News

Miley Cyrus Fatal Tour Bus Crash

2009-11-20T21:01:00Z

One of Miley Cyrus’ tour buses crashed and overturned outside Richmond, Va., early this morning, killing the driver. The singer was not on board.

The bus had departed from Uniondale, N.Y., where Cyrus performed a two-night stand at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum Nov. 18-19, and was traveling towards Greensboro, N.C., where Cyrus is set to perform Sunday. The accident occurred around 8:15 a.m. EST in Dinwiddie, Va., about 40 miles south of Richmond.

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Sgt. Thomas Molnar said the black-and-maroon luxury tour bus, which was one of four tour buses traveling together, overturned after it ran off the left side of Interstate 85 and struck an embankment. The Prevost tour bus apparently skidded for several hundred feet and landed on its side in a ditch off the highway. Passengers exited the bus through the front windshield.

Virginia State Police noted that the roads were wet from heavy rain Thursday night, but speed and weather weren’t considered factors. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

The tour bus was transporting Cyrus’ production lighting crew.

WTVR CBS 6 News out of Richmond reported that the victim who died was the driver, William Douglas, 53, of Austin, Texas. According to the TV station, Douglas was trapped inside the bus and died at the scene. A passenger, Marty Zilio, 48, of Canada, was taken to a local hospital for minor injuries. There were eight other people on the bus.

A wrecker hauled the tour bus to the next exit off 1-85 where two other tour buses were parked outside a restaurant. Cyrus was not traveling with the caravan at the time of the accident.

After performing at the Greensboro Coliseum on Sunday, Cyrus continues on her U.S. fall tour with shows in Charlotte, N.C.; Nashville; Columbia, S.C.; Atlanta; Tampa, Fla. and Miami. Dec. 7 the teen pop star kicks off her U.K./Ireland tour with dates through Dec. 29.

Click here for the AP story.

Click here for the WTVR story.

Aerosmith Members: Tyler “Needs Help”

2009-11-20T20:01:00Z

While everyone debates the future of Aerosmith following frontman Steven Tyler’s announcement that he’s taking two years off, several members of the band are opening up about recent developments that leave them uneasy.

“I think that [Steven] needs help and that attention needs to be put to his health,” Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer told People magazine.

And while at first glance that statement might appear to be simple concern for Tyler following a fall from the stage that left the 61-year-old with a broken shoulder, Kramer hinted it’s about something more, telling the magazine the singer has “isolated himself.”

“He’s got some bad influences in his life right now and he’s making poor choices,” the drummer explained.

Although no one in the band will come right out and say that Tyler, who waged a very public battle with alcohol and drugs more than two decades ago, is off the wagon, statements by Kramer and guitarist Brad Whitford would seem to hint at just that.

Whitford told People the singer’s behavior during Aerosmith’s recent tour was increasingly “erratic” and “unpredictable.”

“It wasn’t an overnight change. It’s been progressively getting out of hand,” Whitford explained, noting the problem resulted in “loads of cancellations, canceled tours and canceled dates.”

The guitarist admits he has had little contact with Tyler following the sudden end of Aerosmith’s tour in August, saying, “I don’t know where he is and what he’s doing” and adding that he’s “concerned about [Tyler’s] well-being and health.”

Tyler and his reps insist that the break from Aerosmith is to give him time to work on his memoirs and a possible solo album. The singer also took pains to deny he’s doing drugs again in an August Rolling Stone interview.

In the meantime, despite the fact that Tyler categorically denies he’s leaving the band permanently, speculation continues to build that the other members of the band are mulling over the idea of finding a replacement, something Kramer says is practically unthinkable.

“It's hard for me to imagine getting on stage without Steven,” the drummer told People. “He needs to take care of his health first and get help in order for there to be a future for an Aerosmith that includes him.”

Read Kramer and Whitford's conversation with People here.

Odds & Ends: Elton / Billy, Chris Brown’s Probation Report and J-Lo / Anthony's Dog Problem

2009-11-20T19:04:00Z

The latest chapter of the Face2Face touring saga means more postponements for Elton John and Billy Joel. Meanwhile, J-Lo and Marc Anthony’s guard dog needs counseling and Chris Brown reportedly works well with others.

More changes for the Elton John / Billy Joel tour. Latest update shows the Oklahoma City date, originally scheduled for Nov. 25, now happening Feb. 25 and the Kansas City show moved from Dec. 1 to Feb. 27.

