Search Results for: the crow

New York – At 7:30 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, hundreds of thousands of revelers had already begun packing into Times Square, chanting and posing for photos (many would also later don questionable hats). And though it was still early, it was just as hectic high above it all in the MTV studios: a frantic mix of cables, cameras and controlled catastrophes. It was the final rehearsal for MTV’s “Iced Out New Year’s,” and lights had to be arranged, lines rehearsed and the set decorated. The celebrities were all safely in their dressing rooms, tables and tables of sushi had… Read more »

Los Angeles – According to the Chinese calendar, 2005 will be the year of the rooster. Looking back at the year in music, 2004 goes down as the year of Usher, not only in pop, but certainly in R&B/hip-hop. The seemingly invincible singer-songwriter commandeers the top of the R&B and pop charts this year, thanks to his album “Confessions.” In the R&B realm, the Atlanta-based artist takes the No. 1 spot on year-end recaps including Top R&B/Hip-Hop Artists, Top R&B/Hip-Hop Artists-Male and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. That’s in addition to his status on the pop recaps: Top Pop Artists, Top Pop… Read more »

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A nightclub shooting that left four people dead, including a heavy-metal guitarist, has concert bookers and bar managers wondering whether fans will grumble less the next time they’re patted down or directed through a metal detector. Scott Stienecker, for one, thinks it will. “It’ll be a whole different feeling, I bet.” Stienecker’s PromoWest Productions owns two Columbus concert halls larger than the Alrosa Villa, where 25-year-old Nathan Gale gunned down “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott and three others before a police officer shot him to death. Caroline O’Toole, though, and many of her fellow managers doubt Wednesday’s violence will… Read more »

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A small memorial started by a handful of fans blossomed into an outpouring of grief and celebration Thursday, less than 24 hours after the shocking slayings at the Alrosa Villa club where Pantera/ Damageplan guitarist “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott and three others were killed. Despite the rain and cold temperature, hundreds of fans gathered outside the weathered metal club to pay homage to their hero. They erected makeshift crosses, laid yellow roses in honor of Abbott’s Texas roots and burned candles in his honor, but mostly they shared stories, asked each other why anyone would do such a… Read more »

For someone who claims he never wanted to be on stage, Badly Drawn Boy has a hard time getting off of one. Damon Gough’s alter ego displayed his stamina with a marathon set that both delighted and exhausted a sold-out Toronto crowd. The singer-songwriter set the tone for the evening right off the top, claiming that it was “good to be back in America.” From that point on, his curious mix of affability, crustiness and wit had the audience hanging on every sung or spoken word. And there were plenty of both in the nearly three-hour performance. Backed by a… Read more »

On the heels of her Oscar victory earlier this year, singer Annie Lennox recently wrapped up the Sacred Love tour, with Sting. Critics and music fans across the country were treated to dazzling performances each and every night by the incomparable musician and her band. Lennox projected a vast range of emotion, complexity, and power with every note. Lennox’s set lists spanned her entire career, from her first hits with Eurythmics through her latest, multi-platinum release, Bare, which earned her another Grammy Nomination. Lennox also gave the fans a treat during Sting’s set as she joined her tour-mate on stage… Read more »

Toronto’s ACC was packed to the brim with people of all ages, ready to check out the Beasties. After a stripped-down set by Talib Kweli, The Beastie Boys touched down. Wearing old school uniforms (Mike D rocking archetypal Cazal shades) and hysterically oversized mesh caps, the B-Boys kicked an opening set that never seemed to quit. As bizarre images and camera shots of Mike, Adam and Adam floated around on massive screens, the three were in constant motion, seeming to tag each other as they traded verses. After about 15 minutes of this, they took a moment to catch their… Read more »

In 1994, a dark, brutal album turned music upside down and became a modern masterpiece. Now, in its 10th anniversary year, Nine Inch Nails’ THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL, a landmark album in modern rock, in industrial music and in pop culture returns in a Deluxe Edition (Interscope/UMe), released November 23, 2004. THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL – Deluxe Edition is offered in two versions, each digitally remastered. Both packages also include a 28-page booklet filled with photos and graphics. The SACD Hybrid version (playable on all CD, DVD and SACD players) features Disc One with the original album in CD Audio, SACD Stereo… Read more »

Nashville – Billed as the Best of Both Worlds, the ill-fated co-headlining tour by Jay-Z and R. Kelly ended up with two worlds colliding. The tour’s implosion – at least as a co-headlining attraction – puts a damper on what could have been one of the year’s top-grossing R&B music outings, with a gross potential of about $30 million. Jay-Z is continuing without Kelly under the banner of Jay-Z & Friends. With such marquee artists as Mary J. Blige and P. Diddy in tow, the tour could still be a big winner. But few would argue that Best of Both… Read more »

Before Avril Lavigne could cover the theme to “SpongeBob SquarePants” for the pineapple-dweller’s upcoming movie soundtrack, some changes had to be made. After all, a girl known for wearing combat boots, spiked jewelry and clothing emblazoned with skulls and crossbones couldn’t sing lyrics as silly as “absorbent and yellow and porous is he” with the same sing-songy bounce as the original. “I made the song a little more edgy,” Lavigne said. “It’s kind of like the rock version of [the original]. There are a lot of loud guitars, and we picked the tempo up a little and sang it with… Read more »