Playlist

LONDON -- The Anschutz Entertainment Group, the commercial monolith that promoted the 50 Michael Jackson concerts here that will never happen, pretty much had the whole town riled up by Wednesday morning. AEG, which is part of the same Philip Anschutz empire that brought "Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs" to the Dallas Museum of Art (and which owns the Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie), came up with a no-refund alternative to Jackson's ill-fated concert series that provoked a Fleet Street frenzy of angry headlines. AEG Live says that anyone who wants a full refund to Jackson's ill-fated series of 50 concerts at the O2 (the London arena and exhibition enclave where the King Tut show played before coming to Dallas) can get one, but, if you're willing to consider a no-refund alternative, have they got a deal for you! Fans can have their very own souvenir ticket, to a concert that will never happen! And, claims AEG, it's one that Jackson himself designed shortly before his death! (Please click below to read on.)

Photo: Michael Jackson performing during halftime of the Jan. 31, 1993 Super Bowl, won by the Dallas Cowboys 52-17

LONDON -- This city may come to be known as the beginning of the end for Michael Jackson. That certainly appeared to be the conclusion of the London Evening Standard on Friday night, when the blaring headline read: "JACKSON FAMILY BLAMES LONDON." The story quoted family lawyer Brian Oxman as accusing "enablers" of "pushing Jackson too hard physically in preparation for the 50 comeback concerts in London" that were scheduled to begin July 13. And where were those shows supposed to take place? The O2, the sprawling arena and exhibition enclave in East London where "Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs" took place before heading to the Dallas Museum of Art last October. The O2 has welcomed through its doors Celine Dion, the Eagles and Tut. Its owner is the Anschutz Entertainment Group, which, of course, is headed up by reclusive Colorado billionaire Philip Anschutz, who also owns Arts and Exhibitions International, which, along with the Egyptian government, staged the Tut show at the DMA. MTV reported that the Anschutz Entertainment Group faced the "daunting task" of having to refund $85 million in ticket sales for 50 sold-out concerts and that Jackson had passed a physical to obtain insurance for the 50 concerts. The Los Angeles Times reported that AEG had invested a reported $20 million in production costs for the "This Is It" concerts with an expected profit of about $115 million and a three-year worldwide tour that could have grossed $450 million. By Monday, the focus had shifted a bit, with the London papers quoting Joe Jackson, the singer's father, about allegations of foul play, almost as though London itself were getting a reprieve when it came to the blame game. (Please click below to read on.)

Photo: Michael Jackson

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).

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

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

For the full review, go here on Sunday afternoon.

It started out sweaty. The crowd of people outside American Airlines Center was thick in preparation for the posted 7 p.m. time for Andrea Bocelli's concert on Saturday, with plenty of button-downs blotchy with moisture before the doors opened around 7:15. But once the doors opened, the crowd was nothing but a warm bath of affection for the Italian tenor and the familiar songs he sang. Classical-music critics may not always love him--or an arena as a venue for his concerts-- but his fan base sure adores him.

It was a multi-generational audience. As Bocelli stepped onstage, the 30-something woman next to me, who came with her excited mother, said "Mom's going to faint!" Fortunately, she didn't faint. Along the way, one man yelled, "We love you, Andrea," which drew a smile from Bocelli. His guests included soprano Eglise Gutiérrez, singer Heather Headley and flutist Andrea Griminelli.

The encore was particularly well-received by those on hand. After the first encore song, "Besame Mucho," the audience caught on to the fact that if Bocelli stopped on the stairs and took a sip of water, he'd be back out there shortly. Sips of water were met with enthusiastic applause.

"My voice is finished," Bocelli said before his last song, but it wasn't quite yet. He launched into "Nessun dorma."

At the end of the concert, after the lights came up, the man sitting next to me said, "It's not over." But it was.

If you went to the concert and want to share your experience, leave a comment. I'll post the program and the encore songs after the jump.

OK, Jerry: One complaint -- I just got stuck in the ladies' room outside the media area for, oh, 10 minutes. I closed the door for privacy, only to discover -- NO HANDLE on the inside. I understand about being "still in progress," but still ... it was a little scary. I had to text-message my cohort, Mario Tarradell, to come get me, and the first time it wouldn't go through (the TRUE terror of seeing "no bars" on the cellphone). It did finally go through ... but I had been pounding on the door for about 10 minutes by then. LOVELY bathroom, but I didn't want to spend the last 10 minutes of George Strait in there. Invest in door handles, soon.

Haven't had much time to blog from the George Strait concert, what with actually trying to cover the concert, but I must say, I'm surprisingly impressed by Cowboys Stadium as a concert venue. The sound and sightlines are wonderful, and the 60-yard-wide video screens, which I expected to detract from the live ambiance of a concert, actually add to the experience, because you can see every emotion on the performers' faces. You also catch interesting glimpses of the band, such as the photos the keyboard player has set on his instrument as, one supposes, inspiration.

No offense to Julianne Hough, but most fans were thrilled that Lee Ann Womack filled in for her -- if someone's going to get bragging rights to being the first performer at Cowboys Stadium, it seems only fitting that it's a native Texan and someone of her stature.

I also have to mention how accommodating the Cowboys staff was, even sending two AT&T guys to help us when we had connectivity issues. Honestly, I was kind of dreading the insanity of tonight, but now I'm thrilled and excited to say I was here on opening night. It's a gorgeous, fabulously appointed facility, and Dallas-Arlington-Fort Worth can be very proud of it. Thumbs up, Jerry.

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).

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

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

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).

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

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

FRISCO -- For most of the nearly five hours I spent at Kenny Chesney's Sun Carnival Tour on Saturday night, I was teetering (and shivering) between two thoughts: "Gosh, these performers sure have gumption and 'show-must-go-on' commitment, to keep performing when it's raining buckets and there's lightning flashing, and oh, gee, there's all that electrical equipment onstage," and "Are the people who organized this thing out of their minds? Call it quits and get us out of here before the tornado hits or a transformer blows!"

That said, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert and Kenny Chesney did put on a heck of a show before, just 45 minutes into his headlining set, Chesney finally did what should have been done before the concert started: "I think it'd be best for everyone if we all got the hell out of here," he said before the stage went dark.

Look for a full review of the truncated show -- what with Sugarland's last-minute cancellation and Chesney's abbreviated set, Lindale native Lambert actually got the most stage time -- at Guidelive.com on Sunday afternoon, and in the print edition on Monday.

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).

Rock group the Gaslight Anthem played to a packed house at the Granada Theater on Tuesday night.

