February 9, 2005

Lenny Kravitz will begin a North American theater tour April 5 at the Nokia Live Theater in Dallas. Shows for the 27-date “Electric Church: One Night Only!” outing will go on sale Feb. 19. The tour wraps May 22 at the Wiltern in Los Angeles.

Kravitz, who cancelled a tour last year, has not toured North America since 2002. The new outing will support his seventh release, “Baptism” (Virgin).

“When I was planning my American tour, I decided that I wanted to get back to my roots, strip down the production and do something different,” Kravitz says. “I haven’t played theaters in years, and don’t know when I’ll be able to do it again, so this tour is going to be a great way to get out there and really connect with my fans.”

The run will follow Kravitz’s first tour of Latin America, which begins March 4 in Mexico City. Following the North American dates, he is scheduled to tour Europe.

Here are Kravitz’s tour dates:

April 5: Dallas (Nokia Live)
April 7: Houston (Verizon Theater)
April 9: Atlanta (Tabernacle)
April 10: Charlotte, N.C. (Owens Auditorium)
April 13: Miami (Jackie Gleason Theater)
April 16: Philadelphia (Electric Factory)
April 17: Atlantic City, N.J. (Borgata)
April 20: Washington, D.C. (D.A.R. Constitution Hall)
April 21: New York (Beacon Theater)
April 23: Hartford, Conn. (Oakdale)
April 24: Boston (Orpheum)
April 26: Cleveland (Music Hall)
April 27: Toronto (Massey)
April 29: Detroit (State Theater)
May 1: Chicago (Congress Theater)
May 4: Minneapolis (State Theater)
May 6: Milwaukee (Rave)
May 7: St. Louis (Pageant)
May 9: Kansas City, Mo. (Memorial Hall)
May 11: Denver (Fillmore)
May 13: Portland, Ore. (Schnitzer Hall)
May 14: Vancouver (Orpheum Theatre)
May 16: Seattle (Paramount Theatre)
May 18: San Francisco (Bill Graham Civic Center)
May 19: San Diego (Copley Symphony)
May 21: Las Vegas (the Joint)
May 22: Los Angeles (Wiltern Theatre)

Source billboard.com.

On March 8, 2005 New Hampshire

Us3, the brainchild of London-based Geoff Wilkinson is gearing up to release
its first US album in 7 years, Questions. Us3’s 2001 title An Ordinary Day
In An Unusual Place was only available as an import stateside.

The group first made its way into mainstream consciousness with its clever
sampling of Herbie Hancock’s “Cantaloupe Island” track. The infectious
rhythm and club meets caf

Due to an overwhelming demand for a five night sell-out at the Hammerstein Theater on the dates of March 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, The Black Crowes have added two additional dates to their NYC run. The two added shows will take place on March 29th and March 30th. Tickets for the shows go on sale Saturday, February 12th at 9:00 a.m.

With their Island debut, “Hot Fuss,” having recently passed the 1 million mark in U.S. sales, the Killers plan to keep touring throughout the spring. The Las Vegas-based rock act will begin a fresh round of North American dates April 11 in Phoenix and will remain on the road through May 3 in Denver.

Frontman Brandon Flowers told Billboard.com in December that fans can expect to hear a handful of new songs on the spring dates, including “I Won’t Let You Down,” “Daddy’s Eyes” and “It’s Only Natural.”

The band is in the midst of an international run that encompasses dates in the United Kingdom, Europe and Japan through March 10 in Tokyo. Afterward, it is expected to hunker down for a month of demoing new material with several producers, including Flood (U2, Smashing Pumpkins) and Alan Moulder (My Bloody Valentine, Swervedriver).

“We actually worked with Alan on our record, so we’re familiar with him,” Flowers said. Added drummer Ronnie Vannucci, “That time will be used to get some ideas on tape and tie up the loose ends of the songs that have been written on the road.”

“Hot Fuss” has spawned two No. 3 hits on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks chart, “Mr. Brightside” and “Somebody Told Me.” The latter track is up for best rock song and best rock performance by a duo or group with vocal Grammys, while “Hot Fuss” is nominated for best rock album.

Here are the Killers’ North American tour dates:

April 11: Phoenix (Marquee Theater)
April 12: La Jolla, Calif. (RIMAC Arena)
April 13: Long Beach, Calif. (Vault 350)
April 16-17: Los Angeles (Wiltern Theatre)
April 19: San Francisco (Fillmore)
April 21: Portland, Ore. (Roseland Theatre)
April 22: Vancouver (Vogue Theatre)
April 26: Edmonton, Alberta (Red’s)
April 27: Calgary, Alberta (MacEwan Hall)
April 29: Boise, Idaho (Big Easy Concert House)
May 2: Salt Lake City (Kingsbury Hall)
May 3: Denver (Paramount Theatre)

Source billboard.com.

Jazz organist Jimmy Smith passed away Tuesday at the age of 76, apparently having died in his sleep during an afternoon nap.

The legendary musician was a hugely influential figure in music, whose style of play affected not only his own genre but others, including hip-hop. DJs and producers often sample his soulful riffs; among the songs on which Smith’s music appears are the Beastie Boys’ “Root Down” and A Tribe Called Quest’s “Push It Along.”

Smith played piano before switching to the organ in the early 1950s, and his innovative style of playing the Hammond B-3 organ helped revolutionize the sound of jazz while he was recording for influential record labels like Blue Note and Verve.

Smith’s manager, Bob Clayton, discovered the musician’s body at around 1:30 p.m. at his Phoenix-area home, where he had taken a nap while watching television. He said Smith had been in generally good health and that the night before he seemed in positive spirits.

The body is being flown to Philadelphia, where the musician was born and raised. Details on services will be announced by the family shortly.

Source mtv.com.