Category: Pop (Page 145 of 216)

Road Warriors 41

November 21, 2007 / Mike Farley

In its 50 years of existence, Los Angeles venue The Troubadour has helped launch the careers of artists such as The Eagles, Jackson Browne and Elton John. Two other artists that first performed there in 1969 are Carole King and James Taylor, who will be celebrating the 50-year anniversary of the club with three shows there, November 28-30. The two performances each night will benefit various charities including National Resources Defense and MusiCares.

Not surprisingly in a year that they toured for the first time in decades, The Police were big winners at the fourth annual Billboard Touring Awards last week. The band took home the awards for Top Tour and Top Draw. Other winners included Kenny Chesney, Justin Timberlake, Prince and Larry the Cable Guy.

Velvet Revolver’s four-day tour in Japan, which was scheduled for November 26-30, was cancelled because of visa issues stemming from previous arrests of some of the band’s members. The band is appealing but will likely not have a ruling for several months.

Carrie Underwood will join Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts and others on the 2008 Stagecoach country music festival. The event is being held May 3-4 at California’s Empire Polo Field.

Indie rock band The A.K.A.s are releasing their new album in March 2008, but will be hitting the road in advance of that along with Hawthorne Heights, Escape The Fate, Amber Pacific and The Secret Handshake beginning this Friday in Detroit. Here are the complete confirmed Continue reading »

Alternative, Concerts, Country, Hip Hop, Pop, Rock

Less Talk, More Music: Pet Shop Boys on “Live with Regis and Kelly”

November 20, 2007 / Will Harris

Originally, I’d planned to post the Boys’ 1991 appearance on “The Tonight Show,” when, in mid-performance, Chris Lowe (a.k.a. the one who doesn’t sing) got pissed off about not getting enough camera time and left the stage. Yikes. Tantrum much? Anyway, the performance in question got yanked from YouTube before I could get it onto ESDMusic, so instead I’ve opted to spotlight the guys in a more recent…and more unlikely…appearance.

I’m always impressed with Regis Philbin as a talk show host; whether he really knows what he’s talking about or not, he always has that offhanded casual manner when he’s introducing someone that convinces you that he might actually be a fan of the person he’s getting ready to bring to the stage. Somehow, I suspect the amount of PSB in his CD collection is lacking…though perhaps not as much as it’s lacking from Kelly Ripa’s, since she seems to have no idea that they’ve done anything since “West End Girls”…but neither host’s knowledge (of lack thereof) of the duo affect this lovely piano-driven version of one of the guys’ sweetest and most sentimental songs.

Alternative, Artists, Less Talk, More Music, Pop, Songs, Videos

Video Vault – Paul McCartney, “Pretty Little Head”

November 20, 2007 / Will Harris

I’m not the only one on the Bullz-Eye staff who loves Paul McCartney’s oft-maligned Press to Play album, but what I don’t know is if I’m the last one to see the video for one of its songs, “Pretty Little Head.” Macca was all over the place on this album, stylistically speaking, and this particular track really doesn’t sound like anything else he’s ever done; even more unique, however, is the video mix of the song, which ups the ante and makes it way more single-worthy than it did on the album. (If anyone knows where I can find a copy of this version, let me know!)

As to the video, it’s actually pretty damned impressive…or, at least, it would’ve been considered such in the ’80s, when it was originally made and released. I still can’t believe I’d never seen it until I picked up the new McCartney DVD set.

Artists, External Music, Music DVDs, Pop, Rock, Videos

Road Warriors 40

November 16, 2007 / Mike Farley

Country mega-stars Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood will hit the road together as co-headliners beginning January 31 for 24 shows. The tour is being billed as Love, Pain, & the Whole Crazy Carnival Ride Tour (really now, why do these concert promoters think they have to try and be clever?). Tickets go on sale December 1.

Southern California based indie label Hopeless/Sub City Records is organizing the Take Action Tour, which focuses on raising funds and awareness for non-profit organizations. The seventh annual tour will begin in February and features bands such as Every Time I Die and Escape The Fate. Previous artists on the tour include Avenged Sevenfold, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and Jimmy Eat World. For a complete list of dates, please visit www.takeactiontour.com

Matchbox Twenty is touring for the first time in four years, heading out with special guests Alanis Morissette and MuteMath beginning January 25 in Hollywood, Florida in support of their new album, Exile on Mainstream. The stops include a Valentine’s Day engagement at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Here is the complete list of confirmed shows Continue reading »

Alternative, American Idol, Concerts, Country, Pop, Rock

Less Talk, More Music: Midnight Oil on “Thicke of the Night”

November 13, 2007 / Will Harris

I saw Midnight Oil in concert twice before they called it a day – once at the Boathouse, touring behind Diesel and Dust, the other at Norfolk Scope, touring behind Blue Sky Mining (with Hunters and Collectors as their openers!) – but until I saw this clip, I’d somehow managed to forget just how damned disconcerting Peter Garrett was to watch on stage. At that Boathouse show, I stayed way at the back of the venue, mostly because he scared the shit out of me!

By the way, this is officially the first time I’ve ever seen any portion of an episode of Alan Thicke’s short-lived late-night talk show. Wow, he was as cheesy as an ’80s sitcom dad even then; no wonder it was short-lived.

Alternative, Artists, Concerts, Less Talk, More Music, Pop, Rock, Songs, Videos