June 2003

Notice to barefoot concert fans, careful where you walk in the rain in large outdoor ampitheaters.
State safety officials are investigating the death of a UNC Charlotte student who was electrocuted as he walked barefoot on a wet stairway at an amphitheater during a concert by Snoop Dogg and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Ashley Faris, 26, of Waxhaw, was pronounced dead at Carolinas Medical Center-University, police said. A passer-by who tried to help Faris, 23-year-old Ryan Robards, was treated for electric shock. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said Faris was walking barefoot in the rain Friday night on a lighted, concrete stairway with metal edges at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre when he was shocked. The stairway is to the right of the stage and takes concertgoers from lawn seats to a concession area.
Pollstar.com.

Three years after calling it quits, the seminal alt-country band Whiskeytown will be reuniting. The band featuring frontman Ryan Adams, singer/violinist Caitlin Cary left to pursue solo careers back in 2000. Cary and her husband/drummer Skillet Gilmore, who played on Whiskeytown

As if moving from an open field to Giants Stadium wasn’t bad enough karma for this year’s Field Day Festival, Beck got injured prior to his performance and couldn’t play his set. While watching Blur’s performance from the side of the stage when he was “accidentally slammed in the ribs by a stage hand.Festival medical crew personnel initially were concerned that there may be a broken rib, an injury that could puncture Beck’s lung if he were to perform.”X-rays taken at a nearby hospital were negative “but Beck was in considerable pain and discomfort.” Organizers later attempted to find room in the schedule for Beck to “do something acoustically, but the complicated logistics of the festival made it impossible.”Beck isn’t expected to miss any other appearances due to the injury. His North American tour with Dashboard Confessional and the Black Keys continues on Tuesday outside Detroit.
Source ETonline.com.

Before the summer shows have even begun, String Cheese Incident has announced the dates for their upcoming fall tour. The 18 show tour will begin with a two night run at Red Rocks, featuring opening acts DJ Logic, STS9 and DJ Greyboy. Also included will be an appearance at the Austin City Limits Festival, and two night stands at The Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Tower Theatre in Philly, and the Orpheum in Boston.
see the band’s website for full dates:stringcheeseincident.com.

British electronic duo the Chemical Brothers head in a new direction on “The Golden Path,” a song they recently recorded with help from Oklahoma-based rock trio the Flaming Lips. “Wayne Coyne is really infectious,” says Chemical Brother Ed Simons. “He makes you feel really excited about the music. What he’s done for us, the words, the song he’s grafted on to our music, it’s the next level of Chemical Brothers music — it’s just really good.”
The new tune, which Simons’ partner Tom Rowlands calls “psychedelic, up-tempo and emotional wide-screen,” will be included on the Chems’ upcoming CD/DVD career retrospective The Singles: 1993-03, due in September.
Source Rollingstone.com.

Scott Weiland, lead singer for the Stone Temple Pilots , is now the official new lead singer for the new band comprised of ex Guns N Roses members: Slash, Duff McKagen, and Matt Sorum. The band is called

Jakob Dylan and the Wallflowers will embark on an acoustic tour of the West Coast. The run launches July 1 in San Diego and wraps up around July 27th in Boulder, CO. Joining the band on this tour is their on again-off again drummer Matt Chambelain. Wallflowers fan club members will have access to pre-sale ticket information. For dates and more information, visit the band’s site..

Grammy Award winning artist Norah Jones says she has recorded 11 songs for her next album and hopes to release it next year. She describes the music as more up-tempo and funky — but still very much Norah Jones.
“When we were making it we were like, `Wow, this is a way different record! This is like a funky record!’ And then we listened to it again, and we’re like, wow it’s still a snoozer,” she says, laughing. “I’m just a mellow chick. I can’t help it.”
Source Billboard.com.

In the form of last year