Bruce Springsteen @ Giants Stadium, July 2008 (more by Eric M. Townsend)

1. Madonna ($105 million)
2. Celine Dion ($94 million)
3. The Eagles ($73.4 million)
4. Kenny Chesney ($72.2 million)
5. Bon Jovi ($70.4 million)
6. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band ($69.3 million)
7. Neil Diamond ($59.8 million)
8. Rascal Flatts ($55.8 million)
9. The Police ($48 million)
10. Tina Turner ($47.7 million)

"According to numbers released by concert trade magazine Pollstar, the Material Girl was the year's top concert draw in North America with ticket sales in excess of $105 million. After launching last summer in Wales, her Sticky & Sweet tour hit North America in early October for nearly eight weeks of concert dates. Worldwide the tour actually grossed more than $280 million, making Sticky & Sweet the highest-grossing tour ever by a solo artist." [EOnline]

(King Khan and) BBQ @ MHOW, CMJ (more by Kyle Dean Reinford)

today in NYC
* DANCE
* Fastball @ Maxwell's
* Jim Gaffigan @ Town Hall
* Arlo Guthrie @ Carnegie Hall
* Harry Connick Jr @ City Center
* Fishbone @ Knitting Factory
* Real Estate @ Cake Shop (free, late)
* Dr. Lonnie Smith Trio @ Iridium Jazz Club
* They Might Be Giants @ (le) poisson rouge
* Devon Williams & The Feverfew @ Cake Shop
* Ewan Pearson & 2020 Soundsystem @ Studio B
* The So So Glos, Lidia Stone, Radiates & Banzai @ Silent Barn
* El Guincho & Prefuse 73 (both DJ sets) @ (le) poisson rouge
* Gang Gang Dance, Marnie Stern & 18th Dye @ Santos Party House
* Amazing Baby, MBAR, The Muggabears & My Best Fiend @ Mercury Lounge
* King Khan & BBQ Show, Golden Triangle & The Jacuzzi Boys @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

What do you think of Fishbone in 2008? They play Knitting Factory tonight.

King Khan is also at Bowery Ballroom on Sunday. That show is with Vivian Girls.

Dr. Lonnie Smith (master of the Hammond B3 organ) and Jim Gaffigan (comedian) also continue their multiple night NYC runs on Sunday.

The Game was born today in 1979.

Tina Turner hits MSG on Monday - the same night Snow Patrol play their small venue show at Bowery Ballroom.

"I feel like I invite music into my life rather than solicit it. I like peppering my career with very successful music as opposed to going out in a very highly competitive field and missing a lot to get the occasional hit. I have the luxury of doing that because film is my primary career." - says John Travolta on singing in Bolt.

They Might Be Giants play Apollo 18 in its entirety at Le Poisson Rouge tonight (early). El Guincho and Prefuse 73 DJ Le Poisson Rouge tonight (late). They Might Be Giants play Le Poisson Rouge again on January 31st. El Guincho plays Le Poisson Rouge on December 2nd.

The Real Estate show tonight at Cake Shop is a free late show after the 4-band bill Devon Williams is playing.

Todd P isn't currently listing any shows, but says, "...a bit of a quiet spell for me. Don't worry though, there are a whole lot of secret(ish) shows in the works, plus some much much bigger plans still in the early but very time consuming stages..."

The Christmas tree lighting @ South Street Seaport is today. The Big Apple Chorus will be there today and every weekend until Christmas. Ice skating and other (more fun) live music is coming to the Seaport soon too. Rockefeller Center's tree gets lit on December 3rd.

Jdimytai Damour, RIP

Video of Reverend Billy preaching in Union Square on Buy Nothing Day (Black Friday) (yesterday) below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Saturday?"

The memorial service Friday for rock 'n' roll pioneer Ike Turner was much like the life of the troubled star: rich in music and applause, defensive about the nature of his legacy and, for good or bad, most memorable for its moments of controversy.

Phil Spector, fabled record producer and recent celebrity defendant, decried Turner's defining public persona as the abusive former husband of Tina Turner, a reputation largely shaped by the 1993 film "What's Love Got To Do With It," which Spector called "that piece of trash movie that made up things about him." He also insisted, "Ike made Tina the jewel she was."

Spector also took potshots at Oprah Winfrey, Whoopi Goldberg and Tina Turner, all of whom he said contributed to demonizing Turner, who died Dec. 12 at 76. [The Seattle Times]

DOWNLOAD: Ike & Tina Turner - Nutbush City Limits (MP3)

US musician Ike Turner, the former husband of Tina Turner, has died at the age of 76.
He died at his home near San Diego, California. There was no immediate word on the cause of death.

He rose to fame in the 1960s, and is best remembered for his musical partnership and stormy marriage with Tina Turner. He abused her, but somewhat rehabilitated his image in his later years, winning a Grammy in 2007. [BBC]