Playlist

For legendary bluesman B.B. King, performing is life-affirming. He was totally joyful Sunday night before an appreciative crowd at Nokia Theatre. Backed by a stellar band of eight musicians, King and his trusted guitar Lucille spent nearly 2 hours on the platform. He joked, chatted, played and sang all while sitting on a chair center stage. We got the classics, from "The Thrill Is Gone" to "When Love Comes to Town." His guitar playing remains unmistakable. His sound is clear, full-bodied, effortless. All of this from an 84-year-old icon that has worked enough, who's entertained in 90 different countries around the world. He's got diabetes, bad knees and a bad back. But you'd never know it. King may sing the blues, but he always makes us smile.

For a full review of B.B. King's concert, go to www.dallasnews.com/entertainment Monday or pick up GuideDaily Tuesday.

Photo: King jubilant as ever in 2008 (Mel Melcon).

For Trans-Siberian Orchestra, bombast is part of the charm. Nothing about this ensemble is subtle, at least not that we saw Wednesday during the matinee performance attended by more than 11,000 fans at American Airlines Center. Some of it was pure excitement -- laser lights, pyrotechnics explosions, hydraulic risers and multiple panel lighting. There were a slew of musicians onstage -- six violinists, two cellists, two keyboardists, two guitarists, a bassist and a drummer -- as well as several vocalists and a narrator. Rock power conquered the classical-fortified drama, too. But 3 hours is just too much. Plus, the proceedings were disjointed. Part of it was dedicated to Christmas, and then the rest was a hodge podge with some material from the new CD, Night Castle. Some songs failed, while others succeeded. It was all overly-padded, though. This orchestra is desperately in need of a fine-tuning director.

For a full review of Trans-Siberian Orchestra, go to www.dallasnews.com/entertainment Thursday or pick up a copy of GuideDaily Friday.

Photo: TSO in full-throttle (Rex Curry/Special to DMN).

Ah, if I had only a few more slots in my year-end best lists. That would have been great. Unfortunately, only 10 are allowed -- one list for CDs, the other for concerts. But right off the top of my head, these discs and shows get honorable mentions.

CDs:
Owl City, Ocean Eyes (Universal Republic) - One-man-band Adam Young weaves melodies and electronics to create a spirited, synthesized gem.
Bruce Springsteen, Working On a Dream (Columbia) - The Boss' newest, strongly melodic opus faded too fast. If you've got it, dig it back up. If you don't, get it.
Miranda Lambert, Revolution (Columbia Nashville) - Lindale's scorching country singer-songwriter never disappoints. Revolution, a more collaborative effort for her, is what all contemporary country albums should be.
George Strait, Twang (MCA Nashville) - King George doesn't have a thing to prove, but he does anyway. We're all the better for it.
Depeche Mode, Sounds of the Universe (Mute/Capitol) - The Mode in hard, sometimes harsh, synthesized fashion. But still so darkly alluring.
Son Volt, American Central Dust (Rounder) - A slow-burn record, one that crawls under your skin and sets up camp.

Concerts:
Fleetwood Mac, April 30, American Airlines Center - Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie delivered sterling memories and musicality.
Staind, Sept. 22, Superpages.com Center - Aaron Lewis' passion, not to mention the band's explosive combo of heavy-and-light, drew me to this show immediately.
Devo, March 20, Austin Music Hall - What a blast! Mark Mothersbaugh and the gang showed us how to mix synths with quirk and plenty of off-kilter pizazz. A feast for the eyes and ears.

This has been on my mind since the recent American Music Awards: Lady Gaga owes a huge debt of gratitude to Dale Bozzio, the once lead singer of '80s synth-pop band Missing Persons. It doesn't take a genius to see the resemblance, especially during the first half of Gaga's AMA performance. Her get-up, spandex-meets-plastic-meets-freaky-hair, is TOTAL Dale Bozzio. Sure, Gaga is much more outrageous than Bozzio ever was. But that image is completely borrowed from the Bozzio book of makeup, clothing and accessories. I sure hope all of Gaga's young fans don't think she invented her style. What irks me is that Gaga is so celebrated right now - smash radio hits, million-selling album, multiple Grammy nominations - and Missing Persons remained so underrated during its six-year run from 1980-1986. At least Smashing Pumpkins covered Missing Persons' "Destination Unknown" back in 1996. That gave Bozzio and company some rock cred.

Photos: Bozzio left her mark on the Lady (Wikipedia images).

Poor David's Pub continues to be a venue I love. In just a few short weeks, I've had the pleasure of seeing Jimmy LaFave, David Bromberg and Moon & the Starz give terrific shows there. On Thursday night, Poor David's is bringing in the incomparable John Gorka. For more information about Gorka's show and Poor David's in general, click here. Last Saturday night brought to Poor David's Lamar Street location Moon & the Starz, whose five-band piece is made up of ace keyboardist Mark Vidito (who lives in Dallas) and four characters from Linden, Texas, where Moon's home court, so to speak, is the state's best live music venue, the 420-seat Music City Texas Theater. For the second time in its short history, Music City Texas is hosting Jackson Browne on Thursday night. But regulars of MCT get to hear Moon & the Starz all the time, which is no small privilege. This Piney Woods quintet is headed up by lead guitarist Richard Bowden, who once manned that position for Linda Ronstadt and Dan Fogelberg. He is also hilariously funny. One example: The show started at 8 p.m., but one contingent trooped in around 8:25. "Oh, some other folks have decided to join us," Bowden said. "So happy to see you. Can we get you anything? Like a friggin' watch!?"

Photo: Richard Bowden of Moon & the Starz

So while on the phone with Daryl Hall, the most vocal half of enduring pop-R&B duo Hall & Oates, I asked him if there was a song or album that he thought should have been more widely heard and wasn't. He didn't hesitate, immediately answering 1978's Along the Red Ledge album. Although it did produce the Top 20 pop hit, "It's a Laugh," and eventually sold 500,000 copies, Ledge didn't exactly burn up the charts. So Hall has this to say:

"Along the Red Ledge sort of fell between the cracks because of what was going on in the late '70s. We put a lot of effort into it. It was a very musical album, adventurous. It was a unique way of crossing the great divide of music in 1978 -- rock, disco, punk, God knows what. It was a great musical record and when it came out people just kind of went...OK."

