Chainsmokers news

Grammy-nominated artist/producer duo The Chainsmokers will release their debut album this year via Columbia/Disruptor Records.

The news comes alongside the announcement of The Chainsmokers’ biggest ever tour to date. The 40 city ‘Memories: Do Not Open’ North American arena tour kicks off in April in Miami and wraps in June – see full list of tour dates below. Every ticket purchased online for the tour includes a copy of The Chainsmokers’ forthcoming debut album.

AT&T priority pre-sale ticket access is live now via the AT&T THANKS program. For complete pre-sale details visit att.com/frontoftheline. Citi cardmembers will have access to pre-sale tickets beginning Feb. 2 at 9AM through Citi’s Private Pass program. For complete pre-sale details visit www.citiprivatepass.com. The general on-sale begins Feb. 3 via Ticketmaster. For additional tour and ticket information please visit http://www.thechainsmokers.com/shows.

The Chainsmokers’ new single “Paris” went to the #1 spot on iTunes’ Top Songs chart upon release and debuted at #7 on Billboard’s Hot 100, marking the duo’s fourth track to reach the Top 10 and their highest first week entrance on the chart to date. The song features vocals from Drew  and serves as the follow up to their previous hit “Closer,” the biggest #1 song in 2016. The beachy lyric video for “Paris,” directed by Rory Kramer and shot on location at Casa Malca in Tulum, Mexico, features Instagram model Alexis Ren and is already approaching 60 Million views.

The Chainsmokers are up for three Grammy Awards this year in the Best New Artist, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance (“Closer” Featuring Halsey) and Best Dance Recording (“Don’t Let Me Down” Featuring Daya) categories. The awards will air on Sunday, February 12 at 8/7c on CBS.
 
Tour dates: 

April 13 Miami, FL American Airlines Arena
April 14 Tampa, FL Amalie Arena
April 15 North Charleston, SC North Charleston Coliseum
April 18 Charlottesville, VA John Paul Jones Arena
April 20 Bridgeport, CT Webster Bank Arena
April 21 Albany, NY Times Union Center
April 22 Pittsburgh, PA PPG Paints Arena
April 25 Cleveland, OH Wolstein Center
April 26 Cincinnati, OH U.S. Bank Arena
April 27 Detroit, MI Joe Louis Arena
April 28 Madison, WI Veterans Memorial Coliseum
April 29 Rosemont, IL Allstate Arena
April 30 Des Moines, IA Wells Fargo Arena
May 2 West Valley City, UT Maverik Center
May 4 Sacramento, CA Golden 1 Center
May 5 San Francisco, CA Bill Graham Civic
May 6 San Francisco, CA Bill Graham Civic
May 8 San Diego, CA Valley View Casino Center
May 9 Glendale, AZ Gila River Arena
May 11 San Antonio, TX Freeman Coliseum
May 13 New Orleans, LA Smoothie King Arena
May 16 Tulsa, OK BOK Center
May 17 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center
May 18 St. Louis, MO Scottrade Center
May 19 Memphis, TN FedEx Forum
May 20 Louisville, KY KFC Yum! Center
May 23 Columbia, SC Colonial Life Arena
May 24 Raleigh, NC PNC Arena
May 25 Hampton, VA Hampton Coliseum
May 26 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post Pavilion
May 30 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
June 1 Montreal, QC Bell Centre
June 2 Boston, MA TD Garden
June 3 Philadelphia, PA Liacouras Center
June 4 Philadelphia, PA Liacouras Center
June 7 Providence, RI Dunkin Donuts Center
June 9 Queens, NY Forest Hills Stadium
June 10 Queens, NY Forest Hills Stadium

Paul McCartney to reissue 'Flowers' this spring

photo by Linda McCartney c1988 Paul McCartney/MPL

Somehow this news passed by me, as it came during the hectic Christmas holiday season. The album is one of my faves from Macca and I can't wait to hear the new version...

The long awaited 10th release in the multiple-Grammy Award-winning Paul McCartney Archive Collection has been confirmed: On March 24, Paul’s 1989 international #1 album, Flowers In The Dirt, will be the latest classic solo work from one of the world’s most revered catalogues to get the special treatment across a multi-format reissue released by MPL/Capitol/UMe.

The Paul McCartney Archive Collection release of Flowers In The Dirt was, as always, personally supervised by Paul himself.

One of the most critically acclaimed albums of the eighties, nominated for both BRIT and Grammy Awards, Flowers In The Dirt saw McCartney team up with Elvis Costello to co-write a third of the album (My Brave Face, You Want Her Too, Don’t Be Careless Love and That Day is Done) as well as boasting production credits from producers such as Mitchell Froom, Trevor Horn, David Foster, Steve Lipson, Elvis Costello and Paul McCartney himself.

