Bishop Allen - Grrr…

Last week Bishop Allen, one of The Blot’s favorite indie rock bands, released their third full length album Grrr… I haven’t heard it yet, but I ordered the album a few days ago and can’t wait to hear what Justin Rice and Christian Rudder have been working on since 2007’s The Broken String was released. I’ve been lucky enough to see the band perform three times, and every time I see them they are better than the last. Unfortunately, I was sick the last Bishop Allen played Houston, and for some reason even though they were in Texas last week for Austin’s SXSW, they only scheduled a show beforehand in Dallas and not one afterwards in Houston.


I don’t know what the deal is, but for some reason a majority of indie artists skip over Houston completely when traveling through Texas, choosing to schedule shows primarily in Dallas and then Austin before heading out West. One of these days The Blot is going to have to plan a trip to SXSW so I can finally check out some of the amazing indie artists I’ve only read about/heard online since most of them will never come to The H. It’s really a shame that even though I lived in Austin for four years I never attended one of the world’s greatest music showcases in my own backyard.


Anyway, Bishop Allen has just launched a world tour to support Grrr… and if the band is coming to a city near you I highly suggest going. Their indie pop is really addicting, and Rice, Rudder and Co. put on a fantastic show. You can check out Bishop Allen’s scheduled tour dates below:

Bishop Allen
The 2009 Grrr… World Tour
Mar 23 - L.A. @ Troubadour
Mar 24 - S.F. @ Rickshaw Stop
Mar 26 - Salt Lake City @ Kilby Court
Mar 27 - Provo @ Velour
Mar 28 - Denver @ Hi-Dive
Mar 29 - Lawrence, KS @ Jackpot Saloon
Mar 30 - Minneapolis @ Triple Rock
Mar 31 - Chicago @ Subterranean
Apr 02 - Northhampton @ Iron Horse
Apr 03 - Cambridge @ Middle East
Apr 04 - Brooklyn @ Music Hall of W'burg
Apr 05 - New York @ Bowery Ballroom
Apr 14 - Amsterdam @ Paradiso
Apr 15 - Groningen @ Vera
Apr 16 - Ghent @ Voruit
Apr 17 - Utrecht @ Ekko
Apr 18 - Hamburg @ Knust
Apr 19 - Berlin @ Live at Dot
Apr 20 - Köln @ King Georg
Apr 21 - Münster @ Gleis 22
Apr 22 - Osnabrück @ Glanz und Gloria
Apr 23 - Leipzig @ Ut Connewitz
Apr 24 - Karlsruhe @ Substage
Apr 25 - Freiburg @ Swamp
Apr 26 - Offenbach @ Hafen
Apr 28 - Heidelberg @ Teufel
Apr 29 - Geneve @ L'Usine
Apr 30 - Düdingen @ Bad Bonn
May 01 - Konstanz @ Kulturladen
May 02 - Wien @ Wuk
May 03 - München @ Feierwerk
May 04 - Colmar @ Le Grillen
May 05 - Paris/Rouen @ TBA
May 06 - Manchester @ Cafe Saki
May 07 - London @ Bardens Boudoir
May 08 - Cardiff @ Clwb
May 09 - Reading @ Oakford
May 10 - Brixton @ The Windmill

Jason Mraz’s 2008 We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. North American Fall Tour

Jason Mraz finally announced the North American tour dates for his 2008 We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. fall tour and it’s put The Blot in quite the predicament. As you all know, The Blot is a huge fan of Mraz and I’ve been waiting a while for him to return to Houston. When his 2008 North American tour was finally posted on his official website I was excited to see he would be playing in Houston on a Saturday night. That is until I realized the show was on the same night as another concert I’ve been eagerly awaiting, the Cold War Kids.


Aly and I haven’t been to too many shows this summer and I expected to make up for that this fall as Houston’s music scene kicks into high gear with the opening of a new House of Blues and an influx of indie bands as they travel through Houston on their way to ACL in Austin. Unfortunately, the two shows on the top of my must see list of concerts got schedule for the same night. What’s a guy to do?