Two members of the quartet wore white T-shirts, and the other two wore black. It was fitting attire, given the '50s greasers and outlaw cowboys mythologized in the band's latest album, The '59 Sound. The group played most of the should-be hits off that album, plus tunes from its two earlier releases and at least two cover songs - one by the Replacements (I think it was "Left of the Dial") and "Once Upon a Time" by Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise.

Vocalist and guitarist Brian Fallon sang with his lips constantly curved upward, ready to break into a full-on smile at a second's notice. His enthusiasm and energy were contagious, and the crowd clapped along to many songs, at times urged on by bouncing bassist Alex Levine. The band mixes punk and pop with a classic rock sound in songs heavy on allusions to an earlier time. Miles Davis, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Elvis, Mustang Sally - all get a seat of honor in the Gaslight Anthem's world.

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).

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

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

Here were my thoughts during the concert:

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

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

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

(Photo by Rachel Parker/Special Contributor)

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

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

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

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

(Photo by Rachel Parker/Special Contributor)

Day one of Denton's inaugural music "conferette" has come to a close, and you can read my entire night of mobile blog entries at Quick's Nightlife Blog. Included in the misadventures: Astronautalis gets a little gay for his side project, Boyfriends Inc.; the Heelers rock a packed Dan's SilverLeaf and Bridges & Blinking Lights tries out some extended jams. I'll be back tomorrow night with another recap and some updates from organizers.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PHOTO: Kevin Costner

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).

The connection between author Wally Lamb and music is pretty evident--heck, the names of his books have all come from music. Lamb was at Arts & Letters Live last night, and on the books blog, I posted about the playlist he made of songs he was listening to when he wrote his latest, The Hour I First Believed.

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

Here's what you do know about Celine Dion: The woman's got pipes. Serious pipes. Whew.
And here's what you might not know about Celine Dion: The woman's goofy, which makes her all the more human.
The megastar with the astonishing voice performed for a nearly sold-out house Monday night at American Airlines Center. She quickly told the crowd it had been almost a decade since she played Dallas. It does seem like a long time. But it's not far-fetched. She spent five years in Las Vegas doing her "A New Day" show. Anyway, she was welcomed in these parts with open arms.
Deservedly so. Dion was an expert performer from the old school. She was personable with the crowd, spending a lot of time talking between songs. She sang with power and pathos, particularly during a breathtaking cover of Eric Carmen's "All By Myself" and of course her signature ballad, the beautiful "My Heart Will Go On" from Titanic.
At every turn she looked as though she was having a good time, interacting with her 10-piece band and her eight dancers and delivering fun dance numbers such as "I Drove All Night" and "Shadow of Love," from her recent Taking Chances CD.
For a full review, go to www.guidelive.com Tuesday.

Photo: Celine in action (Michael Ainsworth/DMN).

You've still got one night to catch the Manhattan Transfer at Richardson's Eisemann Center; the Grammy-winning pop-jazz quartet performed its Christmas show there on Monday and will be back Tuesday night, backed by the sublime MT band and a marvelous group of musicians from the Richardson Symphony Orchestra.

MT's foursome can sound as soft as a bevy of doves cooing, or as strong as a band of angels at full trumpet-from-the-heavens level. No matter the intensity, however, MT makes anything they sing sound fresh. Cheryl Bentyne's take on "Santa Baby" is both hilarious and beyond sultry, and who else but MT would have thought to do "White Christmas" with a bossa-nova beat? They sing a dozen or so holiday songs, but also sneak in some of their own signature sugarplums as well -- "Birdland," "Java Jive," "Operator."

Tickets cost $30-$62, and the show starts at 8 p.m. Tuesday. Call 972-744-4650 or go to the Eisemann's Web site for tix or details.

Look for a full review Tuesday at guidelive.com.

Anyone who wasn't in the house to witness Gerald Albright, Lalah Hathaway and Will Downing performing at the Majestic Theatre on Friday night missed a delectable treat.

The "Soulful Christmas Tour" was a sell-out, and for good reason: it not only united the talents of three contemporary jazz and soul artists, it also marked the return of Mr. Downing, who spent nearly two years out of the spotlight while recovering from the debilitating muscle disease, polymyositis.

In just over two hours, the three powerhouse entertainers took turns gracing the stage, performing either their own solo material while occasionally working interchangeably as a duet or trio. Ms. Hathaway, barefoot and wearing a red and black tunic with leggings, opened with Self-Portrait's "Breathe" and a soothing cover of "Summertime" ....

OK, I admit it: I'm one of those "new country" people who didn't really start getting into country music till the vanguard of Garth Brooks in the early '90s. So let's just say I've had some catching up to do to earn my country bona fides.

Saturday night at Billy Bob's was the first time I'd seen Loretta Lynn, and now I understand why people who grew up loving her sneer a little at the whole new-country thing. Ms. Lynn is old-guard country at its finest -- a wondrous throwback to a time when lyrics and guts meant more than lasers and glitter. She doesn't need fancy lights or 18 costume changes; she just lets her voice do all the ... well, talking, so to speak (although her one costume, a mauve confection of a dress with enough sparkles to light the stockyards, was something of an event all by itself).

In about an hour and a half, Ms. Lynn and her band (many of whom are family members) crooned their way through 20 songs, from her earliest hit, "Honky Tonk Girl," to "Portland Oregon" from the edgy, Grammy-winning 2004 Van Lear Rose. The audience went especially crazy for "You Ain't Woman Enough to Take My Man" and "Coal Miner's Daughter," but Ms. Lynn was perfection on every single number.

At 74, she's still the real thing, and she cooks. Grace, grits, ageless beauty and talent -- there's a combination we could use more of these days.

A Sarah Brightman concert always proves to be an all-encompassing experience. Her shows are elegant banquets for the ears, the eyes and the mind. The English soprano delivered on all counts Wednesday night before an attentive, appreciative audience at American Airlines Center. The current tour, which supports a pair of new CDs, Symphony and A Winter Symphony, debuted ambitious 3-D holographic images reflected onto a trio of huge Plexiglas panels angled over the stage.
The idea was for the crowd to see moving pictures - a gothic garden, an ocean, an enchanted forest, a winter wonderland - while Ms. Brightman slipped in and out of the "movie." For the most part the experiment worked. But there were technical difficulties.

For a full review of Sarah Brightman, go to www.guidelive.com Thursday morning.

Photo: Sarah in full glory at AAC Wednesday night (John F. Rhodes/DMN).

Miranda Lambert is the firecracker to Blake Shelton's slow burn, and they make one heckuva couple in concert -- and apparently in real life, as well. If they keep up the momentum, they've got what it takes to become the next Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. Blake, like Tim, is at his best when doing story songs, and Miranda's got the vocal chops and looks to easily out-Faith Faith. (My friend and I decided Miranda could be the secret love child of Elvis Presley and Janis Joplin ... and well, that'd work if she were a little older; she turns 25 today.)