Pink Floyd guitar legend David Gilmour makes an appearance on We Got Married and George Martin’s string arrangement on Put It There is amongst the many album highlights.

The Flowers In The Dirt Deluxe Edition Box Set will undoubtedly be yet another crown jewel in the collection of any Paul McCartney fan.  In addition to its wealth of audio and video content, exclusive features of the Deluxe Edition include a 32-page notebook of Paul’s handwritten lyrics and notes, a catalogue for Linda McCartney’s 1989 Flowers In The Dirt photo exhibition, a 64 page photobook featuring the music videos for The One, and a stunning, custom-created 112-page book telling the complete story of the album through exclusive in-depth interviews with Paul, Elvis Costello and other key contributors.  Along with expanded track-by-track information, the book contains album and single artwork as well as previously unpublished photographs by Linda McCartney.

Sessions for Flowers In The Dirt began in 1987 and the majority of the album was recorded at Paul’s Hog Hill Mill studio in East Sussex.

During the sessions Costello convinced Paul to dig out his iconic Höfner bass for the first time in years—a suggestion McCartney recalls as  “unsual because I had sort of parked it. I had thought I had outgrown it.  I started playing it again and never really looked back. It’s great that Elvis encouraged me to take it out.”  In preparation for his first major world tour in years Paul was looking to capture songs he could take on the road with him.  Paul told his band that he wouldn’t go out on tour unless he really liked the album. Looking back Paul recalls, “You’re always thinking, ‘Let’s get some new songs and take them on tour’ and you hope your new songs are going to work. Something like ‘My Brave Face’ would be a song that nobody knew at the start at the beginning of the tour and then everybody knew it at the end and it was the high spot of the whole tour.”

The original 13-track album was remastered for all the new configurations at Abbey Road Studios. The Deluxe Edition contains 18 bonus audio tracks across two discs, featuring previously unreleased demos, written and performed by Paul with Elvis Costello. Speaking about these tracks Paul said:  “The demos are red hot off the skillet and that’s why we wanted to include them on this boxed set. What’s great about these songs is that they’ve just been written. So there’s nothing more hot off the skillet as I say. So that was the kind of great instant thing about them.  I hadn’t listened to them in ages but when I did I knew we had to put them out. We made a little tape of them and sent them to Elvis, who loved them too.  We said we should put out an EP or something and now the moment’s finally arrived.”

The Deluxe Edition also includes, as digital downloads only, three unheard cassette demos, Don’t Want To Confess, Shallow Grave and Mistress And Maid.

The DVD that comes with the Deluxe Edition includes all the music videos from the album, three new short films with unseen archive material that show some of the creation process of the album and the documentary Put It There originally released on VHS in 1989 – a behind the scenes look at the making of Flowers In The Dirt as well as featuring live performances from his 1989 World Tour.

The 2 CD Special Edition includes the remastered version of the album on the first disc.  The second disc includes Paul and Elvis’s previously unreleased original demos.

The 2 LP Edition also comes with a digital download version. The first LP includes the remastered album but in keeping with the original vinyl release doesn’t include Où Est Le Soleil (this track will be available with the accompanying digital download).  The second LP includes Paul and Elvis’s previously unreleased original demos.
 
Track listings:

SPECIAL EDITION (3CD/1DVD)

DISC 1:
1. My Brave Face (2017 Remaster)
2. Rough Ride (2017 Remaster)
3. You Want Her Too (2017 Remaster)
4. Distractions (2017 Remaster)
5. We Got Married (2017 Remaster)
6. Put It There (2017 Remaster)
7. Figure Of Eight (2017 Remaster)
8. This One (2017 Remaster)
9. Don’t Be Careless Love (2017 Remaster)
10. That Day Is Done (2017 Remaster)
11. How Many People (2017 Remaster)
12. Motor Of Love (2017 Remaster)
13. Où Est Le Soleil? (2017 Remaster)

DISC 2:
1. The Lovers That Never Were (Original Demo)
2. Tommy’s Coming Home (Original Demo)
3. Twenty Fine Fingers (Original Demo)
4. So Like Candy (Original Demo)
5. You Want Her Too (Original Demo)
6. That Day Is Done (Original Demo)
7. Don’t Be Careless Love (Original Demo)
8. My Brave Face (Original Demo)
9. Playboy To A Man (Original Demo)

