by BBG

Yob at Le Poisson Rouge (more by BBG)

YOB, whose latest offering ATMA is one of my favorite releases of 2011, will join Tool for a string of East Coast dates, including the NYC area stop on 2/1 at Izod Center in East Rutherford, NJ. Tickets are still available. Full tour schedule is below.

Continue reading "YOB added to upcoming Tool dates (including Izod Center)"

Tool is playing Izod Center in NJ on February 1st. The promoters are advertising it as their "only area appearance" and tickets go on sale Saturdy at 10am which is also when tickets go on sale for 1/31 at Mohegan Sun in CT.

Coldplay also has a show coming up at the Izod Center, and actually they have two. They just added August 4th to their schedule that already included August 3rd. Tickets for both go on sale Saturday at 10am too, but there's a presale going on now with password "blues".

photos by Kurt Christensen

Judas Priest @ Izod Center

"Pop "retirements" prove to be about as reliable as political promises.

Witness the "just kidding, folks" resurrections of briefly absent stars Barbra Streisand, David Bowie and Cher.

So fans might be forgiven for rolling their eyes over Judas Priest's announcement some months back that their current road show... would be their "final" one.

"I wish we had a better word than final," says Priest singer Rob Halford. "It's not the end of the band but it is a farewell to these gigantic world tours."

In fact, Halford says they'll be back in the States for limited runs, and will record again. And so, it seems, they'll do nearly everything they ever did, just somewhat less of it.

"We've been reflecting on what's left to do and how best to do it," the singer says. "We're all cognizant of the fact that, while metal forges on, the one thing you can't hold back is the physical."-[NY Daily News]

Judas Priest played their not-final NYC area show as part of the Epitaph tour on Friday, 11/18 at Izod Center in NJ with Black Label Society, Thin Lizzy and DJ Lady Starlight. Here are some pictures from that show.

Officially retired or not, Priest was sans founding guitarist K. K. Downing (who has retired, officially and was replaced by Richie Faulkner), so unfortunately the last chance to catch KK/Tipton/Halford/Hill passed with their last tour.

More pictures of Priest, Thin Lizzy and Lady Starlight (none of BLS), with Judas Priest's Izod Center setlist, below...

Continue reading "Judas Priest played their not-final NYC area show at Izod Center w/ Black Label Society & Thin Lizzy (pics & setlist)"

Jay-Z & Kanye West @ the Izod Center in NJ (cohanlon64)

Kanye West & Jay-Z aka The Throne played their first of two shows at the Izod Center in NJ last night (11/5), and they do it again in the same location tonight, and then two nights in a row at MSG...

"The core of the show weaved together separate, alternating sets from Jay and Kanye. This especially benefitted Kanye, whose recent albums, and last tour, got bogged down in fodder. Here he culled the cream, from the strident gospel chorus of "Jesus Walks" to the gothic "Power." Jay-Z, the more consistent performer, drew on his wealth of favorites, from the stuttering "Jigga What" to "Hard Knock Life." The pair doubled up on that last one and others, together offering not just value for money, but a survey of recent commercial hip-hop at its height." [Daily News]

Last night's setlist is below.

Odd Future associate and Watch The Throne guest vocalist Frank Ocean plays his first NYC show at Bowery Ballroom tonight (11/6), part of a short tour that hit New Orleans last night, Frank's first-ever show...

"The show was his first solo performance, and it was truly solo--he was onstage alone with backing tracks on a laptop.

Ocean's system still had a kink or two. "This is awkward," he said quietly when the video screen behind him started showing footage from western movies without audio. That problem was quickly solved, and having his band on computer didn't limit him in any obvious ways.

Song lengths never felt shorter than what the moment demanded, and he wasn't locked into a pre-programmed sequence. Ocean changed the set list on the fly, gesturing for his offstage computer tech to skip forward more than once. He solved the problem of not having a lead guitarist to play the solo at the end of "American Wedding" by strapping on a Guitar Hero controller, turning his back to the audience, and apparently playing along as the video game's footage for "Hotel California"--the song's key sample--ran on the video screen. "I've always wanted to do that," Ocean said afterward." [Rolling Stone]

When Frank's NYC show was first announced, it seemed like maybe he would make it to NJ for at least one of the Izod Throne shows. We know now that didn't happen/isn't possible. Since then the MSG shows were announced though, so maybe Frank will pop on stage in NYC on Monday and Tuesday.

