Electric Ether

Puddle of Mudd gets ready for fall tour

2011-10-23T20:07:00.000-07:00

Puddle of Mudd will be hitting the road in November for a fall tour. They will be playing the Machine Shop on November 23rd in Flint. Lansdowne and Sugar Red Drive will be sharing the stage with them for a night of pure rock.

Puddle of Mudd has written a slew of hits over the years including "Blurry," "She Hates Me," "Away From Me" and many more. Fans attending the show can expect to hear a set filled with their hits as well as songs off their new album Re:(disc)covered.

The new album features songs from their past that influenced them to become musicians. Tracks include Elton John's "Rocketman," AC/DC’s “TNT,” Steve Miller’s “The Joker,” Neil Young’s “Old Man,” the Stevie Nicks/Tom Petty duet “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” (which Puddle Of Mudd recorded with BC Jean) and the Rolling Stones’ classic: “Gimme Shelter.”

Get ready for a night of rock at the Machine Shop!

Puddle of Mudd - 11/23, 7 p.m. - Machine Shop, 3539 South Dort Highway, Flint, MI - (810) 715-2650 - http://puddleofmudd.com/ - $25 - Click here for tickets - 18 and up only!

Full List of Tour Dates:

11/14 Hartford, CT Webster Theater

11/16 Fort Wayne, IN Piere’s

11/17 Des Monies, IA People’s Court

11/18 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue

11/19 Libertyville, IL Austins

11/20 Grand Rapids, MI The Interesction

11/23 Flint, MI The Machine Shop

11/24 Louisville, KY Phoenix Hill Tavern

11/25 Cedar Hills, IA The Wheelhouse

11/26 Fargo, ND The Venue At The Hub

11/28 Great Falls, MT Great Falls Civic Center

11/29 Missoula, MT Wilma Theater

12/1 Boise, ID Knitting Factory

12/3 Spokane, WA Knitting Factory

12/9 Peoria, IL Peoria’s Expo Gardens

12/10 Cincinnati, OH Bogart’s

Interview with John Falls of Egypt Central

2011-05-14T15:33:00.000-07:00

Egypt Central is a rock band from Memphis, Tennessee. They are starting to make a name for themselves in the music world as they play some of the biggest rock festivals and tour with big name artists. They've toured with Disturbed and have played Ozzfest, the Family Values Tour with Korn, and they will be playing Rock on the Range on Saturday, May 21 at 1:20 p.m. on the Jaigermeister Stage. They will also be playing the Machine Shop in Flint, MI on June 11.

Their new album White Rabbit is 12 songs of slick guitar riffs, lyrics that tell a deeper story and a melodic fluidity that ties it together and keeps you coming back for more. White Rabbit is due to be released at the end of this month on May 31.The guys that make up Egypt Central are John Falls on vocals, Jeff James on guitar, Joey Chicago on bass and Blake Allison on drums. John Falls talks about the gap between albums, some of his other favorite hobbies and the best barbecue in Memphis.

Who or what influenced you to start singing?

Actually, it was the guys in the band. Before Egypt Central I'd never sang in a band, or in front of people. I've always loved music and there are actually singers in my family. I was singing in the car with a friend and he suggested that I try it out as a career. I was like... um... no. And another time he kind of said something and through him I ended up meeting the guys in the band. They have really influenced me as a singer and the style we've all developed collectively.

How did you guys come up with the band name Egypt Central?

It's kinda funny because we used to have a board in the band room where we would jot down ideas for a band name. There were some that were pretty cool and there were some that were absolutely ridiculous. Through that and just not being able to agree on anything we decided that we wanted to pick a name that would be about where we're from and who we were when we started out. And to always remember that, versus picking a name having to do with the way we sounded.

(Egypt Central is a street in Memphis).

How do you think the band has grown collectively since you started playing together?

With the exception of our bass player and drummer who had already been playing together for years and had really worked on their craft at that point. Everyone else was really young and new to their instrument and craft. So just having that amount of time playing together and developing, through that you improve over time. Especially when you're constantly doing something, just like you would with any other job. But also I would say that Joey really had this lyrical prowess. He could always come up with stuff, but I would say that at some point during that gap in between records he really hit a stride. He started picking up an acoustic guitar and sitting down writing whole songs and that went on for years. He was doing it so much that I think it's just like anything else, the more you do something the easier it comes to you or the more natural it starts to flow. So he just got to the point where it was like a switch for him, when it's time to write it comes pouring out. And then Blake went and he really got into the recording side of the industry. It was something that he really loved and wanted to get more knowledge on. Then he started producing other bands and writing for other bands and you know when you're writing different styles for other people you get all these new fresh ideas and with the collaboration of the two, he started kicking out some amazing material. We'd been ready for a long time to make a new record, it was just a matter of finding the right producer and making sure the team around us was there. Once we found all the right people to surround ourselves with it was awesome process. We got in there and really just banged everything out.

How did the concept for the new album White Rabbit come about?

It was just a song that was written for the record. It was from bits and pieces of songs that we already had. We're asked this a lot, where'd the concept come from? It's like every other song on the record, it's telling a story that we actually went through. The concept really came after. We wanted to have some fun with the fans and do some things that were different for them, where it's not the same old, here's the music, hope that you like it. We really wanted to give them an in depth look at what we had went through. It tells the specific story of exact events that we went through from the first record to the second record and kinda having our eyes open to everything that was going on around us.

What's been some of the high points in your career so far?

Ozzfest was amazing, the Family Values Tour was great, touring with Disturbed was awesome. But for me, when I got to sit back and listen to this record, not only as a member of the band but as a fan. To hear it when it was completed, it took me back to being a teenager and opening a CD that when I put it in I didn't know what it was going to do for me. As a big fan of music it's become something that's stuck with me for the rest of my life. When I listened to the record for the first time I got lost in it and forgot that it was us.

Besides music, do you have any favorite pastimes or hobbies?

I love to play poker, I love to play pool and I have quite an obsession with culinary arts. I do a lot of the chef work while we're on the road.

So being from Memphis, where do you think is the best barbecue?

What's the best barbecue? I'm glad you asked, you're the first person that's ever asked that, no way! Rendezvous is awesome if you're a tourist and you're coming to the city, go there. If you want to go to the place where it's just the man who is kick-butt for years at Barbecue Fests and literally has the best pulled pork sandwich I've ever had in my life and I've had a lot of barbecue. The Bar-B-Q Shop on Madison Avenue, you wouldn't even know because it's not this extravagant place. But the Bar-B-Q Shop on Madison has got to be hands down the best barbecue I've ever had in my life. Tell em' I sent ya!

What are you looking forward to this summer?

I'm looking forward to Rock on the Range, I can't wait. That's actually the one thing that I can see, it's such an honor to be a part of something like that, it's so awesome that we finally have festivals like that. I mean we've had festivals in the US but now we have our big European style festival that's all about rock and people just come out of the woodwork and that one festival in itself can keep rock alive.

Egypt Central will play Saturday at Rock on the Range - 5/20 - 5/22 - One Black & Gold Boulevard, Columbus OH - (614) 447- CREW - www.rockontherange.com - 2 Day Stadium Passes $99.50 - 2 Day Field Passes $129.50 - www.ticketmaster.com

Motorhead, Clutch and Valient Thorr live review

2011-03-02T14:53:00.000-08:00

Photo Credit: Miss Shela

Last Wednesday at the Royal Oak Music Theatre was an experience of heavy hitting rock and roll. Sharing the stage with rock powerhouse Motorhead were Clutch and Valient Thorr. These bands played to a packed house and shook the walls with their high voltage sound electrifying the crowd.

Opening up the evening Valient Thorr took the stage looking like a crazed group of unrully Vikings. This is a band with some extreme beards. Their energetic perfomance faired well with the crowd and got everyone amped up. The "Thorriors" that make up this bearded outfit include Valient Himself on vocals, Eidan Thorr on guitar, Dr. Professor Nitewolf Stragees on bass, Sadat Thorr on guitar and Lucian Thorr on drums.

Notching up the decibels Clutch took the stage. Enter Neil Fallon with his signature gruff sounding vocals accompanied by the thrash of guitar, bass, and drums. This is a band that always puts on a great live show, no matter how many times I've seen them they seem to be able to grasp the crowd with their fists. With Fallon on vocals, Tim Sult on guitar, Dan Maines on bass and Jean-Paul Gaster on drums this four piece from Maryland brings the noise and then some.

With each band the sound seemed to get progressively louder. When Motorhead took the stage a deafening roar went throughout the crowd. The legendary Lemmy Kilmister took the stage and brought a lifetime of sex, drugs and rock n' roll to the forefront. Formed in 1975 Kilmister has been the only static member of Motorhead, the current lineup includes Kilmister on bass and vocals, Phill Campbell on guitar and backing vocals, and Mikkey Dee on drums. They played a total of 16 songs including probably their best known "Ace of Spades." After all these years Motorhead is still a force to be reckoned with. It's impressive to see the hard work, blood, sweat and Jack Daniels that has been a driving force behind their music. With over 20 studio albums they continue to make new music and collaborate with other artists with no sign of slowing down anytime soon. Now that is rock and roll!

