2004

The Progressive rock icons Keith Emerson (Emerson, Lake & Palmer) and Rick Wakeman (Yes) and funk legend Bernie Worrell will be among the artists on hand for an upcoming celebration of Robert Moog in New York. Set for May 18 at B.B. King’s in Times Square, the event will also boast performances by DJ Logic, Particle’s Steve Molitz and the NYC Reggae Collective, among others. Tickets priced at $45 are available through Ticketmaster.

Moog began experimenting with music in the early 1950s, building theremins and developing electronic instruments while studying engineering physics. He unveiled the Moog Modular synthesizer at the Audio Engineering Society Convention in 1964. The more common and smaller Minimoog was introduced in 1970 and became a staple of the prog rock movement.

The inventor’s accomplishments are also celebrated in writer/director Hans Fjellestad’s documentary “Moog.” The film features interviews with Moog as well as the musicians who have come to worship him as a cult hero. The Plexifilm-distributed feature, which features original music by Stereolab, the Neptunes, Worrell, Devo and others, will is slated for a limited summer U.S. theatrical run.

Source billboard.com.

Bob Dylan appears in a new series of commercials for Victoria’s Secret, his grizzled face intercut with shots of model Adriana Lima cavorting though Venice in a bra, panties and spike heels.

Don’t worry. The 62-year-old Dylan keeps his clothes on.

Dylan’s song “Love Sick,” from his Grammy-winning 1997 album Time Out of Mind, provides the musical backdrop for the spot, which airs in 15-, 30- and 60-second versions.

It promotes a new line of lingerie, the “Angels” collection

As expected, the Pixies have begun booking dates for a fall North American tour, which will begin Sept. 4 in Bend, Ore. Only six additional shows are so far confirmed through a Nov. 24 stop in Toronto, with more expected. Some of the announced shows will go on-sale Friday (April 9) via Ticketmaster.

Concerts booked so far include a Sept. 6 appearance at Seattle’s annual Bumbershoot festival and a Sept. 18 visit to the annual Austin City Limits festival in Austin, Texas. Other dates will include the 4,600-capacity Fox Theatre in Atlanta on Oct. 14, and the 4,500-capacity Aragon Ballroom in Chicago on Nov. 13.

The reunited alternative rock act kicks off its first tour in 12 years April 13 in Minneapolis. After a May 1 appearance at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in Indio, Calif., the group will head to Europe for headlining and festival dates through July 11.

As previously reported, the Pixies will sell instant authorized live recordings from the upcoming spring North American shows via DiscLive. It is unknown if the same set-up will be employed for the fall tour.

Here are the Pixies’ confirmed fall tour dates:

Sept. 4: Bend, Ore. (Les Schwab Amphitheatre)
Sept. 6: Seattle (Bumbershoot Festival)
Sept. 18: Austin, Texas (Austin City Limits)
Oct. 14: Atlanta (Fox Theatre)
Nov. 11: Minneapolis (Wilkins Auditorium)
Nov. 13: Chicago (Aragon Ballroom)
Nov. 24: Toronto (Arrow Hall)

Source billboard.com.

Get ready to get reggae. The Marley Family Presents: Roots, Rock, Reggae tour is coming this summer, featuring the legendary Bob Marley’s sons Ziggy, Stephen, Julian and Damien.

The outing marks the first time that the Marley family has officially presented and collaborated on a major tour under their father’s name. The brothers promise to fuse music, art and culture with infectious Rasta vibes.

The tour will play approximately 20-25 cities and run from late July through early September, although no specific dates have been confirmed. Support acts have yet to be announced, but organizers are promising “a dynamic mix of reggae, hip-hop, ska, blues, alt-country, electronic and soul music.”

Each of the brothers has been performing since childhood. Ziggy, the eldest, has won several Grammys with his band the Melody Makers. He released his solo record, Dragonfly, in the spring of 2003. Stephen, a member of the Melody Makers, is due to release an album on the Motown label this fall. Julian’s Time & Place was released on Ghetto Youths / Tuff Gong last November. The youngest of Bob’s children, Damien, received a Grammy for his last album, 2001’s Halfway Tree.

Not another wardrode malfunction … feisty rock singer Alanis Morissette poked fun at Janet Jackson’s notorious breast-baring episode by stripping on stage to reveal cartoonish fake nipples and pubic hair.

Morissette, hosting Canada’s annual music awards, said the stunt, in which she appeared in a provocative skin-hugging body-suit was intended to expose US “censorship.”

The singer, renowned for her angst-ridden lyrics, told the audience at the Juno Awards in Edmonton “we live in a land where we still think the human body is beautiful and we’re not afraid of the female breast.”

Morissette let a dressing gown fall to the floor to reveal her “nudity” after an announcer warned : “we can’t show nipples on national TV,” in an obvious dig at US outrage fanned by Jackson’s “wardrobe malfunction” at the Superbowl.

“I am proud to be able to stand here and do this,” Morissette said, to wild cheers from the audience at Sunday night’s show.

Morissette then blasted US radio stations which have forced her to change the word “asshole” in one of her songs.

“They’re in an era when they’re scared, when there’s lots of fear,” she said.

The awards, Canada’s answer to the US Grammy’s, were dominated by Montreal rocker Sam Roberts, who picked up three awards.

Songbird Nelly Furtado won best single for “What you want” while singer Sarah McLachlan scooped best songwriter and hard rock band Nickelback walked away with the Juno for best group.

Source yahoo.com.