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The North Little Rock show scheduled for Nov. 28 at the Verizon Arena has been canceled.

Illness is the culprit. At first it was only John’s health causing postponements of the tour’s first few dates. But almost as soon as John recovered from a bout of flu mixed with an E. coli infection, co-headline partner Joel took sick.

Chris Brown’s Probation Report Card

Chris Brown appeared in a Los Angeles courtroom yesterday to update the judge on how his probation is going, and received an “extremely favorable” report from officials.

For those who just fell off the turnip truck after being born yesterday, Brown pleaded guilty in August for the February beating of his then-girlfriend Rihanna and was sentenced to five years probation, six months community labor and ordered to undergo domestic violence counseling.

It was the singer’s first probation report. Evidently he was in a pretty up mood – laughing and joking with his lawyer before the 10-minute hearing.

According to Brown’s attorney, Mark Geragos, the star has already done 100 hours of his court-ordered community labor. Brown is scheduled to give another progress report Feb. 18.

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Who Let The Military-Trained Guard Dog Out?

An animal behavior expert says Jennifer Lopez and hubby Marc Anthony are to blame for their military-trained guard dog’s behavior. The couple is being sued for the dog’s alleged attack on a flight attendant.

Veterinarian Dr. Karen Overall says the couple knew the dog was a menace,” according to the New York Daily News.

“It is clear to me that Floyd, Mr. Anthony’s personal protection dog, behaved inappropriately, aggressively and in a manner that consistently endangered humans,” wrote Overall in a report.

Overall was hired by lawyers representing flight attendant Lisa Wilson who is suing Lopez and Anthony in Brooklyn Federal Court, claiming the dog growled then attacked her while onboard a private Gulfstream IV jet in 2006.

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Apparently Floyd has silverware issues. According to Overall, a personal chef had trouble with the dog whenever he carried sharp objects.

In her lawsuit against the celeb couple, Wilson claims the dog headbutted her leg, causing her to fall and injure her back. Wilson also says Anthony ordered her not to make eye contact with the animal and to call him by his name if she needed to pass by him.

“The dog was obviously dangerous and we will prove at trial that it was only a matter of time before he hurt someone,” said Wilson’s lawyer William Cafaro, according to the Daily News.

Click here for the complete New York Daily News article.

Nickelback’s Dark Horse Journey

2009-11-20T18:01:00Z

Nickelback brings its Dark Horse tour to North America in April 2010, playing four Canadian and seven U.S. cities.

At least, that is what’s currently on the schedule. Canada dates are April 6 in London, Ont., at the John Labatt Centre; April 8 in Toronto at Air Canada Centre; April 9 in Montreal at Bell Centre and April 11 in Ottawa at Scotiabank Place.

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U.S. dates are April 13 in Washington, D.C., at Verizon Center; April 14 in Hampton, Virginia, at Hampton Coliseum; April 16 in Greenville, S.C., at Bi-Lo Center; April 17 in Greesnboro, N.C., at the Coliseum; April 19 in Orlando at Amway Arena; April 21 in Atlanta at Philips Arena and April 24 in Tulsa at BOK Center.

Breaking Benjamin appears on all dates. Shinedown appears on all dates except Hampton, Greenville, Greensboro and Orlando. Additional dates as well as an opening act will be announced.

Nickelback is touring on the strength of its best selling album Dark Horse. The band is also nominated for a 2009 American Music Award in the pop/rock category for favorite band, duo or group.

Tour promoter Live Nation says tickets go on sale in select markets Dec. 4. For more information, please click here for the Nickelback Web site.

Friday Fun: I’d Like To Bring You A Friend Of Us All…

2009-11-20T17:01:00Z

Is that Eric Clapton? What’s Jack White doing here? And, hey! Is that really Billy Corgan?

You can go to a thousand concerts and see what’s printed on the ticket – the headliner plus a support act – and nothing more.

But then there are those magical moments when the featured act invites a friend or two onstage, resulting in one of those legendary surprise appearances most people only read about.

How about it? Have you ever witnessed a surprise walk-on? Were you in the audience when Springsteen brought out Jackson Browne, when Mary J. Blige dropped in on Jay-Z or Paul McCartney joined Billy Joel?

Surprise guest appearances at concerts is this today's Friday Fun topic. It’s time to share those astonishing moments by letting your memories flow into the comment thread below.

