by Andrew Sacher

Florence on GMA @ Rumsey Playfield (juleskills)

Since Good Morning America concerts now happen at Rumsey Playfield aka Central Park Summerstage (full schedule below), Florence & the Machine actually played the outdoor NYC venue twice on Friday (6/24). She played a short set early in the morning for Good Morning America and then a proper Summerstage show later that night with Twin Shadow and Bubbles. At the night show Florence opened the track "Blinding" by singing the intro to Lady Gaga's "Judas" (Lady Gaga notoriously played the first 2011 Good Morning America show on May 27th). Check out a video of that and some others from both Florence shows below.

Twin Shadow's next NYC show is at Webster Hall with Diamond Rings.

what is that over her shoulders???

Beyonce, whose new album 4 was released today (6/28), who also just headlined Glastonbury (with help from Tricky), and who plays the NBC NYC fireworks show, plays Good Morning America at Rumsey Playfield on July 1.

Beyonce's new album seems to be what everyone has been talking about, especially since it leaked back on June 7th. Even Beyonce addressed the leak on June 8th:

My music was leaked and while this is not how I wanted to present my new songs, I appreciate the positive response from my fans. When I record music I always think about my fans singing every note and dancing to every beat. I make music to make people happy and I appreciate that everyone has been so anxious to hear my new songs.

Indie music critics are loving it, but not everyone is, like NME who said "she's still dangerously in love with boring ballads."

Apparently some of her LGBT fans are disappointed too (and are not dancing to every beat). According to Sandra Rose, after the album leaked, the actual release date was pushed back in part because of criticism from her gay fans. This has not been confirmed, but she wrote:

Beyoncé and her management team are worried about the lack of gay support for her more mature, ballad-heavy CD. "They're taking the album off the [release list] and retooling it," said my source [a confidential informant at the record label, who begged to remain anonymous]. "They're going to add 2 more songs with a club beat to send the gays to the dance floor."

Perez Hilton posted around that time that he does "not like the album AT ALL." That said, we don't think they actually added any songs since the leak.

The gay-marriage-legalization-downplaying New York Post, who earlier posted a story about Columbia expecting the Beyonce record to flop, don't like it either. The Daily News's Jim Farber on the other hand likes it (The Daily News also differed from the NY Post by actually doing cover stories on the legalization of gay marriage).

Speaking of Jim Farber, his other big Daily News article today was about "girly men" music ("everyone from [Bon Iver to] Sufjan Stevens to Devendra Banhart to Antony and the Johnsons to Iron and Wine to Grizzly Bear to the National to Fleet Foxes to Vampire Weekend"). He adds, "Snaking back a bit farther, you could also throw into this high-brow/low-virility crew Bright Eyes, the Decemberists and Death Cab for Cutie."

(so just to recap for a second: Gay people don't like the new Beyonce album. The NY Post doesn't like gay people, but does like Beyonce. The Daily News, despite a bit of homophobia, likes gay people and Beyonce.).

I think the Beyonce album's pretty good, except for the severely out-of-place lead single "Run The World (Girls)," which unfortunately is the only track with an official video so far (watch below). Most of the album's non-singles are the ones that demand repeated listens. Its highest points are hit when she belts out Etta Jamesian choruses like that of "Start Over," the earworminess of "Countdown," and the fact that its the first album since her debut to feature a member of Outkast (how bout that new Outkast album?). You can decide for yourself by streaming it. Buy a copy on Amazon.

The upcoming Good Morning America lineup also includes Mary J Blige on September 2, and Debbie Gibson & Tiffany, who are going on tour, on July 29. The full list of mainstream acts (like Beyonce and now Florence) that are playing the popular TV show's series is below.

Florence & Beyonce videos and stuff below too...

Continue reading "Florence & the Machine played Rumsey Playfield twice, Beyonce (whose new album is out) playing there too & stuff"

not-Drake @ The South Street Seaport (more)

Another Drake show in New York has been nixed before the rapper even got a chance to take the stage. Drizzy was in talks to play a free outdoor show July 16 as part of ABC's "Good Morning America" summer concert series. However, the Drake show has been squashed and the cast of Broadway's "American Idiot" will fill the upcoming slot instead.

