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The surviving members of Alice In Chains are hitting the road this summer for the first time since frontman Layne Staley’s death from a drug overdose in 2002. With Staley, Alice In Chains’ last tour was in 1996. Since then, guitarist Jerry Cantrell, bassist Mike Inez and drummer Sean Kinney have only taken the stage together once, at a February 2005 tsunami benefit show in Seattle.

According to Cantrell’s official Web site, the lone reunion show confirmed at present is the Nova Rock Festival in Austria on June 28, alongside such heavy-hitters as Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Tool, Queens Of The Stone Age and Massive Attack.

The trio will warm up for its summer dates with a March 10 performance in Atlantic City, N.J., as part of a VH1 “Decades Rock” episode devoted to Heart. For that show, Staley’s shoes will be filled by Comes With The Fall singer William DuVall, who also doubles as a member of Cantrell’s touring band.

Source billboard.com.

Pearl Jam wears its emotions on its sleeve on its self-titled eighth album, which, as previously reported, will be released May 2 via J Records. Material for the 13-track set took shape in the wake of President George W. Bush’s re-election as well as the United States’ invasion of Iraq, the third anniversary of which is quickly approaching.

To read more about the new Pearl Jam release please visit billboard.com.

The New Amsterdams are a side project no more, with spring plans including a headlining tour and their first album since the dissolution of frontman Matt Pryor’s other band, the Get Up Kids.

Following a March 16 appearance at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, the New Amsterdams will kick off a round of North American dates at San Francisco’s Bottom Of The Hill.

The band – comprising Pryor, guitarist/singer Dustin Kinsey, bassist Eric McCann and drummer Bill Belzer – will head east to the legendary C.B.G.B in New York City and stay on the road through April 15, when they play Virginia Beach’s Peppermint Beach Club.

They’ll be back in California two weeks later to play the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival

Source pollstar.com.

As predicted by Glide last week, in a year when best picture nominees thrived on controversy, the Academy Awards’ top honor went to the film that attacked its issues most bluntly.

The Los Angeles social drama “Crash,” which interwove plots and characters from different racial and economic backgrounds in Los Angeles, won best picture honors despite favorite “Brokeback Mountain” winning virtually every other major award it had been up for leading up the the 78th Oscars.

The ensemble film, with a cast that included Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Sandra Bullock and hip-hop star Ludacris, also won awards for best original screenplay and best editing.

“Brokeback Mountain” director Ang Lee won best director for his film about the homosexual relationship that grows between two sheepherders in remote Wyoming.

“Brokeback” writers Diana Ossana and Larry McMurtry won the Oscar for best adapted screenplay, and Gustavo Santaolalla took the award for best original score.

hilip Seymour Hoffman and Reese Witherspoon were awarded best actor and actress honors.

Hoffman won for his portrayal of Truman Capote in “Capote,” while Witherspoon won her Oscar for playing June Carter Cash in the Johnny Cash biography, “Walk the Line.”

Rachel Weisz won her first Academy Award for her performance as an impassioned activist who dies under mysterious circumstances in “The Constant Gardener.”

And George Clooney won best supporting actor for his performance as a CIA man who starts unraveling the truth in the political thriller “Syriana.”

PROJECT/OBJECT, the acclaimed and internationally known Frank Zappa repertoire band, is declaring its MISSION ACCOMPLISHED tour, commencing April 12 and running through May 13. This is PROJECT/OBJECT

Indie rock innovator and acclaimed producer John Vanderslice will take to the road from March 28th through May 12th, touring in support of his latest release

ATHFEST 10 is a special 2-CD set celebrating the 10th anniversary of AthFest. ATHFEST 10 features a very rare recording of “Wanderlust” by R.E.M. The recording was previously available via download only. This is the first time the recording has appeared on CD. It was recorded live in the band’s Athens rehearsal studio. A different recording of “Wanderlust” appeared on the album Around The Sun.

ATHFEST 10 features musicians representing the full spectrum of success in the music business- from new-comers like Nate Nelson who is a local high school student to internationally recognized exports such as R.E.M.

ATHFEST 10 features cover photography and design by local artist, photographer and graphic designer Chris Bilheimer. The photography features signage from local establishments that support the Athens music scene. Bilheimer’s work has been featured on releases by Green Day, Smashing Pumpkins, Foo Fighters and many more. Bilheimer was nominated for two Grammys for his work with R.E.M.

ATHFEST 10 is the 17th compilation of local and regional music produced by Athens-based Ghostmeat Records which was founded by AthFest CD producer Russ Hallauer in 1994.

Disc 1 – New Music From Athens, Georgia
1. AN EPIC AT BEST – Weight Of Words
2. DON CHAMBERS + GOAT – Pig Luck *
3. R.E.M. – Wanderlust^
4. VENICE IS SINKING – Undecided
5. LONA – February Rose *
6. RANDALL BRAMBLETT – Rich Someday *
7. CLAIRE CAMPBELL – Lo, Mama *
8. KEN WILL MORTON & THE WHOLLY GHOSTS – Adelayda
9. PATTERSON HOOD – Heavy And Hanging *
10. THE WHIGS – Can’t Hear You Coming
11. NATE NELSON – A Sing-Song Fashion
12. NUTRIA – Under The Clay *
13. MODERN SKIRTS – Indiana Indian *
14. THE PENDLETONS – Put That Record On *
15. SUMMER HYMNS – What Kind Of Bird *
16. THE BEARFOOT HOOKERS – I’d Rather Two-Step (Than Twelve-Step) *
17. MICHAEL HOUSER – Can’t Change The Past
18. GINGER ENVELOPE – Caretaker *

* – Previously unreleased
^ – Previously released via download only.