Valient Thorr Setlist:

For more info on Valient Thorr visit http://www.valientthorr.com/

1. Double Crossed
2. Future Humans
3. Mask of Sanity
4. Infinite Lives
5. Night Terrors
6. In Heat
7. Sleeper Awakes

Clutch Setlist:

For more info on Clutch visit http://www.pro-rock.com/

1. Hobgoblins
2. 50,000 Unstoppable Watts
3. Pure Rock Fury
4. The Mob Goes Wild
5. Immortal
6. The Incomparable Mr. Flannery
7. Gravel Road
8. Who's Been Talking?
9. Cypress Grove
10. Power Player
11. Electric Worry

Motorhead Setlist:

For more info on Motorhead visit http://www.imotorhead.com/

1. We Are Motorhead
2. Stay Clean
3. Get Back In Line
4. Metropolis
5. Over The Top
6. Rock Out
7. The Thousand Names of God
8. I Got Mine
9. I Know How to Die
10. Chase is Better Than the Catch
11. In the Name of Tragedy
12. Just Cos' You Got the Power
13. Going to Brazil
14. Killed By Death
15. Ace of Spades
16. Overkill

Flogging Molly Green 17 Tour

2011-02-16T15:47:00.000-08:00

Flogging Moll y will be bringing their 7th annual 'Green 17 Tour' to the Fillmore in Detroit on March 3. The 'Green 17 Tour' came into existence in 2004 as a countdown to St. Patrick's day. The tour has become a tradition and staple event for the band and the fans each year.

Flogging Molly is a band that rocks high voltage, dizzyingly energetic Celtic music and they put their own spin on it. Their sound fuses old world Celtic music with modern day punk rock. The band is 7 members strong with Dave King on lead vocals, Dennis Casey on electric and acoustic guitar, Matthew Hensley plays accordion, concertina, and piano, Nathan Maxwell on bass, Bridget Regan on violin, tin whistle, classical guitar, and uilleann pipes, Robert Schmidt on mandolin, mandola, tenor banjo, and five string banjo, and George Schwindt on drums. That is a lot of instruments! All band members sing backup vocals and King also plays acoustic and electric guitar.

The band is currently working on an upcoming release for this year and new songs from the forthcoming album will be performed during the tour. Their prior album Float debuted at #4 in 2008 on the Billboard Top 200 and #1 on the Billboard Independent Albums Chart.

For more info on Flogging Molly visit http://www.floggingmolly.com/

Flogging Molly - 3/3, 6:30 p.m. - The Fillmore, 2115 Woodward - Detroit - (313)961-5451 - www.livenation.com - $35.25 & $47.20 - Click here for tickets

Hollywood Undead Live Review

2011-02-09T19:28:00.000-08:00

Hollywood Undead played the Kellogg Arena on Friday night sharing the stage with New Medicine, Stone Sour, and Avenged Sevenfold. This California rap-rock outfit brings the noise and then some with their in your face lyrics and crushing beats. Their live show is a charismatic carnival of energy and the band members each wear crazy tripped out looking masks. The masks were donned for the first three songs and were taken off for the remainder of the set. The zany antics of the guys on stage got the crowd revved up and everywhere that you looked you could see fans singing along and rocking to the beat. The drummer was showing some Detroit love by wearing a Defend Detroit shirt. Defend Detroit is a local clothing company that sells their wares in a number of different locations around the Metro-Detroit area.

Hollywood Undead's debut album Swan Songs came out in 2008 and reached #22 on the Billboard 200 in the first week of its release. They are currently working on their follow-up album American Tragedy which is due to come out soon. They have released a single from the new album called "Hear Me Now" which is currently in rotation on 89X. The guys that make up this wild fusion of sound are Danny, Funny Man and Johnny 3 Tears on vocals, Charlie Scene on lead guitar and vocals, J-Dog works it with rhythm guitar, keyboards, synths, vocals and bass, and Da Kurlzz hits hard on the drums.

For more info on Hollywood Undead visit http://www.hollywoodundead.com/

Full Setlist:

1. Undead
2. Sell Your Soul
3. Battle and a Gun
4. City
5. Paradise Lost
6. Hear Me Now
7. Everywhere I Go

Check out full photo slideshow on Examiner.com: Hollywood Undead Live Review & Photos - Detroit Music | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/music-in-detroit/hollywood-undead-live-review-photos#ixzz1DWU40tZa

Mayhem Festival 2011 Line-up Announced - National Music | Examiner.com

2011-01-31T12:09:00.000-08:00

The Hard Rock & Metal Tour Event of the Summer Kicks Off on July 9th with Pre-Sale Tickets Slotted for Friday April 8th
Tour Co-Producer John Reese to Appear on Sirius XM Liquid Metal with Host Jose Mangin, Today at 12pm PST

ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL, the heralded hard rock and metal event of the summer, is swiftly becoming the heavy music fans’ summertime rite of passage. Today, the 4th annual summertime juggernaut announces the 2011 line-up with Disturbed, Godsmack and Megadeth, joined by Machine Head, In Flames, Trivium, and many more of today’s most electrifying artists. The tour will make a 26 date trek across the country beginning on July 9th at the San Manuel Amphitheater in San Bernardino, California. Tune in to www.rockstarmayhemfest.com and www.livenation.com for up-to-date ticketing information.

Continue reading on Examiner.com:

Mayhem Festival 2011 Line-up Announced - National Music | Examiner.com

Motorcity Blog Happy Hour offers the chance to win Kid Rock tickets

2011-01-05T13:46:00.000-08:00

MOTORCITY BLOG Happy Hour

Thursday, January 13th 5pm - 9pm

Motorcity Special #3 Pre-listening Party with live Music from Detroit's own The High Strung and DJ Mel Wonder spinning Detroit rock, funk and soul. A pair of tickets to Kid Rock/Jamey Johnson will be given away onsite for the Jan 15th show at Ford Field. Kid Rock and Jamey Johnson swag will be given away all night sponsored by Warner Music Group and Universal Music. Live Nation will also be doing ticket giveaways all night to concerts at the Fillmore Detroit and St. Andrews Hall.

Come on out to the next MCB Happy Hour at Detroit's coolest sports bar for your chance to score some killer freebies. Enjoy yourself before and after Kid Rock/Jamey Johnson concert at The State Bar Fillmore Detroit.

Motorcity Special #3 was recorded live on Saturday, Oct 16, 2010 at Northern Lights Lounge Detroit. The artists featured are:

HAFLIFE

The High Strung

The Meltdowns

Troy Gregory w/ special guests

3 bands from School of Rock St. Clair Shores

(The Fuss - The Broadcast - The Make)

DJ JCM

For more info on Motorcity Blog visit http://motorcityblog.blogspot.com/

For more info on Motorcity Special visit http://www.motorcityspecial.com/

“MONSTER ENERGY MUSIC AS A WEAPON 5 TOUR” TO FEATURE DOUBLE HEADLINERS DISTURBED AND KORN

2010-12-03T11:12:00.000-08:00

(New York, NY): In what promises to be the hottest tour of winter 2011, Korn and Disturbed, two of rock's biggest acts, are teaming up to co-headline this year's “Monster Energy Music As A Weapon 5 Tour”.

Jonathan Davis of Korn and David Draiman of Disturbed both spoke about how the 45-city trek across America came about:

"We've both just finished great tours. We headlined Mayhem and Disturbed headlined Uproar. The Disturbed guys came out to see us play in Chicago and we got to talking about doing something together. We both agreed that as cool as those types of tours are, they usually only hit major markets, and we both agreed that a lot of our fans just don't live in those cities, etc so we thought it would be cool to team up, put a big show together, and hit every great place that those big tours never get to. Besides all that, with us and Disturbed together, doing full shows with full production...all I can say is IT’S ON!" ...said the excited Korn frontman.

"We are thrilled to launch the Monster Energy Music As A Weapon 5 Tour with our good friends from Korn," added Disturbed singer David Draiman. "Every year we try to up the ante, and this year, by having Korn co-headline, we really think it's going to be our best tour yet. When the idea first came up, one of the main things both bands agreed upon and wanted to focus on was hitting a lot of smaller markets. It’s exciting to bring a show like this to cities that are usually skipped over on some of the other larger rock tours that only hit the major markets. We have a lot of loyal fans in these cities and we wanted to bring them a show that they deserve".

Tickets for the first leg of the tour are set to go on sale the weekend of December 4. The bands have decided that the first 1000 tickets from each show will be sold at a $5 discount during the on sale weekend in order to reward the early buyers and fans.

"A lot of promoters only offer discounted tickets a day or two before the actual show date. We wanted to do something for the fans that are buying their tickets as soon as they go on sale. To offer a discount upfront made the most sense to us," commented Disturbed guitarist Dan Donegan.

"We're tired of promoters offering discounted tickets to last minute folks in order to sell the seats in the back of the gig. We'd rather give our fans a discount for buying early," said James "Munky" Shaffer, who is Korn’s guitarist.

On August 31, 2010, Disturbed released their fifth studio album Asylum, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart. Asylum is the band's fourth consecutive studio album to debut at No. 1, a feat achieved by only two other rock groups in history: Metallica and the Dave Matthews Band. An international hit with Top 10 chart bows across the globe, Asylum has earned critical praise from USA Today, which called it "a tight, sharp-riffed ride...the combo of aggressive roar and guitar grace recalls Metallica's finest moments," and the New York Daily News, which declared "On Asylum, Disturbed finely weigh power and delicacy, catchiness and punch. The subtle variety of the band's tunesmanship, and the buoyancy of their rhythms, that makes this hard group so easy to love."