Check out my story on Hall, which should run in GuideDaily Tuesday.

Photo: The Along the Red Ledge album cover (RCA Records).

Remember when R&B music had soul? Raphael Saadiq does. Backed by a spectacular 8-piece band, featuring a saxophonist, trumpeter and two background vocalists, soul brother Saadiq performed Tuesday night at House of Blues. His 90-minute show was a glorious throwback to the days of wicked grooves and feel-good beats that made you want to strut, skip, shimmy, glide, bounce and snap your fingers in cool rhythm. Saadiq channeled the Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson and the late Marvin Gaye. And he didn't even have to dip into his past much if at all. His solo work, especially 2008's marvelous The Way I See It, is so potent that we don't miss Lucy Pearl and Tony! Toni! Toné!

For a full review of the Raphael Saadiq gig, go to www.dallasnews.com/entertainment Wednesday or pick up GuideDaily Thursday.

Photo: Saadiq in soulful mode (BEN TORRES/Special to DMN).

Converge isn't for the faint of ears. The Salem, Mass.-formed band now based in both Salem and Brooklyn, N.Y., mixes punk aesthetics with a heart-pounding, rapid-fire syle of heavy metal. The four members -- Jacob Bannon, Kurt Ballou, Nate Newton and Ben Koller -- give new meaning to the words frenetic power on the new Axe to Fall, Converge's seventh studio album.

After a career that began in 1990, the Converge members have just recently started seeing the gradual rise of their mainstream appeal. Only the group's last three studio discs, 2004's You Fail Me, 2006's No Heroes and Axe to Fall, which was released Oct. 20, have charted on Billboard's pop albums list.

Axe to Fall has already garnered Converge critical comparisons to seminal hard-core punk band Black Flag. Surely the band's current shows on the Metalocalypse tour with Dethklok, Mastadon and High on Fire couldn't hurt its standing.

(Photo of Converge by Matt Miller)

Editor's note: We've been choosing Hot Tickets and spotlights in our print Guide section, and now we want to bring those same picks to the Playlist music blog on dallasnews.com. Basically, we go through the concert schedule so you don't have to.

Jay Farrar remains the creative center of seminal alt-country band Son Volt. He wrote all 12 songs on American Central Dust, the band's melodic, slow burn of a new CD. With tracks as potent as "Cocaine and Ashes," "Dust of Daylight," "Sultana" and "When the Wheels Don't Move," to name a few, Dust may be the five-man group's strongest effort since the sought-after debut disc, 1995's Trace. Farrar and company -- drummer Dave Bryson, bassist Andrew Duplantis, electric guitarist Chris Masterson and keyboardist Mark Spencer -- sound artistically rejuvenated. American Central Dust is proof of that. English alternative rocker Peter Bruntnell is the opening act for the band's concert at the Granada Theater.

(Photo of Son Volt by J.Wagner & S.Waugh)

Doesn't it seem as though Motown Records has been celebrating its 50th anniversary for about a couple of years? It officially turned 50 January 12, but the celebration just keeps going. Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin and the Temptations will trek on over to Detroit, the label's birthplace, for a two-night shindig Nov. 20 and 21 at various locations in the vicinity of the company's midtown headquarters. Check out Motown's classic music website.

All of this Motown talk gets me thinking about the label's 1980's heyday. Everybody always points to the 1960's and the 1970's as the quintessential Motown decades. I won't argue that. But let's not forget that Motown was very much viable in the 1980's, and with groundbreaking releases like Teena Marie's It Must Be Magic from 1981. She was so ahead of her time, particularly on "Square Biz," an intoxicating slice of R&B, funk and rap that predated the slew of female rappers to come.

Got a favorite Motown album from the '80s? Share with us.

Photo: Teena Marie's It Must Be Magic CD cover courtesy of Motown Records.

Friday night marked yet another terrific concert at Uncle Calvin's Coffeehouse. The inimitable David Wilcox made his debut at Uncle Calvin's, where, incredibly, he had never played. Wilcox has a loyal cult following, and the place was packed. His adoring troupe of fans included a delightful couple, Mike and Mer Dunbar, who attended a Wilcox concert at McDavid Studio in Fort Worth on their first date in 2006. They were married last May and now share the distinction of having attended additional Wilcox shows during 2007, 2008 and Friday night. Mike is 27, Mer is 22, so they're a bit younger than the regulars who return like homing pigeons each Friday night to Fellowship Hall at Northpark Presbyterian Church, where Uncle Calvin's is based. I, like most of the Ballad Tree types who go there, vastly prefer seeing shows at Uncle Calvin's than having to endure the crazy din of American Airlines Center. Those days are gone, and you can have them. There's nothing better than a quiet corner at Uncle Calvin's, a slice of hot apple pie and several cups of hot, black, steaming, flavorful, delicious coffee. Uncle Calvin's offered the chance to fully appreciate Wilcox's rare blend of pristine vocals, dynamic guitar play and songwriting that merges the best of music and storytelling. At times, you feel like you're hearing Jackson Browne, at others F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Photo: David Wilcox, who has just released his 16th album, Open Hand

You know the drill. R. Kelly, the king of salaciousness, was all about his libido Thursday night before a packed house at Nokia Theatre in Grand Prairie. His "Ladies Make Some Noise" tour stop was exactly what you would expect -- 70 percent sex romp filled with tunes such as "Your Body's Callin'," "Strip For You," "Bump N' Grind" and a few others that would make some blush. He's so one-note. But the women in the audience loved it. And the men in the crowd loved the women. Musically, however, Kelly needs less repetitive beats and interchangeable lyrics, and more of the material during the final 30 percent of the show. "Step In the Name of Love" and "Happy People" were actually musical, with old-school grooves and feel-good vibes. Do more of that, R!