As of now it’s up in the air, but I could squeeze both in if I’m able to get to Austin the night before to see Mraz at Stubbs and then return home to see the Cold War Kids that Saturday night at Warehouse Live. It’s not exactly the best plan since it would mean having to drive to Austin after work on Friday in rush hour, but we’ll see. For those of you planning on seeing Jason on one of his many tour stops, the talented Lisa Hannigan will be opening for him on all of the dates up until Nashville on November 30th.

Jason Mraz - 2008 North American Tour Dates
The We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. Tour
Oct. 08 - Scranton, PA - Scranton Cultural Center
Oct. 10 - New York, NY - Radio City Music Hall
Oct. 13 - Montreal, Quebec – Metropolis
Oct. 15 - Toronto, Ontario - Massey Hall
Oct. 16 - Philadelphia, PA - Tower Theatre
Oct. 17 - Boston, MA - Orpheum Theatre
Oct. 20 - Washington, DC - DAR Constitution Hall
Oct. 23 - Grand Prairie, TX - Nokia Theatre
Oct. 24 - Austin, TX - Stubbs Outdoor
Oct. 25 - Houston, TX - Verizon Wireless Theater
Oct. 27 - Denver, CO – Fillmore
Oct. 28 - Salt Lake City, UT - E Center
Oct. 31 - San Diego, CA - SDSU Open Air Theatre
Nov. 01 - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre
Nov. 02 - Berkeley, CA - Greek Theatre
Nov. 03 - Sacramento, CA - Freeborn Hall
Nov. 05 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory
Nov. 07 - Spokane, WA - INB Opera House
Nov. 08 - Vancouver, British Columbia - Center for Arts
Nov. 09 - Seattle, WA - Paramount Theatre
Nov. 12 - Portland, OR - Schnitzer Concert Hall
Nov. 15 - Las Vegas, NV - Palms Casino Resort
Nov. 16 - Phoenix, AZ - Dodge Theatre
Nov. 19 - Minneapolis, MN – Myth
Nov. 21 - Milwaukee, WI - Eagles Ballroom
Nov. 22 - Chicago, IL - Aragon Ballroom
Nov. 23 - St. Louis, MO - Fox Theater
Nov. 25 - Cleveland, OH - Lakewood Auditorium
Nov. 26 - Richmond, VA - The National
Nov. 28 - Richmond, VA - The National (Acoustic Set)
Nov. 29 - Atlanta, GA - The Tabernacle
Nov. 30 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
Dec. 02 - Jacksonville, FL - Florida Theatre
Dec. 03 - Orlando, FL - Hard Rock Live
Dec. 04 – Tampa Bay, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall
Dec. 05 - Miami, FL - The Fillmore

Cold War Kids Set To Tour North America

Cold War Kids, one of The Blot’s favorite bands, is launching a new North American fall tour, and it thankfully includes Houston! While the CWK have played Texas a few times over the past two years, they’ve never made it as far south as the H before. I can’t complain too much as I’ve had the opportunity to see the Cold War Kids in concert three times now, at Lollapalooza the past two summers and once at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC, and they have only gotten better each and every time.


Even though the buzz around this indie quartet has definitely waned over the past year since their highpoint of being the blogosphere’s favorite new trendy band, The Blot still can’t get enough of their blues infused indie rock. If you’ve never heard their 2006 debut album Robbers & Cowards, you should definitely check out the Cold War Kids MySpace page and listen to a few of its tracks (including two of their best songs “We Used To Vacation” and "Saint John”). You should also check out the band’s tour dates below to see if Cold War Kids will be coming to your city this fall!


