The Library, featuring Pitzer alumni, perform in Claremont
L.A. pop group The Library, founded by two Pitzer College alumni and a current Pitzer senior, perform Saturday at the school's Grove House. Show time is 9 p.m.
They are signed to Burbank indie Feudal Records. The label was founded by former Columbia Records A&R turned-SonyBMG music producer Robert Shahnazarian (The Killers, The Decemberists, Kelly Clarkson, Incubus).
The Library is currently recording a studio CD due in the summer. A maxi-single will be available on April 1. So far, they have shared concert stages with de la soul, Ghostface Killah and West Indian Girl.
Get ready to shout at the devil up on the mountain.
Motley Crue frontman Vince Neil will perform with his solo band at Big Bear Chopper's annual Ride the Mountain Rally. The event is June 7-8 at Snow Summit Ski Resort.
Chiodos have booked a last-minute show tonight at the Glass House. The Michigan post-hardcore band, which opens for Linkin Park tomorrow at Staples Center, released sophomore album "Bone Palace Ballet" last year. It debuted at No. 5 on Billboard’s Top 200 album chart.
Tickets are $15 and available at the door. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. A Static Lullaby is also on the bill. For more information, go to http://theglasshouse.us
British DJ Goldie, who became a drum 'n' bass sensation in the late '90s thanks to the single "Inner City Life" and the CD "SaturnzReturn, will appear at the Gotham/Hudson Theater in San Bernardino on Saturday night.
The Sin City night of house, electro, trance and jungle features Donald Glaude, Jason Blakemore and others. Tickets are $50, available at groovetickets.com.
Pop star Beyonce Knowles is set to play blues legend (and Riverside resident) Etta James in a new movie based on Chess Records. She will executive produce and star in the film, which will star Adrien Brody, Jeffrey Wright and Cedric the Entertainer.
In case you haven't heard the news, Aerosmith will be the subject of a new version of the videogame Guitar Hero in June. The veteran rock band apparently had input into the game's song selection and graphics.
After a gig in Winnipeg, Canada over the weekend, Matt Costa had more than $25,000 worth of instruments and equipment stolen.
The O.C.-based musician, who plays the Inland area often, had stored it in a hotel locker overnight. Anyone who might have seen the gear is asked to contact Costa's manager Chris Fenn at chris@mattcosta.com.
Here is a list of the missing instruments:
- Gibson J-45 (natural colour)
- Gibson ES335 (seafoam blue)
- Epiphone EL-OO (sunburst)
- Fender Custom Shop Nocaster Relic (blond)
- Fender Custom Shop 1963 Telecaster Relic (Lake Placid blue)
- 1953 Supro lap steel guitar (salmon mother-of-pearl)
- Kentucky mandolin (sunburst)
- Fender Custom Shop '59 Relic precision bass (blond)
Costa returns to SoCal April 24 as part of the Off Center series at the Samueli Theater, OC Performing Arts Center, Costa Mesa. More info: www.ocpac.org.
Ghostland Observatory, J.J. Grey & Mofro, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Luminescent Orchestrii and Blvd. with MC Souleye have been added to the Joshua Tree Music Festival lineup. The event is May 16-18.
Log onto joshuatreemusicfestival.com for details.
The Bronco Athletic Association and other student organizations at Cal Poly Pomona present a benefit concert for the Make-A-Wish Foundation on Thursday. Indie rock bands Flight 409, The Sequence and Misdelphia will perform at 6:30 p.m. in the Bronco Student Center (Ursa Major Bldg. 35-2611), 3801 W. Temple Ave.
Tickets are $10, free to students with valid ID. For more info, call (909) 869-5448.
All of the bands have myspace pages if you want to check out their music beforehand.
Save the date: We've still got awhile to go before ticket details, but Pollstar lists the Vans Warped Tour in Pomona (most likely returning to Fairplex) on June 20. Gym Class Heroes, Relient K, The Academy Is..., Norma Jean, Street Dogs, Reel Big Fish, the Briggs, the Bronx, the Color Fred, We the Kings and From First to Last are some of the initial acts.
According to the L.A. Times, the following acts have been confirmed for Coachella Festival, held April 25-27, at Empire Polo Field in Indio:
ROGER WATERS
THE VERVE
JACK JOHNSON
KRAFTWERK
PORTISHEAD
THE RACONTEURS
DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE
MY MORNING JACKET
LOVE & ROCKETS
FATBOY SLIM
JUSTICE
MIA
THE BREEDERS
RILO KILEY
CAFE TACUBA
SASHA & DIGWEED
Tickets are supposedly going on sale at 10 a.m. Friday.
