Archive: 2003

Garage A Trois has announced a run of shows out west in support of their recent release

Cake will be on the road with their Unlimited Sunshine tour for a second run this fall, with this year

Miramax Films, a major player in distributing independent movies, is taking the unusual step of splitting a new movie from director Quentin Tarantino into two parts and releasing each as separate films, a studio spokesman said on Wednesday.”The idea was thought of when the script was in development and after seeing the (film) footage, it made sense,” said the spokesman.The movie, called “Kill Bill,” is the first from the critically acclaimed director since 1997’s “Jackie Brown,” and has been widely anticipated by his fans.But with preliminary versions running at three hours, it was almost twice as long as a normal movie, meaning theaters would have fewer screenings in a day and risk losing ticket sales.The movie is about a female assassin, played by Uma Thurman, who survives an attempt on her life.
Source etonline.com.

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Grammy-winning guitarist Carlos Santana has been working for free this summer so that those engaged in the fight against AIDS may benefit. Santana, who pledged the net proceeds from the U.S. leg of his “Shaman” tour to the fight against the AIDS pandemic in Africa, wrapped up the 23-city tour Monday night with a Hollywood Bowl show before a packed audience.
He estimates the tour raised at least $2 million.
Sharon Gelman, the group’s executive director, called Santana’s pledge, “a very significant contribution.” “This is basically Carlos working for a month and a half and giving away every penny he would earn to help other people,” she said.
Source yahoo.com.

Thanks at least in part to rising ticket prices, the concert industry is poised for record profits this year. Attendance overall jumped by 24 percent in the first half of this year, with the Elton John/Billy Joel tour leading the way with a gross of $57.2 million.Perennial leaders The Rolling Stones weren’t too far behind, at $37.4 million, with the Dixie Chicks, Celine Dion, and Cher all following closely.The Top 50 tours together collected $678 million in gross receipts, a 26 percent increase from last year.Much of the boost can be attributed to surging ticket prices – the average ticket for a Top 10 tour went up 11.5 percent. The average Rolling Stones ticket, for example, cost $158, up from $119 when they toured last year.Undeterred fans bought 13.1 million concert tickets to the Top 50 concert tours from January to June, compared to 10.6 million sold during the same period last year.
Source Pollstar.com.

Compay Segundo, one of Cuba’s oldest “troubadours” and charming frontman for the Buena Vista Social Club group, died this morning (July 14) in Havana. He was 95
Segundo shot to international fame with the 1997 Grammy Award-winning recording “Buena Vista Social Club” produced with the collaboration of American guitarist Ry Cooder. The record brought back into the limelight a group of talented musicians who had all but been forgotten in Cuba, including Segundo, pianist Ruben Gonzalez, and singers Ibrahim Ferrer and Omara Portuondo.

Legendary jazz pioneer and big band leader Benny Carter, who helped break Hollywood’s bar to black composers, died Saturday in Los Angeles, he was 95. Carter, who was one of the first black composers and arrangers to work on mainstream Hollywood films, including such classics as “Stormy Weather,” had been hospitalized for about two weeks, complaining of bronchitis and fatigue, said family friend Virginia Wicks.
In a career that spanned seven decades, Carter played with such jazz luminaries as pianist Willie “The Lion” Smith, Fats Waller, Miles Davis and Dizzie Gillespie. He is also credited with launching Ella Fitzgerald’s career by introducing her to bandleader Chick Webb. Carter’s compositions, including “Blues in My Heart” and “When Lights Are Low,” have become jazz standards.
A largely self-taught musician, Carter established the swing-era, big band sound through ensemble compositions for the Fletcher Henderson orchestra and later his own band.
Source Billboard.com.

Rancid, Simple Plan, the Used, Less Than Jake, the Ataris and other acts on the 2003 Warped Tour will appear in “Punk Rock Holocaust,” a feature-length slasher flick being filmed on this summer’s tour. The movie went into production June 19 at the opening date of the Warped Tour in Nampa, Idaho. “Punk Rock Holocaust” is being directed by 23 year-old Doug Sakmann.
The film will be shot at each venue along the 44-date tour. The plot centers around a number of mysterious deaths happening during the festival. In the film, many believe a fictional band is seeking revenge from beyond the grave for being kicked off the tour six years ago. Nearly every band on this year’s outing is slated to appear in the film to try to solve the mystery.
Source Billboard.com.

Dave Matthews mentions his recently completed solo debut reveals a side of the singer/songwriter that his fans have not yet seen. Matthews says “Some Devil,” due in September on RCA, includes some of his most introspective material to date. “This was very, very, very, very personal,” he says. “It was a good soul-searching thing for me to do. I think the songs are more introspective in many ways.”
The album features an as-yet-untitled track co-written by Matthews and Phish’s Trey Anastasio, who also adds guitar work to the record. Steve Harris, who produced Dave Matthews Band’s last studio effort, “Busted Stuff,” played on “Some Devil” and co-wrote and arranged some of the songs with Matthews.
Matthews says there’s really no comparison between the songs on “Some Devil” and those on his band efforts. And as the album nears release, he says that he’s excited, but he is being cautious not to get his hopes up: “Like most of what I’ve done, it’s done, and so now I just move on from it. I’m excited, I hope people like it, but I try not to get too excited because what if everyone f***in’ hates it? Then I can let it go like an empty beer can. That’s the way I look at it now: My part in it is done, and I hope people like it. But in case they don’t, I’m gonna try not to invest too much in it that I might be disappointed.”
Source Billboard.com.

The Flaming Lips came to the rescue of the Witnness festival in Kildare, Ireland, replacing the White Stripes on the main stage last night (July 13). The Stripes had to cancel at the last minute after frontman Jack White broke his finger in a minor car accident in Detroit (apparently, the car’s airbag caused the damage).
In tribute, the Lips played their gig attired in White Stripes-inspired red and white outfits. They also began their set with a cover of the group’s hit “Seven Nation Army” and performed a new song called “Thank You Jack White for the Fiber Optic Jesus That You Gave Me.” As usual, the band was joined on stage by about 20 people dressed in animal costumes, beneath which were members of Irish bands the Divine Comedy and Snow Patrol, as well as several prominent media figures.
Source Billboard.com.