June 6, 2005

Kings Of Leon and Secret Machines will head out on the road together this summer. The tour will begin July 15 in Portland, Ore., and will last through Aug. 20 in Nashville.

Having recently completed its run opening for U2’s Vertigo tour, Kings Of Leon are about to begin a short swing of U.K. headlining dates.

Secret Machines open for Oasis tonight (June 6) in Berlin, and will be in Tennessee this weekend for the annual Bonnaroo Festival. The month prior to the Kings Of Leon tour will be spent playing festivals and headlining dates in Europe.

Tomorrow will see the release of the trio’s new EP, “The Road Leads Where It’s Led,” which features the title cut as well as covers of the Motown staple “Money (That’s What I Want),” Bob Dylan’s “Girl From the North Country” and Van Morrison’s “Astral Weeks.”
Here are Kings Of Leon/Secret Machines tour dates:

July 15: Portland, Ore. (Roseland Theatre)
July 16: Seattle (Moore Theatre)
July 17: Eugene, Ore. (McDonald Theatre)
July 19-20: San Francisco (Fillmore)
July 22-23: Los Angeles (Wiltern Theatre)
July 24: San Diego (4th & B)
July 26: Denver (Paramount Theatre)
July 28: Minneapolis (First Avenue)
July 29: Milwaukee (the Rave)
July 30: Chicago (Congress Theatre)
Aug. 2: Pontiac, Mich. (Clutch Cargo)
Aug. 3: Toronto (Kool Haus)
Aug. 5: Boston (Avalon)
Aug. 6: Philadelphia (Electric Factory)
Aug. 8: New York (Roseland)
Aug. 9: Sayreville, N.J. (Starland Ballroom)
Aug. 11: Washington, D.C. (9:30 Club)
Aug. 12: Norfolk, Va. (NorVa)
Aug. 13: Myrtle Beach, S.C. (House of Blues)
Aug. 15: Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (House of Blues)
Aug. 16: Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (Revolution)
Aug. 19: Asheville, N.C. (Orange Peel)
Aug. 20: Nashville (Ryman Auditorium)

Source billboard.com.

As the cancellation of the ill-fated Zooma tour left him without summer plans, singer/songwriter Ben Harper has slated a 16-date North American small venue tour to kick off July 12 in Vancouver and close Aug. 1 in Atlanta.

Harper was due to co-headline Zooma with former Phish guitarist/singer Trey Anastasio. The tour was the creation of the same promoters who annually stage the wildly successful Bonnaroo festival in Manchester, Tenn.

This outing will be Harper’s first since 2003, as well as his last until he releases the new album he will begin recording at the conclusion of this tour. Tom Freund, with whom Harper recorded the out-of-print 1992 album “Pleasure and Pain” (Cardas Records), will open all shows.

Here are Harper’s tour dates:

July 12: Vancouver (Commodore Ballroom)
July 13: Seattle (Moore Theater)
July 14: Portland, Ore. (Roseland Theater)
July 16: San Francisco (Warfield)
July 17: Los Angeles (Henry Fonda Theater)
July 19: Denver (Fillmore)
July 21: Chicago (Vic Theater)
July 22: Royal Oak, Mich. (Royal Oak Music Theatre)
July 23: Toronto (Kool Haus)
July 25: Washington, D.C. (9:30 Club)
July 26: Boston (Avalon Ballroom)
July 27: New York (Irving Plaza)
July 28: Philadelphia (Electric Factory)
July 30: Asheville, N.C. (Orange Peel)
July 31: Myrtle Beach, S.C. (House of Blues)
Aug. 1: Atlanta (Tabernacle)

Source billboard.com.

Clear Channel Music, sometimes perceived as the unfeeling behemoth that runs a big chunk of the amphitheatre business, has made good on its promise to invest in revitalizing the concert-going experience with the announcement of a variety of fan incentives including reduced lawn seat prices, ticket packages and concession upgrades.

Another welcome change will be the loosening of restrictions on carry-in coolers, blankets and chairs.

The “Music Sounds Better On Grass” promotion means immediate benefit for the casual music fan – who most often frequents the lawn areas.

In addition to lowering lawn ducats to as little as $20 for some 150 shows this season, CCM is including parking, capping ticket surcharges and eliminating facility fees at 33 of its sheds.

For other shows, Clear Channel is introducing a $39 “Grass Pass” that includes ticket, parking and a $10 food and beverage voucher.

Included in the shed changes is an increase in the number of concession stands as well as the inclusion of local favorites among the eateries on site.

Selection will go up and prices down with the participation of such national companies as Starbucks, Ben & Jerry’s, Subway, Legal Sea Foods and Au Bon Pain.

The Instant Live program will also offer live recordings of shows for purchase as fans exit select shows.
Clear Channel released on June 1st the results of two fan surveys conducted for CCM that gave the company reason to be hopeful for a more successful summer season than the last.

According to the statistics released by CCM, 69 percent of respondents said that “sitting on the lawn at a concert is something I really enjoy,” while 77 percent said they were likely to sit in a lawn seat. Of those responding, 72 percent said they were “very likely” to attend an outdoor concert.

Source pollstar.com.