byfrosT's blaZz

NEW OLDiES iNTERNET RADiO STATiON

2011-08-23T10:56:00.000-07:00

Baby Boomer Radio.Com

Enjoy the free classic online oldies streaming jukebox radio oldies music that we all grew up listening to 365 days a year. Listen to all of the free internet classic online golden oldies songs and online oldies love songs from the 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's. http://www.babyboomerradio.com/

Take Me Out To The Ball Game

2011-07-13T10:12:00.000-07:00

Bright Eyes Oakland Concert

2011-03-04T10:45:00.000-08:00

By Michael Palecki

Shortly after Conor Oberst and his band Bright Eyes released their breakthrough album I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning in 2005, a larger musical audience began to take notice. As the recording moved into the Top 20 of Billboard album charts, it also brought attention to the independent label Saddle Creek Records and Alternative Country/ “Indie” Folk Music.

There was also quite a bit of critical acclaim and a lot of chatter about Emmylou Harris singing duets with Oberst. On first listening, his long wordy stanzas seemed almost impossible to sing, but he pulled them off with perfectly syncopated vocal articulation.

His song writing themes were fraught with emotional angst, isolation and the fragility of life. Just about the time all but the most hardcore listeners had enough of darkness, the next song would be a jaunty Country Rock jam reminiscent of a young Joe Walsh.

For the most part however, Oberst remained true to what set him apart. During an NPR music interview for the radio program All Things Considered, Oberst commented, “Sometimes when you’re not feeling good, you have to listen to really sad music like Eliot Smith. He wrote some of the sweetest, saddest and most gentle tunes, I have ever heard”.

In the music business, there were others in addition to Emmylou Harris that gravitated to Oberst. Bright Eyes collaborated on separate projects with Gillian Welch, David Rawlings and Steve Earle. Oberst credits his early influences to Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, John Prine, and coming full circle-to Emmylou Harris.

Although the 2007 Bright Eyes album Cassadaga was a bit over the top in orchestration and dramatic intensity, Oberst returned to his roots in 2008 with an exact opposite solo album. For that effort in his newfound apparition of the Mystic Valley Band, Conor Oberst was named, “Best Songwriter of 2008” by Rolling Stone Magazine.

Looking back at Cassadaga in a recent Rolling Stone Magazine interview, the enigmatic Conor Oberst disclosed, “That one felt like it was left in the oven too long”. For his reunion with Bright Eyes and songwriting for their new album just released, Oberst suggested to his band mates, “Let’s leave space”.

And that they did. In their new CD The People’s Key, Bright Eyes ventures back to a quasi-Punk sound with plenty of electric guitar and synthesizer. Although the truly Oberst quixotic departures in songwriting remain in place, Bright Eyes has moved away from melancholy into techno-pop. The song “Triple Spiral”, which is destined to become a hit single-is a rousing dance anthem.

Bright Eyes will perform on Tuesday April 12 at the Fox Theater in Oakland. While general admission standing room tickets are sold out, some reserved seats are available in the balcony. Don’t miss Oberst singing, “In with the new! Out with the old”! - presented by Another Planet Entertainment.

To purchase tickets, go to: www.thefoxoakland.com/calendar.php or Ticketmaster.

Cleaning Hardwood Floors the Green Way

2010-11-22T09:29:00.000-08:00

Hardwood flooring gives a home that warm welcoming look that makes you feel so, well warm and welcome. The good news is...

90TH BiRTHDAY OF JAZZ LEGEND DAVE BRUBECK

2010-11-03T18:51:00.000-07:00

MASTERWORKS JAZZ CELEBRATES THE 90TH BIRTHDAY OF JAZZ LEGEND DAVE BRUBECK

In celebration of jazz legend Dave Brubeck’s 90th birthday on December 6, Masterworks Jazz releases two new titles from the Original Album Classics series: Dave Brubeck and The Dave Brubeck Quartet – TIME, available November 2. Both releases are specially-priced 5-CD collections of Brubeck’s classic albums. Each box set contains essential titles in their original album format, packaged in individual sleeves featuring the original album art.

The TIME box set includes the classic 1959 album Time Out (featuring the famous “Take Five”) with the Dave Brubeck Quartet and the four albums it inspired in the decade that followed: Time Further Out, Time Changes, Time In and Countdown: Time in Outer Space.

The Dave Brubeck box restores to the catalog five vintage titles (four featuring his quartet with Paul Desmond) from his golden years as a Columbia Records artist (1954-70): Jazz Goes to College (1954), the solo album Brubeck Plays Brubeck (1956), Gone with the Wind (1959), Brandenburg Gate: Revisited (1961) and Jazz Impressions of New York (1964).

Dave Brubeck is one of the most influential and respected pianists in modern jazz. The subject of a forthcoming documentary film from Malpaso Productions (Clint Eastwood’s production company), Brubeck was chosen for the Kennedy Center Honors in 2009, was presented the Grammy® Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996, and named a “Living Legend” by the Library of Congress.

Go Giants...

2010-10-24T14:00:00.000-07:00

2010-10-22T09:39:00.000-07:00

'Ticket To Ride: A Live Tribute To The Beatles'

2010-10-21T18:53:00.000-07:00

TICKET TO RIDE returns to the Old Town Temecula Community Theater
back by popular demand!

TICKET TO RIDE is an exciting musical journey through the Best Of The
Beatles, opening with their greatest hits from the Sixties through the Sgt.
Pepper era with authentic costume changes.

Their internationally acclaimed show has been performed worldwide including
Japan, and been called 'One of the most authentic Beatles groups you will
ever see' by both the British and American Press.

TICKET TO RIDE captures the fun and excitement of a real Beatles concert,
LIVE on stage!

'One of the most talented and in-demand Beatles Tribute
Groups working today.' - Las Vegas Sun

Adults: $40 - Seniors/Students: $38 - Children: $28

Old Town Temecula Community Theater
Saturday November 6, 2010
Showtime: 7:30pm
42051 Main Street
Temecula, CA 92590
1-866-OLD-TOWN (866-653-8696)
ONLINE TICKETS:

http://www.temeculatheater.org/

or call the ticket office at:

866-653-8696

For more information on Cruisin Oldies Concerts, Please visit:

http://www.cruisinoldies.com/shows.html

Determining your Wood Floor’s Hardness

2010-10-21T15:08:00.000-07:00

Customers always have questions concerning the hardnesses of the many different hardwood flooring products. Below are listed the relative wood hardnesses for numerous wood species...

2010-10-21T09:06:00.000-07:00

Bathroom Remodeling on a Budget

2010-10-19T14:26:00.000-07:00

The most expensive room in a house is a bathroom and bathroom remodeling is done as a last resort because of the expense that comes with it. However, many people love to...

2010-10-19T13:07:00.000-07:00

Kitchen Design Tips

2010-10-19T11:44:00.000-07:00

Designing your kitchen can be a real task if you do not have a good layout. This is the room where the family may spend the most time hanging out and having dinner or conversations. A kitchen should be designed in such a way that everyone can ...

2010-10-12T08:48:00.000-07:00

Choosing Solid Hardwood Flooring For Your Home

2010-10-06T13:10:00.000-07:00

If you are considering renovating your home and replacing your old floor with hardwood floors then you have taken right decision. There are many benefits of hardwood floors and you might want to take a look at .....

2010-10-01T13:53:00.000-07:00

DIY – Wood Floor Installation Tips

2010-09-28T11:58:00.000-07:00

Adding brand new flooring to your home is a terrific way to transform your home’s interior and with the correct hardwood flooring tools and some basic direction, the task can be done by any homeowner who is...

2010-09-26T14:04:00.000-07:00

What to Look for When Purchasing Tile

2010-09-17T10:55:00.000-07:00

Tile is a long lasting and effective product that can be used throughout your home. From countertops to flooring the options for where you can place tile are limitless...

2010-09-15T13:58:00.000-07:00

Looking for Cheap Flooring ?

2010-09-07T07:52:00.000-07:00

One of the most difficult decisions when it comes to the redecorating of any room is the flooring. With so many different flooring types available and the wide range between costs, it can be more than a little confusing...

Tip of the Week – Wooden Floor Installations

2010-04-17T12:21:00.000-07:00

Bring nature into your home byinstalling a wooden floor. Wooden floors enhance your home in more ways than one, they change the look of any room bringing a clean, warm feeling and they also add value to the price of your property...

Polished Concrete Floors: A Great Option for Sustainable Living

2010-03-21T10:22:00.000-07:00

A huge part of the increasingly popular sustainable living movement involves creating as little waste as possible. Recycling has become more widespread than ever, but conservation in general is being practiced by more and more people...

http://flooringinstallation.com/2010/03/21/polished-concrete-floors-a-great-option-for-sustainable-living/

PLAYBOY JAZZ FESTiVAL ANNOUNCES 2010 LiNEUP

2010-03-14T12:21:00.000-07:00

Below is the artist lineup for the 2010 Playboy Jazz Festival.
Click here for ticket information.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

2:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Chick Corea Freedom Band with Christian McBride, Roy Haynes, Kenny Garrett

Sax for Stax featuring Gerald Albright, Jeff Lorber and Kirk Whalum

Kurt Elling

Los Van Van

Marcus Miller Band with featured guest artist Christian Scott

The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra Salutes Louie Bellson

Javon Jackson Band with special guest Les McCann

Naturally 7

Jake Shimabukuro

Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue

El Dorado High School under the direction of Richard Watson

Sunday, June 13, 2010
2 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

George Benson

Manhattan Transfer

Bobby Hutcherson and Cedar Walton Quartet

Salif Keita

Robert Randolph & The Family Band

Esperanza Spalding

Irvin Mayfield and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra

Tiempo Libre

Cos of Good Music with Dwayne Burno, Ndugu Chancler, Mark Gross, Jay Hoggard, D.D. Jackson and Ingrid Jensen

Jazz Mafia’s Brass Bows and Beats

L.A. All District High School Jazz Band under the direction of Tony White and J.B. Dyas

Master of Ceremonies: Bill Cosby

Another Goodin...

2010-03-10T19:30:00.000-08:00

Shagged – Why Carpets Still Beat the Competition

2010-03-10T19:05:00.000-08:00

While hardwood, laminate and parquet flooring sales have been over the rise during the last decade, carpet is making a comeback and still beats the competition hands down....

Another Goodin - Nina Simone Live ?

2010-02-07T15:44:00.000-08:00

Stenciling Wood Floors/

2010-01-30T17:18:00.000-08:00

Stenciling a wood floor is not as difficult as you might think, but it is important to plan for the job and take a step by step approach. The steps needed to stencil a great looking wood floor include...

WHAT ARE "YOU" DOiNG NEW YEARS EVE

2009-12-29T16:51:00.000-08:00

Obama Grants Providing High Returns With Scholarships

2009-12-29T08:53:00.000-08:00

http://baycollegeplanners.wordpress.com/

Tile Installations Made Easy

2009-12-28T10:59:00.000-08:00

http://flooringinstallation.com/2009/12/28/fabulous-and-inexpensive-ceramic-tiles/

MERRY CHRiSTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR

2009-12-24T20:44:00.000-08:00

CHRiSTMAS WEEK - Vince Guaraldi Trio - O Tannenbaum

2009-12-21T17:54:00.000-08:00

DIY – At Home Projects Anyone Can Do

2009-12-21T14:19:00.000-08:00

http://flooringinstallation.com/2009/12/21/diy-at-home-projects-anyone-can-do/

ViDEO OF THE WEEK - HOT CLUB OF COWTOWN

2009-12-19T11:20:00.000-08:00

BiLLY JOEL and ELTON JOHN LiVE

2009-11-23T08:16:00.000-08:00

San Francisco, CA, November 19 - Face 2 Face promoters Live Nation and Another Planet Entertainment, as well as Oracle Arena and HP Pavilion, are pleased to announce that the Billy Joel & Elton John concerts in the Bay Area have been rescheduled. The rescheduled Oracle Arena date is Saturday, February 13th and the HP Pavilion date is rescheduled for February 16th. The showtime for both concerts is 7:30pm. All tickets from the original November dates will be honored, and tickets for both concerts are still available at www.ticketmaster.com, 1-800-745-3000, the venue box offices, and select Ticketmaster Outlets. If necessary, refunds are available at point of purchase.

CHRiSTMAS JAZZ iN SARASOTA

2009-11-22T13:55:00.000-08:00

BIG BAND BASH: The Jazz Club’s 2nd Annual Big Band Bash event will present two of this year’s hottest groups. Both bands are relatively young but strong in experience and talent. For Latin jazz lovers, the 12 - piece Latin Roots Ensemble will be kicking off at 1 PM. Prepare yourselves to hear some of the best Latin jazz played in the Tampa Bay area. Latin Roots Ensemble is a creation of four friends who came together with different musical backgrounds, and were able to develop their own distinctive sound. The sound is a blended mix of their individual Puerto Rican, Cuban, and Dominican Republic heritage. It is a music consisting of tunes with a crisp and fresh sound, containing the spirit of Latin jazz, and reverberating like the Caribbean winds.

A bonus feature will be the premiere performance in Sarasota by classical and jazz violinist LeMay Olano James. Formerly a member of the Cuba Symphony Orchestra, he is a relentless innovator and will amaze you with his musical brilliance.

The second band appearing on the program will be The Helios Jazz Orchestra, an 18-piece orchestra plus vocalist, performing in Sarasota for the very first time. The band is an ensemble-in-residence at St. Petersburg College, who originally came together in September 2008. It is a creative mix of students, professional musicians and skilled amateur musicians who love big band music. The Helios Jazz Orchestra is the brainchild of David Manson, music professor at St. Petersburg College, and director of the orchestra. In concert, the band is known to cover the music of Charles Mingus, Wayne Shorter, Steve Speigel, Tom Jobim, and Victor Lopez. At the Big Band Bash, you will hear popular Tampa Bay vocalist Rita Wilson. Rita owns a unique style that commands attention and admiration as a jazz vocalist. Expect the Helios Jazz Orchestra to present its exciting collection of Popular, Straight-Ahead, Swing and Bebop charts written by the director and band members.

The JAZZ AT TWO series continues in the Bayfront Community Center, 803 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Admission is $10; $5 for Jazz Club members. Scheduled to perform in December is:

December 4, 2 p.m. The Mancini Brothers

December 11, 2 p.m. Richard Drexler Trio

December 18, 2 p.m. The Lorri Hafer Group

ViDEO OF THE WEEK - GiLLES APAP AND FRiENDS

2009-11-20T11:36:00.000-08:00

Remodeling a Bathroom.....

2009-11-10T09:33:00.000-08:00

http://flooringinstallation.com/

College Tours – Thinking About it Yet…..

2009-11-06T18:17:00.000-08:00

http://baycollegeplanners.wordpress.com/

Which Loans for College Students?

2009-11-05T09:33:00.000-08:00

http://baycollegeplanners.wordpress.com/2009/11/04/which-loans-for-college-students/

UPLAND CALiFORNiA MUSiC AND ARTS FESTiVAL 2009

2009-11-01T15:17:00.000-08:00

Understanding College Rolling Admissions Policies

2009-11-01T13:57:00.000-08:00

http://baycollegeplanners.wordpress.com/2009/11/01/understanding-college-rolling-admissions-policies/

CARPET CHOiCES FOR THE HOME

2009-11-01T11:14:00.000-08:00

http://flooringinstallation.com/2009/11/01/carpet-choices-for-the-home/

CHECK OUT THiS NEW iNSTRUMENT.....

2009-10-29T14:45:00.000-07:00

Having a Water Problem...

2009-10-29T09:43:00.000-07:00

http://flooringinstallation.com/

FLORIDA JAZZ AND BLUES NiTELiFE

2009-10-23T09:16:00.000-07:00

The Jazz Club of Sarasota is celebrating its 30th anniversary and has some spectacular events scheduled. The JAZZ AT TWO series continues in the Bayfront Community Center, 803 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Admission is $10; $5 for Jazz Club members.

Scheduled to perform in November is:
November 6, 2- 4 p.m. Klaus Bader Quartet
November 13, 2 – 4 p.m. Guitarist Mimi Fox
November 20, 2 – 4 p.m. Vibraphonist Jack Brokensha

JAZZ AT TWO SUNDAYS AT THE GLENRIDGE continues with The Ken Loomer Quintet at the Glenridge Performing Arts Center, 7333 Scotland Way, Sarasota. The Ken Loomer Quintet will perform on Sunday, November 15, at 2 p.m. Admission is $12.50; $7.50 for Jazz Club members. Call 941-552-5325 for reservations.

http://flooringinstallation.com/2009/10/21/20-great-carpet-cleaning-tips/

2009-10-22T05:04:00.000-07:00

http://flooringinstallation.com/2009/10/21/20-great-carpet-cleaning-tips/

ViDEO OF THE WEEK - MiNOR SWiNG

2009-10-19T11:49:00.000-07:00

ARROWHEAD REGiONAL MEDiCAL CENTERS - END OF LiFE DiRECTiVES

2009-10-12T09:13:00.000-07:00

By Michael Palecki

On August 24, patients at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in San Bernardino County – were given something to read while undergoing dialysis treatment. With no prior counseling to renal patients, nurses distributed Questions & Answers literature for people who choose to stop dialysis. On each handout, a supervisor of the dialysis center – had written the patients initials.