Cold War Kids
2008 North American Fall Tour
Aug 22 - Outside Lands Festival - San Francisco, CA TICKETS
Aug 23 - Sunset Junction Festival - Los Angeles, CA TICKETS
Aug 24 - Les Schwab Amp w/Beck - Bend, OR TICKETS
Sept 20 - Street Scene - San Diego, CA
Sept 27 - Wonder Ballroom - Portland, OR
Sept 28 - Richards On Richards - Vancouver, BC
Sept 29 - The Showbox at the Market - Seattle, WA
Oct 01 - The Neurolux - Boise, ID
Oct 02 - In The Venue - Salt Lake City, UT TICKETS
Oct 03 - Boulder Theatre - Boulder, CO
Oct 10 - Fine Line Music Cafe - Minneapolis, MN TICKETS
Oct 11 - Vic Theare - Chicago, IL
Oct 14 - Paradise Rock Club - Boston, MA TICKETS
Oct 15 - Webster Hall - New York, NY TICKETS
Oct 16 - Williamsburg Music Hall - Brooklyn, NY
Oct 17 - Theatre of Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA TICKETS
Oct 18 - Nightclub 9:30 - Washington, D.C. TICKETS
Oct 20 - Cat's Cradle - Carrabo, NC TICKETS
Oct 21 - Mercy Lounge - Nashville, TN TICKETS
Oct 23 - Lola's - Ft. Worth, TX
Oct 24 - Emo's Alt Lounge-Outside - Austin, TX TICKETS
Oct 25 - Warehouse Live - Houston, TX
Oct 26 - Voodoo Music Experience - New Orleans, LA

She & Him To Tour North America

You know its summer when every music act in the world announces a tour of the U.S. and Canada. Not to be left out are indie darlings She & Him (Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward), who announced yesterday they would be embarking on a North America Summer Tour.


After a few shows earlier in the year to promote their debut album, Volume One, Ward and Deschanel have decided to go on their first official tour as a band. She & Him’s Summer Tour 2008 only has 13 stops, so if you were hoping to catch the indie duo live you’d better start making travel arrangements now. The tour's pre-sale began on Wednesday, May 28th and the general sale for most of the tour's shows begins this Friday, May 30th, at 10 am (local time).

She & Him Summer Tour Dates
July 23rd - Toronto, ON - Opera House
July 24th - Northampton, MA - Academy of Music
July 25th - Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero
July 26th - New York, NY - Terminal 5
July 28th - Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
July 29th - Atlanta, Georgia - Variety Playhouse
July 30th - Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge
July 31st - Asheville, NC - Orange Peel
August 2nd - Newport, RI - Newport Folk Festival
August 5th - Chicago, IL - Park West
August 7th - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
August 8th - Madison, WI - Barrymore
August 10th - Baltimore, MD - V Fest

Hot Chip - 2008 Made In The Dark North America Tour

The other band that I really wanted to see this summer, which I alluded to yesterday, is the British electropop group Hot Chip. I had read so much about Hot Chip before I ever had the opportunity to see them that I wasn’t quite sure they’d be able to live up to the hype. When I did finally catch their set at Lollapalooza 2006, they blew me away. I’m really not a huge fan of electro/dance music, but I really enjoyed the way they reproduced their songs live by using guitars, pianos and drums. In a weird way it reminded me a lot of the way The Roots use instruments to make their unique brand of hip-hop.


Since Hot Chip’s based in the UK, it seems like most of their shows are either in Europe or, when they do come to the US, in New York or LA. When I heard they’d be traveling to the U.S. this fall to perform at the Austin City Limits Music Festival, I saw my chance to finally see them again. But of course, similar to The Hold Steady, Hot Chip has chosen to only play Austin and Dallas while in Texas during their 2008 North America tour. I’m crossing my fingers ACL schedules them to play on that Saturday (so I have a chance to see them), but according to the band’s official website it looks like they will be playing on the Friday of the music festival.


If you’ve never heard Hot Chip before and would like to give them a listen, then I can’t recommend highly enough their second album, 2006’s The Warning. They also recently released their third studio album, Made In The Dark, early this year to rave reviews. It’s a great album in its own right, but I’d suggest picking up The Warning for your first Hot Chip experience. If you happen to be in a city where Hot Chip will be performing this fall, make sure to buy your tickets early and send The Blot some pictures.

