00.000-07:00

New England Venues by State

New England is rich in diversity and offers fun and entertainment for not only New Englanders, but also tourists from other parts of America and abroad. Below you will find information on each state in New England, including some of the top venues and where to buy entertainment tickets.

The State of Connecticut

The Connecticut region was inhabited by the Mohegan tribe prior to European colonization. The first European explorer in Connecticut was the Dutch explorer Adriaen Block. After he explored this region in 1614, Dutch fur traders sailed up the Connecticut River (then known by the Dutch as Versche Rivier - " Fresh River") and built a fort at Dutch Point near present-day Hartford, which they called "House of Hope" (Dutch: Huis van Hoop).

Connecticut Venues

The State of Maine

The State of Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, New Hampshire to the southwest, the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is the northernmost portion of New England and is the easternmost state in the contiguous United States. It is known for its scenery — its jagged, mostly rocky coastline; its low, rolling mountains; and its heavily forested interior — as well as for its seafood cuisine, especially lobsters and clams.

Maine Venues

The State of Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north. Most of its population of 6.4 million live in the Boston metropolitan area. The eastern half of this relatively small state is mostly urban and suburban. Massachusetts is the most populous of the six New England states and ranks third in overall population density and fourth by GDP per capita.

Massachusetts Venues

The State of New Hampshire

New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the north. New Hampshire ranks 44th in land area, 46th in total area of the 50 states, and 41st in population. New Hampshire was the first U.S. state to have its own state constitution, and is the only state with neither a general sales tax nor a personal income tax at either the state or local level. Concord is the state capital, while Manchester is the largest city in the state.

New Hampshire Venues

The State of Rhode Island

Rhode Island, officially named the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area. Rhode Island shares borders with Connecticut to the west, and Massachusetts to the north and east, as well as New York by sea to the southwest.

Despite being called Rhode Island in common usage, most of the state lies on the North American mainland. Providence Plantations refers to the mainland, while Rhode Island is actually the official name for Aquidneck Island (now composed of the city of Newport, and the towns of Middletown and Portsmouth).

Rhode Island Venues

The State of Vermont

Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 45th by total area and 43rd by land area at 9,250 square miles (24,000 km2). It has a population of 608,827, ranking 49th of all fifty states (surpassing only Wyoming). The only New England state with no coastline along the Atlantic Ocean, Vermont is notable for the Green Mountains running north to south and Lake Champlain which makes up 50% of Vermont's western border. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the north.

Vermont Venues

2008-08-18T03:45:00.000-07:00

About the Division I NCAA College Football Conference

I've compiled a bunch of information for all the NCAA College Football fans out there. Here's a breakdown by division.

The ACC, Big 12, C-USA, MAC, and the SEC all offer conference championship games, while others, like the Big East, Big Ten, MWC, Pac-10, Sun Belt, and WAC do not. This extends the season for the teams eligible for those games, while teams from the latter three conferences do not have to play an extra week.

ACC Football

Historically, the Atlantic Coast Conference has been considered one of the most successful conferences in men's basketball. The early roots of ACC basketball began primarily thanks to two men: Everett Case and Frank McGuire.

North Carolina State coach Everett Case had been a successful high school coach in Indiana who ironically accepted the Wolfpack's head coaching job at a time that the school decided to focus on competing in football with Duke University, then a national power in college football. Case's North Carolina State teams dominated the early years of the ACC with a modern, fast-paced style of play.

ACC Teams:

* Virginia Tech Hokies
* NC State Wolfpack
* Florida State Seminoles
* Virginia Cavaliers
* Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
* Miami Hurricanes
* Clemson Tigers
* Wake Forest Demon Deacons
* Boston College Eagles
* Maryland Terrapins
* Duke Blue Devils
* North Carolina Tar Heels

Here's some ACC games to mark on your calender:

-------------------

Big-12 Football

There are many national football powerhouses in the Big 12 Conference, and when the league was formed, it was decided that the top team from the South Division would play the top team from the North Division at the end of the season to determine the conference champion.

North Division
Colorado
Iowa State
Kansas
Kansas State
Missouri
Nebraska

South Division
Baylor
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
Texas
Texas A&M
Texas Tech

More Games:

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C-USA Football

Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports. C-USA's offices are located in the Las Colinas business district of the Dallas suburb of Irving, Texas.