At AAC on Saturday night, the only disappointment was that more people didn't see the terrific show she and Blake put on. After the Texas Stampede rodeo, when the concert started around 9:15, the house seemed about a third full (and that's being generous). By the time the concert ended shortly after 11, lots of the families with children had left, leaving only about a quarter-full house to see the high-octane ending, with both Miranda and Blake onstage and giving it all they had. They didn't seem to mind the sparse attendance, but it's a bit heartbreaking to see performers so talented and energetic in front of such a light crowd.

Read the full review at guidelive.com on Sunday evening.

Having only seen Carrie Underwood perform on television, I must admit I was a tad skeptical going into her concert Thursday at Nokia in Grand Prairie. But she surprised me, and in a good way. She still hasn't mastered emotionally connecting with the lyrics on some numbers -- she smiled all the way through Wasted, a heartbreaker of a song about regret, something that Lee Ann Womack or Martina McBride would have used to twist your heart into a knot. But Carrie's voice is a powerhouse and her stage presence was, if not off-the-charts brilliant, at least MUCH better than I'd expected from seeing her on SNL and the Grammys and such.

She goes a little over the top with the glamour quotient -- three full costume changes, one set where she perched, Barbie-like, on a pedestal, and three different bejeweled mikes, for heaven's sake (glittery pink, silver and gold). But she came into her own on songs such as the woeful I Know You Won't, the current hit Just a Dream and the crowd-pleasing Before He Cheats.

As for the opening act, Little Big Town, I remain mystified as to why they're not headlining at American Airlines Center; they're that good. They're getting solid support from their new label, Capitol, which just re-released the amazing A Place to Land with four new songs, including the live version of Life In a Northern Town and the wondrously raucous Good Lord Willing, both of which they sang to perfection on Thursday. They teamed with Carrie for a joyous rendition of Fleetwood Mac's Go Your Own Way, which Carrie said they were performing for the first time together on Thursday.

Look for a full review at Guidelive.com on Friday afternoon.

GRAND PRAIRIE -- Standing before a near-capacity crowd at Nokia Theatre on Wednesday night, Jackson Browne confessed to feeling a wee bit self-conscious any time he plays Texas.
"It's such a ripping, guitar-burning state," he said, no doubt referring to such native Dallas pickers as the late Stevie Ray Vaughan.
But there was no reason for apology. Backed by his incredibly gifted band, Mr. Browne blitzed through 21 songs that had the crowd on its feet for much of the night. And he pulled it off while trying to get over a cold.
He showcased songs from his new album, Time the Conqueror, whose late September release came just before Mr. Browne's 60th birthday. It's a musically charged, infectiously energetic record whose offerings range from the political ("The Drums of War") to the sweetly personal ("Just Say Yeah," which Mr. Browne dedicated to his longtime girlfriend). (Please click below to read more!)

Photo: Jackson Browne

So, I drove to Winnsboro on Saturday night and heard yet another cool concert at Crossroads Coffeehouse & Music Co. Jimmy LaFave was the headliner; the warm-up act, who also lives in Austin, was BettySoo. She has played Dallas before (Uncle Calvin's Coffeehouse back in February), but if she plays anywhere nearby in the coming months, you should get in the car and go. She has an angelic voice, plays a mean guitar and has a gifted storyteller's touch in crafting a song. "Never the Pretty Girl" was among my favorites, but they were all good. She got a well-deserved standing-O encore, which, as you know, is rare for a warm-up act. Lindy Hearne and Lynn Adler, who have a great thing going at Crossroads, promise to bring BettySoo back as a headliner. She's scheduled to play Longview in January, but by going here, you can check out her full schedule.

Photo: Betty Soo on one of her album covers

Tina Turner. In a word - fabulous.

The 68-year-old icon performed for more than two hours Sunday night at American Airlines Center during her first tour in eight years. Before what looked like a hair-from-sold-out crowd, Tennessee's Anna Mae Bullock rocked 'n' rolled, turned soulful, got the blues and even summoned the heavens during a bit of Tina-styled gospel.

The woman looked fabulous, easily fitting into mini-dresses that showed off her lithe legs. She's a force of nature, maybe even a freak of nature. Time has been mighty kind to her, both physically and artistically. She offered up a career-spanning set of songs, all of which felt new again in her capable hands.

The opener, "Steamy Windows," and her signature tune, "What's Love Got to Do With It," among others, proved every number for her is an emotional experience. She always puts her being into each song. For a full review of Tina Turner, go to www.guidelive.com Monday.

Photo: Tina in all her glory (Tim Gruber/DMN).

Michael Stipe and company kept the room rocking Friday night during a two-hour performance at Nokia Theatre in Grand Prairie. The venerable band, known for its jangly, organic and sometimes soaring rock sound, offered several tracks from its latest CD, Accelerate, as well as the hits everybody knows.

The gig, which featured an energetically cowpunk opening set by Dallas-formed outfit Old 97s, began and ended with power and pathos. Mr. Stipe, dressed in tie and jacket, does have a tendency to mix brooding drama into his frontman persona. "Living Well Is the Best Revenge" is a swirling rocker with plenty of propulsion. "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" remains classic R.E.M. And closing with "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" and "Man on the Moon" left the audience on a musical high.

But some of the in-between numbers did blend into audible monotony. In spots the show felt like two long hours. For a full review of the R.E.M. concert, go to www.guidelive.com Saturday.

Photo: Michael Stipe in July at the Paleo Festival in Switzerland (Martial Trezzini).

Sara Bareilles', whose first album is titled "Little Voice," proved Wednesday night that her voice is anything but little. Playing the piano against a backdrop of purple and orange lights, Ms. Bareilles sang with character, strength and grace. The live versions of her songs seemed far more powerful than the recorded versions, which is saying a lot for an artist whose recorded tracks are already solid.

Ms. Bareilles, who is best known for her "Love Song" hit, shared several of the stories behind her songs. She explained to fans that has struggled with body image issues and has had difficulty speaking up for herself in the past. Creating "Little Voice," she said, was her chance to let her voice be heard through music. Her song "Between the Lines," she said, is a song about someone she liked but was never able to get on the same page with. She explained that her new track, "August Moon," is about catching her high school sweetheart cheating on her.

Ms. Bareilles sang cover songs from artists who have inspired her, and gave repeated shout-outs to her opening acts, Marc Broussard and Raining Jane. She sang and played guitar to a beautiful version of Feist's "I Feel It All," and the Counting Crows' "Sullivan Street." At times, she subtly incorporated lyrics from other artists into her own songs, such as a couple of verses from Kate Perry's "I Kissed a Girl," and Coldplay's "Viva La Vida."