Odd Future (obviously without Frank and vice versa) co-headline Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin tonight. We hear there will be no photopit.

Watch the Throne setlist below...

Continue reading "Jay-Z & Kanye West played their 1st Izod Center show (setlist) while Frank Ocean played his 1st show in New Orleans"

Guns N' Roses are going on a tour that hits the Izod Center in NJ on November 17th. Tickets are currently on presale. The passwords are "GNR" and "Better". General sale begins Saturday at 10am. "The band will perform over 2 hours of all of their classic hits" says the ad. All dates below...

Continue reading ""Guns N' Roses" touring, playing Izod Center in Jersey"

Judas Priest at PNC Bank Arts Center in 2009 (more by BBG)

After storming the world for nearly 40 years and taking their very special brand of heavy metal to all four corners of the planet, JUDAS PRIEST - one of the most influential heavy metal bands of all time, have announced this will be their final world tour!!

However, the mighty PRIEST will certainly be going out strong as they rock the planet starting in 2011 on the massive EPITAPH tour - hitting all the major cities throughout the world they will be playing the songs that helped make the name JUDAS PRIEST synonymous with heavy metal!

With all guns blazing and amps cranked to eleven, the band will be giving all their fans one last chance to witness the ultimate metal experience that is JUDAS PRIEST!

That blurb comes right from Judas Priest's website, though note that they also wrote in June that "...we stated that it was the last major world tour for Judas Priest - nothing has changed - we didn't say it was the end of the band or that we were going to retire or the band was going to break up........... Just that it would be the last major world tour we would be doing which is still the case. We have plans for a new album...". Confusing!

Regardless, all tour dates are listed below including a NYC-area date at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, NJ on 11/18. Tickets for that show are currently on presale (code is "ACCESS") and go on regular sale at 10AM on Saturday, 9/17. Black Label Society and Thin Lizzy will open the US dates.

All tour dates and some videos below...

Continue reading "Judas Priest announce 'final world tour' -- dates & presale"

Jay & Ye wait to receive the large bundles of money about to be thrown at them

Tickets for the previously discussed Jay-Z/Kanye West aka Watch The Throne (isn't throne a synonym for toilet?) show scheduled for September 27 & 28 at IZOD Center go on presale on Thurs 7/28 at 10:00 AM. Presale code is "WTT" for the NJ dates (probably for all of them). You can head to the WTT website for details on all cities starting at midnight tonight (7/27). General sale tickets, ranging from $55 to $178.50, hit Ticketmaster on August 8 at 10am. - BBG

by BBG

Kanye West at Brooklyn Hip Hop Fest 2011 (more by Brook Bobbins)

Jay-Z and Kanye West will proclaim that all sucka MCs need to Watch The Throne, when the pair release their collaborative LP on August 8th. Stream the first track "Otis" at Jay-Z's blog. The LP marks Jay-Z's third attempt at merging with a major star to form another supercrew. He released an EP with Linkin Park and two LPs as part of "The Best of Both Worlds", his collaboration with R.Kelly that in addition to the LPs, produced a much discussed, failed tour.

In addition, and much like The Best of Both Worlds, Jigga and Ye will hit the road together for a string of US dates kicking off in late Septemeber and coming to a close in November. The tour includes a pair of dates at Izod Center in East Rutherford on 9/27 and 9/28. Ticketing info is forthcoming, but presale passwords are set to be revealed on Thursday at midnight.

Check out the album art and tracklisting (two songs with Odd Future associate Frank Ocean included), alongside all tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Jay-Z & Kanye West announce tour in support of collaborative album (dates, presale & album info)"

photos by Chris La Putt

After a 10-year hiatus from the North American concert stage, Sade came. She sang. She danced. She looked radiant. She conquered.