C-USA Football Divisions

East

West

-------------------

MAC Football

The Mid-American Conference charter members were Ohio University, Butler University, the University of Cincinnati, Wayne State University and Western Reserve University, one of the predecessors to today's Case Western Reserve University.

-------------------

SEC Football

The SEC was established in December 1932, when the 13 members of the Southern Conference located west and south of the Appalachian Mountains left to form their own conference. Ten of the thirteen charter members have remained in the conference since its inception: the University of Alabama, Auburn University, University of Florida, University of Georgia, University of Kentucky, Louisiana State University, University of Mississippi, Mississippi State University, University of Tennessee, and Vanderbilt University.

The SEC Championship Game is held by the Southeastern Conference each year. The championship game pits the Southeastern East Division champion against the West Division champion in a game held after the regular season has been completed.

Here are some great SEC matchups:

-------------------

The Big East Football

Big East began football during the 1991-1992 season with the addition of Miami and was a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series. The league obtained immediate legitimacy with the addition of powerhouse Miami.

In the league's first years the University of Miami dominated, winning nine of the first thirteen championships and two national championships in 1991 and 2001. Virginia Tech also did well, winning the conference in 1995 and 1996 and earning a number 2 national ranking in 1999. West Virginia and Syracuse were the only other teams to win conference titles during the league's original alignment.

Cincinnati
Connecticut (UConn)
DePaul
Georgetown
Louisville
Marquette
Notre Dame
Pittsburgh
Providence
Rutgers
St. John's
Seton Hall
USF
Syracuse
Villanova
West Virginia

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The Mountain West Conference (MWC) Football

The Mountain West Conference, the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I FBS (I-A), officially began operations in July 1999. Geographically, the MWC covers a broad expanse of the western United States, with member institutions located in California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. Craig Thompson has served as Commissioner of the MWC since its founding in 1999.

Launched on September 1, 2006 by the Mountain West Conference (MWC) and College Sports Television (CSTV), The Mtn. – the MountainWest Sports Network – (pronounced “The Mountain”) is the first network dedicated solely to a college athletic conference.

United States Air Force Academy
Brigham Young University
Colorado State University
University of New Mexico
San Diego State University
Texas Christian University
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of Utah
University of Wyoming

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Pacific-10 Conference

The Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10) is a college athletic conference which operates in the western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I; its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS; formerly Division I-A), the higher of two levels of NCAA Division I football competition.

The roots of the Pac-10 Conference go back to December 15, 1915, when the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) was founded at a meeting at the Oregon Hotel in Portland, Oregon. Charter members were the University of California (now University of California, Berkeley), the University of Washington, the University of Oregon, and Oregon State College (now Oregon State University). The conference began play in 1916.

University of Arizona
Arizona State University
University of California, Berkeley
University of Oregon
Oregon State University
Stanford University
University of California, Los Angeles
University of Southern California
University of Washington
Washington State University

Here's some notable upcoming games in the Pac10

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Sun Belt Conference

The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Its football teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), the higher of two levels of Division I football competition (formerly known as Division I-A).

The conference did not sponsor football until 2001, when the league added New Mexico State, North Texas and Middle Tennessee as full members and added Louisiana-Monroe (ULM) and Idaho as "football only" members. Utah State was added as a "football only" member in 2003, then departed in 2005 with Idaho and New Mexico State for the WAC.

University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Arkansas State University
University of Denver
Florida Atlantic University
Florida International University
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
University of Louisiana at Monroe
Middle Tennessee State University
University of New Orleans
University of North Texas
University of South Alabama
Troy University
Western Kentucky University

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WAC Football

The Western Athletic Conference (commonly referred to as the WAC, pronounced "wack") was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS; formerly Division I-A).

Since 1999, WAC membership has been in a state of flux. Nevada of the Big West joined in its plan to upgrade its athletic program in 2000. TCU left for Conference USA in 2001 (then rejoined eight former WAC opponents as the ninth member of the Mountain West in 2005), while Boise State of the Big West and independent Louisiana Tech joined the WAC in 2001.

Boise State University
Fresno State University
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
University of Idaho
Louisiana Tech University
University of Nevada, Reno
New Mexico State University
San José State University
Utah State University

The 2008 college football season is right around the corner and it looks like it going to be an awesome season. It's going to be very competitive. See CollegeFootballNews.com.