Currently, the word is that details on the 2008 Coachella Festival will indeed come next week. A local media organization reported that rumored acts David Bowie and My Bloody Valentine will not be part of the lineup (boo! on the former; could care less about the latter).
Mike Watt, the bassist for seminal alt-rock bands The Minutemen and fIREHOSE, will perform at the Riverside Art Museum on Jan. 18 as part of a new art & music collaboration series.
Go to www.riversideartmuseum.org for more info.
Is anyone out there a fan? Has he performed anywhere in the I.E. before, like UCR's The Barn?
A Barry Manilow concert special tie-in to his latest CD “The Greatest Songs of the Seventies” (Arista) airs this weekend on PBS.
It will be shown Saturday at 10:30 p.m. and Sunday at 7 p.m. on KCET (28). Check local listings to confirm your cable system times.
The part-time Palm Springs resident released the third installment of his standards series last September. His vocals were recorded in town at Pepper Tree Studios.
The Beatles’ “Long and Winding Road,” Elton John’s “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word,” Carole King’s “You’ve Got a Friend” (a duet with Melissa Manchester), Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” The Hollies’ “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother,” Albert Hammond’s “It Never Rains in Southern California” are some of the covers.
Personally, I think his “Fifties” and “Sixties” volumes are stronger. But “Seventies” benefits from six stripped-down Manilow hits. They’re basically just the singer at the piano – “Mandy,” “Weekend in New England,” “Even Now,” “Looks Like We Made It,” “I Write the Songs” and a great revamped “Copacabana (At the Copa).”
You can catch Manilow live later this month during his next round of Las Vegas Hilton dates on Dec. 27-30 as well as Staples Center on Valentine’s Day.
The reunited Breeders ("Cannonball"), featuring Pixies bassist Kim Deal, will perform at the Coachella Festival 2008 on the heels of a new album, according to Billboard magazine.
Tiger Army at the MusInk Tattoo & Music Festival, Feb. 23, OC Fair & Exposition Center, on sale now The Blakes, Magic Bullets, Jan. 24, the Glass House, noon Saturday Tills & the Wall, Feb. 28, the Glass House, noon Friday
A few weeks ago, my Music Minded column was about the remarkable music biopic "Control," which revolves around the life of Joy Division singer Ian Curtis.
Now it's finally playing closer to home at the new Laemmle Theater in Claremont.
If you're a Joy Division/New Order fan, go see it!
Trace Adkins has been added to the lineup for Day 2 of the Stagecoach Festival, held next May at Empire Polo Field in Indio. Weekend tickets are on sale now.
Kevin DuBrow, who led metal band Quiet Riot to major success in the mid-1980s, via the hits "Cum on Feel the Noize" and "Bang Your Head (Metal Health)," has died at age 52. The singer was discovered yesterday at his Las Vegas home. Cause of death is still to be determined. DuBrow released a covers album, "In For the Kill," in 2004.
Casey Calvert, guitarist for popular Dayton, OH screamo band Hawthorne Heights, died last Friday at age 25. He was discovered on the group's tour bus in Washington D.C. Cause of death is TBA; some reports have suggested it could be due to Calvert's being asthmatic.
2006 disc "If Only You Were Lonely" debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart, while the single "Saying Sorry" reached No. 7 on the Modern Rock Tracks tally.
Southern California dates, including House of Blues Anaheim (Dec. 10) and House of Blues Sunset Strip (Dec. 11), have been cancelled. Refunds available at point of purchase.
Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke told a British DJ that the band will be touring America to support "In Rainbows" next May. Could that mean a preview appearance at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in April? Stay tuned...
If you missed Thursday play the Glass House earlier this week, you can also catch them at 7 p.m. tonight at the El Rey Theatre in L.A. Tickets are $17.50.
The New Jersey screamo band just released a CD+DVD, "Kill the House Lights," on its old label Victory. Live footage from hometown area shows at the Starland Ballroom and Maxwell's in December 2006, plus a documentary on the band's tumultuous history comprise the DVD content. New, unreleased, demos and live tracks make up the CD.