Alice In Chains 2010 North American Tour

2009-11-20T16:01:00Z

Alice In Chains has announced dates for its 2010 North American headlining tour. The alternative rock band plans to show off classic tunes in addition to songs from its latest release, "Black Gives Way To Blue."

Black Gives Way To Blue is the band’s follow up to its self-titled album and its first studio album in 14 years.

The tour kicks off Feb. 2 at the Orpheum in Vancouver, British Columbia, and wraps up March 21 at The Roy Wilkins Auditorium in Saint Paul, Minn.

Additional dates include Fillmore Auditorium in Denver (Feb. 19), The Pageant in St. Louis, Mo. (Feb. 22), DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. (March 3), Orpheum Theatre in Boston (March 14) and Aragon Ballroom in Chicago (March 20).

Tickets go on sale Dec. 4 and 5. More information will be posted on Alice in Chains’ website early next week.

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Alice in Chains is currently touring the U.K./Europe with dates through Dec. 7. Tonight the band plays Trix in Antwerp, Belgium, followed by shows in Austria, Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, France and U.K.

Dec. 11 the band performs at Las Vegas’ The Joint as part of 107.5 Xtreme Holiday Havoc. The next day Alice in Chains takes part in the KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas show at the Gibson Amphitheatre At Universal CityWalk in Universal City, Calif. Proceeds go toward two local charities – Para Los Niños and the Al Wooten Jr. Heritage Center.

You can also catch Alice in Chains online at Yahoo! Music Nov. 24 as the band performs three songs acoustically for a special Yahoo! Maximum Performance.

Click here for Alice in Chains’ website.

Adam Lambert: “Whataya Want From Me?”

2009-11-20T01:01:00Z

After “American Idol” runner-up Adam Lambert came out in the pages of Rolling Stone magazine last June, the issue of his sexuality was settled and he could begin his post “Idol” career free from controversy, right? Wrong. And ironically the trouble comes from the last place anyone would ever expect – the pages of a gay & lesbian lifestyle magazine.

Lambert sat down early last month to do an interview with Out writer Shana Naomi Krochmal for the magazine’s annual “Out 100” cover feature, which profiles the people (gay and straight) currently making the biggest impact on the LGBT community. Others pictured on the issue’s cover include comedian Wanda Sykes, singer Cyndi Lauper, producer Rob Marshall and Iraq War vet and “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” opponent Dan Choi.

The interview marked the first time the singer had officially graced the pages of the influential publication. And given the outcome of his first visit with the staff at Out, it might just be the last.

According to an open letter written by Krochmal about the fracas, the first sign of trouble came when she arrived at the offices of Lambert’s label.

“Despite plenty of back and forth between the magazine and the label about the cover and the photo shoot, I still wasn’t prepared for what happened when I showed up at the 19 Entertainment offices for the interview,” Krochmal explained.

“I briefly met Adam, and then the publicist and I walked out to the balcony, at which point I was cautioned against making the interview ‘too gay,’ or ‘you know, gay-gay.’ Specifically I was discouraged from asking about the March on Washington that upcoming weekend or other political topics.”

Okay, let me just interject for a moment here. As a writer who has done dozens of interviews with artists both big and small (plus their managers and agents), I can say that there have been numerous times when a publicist or handler has inquired about the nature of the interview. And, on rare occasions, I have even been asked to submit questions in advance.

Since Pollstar isn’t exactly known for its hard-hitting stance, I’ve been quite puzzled by both requests. While I have consented to discussing the general tone of the piece beforehand, I have steadfastly refused to submit questions. This is because in my experience an interview is far more interesting when it’s candid and is a conversation between two people – not an inquisition. (This is not “60 Minutes” and I’m not Mike Wallace.)

If I ever encountered an artist like Lambert who has made a concerted effort to make his sexuality public and was told flat out that certain topics – like gay rights – were off limits, I, like Krochmal and her editors at Out, would definitely take offense. However, even though I can’t say for certain, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t respond by publicly attacking the artist.

(By the way, what exactly is “too gay”? That’s absurd. There is no such thing. You’re gay or you’re not. It’s like saying someone is (with apologies to the Monty Python gang) “mostly dead.”)

Back to Krochmal’s story: The writer said she took pains to explain the difference between Out, a lifestyle and fashion magazine, and its sister publication Advocate, which is much more news and politics oriented, but made no promises about where the interview might go.

