Modest Mouse @ MHOW June 2008 (more by Ryan Muir)

Speaking of Wellmont Theatre, Modest Mouse - in addition to their NYC show at Williamsburg Waterfront on July 23rd - will be playing at NJ's Wellmont Theatre on Thursday, July 22nd. Tickets go on sale Friday (4/16) at noon.

In addition, 80s hit-makers like Crowded House, Huey Lewis & the News, and Tears for Fears all have shows coming up at the venue and it was just announced that Lyle Lovett will play there on Sunday, August 15th. Tickets go on sale Friday at noon.

Les Claypool plays there June 5th (a few days before Brooklyn Bowl) with Budos Band and Hot Head Show. Patty Griffin is June 11th.

Flaming Lips are at Wellmont Theatre, one of several planned gigs for the band in the area, on April 19th.

Wilco recently played there two nights in a row.

Elvis Costello @ Bonnaroo 2009 (more by Graeme Flegenheimer)

SPECTACLE: ELVIS COSTELLO WITH... fuses the best elements of talk and music television and invites viewers to enjoy an intimate conversation between host Costello and his guests, punctuated by rare musical performances by Costello, his guests and a wide variety of musicians.

Sundance Channel in the US, along with CTV in Canada have picked up the show for a second season, with taping scheduled at New York City's famed Apollo Theatre at the end of September.

Continue reading "Elvis Costello taping 2nd season Spectacle shows @ the Apollo - get tix (Neko Case, Levon Helm, Ray Lamontagne...)"

Musicians who add the guitar riff or bass groove to "bring a song to life" should be paid when their work is played on the radio, four-time Grammy winner Lyle Lovett told a Senate panel on Tuesday.

Lovett, testifying the morning after a local gig, urged the Senate Judiciary Committee to consider legislation requiring commercial radio to pay royalties to performers when they play their songs. Songwriters already receive such payments.

"This issue is not about me. It's about the thousands of performers across the country who work so hard to earn livings that are so modest in relation to their talent," Lovett said.

Lovett said the musicians often are critical to the songs. "Those are people who are usually not credited as writers of a song, but are extremely influential in bringing a song to life and are very much a part of the creative process," he said. [AP]