Playlist

Adorable gymnast-turned-singer Carly Patterson (who's from Allen) was just added to the musical lineup at Fair Park Fourth. The program will also feature the Dallas Wind Symphony, the Hellcats bugle and drum ensemble from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and baritone Alvy Powell. It's July 4 at 8 p.m. at the Cotton Bowl in Fair Park before the fireworks and the whole thing's free.

Yes, I was there. Yes, the JoBros put on a cool show Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. Read what I thought of the concert, which opened the Westlake-based sibling trio's 2009 world tour, here. I also want to once again mention how impressed I was with Jordin Sparks, who came off so full of talent, earthiness and sexy sass without being all sexed-up. She did it with class. Honor Society, the unsigned New York City band that have been plucked out of obscurity by the Jonas Brothers and given a head-spinning golden opportunity, were fun, too.

Were you there? What did you think of the gig?

PHOTO: The JoBros in action Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium (Tom Fox/DMN).

Here's a concert with a cause. Thursday's Santigold show at House of Blues is presented by Bono's (RED)NIGHTS campaign and Live Nation. What that means is that a portion of the proceeds will go directly to the Global Fund. This concert is just one of 26 in the U.S. helping fight AIDS in Africa. Other artists who will turn one of their upcoming concerts (RED) include Katy Perry, Gomez, O.A.R., Fall Out Boy, Lisa Hannigan, The Veronicas, Matisyahu and The All-American Rejects. So far, Santigold's show is the only D-FW one, but the (RED)NIGHTS concert series Web site hasn't listed a date or location for Fall Out Boy and The All-American Rejects yet, so that might change.

Brad Paisley and his American Saturday Night tour will stop at Superpages.com Center On Sept. 12. Dierks Bentley and Jimmy Wayne will also be on the tour date.

Tickets can be bought at Live Nation and go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. They are $26 for the lawn, and $31 and $55.75 for reserved seats.

Get ready for some new House of Blues shows, just announced today.

Here's your list:

Kiki Melendez's Hot Tamales Live on Sunday, Aug. 2
Atmosphere on Thursday, Aug. 6
The Footprint in Hip-Hop Tour featuring Method Man & Redman and Ghostface Killa on Saturday, Aug. 8
Collective Soul, Wednesday Sept. 2
Mitchell Musso, Tuesday Sept. 22
The Airborne Toxic Event, Wednesday Sept. 30

See ya at The Footprint in Hip-Hop Tour show.

Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp are touring minor-league ballparks this summer, and the tour stops Aug. 7 at Quik Trip Park in Grand Prairie, home of the AirHogs.

And now, we get news that the Wiyos will join the fun for 28 dates of the tour. The purveyors of traditional American music have been consistently touring for six years now.

And then they got the invite to join the legends on tour. It's a good day to be a member of the Wiyos, huh? The group's new CD, Broken Land Bell, will be released on July 13.

Willie also plans to release a CD this summer. It'll be filled with standards and called American Classic.

All tickets are general admission and $67.50. All children under the age of 14, though, can get in free. To quote John, "Ain't that America"?

(Photo by Bill Waugh)

Whenever a CD surfaces in this office with the name Jackson Browne on it, I'm usually the one who ends up with it. I've been an ardent fan of Jackson's since 1972, when he released his debut album Jackson Browne. No, its title is not Saturate Before Using, even though everyone seems to think so. (I have him to back me up.) So, a DVD screener ended up in my mailbox this week of the upcoming episode of Soundstage on PBS. Soundstage booked Browne to be the inaugural guest of its summer season, which debuts on KERA-TV (Channel 13) at 10 p.m. Thursday and in high definition. Fans hoping to hear a bunch of old stuff might walk away disappointed (though he does sing "Doctor My Eyes"). He sings a bunch of tunes from his fine new album Time the Conqueror, which makes lavish use of his terrific backup band: Mark Goldenberg on lead guitar, Mauricio Lewak on drums, Jeff Young on keyboards and Kevin McCormick on bass. But the two newest additions to Browne's band are what make his current national tour and the summer debut of Soundstage so memorable. (Please click below to read on!)

Photo: Jackson Browne performing in 2004 at Music City Texas Theater in Linden

Lil Wayne seems to be on track to become a touring moneymaker purely through sheer volume, this time stopping at Superpages.com Center on Aug. 23.

He's bringing along Drake, Soulja Boy, Young Jeezy, Jeremih and Pleasure P. No R&B softening the mood this time. Gates are scheduled to open at 5:30, with the show beginning at 6:30.

Tickets, priced from $29.75 for the lawn and $59.75 and $79.75 reserved, go on sale Saturday at 10 through Live Nation. Get in there quick: A four-pack of lawn seats cost only $99 while supplies last.

(Photo of Lil Wayne performing at American Airlines Center in December 2008 by Mike Fuentes/Special Contributor)

Rascal Flatts brought its Unstoppable Tour to Superpages.com on Saturday, and Gary LeVox and team rocked the full house. Starting the show with a fireworks and video extravaganza so elaborate that most acts would CLOSE with it, Rascal Flatts kicked things off with the perfectly appropriate "Summer Nights" from their recently released Unstoppable CD, from which they also played the No. 1 single "Here Comes Goodbye" and the lovely ballad "Love Who You Love." The audience showed the most love for old favorites -- hearing the audience singing along to "Bless the Broken Road" in what seemed like perfect harmony would have melted the most cynical soul.

As good as Rascal Flatts was, the group was matched by opening act Darius Rucker, who sang songs from his hit country album, but also gave the audience a couple of gems from his Hootie & the Blowfish days: "Let Her Cry" and "Only Wanna Be With You." He also came back for the RF encores, with both acts singing Hootie's "Hold My Hand" and RF's "Life Is a Highway." It was a high, all right -- a near-perfect concert experience for a muggy June evening. By the end of the concert, I didn't even care about the sauna-like conditions. I would've been happy to stay there another couple of hours.

For the full review, go here on Sunday afternoon.

David Allan Coe's House of Blues concert, scheduled for this Saturday, has been rescheduled for Thursday, July 23.

Tickets will be good for the new date. If you can't make the new date, though, you can get a refund wherever you bought your tickets.

Today we have a story on local hip-hop duo DMG$ (a.k.a. Damaged Goods) possibly leaving the States for Europe, where they see better chances on making it.

It's a little sad to hear that they want to take their brilliance elsewhere. I got a copy of their CD Hello World when it came out in early March, and I recommend picking it up if you haven't yet. It's like listening to your favorite party mix, but this one you can actually rap along to and you'll want to with its fun and real lyrics. The album, produced with the help of England's Xrabit, reminds me of Mike Monday's Songs Without Words (especially DMG$'s track "Are We Friends") and a little bit of Black Eyed Peas.

If you're 21 or older, catch DMG$ live at 8 tonight at The Lounge in Deep Ellum (2810 Elm St.). Dallas booking operation Parade of Flesh presents the guys plus a couple of other acts performing.

If you missed her in the spring, Britney Spears' "Circus" tour will be coming back to Dallas on Sept. 18.

AEG Live announced today the second North American leg of Spear's tour, which started March 3 in New Orleans. So we get a spring and a fall Britney. I wonder if the costumes will change to suit the weather ...

Tickets go on sale Friday, June 19, at 10 a.m. through Ticketmaster.

(Photo by Rachel Parker)

I spent the morning hanging out with The Jonas Brothers at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. OK, it's not like the JoBros and myself are buds or anything, but I did interview them in person at the venue shortly after a press conference to announce the kickoff of the group's upcoming tour. That show is, of course, June 20 at Cowboys Stadium. Anyway, expect a cool triple-octagon, in-the-round stage, lasers, lights, a 360-degree crane that takes the brothers out over the crowd, and opening acts Jordin Sparks and Honor Society.

"We want this show to feel really interactive with the fans," Kevin Jonas told a small crowd of reporters, photographers and cameramen. "We hope they go home happy," added Joe Jonas.

