Fantasy vied with reality on Sunday as the American Film Institute named the year’s 10 best films, listing epics like “The Last Samurai” and the final installment of “The Lord of the Rings” alongside slice-of-life movies “American Splendor” and “In America.” The 10 films to win the AFI Awards 2003, listed in alphabetical order, were “American Splendor,” “Finding Nemo,” “The Human Stain,” “In America,” “The Last Samurai,” “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” “Lost in Translation,” “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World,” “Monster” and “Mystic River.” The American Film Institute names the year’s 10 top films and television shows without giving rating preferences.
Be sure to read Glide Magazine’s exclusive with American Splendor star Harey Pekar here.
Source Yahoo.com.

Janet Jackson will perform on one of the world’s biggest stages, the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show. The National Football League championship football game is set to air Feb. 1 live on CBS from Houston’s Reliant Stadium.
MTV is producing the Super Bowl halftime show, which will be sponsored by America Online, for the second time. The network previously produced the segment in 2001, which featured Aerosmith, ‘N Sync and Britney Spears.
Last year’s halftime event, produced by Interscope Geffen A&M Records chairman Jimmy Iovine and Tenth Planet Productions director/producer Joel Gallen, saw Shania Twain, No Doubt and Sting perform at halftime. Celine Dion, Carlos Santana, Michelle Branch and Beyonc

Galactic will launch its third annual Freezestyle tour Jan. 15 in Ft. Lauderdale. The trek will include two hometown shows at New Orleans’ Tipitina’s during Mardi Gras, as well as the band’s first dates in Japan. Opening acts have not yet been announced for the run.
Prior to the tour, Galactic is slated to appear Jan. 6-9 on the Jam Cruise and Jan. 10-13 on Jam Cruise II. Keller Williams, Les Claypool’s Frog Brigade, Particle, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Michael Franti & Spearhead are among the other acts slated to participate. For more information on the sailings, visit the Jam Cruise Web site.
The band will wrap 2003 with Dec. 26-27 shows at New Orleans’ Tipitina’s Uptown.
Here are Galactic’s tour dates:
Dec. 26-27: New Orleans (Tipitina’s Uptown)Jan. 6-9: Jam CruiseJan. 10-13: Jam Cruise IIJan. 15: Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (Culture Room)Jan. 16: Tampa, Fla. (Masquerade)Jan. 17: Orlando, Fla. (House of Blues)Jan. 18: Jacksonville, Fla. (Freebird Caf

Before the year comes to a close, The Gordon Stone Trio, now featuring Brian O’Connell (Uncle Sammy), has scheduled a few dates in the northeast. This Friday, December 19th, the trio will be at the River Street Jazz Cafe in Wilkes-Barre, PA, followed by a Saturday night show at The Brass Lantern, in Reading, PA on the 20th. On Dec 26th, they hit the Berkshire Blues Cafe in Lee, MA.
The band is also tentatively slated to open for Strangefolk at Harper’s Ferry in Boston, MA on the 29th or 30th.
For additional dates and more information, see gordonstone.com/schedule.php.

The ongoing songwriting credit battle between Yoko Ono and Paul McCartney was recently rekindled when Ono once again left the former Beatles’ name off the song “Give Peace a Chance.”
First released by the Plastic Ono Band in 1969, “Give Peace a Chance” appears on the new DVD Lennon Legend, and, as per the arrangement the songwriting duo reached forty years ago, it was previously credited to both men, despite Lennon being its sole author.
The credits to “Give Peace a Chance” have been in contention for decades. On the 1975 Lennon compilation Shaved Fish, the song was credited to Lennon/McCartney, but when the original Legend CD was released in 1997, McCartney’s name was dropped, as it was on the 1998 John Lennon Anthology box set.
Source rollingstone.com.

The White Stripes have confirmed a New Year

Three decade long, rock and rollers, NRBQ will be the subject of a tribute album, “The Q People,” to be released March 9 on the Boston based Spirithouse Records. Artists on the album include Bonnie Raitt, R.E.M. guitarist Mike Mills, Los Lobos, Widespread Panic, J Mascis, and Steve Earle.
The cast of Nickelodeon cartoon series “SpongeBob SquarePants” also weighs in with the song “Little Floater

There are some Super Furry Animals on the loose next year. The Welsh power pop group is set to add more stamps in their passport books as they take on Europe, North America and U.K. theatres.
The SFAs are taking just a brief rest for the Christmas/New Year holidays before launching their tour January 21 in Madrid. It wraps April 8 in London. There’s no word yet on support acts.
They’ve got a new-ish LP/CD/DVD out since the summer. The Phantom Power disc is yet another notch on the group’s ever-expanding discography list and showcases the group’s taste for eclectic sounds.
The band has been experimenting with different DVD formats to accompany their new albums. Starting with 2001’s Rings Round The World and continuing with Phantom Power, Super Furry Animals have helped design visual “wallpaper” for their music.
Source Pollstar.com.

Neil Young, continuing a tour in support of his new rock opera “Greendale,” will be playing two nights at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall on March 17 and 18. Many of the dates for the winter tour have been announced, including shows in Vancouver, Portland, Los Angeles, Albuquerque, Colorado Springs, Milwaukee, Rosemont, and Amherst, MA.
Source Pollstar.com.

The Steve Kimock Band will be making a rare Boston appearance on February 28th, 2004. For the first time in years, you won’t have to drive to Worcester to see this incredible band featuring Steve Kimock (guitar, Zero, KVWH, The Other Ones), Rodney Holmes (drums, Santana, Zawinul Syndicate), Mitch Stein (guitar, The Hermanators, Brother Jack McDuff) & Arne Livingston (bass, The Living Daylights).
Tickets will go on sale this coming Monday, December 15th at 10 AM at the Middle East Box Office and via Ticketmaster.
Source Gamelan.