Search Results for: The Chicks

Sum 41 drummer Steve Jocz’s mind is racing. He’s just learned that his band will serve as an opening act on Mötley Crüe’s summer-long Carnival of Sin Tour, and as such, he’s trying really hard to think up ways he can match Crüe drummer Tommy Lee’s nearly patented drum-solo heroics (including, but not limited to, being raised in the air and pulling full 360s while bashing the kit). “Man, I don’t know,” he laughed. “I might get my drum tech to push my drum kit forward and then pull it back really fast. Or maybe we’ll put it on wheels… Read more »

Partial list of winners at Sunday’s 47th Annual Grammy Awards: Engineered Album, Classical – “Higdon – City Scape Concerto for Orchestra,” Jack Renner, engineer – Robert Spano. Producer of the Year, Classical – David Frost. Classical Album – “Adams – On the Transmigration of Souls,” Lorin Maazel, conductor John Adams and Lawrence Rock, producers. Orchestral Performance – “Adams – On the Transmigration of Souls,” Lorin Maazel, conductor John Adams and Lawrence Rock, producers. Opera Recording – “Mozart – Le Nozze di Figaro,” Rene Jacobs, conductor Patrizia Ciofi, Veronique Gens, Simon Keenlyside, Angelika Kirchschlager and Lorenzo Regazzo Martin Sauer, producer –… Read more »

Los Angles – You only need one word to sum up the year in pop 2004: Usher. Clearly, it was his house. The rest of us were just overnight visitors. It began innocently enough, right at the beginning of the calendar year. On the Billboard Hot 100 dated Jan. 10, 2004 (coincidentally, the 55th anniversary of the introduction of the 45 rpm record), the highest new entry was “Yeah!” by Usher Featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris. Six weeks later, “Yeah!” had assumed pole position, and remained there for 12 weeks, tying it as the longest-running No. 1 (with “Lose Yourself”… Read more »

Madonna has reinvented herself once again, this time as the top touring act of 2004. The singer’s Re-Invention Tour was the year’s biggest grosser, according to Billboard Boxscore, taking in $125 million through September and scoring 55 sellouts out of 56 shows. The elaborate concerts averaged $2.23 million each night. Another ’80s icon, Prince, came in second place, with one of his most successful tours in more than a decade. Playing to more people than any other artist (almost 1.5 million), Prince’s Musicology tour grossed $90.2 million. Country star Shania Twain was third, playing to almost 950,000 fans and grossing… Read more »

Las Vegas – On November 6, 2004, YANNI will tape his first TV special in seven years, and his first ever in America, from the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. The TV special will be filmed live from the opening performance of his upcoming YANNI LIVE 2004/5 World Tour. His last three television specials were recorded in spectacular overseas locations at the Acropolis in Greece, the Taj Mahal in India, The Forbidden City in China and at London’s legendary Royal Albert Hall. The show will be a 16-camera production shot on High Definition and will include a… Read more »

John Mellencamp hasn’t appeared at the MTV Video Music Awards since the mid-1980s, but the singer says the right cause will bring him to Sunday’s live telecast in Miami. “I’m going to talk about freedom of speech and protest songs,” the Bloomington musician said Thursday. “And then I’m introducing Outkast.” Mellencamp will join younger stars such as Usher, Jessica Simpson and Dave Chappelle on the program, which is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. on the cable network. An MTV spokesman wouldn’t reveal what song Outkast plans to perform. The hip-hop duo, nominated for five awards, has recorded songs titled… Read more »

After Bruce Springsteen announced plans to participate in the anti-Bush concert tour, Vote for Change, a New York candidate for U.S. Senate has countered with a “Boycott the Boss” television spot. Conservative Party candidate Marilyn O’Grady appears in a 30-second televison commercial, urging her supporters to show their solidarity to Bush by not buying Springsteen’s music. “He thinks making millions with a song-and-dance routine allows him to tell you how to vote,” O’Grady says in the spot. “Here’s my vote: Boycott the Boss. If you don’t buy his politics, don’t buy his music.” (The spot makes no mention of O’Grady’s… Read more »

Elton John tells Interview magazine that the U.S. government is using “bullying tactics” to prevent anti-war music from being heard, and that performers are so scared that they are just letting it happen. “There’s an atmosphere of fear in America right now and that is deadly,” John explained, according to the New York Daily News, noting, “Everyone is too career-conscious. They’re all too scared… things have changed.” The British pianist pointed out that supporters of the war in Iraq-such as country star Toby Keith-are given free reign, while the Dixie Chicks faced a huge backlash after singer Natalie Maines made… Read more »

Worried you won’t be able to land a ticket to your favorite concert this summer? Not to fear, the music industry has a club you can join. For a small fee. In a trend that started with the Grateful Dead and has taken off in recent years, artists are offering tickets to members of their fan clubs before sales open to the general public. Even some venues have exclusive – and pricey – clubs fans can join with the promise of premier seating. The artist fan clubs offer an increased chance – but no guarantee – of getting a concert… Read more »

Bruce Springsteen was the top concert draw across North America in 2003 as more than 1.6 million fans paid to take in his marathon shows and musings on the struggles of the working man. According to preliminary data published on Tuesday by concert trade publication Pollstar, the 54-year-old New Jersey rocker grossed $115.9 million from 47 shows to lead the annual rankings. His tour ranks as the second-biggest of all time, behind the Rolling Stones’ 1994 outing, which grossed $121.2 million. While Pollstar is still calculating final figures, it expects sales for all acts to rise for the fifth consecutive… Read more »