Playlist

I know I'm probably being extremely naive, and doing way too much positive wishful thinking, but why can't we just let Michael Jackson rest peacefully? And to remember him, those that wish to remember him, we should all play his music. This guy was a polarizing artist-celebrity-tabloid-magnet-superstar. Got it. But he's dead now. No amount of reporting, analyzing, fuming, name-calling or finger-pointing is going to bring him back. For those who have a stake in his life, whether it be family, business associates, lawyers, doctors, etc., go ahead and cross all the T's and dot all the I's in regards to his estate, death, financial obligations. I'll read those stories with interest, as I have been doing. For everybody else, just chill out and pop in a Michael Jackson disc. I've been playing the Dangerous CD from 1991 and the Number Ones compilation from 2003. When all is said and done, after all the turmoil surrounding his death settles, all we have left is Michael's music. That is his legacy.

Photo: MJJ performing in 2001 (Kevin Mazur/WireImage).

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).

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.

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

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).

James Taylor's two-hour concert Friday night at Fair Park Music Hall can best be described as a folk rave-up. While folk remains the iconic singer-songwriter's calling card, he continued to make sure and pepper the proceedings with plenty of R&B, blues and even some gospel. He had plenty of help from a very capable eight-member band, including four background vocalists and one passionate drummer. A large portion of the show, which was divided into two sets with an intermission, came from Covers and Other Covers, Taylor's two CDs of songs penned by outside scribes. The best of that bunch was "Wasn't That a Mighty Storm," which was oh so soulful, and a beautiful, wistful rendition of "Wichita Lineman." The lanky Taylor remains in good voice, and his energy level seemed to increase as the gig progressed. By the end he was jumping, vamping and growling. That was fun to watch, but the creative crux of this man could be found on the thoughtful masterpieces "Fire and Rain" and "Sweet Baby James." When he sang those songs, sitting peacefully on a stool, all seemed right with the world. Taylor can still sooth.

For a full review of James Taylor's concert, go to www.guidelive.com Saturday and GuideDaily Sunday.

Photo: Taylor worked his magic at Fair Park Music Hall (Mike Stone/Special to DMN).

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).

Checking the morning e-mail has become a ritual I enjoy. Stashed among the SPAM is usually at least one diamond in the rough, maybe a shout-out from a friend you haven't heard from in years or a silly-sick joke from a friend who's full of them. Occasionally, however, you get a jolt, like the one I got Tuesday morning. I heard from a friend named Barbara, whose husband Dave -- one of my best friends -- had died of a heart attack. It was no less a jolt when I heard several weeks ago that Dave had suffered a stroke. Dave was an inspiration. A marathon runner, he was lean and in shape. He also had a wicked sense of humor. I met Dave and Barbara when I moved to Plano 11 years ago. Their son Jeff was the first to welcome us to the neighborhood; he offered to play with our son Sam, which made Sam feel so welcome and wiped away in an instant his fears of moving to a new place. We soon got to know Dave and Barbara as well and found the Nelsons to be a warm, gracious, loving family who made our lives better simply by knowing them. I've never gotten over the fact that they moved away a few years ago; the neighborhood hasn't been the same since. And although Dave and I often joked about our differences (politics, sports), we shared a passion for travel, fine food and the same kind of music: The Rolling Stones, the Grateful Dead, Jimmy Buffett, Bruce Springsteen and Jackson Browne. (Please click below to read on.)

Photo: The cover of Jackson Browne's Late for the Sky, which contains the masterpiece "For a Dancer"

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)

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).

Beyoncé is everywhere. She's got her manicured nails touching just about every aspect of mainstream entertainment these days. And come July 5, she'll be on the American Airlines Center stage. The Houston native begins her "I Am..." tour June 21 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Her trek will end with a four-night stand July 30 through Aug. 2 in Las Vegas at the Encore at Wynn. Tickets go on sale April 25 at 10 a.m. at all Ticketmaster outlets. By the way, Beyoncé is making 2,000 seats at each venue available for $20 a pop. Gracious, isn't she?

Photo: The ubiquitous Beyoncé works it at the recent Oscars (Mindy Schauer).

This is pretty cool. Alex Carew from Spinner.com offers funky trivia on how some bands, solo artists got their names. Check it out.