Over the last 16 years, Korn have established themselves as one of the biggest bands in the history of hard rock and metal, selling over 30 million albums worldwide. Their latest album, Korn III: Remember Who You Are, on Roadrunner Records, debuted at #2 on the Billboardcharts this year. Esteemed publication Metal Hammer said fans would be "wiping away tears of recognition and delight when they blast it for the first, second, and 38th time."

The cities for the first leg of the tour are listed below. More tour markets to be announced soon.

Bloomington, IL

Des Moines, IA

Rockford, IL

Hershey, PA

Rochester, NY

West Long Branch, NJ

Glens Falls, NY

Norfolk, VA

Morgantown, WV

Uncasville, CT

Portland, ME

Atlantic City, NJ

Winston-Salem, NC

Fayetteville, NC

Nashville, TN

Biloxi, MS

Corpus Christi, TX

San Antonio, TX

McAllen, TX

Lubbock, TX

Interview with Ian Astbury of The Cult

2010-11-15T15:11:00.000-08:00

Photo Credit: Publicity Please

Legendary rock band The Cult will play the Fillmore in Detroit on Friday, November 19th. They are also preparing to release new music entitledCapsule 2: New Blood Deep Cuts on November 16th via their innovative capsule concept. Frontman Ian Astbury explains, “We are stepping away from the conventional system. By including new music, live music and film, we are giving our fans the opportunity to own other creative visions. The Capsule is a way of delivering music in bites, quicker and fresher than in the context of an album format.”

I got the chance to speak with Astbury and learn a bit about him and the new musical concept.

When you were growing up did you always want to be a musician?

No, actually when I was growing up I was more interested in film and clothes. I loved David Bowie, but my interest when I was a kid was film. I loved going to the movies, it was kind of a huge departure from what I grew up in, which was in a post war environment. In the early 70s there were still bombed out buildings from World War II. When you’d go to the movies you would be transported into another world and I used to love the opportunity to go and experience that.

What inspired you to become a musician?

I think punk rock was really a vehicle for that. I loved punk rock, it was pretty much; get a guitar, learn three chords, start a band and make a record. The fact that the audience could do it themselves and DIY was really being pushed at this time. It wasn’t about having some trained musical ear, it was about if you could get noise out of the guitar and screech into the microphone and then you were in business. That is what it was kind of like for me when we started. We really didn't have a clue of what we were doing, couldn’t even plug in a PA, nothing. At first we were mimicking other artists and then eventually I found my own style. We were in the basement of an old house in Bradford, England and I was rocking out smoking cigarettes and drinking tea and occasionally if we could afford a can of beer we’d have that and we’d have at it.

What do you think is the most difficult part of a career as a musician?

I think the hardest part is dealing with when you’re not out and playing. Coming off the road is difficult, re-entering into a normal circle. You know, normal life, paying the bills, washing the dog. When you’ve been on the road there’s a very intense period when you come back to a normal domestic environment, it can be crippling. Hmm… they say idle hands makes the devils work. You sit around on tour buses and backstage environments for a long period of time you tend to get into trouble sometimes. Make bad lifestyle choices, let your imagination run with that. Sometimes you just sit and read a book. (laughs) You can get fed up with it, one of the hardest things is touring.

You'll be releasing a musical capsule soon entitled Capsule 2: New Blood Deep Cuts. What exactly is the concept of a capsule?

Well, first of all the tag album has kind of become a little bit worn out. It’s a very ambiguous term for what once was a vinyl format. It’s no longer a vinyl format, I mean obviously there still are albums that come out in vinyl for the connoisseur. But for the most part a body of work comes out cannibalized as soon as it’s put up on the internet. We’re kind of in this strange situation right now where we haven’t settled into the new format. It seems we’re going the way of applications or musical apps. You’ll be able to buy a CD as long as they keep making them, vinyl possibly for the afficianados but you’re very limited. You’re dealing with an industry that’s more interested in collecting your email address than really engaging you with what the intention of the artist was. For us it’s like a quick strike, write music, release music. The capsule comes in lieu of the fashion industry, where you see designers do a small collection or another outlet provides the main line and they call it a capsule collection. A capsule is like a small taste, you know we usually associate it with pharmaceuticals, like a pill and that’s what it is I guess, a musical pill. With the entire format it gives us the opportunity to be more flexible, release as we go and give the audience something that’s more exciting, you can actually listen to a couple songs without distraction.

For more info on The Cult visit http://www.thecult.us/

Zane Lamprey "Sings the Booze"

2010-11-04T16:54:00.000-07:00

Photo: Fab-PR

Zane Lamprey has been making his living in what some may consider the ultimate dream job. He travels the world and drinks; he's been the host of the cult sensation "Three Sheets," recently seen on the Travel Channel and his current show he's working on is called "Drinking Made Easy"featured on HDNet. His job includes experiencing different cultures and places and soaking up the local drinks of choice. He will be coming to theRoyal Oak Music Theatre on November 9th to "Sing The Booze." Lamprey will be serenading the crowd with his comedic songs about drinking and in between he'll be telling tales of his adventures and experiences. I got the chance to chat with him a bit and learn about his boozy career.

When you were growing up, what did you want to be?

That’s the first time I’ve been asked that question. A veterinarian.

What has led you to the pathway of this most boozy career?

The funny answer would be, my first beer. But the truth is at an early age I got bit by the acting bug. In the middle of college I changed my major from art to pre-med and then finally to acting which is where I ended up in the end. Then I moved out to LA back in the late 90s and pursued my acting career. Then at one point I was approached after doing a bunch of projects. I was approached to do a travel show where I would travel around the world and drink. It seemed too good to be true, like a lot of conversations in Los Angeles often are. But we went out and shot the pilot for "Three Sheets" and ended up shooting 52 episodes of that and who knows if that’s even over. Now we’re shooting a show on HDNet called “Drinking Made Easy,” and traveling across the country doing the same thing.

What do you think is the best part of your job?

The best part of my job is... It’s tough to say. The travel, you get to hang out with people doing things that most people consider a leisure time activity. I don’t know, it’s kind of like of like asking me what my favorite drink is. I don’t really have an answer for it. I’ve been asked that a bunch of times, I think the very best part of my job is my job.

What do you think has been one of the most strange or unique beverages that you’ve had?

Probably the most unique one was called the Scorpion Shot. In Milwaukee, Wisconsin it was a shot of overproof rum that had a scorpion sitting in it. You drank the shot of rum and the dead scorpion. Then I asked the guy what the most anyone has ever done in an evening and he said nine. I said well… I’m here to beat that record. I had twenty-three dead scorpions, that was definitely the weirdest that we’ve had.

(I commented on being afraid of eating a scorpion)

I was afraid, but you have to accept the fact that you’re on television and you’re representing the rest of the country. You need to sometimes eat the scorpion.

What do you think has been one of coolest cities you’ve been to?

Again, it’s like asking what my favorite drink is, I mean every city is unique. Obviously New Orleans was New Orleans and Vegas was Vegas. I hadn’t been to Detroit and I had seen the movie 8 Mileand I was pleased to realize that there was very nice places in Detroit. We went to Royal Oak which is where we’re doing our music show in a couple of weeks. It was nice, it was beautiful there.

I’m personally a big fan of vodka, has there been any stand out brands or types of vodka that you’ve come across in your travels?

Yes, we tried a bunch. I’ve been around the world trying a bunch, but there’s one that I didn’t even mention in the show called 44 North. It was Huckleberry flavored vodka that is only available above the 44th parallel which runs through the Northern United States. It was unique and you couldn’t get it below that, so that makes me think that it’s awful close to that parallel. That was the one that someone got a hold of and we went and bought a case of it for the rest of our journey.

What is the "Sing The Booze" Tour all about?

We have the music show that’s coming through there on the 9th and we had a great time there the last time. This is a completely different show from last time. It’s ten original drinking songs which people can get off of my website. They're fun and funny drinking songs and between that we have stories. It’s been going great and the crowds really like it. Even the people that were at the last show on the last tour which was more of a stand up thing like it, which is great! Comedy music is more my thing, I’m having fun and the audience is having a good time and it’s really been a great time!

For more info on Zane Lamprey visit http://www.zanelamprey.com/

Zane Lamprey - 11/9, 7:30pm - Royal Oak Music Theatre - 318 W. 4th Street, Royal Oak - 248-399-2980 - www.romtlive.com - $25 ADV, $30 DOS, & $50 (Includes VIP Meet & Greet) - Click Here For Tickets

It's Fruitcake!!

2010-10-19T17:12:00.000-07:00

Fred Schneider (of B-52s fame) keeps coming up with ridiculous songs and they amuse me. Check out his current band the Superions in this video called "Fruitcake."

National artist: Graceann Warn to be featured at the River Art Gallery

2010-10-19T13:08:00.000-07:00

National artist: Graceann Warn to be featured at River Art Gallery for the “Sotto Voce” Exhibition in Chelsea, Michigan opening on November 13, 2010.

The exhibition will feature art by Graceann Warn, along with fellow artists and special guests Jaye Schlesinger and Mark Chatterley. The River Gallery was founded in 2000 by Patti Schwarz. The Gallery expanded to what it is today from its humble beginnings when originally Shwarz was just looking to have a place to house her husband’s artwork. As things progressed and grew, Shwarz formed a business partnership with entrepreneur and art lover Deborah Greer. Together they oversaw the completion of the major renovation of the historic downtown Chelsea site which is the current home of the River Gallery today.