Did you go to the concert? What did you think?

Photo: Kelly sexed it up Thursday night (Kye R. Lee/DMN).

Gary Allan and his seven-man band rocked Superpages.com Center Saturday before 8,500 fans. Emphasis on rocked since the California native has all but transformed himself from a rugged country honky-tonker to a super cool arena rocker. And that's just fine. Allan's been steadily moving in that direction for years, so nothing felt forced or calculated. The show was loud, though, and very guitar-heavy. He employed two guitarists, one of which wore a kilt. Plus, Allan's drummer loved to pound on the skins. So tracks such as "Still Learning How to Bend," "I Just Got Back From Hell" and "Watching Airplanes" were amped up and raucous. Even the countrier cuts, "It Would Be You" and "Songs About Rain," ripped to maximum effect.

If you were at the show, tell us what you thought.

For a full review of the Gary Allan concert, go to www.dallasnews.com/entertainment Sunday or pick up GuideDaily Monday.

Photo: Gary Allan (MCA Nashville).

As I listened yesterday to the 2-CD, 36-tracks Celebration, the new Madonna career retrospective, I found myself skipping back to cuts from her 1983 self-titled debut album. I'm talking about "Lucky Star," "Holiday," "Everybody" and "Burning Up." Yes, "Borderline" is on there, too. But I always thought that song lacked the vibrancy that permeates the rest of the album. "Lucky Star," "Holiday" and "Everybody" are effervescent examples of dance-pop with personality. Then we have "Burning Up," perhaps the best slice of high-energy dance from Madonna Louise Ciccone. The bouncy rhythm, the pulsating synthesizer line and Madonna's pouty-sexy lyrics about female domination all created an irresistible tune.

OK, what's your favorite Madonna song and why?

Photo: The Celebration CD cover (Warner Bros. Records)

Miley Cyrus brought out brother Trace Cyrus to the stage Sunday night during her sold-out concert performance at American Airlines Center. The siblings sang a tune titled "Hovering." It gave more platform time to Trace, who had already been under the spotlight for 40 minutes as lead singer of his band Metro Station, which opened the show. Trace told us earlier that Miley had fought for he and his group to be part of her tour. Hey, little sis pulls for big bro.

Anyway, Miley's gig left her Hannah Montana TV character in the dust. Her 80-minute stint focused on tracks from 2007's Meet Miley Cyrus, 2008's Breakout and the new EP, The Time of Our Lives. She also whipped out a cover of Joan Jett & the Blackhearts' "I Love Rock 'N Roll." She sang it while atop a motorcycle hooked up to cables that slowly soared above the audience.

Coincidentally, Miranda Lambert also covered "I Love Rock 'N Roll" Saturday night during her State Fair of Texas show in Fair Park. Joan Jett must be flattered. Or not.

Were you at the show? What did you think?

For a full review of Miley Cyrus' concert, go to www.dallasnews.com/entertainment Monday or pick up GuideDaily Tuesday.

Photo: Miley Cyrus works the stage Sunday night (John F. Rhodes/DMN).

In between songs from three CDs -- 2005's Kerosene, 2007's Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and the new Revolution -- Lindale's Miranda Lambert pulled out a few choice covers during her concert Saturday night on the Chevrolet Main Stage of the State Fair of Texas in Fair Park.

She did Gillian Welch's "Dry Town" and Fred Eaglesmith's "Time to Get a Gun." But those are tracks on two of her discs. She scored rock chick points for tackling Joan Jett & the Blackhearts' "I Love Rock 'N Roll," then got all R&B on Wilson Pickett's "In the Midnight Hour."

Her remake props came during an unplanned encore. She did an acoustic rendition of Patsy Cline's "Crazy" (written by one of her musical heroes, Willie Nelson). Then slid into Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away," and ended with a blistering take on Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll."

Were you at the show? What did you think?

For a full review of Miranda's show, see www.dallasnews.com/entertainment Sunday or pick up GuideDaily Monday.

Photo: Miranda's got it covered (Jason Janik/Special to DMN).

So now that I'm free from the heat of deadline -- not to mention the space constraints inherent with writing an overnight concert review -- I want to talk about three more moments during Monday night's U2 concert at Cowboys Stadium.

"Stuck In a Moment You Can't Get Out Of" -- It was just Bono on vocals and The Edge on acoustic guitar. Quite intimate. Well, as intimate as you can get in a huge venue packed with more than 70,000 fans.

"The Unforgettable Fire" -- A rare concert song, one that U2 hasn't performed during their treks in nearly two decades. It's still engulfing and passionate, as is just about every track from the CD of the same name. (My favorite U2 tune of all time is "Pride (In the Name of Love)," which is also from The Unforgettable Fire disc.)

"City of Blinding Lights" -- During this track from How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, Bono plucked a 13-year-old kid from the crowd and walked with him through the stage's outer ring. A cool gesture. Bono probably made that kid's year...or lifetime.

Photo: Bono and The Edge (Louis DeLuca/DMN).

Here are the facts: More than 70,000 people attended U2's concert Monday night at Cowboys Stadium. That stage for the 360 Degrees Tour was mammoth, a spaceship-meets-spider contraption with four claw-like structures, two movable bridges, a circular stage that led to an outer ring and a stunning rotating video screen that stretched into a funnel-cloud shape and was always glittering with lights.

Amazing show, folks. U2 defines stadium rock. I'm going to focus here on one song they sang, "Sunday Bloody Sunday." It was that song, as well as "New Year's Day," that introduced me to U2 in 1983. "Sunday," with it marching beat and anthem-like chorus, mesmerized me from the get-go. So did "New Year's Day," which was so haunting with that signature keyboard intro. Loved them both. Still love them both.

Onstage, "Sunday Bloody Sunday" was passionate, penetrating. Bono, Larry Mullen Jr., Adam Clayton and The Edge haven't forgotten how powerful that song is.