DISC 3:
1. The Lovers That Never Were (1988 Demo)
2. Tommy’s Coming Home (1988 Demo)
3. Twenty Fine Fingers (1988 Demo)
4. So Like Candy (1988 Demo)
5. You Want Her Too (1988 Demo)
6. That Day Is Done (1988 Demo)
7. Don’t Be Careless Love (1988 Demo)
8. My Brave Face (1988 Demo)
9. Playboy To A Man (1988 Demo)

DVD
Music Videos:
1. My Brave Face
2. My Brave Face (Version 2)
3. This One (Version 1)
4. This One (Version 2)
5. Figure Of Eight
6. Party Party
7. Où Est Le Soleil?
8. Put It There
9. Distractions
10. We Got Married

Creating Flowers in the Dirt:
1. Paul And Elvis
2. Buds In The Studio
3. The Making Of ‘This One’
(The Dean Chamberlain One)

Put it There:
1. Put It There Documentary

DOWNLOAD ONLY:

Original B-sides, remixes and single edits:
1. Back On My Feet
2. Flying To My Home
3. The First Stone
4. Good Sign
5. This One (Club Lovejoys Mix)
6. Figure Of Eight (12” Bob Clearmountain Mix)
7. Loveliest Thing
8. Où Est Le Soleil? (12” Mix)
9. Où Est Le Soleil? (Tub Dub Mix)
10. Où Est Le Soleil? (7” Mix)
11. Où Est Le Soleil? (Instrumental)
12. Party Party (Original Mix)
13. Party Party (Club Mix)

Cassette demos:
1. I Don’t Want To Confess
2. Shallow Grave
3. Mistress And Maid

SPECIAL EDITION (2CD)

DISC 1:
1. My Brave Face (2017 Remaster)
2. Rough Ride (2017 Remaster)
3. You Want Her Too (2017 Remaster)
4. Distractions (2017 Remaster)
5. We Got Married (2017 Remaster)
6. Put It There (2017 Remaster)
7. Figure Of Eight (2017 Remaster)
8. This One (2017 Remaster)
9. Don’t Be Careless Love (2017 Remaster)
10. That Day Is Done (2017 Remaster)
11. How Many People (2017 Remaster)
12. Motor Of Love (2017 Remaster)
13. Où Est Le Soleil? (2017 Remaster)

DISC 2:
1. The Lovers That Never Were (Original Demo)
2. Tommy’s Coming Home (Original Demo)
3. Twenty Fine Fingers (Original Demo)
4. So Like Candy (Original Demo)
5. You Want Her Too (Original Demo)
6. That Day Is Done (Original Demo)
7. Don’t Be Careless Love (Original Demo)
8. My Brave Face (Original Demo)
9. Playboy To A Man (Original Demo)

VINYL (2LP)

Side 1:
1. My Brave Face (2017 Remaster)
2. Rough Ride (2017 Remaster)
3. You Want Her Too (2017 Remaster)
4. Distractions (2017 Remaster)
5. We Got Married (2017 Remaster)
6. Put It There (2017 Remaster)
7. Figure Of Eight (2017 Remaster)
8. This One (2017 Remaster)
9. Don’t Be Careless Love (2017 Remaster)
10. That Day Is Done (2017 Remaster)
11. How Many People (2017 Remaster)
12. Motor Of Love (2017 Remaster)
13. Où Est Le Soleil? (2017 Remaster) (**not on vinyl, this track will be available with the accompanying digital download).

Side 2:
1. The Lovers That Never Were (Original Demo)
2. Tommy’s Coming Home (Original Demo)
3. Twenty Fine Fingers (Original Demo)
4. So Like Candy (Original Demo)
5. You Want Her Too (Original Demo)
6. That Day Is Done (Original Demo)
7. Don’t Be Careless Love (Original Demo)
8. My Brave Face (Original Demo)
9. Playboy To A Man (Original Demo)

paulmccartney.com

Grunge-leaning 'Singles' soundtrack gets deluxe anniversary treatment

Epic Soundtrax and Legacy Recordings will celebrate the 25th anniversary of Cameron Crowe's romantic comedy, "Singles," with the release of a newly expanded and remastered edition of the Singles: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack-Deluxe Edition album on May 19.

It is being offered in 2CD, 2LP and digital configurations and is available for pre-order now: https://LegacyRecordings.lnk.to/singles-strkAW/amazon 

The 2LP edition features the album's original 13 tracks newly mastered and freshly pressed across four sides of collectible 12" vinyl. The bonus CD of rarities and unreleased tracks (Disc 2 in the 2CD set) is included as a special insert in the 2LP 12" vinyl package.