With the hypnotic sound of her elegant, alluring pipes unfolding in serene sonic tapestries of neo-soul, jazz and pop, the 52-year-old Nigerian-born, British-raised Helen Folasade Adu (aka Sade) first seduced music lovers in 1984 with "Diamond Life." And despite more than 25 years passing since her stellar debut, this sexy, exotic chanteuse with the silky, smooth operator voice and cool Anglo-soul is as entrancing as ever, as evident throughout her two-hour, 22-song set Wednesday night at TD Garden that included plenty of highlights, as well as a one-song encore. [Telegram]

Sade & John Legends's ongoing tour hit Nassau Coliseum on 6/21,
Izod Center on 6/24, and the Prudential Center on 6/25. Pictures from the latter, the setlists from all three NYC-area shows, and a just-released video for new song "Love is Found" from Sade's 'Ultimate Collection' (out now), below...

Continue reading "Sade continues on tour, played Nassau, Izod & Prudential (pics, setlists & a new video)"

My only complaint about the December 18th Prince show at Madison Square Garden was how short it felt. It was under two hours. I would have gladly taken three. I thought for sure we'd get a nice chunk of extra songs in the 2nd encore, but instead we only got a nice chunk of extra celebrities. Not that watching Sherri Sheppard of the View, Whoopi Goldberg (also on the View), opener Sinbad, Spike Lee, Spike Lee's son, Jamie Foxx, Naomi Campbell, Alicia Keys, Professor Cornel West, Tavis Smiley, opener Larry Graham (who also had his bass), Questlove (who also drummed) (and whose afro and tweeting were unmissable from where I was sitting before he left his seat to get on stage), Busta Rhymes, John Leguizamo (who I also saw on the will call line when I walked in), Sheila E (who was already up there performing), Prince's amazing band and backup singers and others dancing around on the love symbol-shaped stage wasn't fun, but I would have gladly traded it for a few more songs.

And speaking of Larry Graham whose band Graham Central Station opened, he was very worth getting there early for. Graham was the bass player for Sly & the Family Stone, and he paid that band tribute with a five-song medly that Prince himself came out to play on. For an opener, the energy in the half-packed room was huge.

Sheila E's appearance during Prince's set, especially her performance of her hit song The Glamorous Life was another serious highlight, though unlike as advertised, it wasn't the only show on the "tour" she showed up for. She didn't play at the 12/15 Izod Center show, but she did play during the second of three encores (yes, they got three) at the 12/17 Izod show, and it has been announced she will play with Prince again at MSG tonight (12/29). The full lineup for tonight's show is: 7:30 - Mint Condition, 8:15 - Janelle Monae, 9:00 - PRINCE (w/ Sheila E). UPDATE: She didn't actually play with Prince on 12/29.

If you miss tonight's show, you still have one more chance on 1/18. Tickets are still on sale for that one (no openers have been announced yet though, that I know of). Janelle Monae and Prince were both spotted at Lauryn Hill last night, and will probably collaborate on stage tonight.

A few more mostly-encore pictures from the 12/18 MSG show, and some videos and the setlists from the last 2 shows, below...

Continue reading "Prince played Izod Center & MSG w/ lots of friends, plays MSG again tonight (pics, setlists & stuff)"

setting up the stage @ Izod Center (via)...

"Do you want me?" Prince sang shortly into his concert at the Izod Center, his first of two shows here before he performs on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden. He knew the answer would be an affirmative roar. And his opening song was a boast: "Laydown," from his most recent album, "20Ten" (NPG), announced, "From the heart of Minnesota/Here come the purple Yoda" and matter-of-factly asserted, "Everybody wanna be me." [NY Times]

Prince kicked off his "Welcome 2 America" NJ & NYC tour last night at the Izod Center in NJ. The next show is at the same venue on Friday. Last night's 2-hour setlist and a video below...

Continue reading "Prince played the Izod Center (night 1 setlist) "

As previously mentioned, Cassandra Wilson announced she would be playing with Prince on 12/15 only, and it was unclear if Janelle Monae would actually be at more than one show. She won't...