Were you there? What did you think?

For a full review of U2, see www.dallasnews.com/entertainment or pick up GuideDaily.

Photo: U2 in 360 Degrees! (Louis DeLuca/DMN)

Those Kings of Leon guys do have a few rock anthems in their repertoire, as they proved Wednesday night before a large, adoring crowd at American Airlines Center. And I'm not just talking about "Use Somebody," the group's breakthrough US radio hit that arrived during the more than 90 minute concert's encore.

"Sex On Fire," one of those soaring rockers that throbs at every note, had the audience singing loudly, fist-pumping and jumping. Ditto for "Manhattan," with its irresistible chorus that explodes effortlessly.

But hey, my fave remains "Closer," the first tune they played. I love that moody mix of synthesizer pulses and drum beats. The band was bathed in blue hues, which added to the song's mystique.

Now it's your turn. Were you at the show? If yes, what did you think?

For a full review of Kings of Leon, go to www.dallasnews.com/entertainment Thursday or pick up GuideDaily Friday.

Photo: The Kings on their AAC throne Wednesday night (Jeffrey Porter/DMN).

Oh to have been in the planning meeting for the cover of Denton band Bowling for Soup's upcoming album, Sorry for Partyin'. I mean, just look at it. On the one hand, you give it a glance and think, "Guys, put a towel over it!" Then again, you can't help but laugh. Both thoughts are probably the point with this quirky, self-deprecating, good-humored band. Partyin', which follows 2006's The Great Burrito Extortion Case, hits stores Oct. 13. Check out my GuideDaily story on Bowling for Soup sometime next week.

Let's talk about concert pyrotechnics. Metallica has that mastered as well. The metal messiahs brought more than 19,000 fans to American Airlines Center Tuesday night for its Dallas stop on the World Magnetic Tour.

But back to the fire. Literally. The stage floor shot bursts of flames. At one point vocalist James Hetfield was standing at the mike mighty close to the sizzling hot orange-yellow glow. He didn't seem to mind. Also, flanking drummer Lars Ulrich, who was center stage, were banks that shot eight tall flames on either side. Cool, I mean hot, visual!

It was a great show, folks. Metallica remains astonishingly tight. They are consummate musicians still incredibly focused nearly three decades after starting the group.

If you were there, what did you think of the show?

For a full review of the Metallica concert, go to www.dallasnews.com/entertainment Wednesday or pick up GuideDaily Thursday.

Photo: Metallica burns up the stage (Kye R. Lee/DMN).

Terrell's Jamie Foxx kept the Nokia Theatre stage busy, busy, busy Friday night during the first of two concerts at the Grand Prairie venue. Most of the night's material came from two Foxx CDs - 2005's Unpredictable and 2008's Intuition. He paid tribute to Ray Charles, whom he portrayed in his Oscar-winning Ray performance, with "I Got a Woman." We also got a throwaway homage to Michael Jackson that featured snippets of Jackson tunes played by DJ Irie with Foxx egging the crowd to sing along, then doing his best Jackson dance impersonation. That was it. Never did Foxx actually cover a Jackson song. Anyway, the finale was a lot of fun. It was an explosive rendition of "Blame It," Foxx's most recent radio hit.

Did you go to the concert? If so, what did you think?

For a full review of the Jamie Foxx show, go to www.dallasnews.com/entertainment Saturday or pick up GuideDaily Sunday.

Photo: Foxx on the prowl (Jeffrey Porter/DMN).

OK, Pink was a blast Wednesday night in front of a near sold-out crowd at American Airlines Center. For about an hour and 45 minutes, the woman born Alecia Beth Moore gave us spectacle and substance. Her "Welcome to the Funhouse" tour is one big roller coaster ride. And who better at command center than the explosive Pink.

Highlights of the evening included "So What," "Funhouse," "Just Like a Pill" and "Get the Party Started," among others. Pink also dared to strip it down, bared her soul and sang "I Don't Believe You" and "Dear Mr. President." Very cool.

So were you there? And what did you think of the show?

For a full Pink concert review, go to www.dallasnews.com/entertainment Thursday or pick up GuideDaily on Friday.

Photo: Pink flies into American Airlines Center (John F. Rhodes/DMN).

So I was surprised by the relatively small crowd Tuesday night at Superpages.com Center for the Creed/Staind concert. There were only 7,000 people there. That's less than half the capacity of the venue. It makes me wonder if the Creed comeback -- this is the band's first tour since 2002 -- doesn't bode well for the upcoming new album, Full Circle, which arrives Oct. 27.

I will say that Creed frontman Scott Stapp was in good voice (strong, throaty), was all about energetic drama onstage, and seemed to be connecting with his band mates. But, man, an hour of Creed is more than enough. 100 minutes is just too much. The songs all sound the same after a while and Stapp doesn't know any other vocal setting but full-throttle.

Staind were really good. I love that melodic intensity, that mixture of melody and hard rock punch. Aaron Lewis is a most intriguing lead singer, a guy that always seems ready to explode but keeps his combustion in check.

If you went to the show, what did you think?

For a full review, go to www.dallasnews.com/entertainment Wednesday or pick up GuideDaily Thursday.

Photo: Stapp pours on the drama (Ben Torres/Special to DMN).

Kudos to the legendary Poor David's Pub for back-to-back weekends of terrific shows. I had the pleasure of being at the Jimmy LaFave-Zane Williams doubleheader on Sept. 12 and again on Friday night, Sept. 18, to hear folk music giant David Bromberg. (Check out the fascinating feature on Bromberg written by my colleague Mario Tarradell.) Poor David's has been around for years, of course, but its new location on Lamar near downtown Dallas is really cool. As John Inmon, LaFave's ace lead guitarist, told me, it has terrific acoustics. The sound is absolutely perfect. LaFave put on his usual dynamite show, with Inmon laying down his amazing licks on lead guitar and Bryan Peterson playing the lights out of the piano. No one can move from Chuck Berry to Bruce Springsteen to his own heartfelt ballads as well as LaFave. And Zane Williams, LaFave's warm-up that evening, is a real find. The Abilene native moved to Nashville in 1999 after graduating from Abilene Christian University.