Lady GaGa: Christened Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, her producer based her snappier name on Queen's hit 'Radio Ga-Ga,' likening her glammed-out pop vocal approach to Freddie Mercury.
Radiohead: Originally calling themselves On a Friday, a critic pointed out that he was bored by their name- they swapped it for the title of the Talking Heads song, 'Radio Head'.
The Rolling Stones: Mick Jagger picked up their band name from blues giant Muddy Waters, who hit big with the song 'Rollin' Stone' in 1948.
Bright Eyes: Likely encountered in the 1978 animated film about rabbits, 'Watership Down.' We're still waiting for Conor Oberst to return the favor when some new four-piece band names itself A Spindle, a Darkness, a Fever and a Necklace.
Judas Priest: Priest bassist Ian Hill admits their name came from the Bob Dylan song, 'The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest'. It's safe to assume they wouldn't be the metal gods they are today had they taken the 'Frankie Lee' half of the title instead.
The Pretenders: According to one version of the story, Chrissie Hynde was hanging out with some rough characters, one of whom wanted to play his favorite song for her. After making sure that none of his pals were in sight, the guy put on the Platters classic 'The Great Pretender.'
Death Cab for Cutie: Quite a pedigree to this odd little phrase: Neil Innes, who co-wrote 'Death Cab for Cutie' with Vivian Stanshall, says he came across it in an old pulp fiction magazine. Written as an Elvis parody, the Bonzo Dog Band song appeared in the Beatles' 'Magical Mystery Tour' film. Thirty years later, Pinwheel guitarist Ben Gibbard borrowed it for his new band's name.
Jet: Inspired by the Paul McCartney-helmed Wings song 'Jet.' Because if it sounds like the Beatles, and it ain't nailed down, these Aussie boys are having at it.
Godsmack: Despite admitting being aware of the song in question, Godsmack insist they're "not some Alice in Chains clone band" and have given two alternate origin myths for the name. Either the band is named after the Almighty smiting singer Sully Erna with a cold sore after he made fun of someone else's blemish, or it stems from the band's favorite retort, "God will smack you for that one."
Ladytron: Inspired by Roxy Music's "Ladytron." Ladytron's Daniel Hunt has considered remixing the original Roxy track: "I thought about what I could do with it, but I just haven't got 'round to it. Maybe it'll be crap." We can't wait.

Photo: Should we call her Queen GaGa?

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).

Lindale's fiery country-rocker Miranda Lambert is one of three vocalists (along with Jazmine Sullivan and Zooey Deschanel) reinterpreting the memorable "the touch, the feel of cotton" music that was retired in 2001 and has now been relaunched. The campaign, dubbed "The Fabric of My Life" features television commercials that began airing April 5. Lambert, still promoting her awesome 2007 CD, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, has this to say about cotton: "My style in three words is comfortable, funky, my own. Cotton is a big part of that style so I was very excited to be part of this campaign. My favorite outfit is jeans, T-shirt and a great pair of cowboy boots but on a summer day, there is nothing like throwing on a cotton sundress and boots."

Photo: Miranda loves her cotton (Ben Torres/Special to 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)

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).

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).

Heavy metal hierarchy and digital downloads -- is it a match made in musical heaven? We're about to find out. Metallica will release its entire discography exclusively to iTunes Tuesday, as in tomorrow. We're talking 163 tracks from nine studio albums, one double live album, one double covers album, bonus tracks and more. The Complete Metallica, which is what the digital box set has been dubbed, arrives at all other digital music outlets April 28. Metallica continues high visibility since its recent South by Southwest Music Festival appearance and concert performance. The video game Guitar Hero Metallica, with 28 tunes from the metal masters, is now available. Also, Metallica will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland April 4. Oh, and the guys will be hard-rocking American Airlines Center Sept. 29. Tickets go on sale April 4.

Photo: James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett turned Austin's Stubb's upside down March 20 (Erich Schlegel/Special to DMN).

Denton's Eli Young Band, currently enjoying a Top 20 country hit with "Always the Love Songs," makes its Jimmy Kimmel Live debut Thursday at 11:05 p.m. central on ABC-TV (Channel 8). "Always the Love Songs," by the way, is from the group's way cool major label debut CD, Jet Black & Jealous. These are hometown guys making us proud.

Photo: Chris Thompson, Jon Jones, Mike Eli and James Young get all jet black and jealous for a professional portrait by photographer Kristen Barlowe.

AUSTIN - Jeffrey Steele knows how to sell a song. It's no wonder so many of his compositions turn into huge hits for mainstream country artists. In concert Saturday night at the Ranch, accompanied by his four-man band, Steele delivered 45 minutes of scorching country-rock with more than a few nods to R&B and blues. As a performer he's full-throttle from the first note. He sang with grit, honesty and gusto, letting his soulful wail carry him on a set of songs the crowd knew such as "Help Somebody" (a hit for Van Zant), "I'm Tryin'" (Trace Adkins), "What Hurts the Most" (Rascal Flatts) and "My Town" (Montgomery Gentry). His originals were even better, particularly the hilarious "Drunk Girl" and the Cajun-spiced corker "Something In the Water." This guy's almost too good for Nashville. He belongs in Texas.