Oh, one more piece of news: The sibling trio's fourth studio album, Lines, Vines and Trying Times, will be released June 16. Kevin Jonas says it will feature a horn section, a "funk feel" and rapper Common on one track.

Look for my full story on The Jonas Brothers in GuideDaily soon.

Photo: From left to right -- Joe, Nick and Kevin Jonas (Disney Channel).

T-shirt watching is a pastime of mine. I like seeing and reading what's on them and who's wearing them. I get a kick out of it. During the stage set change from Lee Ann Womack into Blake Shelton two members of Shelton's road crew caught my eye. One had on a black T that said "Blake Shelton Crew." Obvious, right? So far so good. Then another guy had a Foreigner Agent Provocateur tour shirt. Hmm...that one made me stare. Agent Provocateur is Foreigner's fifth studio album. It was released in 1984 and is best known for featuring the sought-after, gospel-tinged ballad "I Want to Know What Love Is." I thought "how cool" and "how odd" almost at the same time. Would love to know the back story of that guy's torso attire.

Cowboys Stadium in Arlington makes its debut as a Dallas-Fort Worth music venue Saturday with a concert from George Strait, Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton and Julianne Hough. Our music critic Mario Tarradell did a nice write-up on the importance of these country singers and their futures in the business.

For Dallas ticket-holders, traffic shouldn't be much of a problem. The Tom Landry Highway (I-30 Westbound) HOV lane will be open between 2:30 and 7pm just for this concert, which begins at 5:30 pm. The lane will be open eastbound from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday.

Remember, these lanes are only for vehicles with two or more persons or motorcycles. Pickups are welcome, but leave the trailers at home, requests DART officials.

What a refreshing show. Canadian rocker Bryan Adams brought his acoustic guitars, a harmonica and a piano player -- that's it -- to his acoustic tour that stopped Wednesday night at the beautiful Majestic Theatre. Before a full house, a very enthusiastic crowd, Adams delivered more than two hours of passionate playing and singing. He did just about every song you'd expect, including a few from his underrated newest CD, 2008's 11. Most enjoyable was how much Adams seemed to relish this setup. Performing acoustically in small theaters, he said, gave him a chance to rediscover his songs. Clearly the man's repertoire is filled with well-crafted, rock-meets-pop tunes that have been the soundtrack for a generation. Highlights were plenty, but I'm partial to four numbers. "Run to You," which opened the gig, was the perfect beginning. The crowd was instantly clapping out the song's beat and Adams was full-throttle from the get-go. A while later we got "Cuts Like a Knife" and "Summer of '69." The former is a sing-along gem about the pleasure and pain of love. The latter remains an anthem about the freedom of youth. Then there's "Heaven," without a doubt the best ballad in Adams' bag of staples.

For a full review of the Bryan Adams show, go to dallasnews.com/entertainment/music Thursday or pick up GuideDaily Friday.

Photo: Adams in the groove at the Majestic (Lara Solt/DMN).

Nobody would accuse No Doubt of delivering deep thinking songs. This is the band that gave us "Hey Baby" and "Hella Good," two infectious party tunes designed solely for the purpose of fun. But there was something almost anthem-like about the way Gwen Stefani and her band performed "Just a Girl" before a sold-out crowd Saturday night at Superpages.com Center. Stefani, the only female in a stage full of men, showed us her muscles, then dropped to the floor for a round of push-ups. She roared through the frenetic, loud, ska-punk staple like she was in charge. Before long she had the women and the men in the audience chanting the hook. Stefani's message came through crystal clear: Don't mess with this girl. Stefani and company are back on the road for the first No Doubt tour in five years. There's no new CD to promote -- that should come in 2010 -- just a celebration of the California group's radio-heavy repertoire. The group put on a 90 minute stint after sets from opening acts the Sounds and Paramore. Jumping (during "Bathwater") and swaying (during the reggae-spiced "Underneath It All") kept the masses moving. That's just the way Stefani wanted it. The activity on the platform was constant from everybody, even shirtless drummer Adrian Young with his spiked blond hair and black lipstick. It was cool to see trumpet and trombone used on "Excuse Me Mr." And "Ex-Girlfriend" all but encapsulated the No Doubt sound, a totally hyper mixture of ska, new wave and punk.

For the entire No Doubt concert review, go to dallasnews.com/entertainment/music Sunday or pick up GuideDaily Monday.

Photo: Stefani performs on NBC-TV's Today show earlier this month (Richard Drew).

When it comes to music, we all have our favorites. And Jimmy LaFave has rapidly become one of mine. I first heard his name a few years back from Abby Goldstein, whom I've never had the pleasure of meeting. Abby once hosted a dynamite show on KERA-FM (90.1) called Lone Star Saturday Night. She played LaFave, Robert Earl Keen, Billy Joe Shaver, Lisa Loeb, Rhett Miller, The Derailers, Slaid Cleaves, Guy Clark and many other Texas heavyweights. I was driving around on a rainy night when I first heard her play LaFave's terrific cover of "Walk Away Renée," a hit single in 1966 by The Left Banke. Judging by the way he handles it, only LaFave was meant to record that song. Sadly, Abby moved to New England in 2006, spelling the end of Lone Star Saturday Night. I have since learned, however, that LaFave makes frequent trips to North Texas for live shows, one of which he performed Thursday night at a gorgeous little venue next to the pool at the Belmont Hotel in Oak Cliff. (Please click below to read on!)

Photo: Jimmy LaFave and John Inmon during a past show at Bend Studio in Dallas

I hadn't heard of Dallas native Becky Middleton until her debut CD was sent my way a couple of weeks ago. But she's not new to the scene. She has been singing and playing piano for such bands as the Jeff Berry Band, and Tim Ward Band over the last five years.

So much of her first solo venture, No Trouble, reminds me of Jewel's 1998 Spirit, but it's not fair to peg Ms. Middleton to just that. Becky is a true talent who can take on almost any genre, be it folk ("You Never Speak"), country ("There's No You (Austin)" and "You're a Stone"), rock, soul or blues ("Lost My Heart"). And she proves all that on this album. She's a singer-songwriter who understands the power of soft, clean, innocent and emotional melodies and lyrics. And her range is worthy of applause. Seriously, you should hear me try to sing along in the car - there's no reaching those high notes for me, but oh how I try because that's just how much her music overpowers me.

I'd have to say my favorite track on the 11-song disc is the catchy "Abilene, Tx," especially when the full band kicks in. I could easily see that song extended past its 3 minutes, 20 seconds and not mind one bit. I just wander around, with my feet on the ground ...

Dallas musician Carter Albrecht was accidentally shot and killed by his neighbor, who thought he was a burglar, on Sept. 3, 2007. The 34-year-old guitarist and keyboardist was best known for his work with Dallas rock band Sorta, as well as Edie Brickell & New Bohemians.

Seventy-five percent of Jesus Is Alive ... And Living In London was complete when Albrecht was killed. But according to CBS 11's story, the musician's father, Ken Albrecht, couldn't let it remain unfinished. With the help of New Bohemians' Edie Brickell and "some of the best producers and musicians in Los Angeles," the CD's background music was completed and released today. All proceeds from sales will go to the Carter Albrecht Music Foundation.

Tonight at 6pm there will be a CD listening party at Bryan Street Tavern (4315 Bryan St., Dallas), and check out the official CD release concert at the Granada Theater at 8 pm tomorrow, May 27.

Maxwell announced the dates of his North American tour today, and sadly, Dallas isn't on it. Yet.

The closest he'll come on this just-announced list of shows in Austin. I'm telling you, it'll be worth the drive. An exquisite showman and a chills-inducing singer, Maxwell catapulted back into sight with his new single, "Pretty Wings."