Prince has announced his guests for the first four dates of his highly anticipated "Welcome 2 America" performances. Joining him for his first performance on December 15th at the Izod Center will be jazz bassist and vocalist Esperanza Spalding and R&B artist Lalah Hathaway. Also at Izod, Prince will be joined by Grammy winning jazz performer Cassandra Wilson and funk saxophonist Maceo Parker on December 17th. For the first performance at Madison Square Garden on December 18th, comedian Sinbad and famed bassist Larry Graham and his band Graham Central Station. That night only, Sheila E will join Prince on stage. On December 29th at MSG, fans will be treated to Twin City legends Mint Condition and recent double-Grammy nominee Janelle Monae.

Due to overwhelming demand, Prince recently announced an additional date at Madison Square Garden on January 18th, the guests for this show have yet to be announced.

Tickets are still available to the two NJ shows and the January MSG show. The list of dates with openers, and some videos, below...

Continue reading "Prince MSG & Izod Center show opener & special guest info (Sheila E @ MSG included)"

Due to overwhelming demand, Prince announced today that he is adding another Madison Square Garden show to the previously announced New York Area concerts. The two previously announced Madison Square Garden shows taking place on December 18th and December 29th sold out in less than 30 minutes. The new MSG show will take place on January 18th, 2011 with tickets going on sale December 10th at 12pm at Ticketmaster.com and LiveNation.com.

Due to scheduling issues the first show at the IZOD Center on December 14th has been canceled. Ticket holders for the December 14th IZOD show will have several ticket options. They will automatically receive an email notification with a new seat location for the December 15th IZOD show which they can keep or receive a full refund at the point of purchase. If they prefer to buy tickets to the newly announced MSG date scheduled for January 18th, they will have access to presale tickets on Wednesday, December 8th from 10:00 am ET to 10 pm ET.

Say that 10 times fast. Updated dates below...

Continue reading "Prince adds NYC show, cancels NJ show"

"Now it's cool to have 14 people in your band doing everything but contributing musically, running around with a helmet on your head, hitting it with a drumstick. You gotta look at what you're in this for: the love of music? The fame? You can have all that if you're smart and play your cards right and don't become a dick."
- Kings of Leon's Nathan Followill

--

Bad Books photos by Kurt Christensen

Bad Books playing Looney Tunes

"We regret to inform you that Kings of Leon's concert scheduled for Nov 18 at the IZOD Center will be rescheduled for mid to late2011, so that the band can accommodate a video production deadline. Refunds will be given at point of purchase. Credit card purchases (online and telephone) will be credited back to the cards used. Details on are scheduled date will be announced soon. Please note, tickets for Nov 18will not be valid for the rescheduled show. We apologize for the inconvenience."

A who what when where? Apparently it's been cancelled for at least a week already. Kings of Leon still headline Madison Square Garden in NYC tonight though.

Manchester Orchestra, whose new side project with Kevin Devine called Bad Books made their debut at Bowery Ballroom during CMJ, open the show. Right after Bowery, Bad Books played an in-store at Looney Tunes in Long Island. Kurt was there and took the pictures you see below...

Continue reading "Kings of Leon cancel NJ show, but play MSG w/ Manchester Orchestra (whose members are in Bad Books -- pics) tonight"

107.5 WBLS Welcomes
PRINCE

He returns to New York and New Jersey theis December for the following shows:

DECEMBER 14th, 15th and 17th at the IZOD CENTER in EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ
AND
DECEMBER 18th, and 29th at MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, NY!!!

Tickets go on sale Saturday October 30th at 10AM at all Ticketmaster locations

BUT...

WBLS IS THE ONLY STATION BLOWING OUT TICKETS
EVERY HOUR from 6:00AM - 7:00PM starting
MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2010

BEFORE YOU CAN BUY THEM!!!

All you have to do is be a member of the WBLS Inner Circle
Then listen for your name starting at 6:00AM with Steve Harvey for your chance to win!!