Photo: Steele in a concert shot from 2008 (Anthony Scarlati).

AUSTIN - Certainly much of the arty nonchalance, the elegant despair and the graceful melancholy at the heart of Echo & the Bunnymen can be credited to lead singer-songwriter Ian McCulloch. Onstage Saturday afternoon at the Bat Bar inside the Austin Convention Center, McCulloch led his four Bunnymen cohorts through an hour's worth of familiar songs during the band's return engagement to South by Southwest. The SXSW Live taping - yes, large cameras took up valuable space in an already overcrowded room - encapsulated the Bunnymen magic. McCulloch, dressed in black with dark sunglasses, epitomized the new romantic British movement from which the band emerged. Angst, psychedelia, new wave and anthem rock played into cheered-on staples "Seven Seas," "Bring On the Dancing Horses," "Nothing Lasts Forever," "The Killing Moon" and of course "Lips Like Sugar." McCulloch, an expert at brooding resignation, can now be definitely seen as one of the architects of the sound that would influence big bands of today such as Coldplay, the Killers and Radiohead.

Photo: Ian McCulloch during a SXSW gig back in 2006 (Erich Schlegel/DMN).

AUSTIN - During a long walk, about an hour and 35 minutes, that took me through much of downtown Austin, even to the Texas Capitol building, I went scoping for people wearing T-shirts emblazoned with musician logos. Here's what I spotted: Cher, the Beatles, the Clash, Depeche Mode, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Metallica, Judas Priest, Motorhead, Johnny Cash, Medeski, Martin & Wood, Grateful Dead, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Coheed and Cambria, Os Mutantes, Arctic Monkeys and even High School Musical. OK, that last one is iffy. I must say I thought I would see more of them. This is Austin, live music capitol of the world. And this is the South by Southwest Music Festival. I was a bit disappointed.

Photo: The AC/DC T-shirt I saw (Courtesy of www.allposters.com).

AUSTIN - Devo is almost indescribable. The new wave icons, now considered godfathers of electronic music, put on a refreshingly unusual show before a packed crowd late Friday night into Saturday morning at the Austin Music Hall. It was the five-man band's debut concert at South by Southwest.
Leaders Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale along with Bob Mothersbaugh, Bob Casale and Josh Freese delivered quirky, satiric, symbolic and energetic madness for 80 minutes. They traced career tunes and threw in some new ones, especially the cool opener, "Don't Shoot, I'm a Man."
Using video montages, a guitar, drums and lots of synthesizers - not to mention gray uniforms, orange crossing guard vests and those signature red flower pot hats - the group mesmerized the audience. Highlights were plenty, but let's mention "Whip It," "Girl U Want," "Secret Agent Man," "Freedom of Choice" and "Beautiful World."
In fact, during "World" they were all in black T-shirts, matching boxer shorts, knee pads and calf-high black socks. Well, except for Mark Mothersbaugh who became Booji Boy, a Devo character from the group's inception. He wore a child doll head mask complete with backward baseball cap and a football jersey nightgown.
The point? Perhaps it was the irony of innocence in a world now completely devoid of it.

Photo: Devo during their keynote panel Thursday afternoon at the Austin Convention Center (Erich Schlegel/Special to DMN).

AUSTIN - I spent the better part of Friday afternoon with the Del Castillo guys - Mark Del Castillo, Albert Besteiro, Mike Zeoli, Alex Ruiz and Rick Del Castillo. Austin's premier Latin rock band played a 30-minute set at the Viper Room inside Rusty Spurs during South by Southwest. Four of those six songs in their set came from Del Castillo, the group's great fourth album, which will be released April 7. Fans of the group's ridiculously rhythmic fusion of flamenco, rock, blues, cumbia, reggae, salsa and ranchera will definitely want a copy of the disc. It will be available at Waterloo Records in Austin and through the Del Castillo website. Mark Del Castillo says they are negotiating national distribution and that should be in place by the end of the summer.

Meanwhile, check www.guidelive.com and GuideSunday for my piece on Del Castillo.

Photo: The cover of Del Castillo (courtesy of the band's myspace page).

AUSTIN - I'm not a smoker, but I couldn't help but marvel at the old-fashioned cigarette vending machine, the kind with the pull knobs, standing in the back area of Rusty Spurs on East 7th Street. I haven't seen one of those in, oh, decades. Or perhaps I just hadn't noticed. Anyway, this one had packs of Marlboro, Camel Lights, Natural American Spirit and Parliament Lights. It works because I watched two people purchase cigs while I stood nearby. Are these things still pretty prominent?

