Playlist

Our Super Bowl Blog has gotten word by way of HitFix that Christina Aguilera will be singing the national anthem at the Super Bowl in Cowboys Stadium.

Haven't heard X-tina's "Star-Spangled Banner?" Here's her performance at the 2010 NBA Finals:

What do you think? Is Aguilera a good choice for the Super Bowl?

Chet Haze, son of Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, has released a rap song about his days at Northwestern University. (Gawker)

There's not much to say other than to point out that Chet has held small roles in films like Bratz and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. And to add that most rap songs about colleges are just the worst, unless you are currently a student at that university.

Be the first of your friends to like Chet on Facebook.

Britney Spears' new single, "Hold It Against Me" is streaming on New York's Z100 site today, a day before the single was set to drop. Have a listen and tell us what you think.

Photo by Jive

Mexican-American Jenni Rivera, considered the grand dame of banda and norteño music, will headline the NFL Pepsi Musica Super Bowl Fiesta Feb. 4 at Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie. Also performing during the evening of Latin music are Miami reggaeton duo Chino y Nacho and singer Dulce Maria, formerly of the Latin teen pop band RBD.

The music starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $45 through Ticketmaster. Doors open at 6 p.m. Celebrity hosts and guest appearances by NFL players are to-be-named. Also, Univision is set to broadcast part of the Friday show live.

Photo: The always larger-than-life Jenni Rivera (AGENCIA REFORMA).

Dallas' neo soul diva Erykah Badu will perform a full concert prior to Prince's headlining show Feb. 4 at theEvent benefitting the Goss-Michael Foundation. The evening of music and culture, taking place during Super Bowl weekend, features food, guest DJs, a silent auction, and other special guests.

Tickets, which start at $1500 per person, include general admission, open bar and food stations. They go on sale Saturday, Jan. 8, at noon at www.princedallas.com. The soiree begins at 8 p.m. at theEvent Tent Complex, a climate-controlled performance tent at the former Reunion Arena site.

Photo: Badu beguiling on stage at the Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie last June (John F. Rhodes/DMN).

The list of Super Bowl concerts continues to grow. At 8 p.m. on Feb. 4, Prince will be playing at theEvent Tent Complex at the site formerly known as Reunion Arena.

It'll cost you, though. Single tickets require a $1500 contribution, which includes general admission, open bar and food stations. Proceeds go to The Goss-Michael Foundation.

More information at theEventDallas Twitter account.

Super Bowl fans are also music fans. And the Pepsi Super Bowl Fan Jam Concert Series has a little bit for everybody on opening night. Kid Rock headlines the kick-off show Thursday, Feb. 3, with help from supporting acts Duran Duran and Jason Derulo at Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie. The concert officially ushers in Super Bowl weekend in North Texas. Tickets for the Feb. 3 gig are $45 and $60 through Ticketmaster.

The series continues Friday, Feb. 4 with the NFL Pepsi Musica Super Bowl Fiesta, a Latin music-themed night. Performers for that event will be announced soon. Tickets are $45 through Ticketmaster.

Both nights include to-be-named celebrity hosts and guest appearances by NFL players. Thursday's show starts at 7 p.m., while Friday's concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m. each night. Also, VH1 is set to broadcast part of the Thursday show live.

Photo: Kid Rock performs a halftime show during a game between the New England Patriots and the Detroit Lions on November 25 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images).

From AP:

New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys are bringing their '90s boy-band magic to Dick Clark's annual New Year's Eve TV special.

The two bands, who have melded their monikers to become NKOTBSB, performed together live for the first time on the Dick Clark-produced American Music Awards last month. The supergroup plans to tour North America together next summer.

My question is: will they be performing an actual mash-up of their songs or is AP just referring to the mashing of two bands performing together? Either way, will you be watching?

If you've already bought Justin Bieber's line of nail polish and bedsheets, then it's about time for a new obsession, right? The Star Telegram reports:

Arlington-based Panini America, a publisher of sports and entertainment collectibles, announced this week that it has launched a Bieber collection that includes 150 cards and 30 stickers. Some 500 cards autographed by Bieber have been randomly inserted into the sets, the company said. Sets of five cards and one sticker cost $1.99 each.

The collection will be available at Bed Bath & Beyond, F.Y.E., Target, Toys R Us and Walmart stores nationwide.

The article also includes a fun reminder that Bieber is Canadian, a fact I always forget:

Bieber said in a statement that he's excited about the collection.

"I always dreamed of being a hockey player and having my own trading card," he said. "I remember collecting hockey cards, so the idea that kids are going to enjoy my cards like I enjoyed my hockey cards is amazing!"

Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images

According to Park Cities People, Keith Urban will perform a free concert at 7 p.m. Nov. 24 at West Village shopping center in Uptown. He'll sing four or five songs in front of Taco Diner.

Read more here.

The performance is being taped for Fox's new American Country Music Awards ceremony.

Will you be there? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

Think you've got what it takes to be "Country Strong?"

Singers 18 and up are invited to enter the Country Strong Singing Challenge at 2 p.m. Dec. 4 at Billy Bob's in Fort Worth. Participants must sing a 60-second a cappella version of "Country Strong" or "Silver Wings." (Clips from the songs can be found here.) The DFW winner will get $500 and VIP seating at an advance screening of Country Strong for themselves and five friends. The National winner will be awarded an all-expense paid trip to Nashville and an appearance on CMT.

Read the rules and download the entry form and music cue at CountryStrong.CMT.com.

To pre-register and reserve your audition spot, e-mail DallasSingingChallenge@Moroch.com.

Country Strong hits theaters on Jan. 7.

Forget Black Friday - when it comes to Justin Bieber's upcoming documentary, Never Say Never, it's all about Cyber Monday.

Next Monday, November 29 (a.k.a. "Cyber Monday") at 10 a.m., sales will open for sneak preview tickets to see Never Say Never in 3D on February 9, 2011 at 6 p.m., three days earlier than the movie's Valentine's Day wide release. For $30 (plus shipping,) you get tickets to see the sneak preview, a souvenir VIP event laminate and lanyard, purple 3D glasses and an official Just Bieber Never Say Never glo-stick and bracelet.

Only select theaters will play host to the sneak preview, but there are a few in and near the DFW area; click in to this blog to see a list of a few theaters near Dallas that will be showing the sneak preview. Check out the listing here for full details on theaters near you.

The Dallas Morning News is compiling a running playlist. We're asking marathoners, recreational runners, or just fans of music to submit their favorite songs for running. Submit as few or as many songs as you would like (just reload the page after submission).

We will tabulate the votes and unveil the top songs in advance of the Dec. 5 MetroPCS Dallas White Rock Marathon.