The newly released bonus CD (included in both the 2LP and 2CD deluxe editions of the Singles: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack-Deluxe Edition album) features previously unreleased recordings by Chris Cornell, Mike McCready, Mudhoney, and Paul Westerberg in addition to rarities such as Cornell's 1992 EP Poncier (debuting an early rendition of "Spoonman") and tracks from the film not included on the best-selling soundtrack album first released on June 30, 1992. The success of "Singles" helped establish a then-emerging new generation of rock artists--including 2017 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains and Soundgarden--as musical forces.

Also for the first time on CD is "Touch Me I'm Dick," the signature track from "Singles" performed by Citizen Dick (a fictional band created for the film featuring frontman Matt Dillon backed by Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder, Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament).

This new edition of Singles includes liner notes--and a track-by-track description of the album's music--written for especially for this collection by Cameron Crowe, the screenwriter and director of "Singles." It was produced by Danny Bramson, Crowe and mastered by Mike Piacentini at Battery Studios, New York.

Set in Seattle at the beginning of the 1990s, Crowe's film featured music by relatively obscure (at that time) bands like Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains and Soundgarden, providing an introduction to an emerging grunge rock music scene for a welcoming mainstream audience. The film became a cult classic while the soundtrack achieved RIAA double platinum status in the US.

A romantic comedy capturing the zeitgeist of an era, "Singles" helped define the look, sound, attitude and style of Generation X with a fresh-faced ensemble cast featuring Bridget Fonda, Campbell Scott, Kyra Sedgwick, Matt Dillon, Bill Pullman, Sheila Kelly, Jim True-Frost, James LeGros, Ally Walker, Jeremy Piven, Eric Stoltz, Tim Burton and more.

Crowe's groundbreaking film chronicling the lives of Seattle's twentysomethings touched a nerve in the culture while the movie's best-selling soundtrack--with tracks from new artists and classic rockers--provided a critical overview of the roots of grunge and the essential contributions of Seattle rock. Alongside new songs like Alice In Chains' "Would?" and Pearl Jam's "Breath" and "State of Love and Trust" stood the Jimi Hendrix Experience's "May This Be Love" and a breathtaking cover of Led Zeppelin's "The Battle of Evermore" performed by The Lovemongers (a musical side project created by Heart's Ann Wilson and Nancy Wilson).

The first edition of the Singles: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack-Deluxe Edition was originally released on June 30, 1992 and became a chart-topping best-seller three months prior to the theatrical release of the film. The soundtrack included music from key bands from the Seattle music scene--including Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden--while Paul Westerberg, in his first solo recordings outside The Replacements--contributed two songs and provided the score for the film. Smashing Pumpkins were also featured on the soundtrack with the song "Drown."

"The album itself was always designed to be sort of an anti-soundtrack, more like a souvenir and a simple mix-tape of some of Seattle’s finest," said Cameron Crowe. "It really is and was a tribute to those hard-working bands that welcomed me to their city with open arms, and the music so many still love so much. Anyway, here we are now revisiting 'Singles,' the film, as well as the soundtrack you hold in your hands, expanded with a special tip of the hat to the fans of the original release. Included are unreleased and raw elements that helped shape the experience of making the movie back in 1991. Hope you enjoy the trip back as much as I did – Viva Seattle!"

25 years ago, the film "Singles" and its soundtrack worked together to bring the underground Seattle music scene to the forefront of mainstream consciousness. The album was among the first top-selling movie soundtracks of the 1990s to showcase new material from emerging contemporary bands. The expanded edition of Singles: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack-Deluxe Edition is cause to celebrate anew the radical rock sounds that radiated out of the American Northwest a quarter century ago and changed pop music forever.

Track listing:

1. Would? – Alice In Chains
2. Breath – Pearl Jam
3. Seasons – Chris Cornell
4. Dyslexic Heart – Paul Westerberg
5. Battle Of Evermore – The Lovemongers
6. Chloe Dancer/Crown Of Thorns – Mother Love Bone
7. Birth Ritual – Soundgarden
8. State of Love And Trust – Pearl Jam
9. Overblown – Mudhoney
10. Waiting For Somebody – Paul Westerberg
11. May This Be Love – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
12. Nearly Lost You – Screaming Trees
13. Drown – Smashing Pumpkins

Bonus Disc (included in 2CD and 2LP editions)

