2006

As the Black Keys ready their fourth album for a fall release, the Akron, Ohio-based rock duo will open six shows on Radiohead’s summer tour. The group will support in Montreal (June 10-11), New York (June 13-14) and Chicago (June 19-20); Deerhoof will open the final six shows in California.

Radiohead’s members have been Black Keys fans for years; guitarist Jonny Greenwood was spotted side-stage during the group’s performance at the 2004 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival. “Obviously, we’re blown away,” guitarist/vocalist Dan Auerbach tells Billboard.com about the tour.

Source billboard.com.

It started at 10 a.m. with the sound of thunder and rain.

You could call him a singer, multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, ethnomusicologist, two-time Grammy-winner, world-class musical collaborator, musicians’ advocate, world traveler, fisherman, or cigar aficionado. These titles are all accurate, yet none convey the warmth, humor, and soulfulness of Taj and his music.

Look for Taj on these dates to tour with The Taj Mahal Trio – Taj on guitar, piano, and banjo, Bill Rich on bass and Kester Smith on drums. These musicians have been playing together on and off for more than 30 years. Together, they draw on a long, shared history of Taj’s music.

“The Trio allows the music between voice and guitar to happen with the smallest amount of accompaniment – bass and drums,” says Taj. “That leaves a lot of space to be filled. The guitar is not submerged but right up front in the music. It’s a challenging place to play.”

Current tour dates include:
May 03 Community Center at Fort Lewis College Durango CO
May 05 Tulsa Blues Festival Tulsa OK
May 07 Tampa Bay Blues Festival St. Petersburg FL
May 23-28 Blue Note New York NY
June 02 The Auditorium Eureka Springs AR
June 18 Johnson’s Beach: Russian River Blues Festival Guerneville CA
June 02 Red Rocks Amphitheatre Morrison CO
September 02 Detroit International Jazz Festival Detroit MI
September 03 Big Top Chautauqua Bayfield WI
September 09 Wild River Music Festival Saint Paul MN
September 14 The Pabst Theater Milwaukee WI
September 15-16 Wildwood Springs Lodge Steelville MO
September 21 Van Duzer Theater Arcata CA
September 23 Laxson Auditorium Chico CA
September 29 Lancaster Performing Arts Center Lancaster CA

Les Claypool’s “Electric Apricot: Quest for Festeroo,” pokes fun at the jam band scene that has embraced Claypool of late, and features cameos from Phish’s Mike Gordon, the Dead’s Bob Weir, Warren Haynes, actor Seth Green and “South Park” co-creator Matt Stone.

“The whole notion is, this band has been kicking around Northern California for a good number of years, and they finally get a couple of big breaks,” Claypool says. “One of them is the chance to put out a record, and other is that they get booked for the Holy Grail of jam band festivals, which is Festeroo.”

Claypool is negotiating for a distribution deal to bring the film to a wider audience. “There have been some offers for straight to DVD, but we really want to do an art house theatrical release,” he says.

Read more at Billboard.com

Michael Franti will release a new album and documentary DVD July 25 via Epitaph’s Anti- label. The latter is a chronicle of his travels to Baghdad, the West Bank and Gaza Strip titled “I Know I’m Not Alone.” Although originally expected to bear the same name, the CD has been dubbed “Yell Fire!”

“I went to Iraq as a listener,” Franti told Billboard.com in February of the trip that inspired both projects. “I just got tired of watching the news every night and hearing generals and politicians talking about the economics and the politics of the war, and never explaining the human cost of the war. I just wanted to go there and listen to people.”

A mix of reggae, hip-hop and soul, “Yell Fire!” includes appearances by Pink and reggae riddim kings Sly & Robbie and was produced by Franti and Mario Caldato Jr. (Beastie Boys, Jack Johnson) and mixed by Mark Needham (the Killers).

Source billboard.com.