2008-08-11T07:51:00.000-07:00

Isaac Hayes Dies On August 10 2008 and R&B

Isaac Lee Hayes, Jr. died August 10, 2008 and the R&B and Soul world has lost a heavyweight. The soul legend who won Grammy and Academy awards for the theme to the 1971 film "Shaft'' and voiced the character "Chef'' in the hit comedy series "South Park,'' died yesterday in Memphis, Tennessee. He was 65.

According to Wikipedia, Isaac Hayes was an American soul and funk singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, arranger, composer, and actor. Hayes was one of the main creative forces behind southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served as both an in-house songwriter and producer with partner David Porter during the mid-1960s. In the late 1960s, Hayes became a recording artist, and recorded successful soul albums such as Hot Buttered Soul (1969) and Black Moses (1971) as the Stax label's premier artist.

Here are some more top R&B and Soul artists and bands that are performing now:

2008-08-09T15:20:00.001-07:00

Classical Music Concerts

One of the things my wife and I love to do is go to a classical music concert. The entire experience never disappoints and is always memorable. We love people-watching, enjoying the architecture at the venue and of course the sounds and sights of the orchestra.

Here are a few of the concerts we may attend:

The BSO always puts on a fantastic concert, and Yo-Yo Ma is going to be touring across the country, so he'll be offering the opportunity for lots of people to see him. And our year isn't complete till we see Andre Rieu live at least once.

2008-03-28T13:22:00.000-07:00

A Great Upcoming Concert Tour Season 2008

There's an awesome selection of concert tours coming up this Spring/Summer/Fall. If you're a fan of 70', 80's, 90's or contemporary bands and artists, than this summer is going to be a memorable one for sure. If you haven't been to a concert in a while, this is the time to book some live show tickets and go to a concert this year. There's a concert tour for almost anyone coming up this year.

Ok, so let's say you're into 70's music. Then Crosby, Still & Nash are touring, and so is Slowhand, Eric Clapton. It's rumored that Led Zeppelin may be reuniting this year too. If you like the cool island tunes of Jimmy Buffett, buckle up because he's touring again as well.

There's some classic 80's artists touring soon as well. For instance, Journey, Heart and Cheap Trick are all touring together and this should be a rockin' show for sure. Another huge superstar who's touring in North America is George Michael. He's in Europe now, and he'll be in the U.S. and Canada this summer.

The Police are going around one more time in '08 as an encore to their hugely-popular reunion tour they did last year. Rush is another 80's band that is touring again this year. Another big name who's touring is Top Petty. And Yes is going to be hitting the circuit too.

For 90's music fans, Pearl Jam is touring, Dave Matthews is touring and the diva Celine Dion is going on a world tour in 2008 too.

Finally, if you like music that's come out in the 21st century, then consider seeing Jack Johnson, Maroon 5, Raven, Jonas Brothers, Kenney Chesney or Chris Brown.

There's really a show for just about anyone. So check your calender, and go to this tickets website to see the schedule, concert tour itineraries and find tickets to any concert you want to go to this year.

2008-01-24T12:56:00.000-08:00

Dolly Parton Concerts

Country music singer legend Dolly Parton is touring this year in both North America and Europe. Here are the cities she'll be visiting on her concert tour:

TV series
Heavens to Betsy (1994) (comedy - three episodes, unaired) ... Betsy

filmography
A Smoky Mountain Christmas (1986) ... Lorna Davis
Wild Texas Wind (1991) ... Thiola "Big T" Rayfield
Big Dreams and Broken Hearts: The Dottie West Story (1995) ... cameo as herself
Naomi and Wynonna: Love Can Build a Bridge (1995) ... Herself/Guest Performer
Get To The Heart: The Barbara Mandrell Story (1997) ... Herself/Cameo
Unlikely Angel (1996) ... Ruby Diamond
Blue Valley Songbird (1999) ... Leanna Taylor
Jackie's Back (1999) ... Herself/Cameo