Photo: It wasn't exactly like this, but real similar. So you get the idea. (Courtesy of www.artomat.org)

AUSTIN - So I'm walking back to the hotel Wednesday night after the Austin Music Awards at Austin Music Hall and I'm immediately halted in my tracks by the sounds of a band covering A-ha's 1985 hit "Take On Me." Me being an '80s music aficionado I had to hear more. Turns out it was the Spazmatics, a band that bills itself as "the ultimate new wave 80s show." The four-man group has a sense of humor, of course. Notice the bicycle helmet, the neck brace and the geeky attire. Anyway, they did a faithful cover of "Take On Me" and then launched into the Romantics' "What I Like About You." Pretty cool! The crowd at the Cedar Street 208 Courtyard, where the band was playing, were loving it. Plus, like me, many passers-by were stopping to get a glimpse of the '80s fun. What a blast!

Oh! I just noticed on the Spazmatics' myspace page that they have a Dallas gig tonight at 10 at the Loft. Just FYI for you fellow '80s music fans.

Photo: The Spazmatics in a photo from the group's myspace page.

AUSTIN - Mexico's intriguing new singer-songwriter Ximena Sariñana, who looked incredibly child-like even at 23, made her South by Southwest debut late Thursday night at Momo's. Armed with her firecracker four-piece band, the brunette artist offered several songs from her acclaimed debut disc, Mediocre. Her songs, especially "Mediocre," "Pocas Palabras (Juan)" and "Sintiendo Rara," have a darkly emotive undercurrent and soaring pop choruses. She sang with passion, like a sonic punch, which belied her youthful appearance. Also, she's very much a Latina of our modern era. She belted in Spanish but always spoke to the crowd in English.

Photo: Ximena in a posed shot (Zony Ma).

AUSTIN - Thursday afternoon was all about speeches and forums at South by Southwest. In about four hours, I listened to enlightening comments from Quincy Jones, Oak Ridge Boys and Devo. All of them spoke at the Austin Convention Center. Here are highlights from each.
Quincy Jones - "Q" was at the podium for nearly 2 hours. That was way longer than his allotted time. But hey, this is the man Quincy Jones. You don't cut him off. Especially since he was so personable, relaxed, chatty and expounded on an extraordinary 50-plus years career that took him through music, movies, philanthropy, television and business. At 76, he's clear as a bell and eager to tell anybody about his experiences. He name dropped - Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Barbra Streisand, Ray Charles, Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, Willie Nelson - and you knew he wasn't just boasting. I could fill up five blog posts and still not cover everything he said. I'll just let "Q" say it best: "Music is the only thing that affects the left and right brain simultaneously. That's why it's so powerful...it's the universal language."
Oak Ridge Boys - Yes, those Oak Ridge Boys. On their first visit to South by Southwest, Joe Bonsall, William Lee Golden, Richard Sterban and Duane Allen talked about career reinvention. They've gone from gospel to country to pop and now to rock 'n' roll. We learned that their upcoming CD is produced by rock man Dave Cobb (Shooter Jennings) and features a more stripped-down sound a la what Rick Rubin did with the late Johnny Cash. Sounds like it will be a cool record.
Devo - The five-man, iconic new wave group gave us a rundown of their existence, from 1972 to today. We got to see a nifty new video for the fresh tune, "Don't Shoot, I'm a Man." They were decked out in gray uniforms, orange crossing guard vests and of course the signature red flower-pot hats. A new CD is coming this fall. How will it be released, particularly in this age of alternative ways to deliver music to the masses? Ah, the possibilities are endless with forward thinkers like Devo.

Photo: "Q" at an Essence magazine awards luncheon last month (Dan Steinberg).

AUSTIN - How about walking in on the Austin Music Awards Wednesday night at Austin Music Hall and feasting your eyes and ears on a mass of musicians up on the platform jamming an intoxicating mix of blues, folk, rock and enough Americana groove fusion to set the house ablaze. That was the scene and the players were Suzanna Choffel, Ruthie Foster, Carolyn Wonderland, Laura Scarborough and many others. They were loose and passionate. So much so that Scarborough went from the vibraphone to the accordion to the hoola hoop. Yes, you read that right. She was a twirling ham with a glittery hoola hoop on the side of the stage.
The Austin Music Awards, presented by the Austin Chronicle, have traditionally been the official ramp up show for the South by Southwest Music Festival. It was no different this year. A bunch of plaques were presented by host Andy Langer. In fact, Wonderland took two of them - best blues band and best female vocals - while Choffel won in the best indie band category and Scarborough went home with best keyboards honor.
But the star of the shindig was Bob Schneider. Austin loves him. He, backed by his band Lonelyland, snagged best male vocals, best bluegrass band and band of the year. When he performed on the platform, he was there for four songs. That might have been too much Schneider, but the crowd adored him. Give him credit for this, he's a maverick with the instruments. With help from best teen band winners the Fireants, Schneider employed a steel drum player, a cellist, a trumpeter, a violinist and even a musical saw player. He worked the guitar, the keyboards, the harmonica and one trumpet. And he never broke a sweat.

