Search Results for: plan b entertainment

The Stone Pony, a mecca for fans of Jersey shore rock ‘n’ roll, appears to have survived a brush with destruction, officials said on Thursday. The dilapidated nightclub, a musical home to such legends as Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith, will be incorporated into a tentative plan to help revitalize the decayed beachfront of Asbury Park, New Jersey, they said. Original plans called for the Stone Pony – the best-known place to catch an impromptu Springsteen appearance – to be demolished or moved, but a rollicking campaign by devoted patrons ensued to preserve the squat, grimy building now sitting amid… Read more »

Pop music fans will want to pick up a copy of “Longshot,” due March 26 on DVD from Spartan Home Entertainment. The film features cameo appearances by some of the biggest names in teen pop, including Britney Spears, ‘N Sync, O-Town, and LFO, among others. The film was produced by Trans Continental Pictures, a company owned by Louis Pearlman, the man who launched the careers of the Backstreet Boys and ‘N Sync, among others. He’s also the creator of the ABC/MTV series “Making the Band,” which spawned the act O-Town. Pearlman co-wrote and co-produced the feature, which was released last… Read more »

Can bad-boy rapper Eminem succeed where Mariah Carey spectacularly failed last year – score a hit record to revive the down-and-out music industry? That is the burning question on the lips of music business honchos converging on Midem, the industry’s annual get-together on the French Riviera this weekend. Executives will be praying for fortune to smile on a line-up of superstar releases including Eminem, Christina Aguilera and the King, Elvis Presley, to resuscitate an industry reeling from 2001, the worst year on record. Depending on their success, the $40 billion global music industry could shrink another three percent this year… Read more »

Justin, JC and Lance, meet your newest competition: Archie, Jughead and Veronica. That’s right, the man behind such pop creations as the Backstreet Boys, ‘N Sync and O-Town is moving onto a different type of two-dimensional character: Boy-band mogul Lou Pearlman says he’s teaming up with Archie Entertainment to launch real-life music groups based on The Archies and Josie and the Pussycats comic books. With the help of former BMG President Strauss Zelnick, Pearlman’s Trans Continental Entertainment is staging a nationwide search for young musicians to become the next Archie, Jughead, Veronica and Betty, in preparation for a new album,… Read more »

Napster launched a test version of its new copyright-compliant service Thursday in a bid to restart the once wildly popular song-swap Web site that was shut down by a record industry lawsuit. The test or “beta” version, which lacks content from the major music labels, is not open to the public. Instead, it will be offered to 20,000 people randomly selected from a group of more than two million who e-mailed Napster showing interest in participating in the beta test. Napster’s service has been sidelined since July as a result of an injunction issued by U.S. District Court Judge Marilyn… Read more »

Sugar Ray lead singer Mark McGrath isn’t sure what all the fuss between the American Music Awards and Grammys is about. “It’s a petty argument and I think it can all be resolved. The people getting hurt at the end of the day are the fans,” he said backstage Wednesday night. “Being down in South Central, can’t we all just get along?” he said, echoing Rodney King’s plea after the 1992 Los Angeles riots. AMA producer Dick Clark sued Michael Greene, president of the Recording Academy, for $10 million in December. Clark alleges that Greene has for years siphoned talent… Read more »

Napster will launch a test version of its new copyright-compliant online music service Thursday, months after legal action brought by the recording industry forced a shutdown of the wildly popular file-sharing network. The test or “beta” version, which lacks content from the major music labels, will not be open to the public. Instead, it will be offered to 20,000 people randomly selected from a group of more than 2 million users who e-mailed Napster showing interest in participating in the beta test. More than 100,000 files will be available on Napster for the beta trial. All are currently licensed to… Read more »

Andre R. Locke, a rapper who went by the name Lil Buddy and had a nationally televised music video, has been charged with bank robbery. Locke appeared in federal court Monday on charges that he entered Vermillion State Bank in Rosemount on Friday, wearing a ski mask, carrying a handgun and demanding money from the tellers. Rosemount Police Chief Gary Kalstabakken said Locke drove away in a stolen blue Audi. Police spotted the car minutes later, and a chase ended when Locke crashed the car into a tree, authorities said. He was treated for minor injuries before being sent to… Read more »

While Dec. 31, 2001, may not rank up there with the millennium celebrations, there’s still plenty of top-notch live music being presented in the clubs and arenas of the U.S. this New Year’s Eve. So, if you’re planning to get off the couch while Dick Clark rings in 2002 in Times Square, rest assured that there are worthwhile options in most major cities. In New York, band of the moment the Strokes will open for perennial indie favorite Guided By Voices at the famed Apollo Theatre. Further downtown, Phish’s Page McConnell will premiere his new band, Vida Blue, which features… Read more »

French media conglomerate Vivendi Universal has agreed to buy the entertainment assets of USA Networks Inc. for about $12.4 billion in cash, stock and assumed tax liability, a source familiar with the deal said Sunday. One source said Vivendi’s board approved the deal on Friday, the same day the company said it will buy an 11 percent share of EchoStar Communications Corp., the No. 2 U.S. provider of satellite television. Meanwhile, USA Network approved the deal late Sunday, according to another source who spoke on condition of anonymity. The companies plan to make an annoucement in the near future, probably… Read more »