The Roots on the Intrepid (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)

The Roots and "special surprise guests" will celebrate the holdays at their 5th Annual Okayplayer Holiday Jam, which goes down at Brooklyn Bowl on Thursday (12/15), followed by the usual Questlove DJ stint shortly thereafter. The show is private, but you (and a guest) can win a special invite by signing up for the Okayplayer newsletter. Further details are at the Okayplayer site.

The Roots will also celebrate legendary delta blues musician Robert Johnson's 100th birthday at the Apollo on March 6th, joining a lineup that includes Shemika Copeland, Bettye LaVette, Taj Mahal, Keb Mo, Sam Moore, Todd Rundgren and more TBA. Tickets are on sale, and the show will double as a benefit for the construction of the Blues Hall of Fame by the Blues Foundation in Memphis.

The Roots recently celebrated the release of their new LP Undun and inddirectly called Michelle Bachmann a "Lyin' Ass Bitch" (and will no longer have carte blanche on the songs they play as a result).

Video of Questlove and Black Thought from Power 105 this morning discussing the Michelle Bachmann incident, as well as the concept behind Undun is below...

Continue reading "Roots playing Okayplayer holiday party & Robert Johnson's birthday (but not whatever they want on Fallon anymore)"

Bruce Springsteen & Tom Morello @ MSG (BMoreSweet)

U2 closed the second night of the MSG Rock & Roll Hall of Fame shows on October 30th. At the first (10/29), it was Bruce Springsteen & Billy Joel (before one big group sing on Jackie Wilson's "Higher and Higher")...

After "Badlands" much of the drained audience began leaving and then rushed back to their seats when Billy Joel sat down at the piano and launched into "You May Be Right," "Only The Good Die Young" and "New York State Of Mind." (The pair were uniting the kindred spirits of New Jersey and Long Island, Springsteen explained.) "Higher and Higher" wrapped up the night. The official set list had the show ending at 11:36:55 (yes, they thought they had it down to the exact second), but the final notes rang out at 1:31 a.m. Six straight hours of music, and that was just the first of two nights. [Rolling Stone]

Bruce was actually there both nights (one of many possibly "filling in" for Eric Clapton, who canceled last minute on the second). Those in attendence on the 30th got to see U2, Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith sing together on "Because the Night." (And U2 + Mick Jagger (another unannounced guest) + Fergie + Will.i.am sing "Gimme Shelter"...). Ray Davies, Lou Reed, and Ozzy Osbourne all performed with Metallica. Many played with Stevie Wonder. Full setlists below.

HBO will be airing four hours of highlights on Thanksgiving weekend.
(November 29th at 8PM ET).

Bruce's current tour wraps up November 22nd in Buffalo. He was at Giants Stadium earlier this fall, playing the last concerts ever there. U2 also played the venue for two nights in September, and will be back in Jersey in 2010 as part of their just-announced tour.

Set lists for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame shows are below...

Continue reading "Rock & Roll Hall of Fame hosted 2 very long shows @ MSG (setlists), will air on HBO Thanksgiving weekend"