Submit your picks here.

Jason Bonham brings his Led Zeppelin Experience to Fair Park Music Hall on Thursday night. As I reported yesterday, Jason was more into the Police than Zeppelin when he was a teen. He was thrilled when his dad got him backstage to see his heroes. He was less thrilled when Papa Bonzo threatened to step on Sting's head.

Get ready for some stomping, "Boom Boom Pow" style. Multi-million-selling pop and hip-hop band the Black Eyed Peas are indeed the halftime entertainment at Super Bowl XLV, it was confirmed today. That means Cowboys Stadium will be whooping and hollering Feb. 6 to the group's infectious, wide-range appeal merger of pop hooks, dance beats and hip-hop swagger.

The Peas, fronted by musical mastermind will.i.am and sexy singer Fergie, fulfill the NFL's wish to revamp the image of Super Bowl entertainment. The biggest concert of the year, attracting about 107 million viewers, had turned into a haven for boomer rockers such as Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and the Who, all recent halftime performers. That, of course, was in direct response to Janet Jackson's notorious "wardrobe malfunction" of 2004 in Houston.

The Peas, coming off the mega-successful The E.N.D. CD and its record-setting downloaded hit singles "Boom Boom Pow" and "I Gotta Feeling," are safe, hip and young. They're the perfect formula.

Plus, by the time the Peas take that SB stage, their new album, The Beginning, would have been burning up the charts for more than two months. It will be released Nov. 30. That'll give them even more clout with the coveted 18-35 demographic. Those are the numbers the NFL likes to call their own.

Photo: The Peas stir up excitement earlier this month in Lima, Peru. (AP Photo/Karel Navarro, Pool)

After months of debate and guessing, it's been announced that The Black Eyed Peas will be the Super Bowl halftime performers.

Photos: best of Black Eyed Peas

Vote: Good choice or bad choice?

Leave your comments below -- I'm sure a lot of you have strong opinions on this topic! And which songs do you think they'll play at the show?

The Beatles are digital.

I do not write that with bated breath. I don't even write it with a smile. It's just a fact. An inevitable one, at that. The Beatles catalog is now available on iTunes, the digital music super store that sets the barometer for all the cool kids acquiring their music by clicking, dragging and headphoning, not by popping in a CD or planting a needle on a vinyl record. It took a long time for the Fab Four's canon to arrive in Digital Land. Let us rejoice?

All 13 Beatles studio albums, including classics such as Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Revolver and Abbey Road, are available for download on iTunes. So are the two venerable compilations dubbed the "Red" and "Blue" career collections. So are the two-volume Past Masters compilation and even a special digital box set.

It's all there. Single disc albums can be downloaded for $12.99 each, double-CD sets will set you back $19.99 each and if you only want individual songs, fork up $1.29 for each track.

Head over to The Screening Room blog today to find our coverage on all things music in the world of Harry Potter. We'll sing the school song, listen to Harry and the Potters, praise John Williams and more. The day will conclude with my review of the soundtrack for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part One.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple will soon announce that they've finally acquired the rights to sell all music by The Beatles on iTunes.

Tunes by the Fab Four have been conspicuously absent from the digital music store, but it looks like Apple and EMI have finally come to an agreement that we can all be happy about.

This is the best thing Ryan Seacrest has ever done: he confirmed on his radio show this morning that boy band legends New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys will unite for a tour in summer 2011.

The tour, cleverly titled NKOTBSB, has been rumored ever since BSB's surprise appearance during the NKOTB concert in June. To whet fans' appetities for the tour, the two bands will perform together at the American Music Awards, airing Nov. 21 on ABC.

This is such a shrewd business move. In an era where big name tours are struggling to sell tickets and barely filling up their arenas, having two boy bands with massive followings tour together seems like a sure thing. And while there's some crossover between the fan bases, it will also bring in two generations of boy band fanatics. Even though I was an 'N SYNC follower in my youth, I won't be missing out on this sure-to-be-awesome show.

What about you? Share your thoughts (or favorite boy band songs) in the comments section.

In the meantime... here's some tunes to get you through the day. And score some desktop wallpapers and Twitter icons at the tour's official site.

This softer, more stripped version of "Love The Way You Lie" will be on Rihanna's new album, Loud, out Nov. 10.

The chorus remains unchanged, but this sequel of sorts puts Rihanna in the driver's seat (complete with verses on her turbulent relationship with Chris Brown) with a guest verse from Eminem.

Do you think this version will chart like its predecessor? If so, have there ever been two versions (by the same artists) of the same song enjoying success at the same time?

According to HITS Daily Double, Taylor Swift's new album has already sold one million copies in its first week of release.

The last album to sell a million albums in one week wasf Lil' Wayne's Tha Carter III in 2008.

Swift's total percentage of music sales for last week was between 17 and 18 percent, meaning that nearly one in every five albums purchased in the past seven days was Speak Now. Did you buy the album? Tell us about it in the comments section!

Leighton Meester, best known for her role as Gossip Girl's Blair Waldorf, is no stranger to the music biz. She recorded some awesome guest vocals on Cobra Starship's "Good Girls Go Bad" and her own single "Somebody to Love," really grew on me.

On Dec. 22, she'll be starring with Gwyneth Paltrow in Country Strong. For the movie's soundtrack, she recorded a cover of Rascal Flatt's "Words I Couldn't Say."

I have to say: I actually prefer the Leighton Meester version. What say you, country music fans?

I have only one question: Who exactly said it would "never happen" or that he would "never make it?" I really doubt that anyone was opposed to a cute teen boy with catchy pop tunes that compliment the ladies. I know Jesse McCartney and Aaron Carter agree with me, right guys?

John Mellencamp's No Better Than This Tour will arrive in Dallas on Friday, April 1 at the Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie.

Opening the show is the documentary film It's About You, which chronicles the creation of the No Better Than This album.

Tickets are available through Ticketmaster outlet, online at ticketmaster.com and by phone at 800-745-3000.

Never thought you'd read that headline, did you?

According to TMZ, Bieber is accused of injuring a 12-year-old fan who approached the star during a game of laser tag in Canada.

Apparently, Bieber was trying to escape a crowd of fans that surrounded him and shot their laser guns at him. Beiber is said to have pushed a young fan aside as he escaped the scene.

I imagine the scene looked something like this:

Make your own Glitter Graphics

Seriously, though. There's no way this is a big deal. Bieber will go on to write his memoirs and make his biopics in relative peace. Read more here.

Nickelodeon's Big Time Rush performed at 1 p.m. on Friday at Bryson Elementary in Fort Worth. The group, which includes Logan Henderson - a North Richland Hills native - also signed autographs afterwards.