Fans sang along with Ms. Bareilles and laughed whenever she joked and shared anecdotes. One young fan stood in awe and said to her friend, "I want to be like her." With a voice like hers, who wouldn't?

Judging from the dozen or so e-mails I've gotten today, I might have been the one person at the AAC last night who wasn't very impressed by Janet Jackson. Here's my review, and if you're dying to know what she played, here's a set list from earlier show that mirrored last night's set list.

Cool new concert venues are popping up all over the place. I, for one, have written extensively about Crossroads Coffeehouse & Music Co. in Winnsboro and Music City Texas Theater in Linden. Both are sweet little venues that give new meaning to musical intimacy. Last Friday night, I found another one when I drove to Grapevine, where Jimmy LaFave was playing the Palace Theater. It's a restored movie house in the heart of downtown Grapevine with fabulous acoustics. It's always a pleasure to hear Mr. LaFave, whose songs are greatly enhanced by such gifted bandmates as John Inmon (lead guitar) and Glenn Schuetz (bass). Mr. LaFave was once described as the Van Morrison of Texas, and it's easy to see why. He's remarkable at covers, putting his own special spin on Bob Dylan's "Buckets of Rain" and the 1966 hit by the Left Banke, "Walk Away Renee."

Photo: Jimmy LaFave, left, with lead guitarist John Inmon

My ears will be ringing for a few days. The volume of screams from adoring fans Sunday night during the New Kids on the Block concert at American Airlines Center was deafening. One woman sitting in front of me kept fingers in her ears through much of the two-hour show even as she clutched her digital camera. But the reunion concert from Boston's one-time humongous boy band was a total blast. Featuring a bunch of songs from The Block, the group's first studio disc in 14 years, as well as staples such as "Hangin' Tough" and "You Got It (The Right Stuff)," the gig was pure fun.

A few highlights to quickly point out: Joey McIntyre can now embody "Please Don't Go Girl." Back in 1988 he was just too young to pull off the pop-soul ballad. Not anymore. Also, his performance of 1999's solo hit "Stay the Same" was a showstopper. That guy belongs on Broadway. No joke. Oh and "Click Click Click" from the new disc is a cool contemporary R&B meets hip-hop number that featured a slamming rap by Donnie Wahlberg. Yeah, he pulled it off.

For a full review of NKOTB's concert see www.guidelive.com Monday morning.

Photo: NKOTB at The Today Show in May (Jason DeCrow).

Jessica Simpson and boyfriend Tony Romo both entertained a madhouse of people tonight at the State Fair of Texas Chevrolet Main Stage. The Richardson-raised singer's concert, which featured her Dallas Cowboys quarterback beau escorted from backstage to the multi-level sound booth by a dozen uniformed police officers a couple of times during her 65 minute set, convinces you that she's a great tabloid celebrity. There just isn't much else there.

Her switch from pop to country has made headlines, and her debut single, "Come On Over," remains one catchy piece of sultry country-pop. But for her emoting equates to belting. Her rendition of Dolly Parton's "Do You Know," the title cut from her first country CD, was grossly over sung. It's a good song, but it needs Dolly to give it justice.

For a full review, go to guidelive.com Saturday morning or check GuideDaily Monday.

Photo: Miss Jess works the State Fair crowd (Tim Gruber/DMN).

At Thursday's concert at AAC, Neil Diamond issued a challenge to the audience: Get out there and buy TONS of merchandise -- for yourself, your friends, perhaps an itty-bitty T-shirt for your chihuahua. And he wasn't being greedy. He's donating 100 percent of the merchandise proceeds from the Dallas concert to help Hurricane Ike victims on Galveston Bay. His goal is to raise enough to replace 300 destroyed homes by Christmas. He might even go down and do some hammering himself, he promises. (Brad Pitt, watch out -- you've got philanthropic competition.)

He did the same thing in Houston at Tuesday's concert, and they raised more than $200,000. We're waiting on an update to see how much was raised Thursday, but let's hope we kicked some Houston ... well, you know. Let's hope we beat their number.

I've been going to Neil Diamond concerts for going on 30 years now ... and I must say, he just gets better and better. As does his band, most of which have also been with him for three decades.

Thursday's concert at American Airlines Center, to an adoring, seemingly sold-out crowd, reminded me of a couple of things that were easy to forget during the 1980s era of glittery, over-the-top Neil: what a fine songwriter the man is, and how rare it is these days to encounter a performer who truly seems to inhabit every word he writes and sings. Watching him in concert, it's impossible to imagine a day when he might write a song just because it would satisfy some transient populist appetite. When Diamond sings "I Am, I Said," for instance, he gives it back its power, which was in danger of being eclipsed after that horrific version done by that girl -- what WAS her name? -- on American Idol. When he sings "Brooklyn Roads," you can see him and his brother racing up that staircase (even without the aid of the home movies projected on the big screen).

The man's a classic. He's like a perfectly cared-for '69 Mustang -- he might look a bit dated to an untrained eye, but that power is still purring under the hood. Just when you think he's on cruise-control mode, he'll surprise you with a hairpin turn of a song, and take it on the rims.

Look for a full review of Thursday's concert Friday afternoon at GuideLive.com.

At the end of her concert Thursday night at the Palladium Ballroom, Cat Power said "Thanks for letting us play such an amazing show for you."
Surely she was joking. "Amazingly strange" would be a much better description for a show she performed almost entirely in the dark - a tactic that prompted lots fans to walk out before the concert was over.
See Saturday's print edition for a review, or look online Friday afternoon.

Serious laughs and serious music were in abundance for the hundreds in attendance at the first annual Jokes N' Jams benefit for the Tom Joyner Foundation at TBAAL on Saturday night.
For over ten years, the Tom Joyner Foundation has provided over 50 million dollars in scholarships, benefitting disadvantaged students at 112 HBCU's, and there were big names in the house to champion the event, including gospel's Fred Hammond and contemporary soul artist Kem, fresh from Friday's show with Ledisi at the Palladium. In-between making jabs at OJ Simpson ("He got away with murder the first time, that's what he should've stuck with. When he changed to armed robbery, he got caught. What's the lesson? Do what you know!"), Tom Joyner and J. Anthony Brown stressed the seriousness of this year's election and even had voter registration tables waiting outside. For those reluctant to be added to the jury duty rolls afterwards, Mr. Brown offered an easy-out; "Scratch your crotch and act crazy, you'll be outta there in no time!"

N'Dambi was the first to kick off the performances at around 10PM....