Featured artist Graceann Warn began her art career after realizing that landscape architecture was not the path for her. After a chance encounter and a rather intense emotional response to viewing a Mark Rothko art exhibit, she realized her true calling and decided to become an artist. She merged beautifully with the Ann Arbor artist’s culture and has been one of the lucky ones to make a living solely off of her art. Her work has been featured nationwide and internationally. Also this coming year Warn will once again be showing her artwork at the critically acclaimed SOFA Chicago art gala and will be taking part in The Artist Project in New York. The Artist Project is an exhibition that offers collectors, curators, dealers and the public direct access to a juried selection of emerging and established talent.

“Sotto Voce” is Italian and translates to “in an undertone.” Graceann explains, “I decided to call my show at River Gallery Sotto Voce because it describes the intent of the paintings while also speaking to the process I undertake to make the paintings. “Sotto Voce" implies a hushed tone, a whisper- it is something spoken under the breath. The surfaces of my paintings obscure and hint at underlying messages without giving too much away which allows for a certain amount of interpretation by those viewing them.”

Don’t miss out on “Sotto Voce,” at the River Gallery in Chelsea located at 120 S. Main. The event begins at 5pm and goes till 8pm. For more information on the River Gallery call 734-433-0826 or visit http://www.chelsearivergallery.com/ Graceann is available for interviews. For more information please contact Natalie@dreamtownmedia.com or Melissa@dreamtownmedia.com

Five Finger Death Punch Review & Photos

2010-10-18T17:23:00.000-07:00

Photo Credit: Miss Shela

Five Finger Death Punch played a sold out show at the Fox Theatre on Saturday night. Sharing the stage with headliners Godsmack and special guests Drowning Pool, they brought their metal A-game to the forefront. This is a band that in a short period of time has risen from the metal underground and is quickly becoming a lethal force of musical mayhem. They're still quite an underrated band, but as they tour and play some of the biggest and best rock and metal festivals they're shredding their way to success.

Five Finger Death Punch's live show is high energy with intense drums and guitar, blasts of smoke, laser lights, and a taste of red hot metal. They opened up with the song "Burn It Down," the lights painting the stage in red and yellow as lead singer Ivan Moody stormed the masses with his in your face vocal dominance. Adding quite the wicked accent as a centerpiece on stage is their one of a kind stainless steel microphone stand. It features a gothic design with a skull attached to a spinal cord, grenades at the hip bone area, and a swirled pile of bullets at the base. Fellow band members that complete the Death Punch camp are Zoltan Bathory and Jason Hook on guitars, Matt Snell on bass, and Jeremy Spencer on drums. They played a total of eight songs and after the third song "Hard To See," Spencer rocked the house with a heavy drum solo. With two albums under their belt; The Way of The Fist and War is the Answer, this is a band that is blazing the steel towards metal greatness.

Full Set List:

1. Burn It Down
2. Salvation
3. Hard To See
4. Devils Own
5. Bad Company
6. Dying Breed
7. Never Enough
8. The Bleeding

For more info on Five Finger Death Punch visit http://www.fivefingerdeathpunch.com/

2010-10-13T13:52:00.000-07:00

Photo Credit: Robert McKnight

CAKE ANNOUNCES FIRST NEW ALBUM IN SEVEN YEARS * SHOWROOM OF COMPASSION OUT 1/11/11 ON THEIR OWN LABEL, UPBEAT RECORDS

FIRST SINGLE, "SICK OF YOU," NOW PLAYING ON YOUR LOCAL RADIO STATION * LISTEN TO IT AT SPIN.COM

CAKE - John McCrea (Vocals/Piano/Nord), Vincent DiFiore (Trumpet/Euphonium/Keyboards), Xan McCurdy (Guitar/Synthesizer) and Gabriel Nelson (Bass/Guitar/Rheem/Bandalero) - announces their first album of new material since 2004's Pressure Chief. They'll release Showroom Of Compassion, their 6th studio album, January 11th 2011 on their own label, Upbeat Records (through Warner Music Group's Independent Label Group). The album was recorded over the last two and a half years and was produced and engineered by the band themselves at CAKE's own solar electric powered studio in Sacramento, CA.

The first single, "Sick Of You," is off to a great start at Alternative, Rock and Triple A radio with early adds coming through at stations in big markets like WRXP/NYC, DC101/Washington DC, WRFF/Philly, 91X/San Diego, KTBZ/Houston, 99X/Atlanta, WBOS/Boston, KNDD/Seattle, KNRK/Portland, WXDX/Pittsburgh, KRBZ/Kansas City, CD101/Columbus and KKDO/Sacramento among others. As Spin.com can attest, "['Sick Of You'] is vintage CAKE, with frontman John McCrea's jaded, semi-spoken vocals, crunchy guitar riffs, a skippy beat, and blasts of trumpet." Spin.com has the exclusive online premiere of the song, listen HERE.

Fans have the opportunity to pre-order Showroom Of Compassion at CAKE's own webstore http://cake.hasawebstore.com/ - They'll be able to choose from bundles small and large that include autographed vinyl and CD's, a limited edition 7-inch and exclusive t-shirts. By pre-ordering Showroom Of Compassion fans will receive an instant MP3 download of the "Sick Of You."

Showroom Of Compassion official track-listing

1. Federal Funding
2. Long Time
3. Got To Move
4. What's Now Is Now
5. Mustache Man (Wasted)
6. Teenage Pregnancy
7. Sick Of You
8. Easy to Crash
9. Bound Away
10. The Winter
11. Italian Guy

Web: http://www.cakemusic.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/cakemusic

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cake#!/pages/Cake-music/24063159304?ref=ts

Na Na Na

2010-10-11T15:50:00.001-07:00

The video for ""Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)," the new single from Reprise Records' My Chemical Romance, will premiere in primetime on MTV at 11 p.m. EST on October 14th following a new episode of The Jersey Shore. The clip will go live on MTV.com at 12.01am EDT on October 14th before it debuts on MTV, MTV2, MTVu, MTV Hits, AND MTV Tr3s at 11 p.m that night.

The track is the first single from My Chemical Romance's highly anticipated fourth studio album Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, which will be released by Reprise Records on November 22nd, 2010. New Warner Bros. Records Chairman Rob Cavallo, who produced MCR’s platinum-selling album The Black Parade as well as albums by Dave Matthews Band, Jawbreaker, and The Goo Goo Dolls, among many others, produced the album.

MTV reaches more than 500 million viewers, while MTV's web properties garner an astounding 60 million unique visitors per month.

For more on My Chemical Romance, including album trailer, please visit www.mychemicalromance.com.

Five Finger Death Punch October 16th at the Fox Theatre

2010-10-05T16:08:00.000-07:00

Five Finger Death Punch is a heavy metal band that takes their namesake from the "Dim Mak" technique. In essence the name means The Death Touch and it has been used throughout classic Hong Kong Kung-Fu cinema. The name is not as flowery in wording as the "Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique," used in the Kill Bill series. But metal has never been about flowers. Unless perhaps, they're poisoned or sharp like a razor that can be used to draw blood or induce a state of darkened existence.

This is a band that is in your face hard metal, but they don't leave out the melodic side either. Their music breathes with a life of its own, it finds a symmetry that balances peaks of chaos in heavy guitar riffs and solos. Their lyrics dig deep into a state of mind, and the bass and drums meld and shape the expanding Juggernaut that this band has become in just five years. With currently two albums under their belt; The Way Of The Fist and War Is The Answer, this is a band that emerged from the metal underground and has become a force to be reckoned with. They continue to grow in their instrumental and lyrical maturity and have brought along with them an extremely loyal fanbase that continues to grow.

Five Finger Death Punch will be sharing the stage at the Fox Theatre on Saturday, October 16th with headliners Godsmack and special guests Drowning Pool. This is a line-up of hard rock and metal that promises to shake you with a full throttle assault of intense musical proportions.

Godsmack wsg/ Five Finger Death Punch and Drowning Pool - 10/16, 7:30 - Fox Theatre, 2211 Woodward - Detroit - 313-471-6611 -http://www.olympiaentertainment.com - $25, $35 & $45 - Click here for tickets

For more info on Five Finger Death Punch visithttp://www.fivefingerdeathpunch.com

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Announces 2011 Nominees!

2010-10-01T11:38:00.000-07:00

As the seasons and temperatures change, it's that time of year when the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation announces its nominees for induction into the country's most prestigious Rock and Roll club. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation was created in 1983 and several cities were considered before taking up its residence in Cleveland, Ohio. New York City and Memphis were a couple of those considered. Cleveland lobbied the hardest to bring the Hall of Fame to their city and it paid off. To have such a monumental collection of Rock and Roll paraphernalia in their town is a fantastic privilege. With no further ado, the nominees are:

Alice Cooper
Beastie Boys
Bon Jovi
Chic
Neil Diamond
Donovan
Dr. John
J. Geils Band
LL Cool J
Darlene Love
Laura Nyro
Donna Summer
Joe Tex
Tom Waits
Chuck Willis

In order to be eligible for nomination into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, an act must have released its first single or album at least 25 years prior to the year of nomination. The 2011 Nominees had to release their first recording no later than 1985.