They appeared at 4 p.m. the same day at a Plano Walmart to sign more autographs.

The Nickelodeon series follows the titular band as they try to make it big. The series became the second highest-rated Nickelodeon sitcom after less than a month on the air -- behind iCarly by 600,000 viewers -- and attracts an average of more than three to four million viewers per new episode.

Big Time Rush's debut album, B.T.R., was released on Oct. 11, 2010.

Only 10 months after her first album, Animal, Ke$ha has announced that her next album, Cannibal, will be released on Nov. 22.

Cannibal will have nine tracks, including a remix of "Animal," the title song from her debut album. In addition to being sold on its own, the new album will also be sold in a special deluxe edition with her first record to be called Animal + Cannibal.

Will you bite? Are you ready for more Ke$ha?

We received a press release today that should be of interest to all Dallas-Fort Worth pop, rock and country bands or solo artists. Read on, and please let us know if you decide to enter the contest.

Big D NYE, Dallas-Fort Worth's annual New Year's Eve destination, will count down to 2011 with local music as the soundtrack. This year organizers at WFAA and American Airlines Center are looking for a solo artist or a band to play a live concert set during the evening's celebration at Victory Park near downtown Dallas.

Big D NYE organizers call on area pop, rock and country artists to upload their best original songs to the Big D NYE "Fast Track to Fame" Competition Channel powered by OurStage.com. The winner will earn the chance to perform to more than 25,000 people in downtown Dallas' Victory Park. Portions of the show will be televised on WFAA's New Year's Eve broadcast to more than 450,000 television viewers in north Texas, as well as in Houston and New Orleans. The victor also gets a $1,000 cash prize.

"Back to December," a new song from Taylor Swift's upcoming album Speak Now is available on iTunes. The song is an apology to a former boyfriend and fans are speculating that she's singing about Twilight star Taylor Lautner.

Entertainment Weekly has a breakdown of the lyrics and why they indicate Lautner as the jilted ex-flame.

E! Online has interviews with Swift on the new song:

Sprout, the network exclusively for preschoolers and those who love (and teach) them, just announced that Train lead singer Pat Monahan will voice the lead character of a new TV show.

Driver Dan's Story Train will premiere Monday, Nov. 1, at 6:30 p.m. Monahan will voice the driver of a train that drives through interactive stories for children. (Yes, he'll be an animated character. No one should worry that rock-star excess might touch their children too early.)

Here's hoping they figure out a way to use "Hey, Soul Sister" on the show. It's been an earworm for me all week.

It was only a matter of time.

Glee's run of charted hits, with six songs debuting on Billboard just this week, puts the cast ahead of the Beatles in the list for most appearances on Billboard's Hot 100 chart for a non-solo act. Do the math. If Glee's songs get a chart bump every time a show airs, that's about 22 episodes times 6 songs over about 5 seasons, give or take. That's a whole lot of melisma that might just give Elvis a run for his top spot in record time.

From the Associated Press:

NEW YORK -- The Glee cast has surpassed the Beatles for the most appearances on the Billboard Hot 100 chart by a non-solo act.

The cast of the Fox television musical series about a high school glee club has six debuts on the chart this week. That gives it a total of 75 songs on the chart to the Beatles' 71.

(Photo of Heather Morris in the Britney Spears episode of 'Glee' by Michael Yarish/Fox)

B.o.B. will be the headliner at this year's UTA Fall Concert. The concert, hosted by UTA Student Affairs, University Events and EXCEL Campus Activities will be held Oct. 18 in Texas Hall. There will be approximately 2,600 tickets available.

B.o.B is behind two of this summer's hottest songs, "Nothin' On You" featuring Bruno Mars and "Airplanes" featuring Hayley Williams of Paramore.

Previous Fall Concert headliners include Maroon 5, Lupe Fiasco and Ludacris. Read more at The Shorthorn.

Beastie Boys have been nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011.

To be eligible for nomination, an act must have released its first single or album at least 25 years prior to the year of nomination. The 2011 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees will be announced in December 2010 and the Ceremony will take place on March 14, 2011 at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City, and will be televised live on Fuse.

Local hard rock group Revengeance has been picked by Kiss and Guitar Center as the Pizza Hut Park winner of Guitar Center On-Stage, a competition that gives bands the opportunity to open for Gene Simmons and company at a tour stop. The Saturday show in Frisco also features Pat Green and Daughtry.
Revengeance, which was picked from thousands of entrants, has plenty of rocking left to do: Its members are all 18 to 21 years old. The band includes Taylor Dennis, Travis Winsett, Nick Klinger and Vinnie Parma.

Contemporary R&B superstar Usher brings his OMG Tour to American Airlines Center November 24. Tickets for the show, which features opening acts Trey Songz and newcomer Miguel, go on sale Friday, Sept. 17, at 10 a.m. at all Ticketmaster outlets. Ticket prices are to be announced.

Usher is enjoying big success again with two albums -- Raymond Vs. Raymond and Versus -- as well as the hit singles "OMG," "There Goes My Baby" and "Lil Freak" featuring Nicki Minaj.

The new Songz CD, Passion, Pain & Pleasure, follows 2009's gold-selling breakthrough, Ready. If his increasing popularity continues to rise, he'll be headlining arenas pretty soon.

Photo: Usher performing at Sunday night's MTV Video Music Awards (Matt Sayles/Associated Press).

If you watched the MTV Video Music Awards last night, let us know what performance or moment was your favorite! Was it the performances of Taylor Swift or Kanye West? Was it the opening monologue from host Chelsea Handler? How about Drake's "Fancy" with Mary J. Blige and Swizz Beatz?

Here's my favorite performance: the "Nothin' On You"/"Airplanes"/"The Only Exception" medley from Bruno Mars, B.o.B. and Hayley Williams:

This year's show has a lot to live up to after last year's spectacle: what could possibly top Kanye West jumping on stage to steal the mic from Taylor Swift as she accepted her award?

This year's host is E!'s Chelsea Handler and Kanye himself will be performing once more. Other performers will include Usher, Linkin Park, Bruno Mars, Mary J. Blige, Swizz Beatz, Paramore and many others.

See MTV's official site for more details. Discuss the show in the comments section.

Rich Cronin, lead singer for 90s boy band LFO, died yesterday after a five-year battle with cancer.

The band hit the scene in 1999 with the hit "Summer Girls," in which the band not only liked "girls that wear Abercrombie and Fitch," but also planned to "steal your honey like they stole your bike."

My favorite lyrics from the song: "Stayed all summer then went back home, Macaulay Culkin was in Home Alone. Fell deep in love, but now we ain't speaking. Michael J. Fox was Alex P. Keaton."

