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After releasing their latest album, Undermind, whose cover resembles the Beatles’s last released record, Let It Be, Phish has decided to do another Beatles-esque move: playing on top of a building. As posted on the band’s website – the Vermont quartet is hoping to make their last tour memorable in more ways than one.

When Phish plays the Late Show with David Letterman on Monday night, they will perform from the top of the Ed Sullivan Theatre marquee (about two stories up from the street) at 53rd and Broadway in New York City. The band will perform their first song at the end of the Letterman taping. After the show ends, the band will perform an additional 20-25 minutes for fans.

The best place to watch the band perform will be on the far side of the street opposite from the Ed Sullivan Theater. The band will not perform until 6:25 PM.

In other Phish news, fans got more than they bargained for on Friday night, in Brooklyn, N.Y., as rapper Jay-Z joined the veteran jam band for two songs during its show at KeySpan Park near Coney Island. Phish provided the backing for Jay-Z as he ran through his hits “99 Problems” and “Big Pimpin’,” much to the delight of the stunned audience.

Percussionist Cyro Baptista, a member of Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio’s solo band, also guested on the tunes.

The guitar Eric Clapton used to record the album that included one of his biggest hits, “Cocaine,” is going on the auction block to benefit the drug and alcohol rehabilitation center the legendary rock musician founded.

The Fender Stratocaster, nicknamed “Blackie,” is one of 58 guitars that rock and blues master Clapton, 59, is donating as part of a June 24 auction to benefit the Crossroads Centre Antigua in the West Indies.

The guitar is practically the only one Clapton used on stage and in the studio from late 1970 to 1985.

Christie’s, the New York auction house handling the sale, estimated the instrument would fetch between $100,000 and $150,000. But if past sales are any indication, the guitar could bring in much more money.

At a 1999 Christie’s auction that also benefited Crossroads, an anonymous bidder paid a record $497,500 for “Brownie,” a 1956 Fender Stratocaster that Clapton used on the Derek and the Dominos hit, “Layla.”

That auction of 100 of Clapton’s guitars brought in over $5 million.

“Blackie,” a composite of three guitars from 1956 and 1957, is on the cover of Clapton’s 1977 album “Slowhand,” which includes such hits as “Cocaine” and “Wonderful Tonight.”

He also used it to record the albums “461 Ocean Boulevard,” “No Reason To Cry” and “Just One Night,” as well as his first music video for the song “Forever Man.”

“This was his favorite guitar for a long time,” said Kerry Keane, a musical instrument specialist for Christie’s. “Through his battle with substance abuse, the instrument was by his side.”

The condition of the guitar shows its extensive use. Large areas of black paint have worn off, and the springs in the back are exposed.

Guitar virtuoso Clapton has also donated a Gibson ES-335 that he bought in 1964 and used through stints with The Yardbirds, Cream, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and Blind Faith as well as his solo career.

The estimated price is $60,000 to $80,000.

The 1939 C.F. Martin & Co. acoustic guitar that Clapton played during his famous MTV “Unplugged” appearance in 1992 is also expected to sell for between $60,000 and $80,000.

Other items in the auction include guitars donated by such musicians as Carlos Santana and Peter Townshend of The Who, as well as several of Clapton’s stage suits designed by Gianni Versace.

Clapton, a longtime Antigua resident who has spoken openly about his recovery from drug and alcohol abuse, founded Crossroads in 1998 and is its chairman of the board.

Crossroads Executive Office Tim Sinnott said Clapton has given at least $10 million of his own money to the rehabilitation center and its halfway house.

Source CNN.com.

Phish’s last 2 concerts as part of the COVENTRY festival to be held on August 14th and 15th in their home state of Vermont is officially sold out. The band’s management posted the following message on their website.

COVENTRY is officially sold out.

There will be NO tickets sold at the gates. People without tickets will be turned away. Unless all passengers in a vehicle have tickets, the vehicle will be turned away.

To those who have purchased tickets, please discourage those without tickets from coming to COVENTRY. Ticket-less travelers compound the traffic congestion, add unnecessary stress to our staff, the police and the local community and ultimately diminish the quality of everyone

New York rock act Interpol will release its highly anticipated sophomore album, “Antics,” Sept. 28 via Matador. The 10-track set is highlighted by the dancefloor-worthy “Slow Hands,” the slow, fragmented “Public Pervert,” the foreboding “Length of Love” and “NARC,” which veers from jagged guitars in its verses to lush chord changes in its chorus.