Read more about the Austin Music Awards Thursday in www.guidelive.com and Friday in GuideDaily.

Photo: Carolyn Wonderland in a posed publicity shot.

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).

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).

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

Yes, Maynard James Keenan is best known as the frontman of rock band Tool. But he's very much a wine guy. In fact, he co-owns Arizona Stronghold Vineyards and is making some appearances around the country signing bottles of his wine. On March 23 he stops by Whole Foods Market, 2201 Preston Road, in Plano. He'll be there from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. For more on Arizona Stronghold Vineyards, click here. For more on Tool, click this one.

Photo: Keenan and his vino (Ron Newkirk).

George Strait's Nashville publicist, not to mention Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, are busy trumpeting that the country superstar's upcoming June 6 concert at the new Cowboys stadium is a sell-out. Well, not so fast. As of late Monday afternoon, Ticketmaster still had single seats in the upper deck area. That means it isn't completely sold-out yet. Read the story here. However, those that doubted King George could pack the place...now what do you say?

Photo: Jones singing Strait's praises last month during a local press conference (Tom Fox/DMN).

Singer, songwriter and pianist Tony DeSare put on a smooth, confidant and engaging performance Saturday night at Carpenter Performance Hall inside the Irving Arts Center. His gig was presented by the Irving Symphony Orchestra. Backed by bassist Mike Lee and drummer Brian Czach, 33-year-old New Yorker DeSare impressed an intimate crowd on such a chilly night. For about 80 minutes DeSare was in clear, relaxed voice as he offered covers and originals from his three CDs, including the new Radio Show. Original highlights included the lovely ballad "How I Will Say I Love You" (from 2005's Want You) and the vintage-sounding number "A Little Bit Closer" (from Radio Show). Great covers included his sultry, jazzy revamping of Prince's "Kiss" (from 2007's Last First Kiss) and a beautiful take on "The Nearness of You." For comic relief, we got "(I'd Have It All) If I Had Drew," which he wrote for the film My Date With Drew. A rousing finale of Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode" (from Radio Show) showcased DeSare's stellar piano playing. This guy has it all -- musical chops, an ear-pleasing voice, songwriting talents and elegant, likable stage presence. Why isn't he huge yet?

Photo: DeSare on the keys (Bill Westmoreland).

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

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).

Live at Last, the Stevie Wonder concert film from his Oct. 2008 performance at the London O2 Arena, screens at Studio Movie Grill, 75 and Royal Lane, March 4 at 7:30 p.m. That concert was part of Motown Records' 50th anniversary celebration. It was also the legendary Wonder's first gig in Europe in more than 10 years. Film highlights include "Superstition," "Signed, Sealed, Delivered," "Higher Ground," "My Cherie Amour" and many other career benchmarks. Backing Wonder is a 14-piece band, which includes his daughter, Aisha Wonder, on background vocals. Movie tickets are $8.75 for adults, $7.75 for students. To purchase, go to www.studiomoviegrill.com.

Photo: Wonder at the recent Grammy Awards (Mark J. Terrill).

May I just say that singer, songwriter and pianist Alicia Keys looked fabulous during last night's Oscars telecast. She, along with High School Musical star Zac Efron, presented the original score and original song honors, both of which went to A.R. Rahman for Slumdog Millionaire. Anyway, I've never seen her so lovely. She was graceful, focused and poised.

Photo: Ms. Keys stunning in lavender (Jonathan Alcorn).

Yup, that's right. According to an Associated Press story today Ticketmaster will alter its Internet selling practices. Such changes come after much griping from Bruce "The Boss" Springsteen and his fans. Perhaps this will tame Ticketmaster's monopolizing ways? What do you think? Has anybody had a bad Ticketmaster experience? Tell us about it!

Photo: The Boss hollered and Ticketmaster listened! (Winslow Townson)

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).

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).

Somebody help me understand!

Chris Brown gets arrested for allegedly assaulting a woman, whom everybody assumes is girlfriend and R&B-pop star Rihanna, and yet only some radio stations have banned his music. Others are in wait-and-see mode. Most of them are at the very least thinking he'll rebound nicely. There's a goodwill tone at work here. Read this billboard.com story.

This disturbs me. A 19-year-old star beats up a woman and he gets some slack. The Dixie Chicks made a comment, albeit a negative one, about our former president and they were immediately banned from country radio. No questions asked. No apologies accepted -- forced or sincere. No time to ponder it.