I'm not mocking, I really did love that song as well as LFO's follow-up, "Girl on TV." I listened to their self-titled debut album all that summer. "I Don't Wanna Kiss You Goodnight" and "West Side Story" were also awesome.

After the band split in 2002, Cronin was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia in 2005.

From Frisco Blog:

Let the screaming from young fans begin...

The Jonas Brothers will bring their Road Dogs softball tour to Frisco next week as part of a campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of texting and driving.

Read more here.

Pitchfork is counting down their top 200 songs of the 1990s. Go check out the list and tell us what classic tune you think will rank number one. (Also, what song have they left out so far?)

Here's a sample of the list:

160. Mogwai
"Mogwai Fear Satan"
[Chemikal Underground; 1997]

159. The Roots
"The Next Movement"
[MCA; 1999]

158. White Town
"Your Woman"
[Chrysalis; 1997]

157. Juvenile
"Ha"
[Cash Money; 1998]

156. Omni Trio
"Renegade Snares (Foul Play VIP Mix)"
[Moving Shadow; 1993]

155. Destiny's Child
"Bills, Bills, Bills"
[Columbia; 1999]

154. Pharoahe Monch
"Simon Says"
[Rawkus; 1999]

153. The Clientele
"We Could Walk Together"
[Fierce Panda; 1997]

152. Jane's Addiction
"Stop!"
[Warner Bros.; 1990]

151. Green Day
"Longview"
[Reprise; 1994]

So even with all the hype -- and there's been gobs of it -- and incessant radio airplay for "California Gurls" and "Teenage Dream," Katy Perry's cotton candy-scented second studio CD, Teenage Dream, sold a disappointing 192,222 copies during its first week in stores, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

That's a pretty paltry number when you think about it, even by today's low CD sales standards. Eminem's Recovery moved 741,000 copies its first week at retail. Drake's Thank Me Later sold 462,989 during its inaugural week. Even Sade, the jazz-R&B chanteuse who doesn't have a smidgen of Perry's pop culture pizazz, came in with 501,000 copies sold of her Soldier of Love disc, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

What does this mean for Perry? It probably means that she's mainly a singles artist. Her record label can't be happy that she can generate excitement for individual songs, not full albums. Cotton candy-scented or otherwise.

Photo: The CD cover of Katy Perry's Teenage Dream (AP Photo/Capitol Records).

Forbes Magazine has released a list of the wealthiest rappers. Topping the list? None other than Jay-Z and Diddy.

Personally, I'm impressed that Drake and Akon are so high on the list. What surprises you about the list? Is it making you want to try your hand at the rap game?

1. Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter
2. Sean "Diddy" Combs
3. Aliuane "Akon" Thiam
4. Dwayne "Lil Wayne" Carter
5. Andre "Dr. Dre" Young
6. Christopher "Ludacris" Bridges
7. Calvin "Snoop Dogg" Broadus
8. Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley
9. Pharrell Williams
10. Kanye West
11. Aubrey "Drake" Graham
12. Clifford "T.I." Harris
13. Kasseem "Swizz Beatz" Dean
14. Marshall "Eminem" Mathers/Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson
16. Jay "Young Jeezy" Jenkins
17. Lonnie "Common" Lynn Jr.
18. DeAndre "Soulja Boy" Way/Faheem "T-Pain" Najm
20. Jonathan "Lil Jon" Smith/Radric "Gucci Mane" Davis/William "Rick Ross" Roberts

These days, music isn't about the music. It's about the celebrity. Well, for many of them anyway. So here are a couple of celebrity tidbits -- one laughable, one deplorable and one respectable.

Justin Bieber: You know about the upcoming memoir and the rumored 3-D biopic. And of course the pandemonium surrounding the 16-year-old Canadian heartthrob. But some fans actually admit his music isn't that great, they just love that he loves his fans and tweets messages to them regularly. Bieber has even said he would date a fan. Imagine the burning green furor that would cause.

George Michael: According to the Associated Press, British police report that the singer was charged today with "possession of cannabis" and "driving while unfit through drink or drugs." This after an arrest last month for crashing his car into a building in Hampstead. We don't need to reiterate his past run-ins with the law. Pretty pathetic, isn't it?

Willie Nelson: The 25th anniversary Farm Aid concert, to take place Oct. 2 at Miller Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, just added Kenny Chesney, Norah Jones, Jason Mraz, Jeff Tweedy, Band of Horses, the BoDeans, Amos Lee and Robert Francis to the lineup that already includes mainstays John Mellencamp, Neil Young, Dave Matthews and Nelson, of course. Very cool!

Photo: Bieber stirred it up last month at Verizon Theatre (Amy Gutierrez/Special to DMN).

I was just casually checking the AP wire when this story caught my eye: "Taylor Swift enshrined in bowling hall of fame."

That's already kooky enough for me, but it turns out that the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame that's honoring T. Swift happens to be in Arlington.

Taylor was among nine celebrities the Bowling Proprietors' Association of America nominated for their public support of the sport. (Swift has been spotted and photographed bowling with friends.) Swift's photo and plaque will be displayed at the site later this summer.

I think this might be my new number one goal should I ever become famous. Distribute awkward photos of me going bowling so I can get in this Hall of Fame, too.

Okay, bowlers: are you excited about Taylor's love of bowling? Think her nomination was deserved? Non-bowlers: would you go to the museum to see Taylor's picture?

Photo by Getty Images.

Lake Highlands High School graduate Mark Salling, better known as Noah "Puck" Puckerman of Glee, has announced that he'll be releasing a non-Glee oriented album on Oct. 12.

Pipe Dreams Announcement - Oct. 12! from Mark Salling on Vimeo.

The album, called Pipe Dreams, will be under the Universal label and contain his new single, "Higher Power."

Give it a listen and tell us what you think. Are you excited for Mark's album or should he stick to covering Neil Diamond on Glee?

It seems ridiculous, but I can honestly say that it sounds about like what I'd do if I had to pick a photo for an album cover. Rivers Cuomo of Weezer loved this photo of him and Lost's Jorge Garcia so much that he wanted it to be the album cover. Since he knew that people would end up calling it "the Hurley album," that's exactly what the album will be called: Hurley.

Read more over at Spinner. But first: Are you excited about the new Weezer album? If you were recording an album, what celebrity would you want on your album cover?

It's become a cliche to even complain about how MTV doesn't show videos anymore, so I'll spare you. All you need to know is that Lady Gaga has 13 well-deserved nominations.

However, OK Go has none. Where's the justice in that?

See the list of nominees after the jump.

