Music News Net

PHISH Concert "Jumper" Pleads Not Guilty to Charges

MUSIC NEWS- The Maine guy who injured himself after police say he jumped from the upper deck at the Nokia Theatre at Jones Beach concert venue on Long Island, NY at the recent PHISH concert has pled not guilty to reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct charges.   Luke Duplessis was released without bail following his arraignment on Friday in a Hempstead, N.Y. court.   Dan Russo, a Long Island-based attorney for the 30-year-old Old Town, ME, resident, disputed allegations that his client jumped, saying instead that his client accidentally fell.

Duplessis landed in a seating area about 25 feet below during intermission of the band's August 18 concert.  He was treated at a local hospital for head injuries, but Russo said he is recovering. One concert goer below reported a minor injury. 

John Legend and The Roots in Three Part American Airlines Concert Promotion

MUSIC NEWS - John Legend and The Roots will appear at a three-part private concert series this fall it was announced today.  "The American Airlines John Legend and The Roots Concert Series" will be held in New York City and will feature three exclusive performances at the Bowery Ballroom and Music Hall of Williamsburg. Legend's new album, WAKE UP, releases September 21, 2010 on Columbia Records.

The airline will launch a variety of promotions to highlight each concert and will give you an opportunity to attend the great events, the first of which will be on August 30 thru a ticket sweepstakes at their blackatlas.com site.

PETE YORN Announces NYC & L.A. Concerts, TV Appearances for New Album

MUSIC NEWS - Pete Yorn will celebrate the release of his new, self-titled album with shows at intimate venues in Los Angeles and New York City, a return visit to "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" and a first time appearance on "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon."

The critically acclaimed singer-songwriter-guitarist will play Los Angeles' Roxy Theatre on Monday, September 27th, the eve of the album's release on Vagrant Records, then perform on "The Ellen Show" on Thursday, September 30th. He's booked in NYC at the the Bowery Ballroom on October 5th and appear on "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon on October 7th. Then Yorn will head to Texas to play the Lady Bird Lake Stage at the Austin City Limits Festival on October 9th.

BOB DYLAN Gets Back to Back the Basics with San Francisco Concert

MUSIC NEWS- Music legend, Bob Dylan has announced that he try out a new (old) anti-ticket scalping model for an upcoming show at the Warfield in San Francisco, CA. The singer/songwriter is currently on a USA tour and has dumped the advanced ticket sales option for his Wednesday (August 25) night concert.

Instead, the only way you can attend the gig is by purchasing your ticket ($60.00 general admission) at the door and,  the only way you can pay for it is with cash!  The move to eliminate excessive ticket handling and processing fees and reduce ticket scalping will be hopefully be watched by other artists and promoters around the USA as a way to contain rising concert consumer costs and help revitalize the touring industry. Oh, those attending the show can only buy one ticket each.

LINKIN PARK to Unveil New Times Square "Best Buy" Theatre

 MUSIC NEWS- The Times Square NYC concert venue the Nokia Theatre is no more, and Grammy Award-winning band Linkin Park will be celebrating the release of their new album, A Thousand Suns (out on Machine Shop Recordings / Warner Bros Records) at the newly named Best Buy Theater with an inaugural performance on September 14, 2010. The new name for Manhattan's concert and events showplace comes as AEG Live and Best Buy announced a multi-year naming rights agreement for the venue.

We know sponsorships are a core part of the music biz, but we must say that Nokia Theatre was less blatant as the new "Best But" moniker. Does this mean the prices for shows at the theatre will be the cheapest in NYC?

The GADDABOUTS (Edie Brickell, Steve Gadd, Andy Fairweather-Low & Pino Pallidino) Update

MUSIC NEWS -  Exciting new group confirmed today, with news that  Edie Brickell has joined up with drummer Steve Gadd, bassist Pino Palidino and Andy Fairweather-Low to launch the aptly named The Gaddabouts. The group's debut will be released January 2011 and is composed of material written by Brickell over the past decade as well as songs written with the band in the studio the very day of recording.  Two songs, MAD DOG and FEELIN' BETTER are streaming now, see below.  The group will make their live concert debut in NYC next spring at Carnegie's Zankel Hall as part of the WFUV concert series in April 2011.