Angels & Airwaves, the alternative rock band led by former Blink-182 singer Tom DeLonge, will perform Nov. 17 at the Epicenter in Rancho Cucamonga. It's part of pro-skate competition Bling Fest. Tickets are $10
Their current single "Everything's Magic" is #14 on the KCXX-FM (103.9) airplay chart.
Log onto blingfest.org for more info on the weekend's skateboarding events.
It's not even 2008 yet, but organizers of Stagecoach - the I.E.'s biggest country music fest - already plan to unveil next May's lineup on Friday.
Go to stagecoachfestival.com for more info.
Speaking of country music, did anyone watch the CMT Awards last night?
I thought The Eagles, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Sugarland and LeAnn Rimes/Reba all turned in great performances.
I love Rimes, but she needs to lighten up on the makeup a bit. And why was 'Idol' contestant Kellie Pickler bawling when she did her song? I turned away from the TV for a second, but it appeared Sara Evans got disgusted when she was introducing a segment and the marching band came in too early.
That Rascal Flatts/Jamie Foxx pairing was dreadfully awkward. Didn't even seem like they rehearsed it. I was surprised to learn Foxx and Gary LeVox used to be roommates.
Those who attend Thursday's Ben Harper show at the Orpheum Theatre in L.A. can get into a special after-party for free with their ticket stub.
The Huell Howser "Visiting" episode where he went to the Folk Music Center in Claremont - which Harper owns and his grandparents started - is supposed to be repeated on KCET-TV (28) soon.
Go to www.benharper.net for details on both.
Look for my interview with Ben in the paper on Sunday with an extended Q&A here.
Due to the O.C. wildfires, Velvet Revolver's Friday gig at Verizon Ampthitheatre has been postponed to Dec. 12.
It has also been moved to Gibson Amphitheatre in L.A.
If you purchased tix at TM retail locations or at the venue box office, you'll need to go to the Gibson box office starting on Nov. 5 to exchange them.
Those who bought at TM online or TM charge by phone do nothing - replacements will be mailed to you.
Venues affected by the wildfires in San Diego now include the Belly Up, the Casbah and 4th & B.
Today's J. Lo/Marc Anthony show at Cox Arena has been moved to Nov. 10.
If you planned on heading down to San Diego this week for concerts, be sure to call first to make sure the venue is still open. Both SOMA and House of Blues have cancelled shows due to the current wildfires.
There's a great new interview show on VH1 Classic (at least I think it's new) called "Inside Track."
Mick Jagger recently sat down for a one on one with Mark Goodman, while Bruce Springsteen chatted with his frequent biographer Dave Marsh (taped for the journalist's satellite radio show). Both were insightful.
It's cool to see Goodman as a regular VJ on VH1 Classic. I remember watching him on the early days of MTV in the '80s.
L.A. alt-rock band Born as Ghosts, featuring actor Eric Balfour ("24"), appears at The Vibe in Riverside tomorrow. Admission is $8. The club is located at 1805 University Ave. More info: myspace.com/disasterbooking, (909) 518-5010.
I've listened to the new Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band CD "Magic" (due in stores Tuesday) several times now. In many ways, it's more immediate than "The Rising." While that album was good, it took me awhile to truly get into all the songs. Early reports said "Magic" was a return to the loose and fun vibe that ran through "The River," but that isn't always the case. Here are some of my impressions:
“Radio Nowhere” - A driving rocker; fortunately, the dense sound Brendan O'Brien used here isn't characteristic of all the songs
“You'll Be Comin' Down” - Midtempo number; classic '80s Bruce & E Street with a great melody and harmonies. There's a majestic Clarence Clemons solo halfway through
“Livin' in the Future” - Opens with Clemons' sax; a good time, put a smile on your face kind of tune that bears a resemblance to “Glory Days.” Prominent Steven Van Zandt backing vocals, a humorous lyric, organ solo; several Clemons solos and a closing "na na na" refrain makes this a standout
"Your Own Worst Enemy" – Enriched by a string section and a relaxed Bruce vocal; he harmonizes with Nils Lofgren here
"Gypsy Biker" – Upbeat, opens with wicked "Nebraska"-styled harp; two scorching, reverb electric guitar solos and Steven backing vocals
"Girls in Their Summer Clothes" – Warm recollection with a violin opening, relaxed Bruce vocal; “Frankie” and “on the edge of town” in the lyrics; subtle sax work
"I'll Work For Your Love" - “Pour me a drink Teresa” lyric and rollicking piano: sure to put a smile on your face; vaguely recalls “Growin' Up”; pictureque lyrics
"Magic" – Simple guitar work with violin; could almost be an outtake from "Tom Joad"
" Last To Die" - Midtempo number with piano; reminded me of "No Surrunder" at first; has a trademark Bruce lyric: “we took the highway ' til the road went black." Steven on backing vocals
"Long Walk Home" – Shuffle guitar with nice piano work; memorable melody, plus electric guitar and sax solos
"Devil's Arcade" – Opens with a lush bed of violin/keyboards; picturesque lyrics; a slow burner, sweeping orchestartion and crashing drums from Max Weinberg at end.