After singing her heart out at her sold-out Friday show, Lady Gaga took her after party to an unusual location: the Round-Up Saloon, a western gay bar in downtown Dallas.

However, it isn't as unusual as it sounds: she's been there before. The popstar actually performed at the bar two years ago on June 14, 2008, back when she was still mostly under the radar. Even though she only performed two songs ("LoveGame" and "Just Dance") before leaving, the spot was still a location she felt worth revisiting. Plus, Gaga has always been appreciative of the support she's been given from the gay community - this was a way for her to say "thank you".

Isn't it cool to see what can happen in two short years?

Click into this blog to see her performance from two years ago.

Now this is just precious. As seen on VH1.com:

"It's one thing when fans pelt you with shoes, water bottles, coins or, in the case of Kings of Leon, lacy underthings. But when pigeons rain down black and white hell from above, well, that's just too much. The sibling band just couldn't take the assault on Friday night, when some rats-with-wings in the rafters at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in St. Louis opened fire on them."

There are plenty of snarky, poop-tastic puns I could add to the end of this, but I couldn't pick the right one. I'll leave that to you guys in the comments.

OK Go: the only thing better than their music is their music videos. From the Rube Goldberg machine in "This Too Shall Pass" to their legendary, landmark treadmill dance in "Here It Goes Again", they never fail to impress me with their creativity and respect of art.

So, amidst the craziness that is Gaga Week, I offer you a break from the hyper pop-culture in the form of OK Go's latest music video for their song, "End Love". Let the indie side of you relish in its awesomeness.

You're welcome.

You can get a ticket to Lady Gaga's July 22 concert at American Airlines Center. And all it will cost you is some of your time.

It's all courtesy of Virgin Mobile and their Free I.P. program. They are having an event tomorrow and Friday at what they're calling a "kid's camp crafting event." Volunteer there to help theater teachers make puppets for a performance at the camp. The puppets get to stay with the Homeless Education Program when the camp is done.

So you want the details, right? Volunteers must commit to helping from noon to 4 on both days. The event is at 1710 North Carroll in Dallas. You have to sign up, though, and it's only nine (9) opportunities, so get to it.

(Photo of Lady Gaga performing on the Today show by Richard Drew/The Associated Press)

Uncle Calvin's Coffeehouse is, as I've written often here, among my very favorite venues for live music. At 58, I have reached a point where bars are easily my least favorite venues for live music (with Poor David's Pub being the rare exception). But aside from that, I love the surprises, the rare finds I discover at Uncle Calvin's, which tend to surface in unexpected warm-up acts I've never seen or even heard of. Such was the case last Friday night, when I went to hear one of my favorites, Austin singer-songwriter Jimmy LaFave and his consistently amazing band (John Inmon on lead guitar, Bryan Peterson on keyboards, Glenn Scheutz on bass and Bobby Kallus on drums). It was a Woody Guthrie Festival Preview, giving listeners an appetizer of what they might hear at this weekend's annual Woody Guthrie Festival in Woody's hometown of Okemah, Okla. Appearing with Jimmy were Okemah resident Susan Herndon and native Tasmanian Audrey Auld, who emerged as the night's biggest surprise.

Photo: Audrey Auld

After Lady Gaga's exclusion from last year's Best New Artist category, most assumed the Recording Academy would change the rules before this year's ceremony. Wish granted!

Gaga was disqualified form the award because she'd been nominated the year before in a separate category, Best Dance Recording. Announced today, the rule change allows previous Grammy nominees to be eligible, as long as the artist hasn't released an entire album and doesn't win.

Kevin, Nick and Joe Jonas have shuffled their touring itinerary. So the Jonas Brothers concert originally scheduled for July 27 at Superpages.com Center has just been moved to Sept. 12. Here's the official word from the band's publicist and concert promoter Live Nation:

Jonas Brothers released today an all-new world tour schedule that now includes additional shows in both Latin America and Europe. Due to recent changes in the Jonas Brothers schedule and the addition of several international tour markets on their upcoming Live In Concert world tour, the show in Dallas scheduled for July 27th has been moved to September 12th. Tickets for this show will be honored on the new date or refunded at point of purchase.

For more information, go to www.livenation.com or www.teamjonas.com.

Photo: Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas at the Grammy Awards in January (Chris Pizzello/Associated Press).

The writing was on the wall, and now it's confirmed. According to a press release from Nettwerk Music Group, Dallas' Aug. 16 Lilith Fair festival date at Superpages.com Center has been cancelled. The all-day, all-female musical gathering featuring Sarah McLachlan, Dallas-raised Norah Jones, Sheryl Crow, Colbie Caillat, Court Yard Hounds, Miranda Lambert, Corinne Bailey Rae and many others has been experiencing the same tough time this summer with ticket sales that also plagued the multi-act Country Throwdown extravaganza, which was scheduled for June 10 at Superpages.com Center and was also cancelled.

Other Lilith Fair stops also axed according to the release are: Salt Lake City (July 12), Montreal (July 23), Raleigh (Aug. 4), Charlotte (Aug. 6), West Palm Beach (Aug. 10), Tampa (Aug. 11), Birmingham (Aug. 12), Austin (Aug. 14) and Houston (Aug. 15).

If you bought Lilith Fair tickets, go back to the point of purchase for a refund.

Photo: McLachlan in a shot from May 2010 (Chris Pizzello/Associated Press).

Those industrious SLANT 45 kids, ready to offer community service as part of the educational organization spearheaded by Angie Bulaich, community outreach manager for the Super Bowl Host Committee, will be watching Jordin Sparks' sound check Tuesday afternoon from 4 to 5 p.m. at the House of Blues. Sparks headlines a House of Blues concert Tuesday night.

Two teams consisting of a total of 14 local kids will also get to meet the American Idol winner. Those two teams are:

Team Success (11 teammates) from Frisco adopted a local nursing home and played bingo with the residents. They then returned for an art day to create pictures that told the person's life story and of their past experiences.
C.T.C. -- Cool, Talented, and Capable -- are three teammates from Arlington. They cleaned the pond near Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. The team's goal is to remove as much trash out of the pond as possible so the ducks and other animals can swim and live in a clean habitat.

Photo: Jordin Sparks in a publicity shot (Jive Records).

The July 4 A.R. Rahman show at American Airlines Center, dubbed "Jai Ho: A Journey Home," is postponed to Sept. 18. Rahman was the composer behind the music of the sweeping hit, best-picture winner and force of nature "Slumdog Millionaire." Tickets will be valid for the Sept. date, but refunds are available wherever you bought yours. If you're not sure of what to do, let Ticketmaster (800-745-3000) be your guide.

