May 18, 2009

On June 1, Pearl Jam will be Conan O’Brien’s first musical guest

When I watched Ozzy Osbourne’s reality show in the early part of this decade, I couldn’t look at the former Black Sabbath frontman without feeling sad. As happy-go-lucky as MTV

We’d like to welcome U-Melt keyboard ace Zac Lasher, who penned the latest installment of our Tour Diary series. Zac kept a journal for most of the band’s Spring Tour and we’ve divided his entries up into three parts.

[Photo by Jeremy Gordon]

4/16 – Chicago, IL

First night of the Midwestern run. After a highly successful string of shows in our beloved Northeastern United States, we leave the comforts of home for the Central time zone and beyond. Tonight, I got to see a friend who I haven’t seen since high school, and who I probably would have never seen again if it weren’t for that website called Facebook.

I think about the technology that we have at our disposal in this day and age, that was only the stuff of fiction when I was growing up. Personal communication devices that we carry with us that not only allow for person-to-person voice conversation between two or more people anywhere in the world, but also give you virtually instant access to pretty much any bit of information that isn’t a closely guarded secret at the touch of a button – or the touch of a screen. Its pretty amazing what sort of stuff we humans can make. READ ON for Zac’s journal entries from Dekalb and Madison…

Wilco, the current most buzzed about band on the planet, has recently updated their website to add a number of cool features including a Gigapan photo of their famed loft

Here’s a clip of guitar gods Trey Anastasio and Joe Bonamassa taking turns ripping up Blues Deluxe at Higher Ground in South Burlington, Vermont… Trey Anastasio & Joe Bonamassa –

If you are a fan of the rock/jazz meld, Jeff Beck: Live at Ronnie Scott’s is a must watch. Palladia will air the special, which features footage from Beck’s series