TREME Benefit at New Orleans House of Blues

MUSIC NEWS - HBO, Geffen Records, House of Blues and Make It Right have announced “A Night of Treme,” a benefit show featuring the artists and music from the highly-acclaimed HBO series Treme.  House of Blues in New Orleans will host the concert on the eve of the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Saturday, August 28 at 8:00pm. 

Tickets are on sale now through Ticketmaster with  all of  the proceeds from the ticket sales going to benefit Make It Right’s work to rebuild safe, sustainable and affordable homes for working families 
in New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward.  In addition to the general admission  ticket, you can purchase a VIP ticket, which includes admission to  the show and the after-party at House of Blues’ restaurant and Voodoo  Garden. The after-party will include food, open-bar and special  appearances by beloved New Orleans’ artists and luminaries.   "Make It Right has had a singular impact on addressing the housing 
needs of New Orleans after Katrina, particularly in the 9th Ward.  The cast and crew of Treme are proud to be doing whatever we can to assist  in those efforts," states Treme creator and executive producer David 
Simon. 

Deadmau5 Brings Down the House, Literally in NJ

MUSIC NEWS- NYC area concert venue, Montclair, NJ's Wellmont Theatre is temporarily shut down and Wednesday's Interpol show may be canceled after a section of the upper balcony ceiling fell down during electronic producer, DJ, performer Deadmau5's show last week (see news on Deadmau5's collapse in DC at the 9:30 Club and tour cancellations, here).

Louis Litvin, a partner in the Wellmont venture has confirmed that the Montclair, NJ buildings department closed the venue after the incident and reported that one attendee was taken from the theater in an ambulance, but that the injury appeared to be minor and the victim was able to walk after being struck.

DEADMAU5 Collapses on Stage in DC, Cancels Upcoming Gigs

MUSIC NEWS- Last night (Friday 7/30), Grammy nominated, electronic music performer DEADMAU5 (pronounced "dead mouse") collapsed on stage at the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC, suffering from exhaustion. Medics from the venue took him directly to a local hospital where he is now under medical supervision.

DEADMAU5 unfortunately will be cancelling his next nine shows on his summer tour under strict advice of doctors.  The time off will allow for his recovery. Performances affected are listed below. His North American dates for October 2010 which include appearances at Austin City Limits, the Treasure Island Music Festival, Voodoo Music Festival and three nights at Roseland Ballroom in New York City are still on schedule.

SMASHING PUMPKINS Raise $80,000+ in Chicago Concert Benefit for Matthew Leone

MUSIC NEWS-

ThE SMASHING PUMPKINS have raised over $80,000+ (an updated figure to follow) at their sold-out benefit concert on Tuesday, July 27 at Chicago’s Metro for MADINA LAKE bassist, Matthew Leone. The money will go to the continuing medical care needed for the musician who last month was hospitalized with severe brain trauma after intervening to stop a woman he passed on the street from being beaten by her husband.  Matthew, whose medical insurance had lapsed just two months prior to the incident, was taken to UIC Hospital for emergency brain surgery that required a third of his skull be removed to alleviate swelling.  He's currently in stable condition awaiting an additional brain surgery to reapply the removed portion of his skull.

 

“The Smashing Pumpkins' benefit show at Metro Tuesday night was triumphant and tearful, inspiring and rousing, open-hearted and generous—as well as a stark reminder that sometimes it takes a village to get a crime victim adequate health care,” wrote the Chicago Tribune (7/28/10). The event was attended by Chicago mayor Pat Quinn, who proclaimed Tuesday "Matthew Leone Day" in Illinois and said, "We have a true American hero right here in Matthew Leone” (as noted in the Chicago Tribune piece).

