Playlist

I know, I know, I know----hearing practically every other new performer being described as 'blue-eyed soul' is annoying and (in some cases) unwarranted, but this moniker clearly fits Peak Records' Leigh Jones. The California native, who's been taken under the wing of none other than Berry Gordy Jr. (yes, that Berry) and his son Kerry, display why they took the time with her first single, "Free Fall." This song is already in my phone, and trust me, one listen will get you hooked. Ms. Jones' debut CD, Music in My Soul, is scheduled to hit retail on Sep. 9.

You might remember Hot Lixx Hulihan, who mastered the ceremonies at the Dallas regional air guitar competition at House of Blues. We can't forget him, a little bit because he frowned at some of our scores when we were judging but mostly because of his awesome awesomeness. And it seems as if the international judges couldn't, either.

Hot Lixx, known to his mother as Craig Billmeier, wowed the spectators in Oulu, Finland, and walked away with the world air guitar title on Aug. 20 after two rounds of competition. He advanced to Finland after beating 24 others to win the national title in San Francisco earlier this month. Hot Lixx's prize, probably stronger than pride, was a Finnish handmade Flying Finn electric guitar.

According to a press release, US air guitar officials were reflective as their representative went on to his one moment in time, receiving heartfelt congratulations from the other contestants from around the world. "It's certainly in keeping with the true heart of air guitar, which is world peace," said US Air Guitar co-founder Kriston Rucker, via text message. Of course, that's referring to the Air Guitar ideology which states that if one is holding an air guitar, one cannot, at the same time, be holding a gun.

(Photo by Misha Vladimirskiy)

Live Nation is putting Santana on sale for the holiday. Tickets for reserved seats at Santana's show at Superpages.com Center on Sept. 17 are on sale through Monday for only $10. That's right: $10. For. Reserved. Seats. As my mother would say, "You can't beat that with a stick."

You can only buy the tickets online, Friday at 10 a.m. through Monday at 10 p.m. or as long as the supply lasts.

(Photo by JAN KOLLER/CTK)

As my editor, Mr. Dallas, would say (derisively): It's time to gather 'round the Ballad Tree! Mr. Dallas is not what I'd call the biggest fan of such venues as Uncle Calvin's Coffeehouse, which I, of course, love. (If you've been lost in a rain forest and don't yet know of Mr. Dallas, please visit his Web site.) Folk is the rage these days, but such naysayers as Mr. Dallas and my 23-year-old son would argue that folk-induced coffeehouses are geriatric venues where one might expect to hear, say, "Lesbian Seagull" from that Beavis & Butthead movie. But for me and millions of other gray-haired warriors who dig any music that carries the adjective "acoustic," October is going to be a truly exquisite month. On Oct. 2, the great John Gorka comes to Fort Worth's McDavid Studio for an evening show, followed the very next night by Gretchen Peters (at the same venue). Jimmy LaFave cruises to the Palace Theatre in Grapevine on Oct. 17. And on Oct. 29, Jackson Browne, who got his start in the folk clubs of Orange County, California, invades the Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie, armed with his full band. Fittingly, Mr. Browne's show is promoting his new record, Time the Conqueror, which features a gray-bearded Jackson on the cover. Just 20 days earlier, on Oct. 9, Jackson will have celebrated his 60th birthday.

Photo: Singer-songwriter Gretchen Peters is on her way to Fort Worth

If you're a fan of true soul music and happen to be in Detroit on Oct. 3 and 4, there's going to be a Soultracks Readers Choice Awards ceremony and then an All-Star performance blow-out the following night. Taking place at the Max M. Fisher Music Center on Oct. 3, confirmed attendees of the ceremony so far include Dwele, Phil Perry, former Erykah Badu background vocalist Yazarah, Conya Doss and the legendary Dramatics, who are being recognized with this year's Lifetime Achievement Award. For more information on tickets, accomodations and how to get a free gift thru Sep. 2nd with purchase, click here.

By Manny Mendoza, Special Contributor, tvboymanny@yahoo.com

Though he never acknowledged it to the audience Wednesday night, it was clear a few songs into Tom Petty's set at American Airlines Center that he was under the weather, perhaps road-worn from three months on tour.

It also was clear that whatever ailment, it wasn't going to prevent the 57-year-old pop rocker and his band, the Heartbreakers, from putting on an engaging, energetic, two-hour show.

"We've got a big song list, so I'm going to get right to it," Mr. Petty told the packed crowd after opening with a pair of songs spanning the period of his career he would focus on, the late 1970s to the mid-'90s.

Mike Campbell had already wrapped his distinctively ringing guitar sound around "You Wreck Me" and "Listen to Her Heart," and Mr. Petty pretended to be overwhelmed by the audience's cheers.

(Photo by GUY REYNOLDS/The Dallas Morning News)

Everybody is buzzing about how Solange Knowles calls herself snapping on a newcaster about bringing up Beyonce and Jay-Z before their televised interview about her new CD, but check this out; that portion never actually aired, so Solange gets all kinds of egg on her face, outs her sister's closely-guarded marriage secret (she refers to Hova as her "brother-in-law") and looks, quite frankly, like an entitled, spoiled brat (kudos on how the reporter, although confused, handled things by attempting to apologize and move on with the the story).

IMO, Solange does have some talent, but she knows good and well that she's used her association with Beyonce to her advantage personally and professionally, so why the attitude if someone does happens to bring her up? What she needs to do, beyond learning how to interview, is to check out how the world's most famous baby sister, Janet Jackson, graciously handled her constant comparisons to big brother Michael. It took time, but Janet's now accepted as her own woman and a great entertainer, something Solange won't accomplish if she persists with this uncalled for attitude.

Did you see Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers -- and Steve Winwood -- at the AAC Wednesday night? Tell us your review of the show.

Progressive rockers Queensryche, fronted by master showman Geoff Tate, always put on a bigger-than-life show. These guys understand that the line separating heavy metal from arty theatrics is mighty blurry. So they up the ante every time, pretty much since unleashing 1988's ambitiously conceptual Operation: Mindcrime. And let's not forget the pop radio breakthrough, 1990's masterful power ballad "Silent Lucidity." While the group's commercial heyday is behind it, Mr. Tate and company haven't remained idle. No sir. In 2006 they released Operation: Mindcrime II (a sequel) and last year came Take Cover, a collection of fave songs from other artists such as Pink Floyd's "Welcome to the Machine," the O'Jays' "For the Love of Money" and the Police's "Synchronicity II." Also, in 2007 the DVD Mindcrime at the Moore, chronicling the tour where the band performed both Mindcrime discs, was released.

Catch Queensryche tonight at 8:30 p.m. at Nokia Theatre, 1001 Performance Place, Grand Prairie. Ticket are $29.50-$49.50 through Ticketmaster.

Photo: Queensryche rocking it up onstage (Jeff Findley).