07.31.07

Ben Kweller plays Haileys 8/18; plus more dates

Posted in Ben Kweller, Denton, Haileys, Tour Dates at 11:06 pm by Jared

(from BK’s Myspace) Ben Kweller’s got a slew of summer tour dates up on his page, and one of them is set for August 18 at Hailey’s here in Denton! If you’ve ever been to Hailey’s, you’ll know why this is such a great thing – the intimacy of the venue is tough to beat (outside of HOB’s Tea Room-esque side stage). I was introduced to Hailey’s several years ago when I started to catch some really great hip-hop shows out there. Small capacity, get your tickets fast before they sell out. I’ve posted the rest of BK’s summer tour dates below (note the September 18 Austin City Limits date – that’s right, you can’t keep Ben away from ACL, even when his nose starts spouting blood and he has to plug it up with a tampon provided by a member of the audience.

Jul 31 2007 8:00P
Southpaw [On My Way in its entirety] SOLD OUT Brooklyn, New York
Aug 1 2007 8:00P
Southpaw [Ben Kweller in its entirety] SOLD OUT Brooklyn, New York
Aug 7 2007 7:00P
Variety Playhouse Atlanta, Georgia
Aug 8 2007 8:00P
The Social Orlando, Florida
Aug 9 2007 8:00P
Jack Rabbits Jacksonville, Florida
Aug 10 2007 7:00P
Crowbar Ybor City, Florida
Aug 11 2007 8:00P
Culture Room Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
Aug 13 2007 7:00P
Work Play Theatre Birmingham, Alabama
Aug 15 2007 6:00P
The Parish New Orleans, Louisiana
Aug 17 2007 8:00P
Walters On Washington Houston, Texas
Aug 18 2007 9:00P
Haileys Denton, Texas
Aug 20 2007 7:00P
Bricktown Ballroom Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Aug 21 2007 7:00P
Bobs at Cains Ballroom Tulsa, Oklahoma
Aug 22 2007 8:00P
Juanitas Little Rock, Arkansas
Aug 23 2007 9:00P
Newbys Memphis, Tennessee
Aug 24 2007 9:00P
Exit/In Nashville, Tennessee
Aug 25 2007 8:00P
Grey Eagle Asheville, North Carolina
Aug 26 2007 8:00P
Satellite Ballroom Charlottesville, Virginia
Aug 28 2007 7:00P
Off Broadway St. Louis, Missouri
Aug 29 2007 7:00P
Mojos Columbia, Missouri
Aug 30 2007 12:00P
The Bottleneck Lawrence, Kansas
Aug 31 2007 7:00P
Club 156 Boulder, Colorado
Sep 1 2007 7:00P
In The Venue Salt Lake City, Utah
Sep 4 2007 7:00P
Bottom Of The Hill San Francisco, California
Sep 5 2007 7:00P
The Echo [Sha Sha in its entirety] Los Angeles, California
Sep 6 2007 6:00P
The Echo [On My Way in its entirety] Los Angeles, California
Sep 7 2007 7:00P
The Echo [Ben Kweller in its entirety] Los Angeles, California
Sep 9 2007 7:00P
The Canyon Las Vegas, Nevada
Sep 11 2007 7:00P
Solar Culture Tucson, Arizona
Sep 16 2007 2:30P
Austin City Limits Festival Austin, Texas

Two New Atmosphere Albums in the Works

Posted in Atmosphere, EP, Fifth Element, LP, New Album, Rhymesayers, When Life Gives You Lemons at 10:52 pm by Jared

(from Atmosphere’s MySpace) Fans of good rap music can finally breathe a sigh of relief – Atmosphere’s announced a new EP, out this summer, will precede a brand new full-length that’s due out early next year. This comes as good news to Atmosphere fans who have been wondering whether Slug’s been thinking about retiring (he’s older than you think). The EP, titled Sad Clown Bad Summer # 9 (continuing the Sad Clown Bad Dub series of EPs, some of which have become collector’s items worth hundreds of dollars), is available now for purchase on Rhymesayers’ FifthElement.com. The full-length album, which will come a little over two years after late-2005’s You Can’t Imagine How Much Fun We’re Having, is curiously titled When Life Gives You Lemons… I’m interested to see how Slug finishes off that phrase in his own bitingly witty, cynical way. Perhaps it’ll be a title track? We’ll see. I’ll keep you informed.