For more info on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame visit http://rockhall.com/

American Idiot

2010-09-29T18:45:00.001-07:00

GREEN DAY’S FRONTMAN AND COMPOSER/CO-AUTHOR OF THE HIT MUSICAL BILLIE JOE ARMSTRONG TO MAKE HIS BROADWAY DEBUT AS “ST. JIMMY” IN AMERICAN IDIOT

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 – SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2010

(New York, NY) The producers of the critically acclaimed AMERICAN IDIOT announced today that Green Day frontman and the musical’s composer/ co-author Billie Joe Armstrong will make his Broadway debut as “St. Jimmy” Tuesday, September 28 through Sunday, October 3, 2010 at the St. James Theatre, 246 West 44 Street. Immediately following this engagement, Mr. Armstrong will join Green Day in Caracas, Venezuela on October 8, 2010 to kick off their South American Tour. Original Broadway cast member and current “St. Jimmy,” Tony Vincent, will resume performances on Tuesday, October 12, 2010 following a leave of absence due to a personal family matter. Vincent’s understudies, Joshua Kobak and Andrew Call, will cover the role from Tuesday, October 5 – Sunday, October 10, 2010.

The smash-hit, Tony Award-winning musical AMERICAN IDIOT tells the story of three lifelong friends, forced to choose between their dreams and the safety of suburbia. Their quest for true meaning in a post 9-11 world leads them on an exhilarating journey. The result, according to the Toronto Star, is “The first great musical of the 21st century!”

Based on Green Day’s groundbreaking rock opera American Idiot, Billie Joe Armstrong and the band collaborate with one of the theatre's most acclaimed creative teams, led by the Tony Award-winning director Michael Mayer, Pulitzer Prize and two-time Tony Award-winning composer and orchestrator Tom Kitt, and Olivier Award-winning choreographer Steven Hoggett, to bring this explosive, iconic album to the stage.

Tony Award winner John Gallagher Jr. (Spring Awakening) currently stars in AMERICAN IDIOT alongside Tony Award Nominee Stark Sands (Journey’s End), Michael Esper (A Man For All Seasons), Rebecca Naomi Jones (Passing Strange), Christina Sajous (The Wild Party), Mary Faber (Avenue Q) and Tony Vincent (Jesus Christ Superstar). The cast also features Declan Bennett, Andrew Call, Gerard Canonico, Miguel Cervantes, Sydney Harcourt, Van Hughes, Brian Charles Johnson, Joshua Kobak, Lorin Latarro, Omar Lopez-Cepero, Leslie McDonel, Chase Peacock, Corbin Reid, Wallace Smith, Theo Stockman, Ben Thompson, Alysha Umphress, Aspen Vincent and Libby Winters.

The show features Tony Award winning scenic design by Christine Jones (Spring Awakening), costume design by Baryshnikov fellow Andrea Lauer (The Butcher of Baraboo), Tony Award winning lighting design by Kevin Adams (Hair), Sound design by Olivier and Obie Award-winner Brian Ronan (Cabaret), as well as video design by Darrel Maloney. The Music Director is Carmel Dean and Lorin Latarro is the Associate Choreographer.

Reprise Records released The Original Broadway Cast Recording of AMERICAN IDIOT on April 20, 2010, the same day as the show opened. The official album features the 24-member cast accompanied by Green Day, marking another incredible collaboration between the band and the musical.

The playing schedule for AMERICAN IDIOT is Tuesday at 7pm, Wednesday 8pm, Thursday at 8pm, Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 2pm & 8pm and Sunday at 3pm and 7:30pm. Tickets range from $127.00 - $49.00 and can be purchased at The St. James Box Office or via telecharge.com (212-239-6200). www.AmericanIdiotonBroadway.com.

Rob Zombie, Alice Cooper, Murderdolls, Trick or Treat?

2010-09-24T21:28:00.000-07:00

Photo Credit: Miss Shela

Get ready for the Halloween Hootenanny Tour to come crashing through a town near you. Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper; the gruesome twosome will be back together again, doing what they do best this Halloween season. Special guests Murderdolls will be part of the mischief and mayhem. Joey Jordison will be pulling double duty and playing drums for Zombie and then playing guitar for his band Murderdolls. The tour kicks off in Los Angeles at the Gibson Ampitheatre on Thursday, September 30th. This diabolical line-up will be playing a total of 13 dates. That's right lucky number 13...

In other Zombie news, a devilish interactive experience is soon to be unveiled as Rob Zombie joins forces with Universal Studios Hollywood to create a new 3D maze. “Rob Zombie’s House Of 1000 Corpses: In 3D ZombieVision.” As part of the Halloween Horror Nights event, fans will experience the nightmarish world of carnage and chaos based on cult hit film “House Of 1000 Corpses.” Also this past Friday Hellbilly Deluxe 2 was released which features three brand new songs and a DVD with new live videos and a 2010 tour documentary.

In Alice Cooper's world a new album is in the works. A sequel 30 years in the making that has awoken from the dark depths of Cooper's psyche; Welcome 2 My Nightmare.

Murderdolls have also been up to no good recently, releasing their second album Women and Children Last. After an 8 year break they had plenty of time to come up with a super controversial album title. Setting the title aside, this album rocks and the Murderdolls will be the blood-red icing on this infernal layer cake of music.

The tour will be a carnival for the senses, featuring elaborate multimedia stage shows that cater to the lusty and horrific experience that these artists bring to the stage. Get ready to be rocked into a dark theatrical nightmare as you experience the illusive visions of Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper. Down becomes up and up becomes sideways and you get the feeling that there may be as many tricks as there are treats on the Halloween Hootenanny tour. The closest date to Detroit will be in the Chicago area.

For more info on Rob Zombie visit http://robzombie.com
For more info on Alice Cooper visit http://www.alicecooper.com
For more info on Murderdolls visit http://www.murderdollsband.com

Rob Zombie & Alice Cooper - 10/8, 7pm - 101 S. Madison St. - Bloomington, IL - 309-434-2679 -http://www.uscellularcoliseum.com - $39.50 - For tickets click here

All Tour Dates:

SEPTEMBER
30 Los Angeles, CA Gibson Amphitheatre

OCTOBER
1 San Diego, CA Harrah’s Rincon
2 Tucson, AZ Anselmo Valencia Amphitheater
4 Salt Lake City, UT USANA Amphitheatre
6 Kansas City, MO Independence Event Center
7 St. Charles, MO The Family Arena
8 Bloomington, IL U.S. Cellular Coliseum
12 Binghamton, NY Broome County Arena
14 Portland, ME Cumberland County Civic Center
15 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun
16 Worcester, MA DCU Center
19 Roanoke, VA Roanoke Performing Arts Theater
20 Nashville, TN Nashville Municipal Auditorium

Alice In Chains, Deftones, and Mastodon Live Review

2010-09-23T18:52:00.000-07:00

Photo Credit: Miss Shela

With the perfect trifecta of Alice In Chains, Deftones, and Mastodon the 'BlackDiamondSkye' Tour swept through DTE Energy Music Theatre this past Friday. It was a sublime end to a whirlwind summer of outdoor concerts.

Mastodon opened up the evening as the crowd wandered in from the parking lot. They are a progressive metal band that formed in 99' from Atlanta, Georgia. Over the years they've inflitrated new elements of experimentation into their music. They continue to bring in different layers or rock and psychedelic sound while still keeping in the progressive metal genre. They are ever-evolving and consistently fine-tuning their craft. This is the second time seeing them this year and once again they've come on stage with all hands on deck to get the crowd rockin.'

Turning up the crescendo on the evening, theDeftones came on stage crackling with energy to the roar of the crowd. With their newest releaseDiamond Eyes they continue to build their ever-growing fanbase. This is a band of five life-long friends who came onto the scene in 1988. To this day they have a sound that defies being categorized as it morphs and bends to the Deftones whims, whether it's soul, punk, rock, or metal, they do it all. They opened up their set with the title-track "Diamond Eyes," off of the new album and played a total of thirteen songs that were a mix of old and new.

The peak of the night were the headliners Alice In Chains. For a lot of bands, finding acceptance for a new lead singer after the loss of one much loved is always a trying task. William DuVall has gracefully and humbly taken the reigns as frontman now since 2006. He has amazing charisma that sparkles with a tangible energy on stage. He's brought alive once again a band with incendiary talent. You can never fully replace someone, but you can honor their memory by recreating what they have done and making it your own at the same time. The evening came alive with lights in tones of swirling reds, blues, greens, and yellows, the music blaring in our ears, and a venue full of fans. The climax of the night came at us with the full force of a musical epiphany. The chemistry on stage of DuVall, Jerry Cantrell, Mike Inez, and Sean Kinney just clicks. They opened up with "Them Bones," which is off of Alice In Chains second album Dirt from 1992. They also played the classic hits "No Excuses" and "Rooster," along with performing a number of songs from the new albumBlack Gives Way to Blue and closing with "Would." Yet another amazing night of music spent at DTE.