GRAND PRAIRIE - Jennifer Hudson has an amazing voice. That's the good news. That's also the bad news. It's bad only in the sense that she could damage it if she isn't careful. Remember that her concert Thursday night at Nokia Theatre had to be rescheduled twice because she strained her vocal cords during this tour and had to rest her pipes. And folks, onstage Hudson doesn't hold back. Before an enthusiastic crowd that also seemed to enjoy trek mate Robin Thicke's earlier set, J-Hud was full throttle from the get-go. Almost immediately she let loose an avalanche of lung power during "We Gon' Fight" and "You Pulled Me Through," two uplifting manifestos. Before her hour was up, the Grammy-winning Hudson was sassy fun during "Pocketbook," which had her waving around a red purse and strutting for the audience. She was oh so soulful during "If This Isn't Love" and "Spotlight," a sunny, danceable slice of old-school R&B if ever there was one. But wow, the encore. You know what it was, the tour-de-force "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going" from her Oscar-winning performance in Dreamgirls. She still sings the song with her entire body. Those notes seem to emerge from the deepest regions of her being.

For a full review of the Jennifer Hudson and Robin Thicke concert go to dallasnews.com/entertainment/music Friday or GuideDaily Saturday.

Photo: J-Hud doing her thing Thursday night at Nokia (Ben Torres/Special to the DMN).

And in the case of, well, you knew it was going to happen but you were hoping for the best, Michael Jackson has postponed his shows at London's O2 Arena, according to Billboard.

Of course, he's only canceling the first four. So, that's something. Refunds will be given to anyone who can't make the rescheduled shows. Sigh. I hope this doesn't portend anything else wrong with the shows or the showstopper.

The first show, which was supposed to be July 8 has been pushed back five nights to July 13. The other shows have been moved to March 2010. I guess that comeback got stuck in neutral.

(Photo by Joel Ryan/The Associated Press)

We weren't able to attend Kenny Chesney's big "Thank you, Dallas" party-concert at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco tonight. If you were, we'd love to hear what you thought about it, especially if you attended the May 2 drown-out and returned for this free concert. Was it dry? Was it rowdy? Did he have you at hello? Discuss.

PHOTO by Matt Nager/Special Contributor: Kenny Chesney at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco on May 2.

September is going to rock.

Elvis Costello & the Sugarcanes are coming to Nokia Theatre on Sept. 2. The group's first album together, Secret, Profane, and Sugarcane, will be out June 2. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Monday through Ticketmaster.

P!nk's current Funhouse Tour has gone so great that she's added six more stops, including American Airlines Center on Sept. 23. Expect lots of costumes.

And Blink-182 has launched a 50-date North American tour that hits Dallas on Sept. 24 at Superpages.com Center. The punk-rock band hasn't toured since 2004. You can get these tickets starting May 30 at livenation.com.

Get ready for the masses! Teen pop-country sensation Taylor Swift brings her Fearless Tour Sept. 25 to American Airlines Center, it was announced today. Tickets go on sale May 22 at 10 a.m. at all Ticketmaster outlets. Swift's trek obviously supports her mega-successful sophomore album, Fearless, the follow-up to her career launching debut, the 3-million-selling Taylor Swift. The singer-songwriter's opening acts are American Idol alum Kellie Pickler and new country group Gloriana. According to her Nashville publicist, Swift's concert will feature "graphics, sets and visual elements designed by Taylor herself." Get ready for the masses, folks!

Photo: Taylor in red (Jae C. Hong).

OK folks, take a deep breath. That Jennifer Hudson and Robin Thicke concert at Nokia Theatre in Grand Prairie has been rescheduled yet again. It is now May 21. The Oscar- and Grammy-winning J-Hud has been ordered by her doctor to go on vocal rest because of strain found on her vocal cords. So naturally it's been a logistical nightmare rerouting the tour. Tickets for the original May 7 date will be honored May 21. Those of you that made plans to attend the show May 16 (the first rescheduled date) now need to plan on May 21. Tickets are still available through Ticketmaster.

PHOTO: Hang on, folks, J-Hud is coming! (Charles Sykes)

Here's a bit of music news from our golf writer, Bill Nichols:

Country singer Jack Ingram will kick off Memorial Day weekend at the HP Byron Nelson Championship with a May 22 performance. The concert is scheduled to start at 8:30 p.m. in the Pavilion at the Four Seasons Resort and Club at Las Colinas. Jockersdeck will open at 7 p.m.

The show will be free to all ticket and badge holders at the May 21-24 tournament. Tickets will be sold at the tournament's main entrance and on Ticketmaster.com. Ingram, who attended SMU, won the Academy of Country Music's Top New Male Vocalist award last year.

The Nelson's "Pavilion After Dark" post-play entertainment series features concerts after the first three rounds. Emerald City will play on May 21 (7:30) and Professor D will perform on May 23, starting at 5:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.hpbnc.org.

Photo: Jack Ingram (Courtesy of Big Machine Records).

UPDATE: Both Nokia Theatre and Ticketmaster's Web sites indicate the concert has been rescheduled for Saturday, May 16. Your tickets for Thursday's show will be honored. Call Ticketmaster for any questions: 214-373-8000 or 972-647-5700.

Yahoo.com reports:

Jennifer Hudson is taking a break this week from her national tour with Robin Thicke. Doctors are said to be treating her for a throat condition related to her singing.

Last night's stop in Oakland, Calif., was postponed until May 19. This week's concerts in Dallas and Houston have also been rescheduled for later dates, according to Thicke's rep."
Read more.

I'm still all pumped from Saturday's Dave Matthews Band concert, so I know you guys are probably shaking in your seats waiting to use your hot concert tickets this summer. Guide has issued their top picks for summer concerts May through August. I asked GuideLiveMusic's Twitter followers: Which summer concert on this list are you most excited to see? This by no means is a complete list of concerts this summer, but it's a good starting place.

See who they chose and let us know who you're most excited about. I'm thinking about No Doubt, Aerosmith, Vans Warped Tour and Coldplay myself.

For those of you who were waterlogged at Pizza Hut Park on Saturday for the Sun City Carnival Tour, headliner Kenny Chesney brings this ray of sunshine: He's rescheduled the concert for Sunday, May 17, also at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco.

Fans who purchased tickets to Saturday's show will be admitted free to the May 17 show; some tickets may also be available for purchase. This show will be general admission, with first-come, first-served seating; seating assignments from Saturday's show cannot be honored.

No further details are available at this time -- including whether openers Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert or Sugarland will join in for the May 17 concert -- but Kenny's spokeswoman, Holly Gleason, advises that you keep an eye on www.kennychesney.com for updated info. And of, course, we'll update you here.

As for the weather conditions and safety concerns, spokespeople at Pizza Hut Park, the tour and the tour's promoter, AEG Live, said that weather conditions were carefully monitored and the storm wasn't thought dangerous until just before the concert was called at around 9:50 p.m. "It looked like the worst had passed us; it was wet but not dangerous," said Louis Messina, president of the Messina Group and a partner with AEG Live. "And then we had this one really bad cell that just popped up, and that's when they pulled the plug."

Photo by MATT NAGER/Special Contributor: Kenny Chesney performed Saturday night at Pizza Hut Park.

Rain was not going to stop the two-and-a-half hour jam session waiting to happen at Superpages.com Center on Saturday night. I've heard more than my fair share of the Dave Matthew Band's live recordings, but this was my first time seeing the band in concert, and I've got to tell you, I can't wait till the next time.

The show started off with the familiar "Bartender," which got the crowd going. We heard a few more hits ("Stay or Leave," "Where Are You Going") before being treated to a couple new songs from the upcoming album Big Whiskey and The GrooGrux King, including a phenomenal rendition of "Spaceman." Expect to hear a much heavier side from the band when the disc is released June 2. Stefan Lessard was laying down the bass groves, and guitar legend Tim Reynolds was more amazing than one could hope for, especially when he and saxophonist Jeff Coffin had dueling solos in "Warehouse." With Dave's giddy dancing and violinist Boyd Tinsley's impressively long solos in several songs, I just have to wonder where these guys get their energy.