The document suggested that major religions believe it is acceptable to stop dialysis, the act is not considered suicide, and insurance companies will pay survivors. Continuing, it was explained that death is not painful after stopping dialysis and most patients die in their sleep.

According to, End-Of-Life Care for Renal Patients: Questions & Answers-prepared by the Southern California Renal Disease Council, “Patients often say that just having made the decision takes a burden off their minds, and they feel more relaxed”.

As Pamela Jean-age 56, continued reading, she was stunned and felt betrayed by the county hospital. After experiencing kidney failure nearly two years ago, she had been undergoing dialysis treatments three times a week. She was confident that her life had been prolonged indefinitely – until she became a kidney transplant candidate. But now, everything seemed uncertain.

While being interviewed, Pamela Jean requested that her last name, not be used in this article. That’s because she did not want to alarm friends and associates- who were unaware of her medical condition. Well-read and upbeat, Pamela Jean was very much alive and determined to research a solution to the dilemma, without causing worry to those around her.

However, she expressed concern for her fellow patients. Before their next treatment, other patients confided, “They were more than shocked and had lost sleep since reading the handout”. Many in the multi-ethnic group did not fully understand the literature or why they had been singled out.

During a second interview conducted to obtain another opinion of what had occurred at Arrowhead Regional, Doctor Gina Mohr-Director of Palliative Medicine for Loma Linda University Medical Center – expressed concern. She explained that a much different set of procedures is in place at Loma Linda, where palliative care has been administered for 10 years.

She first disclosed that dialysis treatment – is not considered to be an End-Of-Life situation. She regarded it as the first bridge to a minimum of 10 to 15 years of additional life. Doctor Mohr then stated, “It’s a shame that End-Of-Life Directives have been used at Arrowhead Regional as supportive documents, without discussion. Communication skills were lacking”.

Doctor Mohr then continued, “In the current Healthcare discussion, very sensitive religious and ethical questions have been propelled to the forefront. However, End-Of-Life counseling has been in existence since the late 1970’s and is reimbursed by Medicare”.

She concluded the interview by detailing procedures at Loma Linda. Doctors, nurses and social workers first discuss the medical situation with each patient. Next, standardized information for renal patients and another publication generated by the hospital for those with “low literacy skills”, are given to all patients. And then, staff is available to answer any questions, a patient may have.

On September 1, a third interview then transpired via a telephone conference call with Arrowhead Regional. Included in the interview were: George Valencia-Director of Business Development & Marketing, Khim Fugate-Associate Administrator and Chief of Nursing, and Docelin Tamba-Dialysis Supervisor.

Prior to 4:00 p.m. on August 31 when an interview was requested, the three were apparently unaware that distribution of End-Of-Life Care for Renal Patients: Questions & Answers – had created an issue with patients.

Starting off, Khim Fugate disclosed that Arrowhead Regional had just initiated palliative care on July 1 of this year – after receiving a $30,000 planning grant from the California HealthCare Foundation, in 2008. She then explained it would take eight months to educate nurses in all departments. When asked if she considered dialysis to be an End-Of-Life procedure – Fugate responded, “No. Some patients have been known to live up to 40 years longer, with treatment”.

The next question: “Were patients counseled before receiving the literature?” – was answered by Docelin Tamba. He replied, “No. Patients were not counseled. We need to explain things further to patients. Maybe my nurses needed more direction”.

Concluding the interview, Khim Fugate commented, “I want to assure you that we will revise our process to serve patients – who represent an underserved medical population. Everyone has potential – we want to make it right”.

Given the fact that administrators and staff at Arrowhead Regional were not on the same page during the planning grant timeframe – it was premature to involve patients. According to Spreading Palliative Care In Public Hospitals published by California HealthCare Foundation, “Palliative care seeks to optimize quality of life and relieve physical and emotional suffering through pain management, comfort care, and spiritual support. With a focus on both patient and family, palliative care begins when a life-threatening illness or injury occurs and it continues through the bereavement process”.

Later in September, Arrowhead Regional received an additional $245,000 to implement the palliative care program – they planned during the first grant. While death is an occurrence that everyone needs to prepare for, Arrowhead Regional should “optimize quality of life”- rather than emphasizing End-Of-Life Directives, without counseling.

Michael Palecki can be reached @ imagesculptor@verizon.net

JAZZ CLUB OF SARASOTA

2009-09-23T15:41:00.000-07:00

The Jazz Club of Sarasota is celebrating its 30th anniversary and planning a spectacular season. The JAZZ AT TWO series continues in the Bayfront Community Center, 803 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Admission is $10; $5 for Jazz Club members.
Scheduled to perform in October is:

October 2, 2- 4 p.m. Young Zach Bartholomew Trio from Tallahassee
October 9, 2 – 4 p.m. Pianist Mike Markaverich with The Mike Markaverich Trio
October 16, 2 – 4 p.m. Vocalist Kitt Moran & The Mike Moran Trio
October 30, 2 – 4 p.m. Pianist Johnny Varro with The Johnny Varro Trio

JAZZ AT TWO SUNDAYS AT THE GLENRIDGE starts off the new season swinging with The Venturas at the Glenridge Performing Arts Center, 7333 Scotland Way, Sarasota. The Venturas will perform on Sunday, October 18, at 2 p.m. Admission is $12.50; $7.50 for Jazz Club members. Call 941-552-5325 for reservations.

The OCTOBER JAZZ FEST, October 23 – 25, at the Holiday Inn Sarasota/Bradenton Airport, 8009 15th St. Sarasota, is a new event for the Jazz Club. There will be four concerts Friday through Sunday in the hotel ballroom and a jazz brunch on Sunday. Seating is limited to 200 and advance purchase of tickets is suggested either through the Jazz Club office (941-366-1552) or the hotel (941-358-3800).

The exciting line-up for the weekend follows:

Fri., October 23, 8 – 10 p.m. Pepper & Fine Thyme
Sat., October 24, 2 -4 p.m. Katt Hefner Group featuring Kenny Drew Jr. & John Lamb
Sat., October 24, 8 – 10 p.m. The Dan McMillion Group
Sun., Ocober 25, 10:30 – 12:30 Jazz Brunch with guitarist Ben Roberts and vocalist Phil Picciotti
Sun., October 25, 2 – 4 p.m. The Valerie Gillespie Trio

Ticket prices are $20; $15 for Jazz Club members for the night performances and $15; $10 for Jazz Club members for the afternoon concerts. To purchase a package for all four concerts (and have seats in the front rows) the price is $60; $45 for Jazz Club members.

BRiAN SETZER ORCHESTRA PLAYS LA

2009-09-21T18:43:00.000-07:00

Since 2002, Brian Setzer has made winter a little warmer with the help of his fire-breathing Gretsch guitar and killer 18-piece orchestra. He’s played over 100 Christmas concerts for over 275,000 fans, and sold over 1 million Christmas CDs and DVDs. After almost two years, his 27-date, seventh Christmas Rocks! Extravaganza tour returns to Los Angeles for two nights at Gibson Amphitheatre on December 18th and December 19th, just in time for the holidays. Tickets for both shows go on sale Saturday, September 26th at 1 PM on www.LiveNation.com.

Brian Setzer is “the new king of jingle bell rock” (Billboard) and on October 13, Surfdog will re-release the perfect Setzer treat for all good boys and girls: ‘Christmas Rocks! The Best of Collection’ and the new ‘Ultimate Christmas Collection’.

‘Christmas Rocks!’ brings together the best songs from his two Christmas albums, ‘Dig That Crazy Christmas’ and ‘Boogie Woogie Christmas’- favorites like “Jingle Bells,” "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch," "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!," "My Favorite Things," "Jingle Bell Rock," "White Christmas," and the previously unreleased “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.”

‘The Ultimate Christmas Collection’ includes ‘Christmas Rocks!’ plus a DVD of the Brian Setzer Orchestra concert that aired over 200 times on PBS stations nationwide during their holiday pledge drive in 2006. The DVD features 25 tracks of holiday favorites and BSO gems including "Stray Cat Strut," "Jump Jive An' Wail," and “Rock This Town," plus extensive backstage footage.

The Brian Setzer Orchestra have performed their raucous renditions of Christmas songs on the Christmas at Rockefeller Center Special, The Today Show, Rachael Ray, The Tonight Show, and Conan O’Brien over the last seven years.

And as if that wasn’t enough, Surfdog releases his new film noir-inspired CD ‘Songs From Lonely Avenue’ Oct. 13.

DECEMBER 18th & 19th

GIBSON AMPHITHEATRE

ON SALE SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 26th AT 1 PM

DOWNTOWN RiVERSiDE CA. STREET JAZZ JAM RETURNS

2009-08-27T11:08:00.000-07:00

RIVERSIDE, CALIF. — August 27, 2009 — Riverside’s coolest new event — Downtown Street Jazz Jam — returns on Saturday, September 12 from 2 to 8:30 p.m. in historic downtown Riverside. Families are encouraged to bring their kids to enjoy family-friendly entertainment including face-painting and balloon artists in the afternoon. The ever popular Cadillac Cats will delight the audience with their cool sounds from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Concertgoers will also hear the talented, soul-stirring rhythmic grooves of S.l.an’G., which stands for Soul Love An’ Groove. This local five piece band is known for taking 70s jazz fusion music and blending it with a little funk, hip-hop (old school style) to create their own unique style! Immediately following Slang at 5:30 p.m. Downtown Street Jam will have free salsa dance lessons courtesy of the UCR Salsa Dance Club.

Headlining this Downtown Street Jam on September 12th is none other than the world renowned Latin Jazz artist Poncho Sanchez. This Grammy Award winning percussionist and his award-winning eight piece ensemble will heat things up from 7-8:30 p.m. with his sizzling performance.

Sanchez is one of the leading percussionists in the music industry today. His music style is a fusion of Latin/Afro Cuban style with some jazz, R&B mixed with a little funk. Music critic Scott Lenz of LA Times says of Sanchez, “As Elvis is to rock and James Brown is to soul, Poncho Sanchez is to salsa…particularly the congas,” and the Chicago Tribune calls Sanchez one of the most accomplished and versatile Latin jazz bands in the U.S. Band members include George Ortiz on timbales, Tony Banda on bass, Ron Blake on trumpet, Javier Vergara on alto and tenor sax, Francisco Torres on trombone, Joey de Leon on bongo/tres and Sanchez on congas. Sanchez’s latest recording “Psychedelic Blues” will be available to his fans via streaming online at www.npr.org music courtesy of NPR’s exclusive First Listen program after this concert from September 15-29th.

Attendees are encouraged to patronize local restaurants and shops between performances at Downtown Street Jam. This is an outdoor event and no ice chests or umbrellas are permitted but it is strongly recommended to bring your own chair and arrive early for best seating.

Downtown Street Jam is sponsored and hosted by Riverside Downtown Partnership (RDP) and downtown businesses Mission Tobacco Lounge, Lake Alice, Worthington’s Tavern, Mario’s Place, and Menagerie/Delights & Invites.

Don’t miss Downtown Street Jam, one of the most anticipated events of the year! For more information call Natasha Ferguson at (951) 341-6550, visit www.RiversideDowntown.org or you can find us on MySpace at www.myspace.com/downtownstreetjam.

TRACY CHAPMAN PLAYS LA

2009-07-28T14:59:00.000-07:00

TRACY CHAPMAN’s August 20th performance at The Wiltern has been moved to Wednesday, August 19th. Tickets purchased for the August 20th show will be honored on the 19th. Refunds will also be available at point of purchase. This show is currently on sale exclusively online at www.livenation.com. This tour is in support of her latest album Our Bright Future released last November.

Atlantic recording artist Tracy Chapman has unveiled an extensive slate of summer concert dates, her first full-scale North American itinerary in over three years. The tour – which celebrates the multi-platinum, four-time Grammy-winner’s acclaimed 2008 release, Our Bright Future – will hit the road in July 31st at Boston’s House of Blues. From there, Chapman will cross the continent, wrapping up with eagerly awaited shows at The Fillmore in her adopted hometown of San Francisco.

The American dates will be preceded by a major trek across Europe, with multiple performances set for Ireland, England, France, Denmark, Poland, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, and The Netherlands. Chapman will be accompanied on both her European and North American tours by her band, which includes guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Joe Gore (Tom Waits, PJ Harvey, Aimee Mann), keyboardist Patrick Warren (Fiona Apple, Bruce Springsteen, Ani DiFranco), and drummer Dawn Richardson (4 Non Blondes, Penelope Houston).

Beginning with the 1988 release of her eponymous, 6x-platinum certified debut, Chapman has created a body of work that has been as consistently compelling as it is honest and uncompromising. Our Bright Future – Tracy’s eighth studio album and first new release since 2005’s acclaimed Where You Live – gathers 11 new songs co-produced with fellow Grammy Award winner Larry Klein (Herbie Hancock, Joni Mitchell, Madeleine Peyroux).

The album received a rapturous critical response upon its release last November. The Boston Globe hailed Chapman’s “emotional intensity and clarity of vision,” and then went on to laud tracks such as the first single, “Sing For You,” as “tuneful and soul-baring, a rare and beautiful combination.” The New York Times’ Jon Pareles praised the album’s “delicacy,” noting that “it draws listeners closer to what (Chapman) does best.” “Tracy Chapman remains true to her musical calling,” extolled Billboard, “soul-rich folk melodies around a voice of honesty and nuance that nails ambivalence like no other.”

WEDNESDAY – AUGUST 19th, 2009

GUiNNESS BOOK OF RECORDS WORLD RECORD OF SOLO GUiTAR

2009-07-21T15:22:00.000-07:00

IT IS OFFICIAL! The Guinness Book of World Records (TM) has confirmed and accepted the world record of solo guitarist JEFF AUG! On Tuesday, 21.July 2009, The GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS (TM) wrote:

Congratulations! Your record has been approved.
The current record for "Most concerts performed in different countries in 24 hours" is: 6, achieved by Jeff Aug (Germany) on his 'Wounded Fingers' Tour, which included concerts in Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Belgium and The Netherlands between 13-14 March 2009.

The world record documentary film is now online: www.live-in.net. The entire show runs for ca. 50 minutes. The documentary starts at the 27th minute. Website: www.JeffAug.com
Check out a Jeff Aug video.....

LiVENATiONS NO SERViCE FEE WEDNESDAYS

2009-07-06T11:00:00.000-07:00

Since the June 3rd launch of “No Service Fee Wednesday,” Live Nation has delivered a steady stream of value for summer concert fans each Wednesday at LiveNation.com. This week, Live Nation goes all-in with the industry’s first ever one price concert experience, announcing an all-in price of $29.99 including lawn ticket, parking, all fees, a hot dog and a soda. The special offer, which is good on all lawn tickets at Live Nation ticketed amphitheaters, runs for 24 hours beginning on Wednesday, July 8 only at LiveNation.com.

Tickets for this week’s installment of “No Service Fee Wednesday” go on sale at 12:01 a.m. local time on July 8, 2009 at www.LiveNation.com.

“Over the last five Wednesdays, music fans have saved millions of dollars on concert tickets at LiveNation.com,” says Michael Rapino, President and Chief Executive Officer of Live Nation. “Now fans have asked that we take it one step further and give a truly all-in price and so this week we’re offering a $29.99, one price deal that includes the ticket, parking, all fees and a concert meal.”

Below is a list of a few artists and venues that the all-in $29.99 concert experience will be available:

Shoreline Amphitheatre at Mountain View

August 12 – Depeche Mode
August 16 – Toby Keith with Trace Adkins
September 2 – Def Leppard with Poison and Cheap Trick
September 25 – Brad Paisley with Dierks Bentley

Sleep Train Pavilion at Concord

July 9 – New Kids on the Block with Jesse McCartney
July 11 – Love Train: The Sounds of Philadelphia with The O’Jays and more
July 31 – Judas Priest with Whitesnake
August 15 – Lil Wayne with Drake and more
August 22 – Mount Diablo Jazz Festival with Anita Baker, Boney James and more

Sleep Train Amphitheatre at Wheatland

July 14 – Coldplay
August 1 – Rockalottapuss with Judas Priest and more
August 31 – Nickelback with Papa Roach, Hinder and Saving Abel
September 3 – Def Leppard with Poison and Cheap Trick
September 26 – Brad Paisley with Dierks Bentley

Southern California Shows

Slightly Stoopid & Snoop Dogg (Verizon Wireless Amphitheater) – July 11
311 (Verizon Wireless Amphitheater) – July 12
Marilyn Manson & Slayer at Mayhem Festival (San Manuel Amphitheater)– July 12
Coldplay (Verizon Wireless Amphitheater)—July 19
The Fray (Verizon Wireless Amphitheater)– July 29
Crue Fest 2 (San Manuel Amphitheater)– July 31
Journey (San Manuel Amphitheater)—August 1
No Doubt (Verizon Wireless Amphitheater)— August 4
Rock The Bells 09 (San Manuel Amphitheater)— August 8
Toby Keith (San Manuel Amphitheater)— August 15
Aerosmith w/special guests ZZ Top (Verizon Wireless Amphitheater— August 23
Def Leppard w/special guests Poison & Cheap Trick (VWA—Aug 30; San Manuel Amph—Sept 6)
Nickelback (Verizon Wireless Amphitheater)— September 3
Blink-182 (Verizon Wireless Amphitheater)—September 18

*Subject to availability. Participating shows. Does not include any shipping costs. General admission or reserved seats where applicable. Serving size may vary per venue.