There's something very twisted going on here.

Somebody help me understand!

Photo: Rihanna and Brown in better times? (Lucas Jackson/REUTERS)

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).

Gwyneth Paltrow, I so beg to differ. Radiohead is not one of the most influential bands of all time, as you pronounced in your introduction of the art rockers. The Beatles are one of the most influential bands of all time. The Eagles are one of the most influential bands of all time. The Rolling Stones are one of the most influential bands of all time. Heck, Pink Floyd is one of the most influential bands of all time. They influenced Radiohead. So there you go. Radiohead hasn't been around long enough to be one of the most influential bands of all time. Give me a break!

Well alright, this pairing isn't half bad. That's because the Foo Foos are essentially backing up Sir Paul. This isn't a duet. They are merely his backing band. Plus, it's cool to hear "I Saw Her Standing There" with a bit more rock punch.

Yup, with the record of the year win, she now has 25 Grammy Awards. There's no way Aretha Franklin, who has 18 of them, can catch up now. She won't live long enough to pass her.

Interesting. She was hardly the highest profile of the nominees, which also included the Jonas Brothers, Duffy, Lady Antebellum and Jazmine Sullivan. I did not expect her to win. I'm not upset about it. She's good. But she isn't one that I would have predicted.

OK, how rude is this? Kanye West gets introduced to perform, but not Estelle. They do "American Boy" together, which is HER song. And yet, her name was never mentioned. How downright rude!

Watching and listening to Stevie Wonder and the Jonas Brothers, not long after seeing Justin Timberlake with Al Green, makes me scream: NO MORE PAIRINGS! Do the Grammy people not realize that by pairing these young whippersnappers with legends you demean the legend?! And in turn you expose the newcomers' musical frailties. Stop that!!!

She, with duet partner Robert Plant, has picked up three Grammy Awards so far tonight. So her total number is now 24. That's just astounding. She's unbeatable. Without a doubt the most Grammy rewarded female artist ever.

Jennifer Hudson's performance of "You Pulled Me Through" with a full choir behind her was poignant and heartfelt. I'm giving her lots of love tonight. I think she's looking good, holding it together well and showing plenty of grace under pressure.

It only took Texan George Strait more than 20 years to win a Grammy. Yes, folks, he picked up his first Grammy Award earlier today for his elegantly homespun Troubadour in the best country album category. Long, long, LONG overdue! Congratulations, King George!

I'm OK with this. Not so much because I felt Coldplay merited the honor, but because I wasn't particularly passionate about any of the nominees. Didn't dislike any of them, didn't love any of them. So...whatever...

Deserved! Sugarland's "Stay" remains one of the rawest, most potent country songs of the last decade. That award was so warranted. I also thought Jennifer Nettles was funny at the mike. She was trying to play it cool but she couldn't help losing control. It came off genuine.

Carrie, go pop, please! Do it! Go ahead, step over the line, that's it, one foot in front of the other. Cause what you sing isn't remotely country. That "Last Name" song is totally pop-rock. Please! Leave the authentic country music to artists that can do it. You'll feel better for it. You really will.

That's just wrong! That's all I have to say.

I'm so glad Jennifer Hudson won R&B album for her debut disc. Yes, the victory was probably largely fueled by sympathy considering all the tragedy she's been through. And it's not a great album to start with. Still, she was gracious, it's a good enough record and she deserves a little joy right about now.

Yes, Whitney Houston looks great! But, um, is there something a bit too melodramatic, slow and measured about her speech, her actions? Get the impression Diva Houston had to study everything she did and said on that stage? Hmm...the comeback race begins, but can she see it through?

So I had a great time as a guest today on Richland College's KDUX, the campus' web radio station. I was on program director Charlie Vann's hour-long entertainment show that started at 1 p.m. It was a stimulating, intelligent and passionate conversation about music -- both national and local. We waxed about Metallica, AC/DC, Britney Spears, Guns N' Roses, the defunct Gypsy Tea Room, House of Blues Dallas, Deep Ellum, Aerosmith, the Killers and so much more. It was cool to meet Charlie, a 20-year-old wearing a vintage Doors T-shirt. Thanks for making me feel welcomed, Charlie. A thank you to Hunter, as well. I'd be glad to do this again, guys. So just let me know.

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).

For those who want to celebrate Black History Month in authentic style, New York-based Putumayo World Music has the soundtrack for the next 26 days. The nifty record label's catalog of Black History Month compilation CDs includes: The new African Reggae, released on January 27; Acoustic Africa from 2006; African Playground from 2003; African Groove, also from 2003; African Party from 2008; African Dreamland, also from 2008; and Africa from 1999. For these titles and more, visit Putumayo's website. You can order the discs from there, too.