07.28.07

Pioneering Postpunk label Rough Trade sold

Posted in Arcade Fire, Geoff Travis, Rough Trade, Scritti Politti, postpunk at 6:52 am by Jared

(from Filter) This story caught my eye because I’m halfway through a book titled Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978-84, which makes frequent mention of indie record label Rough Trade, less famously known in the 80s for signing the Marxism-fetishist band Scritti Politti, made famous more recently by indie rock buzz band Arcade Fire. It’s always interesting to have history affirmed by actions in the present, no? Geoff Travis fluctuated between indie support and major label magnetism with his bands, encouraging many to leave the DIY scene behind in favor of a larger, more stable and enduring enterprise. Perhaps he’s just given up on the record business. He wouldn’t be the first.

Warped Tour Founder: Free Ozzfest Tix a Ploy

Posted in Free Tickets, Kevin Lyman, Ozzfest, Ozzy Osbourne, Sharon Osbourne, Vans, Warped Tour at 6:24 am by Jared

(from antiMUSIC’s Day in Rock) Reflecting a sentiment that I expressed a couple of days ago in a blog post about free Ozzfest tickets, Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman, in an interview with The Kansas City Star, claims that Sharon Osbourne cooked up the free ticket scheme because “it allowed Ozzy Osbourne to get one more check out of [Ozzfest]“, citing faltering turnouts in recent years. This goes against the Osbournes’ somewhat courageous ideal of giving the tickets away as a form of rebellion against the rising price point on the ticket market. Because somebody else thinks it, that doesn’t make it true, but coming from the founder of another large festival, I’d call those words pretty credible.

07.26.07

John Mayer: Teabag Underage Drinking!

Posted in Drunk, John Mayer, Sarcasm, Teabagging at 9:39 pm by Jared

This is hilarious. I’ll just let the article speak for itself, then John Mayer’s blog post, reprinted below.

“First, to the 46 people accused of underage drinking; what were you thinking? You have your whole life to engage in underage drinking. What’s the hurry? I didn’t start underage drinking until I was 26. Underage drinking is not an function of age, but of style. And you kids are way too young to truly appreciate the nuances of true underage drinking.

“Though the names of the arrested were not released to the public, I was able to obtain them by way of my well-placed source in the Hershey police department. Upon first glance, I find it interesting that of the 63 arrested, 55 were named Kyle.

“In looking to the future, I hope that this will serve as a wake-up call to young fans who may be thinking about engaging in illegal activity at one of my concerts. If I happen to be walking backstage and I see any of you young men passed out drunk on a stretcher, make no mistake about it, you will come-to in front of your disappointed parents with a face full of Sharpie and the sneaking suspicion that you’ve been teabagged by one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2007.”

Coheed Confirm October Release Date for New Album

Posted in Claudio Sanchez, Coheed and Cambria, Dillinger Escape Plan, Joshua Eppard, Release Date, Weerd Science at 4:35 am by Jared

(from antiMUSIC)

According to antiMUSIC’s Day In Rock report, Claudio Sanchez has confirmed that the latest Coheed album, titled Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV, Volume Two: No World for Tomorrow (Jesus Christ, guys, come fucking on with the names), will be released October 23 on Columbia Records. Coheed’s fifth album will continue the legacy of the gimmicky sci-fi comic concept that Claudio transferred from ink to music notes. I’m not the biggest fan of the convoluted, nothing-new-here narrative that ever-so-loosely connects the songs, but as long as the songs themselves bring the wicked melodies, prog mindset and balls-to-the-wall rock that past albums have been coming with, Coheed still has a fan in me.

While we’re on the subject, I thought I’d mention that Joshua Eppard, Coheed’s drummer, brother of 3 frontman Joey Eppard, and lyricist in his rap group Weerd Science (of which I’m a huge fan) is no longer drumming for Coheed. Instead, Chris Pennie, formerly of Dillinger Escape Plan is pounding the skins. To read Thrice’s bassist Riley Breckenridge’s commentary on the progress of DEP’s latest album, click here to check out Thrice’s official blog.  And, finally, to whore myself out, click here for the latest details on Thrice’s forthcoming album, as reported earlier today by none other than myself.