CALiFORNiA JAZZ iN' ON THE PROMENADE

2009-06-25T20:38:00.000-07:00

Smooth jazz fans will be treated to another great concert lineup at Jazzin’ on The Promenade at the Dos Lagos Amphitheater in Corona, Calif. This concert series will take place every Saturday from July 11 to August 1 at 6:30 p.m. and will feature internationally-recognized jazz artists and some incredibly talented local bands. Concert seating begins at 5:30 p.m. and admission is free to the public due to the generous support of The Promenade Shops at Dos Lagos, Coca-Cola Bottling Company, Springhill Suites Marriott (Corona/Riverside), TAPS Fish House and Brewery and Smooth Jazz 94.5 KMYT.

"With stunning lakeside views and award-winning restaurants nearby, the 408-capacity Dos Lagos Amphitheater is the perfect outdoor venue to enjoy live entertainment." said Tiffany Jones, Program and Event Manager for Dos Lagos. "We are excited to bring Jazzin’ on The Promenade

back for its third year with a delightful mix of Latin, soulful and smooth jazz."

The stellar lineup includes violinist extraordinaire Karen Briggs and silky saxophonist Will Donato on S

aturday, July 11; Dynamic saxophonist and vocalist Andre Delano and Latin jazz great Ronnie Gutierrez on Saturday, July 18; Chart-topping jazz artist Oli Silk along with rising star Dominic Amato on Saturday, July 25; and, Grammy® award-winning producer and guitarist Paul Brown and the soulful DW3 Band on Saturday, August 1.

Attendees will enjoy an evening packed with cool jazz at the Dos Lagos Amphitheater, which is surrounded by two beautiful lakes and a one of a kind bamboo bridge with a waterfall feature. In addition, guests are invited to dine lakeside at TAPS Fish House & Brewery, shop at over 60 stores and restaurants, visit sponsor exhibits and meet the performing artists. The Dos Lagos Amphitheater is located at 2755 Lakeshore Drive adjacent to The Promenade Shops at Dos Lagos in Corona, Calif. Attendees extending their stay in the city of Corona may contact

SpringHill Suites Marriott Corona/Riverside at (951) 520-0984 and ask for the Dos Lagos Jazz Weekend rate starting at $89. The public can visit www.PromenadeShopsAtDosLagos.com or call (951) 277-7601 or for additional information.

About The Promenade Shops at Dos Lagos

The Promenade Shops at Dos Lagos is Corona, California’s first lifestyle center, offers a 15-screen movie theatre lakeside restaurants, personal care services and over 60 specialty stores including Anthropologie, Banana Republic, COACH, Coldwater Creek, Jade Aveda SalonSpa, Talbots, Trader Joe's, Sur La Table, Victoria's Secret, Z Gallerie and much more. The pedestrian-friendly shopping center is a part of Dos Lagos, a 543-acre master-planned sustainable community. The Center was developed and is managed by Poag & McEwen Lifestyle Centers, LLC. For more information, visit www.PromenadeShopsAtDosLagos.com or www.PM-Lifestyle.com.

THiS SAYS iT ALL.....

2009-06-24T18:11:00.000-07:00

ZiGGY MARLEY KiCKS OFF SUMMER TOUR

2009-06-16T09:21:00.000-07:00

Four-time Grammy winner Ziggy Marley’s third solo album, Family Time, continues to receive critical acclaim following its release on Tuff Gong Worldwide May 5. USA Today, People, JET, LA Weekly, EBONY, Cookie, New York Post, San Francisco Chronicle, among others, are praising Marley’s first reggae recording for kids and families. In support of the release, he’s appeared on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “Tavis Smiley Show,” CNN, and more. Family Time debuted at #1 onBillboard’s Top Reggae Albums and #3 on the Top Kid Audio charts. Continuing the momentum, Marley has embarked on a nationwide tour this summer including a family music show at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga on August 8th at 12:30pm. This show will take place during the daytime, with Ziggy Marley performing with Toots & The Maytals that evening at 7:30pm.

Tickets for this special family show with Ziggy Marley are $16.00 each plus applicable charges. There are a limited number of VIP seats available for $23.50 plus applicable charges. Children under 2 are free. Tickets are on sale Sunday, June 21st at 10am at www.LiveNation.com, www.MountainWinery.com or charge by phone at 877-598-6659. Tickets for the family show do not grant access into the evening show. Tickets for the evening show do not grant access into the daytime show. These are two separate events. Tickets for Ziggy Marley and Toots & The Maytals at 7:30pm on August 8th are on sale now atwww.LiveNation.com.

Marley produced Family Time with legendary producer Don Was and the album features a variety of family and friends includingRita Marley (Ziggy’s mother), Cedella Marley (sister), Judah Marley (daughter), Paul Simon, Jack Johnson, Willie Nelson,Toots Hibbert, Elizabeth Mitchell, Laurie Berkner, Paula Fuga and two stories narrated by Jamie Lee Curtis.

“Growing up music was an important part of my childhood,” Marley says. “I see it being just as important in my children and all children’s growth and development. Music helps children to grow with open minds and open hearts and this is my message. This record represents my daily family life and is inspired by my four-year-old daughter Judah and baby Gideon. It was a joy to make and opened up new avenues in my creativity. Family Time is for all families and especially the world family.”

Marley, the eldest son of Bob Marley, also executive produced B is for Bob, a collection of the international music legend’s most beloved songs re-imagined for kids to be released June 23 by UMe/Island/Tuff Gong. The album bridges the gap between the timeless Bob Marley and a new generation of kids.

Born in Trench Town, Jamaica, Ziggy Marley’s early immersion in music came at a very tender age when he sat in on recording sessions with his father. He later joined his siblings (Sharon, Cedella and Stephen) to front The Melody Makers, whose eight best-selling albums garnered three Grammy awards and generated such chart-topping hits as “Tomorrow People” and “Tumbling Down.” Dragonfly, his solo debut was released in 2003. His sophomore solo album, Love Is My Religion, was released in 2006 and won the Grammy for Best Reggae Album at the 2007 ceremony.

Marley, along with a crew of celebrity guests, is taping a music video for Sesame Street’s 40th Anniversary season called “Set Your Piggies Free,” which launches this fall. He has also contributed to a variety of children’s programming including Nick Jr.’s “Dora the Explorer,” the PBS children’s show “Arthur,” and Shark Tale, in which he delved into acting, playing the character of Bernie the Jamaican jellyfish as well as re-recording his father’s “Three Little Birds” with Sean Paul and his brother Stephen Marley for the soundtrack. In addition to his skills as a singer, songwriter and producer, Marley founded U.R.G.E. (Unlimited Resources Giving Enlightenment), a non-profit organization that benefits a wide range of charitable children’s causes in Jamaica, and other developing nations. More recently he has lent his support to the Fashion Against Aids, Little Kids Rock and Youth AIDS campaign. Proceeds from the sale of this album will benefit ChepstoweBasic School in Port Antonio, JA.

The Tuff Gong label was founded in 1965 by Bob Marley with the vision of producing, distributing and promoting his music free from the constraints of corporate label politics. In a time decades before artist-owned record labels were commonplace and, as the acclaimed symbol of the genre, Marley’s vision was characteristically well ahead of its time. Now, nearly a half-century later, his dream is being realized.

Ziggy Marley Tour Dates

June 5* Santa Barbara, CA Santa Barbara Bowl
June 6† Los Angeles, CA Club Nokia
June 7* Eugene, OR Cuthbert Amphitheatre
June 8* Seattle, WA WaMu Theatre
June 11* Salt Lake City, UT Usana Amphitheatre
June 12† Boulder, CO Boulder Theater
June 12* Denver, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre
June 13* Kansas City, MO City Market/Buzz Under the Stars
June 14† Chicago, IL House of Blues
June 14* Chicago, IL Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island
June 16†† Westlake, OH Barnes & Noble
June 16* Cleveland, OH Time Warner Cable Amphitheatre
June 17* Columbus, OH Lifestyles Communities Pavilion
June 19* Detroit, MI Freedom Hill Amphitheatre
June 20* Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Music Center
June 21* Indianapolis, IN The Lawns at White River State Park
June 23* Saratoga Springs, NY Saratoga Performing Arts Center
June 24* Boston, MA Comcast Center
June 25* New York, NY Central Park Summerstage
June 26 New York, NY Apple Store—Soho
June 27† New York, NY Blender Theater
June 27* Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center
June 28* Washington, DC Nissan Pavilion
June 30* Philadelphia, PA Penn’s Landing
July 1* Virginia Beach, VA Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
July 3* Charlotte, NC Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
July 4* Atlanta, GA Lakewood Amphitheatre
July 5* Raleigh, NC Walnut Creek Amphitheatre
July 7†† Chesterfield, MO Barnes & Noble
July 7* St. Louis, MO Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
July 10* Phoenix, AZ Dodge Theatre
July 11†† Mira Mesa, CA Barnes & Noble
July 11* San Diego, CA Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre
July 12* Irvine, CA Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
July 25†† Santa Monica, CA Barnes & Noble
August 8† Saratoga, CA The Mountain Winery
*—with 311 and The Expendables †—special Family Time daytime show ††—Barnes & Noble in-store performance and signing

TORi AMOS ANNOUNCES SAN JOSE SHOW

2009-06-14T14:15:00.000-07:00

Tori Amos will play San Jose on Tuesday, July 14th at The San Jose Center for Performing Arts. This is Tickets go on sale Saturday, June 20th at 10am and are $55.50 and $39.50 for reserved seating. This is her first return to the South Bay in over 6 years.

For nearly two decades, Tori Amos’ stark lyrical flourishes and inspired musicianship have shaped the musical landscape. She is also considered one of the most emotionally powerful live artists in music today. Her most recent world tour, launched in the summer of 2007, with media platforms such as the BBC who lauded both her live show and album as 'returning Tori Amos back to the forefront of a genre she defined...still pushing her own boundaries.'

Stay posted at www.toriamos.com for on-sale information.

THE TEMPTATiONS & THE FOUR TOPS WiTH SPECiAL GUEST

2009-06-08T20:44:00.000-07:00

Two Motown legends, THE TEMPTATIONS and THE FOUR TOPS, team up for a special night of Motown magic at the Gibson Amphitheatre on Friday, September 25th. Tickets go on sale on Sunday, June 14th at 1 PM through www.livenation.com. Ticket prices start at $20.00 plus service fees.

This year Motown celebrates its 50th anniversary and THE FOUR TOPS is among a few key groups who helped define the Motown Sound. THE FOUR TOPS was the main male vocal group for the songwriting and production team of Holland-Dozier-Holland who crafted the group a stream of hit singles, including two Billboard Hot 100 number-one hits "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)" and "Reach Out I'll Be There". Other hits include their 1964 Top 20 single “Baby I Need Your Loving,” the 1965 Top 10 hit “It’s The Same Old Song,” “Ain’t No Woman (Like The One I’ve Got)” and the Motown staple “Standing In The Shadows Of Love” which reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. THE FOUR TOPS recently received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2009 Grammy Awards.

The Grammy-winning vocal group THE TEMPTATIONS achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music. Over the course of their career, THE TEMPTATIONS have released four Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles and 14 Billboard R&B number-one singles including “My Girl,” “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg,” “I Can’t Get Next To You” and “Just My Imagination (running Away With Me).” Other hits include 1964’s “The Way You Do The Things You Do,” the 1966 hit “Get Ready” and 1975’s “Happy People.” Their material has earned them three Grammy Awards, while two more awards were given to the songwriters and producers who crafted their 1972 hit "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone.“

YES / ASiA COME TO LOS ANGELES

2009-05-05T11:00:00.000-07:00

Acclaimed British band YES launch their 24-city U.S. tour in June with special co-headliners Asia. The tour will make a stop at the world famous Gibson Amphitheatre on Tuesday, July 7, 2009. This tour feature featuring the classic line-up of guitarist Steve Howe, bassist Chris Squire and drummer Alan White with new vocalist Benoit David and keyboardist Oliver Wakeman, son of the group’s Rick Wakeman. Tickets for this show go on sale Saturday, May 9, 2009 at 1 PM on www.livenation.com. These new dates come after this year’s West Coast tour was postponed when Chris Squire was hospitalized for leg surgery.

YES concerts have always been very special events, and this spring’s U.S. jaunt will be no different. The group will perform selections from hit albums like Fragile, Close to the Edge, Tales from Topographic Oceans and 90125 along with audience favorites like “Roundabout,” “Owner of a Lonely Heart,” “I’ve Seen All Good People” and “Yours Is No Disgrace,” just some of the enduring classics that have made YES one of the most influential and groundbreaking groups in rock & roll. Howe, Squire and White are also pulling out some rarely performed chestnuts, like 1980’s “Machine Messiah” and “Siberian Khatru,” expertly sung by David, a Montreal, Quebec, native and vocalist in several YES tribute groups, discovered by the band on the Internet. His ability to channel Anderson’s distinctive singing voice has added an extra treat for true fans.

Rolling Stone raved that YES’ performance at New York City’s Hammersmith Ballroom last year “sounded as majestic as ever,” adding that the band’s stand-in vocalist Benoit David was able to “expertly mimic the impossibly high-pitched vocals of original singer Jon Anderson.” This may not be exactly the traditional YES line-up… “But it’s close enough,” the magazine declared.

For this tour, Asia will be co-headlining with YES with Howe, a cornerstone member of both groups, performing as part of each band’s set, alongside original Asia members, including ex-YES and Buggles keyboardist Geoff Downes, ELP’s Carl Palmer on drums and former King Crimson and UK bassist/guitarist/vocalist John Wetton. Asia’s performance will feature many songs from their historic first album, the world’s best-selling release of 1982. The supergroup’s debut effort was #1 at Billboard for nine weeks and included such smashes as “Heat of the Moment,” “Only Time Will Tell” and “Sole Survivor.” The original line-up of Asia reformed after 23 years apart in 2006, and has since conducted four successful world tours. In addition, the band released the critically acclaimed Phoenix album on EMI Records. Collectively and individually, the four original members of ASIA have sold over 120 million records.

TICKETS ON SALE SATURDAY – MAY 9th AT 1 PM

JOURNEY WiTH SPECiAL GUEST

2009-05-04T17:46:00.000-07:00

Iconic, multi-platinum rockers Journey have announced that they will return to Southern California with a Saturday, August 1st performance at San Manuel Amphitheater. This marks their first L.A.-area date following a winter Asian trek, which included their first dates in China and the Philippines.

Journey - Neal Schon (guitars, backing vocals), Jonathan Cain (keyboards, backing vocals), Ross Valory (bass, backing vocals), Deen Castronovo (drums, percussion, backing vocals) and Arnel Pineda (lead vocals) - plays with a passion and commitment that wows both longtime fans and new generations of listeners alike. More than 700,000 fans attended their 2008 tour alone to hear the new hit singles “Never Walk Away” and “After All These Years” as well as the staggering catalogue of hits such as “Don’t Stop Believin,” “Any Way You Want It,” “Open Arms,” and “Separate Ways.”

Journey has performed around the world for nearly a year in support of the group’s latest recording project, Revelation. A three-disc CD/DVD package, Revelation sold more than 104,000 copies its first week in stores, marking the band's biggest first week's sales in over a decade. Produced by Kevin Shirley, the album marks a new chapter in the band’s legendary career, thanks to two hit singles ("Never Walk Away" and "After All These Years") and rave reviews, including the New York Times who hailed: "...the band seems to have taken rock vitamins: it feels alive." Revelation recently earned Platinum honors, marking their 11th Platinum album certification to date.

For more information visit www.journeymusic.com.

TICKETS ON SALE SATURDAY MAY 9 AT 12 NOON

MONTALVO ANNOUNCES 2009 CONCERT LiNE-UPS

2009-04-27T09:25:00.000-07:00

Northern California concert fans should take advantage of this years early line-up announcement for shows at the historic Garden Theatre at the Montalvo Arts Center. This season features performances by some of music’s most recognizable figures including Joan Baez, Peter Frampton, Dave Koz, Buddy Guy, Jewel and Julio Iglesias. More acts will be announced throughout the season.

“I’m thrilled to showcase such a diverse line-up of artists, all of whom look forward to the intimacy and charm of Montalvo,” said Jodi Goodman, Senior Vice President of Booking for Live Nation.

Montalvo, which currently brings performances and music to the Bay Area community year-round, is a nonprofit, member-supported, multi-disciplinary arts center. The Garden Theatre, an intimate 1,200-seat outdoor venue set in the foothills of Saratoga, has brought approximately 25,000 patrons each summer to Montalvo in years past.

For complete information regarding Montalvo Arts Center including season lineup, directions and VIP amenities, please visit www.montalvoarts.org.

JAZZ CLUB'S SEA GOiNG JAZZ CRUiSE

2009-04-24T11:30:00.000-07:00

SARASOTA, FL--Jazz on the Water, the popular musical excursion on Sarasota Bay, casts off on Sunday, May 3, sponsored by the Jazz Club of Sarasota. The fun begins when LeBarge leaves from Sarasota’s Bayfront Park at 3 p.m. and wraps up at 5 p.m. The Katt Hefner Group, featuring vocalist Katt Hefner, pianist Kenny Drew Jr., John Lamb on bass, and Eddie Graham on drums, will entertain during the afternoon cruise.