The jokes, the natural between-song banter, the hilarious and sometimes twisted song lyrics as well as the impeccable comic timing of Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer could easily make you forget that these guys are good musicians. So here's a reminder. Guest, McKean and Shearer took the Nokia Theatre stage on a horribly stormy Saturday night to perform songs from This Is Spinal Tap and A Mighty Wind done acoustically. Well, mostly. Shearer's electric bass was plugged in as was McKean's keyboards. The show, dubbed "Unwigged & Unplugged" and meant to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Tap, aimed to merge the metal of Tap and the folk of Wind. It did that splendidly, even without a drummer onstage. McKean quipped that they couldn't afford the costly insurance rock drummers require. Nothing felt missing. These guys played acoustic guitar, mandolin, upright bass, electric bass, harmonica, keyboards. They even did the old finger snapping thing. When you weren't uproariously laughing, you were marveling at the seamless three-part harmonies ("Never Did No Wanderin'" from Wind), the morphing vocalizations (McKean in bombastic rocker pipes on "The Majesty of Rock" from the Tap follow-up CD, 1992's Break Like the Wind) and the rapid-fire folk instrumentation ("Old Joe's Place" from Wind).

For a full review of Unwigged & Unplugged go to www.guidelive.com Sunday and the Guide Daily section on Monday.

Photo: Shearer, McKean and Guest in action Saturday night (Nan Coulter/Special to DMN).

You could call Fleetwood Mac's current tour an oldies show. It is, after all, titled "Unleashed: Hits Tour 2009," which means the 23-song set consists solely of classic radio staples and album tracks. There is no new CD to promote. In fact, the band hasn't recorded one since 2003's Say You Will. But that tag completely sells this concert short. Fleetwood Mac, which packed the American Airlines Center Thursday night, remains highly influential. Talk to any of today's popular country acts (especially the ones with a pop-rock musical bent) and the Mac is mentioned. Stevie Nicks, FM's longtime temptress, has left her stamp on so many female vocalists of the last 20 years -- pop, rock, country and otherwise. And anyway, Thursday night's show was fiery. Even during songs that didn't quite gel -- such as Lindsey Buckingham's manic, robotic "Tusk," there was something to admire. In that case it was Mick Fleetwood's ferocious marching beat drumming. But the highlights were many, particularly Buckingham's amazing rendition of "Big Love," which was just him at the mike while he finger-picked an acoustic guitar. The wall of sound was astonishing. Nicks' "Sara," "Gypsy" and "Dreams" brought back such evocative memories. Great songs never get old.

For a full review of the Fleetwood Mac concert, go to www.guidelive.com Friday and check Guide Daily on Saturday.

Photo: Nicks, Fleetwood and Buckingham at the AAC (John F. Rhodes/DMN).

The Austin City Limits Festival, scheduled for Oct. 2-4 at Zilker Park in Austin, has announced the headliners for this year's fest.

ACL always has a diverse lineup, and this year will be no different with Pearl Jam (!), Dave Matthews Band, Beastie Boys (double !), Kings of Leon (whee!), Ben Harper and Relentless7, and Thievery Corporation all taking on headlining duties.

Passes for the three days of the festival are selling at $185 each, almost the same as one ticket for a U2 concert, so don't balk. And the service fees are included in the price of the ACL three-day pass. Tickets and VIP passes are available on the festival's Web site.

Univision Radio's huge, free Cinco de Mayo fest, which has been at Texas Stadium in past years, will be at Fair Park this time around. It's on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and musical acts include Eddy Lover, Makano, Alexis y Fido, Grupo Bryndis, Grupo Duelo and Conjunto Atardecer. Univision's billing it as the largest free outdoor Hispanic music festival in Texas (Fair Park's Web site says parking costs $10).

The Kevin Rudolf show slated for Tuesday (April 21) at House of Blues has been canceled. Ticket refunds are available at point of purchase.

Big D Opry will premiere April 30 at Fellowship Dallas, and local musicians are encouraged to take part.

Three finalists will perform in a talent competition as part of the show; to enter submit a sample of your music (music file or video link) by e-mail by April 28 to info@atexasstyle.com. For more information about Big D Opry, go to www.atexasstyle.com.

Your soon-to-be favorite band, Graham Wilkinson and the Underground Township, will be playing their 23rd show in 25 nights tonight at The Green Elephant (5627 Dyer St.) from 9-11:30. The Austin-based band is ending their tour behind their soon-to-be-released CD, Yearbook, right here in Dallas.

Yearbook includes help from friends such as Alejandro Escovedo, Hayes Carl, and Grammy Award-winning producer and pedal-steel player Lloyd Maines.

If nothing else, you have to salute the band's fortitude. They've been traveling across the country -- Denver, Chicago, New York -- in a van. A van, mind you, that's carrying eight people -- and two dogs!

So, of course, the band will be ready to jam until they're told they can't jam no more since this is the last night of the pre-release tour. The guys also have a group of loyal fans (I'm one of them), who will be there dancing the night away.

The Randy Rogers Band, that cool country band from the Austin area, drew a whopping 18,561 fans to the group's Friday night gig at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie. Those are huge numbers, particularly in these perilous economic times. According to Dan Leary, Lone Star Park's Director of Communications, the RRB show ranks as the "seventh largest non-fireworks night attendance in track history." In fact, the first six places are filled by fellow Texans -- Cross Canadian Ragweed (two shows), Willie Nelson (three shows) and Pat Green (one show). Pretty cool, huh? If you were there Friday night, tell us about the concert.

Photo: The RRB boys (Natalie Caudill/DMN).

Canada's Nickelback, fronted by the lanky Chad Kroeger, sure has all those rock band cliches down pat. Let's see here: Wink-and-grin talk about sex and drugs? Check. Cursing onstage? Check. Explosions and flaming pyrotechnics? Check. Drinking just for fun? Check.
In about two hours Saturday night at Superpages.com Center, Kroeger and his fellow 'Backers gave the packed amphitheater a show heavy on stereotypes and radio-ready tunes. For all of Kroeger's attempts at being cool and irresponsible (he giddily kept commenting on the wafting marijuana smoke), he's still the lead singer of a group that has sold 18 million albums in the United States and certainly keeps tabs of its growing mainstream chart hits.
All of that said, Nickelback sure was entertaining, particularly when it performed cuts from the new Dark Horse CD. Those songs, such as "Something In Your Mouth," "Gotta Be Somebody," "Next Go Round" and "Burn It to the Ground," are catchy, hearty rockers with huge pop hooks.

For a full review of Nickelback, whose "Dark Horse Tour 2009" featured opening acts Saving Abel and Seether, check www.guidelive.com Sunday and GuideDaily Monday.

Photo: Kroeger larger-than-life while onstage at Superpages.com Center Saturday night (Cody Duty/DMN).

KISS, those trend-setting masked men, want fans in the United States and Canada to route their upcoming North American tour, which begins in September. Right now, Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer are playing soccer stadiums in South America. But the KISS 2009 North American tour will be completely routed by fans. Go to www.eventful.com/KISS and cast your vote. You'll see that Dallas is currently in fourth place. The cities with the most votes should end up on the band's itinerary. You can also check out a KISS-produced video announcing the promotion here. Simmons says this in a prepared statement: "KISS has never followed the rules -- we have always broken them. KISS has never listened to critics -- we have always listened only to the fans." So let your voices be heard!

Photo: Paul and Gene in concert! (Courtesy of www.kissonline.com)

Live Nation finally verified that U2 will be in concert Oct. 12 at the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. Tickets go on sale Monday, April 20.

If you remember, there was a minor conflagration when U2 announced the dates scheduled for its tour of Europe and North America. Dallas was listed as a city they'd like to visit, but no details could be pinned down.

Well, now those details are set.

According to a press release, there have been over 2.5 million tickets sold for U2 360 (degrees), presented by BlackBerry, since the abbreviated itinerary was first announced on March 9.