Rahman's explanation via e-mail from an AAC rep and a Rahman rep:

"As you may know, members of our tour miraculously escaped a big disaster in Detroit this past Saturday, when part of the Pontiac Silverdome infrastructure collapsed on our set. With that, we have decided to postpone the remaining dates of the North American leg of this tour and will reschedule them at a later date," Rahman said.

(Picture of A.R. Rahman by Reed Saxon/The Associated Press)

• Frontburner's Tim Rogers has been told that Russ Martin is returning to the local radio airwaves on July 12, "when The Russ Martin Show will re-debut on 97.1 The Eagle. Martin will take the morning spot, along with his entire crew from the old show, save for J.D."
• Tickets for the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee event will go on sale to the general public on Saturday, June 26, 2010, at 10 a.m. The event will feature, among other things, a celebration of Emmitt Smith and a concert from Tim McGraw.

Battle stations, everyone: Warped Tour begins tomorrow in Carson, California and will moving its way down to Dallas on July 3. A lot of big-name (and small-name) bands are making an appearance - who are you looking forward to seeing the most? Personally, I'm pretty stoked about The Rocket Summer, The All-American Rejects, and 3OH!3.

Pop fans rejoice (and pop haters despair): Lady Gaga has announced that she finished recording her new album.

The singer hinted that the album, due out early next year, will be more serious than her previous, which could either be a really good thing or a really bad thing. Either way, the tunes will be unavoidable once they hit stores - better start preparing ourselves now.

AP Photo.

Vampire Weekend has announced another round of North American tour dates. The band will be stopping in Dallas on October 6 at the Palladium Ballroom.

More information at the band's official site.

Over on the Arts Blog, I've got the scoop on two-for-one deals that Ticketmaster is posting on Tuesdays. This week's batch includes Hole's upcoming show at the House of Blues.

The photo of Hole frontwoman Courtney Love's by Katy Winn of the AP.

Ready or not, Dallas' Erykah Badu is in concert Monday night at Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie. She's bringing with her opening acts Janelle Monae and B.o.B. Follow me on Twitter @MarioTarradell for play by play thoughts and info on the show. It should be a memorable evening of soulful music.

Oh, and of course, come back here after the Badu musical experience and tell me what you thought of the performance.

Photo: The always striking Badu performs in New York June 7 (Brian Harkin/The New York Times).

Calling all young musicians!

"Rock Camp" is back for its second year with Kidd Kraddick in the Morning and the bar has been raised. Last year's band "One Week" was coached by Justin Bieber. In the seven days of Rock Camp, the band recorded a single, a video, and wrapped up the week opening for The Fray.

Kraddick is once again on the hunt for talented teen musicians. The morning show will be reviewing entries until June 25th from all musicians between 8-17 who sing, play guitar, bass, keyboards, or drums.

Video auditions are hosted through You Tube and entrants are required to register on Kiddlive.com. Live auditions will be held in Dallas for the finalists. Those chosen must agree to be in Dallas for two weeks starting July 15th.

Live Nation today announced "No Service Fee June" with the elimination of service fees on nearly 8 million tickets, more than 700 shows and 110 artists at all 50 Live Nation owned and operated amphitheaters for the entire month of June.

"A fan in every seat is our mission this summer," said Michael Rapino, President and CEO of Live Nation. "We know that's tough in this economy, so it's our job to find a way to make concerts more affordable. Starting June 1, Live Nation and the world's top artists are offering live music fans the experience of seeing their favorite bands with no service fees on more than 8 million tickets at LiveNation.com."

Tickets for "No Service Fee June," available only at LiveNation.com kicks-off Tuesday, June 1, 2010 at 12:01am ET and will remain in effect until 11:59 pm ET, Wednesday, June 30.

For a complete list of all artists, venues and on sale dates, please visit www.LiveNation.com.
This offer is available only at Live Nation amphitheaters in the U.S. and Canada including the following concerts at Superpages.com Center:

The June 10 Superpages.com Center date of the multi-act tour Country Throwdown has been cancelled, confirmed Live Nation officials Friday. Also chopped off the itinerary are stops in Houston (June 9), San Diego (June 17) and Phoenix (June 18). The Country Throwdown trek features performances by Montgomery Gentry, Jack Ingram, Eli Young Band, Jamey Johnson, Little Big Town and many others.

The reason for the cancellation of all four dates: "Low tickets sales and too many shows competing with one another," says tour producer Kevin Lyman in a prepared statement. "We are trying to bring a festival style tour with 21 artists, at a reasonable and fair ticket price (average ticket cost $31), but because most markets are currently flooded with shows, we end up cannibalizing one another and someone ends up with lower ticket sales."

If you bought a ticket for Country Throwdown, go back to where you purchased it and get a refund.

Photo: Denton's Eli Young Band in a 2009 publicity shot (Kristin Barlowe).

So Willie Nelson parlays a haircut into a street name. According to Sarah Coppola of the Austin American-Statesman, part of Austin's Second Street will be renamed Willie Nelson Boulevard. The tribute to one of the Texas capitol's most beloved longtime residents was approved by the Austin City Council today.

"The city will install Willie Nelson Boulevard signs this summer at every block along Second Street from Trinity Street to San Antonio Street," writes Coppola. "The formal name, mailing addresses and street signs for Second Street will stay the same, but residents and businesses along the street will be able to receive mail using the Willie Nelson Boulevard address, said Mayor Lee Leffingwell, who proposed the idea."

Oh, as if that isn't enough of an honor for the Lone Star music legend, the nonprofit group Capital Area Statues is fundraising to erect a life-size statue of the famed red-headed stranger in front of the new Austin City Limits studio.

Photo: Willie performing in Maui earlier this month (Jessica Pearl/Associated Press).

Well, you can't call him the braided red-headed stranger anymore. Texas music icon Willie Nelson cut off his signature long hair within the last couple of weeks, confirms his publicist Elaine Schock. What we have left is a page-like coif that's certainly much more manageable for the 77-year-old artist.

Naturally, Willie's haircut was the biggest piece of follicle news, um, perhaps ever. Can you think of a more famous do? Even the late Farrah Fawcett kept her celebrated mane until the very end of her life.

Schock has said this about Willie's long braids: "There's a lot of maintenance." Seems that at his age, Willie just didn't want to be bothered anymore. Who could blame him? He's still a man on the go. No hair should stand in his way.

Photo: The newly shorn Willie Nelson performing with his son Micah Nelson's band, The Reflectacles, last Saturday at Charley's in Maui, Hawaii (Jessica Pearl/Associated Press).