“It was pretty awkward, as if we were discussing two totally different people – an Adam who doesn’t seem to have any real filter when talking about his life or his opinions, and an Adam who could sometime be contained, made safe for mainstream America,” Krochmal said.

“I still wish I’d been more surprised when I was met with such a ludicrous and offensive request. I am a journalist. I ask questions. Out is a magazine whose primary audience is gay men. Is anyone confused about that? I’ve been doing this a long time and though I’ve been generically warned in a similar fashion before – ‘let’s make it upbeat and fun!’ reps often say, or ‘just talk about the album/movie/TV show!’ – it’s never been quite so egregious or with such an obvious expectation that I would comply.”

If Krochmal was angry about the incident, Out Editor in Chief Aaron Hicklin was off the charts. Hicklin fired off his own open letter to Lambert in which he praises the singer for “playing by his own rules” and refusing to let his “sexuality be a barrier to success” and then lambasts him and his handlers for what he obviously sees as their recent hypocritical behavior.

“We’re curious whether you know that we made cover offers to you before ‘American Idol’ was even halfway through its run. Apparently Out was too gay, even for you. There was the issue of what it would do to your record sales, we were told. Imagine! A gay musician on the cover of a gay magazine. What might the parents think! It’s only because this cover is a group shot that includes a straight woman that your team would allow you to be photographed at all – albeit with the caveat that we must avoid making you look ‘too gay.’ (Is that a medical term? Just curious.) Luckily, you seemed unaware that a similar caution was issued to our interviewer.”

Hicklin goes on to ponder if the cover might have been more acceptable to the label if Lambert and Lauper were shown making out like in a recent Details photo spread, which the editor points out featured the singer “awkwardly grabbing a woman’s breast and saying, ‘Women are pretty.’”

Criticism also goes to the author of the Details piece for creating an article that would lead the public to believe Lambert’s “entire fan base was made up of women and heterosexual men, or ‘straight dudes’ as the writer describes them” and fails to mention the singer’s gay fans at all.

And Lambert’s response to all of this? He took to his Twitter account Tuesday to tell Hicklin and company to “Chill!” and suggest that they “refrain from projecting your publication’s agenda onto my career.”

While Hicklin raises some valid points in his letter, the overall tone comes across as undeniably bitchy. I think perhaps a better way to handle the incident would have been to include an intro to the interview piece calmly describing the “conditions” under which it was conducted. That way, readers wondering why certain topics weren’t addressed would be left to draw their own conclusions about Lambert and his agenda.

That being said, after re-reading Krochmal’s interview with the singer – which is extremely lengthy and wandering and is broken down into two parts – I’m left wondering if this whole thing doesn’t come down to some kind of image game being played by Lambert and his handlers.

Aside from the Details piece, which I’ll admit I too found a pretty odd way for a self-professed “out and proud” gay man to allow himself to be depicted, there’s this statement:

“What’s funny is that in the ’70s a lot of the glam artists – like Bowie, T. Rex, Iggy Pop, Alice Cooper, KISS – they were gender bending with their image, but most of them were pretty hetero. Even though they looked really flamboyant. Bowie was the one guy that kind of made you wonder. But he was straight, right? … At the heart of it, the question was, ‘Are they gay?’ And I think it would be kind of fun to toy with the imagery of, ‘Is he gay’ but the other way around.”

So it seems what might going on here is simply a sales pitch – a cynical marketing campaign aimed at selling as many records as possible to goo-goo-eyed middle-American housewives fantasizing about Lambert.

Besides that unwitting admission, there are a couple of other interesting things that come up in the Out interview that I think need to be addressed.

After telling Krochmar that he just happens to “be a gay man – and I’m not ashamed of that at all,” and discussing spending time with his boyfriend, the singer says (without a hint of irony, mind you), “One of the things that I don’t like about the gay community is that people define themselves by their sexuality – and that’s bullshit. It shouldn’t be about that.”

If that’s the case, why did Lambert feel the need to do a big cover spread for Rolling Stone – complete with provocative photos – to publicly out himself? And why keep talking about it at all, if it’s not germane to the conversation?

The singer goes on to criticize the gay community's "outdated" attempts to segregate itself, an accusation which I, as a 44-year-old out gay man, find to be patently ridiculous. (Okay, soapbox moment coming up here.) If there’s any segregating going on, it’s coming from the other side, like it always has.

