August 20, 2003

Metallica will cram into New York’s 500-capacity Bowery Ballroom on Aug. 29 for a show open only to fans who will win tickets from local radio station WXRX (K-Rock). The station will begin distributing tickets Friday (Aug. 22).
As previously reported, Metallica is among the performers set for the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards, to be handed out Aug. 28 at Radio City Music Hall. “We’re in town to do the MTV shindig the day before,” drummer Lars Ulrich explained via phone from Dublin. “That’s gonna be so cool. We’re gonna make that floor shake.”
The group plays the U.K.’s Reading and Leeds festivals this weekend and will return to the road beginning Oct. 25 in Buenos Aires. Metallica’s latest Elektra album, “St. Anger,” debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 1.3 million copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Source Billboard.com.

Back for the fifth year, the Voodoo Music Experience is taking over New Orleans for a record three days, from October 31 to November 2, molding costumes, music and partying. This year marks the expansion of the fest from its normal daylong event to three days.
A firm schedule has yet to be announced, but artists confirmed for sometime during the three-day event include 50 Cent, Marilyn Manson, Queens Of The Stone Age, The Roots, Mos Def, Paul Oakenfold, The Donnas, Felix da HouseCat, String Cheese Incident, ?uestlove, Robert Randolph & The Family Band, Gov’t Mule, Better Than Ezra, Disco Biscuits, and Blackalicious.Tickets are available from August 22 through voodoomusicfest.com, and are marked at $80 for three-day passes, which will only be available in advance and not during the festival weekend.
Source Pollstar.com.

Michael Franti and Speahead will launch a fifteen date tour September 5th in San Diego in support of its latest album, Everyone Deserves Music, which was released earlier this summer.
Among the tour dates is a headling gig at the fifth annual 911 Power to the Peaceful Festival, a free concert and rally set for September 6th in San Francisco.
Also set for release is a retail release of Songs From the Front Porch, an acoustic album, the band has been selling on their website.