June 24, 2003

Justin Timberlake, the Flaming Lips, AC/DC, the Guess Who, the Isley Brothers, and Canadian acts Sam Roberts, Kathleen Edwards, Sass Jordan and La Chicane are among the artists who will join the Rolling Stones in Toronto’s Downsview Park July 30th for an all-day benefit concert.
The concert, which the Stones confirmed yesterday, is intended to mitigate the major economic hit Toronto has taken since Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) was first diagnosed there this winter. Like last weekend’s Concert for Toronto that featured Avril Lavigne, Sum 41, Sarah McLachlan and others, the event will promote tourism to the city’s downtown, but the upcoming show will also directly benefit the local economy.
“All of the profit after the basic costs are covered will go toward our healthcare workers and our hospitality workers who have been hit hard,” says Member of Parliament Dennis Mills. Thousands in those industries are out of work as a result of the SARS outbreak.
The site holds a half-million people, and 250,000 tickets go on sale Friday at $21.50 Canadian (approximately $16 U.S.).
More acts will be added to the bill in the coming weeks.
Source Rollingstone.com.

In order to integrate Comedy Central with Viacom’s MTV Networks, which purchased AOL Time Warner’s half-interest in the network in April, Comedy Central on Tuesday announced the layoff of 20% of the company, which affected many different areas, particularly departments that would overlap with MTV’s centralized operations, including affiliate sales, legal, finance, human resources and research.
“This has been a very difficult process for us to go through,” the network said in a statement. “We truly have some of the best and brightest people in the business at Comedy Central and, unfortunately, implementing the integration plan means that some very capable, devoted and hard working people will be leaving us.”
Source yahoo.com.

Before the band that bears his name was formed, Robert Bradley was the blind man with the guitar and stool riding the Greyhound from city to city for 18 years. He would hop off the bus, hang out on street corners and play songs he made up on the spot. Since a fated day in 1992 when he joined a jam session with the Nehra brothers, Robert Bradley’s Blackwater Surprise have redefined the term road hogs, playing more than 400 shows in recent years alongside Dave Matthews Band, Sonic Youth, Brian Setzer Orchestra, Beck, and Ben Folds Five. The band has announced a new run of dates in support of the band