The latter two cuts were previously debuted live on tours in support of 2002’s “Turn on the Bright Lights,” which reached No. 4 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart and No. 5 on the Top Independent Albums tally. The set has sold 289,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

In conjunction with the release of “Antics,” Matador is sponsoring a contest to create 10 short films inspired by Interpol’s music. Interested parties are asked to submit treatments to the label by July 5, with 10 finalists to be bestowed with $1,000 and a 60-second fragment of music from the album in which to create their films. Visit the label’s Web site for full details.

As previously reported, Interpol will play the main stage of the Cure’s Curiousa Festival alongside the Rapture and Mogwai. The tour kicks off July 24 at the Sound Advice Amphitheater in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Here is the track list for “Antics”:

“Next Exit”
“Evil”
“NARC”
“Take You on a Cruise”
“Slow Hands”
“Not Even Jail”
“Public Pervert”
“C’mere”
“Length of Love”
“A Time To Be So Small”

Source billboard.com.

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lm Pictures is proud to announce the release to DVD of TOM DOWD AND
THE LANGUAGE OF MUSIC on August 24, 2004.

Four singer/songwriters are coming together to pool their talents in a unique format on the Modern Troubadours: In The Round tour. Beginning July 8 in Minneapolis, Teitur, Vienna Teng, Ben Arthur and Abra Moore will take the circular stage as a foursome.

One at a time, each artist will introduce his or her own song, explain where the tune came from, then begin to play. The other three will join in, harmonizing and adding instrumentation. Then it’s the next performer’s turn.

The plan is for each troubadour to perform seven or eight songs, adding up to a 2 1/2 hour show. This tour marks the first time the four have toured together. The Agency Group’s Jordan Burger, who organized the package, said the artists are looking forward to getting to know each other’s music on a more personal level.

They’re also excited about exposing each other to their respective audiences. The current itinerary runs through July 29, and the four plan to stretch the tour into early August.

The singer/songwriters are all touting recent releases. Moore just released Everything Changed, Teng dropped Warm Strangers in February, Arthur’s Edible Darling came out in March, and Teitur is supporting last year’s Poetry & Airplanes.

Source pollstar.com.

Elvis Costello has set a Sept. 21 release date for the simultaneous release of two new albums. As first reported here in April, a new rock album will be issued by Lost Highway, while “Il Sogno,” his first full-length orchestral work, will emerge via Deutsche Grammophon.

Largely recorded at Sweet Tea Studios in Oxford, Miss., the as-yet-untitled rock album features Costello backed by his band the Imposters — Attractions drummer Pete Thomas and keyboardist Steve Nieve and former Cracker bassist Davey Farragher.

The disc also includes guest appearances by Lucinda Williams and Emmylou Harris, who give voice to characters in the song “The Delivery Man.” Also featured is pedal steel guitarist John McFee (Doobie Brothers), who previously appeared on Costello’s 1977 debut “My Aim Is True” and 1981’s “Almost Blue.”

Produced by Costello and Dennis Herring (Modest Mouse, Throwing Muses), the album also features the song “Monkey to Man,” recorded in Clarksdale, Miss., home to the Delta Blues Museum and often referred to as the birthplace of the genre.

The set will be the follow-up to 2002’s “When I Was Cruel,” his last album with the Imposters. The Island set debuted at No. 20 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 201,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

As for “Il Sogno,” it was recorded in 2002 by the London Symphony Orchestra after being originally commissioned by Italy’s Aterballeto dance company for an adaptation of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

“I was extremely surprised to be asked, I had little or no understanding of the world of dance,” Costello says. “When asked ‘Who is your favorite dancer?,’ I replied honestly, ‘Cyd Charisse.'”

“There are elements of humor [in the score],” he says. “When it came to writing music for the supernatural beings in the story, I thought it is only appropriate that they should be swinging faeries. However, there are also passages representing confusion, jealousy, anger and turmoil. These cues have the edges, angles that I go looking for in rock and roll but the way they are achieved is utterly different. I hope there are also moments of tenderness.”

