Apparently it's NYC Outdoor Free Show Announce Day. Following Hudson River Rocks, Seaport Music Festival and 4Knots updates comes the 2013 River to River Festival line-up. This year's fest runs from June 15 - July 14 and includes music, dance, theater, visual art, film and "unique participatory experiences" across a number of outdoor stages. Among this years' free events:

The annual Bang on a Can Marathon which happens on 6/16 at Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts and features Bang on a Can All-Stars, Asphalt Orchestra, Alarm Will Sound, Brooklyn Youth Chorus, Talk Normal, Talea, Shara Worden, Yungchen Llamo, and more.

Laurie Anderson will perform two nights at Rockefeller Park on June 18 & 19 with guests Gerry Leonard, Doug Wieselman, Eyvind Kang and others TBA.

Ecstatic Summer 2013 which happens at Brookfield Place Plaza on June 29 & 30. Members of Bon Iver, Mantra Percussion, the National, yMusic, Plastic Ono Band and more will perform commissioned works by Greg Saunier (Deerhoof), Dave Douglas, Susie Ibarra and Seth Olinsky.

So Percussion and Joshua Light Show team up on July 13 at Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts

The legendary Leon Russell will perform at Rockefeller Park on July 10.

There's also a presentation of of Foetus frontman JG Thirlwell's "cinema for the ears" album, Manorexia: Dinoflagellate Bloom at Tribeca Cinemas on July 11.

Again, all River to River events are free and open to the public. The entire 2013 line-up is listed, with details, below...

Continue reading "2013 River to River Festival lineup announced (Laurie Anderson, Ecstatic Summer, Leon Russell ++ more)"

Tickets to see Black Sabbath at PNC Bank Arts Center go on Facebook and Live Nation presale today at 10 AM (code "SABBATH").

Tickets to see New Order with Holy Ghost! at Williamsburg Park go on AEG presale today at 10 AM.

Furthur are playing Barclays Center on July 11 and PNC Bank Arts Center on July 12. Tickets for those shows go on AmEx/Venue presale today at 10 AM. General on-sale starts Friday (4/19) at 10 AM. Furthur also continue their sold out run at the Capitol Theatre this weekend.

Hot Tuna and Leon Russell are playing State Theatre on July 20 in New Brunswick. Tickets for that show are on sale now. That show is about a month after Hot Tuna play Clearwater Festival.

Paramount Theater and Convention Hall

Bob Dylan has added even more dates to his previously announced summer tour. The new dates include Asbury Park Convention Hall on August 14 in NJ. Leon Russell opens the show like he does on many other dates of the tour. Tickets go on sale Friday (7/8) at 10 AM and currently available for bobdylan.com pre-sale with the password "clarence."

Other upcoming shows at Asbury Park Convention Hall include ATP NJ on Sep 30-Oct 2 and Pixies playing 'Doolittle' on October 28 with Surfer Blood. We're giving away tickets to that Pixies show which you can win by following the directions below. Pixies play Wellmont Theater in Montclair on the same tour.

Updated Bob Dylan dates and the Pixies contest below...

Continue reading "Bob Dylan adds Asbury Park show (on presale), Pixies playing NJ too (win tix)"

As Anonymous promised, Bob Dylan will also play a show at Jones Beach on his recently-announced summer tour. One day after he plays Bethel Woods Center (tickets), Bob will hit Nikon at Jones Beach Theater on August 13. Leon Russell opens the new NY show and others on the tour, including the Bethel show. Tickets for the Long island show go on sale June 27 at 10 AM.

Updated tour dates, including new shows in PA and MD too, below...

Continue reading "Bob Dylan adds dates, Jones Beach -- Leon Russell opening"

As that little banner I grabbed off their site says, tickets go on AmEx presale today (4/12) for Tribeca Film Festival movies. To be more exact, starting at 11am, "Single Tickets on sale exclusively for American Express® Cardmembers (Online, Phone, and Ticket Outlets)." Tickets then go on sale to "downtown residents" starting at the same time on Sunday. General public can grab tickets starting Monday, April 18th.