I have to say that I like Adam Lambert and I thoroughly enjoy his debut album. I’m thrilled that he’s been able to achieve as much success as he has to this point and I’m hoping he’ll have a long career. But at 27 years old, I hardly think the singer qualifies as an expert on the history of the struggle for rights and acceptance faced by the gay community and does himself a disservice by pretending to be.

What he apparently fails to realize is that if it weren’t for the brave men and women who came before him who defiantly made their sexuality a part of their identity despite the costs, there would be no Adam Lambert, rising pop star.

Read part one of Adam Lambert’s Out interview here and part two here.

Read Aaron Hicklin’s open letter to Adam Lambert here.

Read Shana Naomi Krochmal’s open letter about her experience with Lambert and his label here.

Scheduled To Appear - 11/19

2009-11-20T00:04:00Z

The wait is almost over for Stateside fans of Internet and “Britain’s Got Talent” sensation Susan Boyle. Now if they can all figure out how to get themselves to New York City before Monday.

That’s when Boyle and NBC’s “Today” show will take over the city’s Rockefeller Plaza for her first public performance in the U.S.

Fans who want to catch the singer performing tracks from her debut album, I Dreamed a Dream, are encouraged to arrive by 6 a.m. EST, as viewing is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Besides “I Dreamed a Dream,” Boyle is expected to sing “Wild Horses,” “Cry Me a River” and a special surprise selection.

Thursday, Nov. 19
Leona Lewis – “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”
50 Cent, Heather McDonald, Chris Franjola and Jo Koy – “Chelsea Lately”
John Mayer – “Late Show With David Letterman”
Leona Lewis – “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien”
Obits – “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon”
Carrie Underwood – “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”

Friday, Nov. 20
Chris Hardwick, Maz Jobrani and Loni Love – “Chelsea Lately”
Lyle Lovett, Paula Poundstone – “Late Show With David Letterman”
Bon Jovi – “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien”
Elvis Costello – “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon”
Death Cab For Cutie – “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
David Gray – “Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson”

Odds & Ends: Cancellations, Postponements and MJ Stuff

2009-11-19T23:01:00Z

Yet another Elton John / Billy Joel postponement while Dio cancels the U.K., and Janet Jackson talks about denial.

We spoke too soon this morning in a posting about Elton John and Billy Joel having to postpone their Salt Lake City date originally scheduled for tomorrow night. While the show is definitely postponed until Feb. 19 at the EnergySolutions Arena, we just couldn’t leave it at that. Instead we had to go out on a limb and mention the tour’s next scheduled play date is this Sunday in Denver.

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Guess what?

That’s right. Denver at the Pepsi Center is postponed until Feb. 22. An announcement on EltonJohn.com says Sunday’s tickets are good for the rescheduled date, but you can get refunds at point of purchase if the new date doesn’t fit into your 2010 calendar.

The first few Face2Face dates were postponed because of John’s bout with flu and an E. coli infection. However, recent postponements have been attributed to Joel suffering from, well, something.

The tour’s next scheduled stop is Oklahoma City at the Ford Center Nov. 25. Yeah, we know. Another step out on that limb.

Dio Ailin’

Illness has canceled Dio’s United Kingdom tour.

From RonnieJamesDio.com:

“Ronnie has been hospitalized and we are waiting for further news,” said Ronnie’s wife/manager, Wendy Dio.

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Yet Another Janet Jackson Quote

ABC sure is getting a lot of mileage out of its interview with Janet Jackson. Although the interview didn’t air until last night, quotes were leaking as early as Monday, including Ms. Jackson blaming Michael Jackson’s personal physician – Dr. Conrad Murray – for her brother’s sudden death.

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The latest JJ quote was in response to questions about the King of Pop’s drug problem, which she answered saying her brother rebuffed attempts from friends trying to help him.

“I wish he could answer this question for you and not me,” Jackson told ABC’s Robin Roberts. “I felt that he was in denial.”

Jackson also said she hasn’t seen the concert flick – “Michael Jackson’s This Is It” – which details the dress rehearsals for her brother’s planned 50 show residency at London’s O2.

“I definitely won’t, not right now,” Jackson said. “I don’t know if I will ever see it.”

Bonnaroo 2010

2009-11-19T22:01:00Z

Although no lineup has been finalized, organizers of the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival have confirmed the dates for next year’s event.

The festival, which will once again return to a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tenn., 60 miles south of Nashville, will take place June 10-13.

Ticket presales for the event begin Nov. 27 at 12 p.m. EST and continue through 11:59 p.m. EST Dec. 31.