1. Touch Me I'm Dick – Citizen Dick (first time on CD)
2. Nowhere But You – Chris Cornell (Poncier)
3. Spoon Man – Chris Cornell (Poncier)
4. Flutter Girl – Chris Cornell (Poncier)
5. Missing – Chris Cornell (Poncier) (first time on CD)
6. Would? (live) – Alice In Chains (first time on CD)
7. It Ain't Like That (live) – Alice In Chains (first time on CD)
8. Birth Ritual (live) – Soundgarden (first time on CD)
9. Dyslexic Heart (acoustic) – Paul Westerberg (first time on CD)
10. Waiting For Somebody (score acoustic) – Paul Westerberg (previously unreleased)
11. Overblown (demo) – Mudhoney (previously unreleased)
12. Heart and Lungs – Truly
13. Six Foot Under – Blood Circus
14. Singles Blues 1 – Mike McCready (previously unreleased)
15. Blue Heart – Paul Westerberg (previously unreleased)
16. Lost In Emily’s Words – Paul Westerberg (previously unreleased)
17. Ferry Boat #3 – Chris Cornell (previously unreleased)
18. Score Piece #4 – Chris Cornell (previously unreleased)

www.legacyrecordings.com

John Mayer announces N. American tour

photo: Frank Ockenfels

John Mayer is launching his Search for Everything World Tour in March in New York. It marks the first solo trek for Mayer since 2014 and will run through spring before concluding in May in London. A full listing of tour dates can be found below.

Each concert on the tour will be comprised of full band, solo acoustic and John Mayer Trio sets of music. Click HERE to find out what to expect from The Search For Everything World Tour direct from John.

Tickets will go on sale beginning Friday, February 3 at 10 AM through livenation.com. American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets before the general public now through Thursday, February 2 at 10 PM. Every ticket purchased online for The Search for Everything World Tour North American concerts includes a physical copy of the forthcoming album.

The first wave of music from The Search for Everything was released Friday, January 20, and went straight to #1 on iTunes and the Billboard Albums chart. It consists of the recently released track, “Love on the Weekend,” as well as three brand new songs, “Moving On and Getting Over,” “Changing,” and “You’re Gonna Live Forever in Me.” The Search for Everything, which Mayer began recording in 2014 at the famed Capitol Studios in the Capitol Records building in Hollywood, will be released in its entirety this spring through Columbia Records.
 
Tour dates:
 
FRI 31-Mar Albany, NY Times Union Center
SAT 1-Apr Montreal, QC Bell Centre
MON 3-Apr Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
WED 5-Apr New York, NY Madison Square Garden
THU 6-Apr Washington, DC Verizon Center
FRI 7-Apr Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center
SUN 9-Apr Boston, MA TD Garden
TUE 11-Apr Chicago, IL United Center
WED 12-Apr Columbus, OH Schottenstein Center
FRI 14-Apr Kansas City, MO Sprint Center
SAT 15-Apr St. Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center
MON 17-Apr Edmonton, AB Rogers Place
WED 19-Apr Vancouver, BC Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena
FRI 21-Apr Inglewood, CA The Forum
SAT 22-Apr Las Vegas, NV T-Mobile Arena
WED 3-May Amsterdam, NL Ziggo Dome
FRI 5-May Herning, DK Jyske Bank Boxen
SUN 7-May Stockholm, SE Ericcson Globe
TUE 8-May Oslo, NO Spektrum
Wed 9-May Copenhagen, DK Royal Arena
FRI 12-May London, ENG The O2

A limited number of exclusive ticket packages will be available for the North American concerts starting Thursday February 2nd at 10am local. Select packages include premium tickets, meet & greets, and a backstage tour. For more information, visit johnmayer.com/tour.

Wave One is available here at HERE.

Kings of Leon concert review: Los Angeles

photo: Kelly Swift

Before Kings of Leon took the stage for a sold out show at The Forum last Saturday, the sight and sound of a beating heart projected on two screens signaled their arrival.

If anyone measured the Nashville-based rock band’s career pulse, it would be considered strong by most accounts.

Last fall, seventh album “WALLS” - an acronym for We Are Like Love Songs - debuted atop the Billboard 200 (a career first). Meanwhile, “Waste a Moment” reached No. 1 at alternative, rock and AAA radio. The single still crowns the latter format chart after three months.

Working with new producer Markus Dravs (known for his work with Arcade Fire, Florence+the Machine and Coldplay) on “WALLS” rejuvenated KoL. California had a subtle influence too: the Followill brothers and their cousin recorded in LA after the previous four releases were done elsewhere; the state and West Hollywood are even name checked in a couple lyrics.

