Search Results for: extreme

UNIVERSAL CITY, California – Chris Martin only forgot the words once. After taking more than a year off from performing, Coldplay returned to the stage over the weekend, headlining influential public radio station KCRW-FM’s annual A Sounds Eclectic Evening concert on Saturday at the Universal Amphitheatre and warming up the night before at the Troubadour in West Hollywood. And while Martin stumbled through the opening of “Politik” during the encore of the KCRW show, the singer more than made up for it by treating fans to five new tracks from X&Y, due June 7, and six old favorites. “When you… Read more »

Los Angeles – Mario Vazquez withdrew from “American Idol” over the weekend, but the 27-year-old singer is under contract with the show’s entertainment company until three months after the current season ends. In a press conference Tuesday (March 15) in the famous Coca-Cola Red Room where contestants wait to perform during tapings, co-executive producers Ken Warwick and Nigel Lythgoe confirmed Vazquez quit for personal reasons and squashed rumors surrounding his departure, including that he had been offered a better record deal than the winner receives.”He is not free to sign [with anyone]; he signed that contract two weeks ago,” Lythgoe… Read more »

New York – People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wants Jennifer Lopez to “Get Right” when it comes to fur. Lopez introduced her Sweetface collection during New York Fashion Week last month. “Please don’t support Jennifer Lopez or her bloody business,” according to a Web site that the animal rights group has devoted to the singer, actress and now fashion designer. “Many hot designers, including Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood, Todd Oldham, Marc Bouwer, and others have… created synthetic alternatives that are hip, humane, and easily available and don’t turn animals into fashion victims.” Calls by The Associated Press to… Read more »

For the past year, Hot Hot Heat frontman Steve Bays’ life has been an endless stream of numbers: one departed guitarist, two epiphanies, 30 scrapped songs, 42 hectic studio days, 168 hours of tape, 365 nights between shows and 4,000 used T-shirts. And out of all that came one herky-jerky new record called Elevator, which, according to Bays, is about as appropriate a handle as any. “There were so many ups and downs that went into making this record. It was a manic period, and it was extremely stressful,” he said. “It was a year of tripping hard, a year… Read more »

New York, Ny – Considered long overdue, multi-platinum artists Simple Plan and Good Charlotte are joining forces in what many consider the hottest concert this Spring. The two bands are planning a full-scale North American tour, which is tentatively scheduled to kick off May 3rd in Kansas City and expected to continue on through June 5th. The tour plans were hatched earlier this month when both bands performed at the MTV Asia Aid event in Thailand, which raised money to benefit Tsunami victims and families. The tour routing will be announced in the coming days along with specific city and… Read more »

Some videos dazzle, some are dramatic, some are sexy, and some just make you go, “Huh?” Interpol’s “Evil” might leave you feeling all of the above – but you may never get a good night’s sleep again. “Oh, I hope it’s creepy,” said first-time video director Charlie White. “I intended for it to be two things: spooky and not too hip.” If your ideas of those two things agree with a clip that shows the aftermath of a horrible car crash and its effects on a strangely lifelike, shell-shocked puppet who busts some moves on a gurney, “Evil” is for… Read more »

Billy Joel is back home and resting comfortably after being discharged Saturday from a New York hospital where he had sought treatment last week for severe stomach pains. “He is home, and feeling good,” the Piano Man’s publicist said, adding that he sufferred from “gastro-intestinal tract distress with possible kidney stones.” The rep denied reports the entertainer had pancreatitis, which is typically brought on by the heavy consumption of alcohol. Joel decided to get the gut check after suffering extreme stomach cramps about 10 days ago, and was admitted to an undisclosed Long Island medical center not far from his… Read more »

Los Angeles – Epitaph Records built its foundation on punk rock. But just before last year’s presidential election, the label’s most biting political commentary arrived courtesy of Sage Francis, a 27-year-old rapper from Providence, R.I. The song “Slow Down Gandhi” sarcastically rips into liberals and conservatives alike, casting a cynical eye at warmongers and the “cool kids” who “were rocking votes.” With a perfectly articulated delivery that recalls Chuck D, Francis builds each verse with a mixture of activism, paranoia and humor. “If they could sell sanity in a bottle, they would be charging for compressed air,” he quips. Epitaph… Read more »

Honda Civic Tour dates, according to the tour’s organizers: – With Phantom Planet, the Thrills and the Donnas as their co-pilots, Maroon 5 will hit the road for two months on the fifth annual 2005 Honda Civic Tour. Maroon 5 will headline the trek, which begins March 11 in Universal City, California. “This is the first headlining U.S. tour we’ve done in a long time,” bassist Mickey Madden said Thursday at a press conference in West Hollywood, California, announcing the outing. “We’re playing some of the biggest places we’ve ever played, which is very exciting. And we’re taking out some… Read more »

New York – The Offspring is the latest act to sign on for the 2005 Vans Warped Tour next summer. Beyond the California rock act, which is making its first Warped appearance, the 11th annual trek will also feature the Transplants, Thrice, My Chemical Romance and Fall Out Boy. Dates and venues will be unveiled next month. It is unknown if the Offspring will be touring in support of a new studio album. The group’s most recent was 2003’s “Conspiracy of One,” which debuted at No. 9 on The Billboard 200. Warped, which claims to be the longest-running music and… Read more »