In a nod to the continuing economic struggles faced by fans, organizers are once again offering general admission tickets for five payments of $50, plus applicable fees.

Fans who purchase tickets before Dec. 16 will receive a Bonnaroo holiday greeting card featuring a unique photo from past events. A limited edition 2010 Bonnaroo calendar will also be available during the presale period.

The initial lineup for Bonnaroo 2010 will be announced in late January or early February.

Visit Bonnaroo.com for tickets, details and updates.

STP Postpone Dates

2009-11-19T21:01:00Z

Stone Temple Pilots has postponed its December and January dates so the band can wrap up work on its upcoming studio album.

The postponed shows include a Dec. 29 gig at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi in Biloxi, Miss., and a Jan. 1 show at Winstar World Casino in Thackerville, Okla.

The hard rock band posted the announcement on its website, explaining that its “highly anticipated record … will be coming out in the early spring of next year.”

The new album will be STP’s sixth and the first release since 2001’s Shangri-La Dee Da.

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Back in May frontman Scott Weiland told the Las Vegas Review Journal the band had already written 18 tunes and that “we’ll probably whittle it down to the best 12. But then they’ll be a lot of songs ready for the next record.”

He added that STP is working on the album with producer Don Was.

“And if he could make records with the [Rolling] Stones and all their shenanigans ... then he can handle STP.”

Before Weiland and co. head to the studio the band has four more dates left on its fall Canadian tour. Tonight STP play The John Labatt Centre in London, Ontario, followed by a Saturday show at K-Rock Centre in Kingston, Ontario. The guys then head for New Brunswick, playing Moncton Coliseum Complex in Moncton, Nov. 23 and Halifax Metro Centre in Halifax the following day.

Click here for Stone Temple Pilots’ website.

Click here for the Las Vegas Review Journal article.

ZZ Top’s Canada Adventure

2009-11-19T20:01:00Z

The little ol’ band from Texas is currently rocking through the Great White North, playing shows, rescuing stranded motorists and scarfing down eggs and bacon.

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ZZ Top’s tour bus convoy was heading to Prince George, B.C., when it came upon a pickup truck that had slid into a ditch leaving the vehicle’s owners stranded alongside the roadway about 30 miles outside of Jasper.

The tour crew tried using one of the tour buses to tow the pickup out of the ditch. When that didn’t work, they decided to leave the job up to the professionals and called in a tow truck.

But there was still the matter of what to do with the truck’s occupants. ZZ Top’s tour and production manager Allison “Ali” Hocking blogged the following:

“Without much hesitation the couple was invited to hop on board one of [the] band buses and get a ride to Jasper! Over some warm coffee and snacks, the detailed story of what was told by this young couple, named Kyle Weaver and Tyleena Robertson, was that they had spent the whole day snowboarding to celebrate their one-year engagement anniversary.”

And to all travelers, in Canada or elsewhere, Hocking has these words of advice:

“So to all of you out there. … you just never know where or when you may run into ZZ Top!”

Hocking’s words could have been directed at a Calgary waitress.

Marta Carragher is still glowing from her own ZZ Top encounter. According to the Calgary Sun, bass-man / vocalist Dusty Hill, decked out in his trademark shades, but also wearing a toque, wandered into Rick’s Restaurant located in the Lake Bonavista area. Hill was accompanied by a few of the band’s crewmembers.

“Everyone knew who they were – everyone was staring and whispering,” Carragher told the Sun. “Everyone was kind of in awe.”

Hill’s breakfast order? Over-medium eggs, extremely crispy bacon, coffee and milk. The rocker also granted Carragher’s request to pose for a cell phone photo.

“The only famous person I’ve ever served – it was exciting,” Carragher said. “He just seemed like just an average guy – laid back.”

Click here for the complete Calgary Sun article.

Click here to read Allison Hocking’s blog entry at ZZTop.com.

Super Scalper Stoppers

2009-11-19T19:01:00Z

Korean boy band Super Junior has announced it will hold its first-ever Taiwan concert in Taipei Feb. 20, which falls during the auspicious Chinese New Year celebration period.

Tickets go on sale in December, but because black market operators have already tried to purchase tickets, the organizing Superdome venue has set up a system it hopes will lock out scalpers.

“In order to prevent black market profiteers from making huge purchases,” the Superdome said in a statement, “fans have to register first before getting a number, and they have to show their identification cards, too.”