TV guest appearances
Country Music Association Awards (1968-86) ...Performer/presenter
Laugh-In (1972) ... as herself
The Wilburn Brothers Show (1973) ... as herself
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1973) ... as herself
Hee Haw (1974) ... as herself
Grammy Awards (1976) ... Performer/presenter
Captain Kangaroo (1976) ... as herself
American Music Awards (1977) ... Performer/presenter
Cher Special (1978) ... as herself
The Midnight Special (1978) ... Host/performer
Alvin & The Chipmunks (1987) ... as herself
Country Music Association Awards (1988) ... Host
Saturday Night Live (1989) ... Host/Musical Guest
Designing Women (1990) ... as herself/"Guardian Movie Star"
Babes (1991) ... as herself
The Magic School Bus (1994) ... Katrina Eloise "Murph" Murphy
The Simpsons (1999) ... as herself
Bette (2000) ... as herself
Academy Of Country Music Awards (2000) ... Host
Austin City Limits (2001) ... Musical Guest
CMT Flame Worthy Awards (2004) ... Host
Reba (2005) ... Dolly Majors
Academy Awards (2006) .. as herself
Hannah Montana (2006-2007) .. as herself (Miley's godmother referred to as "Aunt Dolly" and is her godmother in real life).
Dancing With the Stars (September 26, 2007) ... Musical Guest (Performed "9 To 5" and "Better Get To Livin'")
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (November 22, 2007) ... Musical Guest (Performed "Better Get To Livin'")

Filmography
9 to 5 (1980) ... Doralee Rhodes
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982) ... Mona Stangley
Rhinestone (1984) ... Jake
Steel Magnolias (1989) ... Truvy Jones
Straight Talk (1992) ... Shirlee Kenyon
The Beverly Hillbillies (1993) ... Herself/Cameo
Frank McKlusky, C.I. (2002) ... Edith McKlusky
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (2005) .. Herself/Cameo

TV music and variety series
The Porter Wagoner Show (1967-1974) (country music) ... regular singer
Dolly (1976-1977) (variety) ... host
Dolly (1987-1988) (variety) ... host

TV specials
Rowan and Martin Special 1973
Mac Davis Special 1977
Cher . . . Special 1978
Carol and Dolly in Nashville 1979
Mac Davis Special 1979
Mac Davis Special 1980
Best Little Special In Texas 1982
Dolly In London 1983
Dolly Parton Meets The Kids 1983
Kenny & Dolly: Once Upon A Christmas 1984
Kenny & Dolly: Real Love 1985
Bob Hope Christmas Special 1988
Kenny, Dolly & Willie: Something Inside So Strong 1989
Home For Christmas 1990
Treasures 1996
Precious Memories (1999)
Graham Goes To Dollywood (2001)
Cross Roads, Melissa Etheridge & Dolly Parton (2003)
A Capitol Fourth (2003)
Stars Over Texas (2003)
U.S. Library Of Congress Living Legend Ceremony (2004)

Documentaries
The Nashville Sound (1970)
Heartsong (1994)
CMT Backstory- Dolly Parton (2001)
Our Country (2002)
Uncut: The True Story of Hair (2002)
Travel Channel American Roadtrip: Dollywood (2002)
E! True Hollywood Story- Dolly Parton (2005)
Chasing Rainbows (2005)
A&E Biography- Dolly Parton (2006)
CMT Greatest Moments - Dolly Parton (2006)
For the Love of Dolly - Dolly Parton (2006)

More Great Solly Resources:

2008-01-16T11:25:00.000-08:00

Tickets to the Jonas Brothers

The Jonas Brothers, the next installment of Disney tween rockers, have been touring with Hanna Montana and is going on their own concert tour coming up. Here are the cities they'll be visiting below:

About the Brothers:

Origin: Wyckoff, New Jersey, USA
Genre: Pop/Rock/Teen Pop
Years active: 2005 - present
Label Columbia Records: (2005-2006) and Hollywood Records (2007-)
Website: JonasBrothers.com

Jonas Brothers Members
Kevin Jonas
Joe Jonas
Nick Jonas
Greg Garbowsky
Jack Lawless
John Taylor

2008-01-12T15:29:00.000-08:00

The Spice Girls Reunion Concert Tour

The Spice Girls are back and so is Girl Power! They are playing concerts in the U.K. and then they're going to be hitting the States.

Here are the Girls:
Victoria Beckham
Melanie Brown
Geri Halliwell
Emma Bunton
Melanie Chisholm
Here are some of the cities the Spice Girls will be visiting and where you can buy tickets.