Photo: African Reggae CD cover courtesy of cduniverse.com.

After a disappointing and perhaps misguided 2006 self-titled debut CD on RCA Records, former American Idol runner-up Katharine McPhee has signed a contract with Verve Records, reports billboard.com. She's currently recording the Verve disc, which should be out before the end of 2009. McPhee, who's also done a little acting in 2008's The House Bunny, sold a relatively paltry 375,000 copies of that first effort, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Let's see what she can do the second time around.

Any Kat McPhee supporters out there?

Photo: Kat on the press line at the 2008 Carousel of Hope 30th Anniversary Ball in Beverly Hills (Dan Steinberg).

Fans of progressive, arty pop group the Alan Parsons Project now have six more reissued CDs with bonus tracks and nifty liner notes. Parsons and Eric Woolfson (APP's noted lead singer) personally oversaw the restoration of Pyramid (1978), Eve (1979), The Turn of a Friendly Card (1980), Ammonia Avenue (1984), Stereotomy (1986) and Gaudi (1987). Those have just been released. They were also involved in the reissuing of I Robot (1977) and Eye In the Sky (1982), which hit stores in March 2007.

I just got my copies, so you can bet I'll be listening to them. I've been a fan for a long time. Any APP admirers out there?

Photo: Back to 1980 with a...friendly card (Courtesy of www.cduniverse.com).

Talk about an explosive opening. AC/DC began its blazing gig Friday night at American Airlines Center with a video, an animated doozy of a clip featuring guitarist Angus Young as the devilish train operator too tempted by the female persuasion to keep his locomotive from crashing. When it does jump the track, it ends up center stage in a ball of smoke. It's equipped with the band's trademark horns and logo, of course.
"Rock N Roll Train," from the band's comeback smash Black Ice, started it all and for the next hour and 45 minutes the group never let up. For an entity that's been together since 1973, these five rockers still perform as if they have plenty to prove. The 18-song set featured five from Ice, three from 1980's seminal Back In Black and pretty much every other AC/DC anthem you can think of.
Anthems are key here. For AC/DC, rhythm-heavy rock tunes need a chorus the crowd can chant. The packed house did just that time and again. Let's see here: "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap," "Thunderstruck," "Hells Bells" and "T.N.T.," to name a few.
During "The Jack," a bluesy number from 1975's T.N.T. album, the unpredictable, unstoppable Young launched into a striptease, removing pieces of his trademark schoolboy uniform until he revealed boxers with AC/DC emblazoned on his backside. That was one of many memorable moments.

For a full review of the AC/DC concert, check out www.guidelive.com Saturday. Oh, and give us your thoughts. If you were there, did you dig the show?

Photo: Angus Young in his blue-lit glory Friday night at AAC (Courtney Perry, DMN).

When it comes to inventions, radio is one of the coolest. And where would music be without radio? Too bad it's gotten so ... bad. In my opinion, music on the radio -- commercial radio at least -- has reached an all-time low. How many ways can you spell dreck? But as I mentioned in an earlier blog post on Playlist, I found myself in Abilene, Texas, in early December and heard a great little show featuring sweetly soulful ballads by a terrific young singer named Lindsay Katt. That post led to e-mails from Lindsay and D. Grant Smith, who hosts The Appetizer. Forgive my surprise in learning that the show is not nationally syndicated (as it should be, it's that good) but is instead produced by Smith at KACU-FM (89.7), the National Public Radio affiliate in Abilene. He graduated from Abilene Christian University, which owns the station, where Smith now works as operations assistant, training and managing students who work at the station. Just a little over five years ago, he launched The Appetizer, which spotlights "indie and unsigned" artists from various musical genres. (Please click below to read on!)

Photo: D. Grant Smith, host of The Appetizer

So Harley Husbands, lead guitarist of Dallas' roots rockers Macon Greyson, tells me that his group's tune, "Black Light," is featured in the lauded Mickey Rourke movie, The Wrestler. Check out Tom Maurstad's review of the film here. According to Husbands, the track is "in the scene where Mickey Rourke's character and Marisa Tomei's character go on there first date to a bar where our song is on the jukebox." Pretty cool. "Black Light" is from Macon Greyson's 20th Century Accidents CD released in 2007. Husbands says the band, which also includes drummer Badger Vass, lead singer Buddy Huffman and bassist Fred Kousal, is currently working on a new disc. Oh, the group plays Adair's Saloon Thursday night and Jan. 29.

Photo: The four Macon Greyson players (John Patillo).