"Special guest" Muse is also on the bill.

(Photo by Jeffrey R. Staab/CBS)

As the data wrangler for our print-edition lists of local and touring concerts, I get exposed to vast varieties of band names. I'm trying out a new feature for the Playlist blog: Silly Band Name of the Week (SBNW). The band names I'll highlight aren't necessarily new -- just ones that catch my attention. Congratulations to the Exploding Chihuahuas for making me laugh out loud this week.
Exploding Chihuahuas will perform Wednesday April 15 at 8:30 p.m. at Tolbert's restaurants in Grapevine; no cover.
-Nancy Moore

Gospel entertainers are needed for the second annual "Power to End Stroke Gospel Concert/Fight of Our Life Health Tour" with Kirk Franklin. The concert, featuring gospel star Kirk Franklin, will take place Aug. 8 at Six Flags Over Texas.

Gospel-style soloists, groups, choirs, spoken-word artists, instrumentalists, rappers and dancers are needed. To audition, submit a demo tape by next Monday, April 13.

For information about the audition process, go here, or call Dione Banks (Dallas entries) at 214-748-7212 or Benzi George (Fort Worth entries) at 817-698-5472.

Why rewrite great news? Lisa Endicott, who gives me the scoop on happenings at the Granada, sent this to me today "via Blackberry":

"Brit singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock and the Venus 3 play Granada Theater Apr 4 at 8 pm. What you need to know is that the Venus 3 consist of three members of R.E.M. -- sans Stipe -- namely Peter Buck, Bill Rieflin, and Scott McCaughey -- who have played on tour and the last five albums for R.E.M. If you missed R.E.M. at their last concert this is a chance to get up close and personal for this intimate show.
Tickets are still available at www.granadatheater.com."

I love technology! Don't you?

It may have taken them 14 years to reunite, record a new studio disc, 2008's The Block, and hit the road for a successful tour last year -- it stopped at American Airlines Center in October -- but now NKOTB can't stay away. Joey, Donnie, Jordan, Danny and Jonathan play Superpages.com Center July 17. Tickets for the "Full Service Tour" go on sale Saturday, April 4, at noon at all Ticketmaster outlets. Ticket Prices are $85, $65, and $45 for reserved, and $25 for lawn seats. Also, during that first sales week, lawn seats are only $10 each.

So here's what I want to know: How many of you that were at the October AAC show will come back for more and attend the Superpages.com Center gig?

Photo: NKOTB did their thing last October at AAC (Tim Gruber/DMN).

F!D Luxe's Jason Sheeler was also at Britney Spears' show at American Airlines Center on Tuesday night. And, Goodness bless him, he took notes. Here goes (and if you want to read more of Jason's musings, click here):

I went to the Britney Spears concert with my fanatical-fan friends Greg and Shane. Cut to the chase: it was a major disappointment. While the production value was very high -- Cirque du Soleil-type acrobatics, great videos, fire -- she didn't dance very much. And, honestly, Britney, if you're not going to sing, can't you at least dance? With a snake?

Here were my thoughts during the concert:

The Pussy Cat Dolls opened. They sang -- well, lead singer Nicole did. And lots of pole dancing in bikinis.

Intermission meant circus acts, with clowns, little people, a guy twirling what looked like chain-link fencing, and extreme hula-hooping. Right before Britney's show started, Madonna's "Ray of Light" comes over the speakers, leaving my friends confused.

Britney is lowered from the ceiling with the opening beats of "Circus." The crowd of girls, gays and women, wearing a lot of fedoras, goes wild. Brit marches from one end of the three ring, er, circus to the other, with random flip of hand. Her hair looks great. And real. But she seems a little scared.

(Photo by Rachel Parker/Special Contributor)

Special Contributor Preston Jones was at American Airlines Center for Britney Spears' Dallas stop. Here's what he had to say:

DALLAS -- The textbook definition of a star certainly applies to the earthly Britney Spears, a literal embodiment of heat and light if ever there was one.

That description -- blinding, scorching evanescence -- could also apply to her first tour in five years, which stopped at the American Airlines Center on Tuesday night. "The Circus Starring Britney Spears," according to the ticket, featured plenty of flash, flesh and pyrotechnic razzle-dazzle but precious little at its center. Not that the full house minded, necessarily, shrieking as though a deity were in its midst.

A lot has changed for the 27-year-old Spears since she last appeared in north Texas. Now a mother of two, twice divorced and a battle-scarred veteran of tabloid wars, Spears stepped into a three-ring circus of her own making Tuesday, a bruised but unbowed artist on the comeback trail.

(Photo by Rachel Parker/Special Contributor)

Rod Stewart brings his raspy pipes to the Nokia Theatre stage for a July 26 concert performance. Tickets for the iconic singer's gig go on sale Monday, April 6, at 10 a.m. at all Ticketmaster outlets. Stewart's most recent studio album was 2006's Still the Same...Great Rock Classics of Our Time. Last year his former longtime label, Warner Bros., released The Definitive Rod Stewart, a two-CD collection of 30 career hits.

Photo: Rod the Mod from an October 2007 show in Oberhausen, western Germany during his "Greatest Hits 2007" tour (Volker Hartmann).

Fans of pop-country trio Rascal Flatts have two reasons to rejoice: First, Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney perform in concert June 13 at Superpages.com Center. Tickets, priced at $76 for reserved and $36 for lawn seats, go on sale Saturday, April 4, at 10 a.m. at all Ticketmaster outlets. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show starts at 7:30 p.m. with opening act Darius Rucker. OK, the second reason is Unstoppable, the group's sixth studio album, which arrives in stores April 7. There. Is that enough Rascal Flatts activity for ya?

Photo: Rascals LeVox and DeMarcus at Superpages.com Center July 21, 2008 (G.J. McCarthy/DMN).

Spring will soon be sprung, and Poor David's Pub is announcing all sorts of cool shows. Brave Combo will appear there March 28, followed by the Wailers on April 4, Scottish-Gaelic folksinger Juliet Fowlis on April 16, the one-and-only Kinky Friedman on April 17 and Iris DeMent on April 24. DeMent is a real catch. She hasn't toured in years, but on previous tours, she has opened for John Prine and Mary Chapin Carpenter. When fall arrives, the good shows continue, with Jimmy LaFave appearing Sept. 12 and John Gorka on Dec. 3. The complete schedule can be viewed by clicking here. And for anyone who wants to hear Iris sing one of her classics, in this case "Our Town," click below to hear her duet with Emmylou Harris:

Photo: Iris DeMent

Snoop Dogg and Gavin Rossdale highlight new shows announced by House of Blues today.

Opening for Snoop Doog will be buzzed-about Somalian sensation K'naan (I like his CD; cop it when you can) and The Hustle Boyz on Wednesday, May 5. Tickets are $35 and go on sale Friday at 10 a.m.

Gavin Rossdale will play Monday, May 25. Tickets are $20 and on sale now.

Also announced was Zoso - A Tribute to Led Zeppelin on Saturday, May 9; Cowboy Mouth on May 29; Emory Quinn on May 30; and Michael Franks on Aug. 22. Tickets are on sale Friday for those shows.

Katy Perry on May 11 and Chris Cornell on March 28 are officially sold out.

(Photo of K'naan by Michael Nagle/Reuters)

It was so nice, they're doing it twice.

Kid Rock and Lynyrd Skynyrd are joining forces to reprise their Rock and Rebels tour. Kid Rock made a move on country radio this past summer with the inescapable "All Summer Long." That hit sampled "Sweet Home Alabama."

The tour starts June 26 in West Palm Beach, making a stop in Dallas on July 1 at Superpages.com Center. Tickets and VIP packages can be found at livenation.com starting Friday.