Ticket availability is limited by the size of LeBarge and the event usually sells out quickly. Tickets are $35, $30 for Jazz Club members, and are available at the Jazz Club office, 330 S. Pineapple Ave., Suite 111, Sarasota. The ticket fee covers the cost of the cruise and the music. Snacks and beverages will be available for purchase on LeBarge. For further information, call the Jazz Club office at 941-366-1552 or visit www.jazzclubsarasota.org.

NORTHERN CALiFORNiA MOUNTAiN WiNERY CONCERT SERiES

2009-04-22T13:42:00.000-07:00

Live Nation is pleased to announce the complete line-up for the 2009 Mountain Winery Concert Series presented by Groupware Technology.

Directions are available at www.mountainwinery.com.

Tickets are available at www.LiveNation.com or www.mountainwinery.com.

To charge tickets by phone, call (877) LYV-ONLY. Ticket prices are subject to applicable service charges. All dates, acts and prices are subject to change without notice. Please note that tickets are available online EXCLUSIVELY at MountainWinery.com and Livenation.com.

BEYoNCE

2009-04-20T11:19:00.000-07:00

Beyonce, global multi-media superstar, platinum chart force and electrifying live performer, returns to the California Southland with two area stops on her highly-anticipated “I AM...” tour: July 11th at Honda Center and July 13th at Staples Center. Tickets for both shows go on sale Saturday, April 25th at 10 AM.

PLEASE NOTE:

The onsale time for both of Beyonce’s LA-area performances has now changed to 11 AM.

The most heavily anticipated concert event of the year, Beyonce's "I AM…" world tour will mark the artist's first full-length concert since 2007's sold-out "The Beyonce Experience" and will premiere live performances of songs from I AM…SASHA FIERCE, her latest international #1 chart-topping album.

The "I AM…" world tour production promises to showcase the music and film superstar like you've never seen her before. Beyonce's extraordinary all-female band, The SUGAMAMAS, will join her again to perform musical hits, classics, and surprises in a newly-created high-tech state-of-the-art concert environment. Thierry Mugler, world-renowned designer, director and photographer, will work as creative advisor and costume designer.

I AM… SASHA FIERCE is Beyonce’s first new studio collection since her 2006 Grammy-winning multi-platinum-selling B'Day. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, her third consecutive #1 bow. I AM… SASHA FIERCE has also dominated the airwaves, with three hit singles so far: “Diva” (Top 20 on Billboard Hot 100; #3 on Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart; #1 on Billboard Dance), “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” (#1 on Billboard Hot 100) and “If I Were A Boy” (#1 on Billboard/iLike digital chart for sixteen straight weeks— a record).

HOUSE OF BLUES - SUNSET STRiP

2009-04-04T22:35:00.000-07:00

In April of 1994, House of Blues in West Hollywood opened its doors and forever changed the landscape of Sunset Strip. At it’s opening week celebration the venue solidified its status as a world premier music venue with performances by James Brown, John Lee Hooker, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, and of course, Blues Brother Dan Aykroyd. On April 18th, 2009, this iconic symbol of music on the Strip will again imprint itself upon the live music scene with its 15th Anniversary event. Featuring legacy menu items, 15-year-old pricing on drink specials, night-of-show giveaways, and the music of Kenny Wayne Shepherd, this event promises to stand out in the club’s prodigious history.

House of Blues Sunset may not be the oldest club on the strip, but no one can argue that it has built a rich and varied history in its 15 years. During construction, the new cedar paneled building was covered in tin that was shipped up on flatbed trucks from the site of the first cotton mill that Muddy Waters' worked for in Mississippi. There were also cartons filled with dirt from the old crossroads of Highway 61 and 49, which was promptly placed under the stage to enliven the area with the vibe of bluesmen past and present. The House of Blues is also the largest curator of Outsider Art; art that has been defined as primitive to untrained, art-brut and vernacular art. These unique pieces represent important themes to their artists: slavery, addiction and personal struggle as well as celebrating a passion for romance, music and familial bonds. The club features an 1100 capacity music hall, which has been graced by artists from almost every imaginable genre: Rock n' Roll, Punk, Alterative, Heavy Metal, Rap, Country, Hip-Hop, Rhythm and Blues, Rock en Español, Jazz, Zydeco, Folk, Electronica and many others.

To commemorate 15 years on the Strip, House of Blues Sunset has dusted off a menu from the opening of its renowned southern-inspired, 200-seat restaurant, and will be featuring select menu items at their original 1994 prices. Throughout the evening, drink specials will be offered at prices one could only find 15 years ago. In addition to the many prizes and giveaways, a raffle for a signed Kenny Wayne Shepherd signature Fender Stratocaster will take place. There will also be dancing featuring a live DJ.

American blues guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd will perform to help celebrate the club’s anniversary. Born in Louisiana, Shepherd gleaned the blues near the heart of its most vibrant culture, and soon proved to speak it fluently. His music has spent considerable time at the top of the charts, and he has sold millions of records. His name has been spoken in the same breath as greats like B.B. King, Eric Clapton, and Muddy Waters.

Tickets and dinner reservations can be made by calling the box office at (323) 848-5100. Tickets are also available here.

CALiFORNiA'S 18TH ANNUAL HiGH SiERRA MUSiC FESTiVAL iS COMiNG

2009-04-01T18:27:00.000-07:00

BERKELEY, CA - High Sierra Music announced the confirmed artist line-up and Late Night schedule for the 18th Annual High Sierra Music Festival running Thursday, July 3 to Sunday, July 6, 2008 at the Plumas-Sierra Fairgrounds in Quincy, CA. Gates open at 8:00am on July 3.

Located just four hours from San Francisco and 90 minutes from Reno, the 18th Annual High Sierra Music Festival is the ultimate intimate festival experience and premiere four-day camping and music event in North America. It combines a top-caliber, eclectic music line-up with a variety of outdoor activities, personal wellness programs and arts and educational events. "High Sierra is a one-of-a-kind festival. In this era of mega-festivals, High Sierra sets itself apart because it is so fan-friendly. Folks return again and again because of the quality of the experience – from the festive, family oriented atmosphere to the ultra-clean restrooms and shower houses to the dizzying array of musical and educational offerings," says Rebecca Sparks, festival spokesperson.

Nestled in the quaint town of Quincy, CA (3,500 ft), the High Sierra Music Festival is a great place to take in swimming, hiking and biking amidst the scenic beauty of the majestic Sierra foothills while also enjoying a full palette of music offered on five daytime stages and five nighttime venues. The festival features intimate artist "playshops," an interactive KidZone, daily parades with oversized puppets, fabulous food with no waiting lines, Yoga, Pilates and dance classes along with the opportunity to just relax and camp with good friends in gorgeous weather along with an adjacent Olympic-sized swimming pool. All of this combines to make the High Sierra Music Festival an anticipated yearly event and an experience for people of all ages.

High Sierra is committed to toward environmental sustainability and continues to build upon their greening successes. Through partnerships with Green Mountain Energy for carbon offsets, Clean Vibes for recycling and Clif Bar to purchase wind credits, High Sierra is making visible efforts to minimize their carbon footprint. In 2007, High Sierra implemented a successful composting program, partnering with local Plumas County farmers to keep organic scrap by-products created by its food vendors out of the landfill. In total, approximately 850 gallons of fruit and vegetable waste were kept out of the landfill by the composting team. The team included festival officials, along with conservation biologist Jon Gelbard of Conservation Value, Bob Hollis of the California Resource Recovery Association, farmers Noel Carlson and Jim Holst of the Quincy Grange, Regional Grange Deputy Ken Donnell, and Nick Aster of The Triple Pundit. The festival plans to expand the operation in 2008.

Tickets and Information Here

Tickets are on sale now via High Sierra's secure ticketing site. Four-day passes are $157 through May 19 or while supplies last. (Limited quantity available at this price.) Three-day and two-day passes are also on sale now. Kids ages five to 12: four-day pass $50; three-day pass $40; two-day pass $30; ages four and under are free. On-site camping is included with all multi-day passes.

Late Night tickets and combo wristbands are on sale Friday, April 18 at 10:00AM PST on High Sierra's secure ticketing site.

Parking is free in an off-site lot. Shuttle service provided. On-site vehicle passes are $85; on-site RV passes are sold out. RV Annex passes (off-site RV parking, no hook-ups) are $85.

PPremium FestivALL Packages include four-day festival passes, access to a VIP lounge near the Grandstand Stage featuring elevated viewing, private port-o-johns, a massage chair (limited hours), beverages and snacks, Late Night combination wristbands for access to all Late Night shows, festival t-shirts, festival posters and drink tickets. These packages are designed for both individuals and groups of two. FestivALL Pack 2 includes a vehicle pass, and Pack 3 includes an RV pass with guaranteed hook-up. Prices range from $650 to $1,450. $1 of each advance multi-day ticket is donated to the High Sierra Foundation 501c3. The High Sierra Foundation was established in 2003 to raise awareness and funds for worthwhile organizations related to music, art, education and social justice.

About High Sierra Music

High Sierra Music has been producing world-class music festivals since 1991. An independent production company based in Berkeley, CA, the organization was founded with the first High Sierra Music Festival, its cornerstone event that takes place every July 4th weekend in Northern California, and remains committed to its grassroots beginnings by drawing support from its loyal community of patrons, staff, volunteers and non-corporate sponsors. In addition to the High Sierra Music Festival, the organization has produced events in Georgia, Massachusetts, Missouri and Las Vegas, and presents concerts in San Francisco and the Lake Tahoe area. This year, High Sierra Music is proud to announce the inaugural DelFest, taking place May 23-25, 2008 in Cumberland, MD.

SAN FRANCiSCO BAY AREA UPCOMiNG CONCERTS 3/31

2009-03-31T17:32:00.000-07:00

ON SALE THIS FRIDAY AT 12:00PM!
TiCKETS AVAiLABLE AT LiVENATiON.COM

102.9 KBLX
STONE SOUL CONCERT
with CHARLIE WILSON, JEFFREY OSBORNE, AVERAGE WHITE BAND AND ASHFORD & SIMPSON
Memorial Day - Monday, May 25th, Doors 11:00AM/ Show 12:00PM
Sleep Train Pavilion At Concord
Tickets are $89.75, $55.75, $35.75 for reserved seating and $35.75 for general admission plus applicable service charges...all ages

LISA LAMPANELLI
Saturday, June 6th, Doors 7:00PM/ Show 8:00PM
Nob Hill Masonic Center
Tickets are $39.75 for reserved seats plus applicable service charges...all ages

JACKSON BROWNE
Wednesday, August 19th, Doors 7:00PM/ Show 8:00PM
Paramount Theatre
Tickets are $59.50, $49.50 and $39.50 for reserved seating plus applicable service charges...all ages

ON SALE THIS SATURDAY AT 12:00PM!
TiCKETS AVAiLABLE AT LiVENATiON.COM

98.1 KISS FM
OLD SCHOOL FIESTA
with WAR, BRENTON WOOD, LAKESIDE, TRINERE, EL CHICANO
Saturday, May 30th, Doors 4:00PM/ Show 5:00PM
Shoreline Amphitheatre
Get reserved and GA tickets for only $10.00!
Tickets are $59.50, $39.50 and $10.00 for reserved seating and $10.00 for general admission plus applicable service charges...all ages

ON SALE THIS SUNDAY AT 10:00AM!
TiCKETS AVAiLABLE AT LiVENATiON.COM

THE GREAT AMERICAN FOOD AND MUSIC FEST
with host: Bobby Flay and Starring Guy Fieri & Little Feat
Saturday, June 13th , Doors 11:00AM/Show NOON
Shoreline Amphitheatre at Mountain View
Tickets start at $35 and includes you’re your first plate of food.
www.greatamericanfoodandmusicfest.com

INDIGO GIRLS
Wednesday, May 13th, Doors 7:00PM/ Show 8:00PM
Zellerbach Auditorium
Tickets are $38.50 for reserved seats plus applicable service charges...all ages

THRIVING IVORY
Friday, May 8th, Doors 8:00PM/ Show 9:00PM
The Fillmore
Tickets are $19.50 for general admission plus applicable service charges...all ages

2 Shows With…
JENNY LEWIS
Thursday, May 28th, Doors 7:00PM/ Show 8:00PM
Friday, May 29th, Doors 8:00PM/ Show 9:00PM
The Fillmore
Tickets are $25.00 for general admission plus applicable service charges...all ages

XAVIER RUDD
Saturday, June 27th, Doors 8:00PM/ Show 9:00PM
The Fillmore
Tickets are $25.00 for general admission plus applicable service charges...all ages

TiCKETS AVAiLABLE AT LiVENATiON.COM

U2 360° TOUR with SPECiAL GUESTS THE BLACK EYED PEAS

2009-03-30T11:22:00.000-07:00

It’s confirmed! U2 fans world-wide are ready to “get on their boots” as U2 360° Tour, presented by Blackberry, announces multiple sell-outs in Amsterdam, Dublin, Gothenburg, and Paris as well as additional sell-outs in Milan, Nice, Chorzow, Zagreb and Sheffield.

Response has been overwhelming and records continue to shatter. In London, with over 6700 tickets sold in just 60 seconds, ticket sales for U2 360° Tour at Wembley Stadium resulted in the highest sales rate ever in the UK. At Dublin’s Croke Park, 160,000 tickets for U2 360° Tour performances in July 24th and 25th sold out in just 40 minutes, leading the announcement of a 3rd and final event in that city. Response to U2’s Toronto performance has been so overwhelming that a second and final show was announced before the first date went on sale. Sales in Gothenburg and Amsterdam were so brisk that 2nd performances were added and sold out within hours of them going on sale. Zagreb sales broke all sales records in that country and last week – U2’s tour opener in Barcelona sold out in 54 minutes becoming the fastest ever sold out show in the history of pop music in Spain.

U2 360° Tour, their first stadium outing since the Vertigo Tour of 05/06 follows the release of their 12th studio album No Line On The Horizon which debuted at #1 in over 30 territories.

Produced by Live Nation Global Touring, U2 360° begins June 30th in Barcelona and will visit 14 cities across Europe through August. The tour will then storm North America beginning at Chicago’s Soldier Field on September 12th, 2009 with concert dates confirmed through Vancouver on October 28th.

Long-time U2 Show Director Willie Williams has worked again with architect Mark Fisher (ZooTV, PopMart, Elevation and Vertigo), to create an innovative 360˚ design which affords an unobstructed view for the audience. U2 360° also marks the first time a band has toured in stadiums with such a unique and original structure (which can be viewed at U2.com).

“U2 has always been at their best when surrounded by their audience, this staging takes a giant leap forward. With 85 percent of the tickets priced at less than $95.00, general admission floor tickets priced at $55.00 and at least 10,000 tickets at every venue priced at the $30.00 price range, we have worked very hard to ensure that U2 fans can purchase a great priced ticket with a guaranteed great view” says U2’s manager Paul McGuinness.

Arthur Fogel, CEO Global Touring/Chairman - Global Music Live Nation: "Following the overwhelming worldwide success of the Vertigo tour where every available ticket was sold, there is tremendous anticipation for this tour and to experience this revolutionary production. As usual fans will not be disappointed." Commenting on the new relationship between U2 and BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion (RIM), Paul McGuinness added: "This tour announcement marks the first stage of a relationship and shared vision between RIM and U2 that we expect will lead to new and innovative ways to enhance the mobile music experience on the BlackBerry platform for U2 fans. We look forward to sharing more details as the relationship unfolds.”

In keeping with their long-standing tradition, U2 will welcome a number of different support acts to the tour, including: Snow Patrol, Muse, Glasvegas, Elbow, Kaiser Chiefs and Black Eyed Peas.

Tickets on sale – Monday, April 6 at 10 AM

CHiCAGO BLUES FESTiVAL

2009-03-28T21:32:00.000-07:00

The Mother of all Blues Fests, The Chicago Blues Festival has released their complete lineup. The fest runs June 12-14, 2009 in Grant Park in Downtown Chicago. Admission is free.

The festival lineup include more than 65 artists with 5 stages of music each day running from Noon to 9:30pm daily .

Here is a partial list of performers:

Friday, June 12, 2009 - Big Bill Morganfield and Mud Morganfield, Pinetop Perkins, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, Andrew Jr. Boy Jones, Charlie Musselwhite, Mary Lane, Grana’ Louise, Charles Wsir Johnson, Eddie Taylor Jr., Donna Herula, Sam Lay, Shirley Johnson and Eddie C. Campbell.

Saturday, June 13, 2009 - Ray Allison, Lil Ed and the Blues Imperials, Lurrie Bell, Cyrus Hayes, Travis “Moonchild” Haddix, Jeremy Spencer, John Primer, Samuel James, Terry Harmonica Bean, Eden Brent, Little Dave Thompson, Walter Scott, Miss Peaches, Trudy Lynn and Bettye LaVette.

Sunday, June 14, 2009 - Lee Boys, Lou Pride and the Blues Disciples, Vernon Harrington and the Atomic Blues Band, Tre’ and the BlueKnights with Lady Kat, Ernest Lane and the Kings of Rhythm, Eden and John’s East River Band, Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton, Dom Flemons, Ben Payton, Big Jack Johnson, David Honeyboy Edwards, Devil in a Woodpile, Grady Champion, Johnny Drummer and the Starlighters and Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings.

To see the complete lineup and schedule with links to the artist biographies CLICK HERE.