More 2010 Prince dates TBA.

Chris Weingarten: Do you remember hearing Black Sabbath for the first time?

Glenn Danzig: Yes. I didn't even hear them before I bought the record. I was flipping through new releases at Sam Goody's and all of a sudden I see this record with a girl in the satanic robe and this dead electric forest and this BLACK SABBATH at the top and I just pulled it out and I said, "This has to be good!" It just had to. No one knew who the fuck they were at the time; it had just come out here in the States and -- as you'd say now, "buzz" -- but there was no "buzz" or talk or anything about them at all, and I brought it home, took a chance, and it was just insane. I played it over and over and called up some friends and was like, "You gotta hear this fucking record." Within like, I think, a month, everyone in my town was listening to it.

Chris Weingarten: Wow, how old were you?

Glenn Danzig: I don't know; I was young. I think this was the first band I went and saw. I was a little kid. I remember that me and my friend were at this show and we were the littlest kids there. It was oversold and the crowd was rocking back and forth so we just started punching and kicking people -- that's the kind of kids we were [laughs].

That town Danzig refers to is of course Lodi, New Jersey which is 4-5 miles (according to Google Maps) from East Rutherford, NJ where the Izod Center is located. The Izod Center, originally called Brendan Byrne Arena and then Continental Airlines Arena, wasn't even built when "Black Sabbath" came out in 1970. It opened 11 years later (1981).

Ozzy Osbourne will play some Black Sabbath songs (I assume) at the Izod Center on December 3rd, 2010, and he'll headline Madison Square Garden in NYC two days earlier (December 1st). Both shows are part of a tour, that is not Ozzfest:

OZZY OSBOURNE will return to North America for a month-long arena tour launching November 12 in Victoria, B.C. and concluding December 12 in Minneapolis. These shows--in support of his album SCREAM (Epic Records) and latest single "Life Won't Wait"--are part the of the Rock Legend's in-progress 18-month world tour on which he's earning some of the best live reviews of his career (including raves for new guitarist, Gus G). HALFORD, featuring legendary Judas Priest front man, Rob Halford, will perform on all dates. The first leg of arena dates will mark OZZY's first headlining North American tour since 2007's trek for his Black Rain album. Tickets for the Live Nation-produced tour go on sale beginning Friday, September 17.

And by "tickets", they mean general admission (regular old tickets), and "The "Ozzy Osbourne Meet & Greet Package" ("Meet & Greet and personal photograph with OZZY"), and even an "Ozzy Osbourne Possessed Party Package" ("VIP access to the exclusive pre-concert party hosted by MC Big Dave"). MC Big Dave?

Danzig meanwhile has also announced a tour, and this time it's not just him headlining shows that are being opened by his current and ex-bandmates' other projects. Instead it will be a new edition of his Ozzfest-like package tour called 'Blackest of the Black':

Glenn Danzig announced the highly anticipated return of his BLACKEST OF THE BLACK tour. In its latest reincarnation since 2008, the tour's lineup will feature Danzig, legendary Bay Area hell-thrashers Possessed and Swedish black metal pioneers Marduk, who are making a rare & long awaited U.S. touring appearance. Toxic Holocaust and Withered will be rounding out the five band bill. The 19-city tour kicks off on October 25th in Albuquerque, NM.

In addition to Glenn, Danzig's band for Blackest of the Black will consist of Tommy Victor (Prong, Ministry) on guitar, Steve Zing (Samhain) on bass and Bevan Davies (Danzig) on drums. Danzig is scheduled to perform at the free Red Bull Metallicross event at Pala Casino in Pala, CA on Oct. 23, on the eve of the Blackest of the Black kickoff.

"I'm excited about taking out both Possessed & Marduk as fans will get a chance to see these two bands who rarely tour the US," said Glenn. It should also be noted that Danzig hasn't played most of these markets in the past two years.

To quote BBG when he heard the lineup of openers, "that is a fucking amazing tour."