Hot Chip
Made In The Dark
2008 North America Tour Dates
Sept 21 - Los Angeles, CA - Wiltern
Sept 22 - Los Angeles, CA - Wiltern
Sept 23 - Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theater
Sept 25 - Dallas, TX - Palladium Ballroom
Sept 26 - Austin, TX - Austin City Limits Music Festival
Sept 28 - Chicago, IL - Metro
Sept 29 - Chicago, IL - Metro
Sept 30 - Toronto, Ontario - Koolhaus
Oct 01 - Montreal, Quebec - Metropolis
Oct 03 - New York, NY - Terminal 5
Oct 04 - New York, NY - Terminal 5
Oct 05 - Philadelphia, PA - The Trocadero
Oct 07 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live
Oct 08 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
Oct 09 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse

The Hold Steady - Stay Positive Album and Summer Tour

The Blot just can’t get enough of the Brooklyn, NY by way of Minneapolis-Saint Paul band The Hold Steady. There is just something about Craig Finn’s voice and lyrics that allows the band, at least to me, to really stand out from the rest of indie rock nation. From the first day I heard Boys and Girls in America, the band’s 2006 album, I was hooked. I’ve been waiting patiently for the band’s latest album, Stay Positive, to hit store shelves, and thankfully I don’t have much longer to wait. The Hold Steady’s fourth album will be released on July 15th on Vagrant, and the very next day the band will head out on a three months summer tour in support of the album. Stay Positive’s first single, “Sequestered In Memphis,” is available now on Itunes.


What ticks me off is that while The Hold Steady is coming to Texas, they’re skipping over Houston! People always tell me that Houston is considered out of the way for many band when they are trying to formalize their travel schedule, but if you have time to hit El Paso, Dallas and Austin on your way to Mississippi, then you gotta fit in the H. This was one of two tours I really wanted to see this summer and I’ve now come to find out neither tours are coming to Houston (even though both are playing shows in Texas). I'd almost rather they weren't coming to the Lone Star State at all. At least Pearl Jam is staying on the east coast. I’ll unveil the other band/tour tomorrow, but until then you can check out The Hold Steady's 2008 sumer tour dates below.


The Hold Steady
The 2008 Stay Positive Summer Tour
May 16 - Brighton, England - The Old Market
June 08 - San Diego, CA - FM 94/9 Miller Lite Independence Jam
June 27 - Baltimore, MD - Ram's Head Live
June 28 - Philadelphia, PA - Festival Pier
June 29 - Brooklyn, NY - McCarren Park Pool
July 06 - London, England - 02 Wireless Festival - Sandisk Stage
July 08 - Liverpool, England - Liverpool Echo Arena
July 10 - Leeds, England - The Irish Centre
July 11 - Newcastle, England - Carling Academy 2
July 12 - Kinross, Scotland - T in the Park Festival
July 17 - Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom
July 18 - Pontiac, MI - Crofoot Ballroom
July 19 - Chicago, IL - Pitchfork Music Festival
July 21 - Madison, WI - Majestic Theatre
July 22 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
July 23 - Fargo, ND - Fargo Theatre
July 26 - Seattle, WA - Capitol Hill Block Party
July 27 - Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
July 29 - San Francisco, CA – Mezzanine
July 30 - Los Angeles, CA – Avalon
Aug 02 - Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theatre
Aug 03 - El Paso, TX - Club 101
Aug 05 - Dallas, TX - Palladium Ballroom
Aug 06 - Austin, TX - La Zona Rosa
Aug 08 - Oxford, MS - Proud Larry's
Aug 09 - Athens, GA - 40 Watt
Aug 10 - Charleston, SC - The Pourhouse
Aug 12 - Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
Aug 13 - Norfolk, VA - The Norva

Coldplay Releases Viva La Vida North American Tour Dates

As we all know, when a new album’s on the horizon so too is a new tour. So with Coldplay’s upcoming release of Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends scheduled for June 17, 2008, the British band has now scheduled a follow-up North American tour to start a week later. The tour seems extremely expansive and will be hitting major cities all across the U.S. and Canada. The coolest part of the tour may be the fact that its opening night concert at Madison Square Garden will be completely free and tickets can be won directly from the band's website here.


I know Coldplay gets a bad rap from a lot of music fans but I’ve really come around to their unique sound. The Blot was definitely a hater for a while, but when I finally sat down and took a listen to their last album, X&Y, I realized the cd was actually pretty good. After that I went back and started listening to their older stuff, most of which I've also started to enjoy. Therefore, I’m actually looking forward to seeing what new direction the band has taken with their newest album Viva La Vida.