THE BAMBOOZLE LEFT ANNOUNCES AUCTiON

2009-03-27T21:18:00.000-07:00

For the first time ever, THE BAMBOOZLE LEFT will auction off one of the festival’s most coveted spots: an appearance on the Main Stage. All proceeds from the auction will be donated to the One Love for Chi foundation to aid in the ongoing medical care of Deftones bass player, Chi Cheng.

The winning band will be awarded a 25 minute time slot on the Bamboozle Left Main Stage, Sunday April 5th from 2:00pm – 2:25pm at the Festival Grounds at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater. This is a tremendous opportunity to share the stage with Deftones, 50 Cent, Taking Back Sunday, Thrice, The Used, Shwayze, The Vandals, Saosin, Ignite, B.o.B., Emmure, The Bled, The Adolescents, and many, many more!

The auction begins today, Friday March 27th at 3pm PST and ends Wednesday, April 1st at 3pm PST. To participate in the auction, please go here.

The Bamboozle Left is the only place to watch over one hundred of the most talked about bands in pop, punk, mainstream, emo and more perform live on one massive bill. In addition to all of the great music that will take over the sprawling Festival Grounds of Verizon Wireless Amphitheater Saturday, April 4 and Sunday, April 5, The Bamboozle Left will also feature exciting carnival rides. Plus, the world famous vendor village returns, showcasing cutting edge clothing companies, band merch and tons of surprises.

WINNING BAND TO PERFORM SUNDAY, APRIL 5
ALONG WITH 50 CENT – DEFTONES – TAKING BACK SUNDAY & MORE!

STARTS TODAY AT 3 PM – ENDS WEDNESDAY APRIL 1 AT 3 PM

All Proceeds to Benefit One Love for Chi Foundation

For more info on One Love for Chi please visit here.

For more information on the Bamboozle Left Festival please visit here.

PHiSH ANNOUNCES ADDiTiONAL DATES

2009-03-23T11:40:00.000-07:00

San Francisco, CA - Phish will extend its summer tour with 12 additional dates, including a local performance at Shoreline Amphitheater and a four-night stand at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado, marking its first shows at the legendary venue in more than 13 years. The outing launches June 4th and will include performances on two separate days at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. An online ticket request period is currently underway for the newly announced shows at http://phish.portals.musictoday.com/. Tickets for Shoreline will go on sale to the general public beginning Sunday, March 29th at 12 Noon. Showtime for this performance is 7pm.

The announcement comes on the heels of the band’s three-night stand at Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, VA last weekend. “Over a massive, four-hour set, guitarist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike Gordon, drummer Jon Fishman and keyboardist Page McConnell ripped through dozens of crowd-favorites,” said rollingstone.com. “They kicked things off with some of their most compositionally complex tunes, from the knotted prog-funk of ‘Fluffhead’ to ‘Divided Sky,’ where the group’s quiet, mellifluous interplay of guitar, drums, bass and keys suggests they’re as well-oiled of a machine as they’ve ever been.”

The New York Times, which ran two features on the concerts, noted: “as the opening passage of the anthem ‘Fluffhead’ enveloped the room, the eruption of exultation was not merely for the band itself but also for the millions in the Phish diaspora who make up perhaps the most fervent fandom in pop music,” while USA Today said: “the foursome built the backbone of its first set on old-school material, expertly navigating hairpin changes and showing as much spunk as they ever have in this millennium.”

The band has already recorded demos of 20 new songs and will enter the studio in April to begin work on its new album with Steve Lillywhite (U2, Rolling Stones, Dave Matthews Band), who produced Phish’s 1996 album, Billy Breathes. The Clifford Ball, a seven-DVD box set from JEMP Records/Rhino capturing the band’s entire performance at this landmark 1996 festival, just debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Music Video chart.

Formed at the University of Vermont in 1983, the Grammy-nominated band was included in the Top 10 Grossing Concert Tours in North America from 1995-2000 and from 2002-2004. Phish has released 11 studio albums, six concert videos and a series of 44 complete live concert CDs, including 13 on its own JEMP Records. Its series of full concert downloads on livephish.com, the band’s digital download store, currently totals 91.

Tickets for Shoreline Go On Sale To General Public March 29th at Noon

BiLLY JOEL aNd ELTON JOHN - FACE TO FACE

2009-03-23T11:15:00.000-07:00

SAN FRANCISCO, Ca. – Billy Joel and Elton John, the most successful and longest-running concert pairing in pop history, will reunite for their Face 2 Face tour with two Bay Area shows on Saturday, November 14th at ORACLE Arena in Oakland and Tuesday, November 17th at HP Pavilion at San Jose. Showtime for both performances is 7:30pm. Billy and Elton open the concert with a series of duets, playing twin pianos and trading vocals. Each artist then performs a set with his own band. A grand finale brings the two superstars and their supporting musicians back together for a closing encore. This includes some of both Billy and Elton’s greatest hits along with an unpredictable selection of rock and roll classics.

Tickets for the two Bay Area performances will go on sale Monday, March 30 at 10:00 a.m. and will be available at Ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster outlets or by calling (800) 745-3000. There will be a limit of 6 (six) tickets per customer.

This will be Billy Joel and Elton John’s first performance together in the Bay Area since February of 2001.

"The great thing about performing with Elton is that he is such a good piano player and that makes me have to dig deep to keep up with him, not to mention I've got the best seat in the house-only one piano away from Elton John!” said Billy Joel.

“I love touring with Billy. I have the greatest respect for him and we’re such good friends,” Elton John said.

Concert dates announced this year for the Face 2 Face tour immediately sold-out and include two concerts at Toronto’s Air Canada Center, and multiple nights at Chicago’s Wrigley Field, Philadelphia’s Citizen Bank Ballpark, in addition to concerts in Atlanta, Detroit, Houston, and Tampa.

Billy and Elton last toured together in 2003 with 24 sellouts. According to Billboard Magazine the Face 2 Face tour starring Billy Joel and Elton John was “the most successful touring package of all time.”

Tickets on sale Monday, March 30 at 10:00 a.m.

oOPS.....

2009-03-22T00:37:00.001-07:00

LOS ANGELES AREA NEW CONCERTS

2009-03-19T13:44:00.000-07:00

On Sale Saturday March 21 at 10 AM:
JONAS BROTHERS
With Special Guests:
Jordin Sparks
Honor Society
Staples Center
Friday - August 7

* On Sale Friday March 20 at 3 PM:
NINE INCH NAILS / JANE'S ADDICTION
With Special Guest: Street Sweeper
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
May 20

2nd Area Show Added By Overwhelming Demand!
* On Sale Monday March 23 at 10 AM:
COLDPLAY
With Special Guests: Amadou & Mariam - Kitty Daisy & Lewis
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater-- July 19 Just Added!

* On Sale Friday March 20 at 10 AM:
THE FRAY
With Special Guests:
Jack's Mannequin - Vedera
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
July 29

* On Saturday March 21 at 10 AM:
Crue Fest 2
Starring:
MOTLEY CRUE
With:
Godsmack
Theory Of A Deadman - Drowning Pool - Charm City Devils
San Manuel Amphitheater
Friday - July 31

Another Area Show Added By Overwhelming Demand!
On Sale Friday March 20 at 5 PM
NO DOUBT
With Special Guests: Paramore – The Sounds
Gibson Amphitheatre
July 22 – Just Added!

On Sale Monday March 23 at 10 AM:
IL DIVO
Gibson Amphitheatre
July 20

On Sale Friday March 20 at 1 PM:
AMANDA MIGUEL & DIEGO VERDAGUER
Gibson Amphitheatre
Friday – May 15

* On Sale Now:
EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY
The Hollywood Palladium
Saturday – June 27

* On Sale Now:
DOVES
The WIltern
Saturday – May 16

On Sale Friday March 20 at 12 Noon:
JULIO IGLESIAS
Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza
June 9

GET TICKETS AT LIVENATION.COM

FLEETWOOD MAC TOUR KiCKS OFF TO RAVE REViEWS!

2009-03-16T19:13:00.000-07:00

Legendary rockers Fleetwood Mac recently kicked off their Greatest Hits “Unleashed” Tour to rave reviews. Here is sampling of what the media is saying about “Unleashed”:

-- “No drama, just a lot of hits… an abundance from one of the most successful catalogs in rock history, more than enough to keep the two-hour and 20-minute show airborne from start to finish… And the group still managed to deliver a few surprises… [and] deep cuts.”
Reuters

-- “[Lindsey Buckingham] ‘unleashed’ some of the most evocative guitar solos heard in these parts in recent memory”
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

-- “[Stevie Nicks] was focused, emotive and mesmerizing”
Minneapolis-St. Paul Star-Tribune

-- “You couldn't tell how much of the volume was coming from the stage or from the surround sound of stadium-size singalongs.”
Boston Globe

The tour will feature two L.A.-area stops: May 23rd at Honda Center and May 28th at Staples Center. These shows are on sale now.

The sure to be historic "Unleashed" Tour is an epic cross-country trek featuring 44 shows in major markets. The tour will include all of the Mac's many greatest hits from over the course of the band's extraordinary career. This marks the first time in five years that the multi-Grammy winning, multi-platinum Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees are back out on the road together following several successful solo projects.

SATURDAY - MAY 23 THURSDAY - MAY 28

BOTH SHOWS ON SALE NOW!

the FRAY

2009-03-16T13:10:00.000-07:00

Multi-platinum band The Fray are celebrating the success of their sophomore self-titled album by heading out on the road this summer. Beginning June 12, the trek will cover 35 major cities across America, including a July 29 show at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater. Tickets for this date will go on sale Friday, March 20 at 10 AM. Joining The Fray on the road are fan-favorites Jacks Mannequin. Plus special guest Vedera will open the area concert.

The Denver-based band recently released their highly-anticipated sophomore album on February 3rd and debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart. One month after release The Fray are still rocking the chart where they currently remain in the Top 10. The album's exciting debut is highlighted by the huge success of their first single, "You Found Me," which made its primetime debut in an exclusive video for ABC's hit show "Lost". Fueled by performances on the American Music Awards, Jimmy Kimmel Live and Good Morning America, the infectious single has already sold over a million copies.

Forming in 2002, The Fray has struck a huge chord with audiences and turned their organic, grassroots success into worldwide sales of 3.2 million albums and over 8 million digital singles sold.

Jack’s Mannequin is touring in support of their critically-embraced sophomore set, The Glass Passenger. In a recent cover feature, Alternative Press hailed The Glass Passenger as, “a fantastic, special album.” “The Resolution,” the current single and video from the record (directed by Stephanie Meyer, author of "Twilight") has garnered its share of attention. The clip has remained a Top 20 video at MTV.Com and MTV2.Com since Sep 2008. USA Today called the single, "One of this year's most hope-filled pop songs.”

ON SALE FRIDAY MARCH 20 AT 10 AM

LiVENATiON SAN FRANCiSCO BAY AREA NEW EVENTS

2009-03-15T14:21:00.000-07:00

ON SALE THIS SATURDAY AT 10:00AM!

Crue Fest 2
Featuring Motley Crue, Godsmack, Drowning Pool, Theory of a Deadman , Charm City Devils.
Thursday, July 30th, Doors 4:00PM/Show 5:00PM
Shoreline Amphitheatre
Tickets on the lawn for only $10 (Saturday only)
$101, $81 and $55.50 for reserved plus applicable service charges...all ages.
Get a 6 pack of lawn tickets for just $129.00!

JONAS BROTHERS
with Jordin Sparks and Honor Society
Monday, August 3rd, Doors 6:00PM/Show 7:00PM
HP Pavilion At San Jose
Tickets are $89.50, $69.50, $49.50 and $29.50 and for reserved seats plus applicable service charges

ON SALE THIS SUNDAY AT 10:00AM!

Nine Inch Nails and Jane’s Addiction
with guests Street Sweeper (Tom Morello & Boots Riley)
Friday, May 22nd, Doors 6:00PM/Show 7:00PM
Shoreline Amphitheatre at Mountain View
Tickets are $65, $45 and $45.50 for reserved seats or $25 for general admission plus applicable service charges
Get a 4 pack of tickets for just $75.00!

THE FRAY
with Jack’s Mannequin and Vedera
Saturday, August 1st, Doors 5:30PM/Show 7:00PM
Shoreline Amphitheatre at Mountain View
Tickets are $70.00 and $40.00 for reserved seats or $20.00 for general admission plus applicable service charges
Get a 4 pack of tickets for only $60!

TESTAMENT
with Unearth and Lazarus A.D.
Friday, June 12th, Doors 7:00PM/ Show 8:00PM
The Fillmore
Tickets are $39.50 for general admission plus applicable service charges...all ages

ON SALE MONDAY 3/23 AT 10:00AM!

YANNI: VOICES
Thursday, June 25th, Doors 7:00PM/Show 8:00PM
Oracle Arena in Oakland, CA
Tickets are $95.00, $70.00 and $45.00 for reserved seating plus applicable service charges

LINEUP CHANGE!

As I Lay Dying removed. Suicidal Tendencies just added
No Fear Energy Music Tour
LAMB OF GOD
with Suicidal Tendencies, Children of Bodom, God Forbid and Municipal Waste
Saturday, April 4th, Doors 6:00PM/ Show 7:00PM
Events Center at San Jose State
Tickets are $35.00 for general admission plus applicable service charges

UPCOMING SHOWS!

MX LIVE FEST
with Alejandra Guzman, Aleks Syntek, Moenia, Fobia and Flex
Friday, March 20th, Doors 6:00PM/ Show 7:00PM
Events Center at San Jose State
Tickets are $70.00, $55.00 and $40.00 for reserved seating plus applicable service charges...all ages

LIL’ WAYNE
with T-Pain, Gym Class Heroes and Keri Hilson
Friday, March 27th, Doors 6:00PM/Show 7:00PM
HP Pavilion at San Jose
Tickets are $85.50, $65.50 and $45.50 for reserved seats plus applicable service charges…all ages

Opening Night of their US Tour!
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND
Wednesday, April 1st, Doors 7:00PM/ Show 8:00PM
HP Pavilion at San Jose
Tickets are $98.00 for general admission floor and $98.00, $68.00 and $39.50 for reserved seating plus applicable service charges

INDIA ARIE
Wednesday, April 1st, Doors 7:00PM/ Show 8:00PM
Zellerbach Auditorium
Tickets are $39.50 and $32.50 for reserved seating plus applicable service charges...all ages

No Fear Energy Music Tour
LAMB OF GOD
with Suicidal Tendencies, Children of Bodom, God Forbid and Municipal Waste
Saturday, April 4th, Doors 6:00PM/ Show 7:00PM
Events Center at San Jose State
Tickets are $35.00 for general admission plus applicable service charges

FALL OUT BOY
with Metro Station, Cobra Starship, All Time Low and Hey Monday
Tuesday, April 7th, Doors 6:00PM/ Show 7:00PM
Events Center at San Jose State
Tickets are $36.00 for general admission plus applicable service charges

TRAVIS
Tuesday, April 7th, Doors 7:00PM/ Show 8:00PM
Zellerbach Auditorium
Tickets are $35.00 for reserved seating plus applicable service charges

THE KILLERS
Sunday, April 19th, Doors 6:30PM/ Show 7:30PM
Events Center at San Jose State
Tickets are $42.50 for general admission plus applicable service charges

UNWIGGED & UNPLUGGED:
AN EVENING WITH CHRISTOPHER GUEST, MICHAEL MCKEAN and HARRY SHEARER
Performing Songs From Spinal Tap, A Mighty Wind and More!
Wednesday, April 22nd, Doors 7:00PM/ Show 8:00PM
Paramount Theatre
Tickets are $55.00, $45.00 & $35.00 for reserved seating plus applicable service charges

CHELSEA HANDLER
Saturday, May 2nd, Doors 6:30PM/ Show 7:30PM
San Jose Center for the Performing Arts
Tickets are $42.50 and $35.50 for reserved seats plus applicable service charges.

THE DEAD – 2 shows!
Sunday, May 10th, Doors 5:30PM/ Show 7:00PM – SOLD OUT
Thursday, May 14th, Doors 5:30PM/ Show 7:00PM – TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE
Shoreline Amphitheatre
Tickets are $101.00 for reserved seating and $41.00 for general admission plus applicable service charges...all ages

SUMMERZCOOL TOUR 2009
JIMMY BUFFETT AND THE CORAL REEFER BAND
Tuesday, May 19th, Doors 6:00PM/ Show 8:00PM
Sleep Train Pavilion at Concord
Tickets are $136.50 and $86.50 for reserved seating and $36.50 for lawn seating plus applicable service charges

2 shows! Greatest Hits Tour!
FLEETWOOD MAC
Wednesday, May 20th, Doors 7:00PM/ Show 8:00PM
ORACLE Arena in Oakland
Thursday, May 21st, Doors 7:00PM/ Show 8:00PM
HP Pavilion at San Jose
Tickets are $149.50, $79.50 and $49.50 for reserved seating plus applicable service charges

KINGS OF LEON
with The Walkmen
Thursday, May 21st, Doors 7:00PM/ Show 8:00PM
Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
Tickets are $45.00 for general admission plus applicable service charges...all ages

98.5 KFOX presents
KIHNCERT 2009
with Styx, REO Speedwagon, 38 Special and Greg Kihn Band
Sunday, May 24th, Doors 5:00PM/Show 6:00PM
Shoreline Amphitheatre at Mountain View
Tickets are $85.50, $71.00 and $45.50 for reserved seats or $25.50 for general admission plus applicable service charges
Get a 4 pack of tickets for just $75.00!

