Devendra Banhart's What Will We Be came out in October 2009. He played a pair of NYC shows and jammed with Yo Gabba Gabba around that time. He's back in NYC for a show with his band the Grogs on Thursday, August 19th at Terminal 5. Tickets go on sale Friday at noon.

He has other dates scheduled for this summer too. Those include Europe in July, a few other US dates in August and shows in the South in October.

One place he won't be playing is...Arizona. Just kidding, it's Israel. A few weeks ago he canceled a show scheduled for mid-June in Tel Aviv (and not because of his recent skateboarding accident). His note about that, a stream of the remix he recently did for Liars, the newish video for "Babies", and all tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Devendra Banhart cancels Israel show, schedules one in NYC --- 2010 tour dates, his Liars remix, the Baby video, more "

...and those new dates are now on presale

"JERUSALEM (JTA) -- In more apparent fallout from Israel's interception of a Gaza-bond flotilla, the American alternative rock band the Pixies canceled a scheduled concert in Israel.

The band was scheduled to perform Wednesday in Tel Aviv in its first concert in Israel.

"The decision was not reached easily, and we all know well the Israeli fans have been waiting for this visit for far too long," read a message received Sunday by the concert's producers in Israel from the band's management, according to reports.

"We'd like to extend our deepest apologies to the fans, but events beyond all our control have conspired against us. We can only hope for better days, in which we will finally present the long awaited visit of the Pixies in Israel."

Two other groups, Klaxons and the Gorillaz, canceled their scheduled performances in Israel following the deaths of nine activists during clashes with Israeli Navy commandos during the boarding of one of the flotilla's ships early on May 31.

The cancellations come less than a month following the cancellation of British rocker Elvis Costello, who was making a political protest. Costello called the cancellation of his scheduled June 30 and 31 concerts "a matter of instinct and conscience."" [JTA]

Pixies won't be heading to Israel, but they will continue touring in 2010 with more "Doolittle" shows now scheduled through the end of September. There were four NYC Doolittle shows in November of 2009. The closest show to NYC at the moment is Philly in September of 2010, and those tickets, like all the new dates, are on presale now ("All pre-sale ticket purchases include a download of the live recording from the show, delivered to the purchasing fan via email the day after the show*. Pre-sale prices are all-in, and are less than total cost of tickets at public outlets. This fan-only presale ends at 11:59 pm on Friday, June 11. All tickets can be claimed at WILL CALL, unless otherwise noted.). All dates and a widget that will get you a free live EP right now, below...

Continue reading "Pixies cancel Israel shows, add more Doolittle dates in the US "

"The Sugarcanes played a short run of theatre dates from Boston through Washington, D.C., the United Palace, New York, Richmond, Virginia, Atlanta and Jacksoville, Florida and two headlining festival appearances, concluding at MerleFest in Wilkesboro, North Carolina.

E.C. sang, "She Came In Through The Bathroom Window" during The Waybacks complete performance of "Abbey Road" in the afternoon, while Sugarcanes gave the first full band performance of "Dr Watson, I Presume", a reminiscence of the previous visit to the festival in 2007.

E.C. and The Sugarcanes were joined by Rebecca and Megan Lovell from their new band, Larkin Poe for finale performances of "The Scarlet Tide" and "The Crooked Line"

At the Sonoma Jazz Festival appearance on May 22nd, the band will feature, Jim Lauderdale, Dennis Crouch, Jeff Taylor, Mike Compton and Stuart Duncan. On this occasion Jerry Douglas will not be in the line-up, as he is attending a very important family event but the group will be augmented by multi-instrumentalist, Fats Kaplin and also feature Pete Thomas on drums." [Elvis Costello]

The Sonoma Jazz Festival happens this weekend (May 21-23) in Sonoma. A message from Elvis explaining (sort of) why he's canceling a couple of dates in Israel, and video from the April United Palace show, below...

Continue reading "Elvis Costello playing Sonoma Jazz (with "The Sugarcanes Plus"), but changed his mind about going to Israel"

Leonard Cohen @ Red Rocks in June (more by Lori Baily)

Leonard Cohen is currently in the midst of a four night run in Dublin as part of his summer-long European/world tour. That trip picks up again in the fall with a series of US gigs that includes a show at NYC's Madison Square Garden on October 23rd! There's no ticket info yet.

He recently played NYC in May at Radio City Music Hall, as well as in February at the Beacon Theater. We also caught him at one of his last North American tour stops in June in Colorado.

One place Leonard Cohen won't be playing is Ramallah, where a scheduled gig was recently cancelled...

A Leonard Cohen concert planned in Ramallah on the West Bank in September has been cancelled after the artist became embroiled in a campaign to boycott Israel.

The 74-year-old Canadian singer-songwriter announced he would perform in Tel Aviv as part of his world tour. The Ramallah date was added later, allegedly in response to pro-Palestinian campaigners who had tried to dissuade Cohen from appearing in Israel.

Now his Palestinian hosts have cancelled the West Bank concert, amid claims that the planned gig was a hollow attempt to "balance" performances.

"Ramallah will not receive Cohen as long as he is intent on whitewashing Israel's colonial apartheid regime by performing in Israel," the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) said in a statement. [Guardian UK]

All tour dates below...

Continue reading "Leonard Cohen - more 2009 tour dates - MSG, not Ramallah"