Coldplay
Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends
2008 North American Tour Dates
06/23/08: New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
All tickets being given away - win tickets
06/29/08: Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Center
On sale 05/16/08 - find tickets
07/02/08: Washington, DC - Verizon Center
On sale 05/17/08 - find tickets
07/03/08: Hartford, CT - XL Center
On sale 05/17/08 - find tickets
07/05/08: Detroit, MI - Palace of Auburn Hills
On sale 05/17/08 - find tickets
07/06/08: Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena
On sale 05/17/08 - find tickets
07/08/08: St. Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center
On sale 05/17/08 - find tickets
07/09/08: Kansas City, MO - Spring Center
On sale 05/17/08 - find tickets
07/10/08: Oklahoma City, OK - Ford Center
On sale 05/16/08 - find tickets
07/12/08: Phoenix, AZ - Jobing.com Arena
On sale 05/17/08 - find tickets
07/19/08: Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand Garden Arena
On sale 05/17/08 - find tickets
07/21/08: Sacramento, CA - ARCO Arena
On sale 06/14/08 - find tickets
07/24/08: San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion
On sale 06/14/08 - find tickets
07/27/08: Pemberton, BC - Pemberton Festival
On sale 04/01/08 - find tickets
07/29/08: Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place
On sale 06/13/08 - find tickets
07/30/08: Calgary, AB - Pengrowth Saddledome
On sale 06/14/08 - find tickets
08/01/08: Winnepeg, MB - MTS Centre
On sale 06/14/08 - find tickets
08/03/08: Omaha, NE - Qwest Center
On sale 06/14/08 - find tickets
08/04/08: Chicago, IL - United Center
On sale 06/14/08 - find tickets
10/20/08: Montreal, QC - Bell Centre
On sale 06/14/08 - find tickets
10/21/08: Ottawa, ON - Scotiabank Place
On sale 06/14/08 - find tickets
10/26/08: East Rutherford, NJ - IZOD Center
On sale 06/14/08 - find tickets
10/29/08: Toronto, ON - Air Canada Centre
On sale 06/14/08 - find tickets
10/30/08: Toronto, ON - Air Canada Centre
On sale 06/14/08 - find tickets
11/03/08: Boston, MA - TD Banknorth Garden
On sale 06/14/08 - find tickets
11/07/08: Orlando, FL - Amway Arena
On sale TBA - find tickets
11/08/08: Miami, FL - American Airlines Arena
On sale TBA - find tickets
11/11/08: Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena
On sale 06/14/08 - find tickets
11/18/08: Houston, TX - Toyota Center
On sale 06/14/08 - find tickets
11/19/08: Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
On sale 06/14/08 - find tickets
11/21/08: Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
On sale 06/14/08 - find tickets
11/22/08: Salt Lake City, UT - Energy Solutions Arena
On sale 06/14/08 - find tickets

My Morning Jacket Announces New Summer/Fall Tour

My Morning Jacket’s new album Evil Urges hits stores on June 10th, 2008. To support their latest album, MMJ has announced a new Summer/Fall U.S. Tour. The '08 Evil Urges Tour has 24 dates and hits 23 U.S. cities over the course of August, September and October of this year. Unfortunately, My Morning Jacket isn’t returning to Houston after playing here the day before their SXSW show in Austin, TX. I guess another road trip will be in order to catch the Louisville, KY band this August in either Dallas or Austin.


My Morning Jacket
The 2008 Summer/Fall U.S. Evil Urges Tour Dates
Aug. 18th - Kansas City, MO - Uptown Theater
Aug. 19th - Council Bluffs, IA - Stir Cove
Aug. 23rd - Dallas, TX - Palladium Ballroom
Aug. 24th - Austin, TX - Stubb's
Aug. 27th - Atlanta, GA - Fox Theater
Aug. 29th - Miami, FL - The Fillmore Miami Beach
Aug. 30th - Orlando, FL - House of Blues
Aug. 31st - Myrtle Beach, SC - House of Blues
Sept. 2nd - Charlottesville, VA - Charlottesville Pavilion
Sept. 3rd - Washington, DC - Constitution Hall
Sept. 5th - Philadelphia, PA - Festival Pier at Penn's Landing
Sept. 6th - Boston, MA - Bank of America Pavilion
Sept. 19th - San Francisco, CA - Greek Theatre
Sept. 21st - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre
Sept. 23rd - Phoenix, AZ - Marquee Theatre
Sept. 24th - Las Vegas, NV - The Joint
Sept. 25th - San Diego, CA - SDSU Open Air Theatre
Sept. 27th - Portland, OR - McMenamins Edgefield Amphitheater
Sept. 28th - Seattle, WA - McCaw Hall
Oct. 2nd - Minneapolis, MN - Orpheum Theatre
Oct. 3rd - Milwaukee, WI - Riverside Theater
Oct. 4th - Detroit, MI - The Fillmore
Oct. 9th - Chicago, IL - Chicago Theatre
Oct. 10th - Chicago, IL - Chicago Theatre