It was 7 o'clock on a Thursday night, but that didn't stop a near-capacity crowd from filling McDavid Studio in downtown Fort Worth. These were just the kind of folks who normally would have hunkered down at home to watch the vice-presidential debate. (Granted, more than a few were catching it later on Tivo.) But they had come to hear John Gorka, who has a loyal following indeed. And why not? Few acoustic musicians -- few songwriters, period -- are as gifted as this guy. Whether it was anti-war songs ("Let Them In" and "Writing in the Margins") or hearbreak ballads ("I Saw a Stranger With Your Hair" and "Love Is Our Cross to Bear"), John Gorka delivered as he always does. But one of the best things about hearing this bearded Minnesotan (who was born in New Jersey and educated in Pennsylvania) is his humor, whether it's delivered on stage in numerous witty asides or in lyrics. Take "People My Age," for instance: "People my age," he sang, "have started looking gross." Way too many laughs of recognition for that one.
(McDavid Studio, by the way, has emerged as one very cool venue.)
Photo: John Gorka

Third Day put on a moving show. That's not an oxymoron when referring to a rock concert. The Christian rockers, who headlined the Music Builds Tour tonight at Superpages.com Center, managed to meld inspirational messages with plenty of R&R swagger. In fact, it's because the band, led by personable and potent singer Mac Powell, is so passionate about its inspiration that the music they make has such energy, resonance.

Highlights of the 70-minute set were plenty, especially all the powerhouse tunes from the group's great new CD, Revelation. But also of particular note was the highly hooky "Tunnel" and a take on U2's "When Love Comes to Town" that featured the other three Music Builds acts -- Switchfoot, Robert Randolph & the Family Band and Jars of Clay -- all onstage with Third Day.

For a full review of Third Day check here or in the newspaper's GuideLive section on Saturday.

Photo: Third Day in a publicity shot from earlier this year (David McClister).

Swell Season --- you know, that Irish dude and the Czech woman from the movie Once -- played all the expected songs Monday night at the Palladium Ballroom. But aside from the Oscar-winning "Falling Slowly,'' most of the high points arrived during the covers: There were two Van Morrison tunes --- the show-opening "Into the Mystic" and "Astral Weeks" - Daniel Johnston's "Life in Vain" and a wacky folk-metal spin through Justin Timberlake's "Cry Me a River."
"If that goes up on YouTube, I'm dead,'' said singer Glen Hansard about "River."
Too late - someone already posted the remake from a previous show here.
See Wednesday's print edition for a review of the show, or check online Tuesday afternoon.

Not that there's anything wrong with it, but Neko Case's show Saturday at the Granada Theater wasn't much different than her '06 Granada gig. Like that show (which was also drew a near-capacity crowd) she focused Saturday on songs from Fox Confessor Brings the Flood, sang a nice cover of Bob Dylan's "Buckets of Rain" and wisely gave plenty of solos to pedal steel guitar ace Jon Rauhouse. The main difference was a handful of promising new tunes earmarked for her next CD - that, and her off-the-cuff joking with backup singer Kelly Hogan, including a shout-out to nearby second-hand clothing shop Buffalo Exchange.

1). At no recent ACL has the balance of the day's 60,000 festival-goers been as skewed to one side of Zilker Park as on Sunday. And Saturday, for that matter, but wait a second for that. On Sunday, 80 percent of the remaining crowd clogged the east side of the park since Foo Fighters has the final performance slot all to themselves on the AT&T Stage ... and three hours earlier, Blues Traveler (of all bands, why that one?) made the Dell Stage seem like the place to be despite horrible sound while Okkervil River put on a much more satisfying set on the park's west side on the AT&T Blue Room Stage. At one point during MGMT's performance on that same stage on Saturday, the throng was so solid all the way back to the knoll to the west of Rock Island that pedestrian flow completely stopped. Why MGMT? Who knows? Its set was about as compelling as Blues Traveler's ...

1). Gnarls Barkley. For the last performance of a four-month tour, Cee-Lo, Danger Mouse and their tux-with-silver-bowtie-sporting backing band left way too much in the dressing room. The duo's live shows are notoriously unpredictable, both in terms of quality and spontaniety (what dress will Cee-Lo perform in tonight?), and it was highly disappointing that it decided to mail things in rather than let things run amok. To be fair, Cee-Lo did sound like his voice was faltering in upper registers because of wear. But man, make up for it by doing something "Crazy", huh?

2). Neko Case. ACL just wasn't where the New Pornographer's country-folk material was going to shine, and as such, Ms. Case's playing ACL a year and a half after releasing a live album titled Live From Austin, TX was unfortunate. She sang and gestured with little enthusiasm, and her subtle and often simple and short compositions are too compact and nuanced to translate on a big stage such as the AMD Stage. A waste of time very similar to Alison Krauss and Robert Plant's turn on the same stage on Saturday, which possessed nowhere near the power and poetry that it did in an enclosed and dedicated headlinging appearance.

With only two original members left between them, the Temptations and Four Tops proved they still have standards. Newer members have taken over the leading-man roles that all "man" groups have, and it's as if the music never stopped (or time, for that matter; founding Temp Otis Williams looked and danced almost as young as his mates).

The Four Tops started the night off right, gamely jumping from song to song in a medley of hits. The very eclectic audience, young and old, black and white, clothed and, well not-so clothed, was invited to sing along on the biggest hits.

One would have thought the older-leaning crowd would be a sit-down one. But how can that be when the music is so harmonious? You see them dance and you want to, too.

1). Bizarre sight of the day: seeing a member of the grounds crew using a wet-dry vacuum to suck up standing water on the grass behind Rock Island. See: you can vacuum a lawn!

2). The Rock and Recycle volunteer cleanup crew at ACL is doing yeoman's work ... but the group's actually not doing much of the work itself. They're carrying around signs that state "ask me about a free T-shirt"; when you ask, you learn that to earn the shirt you must collect a large trash bag full of recyclable bottles and cans. The bit is working amazingly well; you can't walk for a minute without seeing a festival-goer lugging around a towering blue plastic sack while scouring the park for disposables. And until dark (when the scouring becomes impossible), Zilker Park is unbelievably free of discarded trash.

More later ... got to prepare for my breakfast date with Nicole Atkins. ;)

1). Erykah Badu. Sorry to say it, but Dallas' queen of neo-soul talked too much. After "Love of My Life," she threw down this bizarre scat solo using two curse words as anchors, then she spent three or four minutes rambing on about why the heck she named her new album New Amerykah Part One (4th World War). Something about occupation ... anyway, by that time she'd created a noticeable exodus away from the AT&T Stage. She did finish stronger with decent versions of "Tyrone" and "Honey," but she was as loose as her hair (worn down) and her garb (a smiley-face T-shirt) at ACL, and that was too loose.