Apparently, there have already been attempts by some black marketers to gain tickets. The Superdome has received calls for orders of up to 3,000 tickets at a time. Many of these callers say they represent companies that want to make block booking arrangements.

However, fans who live in southern and central Taiwan are complaining that the system will effectively make it more difficult for them to purchase tickets, forcing them to travel to Taipei in person to show their identification for the preorder sale.

Meanwhile, another hot Korean boy band, TVXQ, canceled its planned concerts in China this month amid an ongoing feud with its management agency.

Three members, Xiah, Micku and Hero, have brought a suit against SM Entertainment to share more of its profits with the group.

An interim decision reached by a Korean court found in favor of the three, saying they could appear in movies, dramas and TV commercials without the agency’s approval. However, SM has been defiant, saying that accusations brought up in the suit are all fraudulent.

A lawyer for the three rebelling members said it was SM who canceled the Chinese concerts, slated to begin Nov. 21.

SM said that the three members did not respond to the agency’s request to make a decision about the group’s domestic activities by a deadline it set in early November.

Consequently, according to SM, they “virtually rejected being TVXQ members,” and Asian Tour: Mirotic, which had been arranged with a Chinese company in June, was scrapped. The group has not performed in Korea at all since the dispute surfaced last summer.

Odds & Ends: Brown, Womack, Elton / Billy

2009-11-19T18:01:00Z

Lee Ann Womack joins Strait / McEntire, Chris Brown updates the judge and another Elton / Billy postponement. Read all about it after the jump.

Saying she still has to figure out what to wear, Lee Ann Womack has been added to the 2010 George Strait / Reba McEntire tour.

“I can’t imagine a better tour to be on than George Strait and Reba McEntire – and now I’m not imagining!” Womack said, adding, “I’m trying to figure out what to wear. … cause you can’t out-starch George and you sure can’t out-spangle Reba.”

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Womack still has some time to figure out her wardrobe issues. First date on the tour is Jan. 22 in Baltimore at the 1st Mariner Arena.

Brown To Provide Probation Update

Admitted girlfriend beater Chris Brown is scheduled to appear in a Los Angeles courtroom today and update the judge on how he has been coping with his probation sentence.

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For those of you that have spent most of this year in solitary confinement at GitMo, Brown beat up then-girlfriend Rihanna in February. After pleading guilty in August, he was sentenced to five years probation, six months of community labor and ordered to attend domestic violence counseling.

Brown and his attorney are scheduled to appear at a 2 p.m. hearing today. Which should give the singer plenty of time to make his concert scheduled for tonight at San Francisco’s Fillmore.

Is There A Really Good Doctor In The House?

First it was Elton John ailing from a one-two punch consisting of flu and an E. coli infection that caused him to postpone a few U.K. dates as well as the first few Face2Face tour stops with Billy Joel in North America.

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Now it appears Joel is under the weather. Earlier this week the tour’s San Jose stop was postponed, citing Joel’s ill health, and now Friday night’s Salt Lake City gig has also been moved.

The new date for Salt Lake City is Feb. 19. Next scheduled stop on the tour is this Sunday at Denver’s Pepsi Center. Health permitting, of course.

Sites With Beatles For Sale Ordered To Stop

2009-11-19T17:01:00Z

Remember the two Web sites that were selling Beatles tracks online for incredibly low prices? A judge has ordered the sites to get out of the Fab Four biz.

U.S. District Judge John F. Walter issued a preliminary injunction on behalf of EMI yesterday prohibiting owner Hank Risan from selling Beatles tracks on Bluebeat.com and Basebeat.com.

Walter had originally scheduled a hearing for Friday but decided to issue the injunction yesterday based on pleadings by EMI’s attorneys and Risan.

The sites began selling Beatles tracks during the last week of October. Because EMI nor Apple Corps have ever authorized downloads sales for any online service, the catalog’s sudden appearance on two obscure Web site certainly raised more than a few eyebrows.

It wasn’t just the music that grabbed people’s attention, but the prices. Risan was selling individual tracks for 25 cents and full albums, including the recently re-mastered releases, for $3 to $4.

Risan’s explanation was that he owned the copyrights, saying he had altered the original tracks using a process called psychoacoustic simulation to enhance the songs and simulate how the songs might sound performed live.

Of course, EMI wasn’t too keen on the whole psychoacoustic concept, calling it “technobabble and doublespeak.”