Unfortunately though, Danzig has played the NYC market more than once in the past year alone, so he will not return this time around, though there is a Buffalo show. Note also that Johnny Kelly of Type O Negative (Pete Steele RIP) is not playing drums on this tour (Bevan Davies is), and that tickets are on pre-sale NOW.

All dates for both tours below...

Continue reading "Danzig & Ozzy announce (separate) tours - (Ozzy playing MSG) "

photos by Vincent Cornelli

DOWNLOAD: Carl Broemel - "Heaven Knows" (MP3)

Carl of My Morning Jacket at Outside Lands

Jim James of My Morning Jacket said it himself during his band's opening set. We were all about to have a great time, he assured us, listening to the Heartbreakers. Not Tom Petty, or "Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers," as they were always billed in their '80s MTV videos. Just the Heartbreakers.

James may not have been trying to make a point, but a point was made nevertheless. Petty's combo has always been a collaborative project: a band in the truest sense, and often one of the most engaging, if not always the most creative, on the Billboard charts.

...My Morning Jacket continue to split the difference between polite college rock and proggy, Phish-like jam band lunacy. That makes them better than any college rock band, but not as fun as Phish. Jim James favors a rotating setlist, but at Izod Center, My Morning Jacket played most of their best-known material, including "I'm Amazed," the reggae-funk "Off The Record," and the guitar-heavy "One Big Holiday." The popular Louisville quintet isn't desperate for new fans, but they certainly made some last night.
-[NJ.com review from the Izod Center]

My Morning Jacket completed their run of dates with, ahem, The Heartbreakers, and after a few dates this weekend, will prep for their five night stay at Terminal Five. Each night will see them revisiting old LPs with The Tennessee Fire being played in full on Oct 18th, At Dawn on 19th, It Still Moves on 21st, Z on 22nd, and Evil Urges on 23rd (tickets for 10/18 and 10/19 are still available). Those dates leave My Morning Jacket without a show on October 20th, but it won't be a day for relaxation.

My Morning Jacket's Carl Broemel will play a solo show that night at Joe's Pub, showcasing material from his upcoming LP All Birds Say. Tickets are on sale. Order All Birds Say in multiple digital/vinyl/CD/T-Shirt configurations, and check out "Heaven Knows" available for download above.

My Morning Jacket (with Carl Broemel) also played the Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco on Saturday August 14th. Pics from that show adorn this post. More of them setlists, all dates, and some video recorded in a recent session with Carl Broemel below...

Continue reading "My Morning Jacket opened for Petty, played Outside Lands (pics); Carl Broemel releasing an LP, playing shows (dates) "

words by BBG, photos by Samantha Marble

Slayer

In 1991 there was The Clash of The Titans tour, a meeting of some of the biggest names in metal at the moment with Slayer, Megadeth, and Testament all on board for European and US legs featuring a rotating cast of Alice In Chains, Anthrax, Suicidal Tendencies, and more. A lot of time and changes have come to pass since that tour; Slayer lost their founding drummer and then found him, Testament battled cancer and arrived victorious, and Megadeth founder Dave Mustaine has a NY Times best-selling book among many other things. But nineteen years later, these thrash metal giants are still kicking around and reformed for a string of summer/fall dates that included the Izod Center in NJ on August 12th (and includes Nassau Coliseum on October 8th, where the classic lineup of Anthrax replaces Testament as opener).

Testament opened the Meadowlands show to a progressively growing audience at 7PM. The band's 40 minute set featured output from their career, with a few nods to their latest From Formation to Damnation. Although I enjoyed their set somewhat, the sound was unintelligible; guitars were completely buried in the mix with only the highest leads bleeding through the mud. That said, Alex Skolnick still knows how to rip it, Chuck Billy plays a mean air guitar, and they definitely know how to incite a killer Wall of Death (check out the video below).