2 Shows With…
FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS
Monday, May 25th
Early Show: Doors 5:00PM/ Show 6:00PM
Late Show: Doors 8:00PM/ Show 9:00PM
Berkeley Community Theatre
Tickets are $38.50 for reserved seating plus applicable service charges

The Isolated Incident Tour
DANE COOK
Sunday, May 31st, Doors 7:00PM/ Show 8:00PM
HP Pavilion at San Jose
Tickets are $103.00, $78.00, $53.00 & $31.50 for reserved seating plus applicable service charges

An Evening With
ANDREA BOCELLI
Saturday, June 6th, Doors 7:00PM/Show 8:00PM
HP Pavilion at San Jose
Tickets are $285.00, $175.00, $129.50, $99.50 and $75.50 for reserved seats plus applicable service charges

ERIC CLAPTON AND STEVE WINWOOD
Monday, June 29th, Doors 7:00PM/Show 8:00PM
ORACLE Arena in Oakland
Tickets are $149.50, $69.50 and $65.50 for reserved seating plus applicable service charges…all ages

COLDPLAY
with Amadou & Mariam and Kitty Daisy & Lewis
Monday, July 13th, Doors 6:00PM/ Show 7:30PM
Shoreline Amphitheatre
Tickets are $103.50 and $85.50 for reserved seats and $41.00 for general admission lawn plus applicable service charges...all ages

NO DOUBT
with Paramore and The Sounds
Tuesday, July 21st, Doors 6:30PM/Show 7:30PM
Sleep Train Pavilion at Concord
Tickets are $90.00, $69.50 and $59.50 for reserved seats or $25.00 for general admission plus applicable service charges…all ages

An Evening with IL DIVO
Thursday, July 23rd, Doors 6:30PM/ Show 7:30PM
HP Pavilion at San Jose
Tickets are $130.00, $90.00 and $60.00 for reserved seating plus applicable service charges...all ages

NO DOUBT
with Paramore and The Sounds
Saturday, July 25th, Doors 6:30PM/Show 7:30PM
Shoreline Amphitheatre
Tickets are $90.00 and $59.50 for reserved seats or $25.00 for general admission plus applicable service charges…all ages

DEPECHE MODE
with Peter, Bjorn & John
Wednesday, August 12th, Doors 6:00PM/Show 7:30PM
Shoreline Amphitheatre at Mountain View
Tickets are $99.00 and $79.00 for reserved seats or $35.50 for general admission plus applicable service charges
Purchase a 4 pack of general admission tickets for $99.00

DEF LEPPARD
with Poison and Cheap Trick
Wednesday, September 2nd, Doors 6:00PM/Show 7:00PM
Shoreline Amphitheatre
Tickets are $131.00, $95.50 and $55.50 for reserved seats or $35.50 for general admission plus applicable service charges…all ages
Purchase a 4 pack of GA tickets for $99.00 plus charges

GET TICKETS AT LIVENATION.COM

ALACRANES MUSiCAL

2009-03-13T18:44:00.000-07:00

Alacranes Musical will bring its unique mixture of polka, cumbia and balada to Gibson Amphitheatre on Saturday, April 11th with very special guest Pancho Barraza. Tickets for this show are on sale now through www.livenation.com.

Alacranes Musical (E: Musical Scorpions) has released several albums since its formation in November 1996, and in 2007 was nominated for a Latin Grammy for Ahora Y Siempre and in 2008 nominated for an American Grammy for Best Banda Album for Tu Inspiracion. Their hits "Si Yo Fuera Tu Amor" and "Por Tu Amor" reached #2 and #4, respectively, on Billboard's Latin Regional Mexican Airplay chart. Recently, their new single "Por Amarte Así," a cover of the Christian Castro song, has topped the Billboard charts at number one for several weeks in a row. "Por Amarte Así" has also, according to Billboard, been the number one downloaded ringtone as well."Por Amarte Asi"was featured in an episode of Mexican telenovela, "Al Diablo Con Los Guapos", where the protagonist, Eugenio Siller (Alejandro) dances to the song with Aridane Diaz's character, Florencia."

The Alacranes Musical hail from the Aurora suburb of Chicago, Illinois. The group specializes in a genre of Mexican music known as "Duranguense" or "El Pasito Duranguense", which means the "Durango Step". Duranguense has a fast-paced beat and a cowboy image based on musical traditions from the rugged western State of Durango in Mexico which most of the members are originally from. Many people consider Chicago as the capital of Duranguense because there are so many immigrants from Durango living there. Many believe the musical genre actually originated in Chicago instead of in Mexico. The genre exploded in popularity in the late 1990s and 2000s. Fans enjoy it for its upbeat character and because they can dance very close to their partner. They are the one of the best Duranguense bands.

Alacranes Musical are nicknamed "Los Príncipes De La Musica Durangense" and their concerts are known to be lively and entertaining attracting a large number of women who come to see the Band. They are well known all over the world. Their largest concert drew 160,000 people to the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. They are the best in the genre Duranguense. Alacranes Musical came out with a new single called “Dame Tu Amor” which was featured on their new album Tu Inspiración, which launched in late summer of 2008.

Joining the bill is Mexico’s Pancho Barraza. Barraza’s solo career began in 1995 and in 2002, he hit #5 on Billboard’s Regional Mexican album chart with his album Romanticas De and has a string of hits including “Y Las Mariposas,” “ Te Esperare” and Nuestro Amor.”

iSOLATED iNCiDENT - GLOBAL THERMO COMEDY TOUR

2009-03-09T15:22:00.001-07:00

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, March 9, 2009—Fresh on the heels of the announcement of his Comedy Central special and comedy album, ‘ISolated INcident,’ comedian Dane Cook has now announced plans to take his material on the road with the ‘ISolated INcident - Global Thermo Comedy Tour.’ Touted as the largest comedy tour in history, Cook will travel within the US, Canada, Africa, Brazil, Australia, UK and Germany. A local tour stop will take place on May 31st at the HP Pavilion at San Jose. Showtime for this event is 8pm.

"Taking this new tour around the world is a desire I've wanted to fulfill for sometime now, based on the tremendous response I received during the select few dates I have done internationally. To travel the globe and see beautiful places, while entertaining fans from every corner of the earth is massive. I promise tons of special surprises while looking forward to pushing myself very hard, performing around 100 shows over the next year, and in the process I hope to bank up some serious frequent flyer miles," said Cook.

Pre-sale tickets will be accessible to fans via a special password on both DaneCook.com and Ticketmaster.com starting Monday, March 9th at 10 am and will become available to the general public at 10 am Friday, March 13th.

Tickets are priced at $100, $75, $50, and $30, with special VIP packages available in each city. Tickets are on sale Friday, March 13th at 10am at Livenation.com and applicable Ticketmaster outlets or charge by phone.

After proving his star power in front of a combined live crowd of 70,000 people with two highly rated specials, “Vicious Circle” for HBO and “Rough Around the Edges” for Comedy Central, Cook has reinvented himself with ‘ISolated INcident’, where he shares his stand-up insights with a more intimate crowd. Now, he will once again entertain the masses in large venues on a worldwide scale.

Previously Cook created, directed and starred in HBO’s nine-part comedy documentary series, “Tourgasm” and wrote, executive produced and starred in “Vicious Circle,” a feature-length stand-up event. Additionally he has proved a strong force in the industry with his debut CD/DVD release, “Harmful If Swallowed” which has been certified platinum, his latest CD, “Rough Around The Edges,” which recently has hit gold status, and his sophomore release, “Retaliation,” which debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200 and has reached double platinum standing.

dAVE MATTHEWS BANd

2009-03-09T13:12:00.000-07:00

On May 27th, The Dave Matthews Band will embark on an extensive summer tour. These dates come on the heels of the group’s already-announced spring tour, which launches with a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden on April 14th. The band will visit the Southland this summer with a September 13th Verizon Wireless Amphitheater show. Tickets for this performance will go on sale Friday, March 13 at 11 AM.

RCA Records will release the band’s latest studio album, Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King, on June 2nd. Produced by Rob Cavallo (Green Day, My Chemical Romance), it is the follow-up to 2005’s Stand Up, the fourth consecutive Dave Matthews Band studio album to enter The Billboard 200 at No. 1. The group has sold a collective 35 million units (CD and DVD combined) and – with over 15 million tickets sold – has been named the top-drawing American band in the world by Billboard.

"Summer means two things in America: It's hot, and the Dave Matthews Band are on tour," said Rolling Stone. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette praised the group’s show there as “nothing short of inspired and inspiring” while The Oklahoman said: “this is a band that stretches out and thrives in the open air and under the stars.” “Mr. Matthews' trade is to stir up a mélange of approaches – from rock and folksy pop to bluegrass and smooth jazz – to make doubt positive, make loss a gain, and make depression a celebration,” observed The Dallas Morning News.

Dave Matthews Band is Carter Beauford (drums), Stefan Lessard (bass), Dave Matthews (vocals, guitar) and Boyd Tinsley (violin). Joining the group on tour will be Tim Reynolds on guitar, Rashawn Ross on trumpet and Jeff Coffin on saxophone, who are also featured on the new album.

SEPTEMBER 3 - TICKETS GO ON SALE FRIDAY MARCH 13 AT 11 AM

NO DOUBT GiVESAWAY FREE DOWNLOADS

2009-03-03T16:18:00.000-08:00

SANTA MONICA, CA – March 3, 2009 Just Announced: Fans purchasing top price level tickets online for most dates on No Doubt's upcoming Summer tour will receive a free download of the band's entire digital audio catalog for each ticket purchased।*Tickets go on sale to the general public this Saturday, March 7.

No Doubt guitarist Tom Dumont had this to say about the offering, "Since the band is heading back to the road, we wanted to find a cool way to get people listening to our music and stoke them with a great deal at the same time. With this download its easy for fans to get psyched up to hear our music live once again and that rocks."

This special offer includes over 80 songs from the band's 7 studio albums:
The Singles 1992-2003 (2003)
Everything In Time (B-Sides, Rarities, Remixes) (2003)
Rock Steady (2001)
Return Of Saturn (2000)
Tragic Kingdom (1995)
The Beacon Street Collection (1995)
No Doubt (1992)

And...

"Stand And Deliver" (originally by Adam And The Ants) - No Doubt's first new recording, only available with this offer. The band will perform "Stand And Deliver" for the first time ever on Gossip Girl, May 11, 8/7c on The CW.

No Doubt's Summer 2009 Tour kicks off May 2 in Atlantic City, NJ, visit http://www.nodoubt.com/events for the latest tour information.

*Offer applies to marked top ticket price levels (tickets priced greater than $42.50 before applicable ticketing related fees) and does not apply to lower price levels and/or lawn seats. Download code(s) will be emailed approximately 30 days before the date of the show purchased and will be good for 30 days after the tour is completed.

No Doubt 2009 Summer Tour:
5/02/2009 Atlantic City, NJ - Borgata
5/03/2009 East Rutherford, NJ - Meadowlands Sports Complex (Bamboozle Festival)
5/16/2009 Las Vegas, NV - Mandalay Bay Events Center (Tiger Jam XII)
5/19/2009 Fresno, CA - Save Mart Center
5/20/2009 Bakersfield, CA - Rabobank Arena
5/22/2009 San Diego, CA - Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre
5/23/2009 Phoenix, AZ - Cricket Wireless Pavilion
5/25/2009 Salt Lake City, UT - The E Center
5/27/2009 Denver, CO - Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre
5/28/2009 Albuquerque, NM - Journal Pavilion
5/30/2009 Dallas, TX - Superpages.com Center
5/31/2009 Houston, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
6/02/2009 Tampa, FL - Ford Amphitheatre
6/03/2009 West Palm Beach, FL - Cruzan Amphitheatre
6/05/2009 Atlanta, GA - Lakewood Amphitheatre
6/06/2009 Charlotte, NC - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
6/08/2009 Raleigh, NC - Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion
6/10/2009 Virginia Beach, VA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
6/11/2009 Philadelphia, PA - Susquehanna Bank Center
6/13/2009 Pittsburgh, PA - Post-Gazette Pavilion
6/14/2009 Washington, DC - Nissan Pavilion
6/16/2009 Toronto, ON - Air Canada Centre
6/17/2009 Montreal, QC - Centre Bell
6/19/2009 Darien Center, NY - Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
6/20/2009 Boston, MA - Comcast Center
6/24/2009 Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
6/26/2009 Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center *ON SALE DATE TBD*
6/27/2009 Wantagh, NY - Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
6/29/2009 Cleveland, OH - Blossom Music Center
7/02/2009 Milwaukee, WI - Marcus Amphitheater (Summerfest)
7/03/2009 Detroit, MI - Palace Of Auburn Hills
7/05/2009 St. Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center
7/06/2009 Kansas City, MO - Starlight Theatre
7/08/2009 St. Louis, MO - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
7/10/2009 Indianapolis, IN - Verizon Wireless Music Center
7/11/2009 Chicago, IL - First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
7/13/2009 Winnipeg, MB - MTS Centre
7/15/2009 Calgary, AB - Pengrowth Saddledome
7/16/2009 Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place
7/18/2009 Vancouver, BC - General Motors Place
7/19/2009 Seattle, WA - White River Amphitheatre
7/21/2009 Concord, CA - Sleep Train Pavilion
7/24/2009 Sacramento, CA - Sleep Train Amphitheatre
7/25/2009 Mountain View, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre
7/31/2009 Irvine, CA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
8/01/2009 Irvine, CA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater

BRAZiLiAN CARNAVAL

2009-01-24T11:20:00.000-08:00

''Brazilian Carnaval…a wildly extravagant music party...

Hot, hot samba on a

chilly L.A. evening”
Don Heckman

Los Angeles Times

The much-anticipated, annual LA tradition of Brazilian Carnaval (now in its 9th year, formerly aboard the Queen Mary) erupts on Saturday, February 21, 2009 at the newly renovated THE HOLLYWOOD PALLADIUM (a LIVENATION venue) and will inaugurate the ballroom as its largest public celebration since reopening in November with Jay Z। Boasting the title of largest Carnaval on the West Coast, Brazilian Nights Carnaval has sold out with a crowd of 3000+ guests every year for the past nine years. This celebratory spectacle and authentic demonstration of Carnaval dance, costuming, parading, music, drink and food occurs on the same day as Brazil’s own Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro and Bahia. At the heart of the 2009 celebration is renowned recording artist Katia Moraes and Nation Beat, with top-notch musicians performing sizzling Carnaval beats. The party starts at 8:00 p.m. with LIVE music by Katia Moraes & Pure Samba with Marchinhas, Sambas, AxÈ music of Bahia and NYC’s Nation Beat in their LA debut bringing the Carnaval of Pernambuco, Recife with Frevo and Maractu rhythms.

Also featured are: Master of Ceremonies, Bakari & Diane Nicholson (“The Samba Queen”); Flavio Ribeiro and Unidos of California Samba School moving to batucada rhythms in their feather and sequined “barely there” costumes; a Capoeira Show by Mestre Amen & Capoeira Batuque; an eclectic mix of Afro-Brazilian rhythms with DJ Seduce; PLUS authentic Brazilian food, real caipirinhas, Brazilian arts, crafts, Havaianas, and giveaway souvenirs of Mardi Gras beads, tambourines and shakers. Costumes encouraged!

LIVE VIDEO allows audience to witness Carnaval simulcast from Brazil (courtesy of Dish Network and TV Globo, Brazil's main TV Channel), with live feed of the LA celebration aired on big screens, adding excitement to the largest Carnaval party on the West Coast.

FEATURED MUSIC:

KATIA MORAES & Pure Samba perform a perfect blend of dynamic harmonies and exhilarating rhythms, the best of Brazilian Carnaval। The band enchants audiences with the richest sounds of Brazil; a mix of samba, marchinhas (traditional carnaval sambas), pagode, and axé (the Bahian carnaval). Katia was recently nominated for a Brazilian Press Award. Her energetic presence is beautifully complimented by the explosive power of percussion, and outstanding keyboards, guitar and bass. Los Angeles Times says"... She comes on stage like an explosion, her body in constant motion, her voice excited and dynamic."

NATION BEAT is a Brazilian / US roots band from Brooklyn, NY। Their singer, Liliana Araujo, is classically trained and was a winner of Fama, the Brazilian 'star search' show. Willie Nelson heard their CD and invited them to play at Farm Aid! They finish their set with a thrilling maracatu percussion breakdown.

Flavio Ribeiro and Unidos of California Samba School, the new generation of Brazilian samba and batucada simulate the Rio de Janeiro street Carnaval with Samba Enredo and a percussion ensemble of 20 players.

DJ Seduce is a world music aficionado and Brazilian music DJ from Phoenix, Arizona. He brings an eclectic mix of Afro-Brazilian rhythms married with the warm vibrations of samba, jazz and funk to his live sets. Founder of the international label Afro:Baile Records, DJ Seduce spins the cutting edge global sounds of world beat.

FEATURED DANCE:

LA’s irrepressible Viver Brasil Dance Company will perform the special Maracatu dance, which parodies the royal court of the Baroque period and enacts a pre-colonial African tradition, parading the calunga, a special ceremonial doll representing tribal dances.