Photo: David Bromberg

It's funny how songs that stiff on the charts later turn into concert regulars. Seeing the Moody Blues in concert Wednesday night at the Meyerson Symphony Center, the first of two sold-out nights with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, made me think about this. I've seen the Moodies live, oh, at least three times and they always perform 1986's "The Other Side of Life" and 1968's "Ride My See-Saw," as they did Wednesday night. Great tunes. One's a stomping yet melodic pop-rocker and the other is a swirling, harmonious rocker. Neither were hits -- "The Other Side of Life" stalled at No. 58, while "Ride My See-Saw" couldn't get further than No. 61. And yet every time the band play them live, the audience reacts as if they were huge radio staples. Very cool.

For a full review of The Moody Blues, go to www.dallasnews.com/entertainment Thursday or pick up GuideDaily Friday.

Photo: Justin Hayward and John Lodge amp it up Wednesday night at the Meyerson (Kye R. Lee/DMN).

Depeche Mode's song, "Never Let Me Down Again," which the band performed Saturday night before 15,000 fans at Superpages.com Center could very well be the theme for my thoughts on the concert. I've seen Dave Gahan, Martin Gore and Andy Fletcher (along with supplemental musicians) onstage on four separate tours. They've never let me down. These guys are pros at not only blending synthesizers and real instruments to make a full-throttle dance-rock repertoire, but also at persevering. More than two decades into this game, Depeche Mode continues to thrive during packed shows. And they keep delivering new music, the latest disc being Sounds of the Universe, that's always bold and daring.

So if you went to the show, what did you think?

For a full review of Depeche Mode, check out www.dallasnews.com/entertainment Sunday or GuideDaily Monday.

Photo: Dave Gahan in technicolor! (Rex C. Curry/Special to DMN)

We're not supposed to divulge too many details of movies before they're released, but anyone who loves the music of Bruce Hornsby (as I do) should rush to a theater Sept. 4 to see World's Greatest Dad, starring Robin Williams. I won't tell you how and why Hornsby plays himself, or why he sings one of his signature songs, "Mandolin Rain." But he does, and writer-director Bobcat Goldthwait uses Hornsby to full comic effect. That's right, comic effect. I also recommend World's Greatest Dad to anyone who's ever been a parent. You may not know this, but Hornsby harbors two fascinating ties to the Dallas area: He's good friends with rocker Don Henley, who was born in Linden in the Piney Woods of East Texas and now lives in Dallas. He and Henley co-wrote "The End of the Innocence." And he's good friends with Dallas Mavericks Coach Rick Carlisle, with whom he shares in common a basketball background and the fact that both play piano. Check out this Eddie Sefko story about that relationship and click the arrow in the video box below to hear Hornsby sing "The End of the Innocence." Lest I forget, World's Greatest Dad has another local connection: It's distributed by Magnolia Pictures, which is co-owned by Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and business partner Todd Wagner.

Photo: The great Bruce Hornsby

Last Thursday afternoon I was in Waxahachie with three friends. We toured some of the lovely vintage homes, marveled at the refurbished courthouse downtown, had dinner at 1879 Chisholm Grill and took in Michael Martin Murphey's concert that night at Texas Theater. It was just Murphey and his acoustic guitar (also, sometimes a banjo) with occasional accompaniment by guitarist Steve Weisberg. For more than 2 hours, Murphey traveled through his pop, country and cowboy songs. He was in fine voice, especially during his soaring rendition of "Wildfire," his 1975 pop smash. Murphey can still hit the notes. Also, it was cool to hear "What's Forever For," "Long Line of Love," "Cherokee Fiddle" and "Carolina In the Pines." But the set did seem excessively long, especially when it was so instrumentally spare. Murphey's a talker and storyteller. That's great. It makes him accessible, warm. However, just about every song was preceded by a lengthy tale. You can imagine how that made 2 hours and 15 minutes seem endless. Still, all in all the Dallas native put on an intimate show at a most historic venue.

Photo: Murphey picking and singing (Courtesy of Ron Dougherty).

Ranchera and Latin pop fans surely relished the Pepe Aguilar and Marco Antonio Solis concert Sunday night at American Airlines Center. These two men are pillars of the regional Mexican music genre. Plus, they brought platforms full of musicians. Aguilar, who performed first, had with him a 12-piece mariachi and a 9-piece band. Solis, who closed the show, toted a mini-orchestra complete with string and horn sections, percussionist, drummer and three female background vocalists. Aguilar kept it traditional with a few excursions into pop, while Solis was mostly pop with brief trips to ranchera. They were contrasting artists, but immensely talented all the same. Highlights were plenty, but let's quickly mention Aguilar's jaunty "He Venido A Pedirte Perdon" and lush "Miedo" as well as Solis' dramatic "O Me Voy O Te Vas" and rhythmic "Tu Carcel."

For a full review, go to www.dallasnews.com/entertainment Monday or see GuideDaily Tuesday.

Photo: Aguilar in charro brilliance Sunday night (Nathan Hunsinger/DMN).

On my way home from seeing Morris Day & the Time Saturday night during the second day of the Fort Worth Musicfest, I popped in my CD copy of Ice Cream Castles and cranked up "Jungle Love" and "The Bird." I just had to have some more. Day and his Time musicians, performing on the parking lot of the Masonic Hall, left the crowd hungry for more soul and funk. That's good showmanship, not to mention serious grooves from bass, drums, guitars and keyboards. Obviously, "Jungle Love" and "The Bird" were highlights of the 75-minute set. But so were "Cool," "Pandemonium" and "777-9311" -- still the funk phone number. OK, now I need to go play What Time Is It?

For a full review, go to www.dallasnews.com/entertainment Sunday or see GuideDaily Monday.