Full Set Lists:

Mastodon
For more info on Mastodon visithttp://www.mastodonrocks.com

1. Naked Burn
2. Divinations
3. Crystal Skull
4. Colony
5. Capillarian
6. The Czar
7. Megalodon
8. Blood n Thunder

Deftones
For more info on Deftones visithttp://www.deftones.com

1. Diamond Eyes
2. Rocket Skates
3. Around The Fur
4. Drive
5. My Own Summer
6. Prince
7. You've Seen The Butcher
8. Sextape
9. Passenger
10. Change
11. Nosebleed
12. Engine No. 9
13. Swords

Alice In Chains
For more info on Alice In Chains visithttp://aliceinchains.com

1. Them Bones
2. Dam That River
3. Rain When I Die
4. Again
5. Check My Brain
6. Your Decision
7. No Excuses
8. Grind
9. A Looking In View
10. We Die Young
11. Lesson Learned
12. It Ain't Like That
13. Rooster

*Encore
14. Rotten Apple
15. Man In The Box
16. Would

Oh My God at the Savoy on 9/23

2010-09-20T19:08:00.000-07:00

Oh My God is an indie rock band from Chicago. They were formed in 1999 by Billy O' Neill and Ig (who's played on stage with Van Morrison, Buddy Guy, Jeff Healey and Otis Rush). This is a band that has had quite the tumultuous roller coaster ride of life throughout their career. Just weeks after O'Neill met organist Ig and moved all their equipment into the rehearsal space, a few practices later the building burned down. Not only did they lose all of their gear but they were also sued by the building manager who alluded to the fact that their carelessness had caused the fire. After 10 years of intermittent legal action the band was finally exonerated. This was only the beginning of the trail of bad luck, it almost makes you wonder if someone broke a mirror or two or maybe a few too many black cats crossed their path?

In 2004 the band's van was broken into and most of their equipment was stolen. Shortly thereafter a rear-end collision forced them to do their entire tour without the use of the now crushed back doors. In 2007 they were in a devastating automobile accident. An Ohio woman drunk at noon swerved into the wrong lane causing a head on collision at 55 m.p.h. The woman was killed and Oh My God had to be airlifted and then needed six months of recovery time for badly broken legs and hands. During their recuperation O'Neill and Ig focused on their songwriting and found inspiration in the music that they were creating. At the same time Billy and his wife moved steadily toward divorce and Ig’s wife was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Despite all the intense bumps in the road of life that this band has hit, the music that they create has been a driving force to lift them up and give them the determination to carry on. They have released seven albums and an EP with the most recent release being The Night Undoes The Work of the Day.

The current band line up includes Billy O'Neill on lead vocals and bass, Ig on organ and vocals, Zach Verdoon on guitar, bass, and vocals, and Danny Yost on the drums. This band has a shining talent and a fantastic musical aptitude that has garnered them comparisons from Quasi to Queen. They will be playing the Savoy in Ypsilanti this Thursday on 9/23.

For more information on Oh My God visit http://www.ohmygodmusic.com

Oh My God - 9/23, 8pm - The Savoy - 23 N. Washington - Ypsilanti, MI - (734) 485-4444 -http://www.savoyypsi.com/ - $7

Justin Townes Earle "Harlem River Blues"

2010-09-14T14:07:00.000-07:00

Photo Credit: Joshua Black

Justin Townes Earle has that sweet Nashville charm and a southern blues sound that sparkles and pops when you listen to his music.

Listen to Justin Townes Earle's new single "Harlem River Blues": Click here

For more info on Justin Townes Earle visit http://www.justintownesearle.com/

Shinedown Upcoming Acoustic Tour

2010-09-13T13:55:00.000-07:00

Press Release:

SHINEDOWN BRING THEIR FANS ANYTHING & EVERYTHING;

PLATINUM ROCK BAND EMBARK ON THEIR FIRST-EVER ACOUSTIC TOUR; STRIPPED DOWN SHOWS WILL INCLUDE BAND COMMENTARY AND QUESTIONS FROM FANS;

TICKETS GO ON SALE THIS WEEK FOR

“ANYTHING & EVERYTHING - AN INTIMATE EVENING WITH SHINEDOWN”

Atlantic recording group Shinedown has announced details of their upcoming acoustic tour. “Anything & Everything – An Acoustic Evening with Shinedown” kicks off on November 4^th at the David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa, Florida, and continues through a tour finale on December 9^th at the House of Blues in New Orleans, LA.

Tickets for “Anything & Everything” go on sale to the public on Saturday, September 18. Pre-sale tickets along with a variety of VIP packages will be available exclusively to members of the band’s official fan club, Shinedown Nation, on Wednesday, September 15; pre-sale tickets and the VIP packages become available to the general public beginning Thursday, September 16. VIP packages for the tour include perks ranging from exclusive meet & greets and premium seating to the once-in-a-lifetime experience of sitting on the side of the stage while the band performs. For further details about ticket on-sale, pre-sale, tour packages and more, please visit www.shinedown.com.

“Anything & Everything” marks the first acoustic tour for Shinedown and promises to be an intimate evening of music as well as insight into the songs themselves. Beyond performing stripped down versions of their chart topping hits and fan favorites, the band plans on speaking candidly with the audience about the stories behind the songs and where they came from, even fielding some questions from the audience themselves.

Frontman Brent Smith: “We’ve always tried to exceed our fans’ expectations with our live shows, giving 110% each and every night. We’ve been asked when we’d do an acoustic tour for awhile so we decided to take it a step further. We felt these types of shows were the perfect setting to really have a heart-to-heart with them – a place where they could ask us anything and we would tell them everything. We can’t wait.”

Platinum recording group Shinedown has established themselves as one of the most successful rock bands of the decade with their staggering run of 12 consecutive Top 5 hit singles. The Jacksonville, Florida based band exploded onto the rock music scene with their 2003 Platinum debut, Leave A Whisper, and 2005 Gold follow-up, Us & Them. Their latest album, The Sound Of Madness, debuted at #8 upon its 2008 release and has since gone platinum, selling well over a million copies in the U.S. alone. "The Crow & The Butterfly" is the album's fifth single, following an unbelievable streak of #1 rock hits including the cross-over smash "Second Chance.” The band recently wrapped up the inaugural Carnival Of Madness tour, headlining a stellar lineup of today’s biggest rock acts including Chevelle, Puddle Of Mudd, Sevendust, and 10 Years.

SHINEDOWN is: Brent Smith (vocals), Barry Kerch (drums), Zach Myers (guitar), and Eric Bass (bass).

For up-to-the-minute news and information, please visit www.shinedown.com .

(TOUR ITINERARY ATTACHED)

SHINEDOWN – ON TOUR 2010

ANYTHING & EVERYTHING

An Acoustic Evening with Shinedown

NOVEMBER

4 Tampa, FL David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts

5Charleston, SC Charleston Music Hall

6 Chattanooga, TN Tivoli Theatre

8 Richmond, VA The National

9 Charlotte, NC The Fillmore Charlotte

10 Washington, DC Warner Theatre

12Hampton Beach, NH Casino Ballroom

13 Northampton, MA Calvin Theatre & Performing Arts Center

15 Albany, NY The Egg

16 Scranton, PA Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Theatre

18Westbury, NY Theatre at Westbury

19 Montclair, NJ Wellmont Theatre

20 Atlantic City, NJ Showboat Hotel & Casino - House of Blues

22 Wilmington, DE Grand Opera House

23 Youngstown, OH Powers Auditorium

24 Saginaw, MI Heritage Theatre

26Davenport, IA Adler Theatre

27 Minneapolis MN State Theater

29 Indianapolis, IN Murat Theatre

30 Milwaukee, WI The Riverside Theater

DECEMBER

2 Saint Louis, MO The Pageant

4 Springfield, MO Gillioz Theatre

6 Tulsa, OK Osage Million Dollar Elm Casino

9 New Orleans, LA House of Blues

Rapper Snoop Dogg Touches Down on Fourth 7-Eleven®

2010-09-07T18:50:00.000-07:00

Rapper Snoop Dogg Touches Down on Fourth 7-Eleven® ‘Coffee Cup With A Cause’ Benefiting Inner-City Football League

Snoop Youth Football League to Score Proceeds of Next ‘Cup With a Cause’

DETROIT (Sept. 2, 2010) – 7-Eleven, Inc. has scored Snoop Dogg, a global superstar, as the fourth designer in their charitable “Coffee Cup With A Cause” program. Proceeds from Snoop’s cup will benefit the Snoop Youth Football League (SYFL), a Los Angeles-based football club founded by the entertainer himself 6 years ago to help inner-city kids spend their free time in a healthy, safe environment.

Detroit area Snoop fans who want to support the SYFL can head into any participating

7-Eleven store to purchase his signature cup, on sale from Sept. 1 through Oct. 18 or while supplies last. 7-Eleven guarantees a $250,000 minimum donation to SYFL, but the support could increase depending on the number of cups sold. Consumers can increase the contribution by purchasing the cup.

To celebrate 7-Eleven’s donation and the launch of his cup, Snoop will make a special announcement at the beginning of his SYFL team’s practice. The kids of the SYFL program – the true beneficiaries of the donation – will learn firsthand about the program and associated donation, as well as get to be one of the first to get their hands on one of the Snoop-designed 7-Eleven cups.

“We’ve been running this league for 6 years now with more than 3,500 kids participating in that time, but our partnership with 7-Eleven’s ‘Coffee Cup with A Cause’ program is huge for us,” Snoop said. “It means many good things are in store for the players, and the league can reach out to more kids and touch more lives.”

Snoop has recently seen the seeds of his namesake league come to fruition as four of the former players have gone on to play football at NCAA Division1 colleges.

“The Snoop Youth Football League serves an important role in the community by helping kids focus their energy on something positive,” says Rita Bargerhuff, 7-Eleven’s vice president and chief marketing officer. “We believe our customers will want to help make a difference in the lives of these youth by supporting Snoop’s football league through his ‘Cup With A Cause.’”