"Not this year" could be pop singer Christina Aguilera's new motto. Her entire previously announced 2010 summer tour, which included a stop Aug. 10 at Superpages.com Center, has been shuffled over to 2011.

The official reason is this: "Christina Aguilera's summer tour has been moved to 2011 due to prior commitments that the singer had made to her film Burlesque and to the promotion of her new album Bionic. The singer felt she needed more time to rehearse the show and with less than a month between the album release and tour date this wasn't possible. New dates will be announced later this year."

If you bought tickets, go back to the point of purchase for a refund.

Photo: Xtina performs during The Oprah Winfrey Show live from Radio City Music Hall on May 7 in New York (Evan Agostini/Associated Press).

Back in the day when collecting music was a thrilling mission, I would fixate on a few cherished items (a cool vinyl picture disc, a long out-of-print CD, a nifty colored vinyl 45) and scour every record meet I heard about for that and more. Record meets, for the uninitiated, usually take place in a hotel banquet room. You pay a nominal admission price and get to roam from table to table as you peruse through the stashes several vendors are hoping to sell. If you find something you must have, you can even negotiate a good price. OK, sometimes. Anyway, record meets are not dead.

Richard Quintana of Missing Link Records is making sure of that. His Spring Music and Memorabilia Show takes place this Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Best Western Dallas, Conference Center, 8051 LBJ Freeway (on the corner of Coit Rd and LBJ Freeway). Admission is $2. Early bird entrance, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., is $5. Children 12 and under get in free.

The event will have a special guest, John Pickering of The Picks, the American vocal trio that backed Buddy Holly on nine tunes he recorded in 1957 on Brunswick Records. Pickering will sign autographs, chat, and pose for pictures.

I hope to be there. Maybe I'll find another musical treasure that will take me back to those carefree days of record collecting. Ah, the memories.

Need more info? Call or email Richard Quintana at 972-740-5187 or missinglinkrecords@yahoo.com.

Photo: Troy Maben/Associated Press.

That's right. 2011. The Lady G sold out both July dates in Dallas, so it makes sense that she would tour again next year. She will return to Dallas on March 14, 2011.

However, tickets go on sale next week. My reaction: "That's crazy! What?!"

Yes, tickets for next year's Lady Gaga concert go on sale May 26 at 10 a.m. at LiveNation.com. Get 'em while they're a year early, I guess.

Will you be headed to Austin on Oct. 8 - 10 to see newly-announced ACL artists M.I.A., The Strokes, Spoon, Vampire Weekend, The Temper Trap, The Eagles, Flaming Lips, and The National, among others?

I know I might have to buy a weekend pass. Click through for the complete list.

The death of heavy metal legend Ronnie James Dio -- he died Sunday at 67 of stomach cancer -- not only sheds a glowing light on his vast and varied career, it also underscores how beloved he was. Dio fronted a handful of notable metal outfits such as Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio and Heaven & Hell. He was also an all-around nice guy, judging from the outpouring of praise showered on him by members of Twisted Sister and Metallica, to name a few.

For the man whose powerful, expansive vocals sang about the honorable fight between good and evil, Twisted Sister guitarist Jay Jay French has this to say: "He possessed one of the greatest voices in all of heavy metal, and had a heart to match it. He was the nicest, classiest person you would ever want to meet."

Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich went one step further. He wrote a most heartfelt love letter to Ronnie James Dio on the Metallica website that recounts him meeting Dio at an Elf concert in 1975 when Ulrich was an impressionable 11-year-old with a rock 'n' roll dream. He ends his note with these poignant words: "Ronnie, your voice impacted and empowered me, your music inspired and influenced me, and your kindness touched and moved me. Thank you."

Photo: Ronnie James Dio during a 2007 Nokia Theatre performance in Grand Prairie (Ben Sklar/DMN).

Dallas' cool new wave quartet Black Tie Dynasty has reunited, confirms Erv Karwelis of Dallas' Idol Records, the label that launched the group. Here's what Erv writes in a media release:

We are happy to announce that Black Tie Dynasty will reunite for a special July 3rd concert with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts at Elgin B. Robertson Park in Rowlett, TX (I-30 and Dalrock Rd.) The event is part of a three-day music festival "Que Fest." General admission tickets are $8.00. For more info and to buy tickets, go to http://www.rowlettexchangeclub.org/

Black Tie Dynasty, consisting of Cory Watson (vocals and guitar), Eddie Thomas (drums), Blake McWhorter (bass) and Brian McCorquodale (keyboards, synthesizers and vocals), abruptly called it quits January 27, 2009 after releasing two full-length CDs, 2005's Movements and 2008's Down Like Anyone. Perhaps this reunion will convince the guys to complete that planned third disc, which had been at least in the thinking stages once Down Like Anyone was released.

Photo: BTD in a 2008 publicity shot -- Left to right: Thomas, McWhorter, McCorquodale and Watson (Jill Johnson).

Today, Summit Entertainment used MySpace (Seriously?) to reveal the artists contributing to the The Twilight Saga: Eclipse soundtrack.

Before you guys eviscerate me for a betrayal of all that is cool, I have to admit to loving the soundtracks this franchise puts together. Muse? Grizzly Bear? Thom Yorke? You have to admit that, as far as indie compilations go, the Twilight soundtracks are pretty awesome.

So here's the equally-impressive list of Eclipse songs:

1. Metric - "Eclipse (All Yours)"

2. Muse - "Neutron Star Collision (Love Is Forever)"

3. The Bravery - "Ours"

4. Florence + The Machine - "Heavy In Your Arms"

5. Sia - "My Love"

6. Fanfarlo - "Atlas"

7. The Black Keys - "Chop And Change"

8. The Dead Weather - "Rolling In On A Burning Tire"

9. Beck and Bat For Lashes - "Let's Get Lost"

10. Vampire Weekend - "Jonathan Low"

11. UNKLE - "With You In My Head (featuring The Black Angels)"

12. Eastern Conference Champions - "A Million Miles An Hour"

13. Band Of Horses - "Life On Earth"

14. Cee-Lo Green - "What Part Of Forever"

15. Howard Shore - "Jacob's Theme"

The soundtrack is released on June 8.

Guest blogger Angela Wilson has a post on the Arts Blog profiling A Hard Day's Night, a Beatles cover band playing this weekend at the Wildflower Arts and Music Festival in Richardson.

Beatle fans will appreciate that A Hard Night's Day has played at the Cavern Club, the Kaiserkeller in Hamburg, and recorded in Abbey Road Studios in Studio 2. This makes them a bona fide "tribute" band with clout. With a catalog of over 200 songs, they are at the top of the heap- so much so that Allan Williams, self-proclaimed original manager of the Beatles, introduced A Hard Night's Day in Liverpool's Town Hall once during Beatle Week and gave them a "9 out of 10" rating.