Photo: Morris Day in his primping perfection Saturday night (Ben Torres/Special to DMN).

It's all about the funk! The first night of the three-day Fort Worth Musicfest funked out with headliners Zapp and Bar-Kays. Friday night was cool and breezy, so the crowd easily got up and danced. You couldn't stay seated with these groups playing the platform.
Zapp -- "More Bounce to the Ounce," with the signature talk box in amped-up mode, was a big ole funk jam. Ditto for "Nuthin' But a Party." And, oooh, "Computer Love" was all electronically sexy.
Bar-Kays -- Lead singer Larry Dodson is an over-the-top master of showmanship. He chewed up funk gems "Shake Your Rump to the Funk," "Move Your Boogie Body" and the totally wicked "Freakshow On the Dance Floor." Uh-huh, it sure was.

For a full review, go to www.dallasnews.com/entertainment or see GuideDaily on Sunday.

Photos: Zapp (left) and Larry Dodson of Bar-Kays funking it up Friday night (Mark Rogers/Special to DMN).

Complaints are running rampant about the sound at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, particularly in regards to the venue's three concerts so far -- George Strait, Jonas Brothers and Paul McCartney. Having reviewed all three shows, I've had no problems with the sound system. But then again, I was sitting on the floor for all three gigs. For McCartney Wednesday night, I was in section D, row 15, seat 3. That's essentially 15 rows, center, from the stage. The sound was fine. Two colleagues of mine sat in section 119, toward the back, and they also thought the sound was fine. It could very well be a situation of where you're sitting, maybe even down to the minute angle of your seat. But overall, stadiums are bad places to hear and appreciate music. Stadiums tend to be huge, cavernous and circular. Those are three acoustic deterrents. Also, remember that they are made primarily for sporting events, not concerts. The emphasis is on the 50-yard line or home base, not speakers and sound travel. Does this excuse poor acoustics at Cowboys Stadium or Texas Stadium, which wasn't a whole lot better? Not at all. But as concert ticket buyers, it's something to keep in mind. Mega-stars draw massive crowds, which require a mammoth venue to accommodate everybody. It's always bound to leave something to be desired.

Photo: McCartney at Cowboys Stadium Wednesday night (Tom Fox/DMN).

More than two-and-a-half hours of Paul McCartney Wednesday night at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington almost wasn't enough. He performed 36 songs backed by a great four-man band. But think of all the songs he didn't do. That could be another show...or two. Anyway, among the many highlights, here are three of my faves:
"Jet" -- The propulsive rocker with the shout-out chorus was an in-your-face blast from the word go.
"Back In the U.S.S.R." -- How can you not get caught up in the vibe? All together now..."Back in the U.S.S.R."
"Live and Let Die" -- Those pyrotechnic explosions were unexpected and startling. But the sparkly fireworks during the hard rocking part of the song added visual excitement to the sonic thrill.
"Helter Skelter" -- Speaking of hard rocking, this one's a fist-pumper. It was part of his second encore.

OK, now it's your turn. Did you go to the show? What did you think?

For a full review of the Paul McCartney concert, go to www.dallasnews.com/entertainment Thursday or see GuideDaily Friday.

Photo: Paul in action (Tom Fox/DMN).

American roots music veterans Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp and Bob Dylan, along with New York City outfit The Wiyos took the stage Friday at QuikTrip Park. Here's a quick recap of the concert:
The Wiyos - Bob Wills by way of Brooklyn. Swinging Americana with an urbanized, eclectic feel. Loved the trumpet, megaphone and upright bass combo.
Willie Nelson - An hour of Willie is not enough, but he packed 'em in. "Whiskey River," "Me and Paul," "On the Road Again," "Crazy," "Always On My Mind." Classic Nelson.
John Mellencamp - No "Jack & Diane" or "Hurts So Good." Gasp! Still, Mellencamp roots-rocked hard during "Crumblin' Down," "Troubled Land" and "The Authority Song."
Bob Dylan - Great 5-piece band blending folk, blues and rock. But, wow, onstage Dylan's voice is really an acquired taste. He was in intermittent growl mode.

For a full review of the shows, see www.dallasnews.com/entertainment Saturday or GuideDaily Sunday.

Photos: Nelson (left) and Mellencamp at QuikTrip Park (John F. Rhodes/DMN).

As promised last year, the 2009 Tejano Music Convention will take place in Dallas Aug. 21-22 at the Hyatt Regency Reunion Hotel. The event features performances by Tejano and conjunto veterans Gary Hobbs, Ram Herrera, Jay Perez, Hometown Boys, Elida Reyna and many others. It will also mark the reunion of '90s group Fandango USA. Comedians Willie Barcena and Gilbert Esquivel are set to serve as hosts. The convention, sponsored by Southwest Airlines, is shorter and cheaper this year due to the struggling economy. Registration is $15-$80; organizers expect 5,000 people to attend. For more information, go to tejanoticket.com. To register, call 913-397-8850 or email info@tejanoticket.com.

Photo: Logo courtesy of tejanoticket.com.

Another piece of news from Idol Records: Label founder Erv Karwelis has launched Exploding Plastic, a boutique imprint of Idol that will cater to "art pop." According to Karwelis, "the bands will have an indie pop/art pop style which would include psychedelic and symphonic type bands." Dylan Silvers, frontman for The Crash That Took Me, will decide on most of the signings for the imprint. Already released on Exploding Plastic: Snow In June, the trippy, soundscape-ish debut disc by Little Black Dress, which is Toby Pipes (formerly of Deep Blue Something) and Nolan Thies. A second Exploding Plastic release, the forthcoming CD by The Crash That Took Me, should arrive in October. Also on tap is a compilation of bands from Iceland, Japan, Italy, England and the US (including Dallas artists). That could emerge later this summer.

See my story on Erv Karwelis and Idol Records here.

Photo: CD cover of Little Black Dress' Snow In June (Exploding Plastic/Idol Records).

