Archive: 2003

Dispersed throughout the eclectic sets at the 2nd Annual Bonnaroo Music Festival held in Manchester, Tennessee, many artists attended intimate press conferences in order to answer media questions, express their various thoughts on the event, and offer general comments about the industry and specifically the ever-changing improvisational scene. There were many poignant moments, and equally as many humorous ones. Here is a collection of some of our favorites.

Dashboard Confessional has left its support slot on Beck’s North American tour, effective immediately. The Chris Carrabba-led group played its final gig on the trek Saturday outside Denver. The move is being chalked up to “circumstances beyond our control” on Dashboard’s official Web site, although sources indicate the band left the tour for financial reasons.
Fellow support act the Black Keys will remain on the trek through its June 27 conclusion in Irvine, Calif., and will play a longer set in Dashboard’s absence.
The move comes amid reports that despite respectable business in markets such as Atlanta and Chicago, the tour is not performing as well as had been expected at the box office. Venues for two of the remaining seven shows are being downsized, beginning Wednesday (June 18) in Vancouver. That show has been moved from the 10,000-capacity Plaza of Nations to the 2,788-capacity Orpheum Theatre. Sources say only about 1,400 tickets have been sold for the performance.
Meanwhile, Thursday’s concert at Portland, Ore.’s Rose Garden Arena has been moved to the Keller Auditorium.
Sources say the venue changes would have required Dashboard to accept a lesser performance fee, which the group declined to do, in favor of beginning promotional work for its new Vagrant album. The set, “A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar,” is due Aug. 12.
According to the Dashboard site, fans wishing refunds can obtain them at points of purchase. “However, we STRONGLY recommend that you do yourself a favor and take in the rest of their tour dates and experience the creative brilliance that is Beck,” the site says. “We have had a great time on this tour; we were treated so well by Beck and his crew that we will be forever grateful.”
Dashboard Confessional is expected to return to the road later this summer.
Source Billboard.com.

Lollapalooza has canceled its opening date. Lollapalooza was to open July 3 in Ionia, Mich., but organizers have called off that date because of “staging and technical difficulties with the event site.” That’s got Ionia officials hopping mad. Korina Haga of the Ionia Fair Association tells The Grand Rapids Press her office found out about the cancellation from a Lansing radio station, not from the tour. She says they were able to handle 25,000 Metallica fans a few years ago and they could easily handle that many Jane’s Addiction fans. Lollapalooza publicist Laura Cohen says the problem was with the size of the stage in Ionia. Jane’s Addiction didn’t think they could fit all their production onto it. She says slow sales were not behind the cancellation. About 4,000 tickets were sold for that stop. The tour will now open July 4 in Noblesville, Ind.
Source Pollstar.com.

Ween is developing a computer software application dubbed “WeenAmp” that will allow fans one-click access to the band’s online radio station, official Web site, message board and chat rooms, and its own peer-to-peer service for trading live concerts. The group hopes to make the software available on copies of its upcoming Sanctuary album, “Quebec” or its Web site. “Quebec” will now arrive Aug. 5, two weeks later than its original July 22 date.
The band says “WeenAmp” will allow users to view cybercasts of concerts from Ween’s upcoming tour, including one “all-request” show where fans can vote for songs in advance. The trek begins July 24 in Pittsburgh and will likely encompass four separate legs of three-to-four weeks in North America, followed by international shows. Dates are expected to be announced shortly.
Source Billboard.com .

David Bowie will tour in Europe this fall, and has confirmed dates there through the end of November. The tour will likely head to the States for December and January before moving on to Japan and Australia.
A new album is expected this fall but still without a title or definite release date.
Source RollingStone.com.

Radiohead will release a new DVD titled 7 Television Commercials in Canada on August 5. The DVD is a compilation of videos filmed through 1997’s OK Computer, said bassist Colin Greenwood. It features “Paranoid Android,” “Fake Plastic Trees,” and “Karma Police,” among other clips.
The DVD will only be released in Canada
Source yahoo.com.

Zwan has canceled its entire world tour, due to what the band termed “family reasons” on its official website, zwan.com. The canceled tour was to start in Imola, Italy on June 15, and end at the famed Fuji Festival in Japan on January 25. Glastonbury, T In The Park, and the Witnness Festival were among the European festivals Zwan will miss.
The band is touring in support of its debut album, Mary Star Of The Sea, and it features former Smashing Pumpkins members Billy Corgan on guitar and vocals and Jimmy Chamberlin on drums. Also in the band are ex-Tortoise guitarist David Pajo, ex-Chavez guitarist Mark Sweeney, and former A Perfect Circle bassist Paz Lenchantin.
Source yahoo.com.

Pink Floyd singer-guitarist David Gilmour and Sting were honored by Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II in her annual birthday honors list. Gilmour and Sting were both given CBE, Commander Of The British Empire, awards, an honorary title that ranks just below knight.
Also named on the list were Procol Harum leader Gary Brooker and Gerry & The Pacemakers leader Gerry Marsden, both of whom received MBE, Member Of The Order Of The British Empire, honors.
The annual Queen’s Birthday honors list recognizes people for their charitable works, as well as for their impact in their respective fields.
Source yahoo.com.