2). MGMT. Though a huge crowd gathered for its set on the AT&T Blue Room Stage (read about just how big in the next post) and MGMT's live show has improved in power and tightness since South by Southwest in March, the Brooklyn electro-rock duo's music still lacks hooks, character and distinction. Neither Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden know how to work a crowd, either. Horrible, and darn near unlistenable. Maybe the crowd was so big because they were all taking a break to drink.

Saturday at the Austin City Limits Music Festival was about the groove. Well, about half the time, anyway: it seemed like half the acts were soul- and R&B-derived, and the other half were either quiet indie songwriters or country-fried rockers. Quite a contrast, and it created some conflicts. But good performances were many. The top ones:

1). Fleet Foxes. The Seattle outfit's music can be rightly dubbed ambient folk: creamy harmonies and basic instrumentation that interweaves like an aural magic dragon to create a sunny, swirling cloud of rough-hewn song. Somehow -- the early performance time of 12:30 p.m. on the AMD Stage likely had a lot to do with this -- the music coagulated into a pixie-dusted wall of delight, as if it were a soundtrack to some Legend-like fantasy movie set in rural Kentucky. It was beautiful in an overall-sporting, gap-toothed way. To top it off, the band's members were extremely loose and spontaneous with their on-stage banter. "I'm sleepy," was drummer J. Tillman's intro. "Isn't is reassuring that banks can't manage money, just like regular people?" mused keyboardist Casey Westcott. Funny stuff.

1) This year's Official Program. It's 128 pages, color-coded and exceedingly informative. The master stroke? It's pocket sized for 2008, measuring roughly 4 by 5 inches. And it's free.

2). Labor Day may have passed by a few weeks ago, but musicians are still wearing white as the color of choice. David Byrne's entire band had it on; Pharrell of N.E.R.D. paired it with red jeans and a ball cap; English blue-eyed soul dude Jamie Lidell (think Adam Levine with Buddy Holly's glasses on, and you've got him nailed) sported a white choral robe (and his bassist rocked a white 1970s-era zip-up jump suit); half of Hot Chip had all manner of white garb around. Even Gogol Bordello's bassist, Thomas Gobena, had a white beanie cap with faux dreads on to match his white sunglasses. Oh, and then there's Eugene Hutz, who's just pale by nature.

3). Quote of the day: "I don't care if you're a [expletive] Republican or a [expletive] Democrat. Just vote!" -- Pharrell of N.E.R.D. Related ironic observation: how few patrons were in the Rock Island Hideaway open wine lounge watching last night's presidential debate on the lounge's big screens. Well, people were at ACL to see music, after all ...

1) Paula Nelson. She's a thirtysomething Austinite who's trying to make a name for herself as a blues-rock singer. Only she never will make a name for herself because her dad, one Willie Nelson, has already done it for her. She's got his nasal, treble-heavy voice and his static stage presence -- almost to the point of disinterest. Neither works in blues rock, especially when the music has all the fire of a stomped-out cigarette butt. Good for a celebrity party but little else.

2). Ryan Bingham. Not because he's no good -- his easygoing and svelte alt-country is gaining quality by the month -- but because even in front of the BMI Stage, his relatively stately and quiet music was utterly ruined by N.E.R.D.'s earth-moving bass tones and David Byrne's charmingly weird but effective (and loud) take on world pop. (M. Ward had the same problem on the WaMu Stage until he went full electric after his set's first few songs).

3). Slightly Stoopid. File this one under "We didn't see it because there's no point" because we've seen it before, and there's no point seeing it again. It's jock ska that frat punks get drunk to, and nothing more. Monkey see name, monkey be name, ya know?

A'ight. Since it's been established that my smartphone now officially belongs in a museum, here's the plan: I'll post three blogs a night after each day at Austin City Limits: The good, the bad, and the lovely -- 'lovely' as in notable 'gotta love it!'-style random notes. Each blog'll have three acts or items mentioned.

So here's Day 1, the good:

1) N.E.R.D. The set to see of Day 1. If you missed it, you suck. How could you miss it; the bass was so deep it must've traveled through the earth's crust like an earthquake; the energy was so explosive it generated its own magnetic field to attract the uninitiated. "You Know What" was as taut as a drive belt on a phat-funk Porsche, and singer Pharrell wasn't a "Rock Star Poser" after that joint rumbled and a breakdancer humbled. Pharrell had 30 or 40 crowd members jumping and grinding on stage during the espionage-licked groove of "Lapdance." N.E.R.D. had everyone feeling better than James Bond; shaken and stirred.

You nailed it, Christy. My smartphone's simply not working past 3 p.m. or so at ACL, and I suspect this is why (beware: I'm about to get a little technical, music lovers)

I have an older smartphone that uses GPRS for its data transfer protocol. That's old technology; newer smartphones are using what's called "G3" protocol that's about 10 times faster (I think) than GPRS. Also, more phones with data-transfer capability -- not to mention smartphones by themselves -- are in use than ever now. And when many, many people congregate in one place with all those phones -- like 60,000 at Zilker Park for a day of ACL -- network tieups happen.

Only in my case, the tieups shut me out since I have slow technology. Last year at ACL, I had occasional connectivity problems but was able to post blogs after another try or two. This year, I can't even use the data capability because my phone can't even verify itself on its network.

So until I upgrade, I'm down and out with the live blogging and Twittering. Phooey.

The instant success of country-pop trio Lady Antebellum should serve as a lesson in Mass Marketing 101. The recipe is seamless: Take two men and one woman, make sure they're photogenic, have them harmonize just enough, gather simple, radio-ready tunes and then promote them incessantly. Whiz bang! We got ourselves a winner!

Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood performed tonight as this year's first headliners on the Chevrolet Main Stage at the State Fair of Texas in Fair Park. Backed by a three-piece band, the group offered all 11 tracks on its self-titled debut CD and a few covers, including the most tepid rendition of AC/DC's "You Shook Me All Night Long" ever attempted.

Not that their material sounds much better. With few exceptions the cuts on that disc are generic and passionless. For a full review of Lady Antebellum check out www.guidelive.com Saturday afternoon or Sunday's GuideLive section.

Photo: Lady Antebellum in a publicity shot -- Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood (Mark Humphrey).

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In about an hour I'll be heading into Zilker Metropolitan Park for Day 1 of 2008's Austin City Limits Music Festival. And oh, what joy it shall bring. I'm not talking about the music. The lineup's actually weaker than previous years, in my opinion, especially in the realm of indie rock.

I'm talking weather: predicted highs in the high 80s, sunny and nary a chance of rain all three days of the fest. That ACL's being held two weeks later than usual is juuuust fine with me and many others in that regard.

But know this: the main reason ACL is in late September has little to do with the onset of fall. It has to do with the University of Texas Longhorns. Organizers schedule it during a week when the massively popular football team isn't in town. But Hurricane Ike messed that strategy up, since a game with the University of Arkansas two weeks ago had to be reschuedled to tomorrow. Here. In Austin.