“I’m just so proud of my league and my players right now, and designing a ‘Cup With A Cause’ is really an exciting opportunity for us,” Snoop added. The entertainer plans to expand his youth football program to other cities across the country, beginning in Chicago this fall.

During 2010, other entertainment and sports celebrities designed cups sold exclusively at participating 7-Eleven stores in the U.S. Cups can be filled with any 7-Eleven hot beverage and customized with an assortment of creams, syrups and spices at no extra charge. Snoop’s cup follows Nicole Richie and Benji and Joel Madden’s Richie-Madden Children’s Foundation, Jennifer Hudson’s Boys and Girls Clubs of America and John Cena’s Make-A-Wish Foundation limited-edition cups.

The Snoop Dogg themed SYFL custom cups are available while supplies last at 7-Eleven’s franchised and company-operated stores nationwide. For more information about this program, please visit: www.cupwithacause.com, www.facebook.com/7Eleven andwww.twitter.com/7Eleven.

Uproar Festival Review

2010-09-01T16:08:00.000-07:00

Uproar Festival Review

This summer I've been to so many amazing concerts, but I've found myself traveling great distances because some of the best tours are not coming to Detroit. Two in particular were Ozzfest and Uproar. I don't get it, Detroit loves rock and metal! The Mayhem festival sold out here and that's the same genre as these other ones. Why are we being skipped and why do I have to keep putting so many miles on my car?!

The drive to Columbus, Ohio for the Uproar Tour was worth it based on Avenged Sevenfold alone. The fact that so many other great bands played too was an added bonus. The line-up for the festival included; New Medicine, Hail The Villain, and Airbourne who played the second stage or rather the first venue of the day; the LC Pavilion. This festival ended up being in two separate venues due to ticket sales being higher then expected. The Nationwide Arena was a hop skip and a jump from the LC Pavillion and a where the heck are my tickets that are supposed to be at will call? They were not at the first venue when we arrived, which would of been the logical place for them to be.They were at the Nationwide Arena, after running back and forth in the heat and getting into the venues I was able to enjoy an amazing day of music. In the Nationwide Arena on the Main Stage the bands that played lit the arena on fire. Halestorm, Stone Sour, Avenged Sevenfold (they literally had flames reaching towards the sky with their amazing pyrotechnics), and Disturbed.

My favorite performances at the first venue were Hail The Villain and Airbourne. Hail The Villain is an up and coming alternative metal band from Canada. You may have heard their song "Take Back The Fear," played on the radio. These boys are full of energy and put on a great live show. Airbourne are those wild Aussie rockers and their singer has a penchant for climbing things. During the show he succumbed to this pastime by climbing a wall next to the stage. He then walked balance beam style on a ledge before finally climbing down and running around some more.

For the Main Stage my favorites were Stone Sour and Avenged Sevenfold, both of these bands absolutely blew me away. Disturbed was great, but you'll have to excuse my disposition due to the fact that Avenged Sevenfold is my favorite band and I think they stole the show. (They did, it's true!) Corey Taylor of Stone Sour had his heart and energy at all systems go and blazed the stage with rock god status. He also let everyone know that their new album Audio Secrecy will be coming out on September 7th.

When it came time for Avenged to come onstage, I got chills. This is my eighth time seeing them and my first without 'The Rev'. There was a sadness in the air and you could catch glimpses of it in their eyes. Their performance and the fact that they are moving forward as a band is done out of love and respect for Jimmy. Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater humbly plays the drums on this tour, he was one of 'The Rev's' all time favorite drummers.

Their stage setup was the biggest I've seen yet. Towering gates and brick pillars were set up as the entrance to a dark and gothic graveyard. The beginning of their set entered with full force dramatics. As we looked up above in the rafters there was a man standing there with a rope... He glances downward. Slowly and methodically he winds the rope around his neck. As the opening chords of "Nightmare" are struck, he jumps. (Don't worry this was all staged). This began our wild dark ride through Avenged Sevenfold's performance. They played a lot of songs off of Nightmare and their self-titled album Avenged Sevenfold. They also played "Beast and the Harlot" from City of Evil. The blood, sweat, tears, and dedication that these boys brought to life was felt by all and crushed the arena. The blazing pyrotechnics got our hearts pounding along with their 'Synyster' brand of metal. After their set I was energized and in awe of how this band has come so far and never fails to put on an amazing show.

RIP Rev we miss you!

For more info on the Uproar Tour visit http://www.rockstaruproar.com/

Pantera: Cowboys From Hell

2010-08-30T19:35:00.000-07:00

Press Release

PANTERA COWBOYS FROM HELL ULTIMATE BOX SET Featuring T-Shirt Designed By “Dimebag” Darrell ARRIVES November 22

Previously Unreleased Track, “The Will To Survive,” Set For Worldwide Premiere Monday, August 30

On Pantera’s Facebook Page

LOS ANGELES – Originally released in 1990, Pantera’s COWBOYS FROM HELL turned modern metal on its ass and put Pantera in the musical history books. More than just their major label debut, most consider COWBOYS to be the official debut of the iconic Pantera lineup with singer Philip Anselmo, guitarist “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott, his brother, drummer Vinnie Paul and bassist Rex Brown.

Rhino is marking the 20-year anniversary of COWBOYS FROM HELL with multiple offerings for Pantera fans of every generation. (Complete list follows below). All versions include a newly remastered copy of the original COWBOYS album along with unreleased and rare live performances from the era, and unreleased demos for nearly every album track.

“The Will To Survive,” a previously unreleased song recorded during the album’s demo sessions, is included in the Deluxe and Ultimate packages and will have its worldwide premiere on Pantera’s Facebook page (facebook.com/pantera) on Monday, August 30 at 12 noon EDT.

“’The Will To Survive’ is a great track,” says Paul. “I am definitely proud that it will see the light of day for all the die hard Pantera fans around the world, as it shows the true musical diversity of the band at that time!”

The Ultimate Edition box lands November 22 for a suggested list price of $99.98, just in time for the holidays to round out your personal Pantera collection or give to your favorite Pantera fan. The box includes custom artwork and a 60-page booklet with rare photos, expanded liner notes and replicas from the Cowboys era as listed below.

· New Years Puke Party T-shirt – designed by Dimebag Darrell (XL)

· ‘We're Takin Over This Town’ flyer reproduction (8 1/2" x 11")

· ‘It's Up To You/Censorship’ flyer reproduction (8 1/2" x 11")

· Arcadio Theatre poster reproduction (11" x 17")

· Cowboys From Hell Fucking Hostile button

· ‘All Access Tour Pass '90’ Fabric Sticker

· Cowboys From Hell Texas Guest Laminated Pass

· ‘U.S. Tour '91’ All Access Laminated Pass

· Ticket reproduction, June 14, 1991

The previously announced Deluxe and Expanded Editions will be available on September 14. Suggested list price for the Deluxe version will be $29.98 (physical) and $17.98 (digital). Suggested list price for the Expanded Edition will be $19.98 (physical) and $12.99 (digital). A complete breakdown of all packages appears below.

COWBOYS FROM HELL

Track Listing

Disc One – Ultimate, Deluxe, Expanded

1. “Cowboys From Hell”

2. “Primal Concrete Sledge”

3. “Psycho Holiday”

4. “Heresy”

5. “Cemetery Gates”

6. “Domination”

7. “Shattered”

8. “Clash With Reality”

9. “Medicine Man”

10. “Message In Blood”

11. “The Sleep”

12. “The Art Of Shredding”

Disc Two – Ultimate, Deluxe, Expanded

1. “Domination” – Live*

2. “Psycho Holiday” – Live*

3. “The Art Of Shredding” – Live*

4. “Cowboys From Hell” – Live*

5. “Cemetery Gates” – Live*

6. “Primal Concrete Sledge” – Live*

7. “Heresy” – Live*

8. “Domination” – Live, Alive And Hostile EP†

9. “Primal Concrete Sledge” – Live, Alive And Hostile EP†

10. “Cowboys From Hell” – Live, Alive And Hostile EP†

11. “Heresy” – Live, Alive And Hostile EP†

12. “Psycho Holiday” – Live, Alive And Hostile EP†

Disc Three – Ultimate & Deluxe

1. “The Will To Survive” – Demo*

2. “Shattered” – Demo*

3. “Cowboys From Hell” – Demo*

4. “Heresy” – Demo*

5. “Cemetery Gates” – Demo*

6. “Psycho Holiday” – Demo*

7. “Medicine Man” – Demo*

8. “Message In Blood” – Demo*

9. “Domination” – Demo*

10. “The Sleep” – Demo*

11. “The Art Of Shredding” – Demo*

* Previously Unreleased

† Unreleased in the U.S.

Slayer Review

2010-08-26T10:01:00.000-07:00

On Thursday evening at Joe Louis Arena the "American Carnage Tour" came crashing through Detroit. All that were present witnessed a show of legendary proportions by two of metal's founding fathers Slayer and Megadeth. They played a show that brought on a metal assault to all who stood within the arena's walls. Some might say that they played their most iconic albums that evening and I would agree. Megadeth played Rust In Peace and Slayer took us back to Seasons In The Abyss.