For most of us around here, though, A Hard Night's Day also brings back fond memories of Club Dada in its heyday.

Read more

Dallas native and Disney Channel star Demi Lovato will open for fellow Dallasites, the Jonas Brothers, on Tuesday, July 27 at the Superpages.com Center. Adding to the intrigue? Lovato is currently dating Joe Jonas.

I'm not ashamed to say that I loved Lovato's last album, Here We Go Again. I pretty much jammed to it all last summer. But would I brave the inevitable crowd of screaming Jonas fans to see her? Also... has Justin Bieber stolen the JoBros' thunder?

Tickets go on sale Saturday, May 15 at 10 a.m.

Those of us who came of age listening to Jackson Browne feel lucky any time he ventures into Texas -- which he will Aug. 13 when he appears at the Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie. The Nokia show promises to be deliciously different, however, since Browne will have with him not only his full band but also 1970s musical sidekick David Lindley. Those who don't know of Lindley and his mastery with almost any instrument you can stick in front of him don't know what they've missed. He remains one of the world's most accomplished session musicians and a force in international music, along with his musical soul brother Ry Cooder. Lindley's haunting fiddle added so much depth and beauty to Browne's classic elegy "For a Dancer." His slide guitar powered the original live recording of "Running On Empty," so much so that no recording or playing of it since has ever sounded quite as good.

Photo: Jackson Browne and David Lindley on the cover of Love Is Strange

The Cherokee Creek Music Festival is the brainchild of Dallas energy executive Kelcy Warren, the CEO of Energy Transfer Partners. Formed in 2007, Cherokee Crossroads Inc. is designed to "raise money for children's charities and local public service organizations by hosting an annual music festival in the Texas Hill Country." This year's beneficiaries include Children's Medical Center of Dallas, the Ronald McDonald House of Dallas, Shriner's Hospital for Children, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. The performers ain't half-bad either. A "sponsors only" concert debuts Thursday night, May 13, with music by the Eagles-like band Stonehoney, followed by country music star Pat Green. The open-to-the-general-public part swings into full gear Friday night, May 14, with performances by Jimmy LaFave and Delbert McClinton. Saturday, May 15, is chock full of acts, starting at noon, when terrific young songwriter John Fullbright shows the crowd why it's fitting that he hails from the same hometown as Woody Guthrie (Okemah, Okla.), followed by a full agenda featuring Sam Baker, Kevin Welch and headliner Robert Earl Keen, among others. For information, visit www.cherokeecreekmusicfestival.com.

Photo: Robert Earl Keen

Phil Collins is coming to Dallas on May 10 -- in an event presented by the Dallas Historical Society. Turns out that the British rocker has a major interest in the Alamo, and according to the folks at the DHS, he "is believed to own the largest private collection of Alamo artifacts in the world. Basically in semi-retirement so he can be with his young children at their home in Switzerland, Collins spends much of his time in Alamo-related projects."

The Dallas appearance is on May 10 at 6:30 p.m. at the Hall of State in Fair Park. He'll discuss his life, family, career and Alamo collection. Tickets cost $50 ($150 for VIP seating and a reception). More info here. Guess it's not just rappers who love Phil Collins (have you ever noticed how many of them say they admire him in interviews?)--now we can add historians to the list.

The photo's from the AP, by Axel Heimken.

Sad news: Poison frontman Bret Michaels is in the hospital in critical condition with a brain hemorrhage, The Washington Post and the San Francisco Chronicle are reporting today. Apparently Michaels had an "excruciating headache" and was later rushed to ICU Thursday night.

Michaels, 47, is best known for a slew of Poison hits including "Talk Dirty to Me" and "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" and most recently for his turn as a reality TV star on Celebrity Apprentice and other shows.

Best wishes going his way.

Photo: Bret Michaels in January 2010 (Dan Steinberg/Associated Press).

Local blues-rockers Jonathan Tyler & the Northern Lights will tear it up at Good Records Monday during a CD release performance and signing. The band, fronted by the passionate and wiry Tyler, celebrates the arrival of its major-label debut, Pardon Me, with a show at 9 p.m. followed by a CD signing session at 10 p.m. If you buy Pardon Me at Good Records you'll get a limited edition poster that the band will autograph as well.

Pardon Me is a scorching, stunning blues-rock opus that sounds like the Black Crowes' seminal Shake Your Money Maker updated for 2010. It's a must-have disc for anybody that appreciates hearty, bluesy rock 'n' roll played with utmost fire and integrity. And if you haven't seen JT&NL live, well, mere words cannot do them justice. This band explodes onstage. It needs to be witnessed, not recounted.

Photo: Jonathan Tyler blazing the Maggie Mae's stage at SXSW last month (Nathan Hunsinger/DMN).

Dallasite Erykah Badu, the subject of much talk lately, has set her tour dates, according to Billboard. She'll perform at the newly renamed Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie (at least that's what the Web site says, more on that later) on June 14. The "Out of My Mind, Just in Time" tour will concentrate on amphitheaters and halls. She's bringing along all her folks, with N.E.R.D. (high-energy); Bilal (a dash of Prince); Janelle Monae (another singular singer); and The Roots drummer Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson all scheduled for the tour.

She'll also play Lollapalooza in August in Chicago, some Lilith Fair dates and some dates with Maxwell (not here).

For the full tour list, click here.

(Erykah Badu signs CDs at Good Records earlier this month. Photo by staff photographer Courtney Perry)

From summer to fall: The Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers concert scheduled for May 15 at Superpages.com Center has been rescheduled to Sept. 21 at the same venue, according to his publicist. Tickets already purchased for the original date will be honored at the new date. If you need a refund, go back to where you bought the tickets. For more info, check out his Live Nation page.

The reason for the switcharoo? Petty re-routed the first 10 dates of his current tour to accommodate the release of the upcoming Mojo CD, which arrives June 15.

Photo: Petty performing at American Airlines Center in 2008 (Guy Reynolds/DMN).

There's a post over on the Stadium Blog about the possible performers during halftime at Super Bowl XLV, to be held right here in our little ol' Cowboys Stadium.

According to the post:

Country star Kenny Chesney has been rumored to be lobbying for the gig. A few other names have popped up: the (semi) retired Garth Brooks, the soon-to-be-retired Brooks and Dunn, the singer turned actor Tim McGraw and Parrothead Jimmy Buffett. The non-country Bon Jovi has also turned up in the rumor mills.

Last time I asked you guys for your opinions, you flooded the blog with responses. So let's hear from you again - which of these musicicans would make you proud performing at the Super Bowl?