Oh, tomorrow's gonna be no fun for the natives. (and by the way: single-day ACL tickets for Saturday are already sold out, so you horn flashers don't need to bother about doubling up your fun).

The British band Spiritualized played up its spiritual side Thursday night in a rare Dallas show at the Lakewood Theater.
Bandleader Jason Pierce hasn't shied from psychedelic rock, but he's definitely more into gospel these days: He mentioned Jesus or "my Lord" in a half-dozen songs and built most songs around two female soul singers who provided angelic backing vocals.
Look for a review in Saturday's print edition, or check online Friday afternoon.

Irish pride and punk rock collided Wednesday night during Flogging Molly's concert at House of Blues. As fans celebrated their Irish pride by drinking Guinness, running their fingers through their bright green hair, and showing off their shamrock tattoos, Flogging Molly put on an energetic and vibrant show.

The seven member band, which is on tour promoting its newest album, Float, captivated fans with new and old songs, including "Drunken Lullabies" and "Requiem for a Dying Song." At first the group's lead singer, Dublin-born David King, seemed out of place, wearing glasses, a white button-down shirt and a black tie. But really, he was all about playing. Throughout the night he strummed his guitar and sang while jumping up and down with the energy of a 5-year-old. He engaged the audience by cracking jokes in between songs and by giving shoutouts to redheads. He even dedicated the song "Whistles the Wind" to them.

St. Louis and Brass Knuckles were the themes of Nelly's concert Monday night at House of Blues. The rapper, who grew up in St. Louis, mentioned the city and self-promoted his newest CD, Brass Nuckles, during almost every song and/or shoutout. Nelly opened with his more popular tunes, such as "Country Grammar" and "Shake Your Tailfeather," but stuck to tunes from his new album most of the night.

He was never alone while performing; he usually had four singers at his side who would take turns sharing the spotlight. At one point, he invited rapper Avery Storm on stage, as well as Big Tuck, a rapper from Dallas.

Nelly sometimes interrupted his songs mid-way, saying, "hold up, hold up." He'd either start talking to the audience about his new album, or he'd say he wanted to try out a different version of the song he had been singing. At one point, for instance, he started singing his "Take a Ride Wit Me" hit but then in the middle of it softened his voice and slowed the song's pace. The changes were jarring, but they added some variety to the show.

For a full review, look in Wednesday's paper or online Tuesday evening.

(Photo by Jonathan Mannion)

The Hanson brothers put on a solid show Sunday night at the House of Blues, singing songs from their newest album, "The Walk," as well as older hits such as "MMMBop" and "Where's the Love."

Though the Hanson brothers are all grown up now, their music sounds much like it did when the band first became big more than a decade ago. The brothers still attract young, screaming girls, and their songs still have the same energy, rhythm and harmony.

Taylor did most of the talking, while brother Zach pounded away on the drums. Isaac, the oldest brother, switched guitars throughout the night and put on some impressive acoustic acts. During their more popular songs, the brothers asked the crowd to join them in singing.

MMMbop tick a ta ba do ba/dubi da ba do ba/tick a ta ba doo/yeah eh yeah ...

Look for a full review in Tuesday's paper or online Monday afternoon.

Ani DiFranco said she was thrilled to be playing Texas, but she didn't cut George Bush any slack Friday night at the Granada Theater in the title track to her new CD Red Letter Year:
"The water is rising, and representing the white race, a man with a monkey for a face is flying over in a helicopter, whistling Dixie and playing dumb."
The reference, of course, is to Hurricane Katrina - a topic Ms. DiFranco knows a lot about: She lives part of the year in New Orleans and the other part in her native New York.
See Sunday's print edition for a review of the show, or check online Saturday afternoon.

The floors of The Loft were shaking Thursday night as young music-goers danced and sang along with indie rock band Pinback. The San Diego-based group didn't start playing until about 10:30 p.m. after a late start from Kylesa, the opening band. Kylesa's lyrics were barely decipherable, and the group's act sounded more like a screaming match than a musical performance.

Pinback delivered a more entertaining show and mostly performed songs from its fourth full-length album, Autumn of the Seraphs, which came out last September. The band put on a solid performance of "Devil You Know" and "Boquet," but other songs, such as "Torch" fell flat. Singer Zach Smith, originally of Three Mile Pilot, at times looked insecure and lacked energy.

But Rob Crow, who also sings for the group, engaged the crowd in conversation and exuded energy as he contorted his face and opened his eyes wide while singing. Hearing Smith and Crow sing together is like listening to a melodic and poetic conversation with deep meaning.

Pinback's performance proved entertaining but was slightly disapponting when compared to the group's recorded music.

Often, a performer's live persona is the antithesis of his normal one. If that's the case with Per Almqvist, he's a Swede dweeb champion.

You've gotta figure that's the case with the Hives' singer. He uses a stage name, Howlin' Pelle Almquist, to bound his public ego, as does the rest of this genius garage-punk band. Heck: the string pounders all have amps with custom cabinetry that tout each's particular performance handle (Per's guitarist brother Niklas': "Nicholaus" on the head, "Arson" on the speaker box).

For most acts, such pompous trickery would be tantamount to challenging Mike Tyson to a rules-suspended street brawl. But for the Hives, it's kitsch that clicks because the act is so endearing and convincing, as proven during its howlin' 85-minute set Wednesday at House of Blues.

Carlos Santana was acting omnivorous Wednesday night at Superpages.Com Center. He tackled a little bit of everything - from snippets of Hendrix, the Stones and Sheila E. to a cover of "Funky Nassau" by one-hit-wonders The Beginning of the End.
Oh yeah, and there were of Santana classics, too. Lots of them. The guitar legend and his furious nine-man band jammed for two and a half hours straight and played everything from "Black Magic Woman" to "Smooth."
See Friday's print edition for a full review, or check online Thursday afternoon.

If you're into Finnish metal (and oh, we know there so, so, sooo many of you), Tuesday provided a conundrum of depressing proportions.

Do you go the well aged, tried-and-true, borderline Euro-pop symphonic route and check out two of the most successful acts of that breed -- Nightwish and Sonata Arctica -- at the Palladium Ballroom? Or do you break out the earplugs and the eyeliner to push more extreme boundaries by attending speedy-flashy-angry upstarts Children of Bodom at House of Blues?

We did the latter. We were depressed anyway. But not before an American band that's more fascinating than any of them gave us hope.

By Matt Weitz
Special Contributor

GRAND PRAIRIE -- John Hiatt's Monday night performance at Nokia was a textbook case of great show, bad night: a Monday evening, immediately following bad weather, that was also a major sports night (Cowboys game).