Slayer has been a force to be reckoned with for almost thirty years. Every time they take the stage sparks fly as they grind the steel wheels of their metal machine. I've seen Slayer quite a few times over the years, but to be able to see them perform Seasons was quite epic. The crowd was a big swirling and writhing sea of hardcore fans which circled and swarmed in waves of black t-shirts down on the main floor. Tom Araya was in your face with his brutal bass playing and vocals that sent a pummeling intensity out through the crowd. Even without the headbanging he gets his point across and commands the audience with arresting authority. With the perfect metal accolades of Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman on guitar and Dave Lombardo on the drums, Joe Louis Arena rumbled as if experiencing an earthquake. I believe Slayer may have shattered the sound barrier there that night.

For more info on Slayer visit http://www.slayer.net

Slayers Full Set List:

1. World Painted Blood
2. Hate Worldwide
--------------------------------

(Seasons in the Abyss)

3. War Ensemble
4. Blood Red
5. Spirit in Black
6. Expendable Youth
7. Dead Skin Mask
8. Hallowed Point
9. Skeletons of Society
10.Temptation
11. Born of Fire
12. Seasons in the Abyss
-----------------------------------
13. South of Heaven
14. Raining Blood
15. Aggressive Perfector
16. Angel of Death

Conditions

2010-08-26T09:58:00.000-07:00

Press Release

CONDITIONS FEATURED IN AP/HOT TOPIC MINI MAG, NEW TRACK “WHEN IT WON’T SAVE YOU” INCLUDED ON MAG SAMPLER!

PRE-ORDER FLUORESCENT YOUTH CD/T-SHIRT BUNDLE NOW!

NEW FALL TOUR DATES COMING SOON!

Richmond, VA rockers CONDITIONS are featured in the upcoming AP/Hot Topic Mini Mag, available on a countertop at your nearest Hot Topic beginning September 7^th! A brand new track, ‘When It Won’t Save You’ is included on the Mini Mag sampler. The track is cut fromCONDITIONS upcoming GOOD FIGHT MUSIC debut, Fluorescent Youth, which hits stores on September 14^th, 2010! CONDITIONS have teamed up with Hot Topic to bring Fluorescent Youth to all store listening stations, and offer fans a special Hot Topic sale pricing beginning on the day of release.

Make sure to pre-order GOOD FIGHT MUSIC’s exclusive Fluorescent Youth CD/T-Shirt bundle package! Head over to the brand newMySpace to learn more about CONDITIONS, and remember to check in frequently to stay up to date on huge, upcoming fall tour dates! The new dates will be announced soon.

CONDITIONS have sold over 16,000 digital songs and over 3,000 CDs on their own as independent artists. They have shared stages in the US and Europe with the likes of Paramore, New Found Glory, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, and Good Charlotte. They have earned themselves spots on the Vans Warped Tour, Taste of Chaos, Bamboozle Festival, and SXSW Music Conference. Their commanding stage presence and airtight musicianship during live performances emits a vibrant and impassioned spirit. It is this rare mix of charisma and chops that has allowed CONDITIONS to amass a loyal and supportive fan base from swooning teen pop fans to discerning older rock fans. Those fans purchased 4,000 songs off of their You Are Forgotten EP in the first month of its release. It is exactly that type of zealous fan reaction that has caught the eye of media outlets nationwide. Alternative Press Magazine recently proclaimed the band as one of their "100 bands you need to know in 2010".

For more information on CONDITIONS, please visit these locations:

http://www.myspace.com/conditionsband

http://goodfightmusic.com/artists/conditions.php

Bruno Mars - He's Just A Dude That Wants To Sing

2010-08-12T15:28:00.001-07:00

Download Jenny and Johnny's "Scissor Runner" Free!

2010-08-08T14:56:00.000-07:00

Avenged Sevenfold Live Concert Stream on 7/31

2010-07-27T08:51:00.000-07:00

Video streaming by Ustream

Motorcity Special #2 - Sat 7/31

2010-07-26T17:33:00.000-07:00

Motorcity Special #2 - Sat 7/31 - Crofoot Pike Room

Get your hands on some Detroit wax on July 31st!

Detroit's newest record label Motorcity Special

Announces Record Release and Recording Concert

Saturday July 31^st 2010 7pm-2am

The Pike Room in The Crofoot

(Part of the Phonotropic Wicked Awesome Summer BBQ)

1 S. Saginaw St

Pontiac MI

Confirmed Musical Lineup

Black Lodge

The Beggars

WOLFBAIT

The Jesus Chainsaw Massacre

Marco Polio & The New Vaccines

Each MCS concert is recorded live for pressing to vinyl.

Product of Detroit MOTORCITYBLOG

www.MotorcitySpecial.com

The Motorcity Special Record Release and Recording Concert is the 2^nd in an ongoing series of events produced by MCS

to continue what the founders of the label have been doing in their previous respective efforts:

Promotion of the diverse local Detroit musical talent and highlight the vast array of music venues in the motorcity.

The initial Motorcity Special #1 was a huge success.

Being released is a limited edition white double sided vinyl recording from the MCS Label Launch at Jazz Café on May 8^th 2010.

The final 40 records were set aside from the limited pressing and will be for sale at MCS#2.

Presale vouchers can be exchanged for the record at this time.

Included on MCS#1 are live recordings from The Wrong Numbers, DUENDE!,Electric Fire Babies, Canja Rave, MR SHZ.

A Joint Promotional Production by

Product of Detroit and MOTORCITYBLOG

features unique Detroit musical acts recorded live for pressing to limited edition vinyl.

MCS MISSION:

There are a lot of Detroit record labels, new and old but none are booking diverse Detroit lineups

and recording them live at rotating Metro Detroit venues for release on limited edition vinyl records

manufactured at Archer record pressing, Detroit, Michigan.

Avenged Sevenfold: 'Nightmare' Album Review

2010-07-26T13:02:00.000-07:00

Avenged Sevenfold

Nightmare

If you like this ...

Rock on the Range 2010 Show Review & Photos

R.I.P. James Owen Sullivan (The Rev from Avenged Sevenfold)

Karma To Burn

Shinedown: Interview with Brent Smith

Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival

View all »

When Avenged Sevenfold lost their drummer Jimmy Sullivan (The Rev) in December of last year they lost a friend, a brother, and an integral part of their band and family. At first the shock of losing The Rev put everyone at a stand still, how could they go on after his passing away? Then they realized that Jimmy would never want them to stop on his behalf and out of love and respect for him they carried on. What transpired was the creation a heartbreaking masterpiece with raw emotion and dark shadows laced throughout and it is absolutely spellbinding.

“It’s about how we were feeling at the time and are still feeling,” Shadows says. “When it first happens it’s much more intense. I realize now that we’re going to have to live with it and it’s never going to go away. The record is a lot different than if we hadn’t opened ourselves up right when it happened. We were more vulnerable and willing to put it out on the line.”

The Rev had played an integral role in writing the album and just days before he died, he'd completed the song "Fiction" that now seemed to have foretold his own death and assured his friends in no uncertain terms that they had to carry on. “I know you’ll find your own way, when I’m not with you tonight,” Sullivan wrote.

It was “Fiction,” the song The Rev had just finished, that helped lift any doubts about carrying on.
“He wouldn’t have wanted us to stop, and if it had been any one of us, it would be the same,” says bassist Christ. “Especially since he had written the song. ‘Fiction’ is one hundred percent his. You want people to hear how brilliant Jimmy really was, his songwriting as well as drumming. A lot of people know how great a drummer he was, but few know what a big part he played in the writing.”

From the first notes of the elegiac bells on the title track "Nightmare" to the epic ending track "Save Me" this album runs deep with passion that electrifies the auditory senses and draws you into Avenged Sevenfold's Nightmare.

Full Track Listing:

1. Nightmare
2. Welcome To The Family
3. Danger Line
4. Buried Alive
5. Natural Born Killer
6. So Far Away
7. God Hates Us
8. Victim
9. Tonight The World Dies
10. Fiction
11. Save Me

Sky Sailing 'An Airplane Carried Me To Bed' Album Review

2010-07-21T20:50:00.000-07:00

Sky Sailing

Pamela Littky

If you like this ...

An Evening with Passion Pit

MGMT: A Swirled World of Artistic Sound

Hurricane Bells

Runner Runner: Off The Ground and Running

View all »

Sky Sailing is Adam Young of Owl City's new yet old side project. The songs were recorded before the creation of Owl City. They're a more stripped down version of what Young can do without all the fancy electronic and sonic sounding enhancements of Owl City. The album An Airplane Carried Me To Bedflows with dreamlike lyrics and floats on the melodic sounds of acoustic guitar and piano. I almost want to say that Young has created his own genre of music and it would be called Dream Pop (sounds like a yummy flavored popsicle).

Never expecting these early recordings to see the light of day, Young is excited to share these songs with you on July 27th. The album floats on an air of effortless melodies which are enveloped by the soft effervescence of the clouds that have been infiltrated with a moonlit infusion of vocals by Young. His lyrics create word paintings of surreal images that are almost tangible through sound. The new album is 11 songs of a whimsical and pleasant listening experience and definitely one that can be listened to the whole way through.

Track listing:

1. Captains of the Sea
2. Brielle
3. Steady As She Goes
4. Explorers
5. A Little Opera Goes A Long Way
6. Tennis Elbow
7. Blue and Red
8. Alaska
9. I Live Alone
10. Take Me Somewhere Nice
11. Sailboats