(Photo by Matt Sayles/The Associated Press)

Twitter Poll Guidelines: We, that's GuideLiveMusic, ask our followers on Twitter a question every Thursday. We're hoping these polls will not only help us get you know you better, but also help you get to know the Dallas-Fort Worth music scene better. The polls close around 4 pm every Monday, and shortly after we'll post the question and results here on our Playlist blog for everyone outside of Twitter to respond.

This week's question: Would you go to the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium for concerts? Tell us your thoughts on how it will do as a music venue. Continue reading to see the results, then comment and tell us your thoughts.

Proving he's still king of something, Michael Jackson's 50, that's 5-0, shows at London's O2 Arena sold out in hours. Fans were e-mailed a code to just get in line for the pre-sale only after registering at a Web site.

According to Billboard, tickets were selling at a rate of 40,000 an hour when the sale was opened to the general public just this morning. Heck, even sales of Michael's greatest hits and Thriller have gone up tremendously.

So, that's 50 sold-out shows at a capacity of 23,000 fans per show. You do the math. Anticipation for the show has been decades in the making. So, no wonder.

(Photo of fanatic by Andrew Winning/Reuters)

OK, so this isn't U2 or the Jonas Brothers, but it'll still be a pretty cool show. ZZ Top, that iconic Texas rock 'n' roll band, along with actor/musician Billy Bob Thornton and his musical mates, the Boxmasters, play March 19 at 9 p.m. at Billy Bob's Texas, 2520 Rodeo Plaza, Fort Worth. Pam Minick over at the venerable honky-tonk confirmed this concert announcement today. This will be the Top's first performance at BBT since 1981, when the venue opened. Reserved seats are $50, with general admission seats available for $20. Tickets go on sale Monday, March 16 at 10 a.m. at all Ticketmaster outlets and the Billy Bob's Texas box office. If you need to reach the club, that number is 817-624-7117.

Photo: ZZ Top's Frank Beard, Dusty Hill and Billy Gibbons (Richard Carson).

Yes, by now we all know that the Jonas Brothers will kick off their new world tour (presented by Burger King) on June 20 at the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. What's new is that March 20 is the on-sale date for tickets, according to Billboard. Fan-club members will be privy to a presale that starts March 16 in select cities.

Live Nation is your source for tickets.

The tour starts in Arlington and will end Aug. 31 in Ottawa. Those youngsters better have a lot of energy as that's 44 dates in a short number of months.

Local superstars the Jonas Brothers -- Kevin, Joe and Nick -- open their "Jonas Brothers World Tour 2009" June 20 at the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. The gig has been confirmed by the JoBros' New York publicist. The 44-city trek features a 140-foot stage centered in whatever venue they play as well as opening acts Jordin Sparks (of American Idol fame) and Honor Society. On-sale and pre-sale dates for tickets were still being negotiated at the time of this blog post. But you can stay abreast of the situation by visiting www.jonasbrothers.com and/or www.livenation.com.

Photo: Joe, Nick and Kevin Jonas (Mitch Dumke).

UPDATE: Thanks for your questions about tickets for the U2 concert. Here's more information that might make the situation more clear.

A representative from TicketNetwork confirmed the tickets on GuideLive.com's TicketNetwork page are legitimate. What you're paying for holds a place for when the tickets go on sale.

The representative also said TicketNetwork has access to these tickets because of its relationship with the venue. When you pay TicketNetwork, you're getting a commitment for that ticket when they go on sale.

The price is set at a 15 percent markup, the majority of which goes to The Dallas Morning News.