Full Def Leppard World Tour Dates through October

Posted in Billy Bob's, Black Crowes, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Def Leppard, Smirnoff Amphitheatre, Son Volt, Styx, Tour Dates at 4:12 am by Jared

(from DefLeppard.com)

These are all the tour dates, from current through October 1, that Def Leppard will be playing with Styx. Two well-established mega groups on an extensive tour that’s being pimped out by Ticketmaster ensures ticket prices will stay nice and high (surprisingly, I can’t think of a single crude joke to follow that up with). Enjoy, and please, do buy me a ticket for the September 1 Smirnoff stop in Dallas. That would be a great segway into the September 2 Black Crowes show at Billy Bob’s in Fort Worth (with co-headlining local cult favorites Cross Canadian Ragweed and featuring alt-country underground stars Son Volt), no?

THU 07.26 Minot, ND North Dakota State Fair TICKETS DISCUSS details
SAT 07.28 Cheyenne, WY Cheyenne Frontier Days TICKETS DISCUSS details
SAT 08.11 Mansfield, MA Tweeter Center TICKETS DISCUSS details
SUN 08.12 Hershey, PA Hersheypark Stadium TICKETS DISCUSS details
TUE 08.14 Wantagh, NY Nikon At Jones Beach Theater TICKETS DISCUSS details
WED 08.15 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center TICKETS DISCUSS details
FRI 08.17 Bristow, VA Nissan Pavilion TICKETS DISCUSS details
SAT 08.18 Virginia Beach, VA Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach TICKETS DISCUSS details
TUE 08.21 Raleigh, NC Walnut Creek Amphitheatre TICKETS DISCUSS details
WED 08.22 Charlotte, NC Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre TICKETS DISCUSS details
FRI 08.24 Tampa, FL Ford Amphitheatre TICKETS DISCUSS details
SAT 08.25 Atlanta, GA HiFi Buys Amphitheatre TICKETS DISCUSS details
SUN 08.26 Louisville, KY Kentucky State Fair TICKETS DISCUSS details
WED 08.29 Selma, TX Verizon Wireless Amphitheater TICKETS DISCUSS details
FRI 08.31 The Woodlands, TX Cynthia W. Mitchell Pavilion TICKETS DISCUSS details
SAT 09.01 Dallas, TX Smirnoff Music Centre TICKETS DISCUSS details
MON 09.03 Saint Paul, MN Minnesota State Fair TICKETS DISCUSS details
WED 09.05 Oklahoma City, OK Oklahoma Zoo Amphitheatre TICKETS DISCUSS details
FRI 09.07 West Valley City, UT USANA Amphitheatre TICKETS DISCUSS details
SAT 09.08 Grand Junction, CO Rock Jam TICKETS DISCUSS details
SUN 09.09 Englewood, CO Coors Amphitheatre TICKETS DISCUSS details
WED 09.12 Ridgefield, WA Clark County Amphitheater TICKETS DISCUSS details
FRI 09.14 Marysville, CA Sleep Train Amphitheatre TICKETS DISCUSS details
SAT 09.15 Kelseyville, CA Konocti Harbor Resort & Spa TICKETS DISCUSS details
SUN 09.16 Reno, NV Reno Events Center TICKETS DISCUSS details
TUE 09.18 Concord, CA Sleep Train Pavilion TICKETS DISCUSS details
THU 09.20 Phoenix, AZ Cricket Pavilion TICKETS DISCUSS details
SAT 09.22 Las Vegas, NV Mandalay Bay Events Center TICKETS DISCUSS details
SUN 09.23 Irvine, CA Verizon Wireless Amphitheater TICKETS DISCUSS details
WED 09.26 Auburn, WA White River Amphitheatre TICKETS DISCUSS details
THU 09.27 Vancouver, BC General Motors Place TICKETS DISCUSS details
FRI 09.28 Victoria, BC Save-on Foods Centre TICKETS DISCUSS details
SUN 09.30 Calgary, AB Pengrowth Saddledome TICKETS DISCUSS details
MON 10.01 Edmonton, AB Rexall Place TICKETS DISCUSS details
TUE 10.02 Saskatoon, SK Credit Union Centre TICKETS DISCUSS details