Obscured by dark lighting, Kings of Leon kicked off the 100-minute, 25-song concert in Inglewood, Calif. with a moody “The End,” off 2010’s “Come Around Sundown.” It was driven by Matthew’s always captivating reverb guitar squalls. Then the band went straight into “Slow Night, So Long,” with Jared’s nimble basslines leading the charge.

photo: Kelly Swift

As usual, front man Caleb (pictured left) basically let the music do the talking throughout the evening. Poignant, laid-back ballad “Muchacho” - inspired by the group’s late art director - featured some whistling and felt like a breath of fresh air. The first of eight selections played from “WALLS,” it went over well with fans who sang along and cheered loudly to old and new tunes alike.

Quick mid-2000s U.K. hits like the Southern style chugging rocker “Molly’s Chambers,” a chiming “The Bucket” and frantic “Four Kicks” were pure rushes of adrenaline. But the more nuanced recent material proved equally strong. A jaunty “Eyes on You” was heightened by auxiliary musician Liam O’Neil’s synth washes and a soaring end chant. The haunting, six-minute-long “Over,” about a rock star suicide, saw Caleb veer from monotone to anguished emotional singing as a gothic soundscape whirred behind him.

Kings of Leon did big hit “Sex on Fire” earlier in the set than past tours and the general admission pit section went crazy. Then a red curtain closed for a fine acoustic-based segment. Caleb appeared alone for spiritual-tinged “The Runner.” He was rejoined by the guys on an earthy “Comeback Story,” which was an excellent display of their harmonies. 

Speaking of backing vocals, drummer Nathan, sidelined by pneumonia last week that caused two shows to be postponed, seemed no worse for wear. On the title track to the contemplative “Walls,” Caleb played acoustic guitar to a drum machine before the other members came in for a dynamic finish.

photo: Kelly Swift

Elsewhere, Kings of Leon blazed through “Find Me” and “Radioactive” with abandon and the spacey atmospheric textures of “On Call” and “Closer” were totally riveting.

The mildly political “Crawl,” from 2008 (key lyric: “the reds and whites and abused/the crucified USA/as their hypocrisy unfolds/hell is truly on its way), had old school punk rock iconography on the screens and suddenly took on new meaning in today’s world.

For the final stretch, the driving “Supersoaker” and majestic “Use Somebody” saw the band forgo an encore and finish the night on a high note. 

A version of my review originally appeared at ocregister.com

Upcoming tour dates:

Fri, April 28	Chula Vista, CA	Sleep Train Amphitheatre
Sat, April 29	Phoenix, AZ	Ak-Chin Pavilion
Tue, May 2	The Woodlands, TX	Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Thu, May 4	Dallas, TX	Gexa Energy Pavilion
Sun, May 7	New Orleans, LA	New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival
Tue, May 9	Austin, TX	Austin 360 Amphitheater
Thu, May 11	Atlanta, GA	Aaarons Amphitheatre
Wed, May 17	Raleigh, NC	Coastal Credit Union Music Park
Fri, May 19	Virginia Beach, VA	Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheatre
Sat, May 20	Holmdel, NJ	PNC Bank Arts Center
Wed, July 26	Saratoga Springs, NY	Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Fri, July 28	Mansfield, MA	Xfinity Center
Sat, July 29	Uncasville, CT	Mohegan Sun
Tues, Aug 1	Wantagh, NY	Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
Wed, Aug 2	Darien Center, NY	Darien Lake PAC
Sat, Aug 5	Syracuse, NY	Lakeview Amphitheater
Sun, Aug 6	Bethel, NY	Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
Wed, Aug 9	Toronto, ON	Budweiser Stage
Fri, Aug 11	Cincinnati, OH	Riverbend Music Center
Mon, Aug 14	Clarkston, MI	DTE Energy Music Theatre
Wed, Aug 16	Cuyahoga Falls, OH	Blossom Music Center
Fri, Aug 18	Burgettstown, PA	KeyBank Pavilion
Sat, Aug 19	Noblesville, IN	Klipsch Music Center
Thurs, Aug 24	Mountain View, CA	Shoreline Amphitheatre
Sat, Aug 26	Quincy, WA	The Gorge Amphitheatre

Tour update: Rod Stewart & Cyndi Lauper, Queen + Adam Lambert, Pixies

photo: Xavier Vila

I'm glad to see Queen + Adam Lambert returning. I caught their last LA show at the Forum and it was amazing.  

Queen + Adam Lambert will hit North America this summer with a 25-city arena tour kicking off June 23 in Phoenix, Arizona at Gila River Arena, followed with a special Los Angeles Hollywood Bowl performance, June 26.