-- Bridgette Williams, GuideLive.com Editor

~~~~~~
Everyone wants to know if the rumors are true. Will rock band U2 be playing at the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington in October?

The tour info on U2.com doesn't have a date or venue listed, but it does say that Dallas will be one of 11 cities visited in September and October. A post on U2log.com lists the band playing Oct. 12 at the Cowboys stadium, incorrectly listed in Dallas, and then Oct. 14 at Houston's Reliant Stadium before moving along to Norman, Okla. for an Oct. 16 show. And team officials and tour promoter Live Nation both said in this story yesterday that U2 has not confirmed a date or venue in Dallas.

But there is hope. Our ticket seller said today that they have confirmed a date at the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium for Oct. 12 and you can now purchase the tickets here, though they're quite pricey.

(Photo: Adam Clayton, The Edge, Bono and Larry Mullen are U2. Credit: Associated Press)

There is a moment in the best concerts when performer and audience connect, and the music resonates so powerfully that the rest of the evening is defined by it. Such a moment occurred during her 11th song Monday night, when Bonnie Raitt sang John Prine's "Angel from Montgomery."
The show marked the 8th annual benefit for Special Care & Career Services, and Raitt was the perfect choice.
Whether the emotion in the song came from Raitt's sadness over a family member who's ill, or the crowd at Meyerson Symphony Center feeling a collective anxiety over a terrifying economy, the lyrics "to believe in this living is just a hard way to go" seemed to tug at everyone's heartstrings.
"Angel from Montgomery" drew a rousing ovation, but there were plenty of high points generated by a 59-year-old performer who is truly a force of nature. With her flaming red hair now flecked with gray, Raitt can move from blues to reggae to pop as well as anyone.
To hear her sing the knockout ballad "I Can't Make You Love Me" -- which benefited enormously from the deft jazz piano of Ricky Peterson -- is all the proof anyone would need that Bonnie Raitt is truly her father's daughter. The late John Raitt was a Broadway star whose pedigree included Oklahoma! and Carousel.
They sang together on his 1995 album, Broadway Legend, but early on in her West Coast girlhood, Raitt picked up a guitar and made herself a master of the blues. She did terrific covers Monday night of John Hiatt's "Thing Called Love" and James Taylor's "Rainy Day Man." And though she wore jeans while many in the crowd wore business suits and evening gowns, performer and audience were one, held together by the blues.

Photo: Bonnie Raitt in concert at the Meyerson on Monday night

The first time I saw Bonnie Raitt, she was opening for Jackson Browne. It was 1974, at McFarlin Auditorium on the campus of my alma mater, Southern Methodist University. He was in the midst of his Late for the Sky tour, and she was the only woman, surrounded by 13 guys from two bands on the same tour bus, en route to 50 American cities. I also saw her live in San Diego in 1987, when she appeared as the surprise guest for a concert featuring Jackson and David Lindley. As great as they are -- as much as I love their music -- Bonnie more or less blew everybody off the stage that night. I soon learned there was a reason for that: She was feeling fantastic, having become clean and sober and fit. And in two years, she would release Nick of Time, her breakout album, and the first of a string of Platinum recordings. I next saw her live in Santa Cruz, Calif., on a bitterly cold night in December 1998, and again, her ability to seize the stage left me amazed. Well, now, it's your turn to see Bonnie Raitt, simply by going to Meyerson Symphony Center on Monday night. (Please click below to read on!)

Photo: The great Bonnie Raitt

If you're looking forward to the Beach Boys concert scheduled for April 11 at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, don't get worried about something you may read in news headlines today.

According to a press release we received, "Earlier today, Lone Star Park's parent corporation Magna Entertainment Corp. (MEC) and some of its subsidiaries announced that they have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court ..."

But according to general manager Drew Shubeck, " ... Lone Star Park is not among the parties filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection" ... and that the Grand Prairie race track is proceeding with business as usual. " ... there should be no immediate implications for Lone Star Park, our employees, horsemen, vendors or customers."

So, pull on your boots, and dig out your bangora summer straw hat for some Texas music fun: Other upcoming concerts at the horse races include: Randy Rogers band April 10; Stoney LaRue May 1; Gary Allan May 22; Cross Canadian Ragweed June 12, and Eli Young band July 24.

Katy Perry's concert for March 21 at the House of Blues has been rescheduled for May 11. All tickets will be honored for the new date.

Perry, whose hit "I Kissed a Girl" has made her ubiquitous in all the music mags, performed on the Grammys (right) in early February. The singer has a penchant for dressing like the pinups of old and recently blogged about her love of WE tv's Little Miss Perfect, a show following young (very young) pageant contestants. She called it "the best thing that has ever hit television."

(Photo by LUCY NICHOLSON/Reuters)

Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer and Michael McKean will bring their six-week, 30-city tour to Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie on Saturday, May 2.

This time, the guys will be Unwigged and Unplugged, performing music from heavy metal band Spinal Tap and folk music from A Mighty Wind, among other selections. It could be considered a 25th anniversary celebration of This Is Spinal Tap. Guest, Shearer and McKean, considered a legendary trio of comedians and musical artists, will be performing their alter ego-music as themselves for the first time. No wigs, no amps, no electric instruments. Let's see if they can hit "maximum volume" in an acoustic setting.

Tickets go on sale Friday through Ticketmaster.

(Photo of (left to right) Shearer, McKean and Guest by Suzanne Tenner/Warner Bros. Pictures)

The seemingly just-announced Jodeci concert at Dallas' House of Blues on March 13 has been cancelled. The concert was to feature the four original members: brothers K-Ci and Jo-Jo Hailey, and Dalvin and DeVante DeGrate.

Tickets will be refunded at the point of purchase, according to a press release from House of Blues staff.

The Alabama-born Brightblack Morning Light performs at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studio in Denton at 9 tonight. Play this video of "Hologram Buffalo," from the folk rock/psychedelic music group's latest CD Motion to Rejoin, for a preview of their sound. $10 at the door.

Also performing is folk group Rio en Medio, whose limited edition deluxe CD Frontier will be released tomorrow.

It's a sad moment for the devotees of acoustic music. Lynn Adler and Lindy Hearne, co-founders of Crossroads Coffeehouse & Music Co., in the Piney Woods town of Winnsboro in East Texas, announced Friday that they will close the venue in mid-May. Crossroads served as a beacon of terrific music for more than three years in Winnsboro, about 100 miles east of Dallas. Adler and Hearne brought to its backporch-like stage such names as Jimmy LaFave, Eliza Gilkyson, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Billy Joe Shaver, Ruthie Foster, Kinky Friedman and Steven Fromholz. The venue's final show will be Saturday, May 16, with a concert by John Gorka. Adler and Hearne recently released their own album, To the Heart, and Adler says it was less the economy and more the desire to pursue their own music that led to the closing. "It was a very organic feeling," she said of the decision to close the venue, which operated in a turn-of-the-century hardware store on Winnsboro's Main Street. "It was like a season. It was our season to do that, in terms of our own personal story."

Photo: The great Radoslav Lorkovic plays the accordion during a Crossroads concert by Jimmy LaFave

Not sure what to do tonight? Dallas' Jason Bayles & The Charmers will be playing at Opening Bell Mosaic Cafe and Bar (300 N. Akard #300, Dallas, TX 75202; 214-665-2355) at 8 tonight.

Opening the show is Eastwood, promoting their new country album Everything's Personal, which Quick's Hunter Hauk reviewed in November.

$5 at the door.

Let us know here what you think of them.

(Photo of Jayson Bales)

Anything to help out Texas country godfather Robert Earl Keen, especially since he's also lending a hand. Keen will again perform during a benefit for the Hill Country Youth Orchestra. Organized in 1995, the Orchestra provides an opportunity for children to immerse themselves in classical music by playing in an orchestra. The children get the lessons and the instruments gratis. That's very cool. Anything to instill the beauty of the arts at a young age.

Want to go to the intimate concert? It's March 12 at the Callioux Theater in Kerrville, Texas. For ticket info, call 830-896-9393.

Photo: Keen doing his thing onstage (JASON KINDIG/Special to DMN).

No Doubt, and that includes Gwen Stefani (right) , will perform at Dallas' Superpages.com Center on Saturday, May 30. Tickets go on sale Saturday, March 7, at 10 a.m.

The tour starts in New Jersey (don't they all?) in early May, ending Aug. 1 in Irvine, Calif.

And get this; lawn tickets for the stop at Superpages are only $10! Fans can enjoy a special presale starting today at 4 and going until March 1 at 4. But you'll have to visit the tour club Web site to enjoy that offer.

The band also introduced a new widget that will have exclusive content and a contest running through March 17 to win prizes including a chance to meet the band. Whew! They sure know how to frontload the experience ...

(Photo by Evan Agostini/The Associated Press)

Rock hounds, take note. Def Leppard and Poison, with special guest Cheap Trick, have just announced a 40-city North American tour, starting June 23 in Camden, N.J. and coming to Dallas on Aug. 21. According to the Cheap Trick Web site, the tour will stop at Superpages.com Center.

Def Leppard, Poison and Cheap Trick were key bands on my personal soundtrack when I was younger. I know, I know ... And yes, Bret Michaels, right, will be front and center for Poison. No word on if the Rock of Love Bus will be on site.

Tickets will go on sale Friday, March 6, at 10 a.m. at livenation.com.

(Photo by Gus Ruelas/The Associated Press)

Mötley Crüe has announced it's hitting the road again for Crüe Fest 2: The White Trash Circus tour, which kicks off July 19. It'll stop in Dallas for a Superpages.com Center festival on August 8.

Says Mötley Crüe's Tommy Lee, "Last year at Crüe Fest, we set out to have more fun than humans are allowed to have. We succeeded beyond that. This year, we are going to top that and I guarantee we will." Last year Papa Rock and Buckcherry also headlined, but we won't know who is planned for the tour this time until March 16.

Crüe Fest 2 pre-sale tickets will be available exclusively to Mötley Crüe fan club members beginning today. Beginning March 2, pre-sale tickets will be available to the public. Check out motley.com for more info.