The ballet premiered in Bologna and was staged elsewhere in Italy before Costello began to adapt the score to a concert piece. Michael Tilson-Thomas conducted the London Symphony’s recording, which features guest soloists drummer Peter Erskine and saxophonist John Harle.

Costello has plans to open Rotterdam, Holland’s North Sea Jazz Festival with a July 8 performance at the Buhrmann Midsummer Jazz Gala. Nieve and the Metropole Orkest will join him for the performance of songs from Costello’s 2003 solo album, “North,” and other back-catalog tracks, as well as several unrecorded pieces.

The 52-member Metropole Orkest will reprise its performance with Costello July 13 when it makes its North American debut at New York’s Lincoln Center Festival 2004. Costello will play the event two nights later with the Imposters, and on July 17 attend the continental premiere of “Il Sogno,” performed by the Brooklyn Philharmonic. Nieve and Costello will also perform several songs accompanied by the orchestra during the second half of the evening’s program.

Expanded reissues of “Almost Blue,” the 1984 set “Goodbye Cruel World” and 1995’s “Kojak Variety” will arrive Aug. 3 via Rhino. Costello is also featured performing “Let’s Misbehave” on the soundtrack to the Cole Porter biopic “De-Lovely.” Released Tuesday by Sony Music Soundtrax, the collection features Costello’s new bride, Diana Krall, as well as Alanis Morisette, Sheryl Crow and Natalie Cole, among others.

Source billboard.com.

Widespread Panic will release an album of

Warner Bros. is eyeing a July 20 release date for “B-Sides,” an EP of non-album tracks from Irish singer/songwriter Damien Rice. The seven-track set features the first North American release of live versions of “The Professor,” “Woman Like a Man” and “Delicate,” the original demo for “Lonelily,” the B-side “Moody Mooday,” and both a 1997 demo and instrumental version of “Volcano.”

Rice enjoyed breakout success with his 2003 album “O,” which won the 2003 Shortlist Music Prize. The set topped out at No. 4 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart and has sold 268,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

On June 25, the artist will release a new single, “Lonely Soldier,” featuring Christy Moore. Proceeds from the sale of the track will “go to the Irish anti-war movement to help promote a greater awareness of the futility of war,” according to Rice’s official Web site.

Rice will advance his political leanings Saturday (June 25) at the When Bush Comes To Shove concert at Dublin’s Point, featuring Moore, the Revs, Kila, Mary Black and others. The free event aims to raise “awareness of the issues involved in the protests against [President George W.] Bush, particularly highlighting opposition to the U.S. war and occupation of Iraq.”

The only other date on Rice’s schedule at present is a June 26 appearance at the U.K.’s annual Glastonbury Festival. A new run of U.S. dates is expected to get underway in the fall.

Source billboard

Hollywood Records / Good Records recording artists The Polyphonic Spree have been added to the main stage lineup on this summer’s star-studded Lollapalooza tour. The blockbuster traveling festival, which begins July 15th at the White River Amphitheatre in Auburn, WA, will see the choral symphonic pop group playing the second night in each market and sharing the stage with the The Flaming Lips, Wilco, the String Cheese Incident and Gomez, among others. In between Lollapalooza dates, The Polyphonic Spree will co-headline a tour with Gomez and opening act The Thrills beginning July 16 in Vancouver, Canada. The tours will see a new Polyphonic Spree, as the band plan to turn in their trademark white garb for vibrant Technicolor robes. Says DeLaughter of the change, “We’ve earned our colors.” See below for tour dates and venues.

The Polyphonic Spree, who recently wrapped up an arena tour with headliner David Bowie, are gearing up for the release of their highly anticipated second album Together We’re Heavy, which hits retail on July 13. Hollywood / Good Records have announced plans to issue a specially low-priced double double-disc set that includes a DVD loaded with special features. Simultaneously with the CD release, Hollywood Records / Good Records will issue a limited-edition gatefold/double-vinyl LP set.

The highlighted content includes live versions of fan favorites “It’s The Sun,” “Light & Day,” “Hanging Around,” “Soldier Girl” and “When The Fool Becomes A King” (all pulled from Japan’s 2003 Summersonic Festival); concert recordings from the band’s 2003 gig at Metro in Chicago; an exclusive interview with DeLaughter; animated and concert version videos of hit single “Light & Day”; and the “Quest for the Rest” game, in which animated Spree members search for the rest of the band in exotic environments.