News …
Sirius / XM merger moves closer to reality - The New York Times (registration may be required)
MySpace to launch music service in September - CNN Money / Fortune
Would you be interested in downloading as many songs as you want regardless of the source for an annual fee? They're considering it in Britain - The Independent U.K.
Pete Townshend says he once told Eddie Vedder to keep on rockin' - Rolling Stone
Aussie pays big bucks to get into Sting's pants - Sunshine Coast Daily / AAP
And he's painting a stairway to … heaven … for charity - Town Crier Today U.K.
Views …
Chaka Khan in London - "Unleashing her still-mighty voice with impressive ease, the 55-year-old Chicago-born diva served up a sloppy, syrupy mix that combined 35 years of hits with tracks from her latest album, Funk This." - The Times Online U.K.
Journey, Heart and Cheap Trick in Oklahoma City - "A potent brew of crowd-pleasing hits, dynamic showmanship and bone-rattlingly loud rock 'n' roll cast a spell on the Zoo Wednesday night." - The Oklahoman
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers in Minneapolis - "His audience contained a contingent of teens and 20-somethings to go along with all the baby boomers." - Minneapolis Star Tribune
Jimmy Buffett in Pittsburgh - "Pittsburgh is way away from any real beach, but you wouldn't have known that from Jimmy Buffett's elaborate stage setup Tuesday night." - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Ted Nugent in London, Ontario - "He roared into Harris Park last night with his guitar ablazing like the guns he loves and his mouth spewing non-stop music and talk of hunting with his Canadian buddies." - The London Free Press
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy with the San Francisco Symphony - " … delivered an energetic and crowd-pleasing performance, bringing a louder sound to the Davies Hall than any Mahler symphony could ever hope to accomplish." - The Daily Californian
Jarvis Cocker in NYC - "There's no mercy for the comfortable in the songs of Jarvis Cocker, the English songwriter who brought his band to Terminal 5 on Tuesday night. It's not because he's some revolutionary outsider, but because he's one of them." - The New York Times (registration may be required)
They Say It's Their Birthday … (Or so says Associated Press)
Gallagher is 62
Pam Tillis is 51
Jennifer Lopez is 40
Kristin Chenoweth is 38