A spokesperson for ABC confirmed that a potential Drake show was in the works. "We were interested in having Drake perform, but he was never officially booked," an ABC rep told MTV News. In addition, a spokesperson for the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation told MTV News that concert organizers had simply decided to go with another act. "There was an open date on the calendar for July 16, but they decided to feature the cast of the Broadway show 'American Idiot,' " a rep said. [MTV]

Drake is playing Radio City Music Hall on September 29th though. Tickets go on "Internet Presale" at 10am (password = HEDRAKE or venue or DZ100), and general sale starts Saturday at 10am.

Regina Spektor will be the musical guest on Saturday Night Live on October 10th, four days before she headlines Radio City Music Hall. Over the summer she was on Good Morning America...

Continue reading "Regina Spektor playing SNL before Radio City Music Hall"

photos by Mike Suppe

When Courtney Collyer elected to attend Fordham last spring, she didn't expect to land at a powerhouse. The Lady Rams had finished fifth at the 2008 Atlantic 10 championships.

So Collyer, a Staten Island product and St. Joseph by-the-Sea HS standout, was surprised to see herself powering Fordham to second place - the school's best-ever finish - at last month's A-10 championships in Buffalo. [Daily News]

The mystery (was it a mystery?) of where U2 were going to play for Good Morning America today, and how they were going to get from the TV show taping to Fordham University with enough time to play both shows in one morning, has been solved. They were the same show! (duh).

As you can tell by the pics, it happened early this morning - between 8 & 9 AM. U2 played three songs followed by a break and interview followed by three more songs. The audience was comprised of a packed lawn full of bundled up college students.

U2's fifth of five Letterman residency shows airs tonight (3/6) (though it was taped on Monday). The Fordham/GMA setlist and more pictures below...

Continue reading "U2 played Good Morning America at Fordham University - pics & setlist"

U2 on a London roof (BBC)

They've sung about a place "Where the Streets Have No Name," but Irish rockers U2 will have a street named for them in Times Square Tuesday.

Mayor Bloomberg is expected to rename part of W.53rd St. at Broadway "U2 Way."

The temporary street renaming coincides with the release of the band's new CD, "No Line on the Horizon," and the kickoff last night of their five-night gig on "Late Show With David Letterman."

Besides winning Grammys and being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Bono and his bandmates are known worldwide for fighting for human rights and social justice. [Daily News]

U2 are really good at getting attention when they have a new album coming out. On Friday they played on a London roof. You can watch the whole thing at BBC's site. The first of five Letterman episodes aired last night. Today they get the street named after them. This coming Friday they'll be on Good Morning America (Bryant Park?), and then they'll play a show at Fordham University. Today is also U2 day on RXP.

Then next week: "U2 3 Nights Live"

Monday, March 9 - LIVE from Los Angeles An Inside Look At No Line On The Horizon
Time: 9-10pm Eastern, 8-9pm Central, 7-8pm Mountain, 6-7pm Pacific -- Hosted by Shirley Manson

Tuesday, March 10 - LIVE from Chicago Radio Takeover featuring a deejay set by U2
Time: 9-10pm Eastern, 8-9pm Central, 7-8pm Mountain, 6-7pm Pacific -- Hosted by Shirley Manson

Wednesday, March 11 - LIVE from Boston Featuring live performance and audience Q&A with U2
Time: 9-10m Eastern, 8-9pm Central, 7-8pm Mountain, 6-7pm Pacific -- Hosted by TBA

U2 3 Nights Live will be delivered via satellite on ABC Satellite Services and Westwood One in the United States.

Each of those cities will also get a small club show.

Feist @ Hammerstein Ballroom, NYC (more by Bao Nguyen)

Continue reading "Feist & other Good Morning America show this summer"

The following short-free-televised shows take place at 7am in Bryant Park in NYC....

Continue reading "Good Morning America 2007 Concert Series"