That explains why there were only about 500 folks for what was a truly great evening of music. Opener Joan Osborne kept asking audience members to come up front and huddle while she did songs from her just-released album, Little Wild One, as well as old favorites like her hit "One of Us."

(Photo by Jason Janik/Special Contributor)

At this point in American rock history, pundits love to search for "the next" band to replace ones that are still relevant. Call it tastemaking for the MTV era, where attention spans last as long as an album cycle if you're fortunate.

Wilco is such target, but one that makes some sense since Jeff Tweedy and his cohorts have been around for well more than a decade. My Morning Jacket is another, but what lasting legacy is there after just five or so years on the sonic radar screen?

Well, MMJ's Jim James did give Philadelphia's Dr. Dog its initial break in 2004. And if tastemaking's your thing, Dr. Dog is more than ready to represent the palette between MMJ and Wilco, if its tangy and toothsome 75-minute set at a beyond-sold-out Lola's Saloon in Fort Worth was representative.

Images of flaming red lips flashed across the backdrop of the Nokia Theater stage Wednesday night as Aventura, the opening act for Enrique Iglesias, sang one of its hit songs, "Un Beso" to a crowd of screaming fans. Girls threw lingerie at Romeo, the band's lead singer, and hung up signs saying, "Will you marry me?" He responded by serenading a female fan on stage and singing sensual song lyrics to her as he gyrated his hips and gave her a kiss.

By the time Mr. Iglesias got on stage after Aventura's hour-long performance, it was just past 10 p.m. In almost every song he played -- "Bailamos," "Dimelo," "Hero" and more -- Mr. Iglesias pointed the microphone toward the audience and raised his arms, encouraging them to sing along. Toward the middle of his act, two couches, a table and a lamp were brought on stage. Mr. Iglesias and his band sat on the couches and talked to the crowd before inviting six fans on stage for some shots (poured by Iglesias), photos and hugs. Talk about making your fans feel at home ...

See the official review here.

Read the full review here

When you think about it, Kate Voegele's tour stop in Dallas on Sunday had all sorts of signs of the times posted around it.

The primary list: an online institute of higher learning (the University of Phoenix) sponsored the tour. Ms. Voegele -- who's supposedly taking U of P classes while caravaning around the country -- was the first signee to MySpace Records, the two-year-old recording arm of internet's most successul social networking site. The 21-year-old Ohio native's star has been charted through both that record deal (the MySpace hits have gone through the roof) and her springtime role as (what else?) a coming-of-age singer-songwriter on One Tree Hill, one of television's most ubiquitous song-placement productions.

Maroon 5, the Counting Crows and opening act Augustana were in fine form Saturday night at Superpages.com Center. Maroon 5 played most of its hit songs, including "This Love," "Sunday Morning" and "Won't Go Home Without You." Girls in the crowd stood up and screamed as Adam Levine stayed true to form and performed the band's songs almost exactly as they sound on the radio.

The screams of young girls were largely absent from the Counting Crows' performance, which was characterized by subdued fans who sat and watched Adam Duritz's artistic presentation of the group's songs. He made it clear he wasn't there to just sing; he was there to emotionally engage the audience in songs that hinted at deeper meanings than their lyrics might suggest. The group played some of its classics, such as "Long December" and "Mr. Jones," as well as some tunes from its newest album, "Saturday Nights & Sunday Evenings."

Look for the full review here.

Energy, fun, fireworks and confetti (TONS of confetti) were the key components Friday night at Superpages.com Center, as opening act Montgomery Gentry and superstar Toby Keith took the stage. We also got a look at three promising new acts signed to Toby's Show Dog Records: Carter's Chord, Mica Roberts and Trailer Choir.

Montgomery Gentry's dozen-song opener was powerful and raucous, with particularly entertaining moments courtesy of Eddie Montgomery and his mike-stand-twirling antics. Mr. Montgomery's voice -- a shot of grizzled honey -- and wicked laugh propelled the set from merely "really good" to "totally excellent."

It was a hard act to follow, but headliner Toby Keith managed just fine, starting his hour-and-a-half set with the feisty "She's a Hottie." The crowd, for the most part, sang along with every song and never sat down. (Didn't see a single Dixie Chicks T-shirt, in case you were wondering.)

Read the full review here.

By Matt Weitz, Special Contributor

Peter Frampton may have been one of rock music's essential "missing men" following his long years of '60s journeyman rock labor, subsequent pop ubiquity (with 1976's Frampton Comes Alive!), and an almost-as-swift decline due in part to the execrable 1978 adaptation of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

It seems that now, however, things have come full circle: Upon his initial return to pop music a few years ago, he played Bass Hall, then eventually downgraded to Billy Bob's Texas. Currently he shows up every six months or so, serving the needs of his still-faithful fans in mid-size clubs like our own House of Blues.

If you're, say, ten years old and you woke up Wednesday night duct-taped to your bed with a sock stuffed in your mouth, you can almost certainly bet your parents were members of the host of fifty-somethings that comfortably filled the room at HOB.

Or maybe they sprung for a babysitter. It doesn't matter -- the important thing is that your folks got to party like it was 1979, all over again, for one sweet night.

Full review

(2007 Photo by Ricky Moon/Special Contributor)

Who cares about his critics? Not Nas, who started a rousing set at the House of Blues last Tuesday night with the title cut from his untitled album. Oxymoron? Maybe, but the crowd knew every line and spelled the original title with the unabashed joy of the newly converted. Like tha man said, "We think alike; that's why we're in this building."

It's been quite unfortunate that early on I bought into the Nas vs. Jay-Z feud and felt cornered into choosing a side. It turns out I've missed a captivating performer, with a lot on his mind. On TV news: "Fox has a Bush-y tail ...," "worst channel in the whole world," "On CBS, I see B.S." He admonished the crowd to "watch what you're watching."

All night long, it was all-purpose Nas -- a rapper for all seasons -- showing up in several guises (included in the package): action-figure Nas, preacher, teacher, disciplinarian, judge and jury. And don't forget hero.

(Photo of opener Jay Electronica by MONA REEDER/Staff photographer)

"I may be old," said Bobby "Blue" Bland, "but I ain't dead yet,"
He was talking flirtatiously to a woman dirty dancing Sunday night at the Granada Theater. But his statement also summed up the 5th annual Freddy King Bluesfest.
At 78, Mr. Bland still has plenty of gas in his tank, as he showed with a set full of greatest hits and an inspired cover of Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine." The same couldn't be said for 76-year-old guitar legend Hubert Sumlin, whose brief set was hit-and-miss. Also on the bill were Mr. King's daughter, Wanda, and Mike Morgan and the Crawl.
Look for a full review of the concert online Monday afternoon or in Tuesday's print editions.