This longstanding ritual dance is a prime example of in-your-face Carnaval revelry! “intoxicating style” – LA Times

The sinewy samba dancers of Tropidanza crown the party offering a visual feast with extravagant performances of samba, frevo and axé. The ensemble of 20 dancers radiates with sheer energy and passion with an exotic show created authentically in Brazil, incorporating the mysticism, folklore, energy, and creativity of the culture. Using all the best dancers and singers of Brazil, the performers represent the many cultural backgrounds of the people, bringing to life Brazil’s Technicolor soul. Mestre Amen & Capoeira Batuque perform the always breathtaking and gravity defying capoeira.

Carnaval Producers, Patricia and Gilberto Leao from Brazilian Nites Productions have produced quality events with the best of Brazilian talent including recently Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso direct from Brazil since 1990.

The Hollywood Palladium Brazilian Carnaval 2009 is for all ages. Advance tickets are $38 for general admission and $55 for reserved table seating and $65 for VIP seating, plus group discounts are available by calling (818) 566-1111. Purchase General Admission and Reserved Table tickets by calling (818) 566-1111 or visit www.BrazilianNites.com

A WELL KEPT CALiFORNiA SECRET

2008-11-11T10:03:00.000-08:00

“A perfect marriage of the full sound of a big band with the spontaneity of a jazz combo”, is probably a good way to describe HIP POCKET. With nine of the Inland Empire’s most accomplished jazz musicians, HIP POCKET brings a fresh and uniquely personal treatment to many of the great jazz classics as well as a substantial body of original material. Drawing upon a wealth of jazz literature, the band performs selections from the works of Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and others. The group’s latest CD, “Blue Circle” is now available at CD Baby: HIP POCKET: Blue Circle.

Inspired by Los Angeles-based composer/arranger Marty Paich’s Dectet, HIP POCKET utilizes an atypical combination of four saxes, one trumpet and trombone plus a rhythm section of piano, bass and drums. This allows HIP POCKET to deliver the full density of jazz harmony and orchestral color without the weight of the more traditional big band, all the while maintaining the soloist freedom to stretch and explore, something that is usually associated with the smaller setting of a quartet. Within this context the soloists have a larger palette from which to work and develop musical ideas, leading to some truly remarkable moments of interplay between the individual and the ensemble.

HIP POCKET’S genesis dates back to 1989 when composer/arranger/pianist Sandy Megas became involved with music ensembles at San Bernardino Valley College. The members of one of these, a saxophone quartet, decided to strike out on their own and formed the Redlands Saxophone Ensemble. Shortly before this, the City of Redlands established what has now practically become a Thursday night institution, Redlands Market Night on State Street. Accordingly, residents attending Market Night could usually find the Redlands Saxophone Ensemble on a street corner playing for tips in the hope of making enough money for beer, and sometimes even pizza.

Shortly thereafter, the Inland Empire area became quite active with several rehearsal bands and performance venues. As a composer/arranger, Megas noticed that quite often the bands would not have enough players to cover all the parts in a big band, or there would be enough players, but many of them were not able to play their parts at a suitably proficient level. He started experimenting with musical ideas, first adding a rhythm section to the sax quartet. Finding success with that concept, he began to address the problem of the lack of available jazz literature for groups that couldn’t field the entire instrumentation needed for a big band, or that simply did not have enough experienced players. Something smaller was needed, but it still had to have the punch of a larger group.

As a long-time fan of the West Coast school of jazz and the arranging artistry of Marty Paich, Megas therefore penned a few of his own arrangements in this style to be played with any combination of six horns plus rhythm section. He finally settled on the combination of four saxes (two altos, a tenor and baritone sax), trumpet, trombone and rhythm section. The decision to utilize four saxes instead of three plus three brass (the typical set-up for this size of group) was made to allow “soli section” writing for the sax section, similar to the well-known jazz group Supersax. With this instrumentation, a little sleight of hand (and smoke and mirrors), Megas’ compositions and arrangements are able to achieve a remarkably dense, rich full sound.

HIP POCKET officially came into being in August 1991, playing for the 75th wedding anniversary of a local Redlands couple. Shortly thereafter, HIP POCKET became the “house band” at Gay 90’s Pizza on Orange St. (now Jersey’s) with the backing of owner and devoted jazz fan, the late Gus DeRoos. On one memorable occasion, jazz dignitaries packed into the small venue to hear the band included Howard Rumsey, legendary jazz bassist and owner of famed jazz club The Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach, and Lennie Niehaus, saxophonist and arranger for Stan Kenton and subsequently the composer of dozens of movie soundtracks, including most films by Clint Eastwood. Over the ensuing years HIP POCKET has played many of the major venues in the Inland Empire and has backed some of the true legends of jazz. With guest artists such as world-renowned saxophonists Bill Perkins, Pete Christlieb and Gabe Baltazar, trumpeters Bobby Shew, Bob Summers and Ron Stout, pianist Frank Strazzeri, guitarist Al Viola, and others, HIP POCKET continues to carve out its own niche in the vast field of jazz.

HIP POCKET

Jim Quam-alto sax

Matt Zebley-alto sax

Loren Weisbrod-tenor sax

Karl Hunter-baritone sax

Don Clarke-trumpet

Alex Henderson-trombone

Sandy Megas leader/composer/arranger/piano

Bill Casale-bass

Jeff Olson-drums.

The group’s latest CD, “Blue Circle” is now available at CD Baby: HIP POCKET: Blue Circle.

WRiGHTWOOD MOUNTAiN SUMMERFEST MUSiC FESTiVAL

2008-08-20T11:49:00.000-07:00

As the outdoor concert season in Wrightwood California draws to a close, SummerFest 2008 will feature three outstanding bands in the San Gabriel Mountain village. The free concert on Saturday September 20 will combine traditional blues, country and rock music framed by scenic vistas of the mountains and pine trees.

Dennis Jones returns to Wrightwood with another blistering performance, which will include songs from his new CD to be released in November. Jones credits the major influences for his music to the “Three J’s” and “Three K’s”. Those include Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Winter, Jimmy Page, B.B. King, Freddie King and Albert King.

Known for his “smoky vocals and searing guitar” Jones has played with Guitar Shorty and alongside Zac Harmon – for the winning performance of the 2004 International Blues Challenge. His 2007 song “Passion For The Blues” climbed to #15 on the Real Blues Magazine top 100 CD’s listing

Mary White brings new meaning to the singer-songwriter category. White has written more than 200 songs that she sings with the intensity of Loretta Lynn and the versatility of Barbara Mandrell. Similar to her idol Mandrell, Mary White also plays the guitar and saxophone. Pure country and powerful, White will be supported by a four-piece band and their back-up vocals.

The Dafogey Allstars have individually worked with over 20 legendary bands through the years. Alan Clark –inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, will be joined by Billy Webb, Pat Woertink, Dave Cimino and Steve Moore. Playing a musical history of rock and roll, the band will take the stage accompanied by the influences of a few friends. Those musical roots include: Thurston Harris, Big Joe Turner, Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran, Hank Ballard, Percy Sledge and The Guess Who.

Wrightwood's SummerFest 2008 is sponsored by DaFogey’s Diner and an array of local merchants. The free concert begins at noon between the two banks - located at the intersection of State Highway 2 and Park Drive in Wrightwood. Food and beverages will be available at the concert site and throughout the village. Bring a folding chair and go to: www.dafogey.com for additional information.

NEiL YOUNG NORTH AMERiCAN TOUR

2008-08-18T17:12:00.000-07:00

Live Nation announced today that the music icon Neil Young will embark on a North American tour commencing October 14th in St Paul, Minnesota continuing for eight weeks, culminating at New York’s Madison Square Garden on December 15th. The new tour comes on the heels of Young’s hugely successful 2008 European Tour that brought him before audiences in 14 countries over the course of three months.

This fall’s tour includes concert performances in such U.S. markets as Los Angeles (The Forum—October 30), San Diego, Chicago, Detroit, and Philadelphia. Additionally there will be multiple stops in Young’s native Canada including Vancouver, Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax.

The concerts will feature Neil 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 October 14 through November 5 — including the Los Angeles show; 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 (TBD) and Everest in support

All shows for this tour will be general admission floor with reserved seating in the stands. For The Forum date, General admission tickets will be priced at $85.00 with reserved stand tickets ranging in price from $45.00 to $250.00 (plus all applicable service charges).

Tickets for the Los Angeles concert will be available Monday, August 25 at 10am through LiveNation.com, Ticketmaster.com, at all Ticketmaster retail outlets including all Macy’s, FYE Music & Ritmo

For complete tour and ticket information visit: www.livenation.com www.neilyoung.com..

Live Nation Global Touring's complete tour dates and cities listed below.

October 14 - St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center / on sale August 22
16 - Winnipeg, MN – MTS Centre / on sale August 22
18 - Regina, SK – Brandt Centre / on sale August 22
19 - Calgary, AB – Pengrowth Saddledome / on sale August 22
21 - Everett, WA – Comcast Arena at Everett / on sale September 12
22 - Vancouver, BC – GM Place / on sale August 22
29 - San Diego, CA – Cox Arena / on sale August 25
30 - Los Angeles, CA – The Forum / on sale August 25

November 1 - Reno, NV – Events Center / on sale August 23
4 - Kansas City, MO – Sprint Center / on sale September 12
5 - Omaha, NE – Qwest Center / on sale September 12
29 - Halifax, NS – Metro Centre / on sale August 23

December 1 - Montreal, PQ – Bell Centre / on sale September 13
2 - Ottawa, ON – Scotia Bank Place / on sale August 22
4 - Toronto, ON – Air Canada Centre / on sale August 22
7 - Detroit, MI – Palace of Auburn Hills / on sale September 12
9 - Chicago, IL – Allstate Arena / on sale September 12
12 - Philadelphia, PA – Wachovia Spectrum / on sale September 19
15 - New York, NY – Madison Square Garden / on sale September 15

SKi WRiGHTWOOD CALiF.....

2008-08-08T09:23:00.000-07:00

Wrightwood, CA – July 31, 2008: Mountain High’s annual season pass sale returns August 30th with the lowest prices in years. For $299 guests can get an entire season of skiing and snowboarding for what it costs to visit other resorts for the weekend. Plus anyone who purchases by September 7th will receive two free tickets good any day this season, non-holiday. Mountain High is committed to keeping winter sports affordable and no matter what the price is at the pumps, you won’t pay a lot to reach the area either. Mountain High is Southern California’s closest winter resort at just an hour and a half from downtown LA and two hours from San Diego.

Skiing and snowboarding doesn’t have to be expensive. A $299 Season Pass to Mountain High pays for itself in just FIVE visits but gives you the ability to ride all season long. This pass is valid any day or night during the 2008/09 season with no restrictions. Don’t have $299? Secure the sale price with a $99 deposit before October 31st and Mountain High will give you until November 15th to pay the additional $250 for a total of $349.

Children’s passes for age seven to twelve are available for just $129.00, and children six and under receive a free season pass with the purchase of an adult season pass. Please note there is a limit of two children’s passes per adult pass purchased.

Besides the tremendous savings, pass holders are also entitled to 10% non-sale retail items, 10% off adult ski & snowboard lessons, hands-free lift access, Powder Alert E-Mails and guaranteed admittance during sell out periods.

The $299 Season Pass Sale takes place Saturday, August 30th, to Friday, October 31st, or sold out. Quantities are limited so guests are advised to buy early. For the quickest processing, purchase your season pass online at www.mthigh.com. There you can manage your order, download liability forms, submit photos and much more. Existing pass holders can re-activate their cards their as well, saving any processing fees. Season pass orders may also be placed by phone, toll free at (888) 754-7878, and at the resort. Operators are available Monday through Saturday from 10:00am to 6:00pm, and Sundays from 10:00am to 4:00pm. There is a $10.00 processing fee for all new passes purchased.

Says John McColly, Director of Marketing, “Hot summers mean cold winters in Southern California and the best way to save money on skiing and snowboarding is with a season pass.”

Route 66 Backseat Driver: Chicago

2008-05-26T23:34:00.000-07:00

Hail, Hail the gangs all here in Chicago for what has been described to me as a trip that will require manners, endurance, fortitude, a gigantic sense of humor, gobs of patience and having a few loose screws probably won't hurt to make it through this years 2008 Route 66 Challenge.

Here was the plan. I took off driving the southern Route 66 from Wrightwood to Chicago on what was to be a very pleasant ride through Arizona and New Mexico until I discovered that The Wicked Witch of the East was on my tail as I crossed the Oklahoma border, and stayed there through Missouri and for the rest of the way to Chicago. Someone was certainly watching over me due to the fact that I was able to stay 5-6 hours ahead of the worst parts of the storm. Reading the Sunday papers ended up being a very surreal experience. I'm sure the trip back will be very humbling to each and every one of us.

Now Bruce Almighty and Pinto Pammy, driving on the northern route #80 from Carmel to Chicago got so much rain that they were at times convinced that the building of an Ark would have been a far better choice than the mini van rental decision. I tend to agree with them considering present gas prices and the obvious savings at the pump. Quandary, how do you get the Ark to Iowa from Carmel and what to do with this hybrid once arriving in Chicago.... Well thats another story for another time and another day.

Now Back to the news.....

Mike, Phil and Devin thinking they would enjoy a normal Los Angeles to Chicago, Dinner and a Movie, type flight were surprised with more than one delay due to the rain, wind and the otherwise terrible flying conditions encountered. With that said, everyone is safe and sound in Chicago.

The renting of a top shelf sound studio, see above, was secured today for the first practice of the tour. Bruce, Devin and Phil worked on some critical changes and some new songs for Devin. Pammy warmed up her voice on a few numbers and Mike, the consummate professional, relaxed and checked out his timing and the view the studio offered of the Chicago skyline.

Presently everyone is heading in different directions for a few hours to ultimately meet up at Martyrs Restaurant for sound checks and then a 8:00 show. I, on a mission, went to find "The Lost City of Wrightwood Il". Bruce, Pam and Mike went to see and tour Frank Lloyd Wright buildings. Devin went to Millennium Park for a visit with an old friend and Phil went to the Army Pier area to meet old friends and students. After arriving at Martyrs Restaurant sound checks went well and the first trickle of customers started to filter in.

The night began with introductions made to a good sized audience, by Blue Jazz Records owner Greg Pasenko and the night was off and running with a crowd pleasing rendition of "I'm an Old Cowhand". Devin was featured on the next Ray Brown in-fussed number "Slow Boat to China" which proceeded to kick things up a notch.

Some additional highlights of the evening were Pinto Pammy singing Patsy Clines' "Crazy", Bruce and Phil's high speed "Texifornia Breakdown", Mike "Sebastian Box" McKinley on "Route 66" and Fiddling Phil Salazar on "Boomer Stampede".

Tomorrow morning we will be heading south towards Springfield Ill. with a final stop at The Capitol City Bar and Grille for a 8:00pm show.

Come on out and "Get your Kicks With Us" while supporting JazzMasters Workshops.

Route 66 Backseat Driver: The First Day Out

2008-05-25T07:30:00.000-07:00

After early wake up calls for all we headed towards the headwaters of the mighty "Mother Road", the intersection of Adams and Michigan in downtown Chicago. Arriving at our destination and quickly parking in no parking areas we all jumped out to take a few pictures then jumped right back in our chariots before the local parking monitors had a chance to spot us.

After stopping shortly at Dunkin Doughnuts, for those that needed their sugar fix's, we proceeded to drive the next 200 plus miles on as much of the original road as possible. Had a chance to see all the neat Route 66 stops and landmarks that can't be seen from the interstate at 70 mph. A good sampling of the photos taken include "The Launching Pad" restaurant and "Funks Grove Maple Syrup Farm" in Shirley.

The capitol city of Springfield, IL was our destination and we achieved our goal about 4:oo pm. Checking in at the Route 66 Hotel took less time than normal and allowed time to kick back before leaving for sound checks and a 8:00 show at the Capitol City Bar and Grille.

As opposed to the previous evenings show, the audience consisted mostly of friends and locals that had seen and participated in one or more of the previous Route 66 Challenges. Most stated that they had waited and anticipated for weeks the arrival of CowBop in Springfield. The show actually had many crowd pleasing highlights that paralleled the Martyrs show, but with one exception.

Out of the shadows strode a dark stranger wielding his deadly ware, a "Harp". His name was "Blind Melon Chitlin" and he was the local harmonica gunslinger. Stepping on stage and announcing a key and changes he proceeded to kick off the band on a 12 bar blues jam. Defiantly it was one of the highlights of the night.

Don't forget your Jazz Masters Workshop donations. That's what this thing is all about.....

Route 66 Backseat Driver: Illinois

2008-05-24T08:46:00.000-07:00

Starting the day with an early checkout and breakfast the gang loaded up and drove the short distance to one of Springfield's famous Route 66 landmarks, Cozy Dog Drive In. Under overcast skies instruments were unloaded and prepared for a barnstorming impromptu performance at Cozy Dogs.

Only one problem though, as we approached the building their were only two or three total customers seated inside. Now here comes the dilemma, as we walked in they walked out even after numerous attempts to convience these folks that the band, in its entirety, had indeed taken showers that morning.

Overcast skies coupled with now low sprits and the restaurant that was to have received top notch "Free" entertainment was as empty as most gas tanks will be if and when gas climbs to $10.00 a gallon. Hmmm, what to do ? When in Rome you do as the Romans do. So CowBop played a few tunes right there in the parking lot. But after the first few practice bars a funny thing happened. A travel van pulled up with the nicest couple from Virginia inside. They were en route to St Louis and suggested that if the band would be around for a while twenty plus additional friends in vans were soon to arrive.