Among the thrills of going to a concert is leaving with one song whose words and melody won't get out of your head. It's usually a new song, and being among the first to hear it is one of the thrills of live performance. I got to hear two on Friday night, July 17, and can't stop thinking about either. The incomparable Gretchen Peters, who headlined that night at Uncle Calvin's Coffeehouse, played a new song titled "Mother," which she wrote for a CD tribute to the activist, Mary Harris "Mother" Jones. Despite enormous personal tragedy (she lost her husband and their four children in a yellow fever epidemic and later lost her shop, her home and all her possessions in the Great Chicago Fire), Mother Jones rallied American miners and championed workers' rights like no one ever had. "You were the Madonna of the mines/our Lady of the Picket Lines," Peters sang, to terrific accompaniment by Barry Walsh, her keyboardist, accordion player and fiancé. I'm often skeptical of warm-up acts, so I was pleasantly surprised to hear John Fullbright, whose hometown is Okemah, Okla., the same as Woody Guthrie. The parallels don't stop there. Fullbright looks a lot like Woody, sounds a lot like Woody, and from early indications, writes a lot like Woody. His song "The High Road" is a tale of an extraordinary love. Jack and Suzy are young lovers but share a bond so strong and enduring that it underscores the power of Fullbright's lyrics, which state, "Living comes natural to many/love comes naturally to few ... you take the high road to freedom/And I'll take the low road to you." It was a gift getting to hear such a magical young talent perform. I hope we have many more such chances in the future. Woody would be proud: He could not have a better clone.

Photo: Gretchen Peters

Rod Stewart played it smart Sunday night before a nearly sold-out crowd at Nokia Theatre in Grand Prairie. He surrounded himself with a strong band, including a female violinist and saxophonist plus three background vocalists, and had the good sense to keep his 90 minute set to recognizable tunes that showcased his talents, not his weaknesses. That means he didn't do a single pop standard from his awfully misguided Great American Songbook CDs of late. Instead the 64-year-old London native quickly settled into a nice groove that found him exploring hits from the '70s, '80s and '90s. He was in decent voice, able to dance and move about the stage and eagerly played into the hands of the enthusiastic crowd, particularly the women. Highlights included the classics "Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)," "Maggie May," "Hot Legs" and "The First Cut Is the Deepest." It was totally cool to hear him do "Young Turks" and "Forever Young," two of his better '80s staples, and pay homage to soulsters Sam Cooke ("Having a Party," "Twistin' the Night Away") and the O'Jays ("Love Train"). Sure, he went overboard with the soccer fan thing, throwing soccer balls into the audience when he should have been concentrating on his singing and using too much video footage of soccer games. But that's part of Rod, love it or leave it.

For a full review of the Rod Stewart concert, go to www.dallasnews.com/entertainment Monday or see GuideDaily Tuesday.

Photo: Stewart performing in Germany in 2007 (Volker Hartmann).

Sound and vision make an intensely powerful pair, especially when talking about progressive metal band Tool. Maynard James Keenan, Danny Carey, Adam Jones and Justin Chancellor take that artistic merger to arguably the loftiest level of any current hard rocking group. There's a deep, metaphorical reason for every beat, riff and chord progression and its accompanying video image. Nowhere was that more pronounced than in concert Saturday night before a sold-out crowd at Nokia Theatre in Grand Prairie. For nearly two hours, Tool used screen pictures, strobe and laser lights to not merely augment, but interpret its brand of metal. That's no small accomplishment. Tool is all about precision. Nothing is sloppy; it's all methodically well-executed. Drummer Carey, dressed in his signature basketball shorts and tank top, pounded with perfection, all the while making sure that the rhythm section was tight, piercing and profound. Tool's songs rattle your core, for sure, but they aren't noise. They represent the intricate, ambitious talents of four men who are as enigmatic as they are professional. During "Lateralus," one of two encore tunes, we got dual drumming from Carey and Ashton Bird (of opening outfit Tweak Bird) that was both tribal and rock-fortified. For "Vicarious," Keenan, the "anti-frontman" who never had a spotlight on him, stripped down to just boxer briefs. It's as if he was trying to give the audience a, well, vicarious thrill.

For a complete review of the Tool concert, go to www.dallasnews.com/entertainment Sunday or see GuideDaily Monday.

Photo: Keenan in pouncing mode (G.J. McCarthey/DMN).

A couple of memorable visuals come to mind when thinking about Aerosmith's headlining performance Sunday night before a massive crowd at Superpages.com Center. First there's Steven Tyler blazing his way through "Dream On" while he stands on the stage's catwalk as a fan blows his hair and a wall of steam rises up from the floor. He looked like some kind of rock 'n' roll aura. Then, during "Love In An Elevator," the lighting rigs and four rectangular video screens hanging over the band went up and down like, well, an elevator. Way cool. Aerosmith, after an hour-long set from that rock 'n' blues Texas trio ZZ Top, proved age is for seasoning, not withering. The group from Boston rocked hard for nearly 90 minutes delivering many career classics, from the signature "Walk This Way" to the brooding "Janie's Got a Gun." What a kicking rhythm section comprised of drummer Joey Kramer, bassist David Hull (subbing for Tom Hamilton who is recovering from surgery) and guitarists Joe Perry and Brad Whitford. A major highlight of the evening: A sizzling blues-rock jam that brought ZZ's Billy Gibbons back to the platform.

For a full review of Aerosmith and ZZ Top go to www.dallasnews.com/entertainment Monday or see GuideDaily Tuesday.

Photo: Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top during his group's opening set Sunday night (Jason Janik/Special to DMN).