Smashing Pumpkins Complete Fall ‘07 Tour Schedule

Posted in Billboard, Nokia Theatre, Smashing Pumpkins, Tour Dates at 3:41 am by Jared

(from Billboard.com)

Exciting news – The Pumpkins are coming to Dallas! Well, it’s news to me at least, give me some credit. This is a super old news story but I said I’d follow up, so I figure it’s better late than never. If I were throwing this in as a last-minute story in next month’s magazine issue you wouldn’t even have known that I’ve been slacking. That’s the bad thing about this instantaneous technology stuff. I digress – below is the updated Summer ‘07 tour itinerary for the regrouped Smashing Pumpkins, who claim to be touring in support of their newly released album Zeitgeist, though it’s clear that they could simply reappear with no new material in hand and sell just as many tickets. Dallas fans, I’ll see you in Grand Prairie on November 3. I recommend bringing earplugs, because Nokia likes to crank the sound until it overloads your ears and you can’t reasonably enjoy the sound without sticking your fingers into your head. That said, I hate Nokia, but I will begrudgingly break the running boycott I have against Nokia to see SP play for the first time. Really – invest in some earplugs. It’s not about the volume, it’s about the sound quality.

Here are the Smashing Pumpkins’ fall tour dates:

Sept. 8: Montreal (Osheaga Festival)
Sept. 9: Toronto (V Fest)

Sept. 13: Las Vegas (the Pearl)

Sept. 18: Phoenix (Dodge Theatre)
Sept. 24: Vancouver (NE Forum)
Sept. 28: Salt Lake City (McKay Center)
Sept. 30: Morrison, Colo. (Red Rocks)
Oct. 2: St. Paul, Minn. (Wilkins Auditorium)
Oct. 4: Normal, Ill. (Braden Auditorium)
Oct. 7: Detroit (Fox Theatre)
Oct. 9: Pittsburgh (Palumbo Center)
Oct. 11: Columbus, Ohio (LC Pavilion)
Oct. 15-16: Boston (Orpheum Theatre
Oct. 21-22: Philadelphia (Tower Theatre)
Oct. 25: Memphis (Mud Island Amphitheatre)
Oct. 30: Atlanta (Fox Theatre)
Nov. 3: Dallas (Nokia Theatre)
Nov. 5: Nashville (Ryman Auditorium)

New Details on Upcoming Thrice Record Emerge

Posted in Alchemy Index, New Album, thrice at 3:28 am by Jared

(from Thrice’s blog, Alchemy Index)

Still no release date from the guys at the Thrice camp, but bassist Riley Breckenridge’s July 19 blog post sheds light on some exciting news. The album is wrapped up, the band has the masters, and Dave Eggers is manning the artwork once again after doing a phenomenal job on Vheissu. I’d look for a late September-early October release date on this one. Not much more I can say on this one, except that it should be interesting to see whether Thrice sneaks in some material when they hit the road this fall with Brand New. I’ve got my ticket.

Free Dallas Ozzfest Tickets On Sale Tomorrow 7/26

Posted in Free Tickets, Ozzfest, Sharon Osbourne, Tour Dates at 3:13 am by Jared

(from the official Ozzfest website) Starting at 10:00 AM tomorrow, tickets will be available online for the Ozzfest summer metal festival stop in Dallas on August 2, among others. This is the first year that the festival has been put on for free, thanks to hefty sponsor contributions, but I still bet on dwindling attendance. Ozzfest was the genesis of rock concerts for me; I walked into the show a boy and emerged a demon. My first Ozzfest was back in 2001, and it was halfway decent then. Due either to a waning interest in bad music or a waxing interest in Vans Warped Tour, the festival’s barreled downhill lately. In 2005 Sharon Osbourne encouraged an onstage egg assault from the audience against Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson along with repeatedly cutting power to the band’s set. These childish antics were intended as Dickinson’s revenge for his “remarks about reality TV”, the singer said in an August 26, 2006 interview with The U.K.’s The Sun Online. Whatever the case, there should be a bunch of stoners waking up unusually early tomorrow to sit faithfully in front of their computers, waiting for the 10:00 mark to hit. I’d sleep in, pick up the tickets at your leisure. The internet isn’t going anywhere, and neither, I suspect, are those tickets. We shall see.

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