If the prospect of a single company mounting a Guns n' Madonna tour worries you, it also concerns some in the business. Via e-mail, Tom Morello, the guitarist in Rage Against the Machine, told me that a Ticketmaster-Live Nation merger could have huge consequences.

"Fewer and fewer gatekeepers mean fewer choices and higher prices for fans," he wrote. "One huge monolith means no choice at all. Fans and artists must develop some organized counterweight quickly or resign themselves to their fate." [David Carr, NY Times]

NY Senator Chuck Schumer not only agrees with Tom, he has now joined the fight against Ticketmaster started by angry Bruce Springsteen fans...

"Fans who thought they were going to 'The Promised Land' of Springsteen found themselves in the 'Badlands' of ticket scalpers," Schumer said. The senator added that he wants to put the brakes on Ticketmaster's proposed merger with Live Nation, the nation's largest concert promoter. [Newsday]

NJ's Star Ledger newspaper hasn't forgotten yet either. Today's paper has an article entitled "More music fans claim scalpings by Ticketmaster". In it they talk to people who have come forward with similar claims of Ticketmaster-to-TicketsNow trickery.

RATM @ Lollapalooza 2008 (more by Bao Nguyen)

Political rap-rock giants Rage Against the Machine will give a rare performance at Target Center in Minneapolis on Sept. 3, which not so coincidentally is the same week as the Republican National Convention in St. Paul. Tickets go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. for $60.

Target Center's news release for the concert makes no mention of any political overtones, but fans know to expect plenty of verbal fireworks. Rage guitarist Tom Morello has already committed to perform with country-rocker Steve Earle at a union rally Sept. 1 at St. Paul's Harriet Island, the first day of the convention. The band has lashed out at the Bush administration at other shows this year, including last weekend's Lollapalooza festival in Chicago. Morello expressed interest this summer in performing during both party conventions. [Minneapolis Star Tribune]

Steve Earle also has a bunch of NYC shows coming up at Judson Church. Tickets for those are on sale. Rage Against the Machine played a free show at the Democatic National Convention in 2000...

After the performance, a small group of attendees congregated at the point in the protest area closest to the DNC, facing the police officers, throwing rocks, and possibly engaging in more violent activity, such as throwing glass, concrete and water bottles filled with "noxious agents," spraying ammonia on police and slingshotting rocks and steel balls. The police soon after declared the gathering an unlawful assembly, shut off the electrical supply, interrupting performing band Ozomatli, and informed the protestors that they had 15 minutes to disperse on pain of arrest. Some of the protestors remained, however, including two young men who climbed the fence and waved black flags, who were subsequently shot in the face with pepper spray. Police then forcibly dispersed the crowd, using tear gas, pepper spray and rubber bullets. At least six people were arrested in the incident.

Some video footage from that, and all tour dates below....

Continue reading "Rage Against the Machine playing Minneapolis during RNC"

Alejandro Escovedo is having a good year....

- For the first time in his 30 year career, Alejandro Escovedo has charted on Billboard's Top 200 coming in at #122 with his 9th solo album REAL ANIMAL. Released on June 24th, REAL ANIMAL also enters Billboard's Heatseeker/New Artist Chart at #3 with 6,178 in first week sales. A noted and accomplished artist, Escovedo was named No Depression's "Artist of The Decade" in 1998 and has enjoyed a loyal fan base that includes such luminaries as author Stephen King and filmmaker Jonathan Demme who provided REAL ANIMAL's evocative liner notes.

Alejandro has two NYC shows coming up. One is tonight at Highline Ballroom (July 9). The other is free and in exactly a month at Central Park Summerstage.

An Unexpected Mexico
Kinky
Alejandro Escovedo with Strings
Pistolera

Saturday, August 09, 2008, From 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Central Park SummerStage

Alejandro also appears on this:

Columbia Records will release Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's 'Magic Tour Highlights' on July 15 via all digital download stores, including the iTunes Store. The release will consist of four audio tracks with four accompanying videos, all recorded live in concert during the 'Magic' tour.

1. "Always A Friend" (performed with Alejandro Escovedo) (video)
Recording Date: 04/14/2008 (Houston, Texas)
2. "The Ghost of Tom Joad" (performed with Tom Morello)
Recording Date: 04/07/2008 (Anaheim, California)
3. "Turn Turn Turn" (performed with Roger McGuinn)
Recording Date: 04/23/2008 (Orlando, Florida)
4. "4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)" (Danny Federici's final performance with the E Street Band)
Recording Date: 03/20/2008 (Indianapolis, Indiana)

AA Bondy was recently added as the opener for the Highline Ballroom show tonight. Aquarium Drunkard recently spoke to Alejandro. Alejandro Escovedo recently played Coman O'Brien and The Today show. Those videos and all tour dates below....

Continue reading "ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO - 2008 Tour Dates, AA Bondy tonight, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, Conan, Today Show, and other stuff"

last night (April 17, 2008) in NYC....

More than a few special guests (and I don't mean the protesters) showed up to the opening party/benefit inside the John Varvatos store (aka CBGB) on the Bowery last night (April 17, 2008). All photos by Randy Haecker, and there's more where they came from at his Flickr.

A lot of these guys were in town to play a different benefit show the night before.

Tickets to the 'Road Recovery Benefit W/ Slash, Jerry Cantrell, Tom Morello, & Perry Farrell" have been reduced to $25 on Ticketmater.

Own the guitar Slash is signing, and other things. All the for the same charity.

This is a supergroup performance by Slash, Jerry Cantrell, Tom Morello, and Wayne Kramer. Featuring performances by The Nightwatchman (Tom Morello, acoustic), Denis Leary & The Crown Royals featuring the Rehab Horns, Joseph Arthur, Crazy James, and other guests.

The show is April 17th @ Nokia Theatre. It benefits Road Recovery ("music without drugs"). Tickets are on sale. A lot of these same people played a surprise show together at SXSW in 2007. Video below....

Continue reading "Slash, Jerry Cantrell, Tom Morello, Perry Farrell, Denis Leary & Wayne Kramer are playing a benefit show in NYC"