Disc 2 – Music From Previous AthFest CDs
1. DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS- The Living Bubba
2. FIVE EIGHT – I’m Still Around
3. JACK LOGAN – Mama’s Door *
4. LITTLE RED ROCKET – I Believe In What You Do ^
5. VIC CHESNUTT – What I’ve Got *
6. DRIP – Rot And Re-Decay
7. THE FOUNTAINS – Talks American
8. HOPE FOR AGOLDENSUMMER – Hearts In Jars ^
9. VAUDEVILLE – Hat Trick
10. THE GLANDS – Livin’ Was Easy ^
11. JAPANCAKES – Now Wait For Last Year
12. JUCIFER – Amplifier ^
13. ELF POWER – Walking With The Beggar Boys
14. WORKHORSES OF THE ENTERTAINMENT & RECREATIONAL INDUSTRY – The Night
Of San Lorenzo ^
15. KEVN KINNEY WITH SCHOOLS, LESEMANN, SELL & BLACKMON – Highway 316
Revisited (Dylan Ripoff) *
16. CEILING FAN – Como Te Llamas
17. BARBARA CUE – Find A Fool
18. JET BY DAY – O Salvation ^

* – Exclusive to AthFest CDs
^ – Originally released on an AthFest CD

For more info see: athfest.com

Dave Matthews Band has announced a full summer tour that will include a slew of popular opening acts. At various stops, G Love, Matisyahu, ALO, Gomez, Umphrey’s McGee, Gov’t Mule, Bela and OAR will all claim the support spot that takes the band to some of the finest venues in the U.S.

May 30 / UMB Bank Pavilion / Maryland Heights, MO / with G Love & Special Sauce

May 31 / Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre / Bonner Springs, KS / with G Love & Special Sauce

Jun 2 / Verizon Wireless Music Center / Noblesville, IN with G Love & Special Sauce

Jun 3 / Verizon Wireless Music Center / Noblesville, IN with G Love & Special Sauce

Jun 6 / DTE Energy Music Theatre / Clarkston, MI with G Love & Special Sauce
Jun 7 / Germain Amphitheater / Columbus, OH with G Love & Special Sauce

Jun 9 / Post Gazette Pavilion at Star Lake / Burgettstown, PA with G Love & Special Sauce

Jun 10 / Post Gazette Pavilion at Star Lake / Burgettstown, PA with G Love & Special Sauce

Jun 13 / Molson Amphitheatre / Toronto, ONT with Matisyahu

Jun 14 / Darien Lake Performing Arts Center / Darien Center, NY with Matisyahu

Jun 16 / Saratoga Performing Arts Center / Saratoga Springs, NY with ALO

Jun 17 / Saratoga Performing Arts Center / Saratoga Springs, NY with ALO

Jun 20 / Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre / Charlotte, NC with ALO

Jun 21 / ALLTEL Pavilion at Walnut Creek / Raleigh, NC with ALO

Jun 23 / HersheyPark Stadium / Hershey, PA with O.A.R.

Jun 24 / Nissan Pavilion at Stone Ridge / Bristow, VA with Gomez

Jun 27 / Tweeter Center at the Waterfront / Camden, NJ with Gomez

Jun 28 / Tweeter Center at the Waterfront / Camden, NJ with Gomez

Jul 1 / Alpine Valley Music Theatre / East Troy, WI with Umphrey

The Slip’s first single off their new studio album (label and release date still tbd) is available on iTunes, Rhapsody and the Real Music Store.

The song is in the uber-popular PS2 game Guitar Hero as well as being pre-loaded on 4.5 MILLION Sandisk mp3 players that come out in late March. Little know fact is that Sandisk is #2 for mp3 players in the US market.

iTunes

Ernie Hendrickson and The Make Believe will celebrate the release of their debut album, Only A Dream, Saturday March 4, at Martyr’s in Chicago. With top notch players quickly ascending the ranks of Chicago’s improvisational rock scene, EH & TMB delivers elements of jazz, fusion, rock, soul, and reggae, and handles these styles with enough grace and confidence to make even first time listeners believers.

After completing a two-month residency at Chicago’s Tonic Room, TMB landed a spot on promoter Triple Dot MAS’s Winter Compliation CD featuring bands such as Umphrey’s Mcgee and Fareed Haque Group. Their self-titled debut E.P. boasts an impressive list of special guests including Joel Cummins, keyboardist for Umphrey’s Mcgee, and Serbian guitar prodigy Goram Ivanovic.

As Lisa Palmeno of the Rock River Times stated, “This group is not easy to stereotype, because they have developed their own style and seem comfortable with a variety of music genres.”

For more information see themakebelieve.com

Ernie Hendrickson and The Make Believe – “Only A Dream” CD Release Party
Saturday, March 4th, 2006
Martyr’s
3855 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago IL
Phone: 773-404-9494
Web: www.martyrslive.com
Tix $10 at door or in advance at (800) 594-TIXX
Doors: 8pm Show: 9pm Ages: 21+