After months of anticipation, the first full day of the quickly becoming legendary festival treated fans to over 20 acts spawning equally as many styles. After a hot, late night Thursday kickoff set by Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, the band took the stage just hours later to get things going for Friday. The day was filled with highlights including Lucinda Williams inviting Emmylou Harris to sit in on

Piano Man/rocker Ben Folds will be releasing his next three offerings on vinyl. The records — three EPs — will be available in CD form at Folds’ shows. Fans will also be able to order to order them through various websites. In an article in the Hartford Advocate – Folds, mentions how tired he is becoming of record industry practices of releasing albums and the sticky promotion involved, and instead plans to circumnavigate the system.
Folds has spent the last five weeks writing and recording a batch of new songs, to be released between now and the end of the year as the three aforementioned EPs. The first, tentatively titled Speed Graphic, is scheduled for release at the end of July.
Folds will be touring later this summer with fellow piano prodigy Tori Amos in a tour rightfully titled – Lottapianos.

The full lineup for the Austin City Limits festival has been announced, and is possibly the most musically diverse festival this summer. To be held over Sept. 19-2, the festival will include: Dwight Yoakam, Yo La Tengo, Steve Winwood, Bela Fleck, Shawn Colvin, Steve Earle, Robert Earl Keen, Jay Farrar, Asleep At The Wheel, Hank Williams III, the Dandy Warhols, the North Mississippi All Stars, Howie Day, Cody ChesnuTT, Spearhead, Jason Mraz, Yonder Mountain String Band, Donovan, Charlie Robison, Doyle Bramhall, and Keller Williams.
The eclectic event will also welcome R.E.M., Al Green, Lucinda Williams, Rosanne Cash, Mavis Staples, the Mavericks, Liz Phair, Ben Harper, Polyphonic Spree, Jack Johnson, String Cheese Incident, Patty Griffin, Alejandro Escovedo, Leftover Salmon, Kings Of Leon, Topaz, the Derailers, Richard Buckner, the Gourds, Robert Randolph, Ween, G. Love & Special Sauce, Spoon, Galactic, O.A.R., Gomez, Doyle Bramhall, Ian Moore, Beth Orton, Beta Band, Old 97’s, Abra Moore, Ben Kweller, and the Shins.
Source ACLfestival.com.

The 30th Anniversary of the Telluride Bluegrass Festival which will be held on Thursday, June 19th, 2003 and will run until Sunday, June 22, 2003 is sold out, aside from a limited number of single day tickets for Thursday only.
For more information and a complete line-up, please visit www.bluegrass.com.

The Sex Pistols are ready to bring their anarchy back to the U.S.A., but don’t expect to hear any new material this summer . . . or ever. According to John Lydon, a.k.a. Johnny Rotten, the band will never write or record another original song. “The reason I do the Pistols is that’s where I started and that makes things clear how I have not changed,” said the forty-seven-year-old singer. “In any kind of different music I go into, the spirit is the same . . . but you will not get me doing new Pistols.”
The Sex Pistols’ original lineup — Lydon (vocals), Steve Jones (guitar), Paul Cook (drums) and Glen Matlock (bass); Sid Vicious replaced Matlock in 1977 — have confirmed two North American shows, August 21st at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York, and August 25th at Toronto’s Molson Amphitheater. More dates will be announced in the coming weeks.
Sourcerollingstone.com.

The 2003 edition of the Sprite Liquid Mix tour will offer fans in 20 cities an affordable chance to see a late summer festival lineup including N*E*R*D and the Roots. Tickets to the tour, scheduled to kick off Aug. 14 in Denver and run through Sept. 14 in Boston, will cost only $10. O.A.R., Talib Kweli, Robert Randolph & the Family Band are also on the bill.
The event will boast two stages, the second of which will feature national and local bands to be announced. Other elements include the PlayStation2 Urban Playground, where BMX bikers will put on a show, an NBA Rhythm N Rims basketball court on which concertgoers can compete, and the Blockbuster video gaming lounge, where ticket holders can try out PlayStation game systems and new software. The Pinnacle “Work It” Performance Zone will feature audience members engaging in strength and endurance contests, while Scion Sessions will feature graffiti artists and local DJ talent.
Last year’s Sprite Liquid Mix tour featured Jay-Z, 311, N*E*R*D, Nappy Roots, and Hoobastank, with $20 ticket prices.
Source and tour dates visit Billboard.com.

In light of the recent headaches of holding the Field Day festival in Calverton, NY, the organizers of Bonnaroo have cancelled the inaugural Bonnaroo NE.
During the past few weeks, we have closely watched the developments surrounding the organizational and permitting process for another festival – Field Day – scheduled for the same site on the weekend of June 7-8,” read a statement issued by the Bonnaroo folks. “This process culminated with the denial of Field Day’s permits and the cancellation of the festival at this site only two days before it was scheduled to open.”
Bonnaroo NE organizers assure fans this decision has no impact on the Bonnaroo Music Festival, scheduled for Manchester, Tenn., June 12-15.
Source bonnaroo.com.

In a sign of the future – bands launching their own Internet TV Stations, Radiohead has launched their new Internet TV Station, – Radiohead.tv. which will feature webcasts of live gigs, studio footage and original programming. The band

The Eels will launch their international tour with three dates in Southern California starting June 17. They then head on over to Europe and the U.K. where they’ll camp out through July 7. After that, it’s back to the States for a monthlong tour of theatres. Shootenanny!, the Eels’ latest album, just hit shelves this month and follows the band’s hit disc, Souljacker. Eels mastermind Mark Oliver Everett, a.k.a. E, has also done some side work, scoring the film “Levity.” There were rumors that MC Honky – an affiliate of the Eels – would join the band on their Tour Of Duty, but that doesn’t appear to be happening.
For list of dates vistit 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.

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.