Normally a set by Megadeth wouldn't get my heart racing, but tonight was Rust in Peace in it's entirety so I was guaranteed some of my favorite Megadeth songs. The band, now with Dave Ellefson back in the fold, followed Testament by launching directly into the classic Rust In Peace opener "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due". Sporting the classic "biohazard" emblazoned drumkit from the "Hangar 18" video, the band continued through the LP in track order declaring declaring "That was Rust In Peace!" at the finish and retreating from stage momentarily for a quick costume change afterword. Megadeth then looped back to classics like "Peace Sells" and "Symphony of Destruction" before a reprise of "Holy Wars" to close out the set. Mustaine's voice was a bit buried in the mix from my perspective, a relief in some ways as when he did come through it was too high pitched and nasal for my liking.

Little has changed since the last time I saw Slayer. Jeff Hanneman is still sporting the baseball catcher's shin plates, rockin a Raiders jersey and has his Heineken-style (that reads Hanneman) guitar. Kerry King still looks like a cross between Junkyard Dog and a cast member of Road Warrior. Dave Lombardo is still one of the best drummers on the planet. But what had changed was Tom Araya, due to his recent back surgery: no more head on a swivel, doctor's orders. The thrashing Araya was missed, but that didn't affect the legend's searing set of Seasons In The Abyss (in order) followed by a short set of Slayer classics. Easily my favorite preformance from the night. Dave Lombardo is god.

Tons more pics, some video and the set lists are below...

Continue reading "Slayer, Megadeth & Testament played classics, led a Wall of Death @ the Izod Center (pics, video, setlists) "

photos by V. Marc Fort (American-Statesman critic & Norushi Minx bassist)

When Jay-Z wasn't showing the Texans how his crew does it in Brooklyn, he spoke from the heart during his between song banter. "I know it sounds cliche, but don't let any haters block your dream," Hova said earnestly during one of the final breaks. Another one of the show's more intimate moments came when he brought up vocalist Bridget Kelly for two songs. After her inspired assist on "Empire State of Mind," Jigga Man smiled his biggest smile of the evening and said, "Damn...she put something extra on it for Texas...she put some extra bar-b-que sauce on it for Texas!" - V. Marc Fort

N.E.R.D. opened the show at the Frank Erwin Center at the University of Texas in Austin on Tuesday (11/10). The full setlist and more pictures below. A couple of weeks earlier Jay-Z did "Empire State of Mind" (the new 'New York, New York'?) with Alicia Keys at Yankees Stadium to kick off Game 2 of the World Series. That video is below too.

Jay-Z returns to Austin for another show on November 22nd (November 22nd was moved to November 10th). It's one of four more shows he has this month. Then in February of 2010 he'll get on the road again with a NYC-area show announced for March 6th at the Izod Center in NJ. Tickets for that show go on Citi Cardmember Presale on Tuesday, 11/17 @ 10am. That's followed by an "Internet Presale" two days later which is followed by general sale two days after that (Sat, 11/21 @ 10am). All dates, with the other stuff, below...

Continue reading "Jay-Z - 2010 Tour Dates (Izod Center) ++ pics & the setlist from the Austin show @ the Frank Erwin Center"

Izod Center during/before a Bruce Springsteen concert (more by Tim Griffin)

"Tickets for Springsteen's three concerts at Giants Stadium this fall sold out in minutes on Monday.", and according to the Associated Press, NY Senator Charles Schumer said that "more fans managed to buy face value tickets this time." Could this be true? Let's do the math. This time the Boss is playing three shows at Giants Stadium. Last time there were two at the Izod Center....

Giants Stadium capacity: 55,000 (via)
Izod Center capacity: 20,000 (via)

TOTAL Bruce tickets this time: 165,000
TOTAL Bruce tickets last time: 40,000

Hmm. You decide. That said, Schumer is not exactly congratulating Ticketmaster. He is still trying to reform them.

photos by Tim Griffin

"Technology is one problem, [Little Steven Van Zandt of the E Street Band] observes. "I think in the old days, in order to even be decent, it took a lot of work," he says. "And today, relatively untalented and uncreative people can actually make rock 'n' roll music that sounds kind of decent. And I think that kind of fools people and causes people to be lazy."