Shot over two years and in seven countries, the feature-length documentary “Whiskey on a Sunday,” due JULY 25 on SideOneDummy Records, is an intimate portrait of the Irish-infused rock band Flogging Molly. The 106-minute film tracks the eclectic group of musicians from their bar-band roots to their current success, including footage of them in the studio recording their latest album, “Within a Mile of Home,” on tour, at home, and concludes with a triumphant sold-out homecoming performance at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles.

“Whiskey on a Sunday” is an intriguing, heart wrenching and informative look at the candid and charismatic Flogging Molly family. It showcases the seven unique individuals that make up the band, from former pro skater turned accordionist Matt Hensley to the lone female, the reserved and gentle fiddle/ tin whistle player Bridget Regan. But ultimately the film revolves around singer/ guitarist Dave King and his life. Throughout the film King pours his heart out about growing up in war-torn Dublin, his father’s premature death and his exile in the United States, where he wasn’t allowed to return to Ireland to see his mother for eight years. It’s this compelling subject matter that he draws on for his lyrical content.

The DVD will be accompanied by an album comprised of acoustic recordings, live tracks and a new studio recording, “Laura,” which is featured in the film.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers revealed details of the first three North American legs of their World Tour in support of STADIUM ARCADIUM. These much anticipated shows will kick off Friday, August 11 in Portland, OR.

The band unveiled the tour information during a 90-minute national radio broadcast, live from New York City, which previewed songs from STADIUM ARCADIUM, their much lauded two-CD set releasing Tuesday, May 9.

Concert tickets will go on sale Saturday, May 13 (except for Boise, which goes on sale May 12). However, fan club members can purchase tickets starting Sunday, May 7. Additionally, those pre-ordering the album via iTunes can purchase tickets on the album release day, May 9.

The opener for Red Hot Chili Peppers will be The Mars Volta.

The first three North American legs of the world tour are:

August 11 in Portland, OR at Rose Garden.
August 15 in Boise, ID at Taco Bell Arena.
August 16 in Salt Lake City, UT at Delta Center.
August 18 in Denver, CO at Pepsi Center.
August 21 in Phoenix, AZ at Glendale Arena.
August 22 in San Diego, CA at Sports Arena.
August 24 in Oakland, CA at Oakland Arena.
August 27 in Fresno, CA at Selland Arena.

September 14 in Vancouver, BC at GM Place.
September 16 in Calgary, AB at Pengrowth Saddledome.
September 17 in Edmonton, AB at Rexall Place.
September 19 in Saskatoon, SK at Saskatchewan Credit Union Center.
September 20 in Winnipeg, MB at MTS Centre.
September 25 in Toronto, ON at Air Canada Center.
September 28 in Montreal, QC at Bell Centre.
October 1 in Quebec City, QC at Pepsi Coliseum.

October 17 in East Rutherford, NJ (New York show) at Continental Airlines Arena.
October 20 in Boston, MA at Fleet Center.
October 21 in Albany, NY at Pepsi Arena.
October 23 in Philadelphia, PA at Wachovia Center.
October 26 in Atlanta, GA at Gwinnett.
October 30 in Columbus, OH at Nationwide Arena.
October 31 in Cleveland, OH at Quicken Loans Arena
November 2 in Grand Rapids, MI at Van Andel Arena.
November 3 in Detroit, MI at Palace of Auburn Hills.
November 5 in Minneapolis, MN at Excel Arena.

Months after solidifying yet another eclectic FloydFest line-up of Americana and world grooves, the restless folks at Across-the-Way Productions have given music fans one more reason to make the trek down the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway. For the first time in its five-year history, FloydFest will host a Thursday night Soundcheck, bringing back festival favorites Railroad Earth to celebrate their own fifth birthday with their third FloydFest appearance in a row.

To celebrate this new joint venture, FloydFest has teamed up with Madison House Publicity and Sci Fidelity Records to offer a special promotion to all those most eager fans who get in line first to ride the train. Starting May 1st, the first 100 people who buy a weekend pass directly from the FloydFest office (540 745 FEST) will receive a free copy of Railroad Earth