TEGAN and SARA's New "On Directing" Video, Tour News

MUSIC NEWS- TEGAN and SARA are back in the USA for a massive summer tour, beginning this week as part of the Honda Civic Tour with Paramore, New Found Glory and Kadawatha. Tegan and Sara will step out from the tour for a few additional shows and play a one-off date as part of Lilith Fair along with a handful of headline dates, which means an even better summer for T & S fans. 

They're also releasing a brand new video clip for “On Directing” from their recent album,  SAINTHOOD.  It's premiering today at Noon PST / 3:00pm EST on marketing firm Alloy Media’s Teen.com site, but only for 24 hours exclusively.  The clip was directed by Angela Kendall, whose previous work also includes the “Call it Off” and “Speak Slow” clips, and was filmed in Vancouver, BC.

As previously announced, a special 2010 Summer Tour EP is available and features tracks from each of the bands on the Honda Civic Tour.  It's available online through the iTunes Store.

 

(photo: Pamela Littky)

Pigeons vs KINGS OF LEON in St Louis -- Birds Win !!!

MUSIC NEWS - Injured / ill rock stars, excessive heat, tent collapse, broken tour bus; we've seen it all when it comes to cancelled concerts, but now add pigeon shit to the list!!  Yes, the River Front Times reports that last night's KINGS OF LEON concert at the Verizon Wireless Amphithetre was called off due to bird shit.  The band made it through three songs before leaving the stage.   After a few minutes, someone came out on stage and announced that "due to concerns over the band's safety, we are canceling the show. Please file out in an orderly fashion."

NJ's SCHOOL OF ROCK to Pay Tribute to LIVE AID to Raise Funds

 MUSIC NEWS - As the NJ music education firm, School Of Rock reinvents itself without Paul Green at the helm, they're paying homage to 1985’s Live Aid by touring three groups of students to play classic rock songs from the event and raise funds for earthquake victims in Haiti.  The “School Of Rock Presents: Live Aid Remade All Stars Summer Tour" pays tribute to the worldwide charity event by using the show’s setlists to highlight songs performed during the international telecast 25 years ago.  Sorry, we certainly remember the event and the cause, but are there "Live Aid" songs?

25 years have passed since Live Aid news ruled the media. The July 13, 1985 event was organized by Boomtown Rats' Bob Geldof (before he was Sir Bob...) and Ultravox's Midge Ure to raise funds for famine-stricken Ethiopia. The concerts took place simultaneously at Philly's JFK Stadium (long demolished_  and London’s Wembley Stadium with concerts affiliated with the goodwill cause rockin in other countries including Australia and Germany.

Al Jarreau Hospitalized in France

MUSIC NEWS - Jazz singer Al Jarreau, 70, is in intensive care in a French hospital Friday after experiencing breathing difficulties that has resulted in the cancellation of at least four of his concerts.

He became ill prior to show on Thursday at a jazz festival in the French mountain town of Barcelonnette and was taken to an intensive care unit in Gap, the hospital said Friday.  Jarreau's British talent agent has the Grammy winning singer  "became weak from the altitude" in Barcelonnette, which is in the southern Alps.  "Upon medical advice, (he) was advised not to perform to allow him time to recover," Marshall Arts Ltd said in a statement, noting Mr Jarreau hopes to resume his tour next Thursday.

SMASHING PUMPKINS to Play Benefit to Help MADINA LAKE's Matthew Leone

MUSIC NEWS- THE SMASHING PUMPKINS will play a benefit concert next Tuesday, July 27 at Chicago’s Metro to raise money for medical care for Matthew Leone, bassist for Chicago band Madina Lake. Tickets go on sale Wednesday, July 21 at noon.

Last month, Madina Lake bassist Matthew Leone was unfortunately hospitalized with severe brain trauma after intervening to help a woman he passed on the street from being beaten by her husband.  Matthew had left twin brother Nathan's Chicago apartment to meet a friend at a bar a few blocks away when he came upon a man beating his wife on the 1300th block of Ohio St.  Despite the attacker being twice his size, Matthew immediately intervened and managed to subdue the attacker but as he waited for police to arrive, the attacker suddenly turned on Matthew, beating him severely.  The man then walked away with his wife, leaving Matthew unconscious on the street.