Smokey Robinson is one dapper dude. He can wear a slick blue suit, a black and white tuxedo, even a flaming red outfit and always look cool. He's still mighty youthful at 69, able to dance, gyrate and swoon with ease. So naturally he enthralled the crowd of 1,200 Saturday night at Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth. Armed with a nine-member band and two female dancers, the Motown legend performed for two hours. He did everything you'd expect -- the Motown classics when he was part of The Miracles; the hit solo material; and pop standards from his 2006 CD, Timeless Love. Robinson was the quintessential old-school entertainer. He told stories of the Motown glory days, name dropping The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross and the Supremes, among others. He worked the audience, particularly the ladies in the house, some of which ended up onstage with him. Three numbers geared toward the women were showstoppers. "Being With You," his 1981 crossover smash, was sultry. He sang a part of it in Spanish while in tight embrace with one of his female background vocalists. "Just to See Her," from 1987, was a melodic delight. And "Cruisin'," which closed the show, was a slow, sexy, rhythmic manifesto.

For the full review of Smokey Robinson, go to www.dallasnews.com/entertainment Sunday or see GuideDaily Monday.

Photo: Robinson smoked! (Brandon Wade/Special to DMN)

Asia and Yes shared a guitarist (Steve Howe) Wednesday night at Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth during a nearly sold-out concert by both progressive rock groups. And keyboardist Geoff Downes spent a little time tickling the ivories for Yes before he helped inaugurate Asia. But performing back-to-back on the same night boldly highlighted the stylistic differences between the two bands. Asia, which opened the show, peppers its brand of progressive rock with plenty of pop hooks and soaring choruses. Lead singer John Wetton remains in outstanding voice. With Yes, however, those characteristics are the exception, not the norm. That gave Asia's set more immediacy and instant familiarity, particularly during the radio staples "Heat of the Moment," "Only Time Will Tell" and "Sole Survivor." Yes, on the other hand, is prone to long, winding, heavily instrumental pieces that are great showcases for the musicians but not the singer. Plus, the Yes vocalist is currently Canadian Benoit David since longtime wailer Jon Anderson is ailing at home. David is a decent singer, but he's miles away from Anderson's distinctive pipes.

For a full review of the Asia and Yes concert, go to www.dallasnews.com/entertainment Thursday or see GuideDaily on Friday.

Photo: Howe and Wetton of Asia in action (Khampha Bouaphanh/Special to DMN).

Usher broke down in tears before finishing his rendition of Michael Jackson's "Gone Too Soon" (a lovely ballad from 1991's Dangerous, by the way). He walked down to the where the casket is, took off his sunglasses and the tears flowed. He got a group hug from the Jackson family, including Jermaine and Janet. He then walked over to Katherine Jackson (Michael's mother) and gave her a hug. Very touching. Then, Smokey Robison spoke about his beliefs that there is life after this step. He said this about Michael: "He's gonna live forever twice. Because the world right here will never forget Michael Jackson."

Photo: Usher tries to finish the song (Kevork Djansezian).

Queen Latifah is so cool. I've always thought that. She walked to the podium at the Staples Center and told us about Michael Jackson from a fan perspective. She name dropped "Dancing Machine" and the famous robot moves. Way cool. She was real, heartfelt. Then she read words by poet Maya Angelou, a stirring poem titled "We Had Him." How great to see the Queen and hear the talents of Angelou. Also of note: Lionel Richie delivered a rousing "Jesus Is Love" back by a choir; Mariah Carey and Trey Lorenz gave us a passionate (if slightly over-baked) "I'll Be There;" and of course Stevie Wonder performed. Watching the memorial on television - I got CNN on - works best for me. You can escape some of the madness of actually being there. Jason Sheeler, I do not envy you.

Photo: The Queen at the podium (MARIO ANZUONI).

During one between-song moment Monday night at Nokia Theatre, Britain's Got Talent winner Paul Potts reached for a mug set atop a nearby stool. "Just like an Englishman," he said, "I have my tea handy." Such casual quips, not to mention stories about opera, about growing up listening to classical music and about his beloved wife, filled the time that Potts wasn't exercising his operatic tenor. Those asides made him all the more human, endearing. But every time he opened his mouth to sing, Potts really showcased his talents. His voice has such a pure tonality, almost an earnest innocence to it that makes him sound refreshingly honest. Surely his story is one of unassuming everyman emerges out of nowhere to capture the world with sheer musical power. There's no image steering this gravy train. With 12 local musicians onstage - strings, harp, french horns, timpani drums, clarinet, flute - and pieces from his second CD, the all-Italian Passione, as well as his heralded debut, One Chance, Potts thoughtfully and fervently sang for a small but engaged crowd. Sandwiched into his show were special guests Neal E. Boyd, winner of America's Got Talent, and Diane di Stasio, a soprano from Nashville. Potts was gracious to share the stage with them, but the attention was all for him.

For the full review of Paul Potts, go to www.dallasnews.com/entertainment Tuesday.

Photo: Potts in full vocal power Monday night (Michael Ainsworth/DMN).

Even from the nosebleed perch -- Section 308, Row B, Seat 1, to be exact -- it was easy to grasp the gist of a Beyoncé concert: The woman is 70 percent fashion plate and 30 percent artist. Her show Sunday night at American Airlines Center, part of her current "I Am Tour," was all about windblown hair, leg-baring, bust-hugging costumes, runway dance moves and diva perfection. To be fair, she is gorgeous. It doesn't take a genius to figure out why the Houston native is making millions shilling hair products, lipstick and perfume. She has that striking, supermodel appearance. But artistically she's as empty as they come. Yes, Beyoncé can sing. She can carry a tune and has plenty of lung power. However, there's nothing special or instantly recognizable about her voice. And her music, solo and when she was with Destiny's Child, is utterly disposable. Whether delivering uptempo numbers such as "Crazy In Love" and "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)" or ballads such as "Halo" and "Broken-Hearted Girl," Beyoncé couldn't get passed the prefabricated, perfunctory vibe of the songs. Even with a large band behind her, including a percussionist and horn section, it all sounded soulless. Nothing about her musically sticks, nor does it say anything about her as an artist other than she aims for mass appeal and exposure.

For a full review of the Beyoncé concert, go to dallasnews.com/entertainment Monday.

Photo: Beyoncé was all modeled up Sunday night (Lara Solt/DMN).

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.