After wildly successful and sold out tours throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, Latin and North America, Brian May, Roger Taylor + Adam Lambert will debut a brand new show specially designed and created for this outing, bringing fans all their favorite Queen hits, like “Another One Bites the Dust,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “We Will Rock You,” “We Are The Champions”.

Tickets will go on sale beginning Friday, February 3 at 10AM local time through the Live Nation mobile app and at Livenation.com. Members of both Queen and Adam Lambert's Fan Clubs will be able to purchase tickets before the general public beginning Tuesday, January 31 at 10AM, and American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets before the general public beginning Tuesday, January 31 at Noon and ending on Thursday, February 2 at 10PM. Exclusive VIP Package offers available at VIPNation.com

Since their first meeting on the final of American Idol in May 2009, Queen + Adam Lambert’s magical combination has been recognized worldwide with sold out shows in every part of the world.

2016 saw Queen + Lambert perform fifteen shows across Europe headlining major festivals such as Portugal’s Rock in Rio Lisbon where they played to 74,000 people, the UK’s Isle of Wight Festival, by far one of Britain’s most prestigious and successful music festivals with a heritage of such headliners as Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney, as well as sold out arena shows, such AS Barcelona’s Palau Sant Jordi Olympic arena.

Queen + Adam Lambert revved up again in the fall of 2016 to take on a series of sold out dates across Asia which saw Queen perform for the first time and introduce Adam Lambert to some new audiences in Hong Kong, Bangkok, Shanghai, and Singapore including three nights at the famous Tokyo Budokan theatre where Queen first appeared in 1975 and induced fan mayhem. Similar scenes greeted them on this return.

In 2015 Queen + Adam Lambert had 26 sold-out concerts in 10 countries throughout the UK and Europe taking their critically acclaimed show to France, Austria, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Poland, Estonia, Romania and Bulgaria.

In March 2014 Queen + Adam Lambert embarked on their first North American Summer tour. Not only did all 24 dates sell out almost overnight but at the end Queen + Adam Lambert were awarded Band of the Year at the 10th annual Classic Rock Roll of Honor awards and were also voted Best Live Band of the Year in Ultimate Classic Rock’s reader’s poll.

Queen + Adam Lambert topped off 2014 by performing to an audience of over 12 million TV viewers when they performed live for UK BBC Television’s New Year’s Eve spectacular Queen + Adam Lambert Rock Big Ben. In the subsequent 24 hours ‘Adam Lambert’ was the top of the trending searches on Google in the UK with more than 500,000 searches for his name.

Following that very first performance together of “We Are The Champions” in 2009, Queen and Adam Lambert teamed up again in 2011 at the MTV European Music Awards for an electrifying eight-minute finale, and in the summer of 2012 they performed their first live concerts with appearances across Europe including playing live before half a million people in Kiev, as their first show.

North American Tour dates:

Friday, June 23, 2017
Phoenix, AZ
Gila River Arena

Saturday, June 24, 2017
Las Vegas, NV
T-Mobile Arena

Monday, June 26, 2017
Los Angeles, CA
Hollywood Bowl

Thursday, June 29, 2017
San Jose, CA
SAP Center

Saturday, July 1, 2017
Seattle, WA
Key Arena

Sunday, July 2, 2017
Vancouver, BC
Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena

Tuesday, July 4, 2017
Edmonton, AB
Rogers Place

Thursday, July 6, 2017
Denver, CO
Pepsi Center Arena

Saturday, July 8, 2017
Omaha, NE
CenturyLink Center

Sunday, July 9, 2017
Kansas City, MO
Sprint Center

Thursday, July 13, 2017
Chicago, IL
United Center

Friday, July 14, 2017
St. Paul, MN
Xcel Energy Center

Monday, July 17, 2017
Montreal, QC
Bell Centre

Tuesday, July 18, 2017
Toronto, ON
Air Canada Centre

Thursday, July 20, 2017
Detroit, MI
The Palace of Auburn Hills

Friday, July 21, 2017
Cleveland, OH
Quicken Loans Arena

Sunday, July 23, 2017
Uncasville, CT
Mohegan Sun Arena

Tuesday, July 25, 2017
Boston, MA
TD Garden

Wednesday, July 26, 2017
Newark, NJ
Prudential Center

Friday, July 28, 2017
New York, NY
Barclays Center

Sunday, July 30, 2017
Philadelphia, PA
Wells Fargo Center

Monday, July 31, 2017
Washington D.C.
Verizon Center

Wednesday, August 2, 2017
Nashville, TN
Bridgestone Arena

Friday, August 4, 2017
Dallas, TX
American Airlines Center

Saturday, August 5, 2017
Houston, TX
Toyota Center 

photo: Doug Sonders

These are two of my all-time favorite acts. Too bad there are no West Coast dates... 