Spice Girl Tickets:

On June 28, 2007 the group held a press conference at The O2 in London, formally announcing their intention to reunite.The plan to reform had long been speculated by the media, but the group now confirmed their intention to embark upon a world wide concert tour, starting in Vancouver on Dec 2, '07. Filmmaker, Bob Smeaton, will direct an official documentary on the reunion. It is entitled Spice Girls: Giving You Everything.

2007-12-11T14:28:00.000-08:00

Wilco Concert Tickets

Wilco is an American rock band from in Chicago. Wilco's music has been inspired by a wide variety of artists and styles, including Bill Fay and Television, and has in turn influenced music by The National and Cherry Ghost. The band continued in the alternative country of Uncle Tupelo on its debut album A.M. (1995), but has since introduced more experimental aspects to their music. Buy Wilco tickets now.

Entertainment and Tickets Information

2011 NFL Playoffs: What Will Be The Next Great Moment?

Coldplay To Launch First U.S. Tour In Nearly Three Years In 2012

Red Hot Chili Peppers To Launch First U.S. Tour In Four Years

Tim McGraw Free From Curbs Record, Touring With Kenny Chesney

Neil Diamond To Tour Behind 'Best Of' Album Beginning In Mid-2012

Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Nutcracker Inspire X-Mas Spirit

North Carolina, Syracuse Will Contend For National Championship

Phish Plays Madison Square Garden On New Year’s Eve

Wilco: On The Road Through Early 2012

Radio City Christmas Spectacular Can Be Seen In New York, Durham, Nashville, Boston

Jay-Z, Kanye West Kick Off ‘Watch The Throne Tour’ Oct. 28 In The A-T-L

Sting Supports ‘Best of ‘ Albums With ‘Back to Bass Tour’

Here Comes Baseball in October

Adam Lambert's "Glam Nation Tour" Gets Underway This Summer

Neil Young To Launch 14-Date Solo Acoustic Tour

Justin Bieber Scheduled For 42-Date North America Tour

Eric Clapton Touring With Roger Daltrey

Los Tres Tour

Trans-Siberian Orchestra Hitting The Road With 'Beethoven'

Yo Gabba Gabba Touring In 2010

NFL Playoffs 2010

Carrie Underwood Reveals 'Play On' Tour For 2010

Eric Clapton Hitting The Road In 2010

Bon Jovi Set To Launch 2-Year World Tour

Lady Gaga's The Monster Ball Tour Begins Nov. 27

The 2009 MLB Playoffs

Megadeth: Loads Of Fun

Mavericks Aren’t Old, They’re Just Experienced

Wicked the Musical on Another U.S. Tour

KISS Alive 35: 2009 North American Tour

The Allman Brothers Band Celebrate 40 Years

Alan Jackson Is Country Music

Phillies and Dodgers: Class of National League

The American Idol Tour 2009

Green Day Tour 2009

Eddie Vedder Touring This Summer

New Kids On The Block Hanging Tough

U2 360° Tour

Incubus Hits the Road in 2009

Coldplay 2009 Tour

Taylor Swift is Fearless on Tour

The Flight of the Conchords Are All Cleared for Take Off in '09

Jimmy Buffett is My Nemesis

Brooks & Dunn and Big & Rich

Wicked the Musical National Tour 2009

Phish Are Back in 2009!

Billy Joel and Elton John

The Dead Tour 2009

Jerry Seinfeld

Britney Spears’ Latest Come Back

What to Expect in the A.L. East in 2009

The Killers Concert Tour 2009

The Eagles Tour 2008

Trans-Siberian Orchestra Tour and Information

Concert Review: Trans-Siberian Orchestra At Verizon Center, Washington, D.C., 12/16/07

TSO Members

Four Fall Concert Tours are Big Names

Oasis on Tour 2008

Smashing Pumpkins

Neil Young Tour

Metallica Concert Tour 2008

The 2008 NFL Season

NCAA College Basketball Thoughts

New England Venues by State

The State of Connecticut

The State of Maine

The State of Massachusetts

The State of New Hampshire

The State of Rhode Island

The State of Vermont

About the Division I NCAA College Football Conference

ACC Football

-------------------Big-12 Football

-------------------C-USA Football

C-USA Football Divisions

MAC Football

SEC Football

-------------------The Big East Football

-------------------The Mountain West Conference (MWC) Football

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Big-12 Football

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C-USA Football

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The Big East Football

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The Mountain West Conference (MWC) Football