Music-related films this year include Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest, Mama Africa (about Miriam Makeba), The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye, Crash&Burn, God Bless Ozzy Osbourne, Sing Your Song (about Harry Belafonte who will also be on hand for a conversation moderated by "noted broadcaster" Tavis Smiley), The Swell Season (a documentary about Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova and their film Once), The Union (about Elton John & Leon Russell), When the Drum is Beating (about Haiti's 20-member band Septentrional), Roadie (about a roadie for Blue Oyster Cult), and Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon.

Elton John will also be performing live on opening night, April 20th...

"The first big piece of news about the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival has broken, and it's a doozy. To open the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival, presented by American Express®, we've assembled some serious talent: award-winning director Cameron Crowe, seminal rock keyboardist Leon Russell, and Elton John, with the latter performing live on April 20!

What do these three men have in common? Well, in 2009, Elton John teamed up with his longtime idol Russell to make an album called The Union, produced by the legendary T-Bone Burnett. Director Crowe--himself an avid music fan, having explored the musician's life in such classics as Almost Famous and Singles--decided to film their collaborative process, from writing through recording. The result is a documentary of the same name, the world premiere of which will be shown as the opening night film on Wednesday, April 20, 2011.

"As a longtime fan of both artists, it was a pleasure to spend a year filming their collaboration," said Cameron Crowe. "We can't wait to show it to one of the greatest audiences in the world, the Tribeca Film Festival."

What's more, with this year being the 10th edition of the Festival, opening night will be a free, outdoor screening--as a sincere thank-you to the New York City community for its ongoing support. After the film screens at the North Cove at the World Financial Plaza, the legendary Elton John will perform live for the audience. How cool is that?...

....Details will follow about how YOU can join us on opening night. We can't wait to share The Union with you!" [Tribeca Film Fest]

According to comments on the fest's blog, they're working out a wristband distribution system for the free concert.

Other special events include the Tribeca Drive-In with free films at the World Financial Center Plaza, and the April 30th Family Festival. A clip from "The Union" is below...

Continue reading "Tribeca Film Fest begins 4/20, tix on sale today, Elton John to perform live, lots of music-related films"

"the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation announced the Alice Cooper Band, Neil Diamond, Dr. John, Darlene Love and Tom Waits as its 2011 performer inductees. Also being inducted this year as individual recipients of the Ahmet Ertegun Award are Jac Holzman and Art Rupe. The Award for Musical Excellence (previously the Sidemen category) will be presented to Leon Russell. The 26th annual ceremony will take place on Monday, March 14, 2011, at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City and be broadcast on Fuse, Madison Square Garden's national music television network."

Catch Darlene Love at BB King Blues Club in NY tonight (12/19).

T Bone Burnett will premiere The Speaking Clock Revue - a multi-artist concert extravaganza - on October 16 at the Wang Center in Boston and October 20 at the Beacon Theater in New York City. Both evenings of the Revue will feature performances by Elton John & Leon Russell, John Mellencamp, Elvis Costello, Gregg Allman, Ralph Stanley, Jeff Bridges, Punch Brothers, Karen Elson, and newcomers The Secret Sisters. In addition, Neko Case and Jim James from My Morning Jacket will join the lineup in Boston and New York respectively.

The concerts will be presented in a revue format with a house band consisting of the players featured on numerous Burnett-produced recordings. Tickets for The Speaking Clock Revue will go on sale Monday, September 27 at noon, through Ticketmaster.

All net proceeds from these shows will be donated to The Participant Foundation to support music and arts education programming in public schools."

Elton John & Leon Russell will release a T Bone-produced collaborative album entitled The Union on October 19th which is the same day they play another show at Beacon Theater (making the Speaking Clock show their second at the NYC venue in two days). All dates below.

The T Bone benefits were inspired by the new documentary, Waiting for "Superman". More info on that and the shows in general, with the documentary trailer and tour dates, below...

Continue reading "T Bone Burnett hosting multi-artist benefit concerts, Elton John & Leon Russell playing shows (dates)"