And arrive they did. The twenty friends ended up being over twenty vans each with more than a few future CowBop lovers inside. A one half hour stop ended up being a two hour party with very appreciative glances coming from a very happy Cozy Dog owner, Sue Waldmire.

Saying so long until next year, we headed back down the road to our next stop at the Stagger Inn Again located in Edwardsville, Il. Meandering allowed enough time for additional stops at other landmarks along the way such as Henry's Wabbit Wanch, Soulsby's Shell Station, a Dairy Queen for group cones and a quick stop to visit legendary jazz dj, Ross Gentile, from St Louis's 88.7 FM radio station. With the assistance of a local friend, Jim Widner, a last minute interview was put into motion to discuss and gain awareness about Jazz Masters Workshops. Thankx Jim.....

After arriving at our final destination we discovered that what was supposed to be a simple "Open Mic Night" one hour show, again ended up being a two hour plus show with plenty of crowd encouragement and continued coaxing from Stagger Inn open mic night host Steve Jones. On this special and fun evening the band responded warmly to what was perceived to be the most vocal and appreciative audience to date.

The evening also needs more than a few Thank You mentions. At one point in the evening the pic guard on Bruces' guitar gave way and guitar maven Rick Hayden appeared to save the day for the second set. Thankx Rick..... To "The Katsup Bottle" people, Mike Gassmann and Judy Demoisy who graciously opened the doors of their beautiful home to us for the two days we will be in the area. Best nights sleep yet..... Thankx Mike and Judy.

See ya at Fazios Frets and Friends Tomorrow.....

Route 66 Backseat Driver: The "Kid"

2008-05-23T08:10:00.000-07:00

Tonight there is a guitar workshop in St Louis MO. at Fazios Frets and Fri ends thanks to Brian Vaccaro. Thanks Brian and see you next year.....

Had a chance to ride and talk awhile en route to Fazios with Devin Hoffman, CowB op bassist today. The eighteen year old USC freshman is enjoying his first tour. "I feel privileged to have the opportunity to play and learn from his band mates" and his band mates feel the same citing his open approach to learning and his natural youthful aggression as being qualities that will take him far. "The kid clearly has talent says drummer Mike McKinley".

Born and raised in Miami Florida as the youngest of three boys Devin first joined his high school band to avoid an art class. "Graduate USC in Jazz Studies, pursue graduate degrees in similar areas of study, get married and have kids and to ultimately teach exactly what he is presently learning in a big city like Chicago or San Francisco" says Devin. "And lets not forget playing live jazz as many nights as possible.

Devin believes his best assets are his intuition, ability to play by hear and improvise and also having a teacher like Bruce Forman and the rest of the USC Music Department to prod him on his way.

Lets not forget who this whole thing is for. Click here to find out more about
"The Kids of Jazz Masters"......

Heading out to the great state of Oklahoma we were able to spend a lot of time taking pictures in Missouri. Hope you like.....

See ya in Tulsa at the Oklahoma Jaz z Hall of Fa me !

Route 66 Backseat Driver: Hall Of Fame

2008-05-22T09:10:00.000-07:00

The show at the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame was a hugh success, a night that consisted of many highlights and large donations for J azz Masters W orkshops. Special guests for the evening included Whit Smith on guitar, the vocal stylings of Curator Chuck Cissell and Rick Bentley on banjo. Rick and his lovely wife graciously allowed us to stay at his comfortably styled ranch home for the evening.

And that's when the magic silently crept into the room. After getting a chance to settle in from the ride from the Hall of Fame to Rick's home, Shelby Eicher showed up with his fiddle and mandolin in hand.

Getting a chance to step back in time is rare, but dejay vu is common. Reminiscent of the "heydays in jazz" when the real jamming began after the scheduled nightly gigs were over and and what would start would continue on into the early hours.

The comforting intimacy of Rick's home provided Bruce Forman on guitar, Shelby Eicher on both mandolin and fiddle, Phil Salazar on fiddle, Rick Bentley on banjo, Devin Hoffman on bass and Mike McKinley on drums to just play, explore and flat out have fun jamming with friends. New songs, old songs and lots of variations on themes were played by some of the best musicians around. The preferred highlight of the evening was easily Django Reinhardt's "Minor Swing". Shelby played more than one passages that were just plain "sweet." Feel privileged to be one of the few that expierenced the impromptu jam session that went on tonight.

There is now officially a two-way tie for the crown of "Best Accommodations."

Waking the next morning to the smell of freshly brewed coffee and spalacially good views from the patio of Rick's home the gang packed up to go to yet another musicians home, Whit Smith. This time the setting was a backyard barbecue in the historic old town district of downtown Tulsa. Host Whit Smith also had a jam session set up with most of the same players from last night. This made for a perfect afternoon in the sun. Good food, good company, good digs and the excellent music that lasted all afternoon.

But alas it was time to move on down the road making our way through southern Oklahoma.

Don't forget that this is all for national youth music mentoring programs.

There is still time to pledge and make donations......

Route 66 Backseat Driver: Harley and Annabelle

2008-05-18T15:36:00.000-07:00

The Sand Hills Curiosity Shop, once known as the City Meat Market, is the oldest surviving brick building in Erick, Oklahoma and has been the home of "The Mediocre Music Makers" ,Harley and Annabelle Russell, for over 20 years. Outrageously good times, fun and healthy portions of hometown hospitality are served here annually to thousands of international and domestic Route 66 tourists.

Harley Russell, a guitarist of exceptional ability coupled with his wife Annabelle, a musician, an artist and poet, have created an internationally known tourist attraction in a town who's only other claim to fame is that it was the home and birth place of musician Roger Miller.

This Route 66 location would best be described as a living history roadside attraction. A museum of sorts that houses one of the best collections of period signs around and also has plenty of vintage furniture, artwork, guitars, harmonicas and assorted other types of memorabilia with everything prolifically covering every square inch of the walls, ceiling, table-tops, bookcases, shelves, sills and pretty much most of the floor space. Be prepared for complete sensory overload when entering. Viewing everything takes multiple visits thus making it easy to understand why more and more Route 66 travelers the world over are now flocking to this Erick, OK roadside attraction. The Sand Hills Curiosity Shop was made an "Official Route 66 Roadside Attraction" by the Route 66 Caravan in 2003.

After parking and piling out of our vehicles we were individually greeted and invited inside by two long-haired, enthusiastic to say the least, hippy sorts for what was soon to be a spontaneously captivating live two person vaudevillian show that included refreshments, music, plenty of hugs, kisses and photo-ops. These two self proclaimed "Rednecks" put on such a good show that Bruce and the band had to join in on the fun. A large group of European tourist stopped in while we were there and they were also invited in for a dose of Harley and Annabelle's infectious type of fun and merriment.

A few years back a couple of film makers looking for inspiration and ideas for a future film, you might have seen or heard of, stopped by and ultimately liked Harley so much that they based a principal character in their upcoming movie after him. The well viewed movie was "Cars" and the tow-truck driver "Mater" was based primarily on Harley. Currently a documentary is being planned based on the lives of Harley and Annabelle and Disney Studios is also looking into the idea of basing a theme park ride on their characters.

Later that day, Harley and Annabelle closed up shop and invited us into their home for a down-home home-cooked meal. During the conversations that followed the true sharpness of these folks was slowly revealed. Don't let their antics and clothes fool you, these folks are perceptive, sharp as tacks and proudly embrace the freedoms and attitudes of the 60's. Attitudes that still play an important part in their everyday lives.

Their attitudes, non-conformist ways and a gentle kindness shown to any joe-stranger to enter their place is exactly what makes entering their environment so inviting. Albeit these same attitudes make Harley and Annabelle targets at the hands of some locals. Locals sometimes described as having "the typical small town mindset, jealous people always resentful of another's success". The only thing our heroes have ever actually been found to be guilty of is the ability and savvy to single-handily boost the local economy and the tourist trade when countless previous attempts by local officials had failed.

Staying true to themselves, the Russells have been blessed with the year 2007 being their busiest year ever with sometimes as many as four separate tour groups a day stopping by their Erick location.

As conversations wained and the sun began its steady recline in the west, it was time to load up and ease on down the road. I can see why Bruce had this stop pegged as a "must see visit." Amarillo was our destination by dusk. So after many hugs and kisses, we said our final "Via Condios's," loaded up, took our final photos and headed out chasing the sun.

We were able to get some great shots of Oklahoma before leaving.....

The Year of Still Here

2008-04-22T11:26:00.000-07:00

LAS VEGAS, NV (April 22, 2008/8AM) – Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band return to Las Vegas for two remarkable performances at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday, October 18 & 25 as part of Jimmy Buffett’s “The Year Of Still Here” Tour 2008. Tickets go on-sale Monday, April 28th at 10 AM. There is a six ticket limit per customer. Parrotheads won't want to miss their chance to soak in the full Margaritaville experience Vegas style.

Jimmy's newest release, Live In Anguilla, a three disc CD/DVD set on Mailboat Records, lets you feel what a few thousand fans got to experience last March on the Caribbean island of Anguilla. A Jimmy Buffett concert on a tropical island...just walk down the beach for a once-in-a-lifetime intimate performance. The set includes 30 songs, everyone's favorites, plus some special in-concert rarities.

And scheduled for release this summer is Jimmy's newest book Swine Not? (Little, Brown and Company), a colorful novel about a Southern family determined to hide their pet pig in a fancy four-star hotel in New York City. Jimmy is one of only nine authors in the history of the New York Times Bestseller List to have reached #1 on both their fiction and non-fiction lists.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18 and SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25

MGM GRAND GARDEN ARENA

Tickets go on sale Monday, April 28 at 10 AM. There is a six ticket limit per customer.

California's Mountain Winery

2008-04-15T09:12:00.000-07:00

Live Nation is pleased to announce the 2008 Mountain Winery Groupware Technology concert series at the Historic Mountain Winery in Saratoga, CA. This year marks the 50th Anniversary of one of the Bay Area’s most beloved venues. In 1958, “Music at the Vineyard” made it’s debut as a small series of classical concerts and, in the 50 years following, thousands of world reknowned musicians have graced the winery’s historic stage. This year’s line up carries on the tradition of bringing big name stars to an intimate stage, including performances by critically acclaimed artists such as Chris Isaak, Dave Stewart and his 30 piece Rock Fabulous Orchestra, Chris Botti, Ringo Starr and more. A complete list of artists and show times is included at the end of this release.

To coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Mountain Winery, the venue is undergoing some significant improvements, all designed to make the concert fan’s experience even more enjoyable. While some of these renovations will be ongoing throughout the season, guests can expect improved concert seating, a new and enlarged VIP deck, newly paved parking lots, new restrooms under the vista deck, new additions to the winery building and an enlarged plaza.

Parking is available at the Mountain Winery for a fee. Carpooling is strongly encouraged. Gates open at 5:30 pm and show time for all shows is 7:30 pm (unless otherwise noted). Directions are available at www.mountainwinery.com.

Tickets are on sale Sunday, April 27th at 10AM through www.LiveNation.com or www.mountainwinery.com . Tickets are also available at all Ticketmaster outlets. To charge tickets by phone, call (415)421-TIXS, (408)998-TIXS, (510)625-TIXS, (559)485-TIXS or (707)528-TIXS. Ticket prices are subject to applicable service charges. All dates, acts and prices are subject to change without notice.

Continuum

2008-04-14T18:38:00.000-07:00

Multi-platinum and multiple Grammy Award-winning artist John Mayer has announced dates for his 2008 summer tour. Mayer will hit the road on July 2nd at Milwaukee’s Summerfest and will play over 20 cities before the trek comes to a close. The tour will reach the L.A.-area with a July 27th stop at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater. Colbie Caillat and Brett Dennen, break out artists in their own rights, will be featured as special guests.

John Mayer’s latest album, CONTINUUM, earned Grammy Awards for Best Pop Vocal Album (CONTINUUM) and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance ("Waiting on the World to Change") at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards. A pop/rock album showcasing diverse influences, CONTINUUM features rich lyrics, the groove of the guitar-slinging bluesman, and the vocals of the soulful crooner. In February ‘07, the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine featured John Mayer as one of "The New Guitar Gods," USA Today wrote that Mayer's "smartly crafted third album combines singer/songwriter pop and sinewy guitar blues," and The New York Times opined, "Mayer has been writing songs again, good ones, with all the leanness and directness that distinguish his strongest work."

Also this summer, a brand new CD/DVD & Blu-Ray package will be available featuring performances recorded last December in Los Angeles. The special concert includes three distinct sets: an acoustic performance, a rare set with John Mayer Trio (John Mayer, Steve Jordan and Pino Palladino), as well as a CONTINUUM set featuring Mayer’s full-band. This will be the first new release since Continuum became available in September 2006.

John Mayer has earned five Grammy Awards and sold over ten million albums. Since his debut in 2001, Mayer has recorded and performed with icons and contemporaries alike - from rock to blues, from hip-hop to jazz to country, he’s played with Eric Clapton, BB King, Buddy Guy, T-Bone Burnett, Herbie Hancock, Kanye West and Alicia Keys, among others.

Route 66 Challenge 2008

2008-04-08T17:11:00.000-07:00

Up for a challenge? Strap a guitar to your back, put $100 in your pocket, put your boots on and be-bop, barter and busk your way from Chicago to California on old Route 66.

Cow Bop takes to the road again in support of JazzMasters Workshops (JMW)! Yet another odyssey down America's most storied road. This time Cow Bop will be playing concerts along with their trademark troubadour-style impromptu performances on street corners, in stores, bars, restaurants, at hot dog stands, gas stations and a variety of roadside haunts.

Bruce Forman and his Western Cowboy jazz band, Cow Bop, will be departing Chicago on May 12, 2008. This time playing some arranged concerts as well as the street corners, dives and honky tonks they frequented on their first three Route 66 Challenges. The tour coincides with the release of their new CD, titled Route 66. Bruce Forman's guitar playing was recently featured in Clint Eastwood's Academy Award winning film, "Million Dollar Baby"!

Joining Cow Bop this year is Devin Hoffman, a freshman at USC and student of band leader Bruce Forman. "I am thrilled Devin is joining the band, he can really play! Although, after a grueling tour like this, I won't be all that surprised if he changes his major to business or law." What better way to show firsthand how the music-mentoring process works?

“This is not for the faint of heart, believe me. It does promise to be a lot of fun and I hope we can raise awareness of what we do and find some new spots to expand the program. Musicians are an untapped resource and JazzMasters Workshop has shown how mentoring transforms lives. I expect many musicians to find us out on the open road and play along. I’m throwing down the gauntlet here… it’s time to stop complaining and do something!” The band will be blogging journals and pictures (some of which will be printed in newspapers), doing radio call-ins, and even some video.

All of the proceeds from performances, per-mile pledges, grants, and part of the CD revenue will benefit JazzMasters Workshop (JMW), a non-profit that Forman started in 2000. JMW recruits veteran musicians to mentor kids who otherwise might not have access to music lessons. Funds raised in 2008 will support two new programs for Boys & Girls Clubs in underserved areas. Cow Bop also hopes to inspire and challenge other communities along the way to begin programs with the help of JMW. "I was pleased to learn that you are using your musical talent to reach out to young people in your community. Programs such as yours are helping to enrich the lives of young Americans, and I commend you for your caring commitment to this endeavor." President Bill Clinton

Know of a cause in your area, let us know about it. Forman has tapped his industry colleagues to join in the fun, too. On April 12, Clint Eastwood will co-host a kick-off fundraiser in Carmel, Calif. And in January, The Grateful Dead’s Rex Foundation honored JMW with its Jerry Garcia Award, including $10,000 to jump start this year’s fundraising.

Come on out and support our cause while having a ton of fun to boot. Our daily routines will be posted on our blogs/websites with all the information needed to track and follow our every step. Cowbop will be entering the High Desert leg of their challenge on May 24, 2008, which is available for booking.

Much more information coming soon.....

Travel Tips - Wrightwood Restaurants

2008-04-03T12:31:00.000-07:00

Just about an hours drive east of the Antelope Valley, located in the Angeles National Forest, is the small mountain village of Wrightwood, CA. There are no congested malls or stoplights, but there are plenty of quaint shops and many restaurants, coffee shops and eateries to fill your shopping day.

One Wrightwood restaurant in particular, The Village Grind, has been under new ownership since November 1, 2007 and customers are raving about the cinnamon rolls, different top shelf coffees, hot chocolate and...get ready...the Sonoma chicken salad special. The Village Grind hours have been extended (6:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.) and they are now open 7 days a week. While still a quaint coffee house---with a large variety of coffees, a large selection of breakfast and lunch food items have been added to the menu.

The Village Grind also hosts a small internet cafe that boasts of being the only free wi-fi in Wrightwood for 10 miles in any direction. An added attraction is the in-house art gallery that features 25-30 watercolors, paintings, and sketches from local artists adorning the inside walls, all of which are for sale.

Plans are underway for future wine tasting events to begin on weekends starting May 1, and will take place on the deck overlooking downtown Wrightwood. Take advantage of vintage wine samplings provided by some of the best wineries in the Inland Empire.

The Village Grind, is a premier Wrightwood restaurant and is an easy traffic free drive from Los Angeles, the Antelope Valley,the San Bernardino area, and Victorville. A great one day family vacation travel secret awaits you, not to far away, in the nearby mountains of Southern California.

For more Village Grind Information