But for [Steve Greenberg, founder of S-Curve Records], there's also a sense that the "square pegs" -- the naturally rebellious types -- are getting shoved in round holes. "A lot of opportunities inevitably these days go to people who fit the format, whether the format is Top 40 radio or 'American Idol' or [Radio] Disney or whatever it is," he says. "There's so much pressure to fit those slots. And it's the square pegs ultimately who are going to change the world."

The spirited Greenberg wants to channel that rebellious energy. He's high on a band he signed named Care Bears on Fire, a trio of 13-year-old Brooklyn girls [who have a free show coming up and] who sound like the Ramones with a touch of Shonen Knife.

"Their attitude is maybe one size doesn't fit all," he says. "I feel like the spirit of rock 'n' roll lives in those guys. ... They're having fun playing rock 'n' roll."" [CNN]

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (Little Steven included) played their second of two rock 'n' roll shows at the Izod Center in NJ on Saturday night (5/23). After the first (5/21), Bruce announced from the stage that they'd be back in September to play the final three Giants Stadium concerts. Both NJ setlists, and more pictures from Saturday's show, below...

Continue reading "Bruce Springsteen @ the Izod Center (night 2) - pics & setlist"

"Bruce Springsteen announced from the stage last night at his Izod Center concert in East Rutherford, NJ that he and the "legendary" E Street Band will return as the final major musical act to play Giants Stadium on September 30, October 2, and October 3. Tickets go on sale June 1 at 10am Eastern. Springsteen holds the record as the number one selling artist at the Meadowlands (which includes Giants Stadium) in New Jersey, having sold out 56 concerts to date with the E Street Band.

Bruce plays the Izod Center again this Saturday night (5/23). This week's two NJ shows caused a lot of headaches, at least partially due to the way Ticketmaster was handling the sale.

Giants Stadium isn't just stopping having concerts. They are stopping having anything...

This season will be the last season the Jets and Giants play at the East Rutherford, N.J., field. The teams are building a new park adjacent to the current one.

The Giants have played in the stadium since 1976, the Jets, who used to call Shea Stadium home, have played there since 1984. While the teams have shared the park, the Giants, who also train in the area around the stadium, have always had more of a claim to the stadium than the Jets. [USA Today]

More Bruce dates HERE.

photos by Ryan Muir

AC/DC played their third November NYC-area show at the Izod Center in NJ last night (11/20). One week earlier it was two nights at Madison Square Garden. Both of those setlists and a lot more pictures from Jersey, below...

Continue reading "AC/DC @ the Izod Center, NJ - pics + both MSG setlists"

Photos by Kyle Dean Reinford

Of all things to do yesterday/Sunday (October 26), the day after he got no sleep for 5 straight CMJ days in a row, Kyle went to NJ to see/shoot Coldplay who were playing their first of two shows in a row at the venue formerly known as Continental Airlines Arena.

Coldplay also performed in NYC during CMJ - a private TV show taping - at Hammerstein Ballroom. Their last, semi-proper NYC show was the free one they did at MSG.

Duffy, who played her own CMJ show at Webster Hall during the week, helped guarantee the show would be even more boring opened for Coldplay last night. More pictures (but none of Duffy) below...

Continue reading "Coldplay @ the Izod Center (night 1), NJ - pics"

photos by Zach Dilgard

Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails isn't generally given to diverting any energy from his music by speaking much from the stage. But after playing the first of several encores at the Izod Center last night in East Rutherford, Reznor said he "felt suddenly possessed to talk." The singer pointed out how primed he and his band mates and crew felt backstage, talking about they couldn't wait to "blow these peoples' minds tonight." (Except that instead of "peoples," he used a word that rhymes with truckers.)

Reznor and company went on to do just that, with a two-hour audiovisual, senses-blurring assault that made most arena-rock shows seem lazy and locked in the past. The leading-edge, three-dimensional lighting effects were spectacularly attuned to the intensity of the music, which was a blend of the sophisticated and the visceral, the electronic and the organic, the angst-driven and the moodily atmospheric. [NJ.com]

More pictures from last night's show and the setlist, and new tour dates below...

Continue reading "NIN - Izod Center pics & setlist ++ more 2008 Tour Dates "