"Come and talk to me" ... Jodeci is coming to Dallas on Friday, March 13, at the House of Blues Dallas. The best part? The original members, K-Ci, Jo Jo, "DeVante" and Dalvin, will be back together again.

The two sets of brothers formed one of R&B's best guy bands, releasing a must-have album, Forever My Lady; they and their songs were way too sexy to be termed a "boy band." And the way they named the band is the stuff of (recent) legend. The name of the band is a combination of the member's first and last names. The Hailey brothers (K-Ci and Jo-Jo) were also successful as a duo, releasing what has become a popular first-dance song at weddings: "All My Life."

My favorite pieces of Jodeci trivia: Puffy signed them; K-Ci provided background vocals for Jasmine Guy's solo album (yes, I have that, and my favorite song is "Try Me"); and the group mentored the likes of Mary J. Blige (once attached romantically to K-Ci), Missy Elliott, Timbaland and direct descendant Ginuwine.

Tickets are $30, $80 for four. And they're on sale now.

That's right. Now that awards season has officially come to an end (thanks to all that Oscars business last night and the Grammy Awards two weeks ago) we can focus on more important things. SXSW is March 18-22 and it's not too late to register and book a hotel for the annual Austin music festival.

You should probably start planning your days there now, because there's just no way to see every one of the bands on this schedule. Maybe this will help:

Following is a list of D/FW area bands at SXSW 2009 sorted by the day they're scheduled to perform. This is all according to the SXSW Web site as of today, so be warned that anything can change.
(Each name links to their MySpace or Web site so you can preview their sound.)

Comment below and tell us who you're most excited to see.

Country music icon George Strait, better known as King George in these parts, will inaugurate the new Cowboys stadium concert stage, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones announced this afternoon. Strait performs June 6 with his trusty Ace in the Hole band and a lofty set of opening acts -- Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton and Julianne Hough. The show starts at 5:30 p.m. Tickets, ranging from $38.50 to $137.50, go on sale Feb. 28 at 10 a.m. at all Ticketmaster outlets. Strait, the pride of Poteet, Texas, recently won his first Grammy Award for his classy, traditional country CD Troubadour. He is, of course, no novice when it comes to performing at stadiums where the Dallas Cowboys play. His famed George Strait Country Music Festival was almost a fixture at Texas Stadium back in the 1990s and early 2000s. Plus, he was part of a once-in-a-lifetime triple bill concert with Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett at Texas Stadium in 2004. Simply put, a George Strait concert in the Dallas-Fort Worth area is an event. Expect masses of people (all ages, mind you) and about 2 hours of pure country music from a Hall of Fame inductee who continues to influence new singers and pickers today.

Photo: King George performs at the 42nd annual Country Music Association Awards in November (Mark Humphrey/Associated Press).

Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood will tour 14 American cities this summer, Dallas included. The tour was prompted by the duo's collabo at the Chicago Crossroads Guitar Festival in 2007 and three "supergigs" at New York's Madison Square Garden. Now, they'll bring that show to our very own American Airlines Center on June 23. (Those MSG shows will also be available in a 2 CD/2 DVD set this spring for those of us who think our couches feel better than arena seats.)

The two first started working together in 1969 in Blind Faith. Yep, it's been a long time ... Expect Cream, Blind Faith and Traffic tunes. Clapton must be in a collaborative mood; this weekend, he's set to perform a couple of shows in Tokyo with Yardbird compatriot Jeff Beck.

Tickets go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. at all Ticketmaster outlets and the AAC box office.

Onstage R&B singing and songwriting sensation Ne-Yo (nee: Shaffer Smith) is all about showmanship. He's totally comfortable in front of a crowd, turning chatty with ease and even cracking a few jokes at the good natured expense of adoring audience members. He's also light and smooth on his feet, able to keep nimble pace with professional dancers. Then there's the voice, a sultry tone adept at rhythmic jams and emotive ballads.
That was the scene Sunday night at Nokia Theatre in Grand Prairie when headliner Ne-Yo and his eight-piece band (including saxophone, trumpet and trombone) had the females in the house ecstatic for about 75 minutes. His gig followed soulful sets from opening acts Jazmine Sullivan and Musiq Soulchild.
Ne-Yo does have the goods. Three hit albums, particularly the terrific 2008 project Year of the Gentleman, and an arsenal of catchy hooks ready to make you move. But boy, he sure does owe a ton to Michael Jackson. Ne-Yo's pipes sound like MJ without the bells and whistles. His footwork can be described as a chopped up moonwalk revamped for 2009. Some tracks, particularly "Nobody," scream Michael during his better artistic era.
Nothing wrong with that, per say. Let's just give credit where credit is due.

What did you think of the show? For a full review, go to www.guidelive.com Monday.

Photo: Shaffer, er Ne-Yo, in action (Cody Duty/DMN).

Certainly Duncan Sheik's show Thursday night at McDavid Studio in Fort Worth wasn't your usual pop-rock concert. Among the eight musicians that surrounded him on the venue's cozy stage was a cellist, a clarinetist and even a guy playing a French horn. Not the norm at all. But then again Sheik's career has definitely never followed the pre-paved path to stardom. He parlayed some early pop success into a Tony Award-winning stint as the music writer for Broadway's Spring Awakening. And now with his new CD, Whisper House, he's penned a complete set of songs destined for a future musical theater production. So obviously the soft-spoken artist's first of two nights at the McDavid (he also plays Friday) was filled with tunes from Awakening and House. His band featured guest vocalist Lauren Pritchard, who served as the evening's opening act and was a part of the original Spring Awakening cast. With Pritchard on hand, Sheik delivered four songs from Awakening, including the haunting "Don't Do Sadness/Blue Wind." He did six cuts from Whisper House, the best of which were the rocking "Take a Bow," the psychedelic ballad "I Don't Believe You" and the whimsically malevolent "The Tale of Solomon Snell." Yes, we got a few pop selections, too. "For You," with beautiful cello touches, was gorgeous. "Such Reveries," accented by French horn, was stunning. And an encore version of "On a High" got a cool reworking thanks to French horn, cello, bass clarinet and vocals from Pritchard.

For a full review of Duncan Sheik's gig, go to www.guidelive.com Friday. Also, check out my story on Sheik, which has info on his McKinney concert Saturday night.

Photo: Duncan at the mike Thursday night (Juan Garcia/DMN).

Yes members' House of Blues concert postponed. House of Blues just announced that due to a "medical emergency" the Steve Howe, Chris Squire and Alan White (of Yes) show has been postponed. No rescheduled concert date has been announced. Maybe hold on to your tickets to see if you can use them later? Or check with your point of purchase.
No word yet on what the medical emergency is. Organizers say, "More details forthcoming."

CHICAGO (AP) -- The Piano Man and the Rocket Man are pairing up for a concert this summer at Chicago's Wrigley Field.

Promoters announced Tuesday that Billy Joel and Elton John will play together at the home of the Chicago Cubs on July 21.

The singer-songwriters will perform duets playing twin pianos and trading vocals. Each will play a set with his own band, followed by both bands joining for a finale.

Tickets, which go on sale Saturday, range from $55 to $175 before fees and service charges.
Joel and John started their hugely successful "Face 2 Face" concert tours in 1994. They played together in the Chicago area in 2001 and 2003.

Screen actors are traditionally of the "less is more" school -- the tiniest twitch of an eyebrow, after all, reads huge on the big screen. That's why most screen actors are dreadful, or at least less impressive, on stage. And why they should probably think long and hard before going on tour with a band, where they must rely on charisma, rather than flattering camera angles, to transmit energy and emotion to the audience.

Case in point: Kevin Coster, touring with his band Modern West, was entertaining but never, for even one second, compelling at the Granada on Friday night. The band's music, pretty good on CD, in person comes off as interesting background music -- a few hummable tunes, all pretty much the same tempo, nothing attention-grabbing enough to make you stop chatting with your neighbor.

The 800 people at the Granada seemed to be having a good time, but I'd bet they won't remember a single lyric by the time this hits the blog.

For a full review, come back to guidelive.com on Sunday.

PHOTO: Kevin Costner

Jason Aldean was announced as the opener for Keith Urban's "Escape Together World Tour" when it stops in Dallas on July 11 at American Airlines Center. Tickets are scheduled to go on sale Friday, Feb. 13.

The tour of North America will hit 58 cities. Urban will release a new album on March 31, Defying Gravity. The single "Sweet Thing" is already a hit.

Georgia native Aldean will release his third album, Wide Open, on April 7.

(Photo by JIM COOPER/The Associated Press)

Music critic Mario Tarradell will be gracing the airwaves with his opinions today at 1 on the Richland College Web radio station. He will be talking with regular host and program director Charlie Vann and other guests about "the entertainment scene in Dallas, and the entertainment scene in America as a whole."

Join in as soon as you can. From the music staff's conversations around the cubicles, it promises to be some good stuff.

Surrounded by palm trees, lots of dotted lights and bandstand risers to resemble a vintage tropical nightclub, singer Brandon Flowers and his Killers mates pumped energy into a packed Nokia Theatre Wednesday night. The Las Vegas outfit offered material from three studio albums -- 2004's career-launching Hot Fuss, 2006's platinum Sam's Town and last year's Day & Age. Onstage the cuts from Day & Age worked best. Sure, it's such a blast to hear anything from Hot Fuss with its propulsive, back-to-the-'80s sonic onslaught. But the group seemed to have found its sound with Day & Age, a stylistic merger of synthesizers, substantial melodies, great hooks and just a touch of glam rock for good measure. Highlights included "Losing Touch," a terrific tune, "Human," with its pulsating synths, and the amped-up "Neon Tiger." In retrospect, Sam's Town was a mistake, a record where Flowers and company were trying too hard to sound serious after the copycat bashing they got regarding the derivative Hot Fuss. While it was nice to hear Flowers at the piano for a reworked version of "Sam's Town," the song that followed, "Read My Mind," fell flat. It had no pep.

For a full review of the Killers show, go to www.guidelive.com Thursday. Oh, and tell us what you thought of the gig if you were there.

Photo: The Killers in technicolor Wednesday night at Nokia Theatre (Cody Duty/DMN).