Former American Idol finalist Elliott Yamin is finishing up his sophomore studio album, which is due in stores May 5 on Hickory Records. The still untitled disc follows 2007's gold-selling Elliott Yamin and its platinum-selling hit single, "Wait for You." Working with the curly-headed singer on the new CD are producers Jermaine Dupri, Josh Abraham and the duo Stargate. His debut project scored on both the pop (No. 3) and R&B (No. 2) Billboard magazine charts.

Photo: Elliott on the mike (Jeff Christensen).

No joke, folks. In 2008, 1.88 million vinyl records were sold. That's up from 988,000 in 2007. See this story. The resurgence seems to be all about rallying against the sterility and compression of CDs and especially MP3 files. Plus, it's so cool to dig the artwork of a vinyl album. Hey, even amazon.com is now selling vinyl. Check out this video about the subject.

Who has vinyl out there, both old and new? Tell us!

Photo: The vinyl vindication (courtesy of Google).

Dallas band Somebody's Darling snagged a recording contract with Shiner Records after winning the 2008 Shiner Rising Star competition. The group, fronted by lead singer Amber Farris, prevailed among 24 bands and through 16 weeks of live shows
judged by recording artists Deryl Dodd and Darryl Lee Rush as well as former Dallas Cowboys special teams coach Joe Avezzano. Somebody's Darling will record in Nashville with noted producer Dan Baird, formerly of Georgia Satellites. The CD is expected to be released in late spring. In addition to Farris on lead vocals and guitar, Somebody's Darling features David Ponder on lead guitar, Nate Wedan on drums and Michael Talley on bass. Catch Somebody's Darling Jan. 16 at Sue Ellen's in Dallas; Jan. 31 at City Tavern in Dallas; and March 22 at the KHYI 13th Annual Texas Music Revolution in Parker. Also, check out Somebody's Darling on myspace.

Photo: Somebody's Darling (Courtesy of the band).

Isaac Hayes left this world way too soon. So in his memory, and in his honor, the resuscitated Stax Records will reissue his 1971 epic classic Black Moses Feb. 24. The album will be completely remastered and restored, even with the fold-out package forming a cross-shaped image of the artist. Also coming out that same day on Stax is Juicy Fruit (Disco Freak), Hayes' 1976 disco opus that has never been on CD before. Cool stuff, folks. Yesterday's R&B should still be remembered and revered today.

Photo: The mighty Black Moses (courtesy of Wikipedia).

Today has been declared Motown Day, in honor of Motown Records' 50th anniversary. The visionary Berry Gordy Jr. founded the legendary imprint this very Monday back in 1959. Little did he know that those $800 he borrowed to form the label would eventually become a lucrative and influential musical empire. Stevie Wonder, the Supremes, Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, Four Tops, Rick James, Teena Marie, among many others, would break racial barriers to integrate rhythm and blues into the mainstream. No other label has such modern-day historical significance.

There's not a one classic Motown artist that I don't like, but I'm particularly partial to Stevie Wonder and Teena Marie. Both of them accomplished the improbable and certainly the unexpected.

Who's your favorite Motown artist?

Photo: The still explosive Teena Marie (Randee St. Nicholas).

On Pearl Harbor Day early last month, I found myself stuck in Abilene, Texas: My 12-year-old had a tennis tournament. Tennis parents know all too well that such marathons often end late, and when they do, you're exhausted, not to mention how the kid feels! So my boy and I were cruising the lonely streets of Abilene, late on a Saturday night. Turned out to be one of the best drives I've ever had. As the little guy snoozed in the back, my mind drifted to the sounds of Abilene's National Public Radio affiliate, which was playing music. But not just any music. Unlike the sheer gar-bage heard on commercial radio these days, this was good music. Passionate, beautifully written acoustic music by artists whose names you have yet to hear but will (I hope). And this one song comes on ... and it's the kind of song that drives you crazy when you hear it because you have to hear more -- is there an album? Where can I buy it? What other songs has this amazing artist done? Who is this person anyway?

Photo: Lindsay Katt, whose debut album is a keeper

So red-hot Taylor Swift remains at No. 1 with Fearless, selling 90,000 copies during a slow post-holidays sales week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The 19-year-old singing and songwriting wunderkind is perhaps the most popular artist du jour next to Lil Wayne.

And now about Bruce. His 16th studio album, Working On a Dream, arrives in stores Jan. 27. The disc, produced by Brendan O'Brien, was essentially recorded soon after he finished 2007's Magic. So the Boss is in prolific mode. I'm looking forward to the CD. Are you?

Photo: Working On a Dream cover courtesy of Wikipedia.

So guess who was in the audience Monday night for Celine Dion's concert at American Airlines Center? Yup! Former Dallas Cowboys player Emmitt Smith. Celine acknowledged him, then her cameraman