Rod Stewart will join Cyndi Lauper for an 18-city tour beginning July 6.

Both have been awarded nearly every industry award and honor for their incomparable catalog of hits and activism, among them Grammy and American Music Awards, two inductions into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the ASCAP Founders Award for songwriting and a knighthood for Stewart; and an Emmy and Tony Award for Lauper.

Lauper is still riding high after her acclaimed roots rock album "Detour" from last year. Tickets are on sale now at www.livenation.com and www.citiprivatepass.com.

Tour dates:

July 6 Hard Rock Casino - Hollywood, Fla.*
July 8 Amalie Arena - Tampa, Fla.*
July 9 Tuscaloosa Amphitheater - Tuscaloosa, Ala.*
July 12 BB&T Pavilion - Camden, N.J.
July 14 Darlings Waterfront Pavilion - Bangor, Maine
July 15 Xfinity Center - Mansfield, Mass.
July 18 Jones Beach Theater - Wantagh, N.Y.
July 19 Jiffy Lube Live - Bristow, Va.
July 21 Bethel Woods Center for the Arts - Bethel, N.Y.
July 22 Saratoga Performing Arts Center - Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
July 25 PNC Bank Arts Center - Holmdel, N.J.
July 28 Blossom Music Center - Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
July 29 CMAC PAC - Rochester, N.Y.*
Aug. 1 DTE Energy Music Theater - Clarkston, Mich.
Aug. 4 Riverbend Music Center - Cincinnati, Ohio
Aug. 5 Hollywood Casino Amphitheater - Tinley Park, Ill.
Aug. 11 Verizon Theater - Dallas, Texas
Aug.12 Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land - Houston, Texas

* Tickets for Hollywood, FL (July 7); Tampa, FL (July 8); Tuscaloosa, AL (July 9) and Rochester, NY (July 29) are available at www.ticketmaster.com
 

photo: Travis Shinn

The band's latest album was among my top 10 best of '16. Can't wait to see them on the road...

Pixies, one of the most influential alt/rock bands of all time, will take their signature aural mix of psychedelia, dissonance, surf-rock and loud-quiet-loud on a five-week tour across North America in 2017, the first of a three-leg trek across the continent. Following stops in Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and the band's first-ever South African concerts, the North American tour will launch at the Fox Theatre in Pomona, CA on Friday, April 21, and will see the band playing theatres and open-air venues.

Tickets are on sale now. Log on to www.pixiesmusic.com for details.

Public Access TV* and Cymbals Eat Guitars** will split the support slot over the course of the tour.

For these 2017 dates, Pixies - Joey Santiago/guitar, Black Francis/guitar & vocals, David Lovering/drums and bassist Paz Lenchantin - will introduce to its North American audiences a brand new stage set designed by their longtime production manager Simon Foster and lighting designer Myles Mangino.

The design is simple and sleek and fashioned around special pods that house all of the lighting, positioned behind the band. Fans can expect a set list comprised of the classics and catalogue rarities as well as newer songs from Indie Cindy and the band's latest release, Head Carrier. As is the norm, there will be no firm setlist for Pixies' shows; their sets, while pulled from nearly 90 songs that the band has rehearsed and is prepared to play, will change somewhat from night to night with every number determined just before it's performed.

Pixies kicked off the European leg of their 2016-17 global run last November, playing sold-out shows throughout the UK and wrapping up in Birmingham on December 8. Confirmed dates for the 2017 North American trek are as follows:

Tour dates:

APRIL
21 Fox Theatre, Pomona, CA*
22 Cal Coast Open Air, San Diego, CA*
23 House of Blues, Anaheim, CA*
25 Ace Theatre, Los Angeles, CA*
29 Bomb Factory, Dallas, TX*
30 White Oak Music Hall, Houston, TX*

MAY
1 Stubbs, Austin, TX*
3 Saenger Theatre, New Orleans, LA*
5 Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN*
6 Madison Theatre, Covington, KY*
7 Express Live Amphitheatre, Columbus, OH*
9 The National, Richmond, VA**
11 Durham PAC, Durham, NC**
12 Shaky Knees Music Festival, Atlanta, GA**
16 Lincoln Theatre, Washington, DC**
19 House of Blues, Boston, MA**
20 House of Blues, Boston, MA**
21 Paradise Ballroom, Boston, MA**
23 Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA**
24 Webster Hall, New York, NY**
26 Brooklyn Steel, Brooklyn, NY**

* Public Access TV will support
** Cymbals Eat Guitars will support