Apparently, Steven, Max and Nils Lofgren came in to do their studio parts on weekends. This time around, there's a noticeable lack of distinctive rhythms on Max's part.
Punk/pop group Good Charlotte (“Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,” “The Anthem,” “Girls and Boys,” “The River”) with Nicole Richie beau Joel Madden on vocals, will do an acoustic performance/signing on Sunday in Pasadena.
The event takes place from 1:30-3 p.m. at the Verizon Wireless Store (across from Macy’s), 368 Lake Ave., (626) 395-0956.
They headline at House of Blues Anaheim on Saturday in support of current CD “Good Morning Revival,” then open for Justin Timberlake at Staples Center on Sept. 16-17 and 19.
Here are more details on Jimmy Eat World's Sept. 30 Fall Fest gig at University of Redlands' Greek Amphitheatre:
Tickets are $20 pre-sale at the Campus Events office, $25 day of show.
UofR students can get an extra discount.
Epitaph Records band The Higher opens along with Dropping Daylight and a local act. General on sale - with service charges - through Ticketmaster outlets starting at 10 a.m. Thursday.
Arizona alt-rock band Jimmy Eat World will play the University of Redlands'
Greek Theater on Sept. 30.
Its new album "Chase the Light" is due out Oct. 16.
No word on whether the show is open to non-students or ticket prices.
In case you haven't heard, former TV presenter and head of Factory Records Tony Wilson died from a heart attack over the weekend. He had been battling cancer.
The outspoken Englishman was responsible for launching the careers of Joy Division, New Order, Happy Monday, James, OMD and many others. Along with New Order, he launched The Hacienda nightclub in Manchester. I'm fairly certain it was Wilson who introduced Happy Mondays before their set at Coachella back in April.
Wilson was famously portrayed by comedian Steve Coogan in the acclaimed 2002 flick "24 Hour Party People."
If you're a fan of BritPop/the Manchester music scene and haven't seen it, go rent the movie.
Van Halen, which announced a reunion tour with David Lee Roth
(it hits Staples Center on Nov. 20) have tried to rewrite their own history.
Go to www.van-halen.com and you'll see several album covers from the Roth era. Yet bassist Michael Anthony (who is not taking part in this tour due to his friendship/tours with on again, off again VH singer Sammy Hagar and whatever reasons Eddie Van Halen comes up with) is conspicuously missing.
There are no album covers from the Hagar era or Gary Cherone's brief tenure.
The new VH bio/tour announcement suddenly stops when Roth left the band in the mid-80s.
In related news, Cherone is reportedly writing new material with Nuno Bettancourt, who recently left Perry Ferrell's Satellite Party. Could there be a new Extreme CD in the future?
After six years, the L.A. alternative station moved its annual September Invasion concert festival from Hyundai Pavilion in Devore to Home Depot Center in Carson. What a disappointment.
Since KROQ always puts on the Almost Acoustic Christmas in Universal City and Weenie Roast in Irvine, Inland Invasion always meant we didn't have to drive far to see some of the biggest names in modern rock - past and present.
Morning deejays Kevin & Bean reportedly blamed the switch on too many complaints about traffic and parking in Devore (ironic, since the duo never attended any Invasions), but I think it had something to do with scheduling conflicts.
Tickets for L.A. Invasion on Sept. 15 go on sale at noon Saturday. Details at kroq.com.
Do you think this will get KCXX-FM (103.9) to sponsor its own alt-rock show in the I.E.? We can only hope.
Speaking of Hyundai, Rock the Bells “sold out” last Saturday with attendance at 45,000 (the venue's capacity is actually 65,000). It's a good thing the crowd wasn't bigger. Various reports stated that security was overzealous and police used pepper spray on concertgoers several times.