Pearl Jam Announces 2008 East Coast Tour

I just don’t get it, what does Pearl Jam have against the south? Last week PJ announced a new tour, which kicks off June 11th in West Palm Beach, Florida. Yes, I know Pearl Jam’s playing in Florida, South Carolina and Virginia during their upcoming tour, as well as a stop in Tennessee for Bonnaroo, but no one really considers Virginia the south anymore. I guess I have to give them credit for playing South Carolina, but as the official announcement reads they’re calling it an East Coast tour.


What’s a state gotta do to get some love from Vedder and Co.? It’s been years since Pearl Jam’s graced the Lone Star state with their presence and it doesn’t seem like they’ll be playing in Texas anytime soon. For those of you on the east coast hopefully you’ll be able to catch a show during Pearl Jam’s 11 date 2008 East Coast tour.

Pearl Jam – 2008 East Coast Tour Dates

June 11th, 2008 – West Palm, FL – Cruzan Amphitheatre
June 12th, 2008 – Tampa, FL – St. Pete Times Forum
June 12th-15th, 2008 – Manchester, TN – Bonnaroo
June 16th, 2008 – Columbia, SC – Colonial Center
June 17th, 2008 – Virginia Beach, VA – Verizon Amphitheatre
June 19th, 2008 – Camden, NJ – Susquehanna Bank Center
June 22nd, 2008 – Washington, DC – Verizon Center
June 24th, 2008 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
June 25th, 2008 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
June 27th, 2008 – Hartford, CT – Dodge Music Center
June 30th, 2008 – Mansfield, MA – Tweeter Center

Eddie Vedder’s April Fools Tour

According to Pearl Jam’s official fan club The Ten Club, “Eddie Vedder will embark on a small, west coast, solo tour beginning April 2nd in Vancouver, BC and ending April 15th in San Diego, CA.” (link)


Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, February 22nd at 10 AM PST at Ticketmaster.com. Tickets for the Santa Barbara tour stop go on sale Friday, February 29th at 10 AM PST. Anyone want to head out west with The Blot this April!?!

Eddie Vedder’s April Fools Tour Dates
April 2nd – Vancouver, BC – The Centre
April 5th – Santa Cruz, CA – Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium
April 7th – Berkeley, CA – Zellerbach Theater
April 10th – Santa Barbra, CA – Arlington Theater
April 12th – Los Angeles, CA – Wiltern Theater
April 13th – Los Angeles, CA – Wiltern Theater
April 15th – San Diego, CA – Spreckels Theater

The Heart of the City Tour

Ok, here’s one last tour announcement for the week, I swear! But come on, its HOVA…I can’t ignore his “back from retirement” tour a.k.a. The Heart of the City Tour with Mary J. Blige, can I? What I can’t figure out is why these three “major” tours all taking place in March, April and May? What happened to the good old days when the big boys all toured in the summer to cash in on high school and college kids were out of school? I guess this just goes to show that not only are concerts 24/7 now, but that most of these big tours are so expensive anyway they’re pricing out a lot of students so who cares when the tour is. It’s a very sad state of the industry if you ask me.

Tickets have already gone on sale for many of these dates at the Jay-Z Fan Community site. But beware, tickets are ranging in price from $60 – 400 per ticket!


Jay-Z and Mary J. Blige
The Heart of the City Tour Dates and Venues

March 22nd - Miami, FL - American Airlines Arena
March 26th - Baltimore, MD - 1st Mariner Arena
March 27th - Uniondale, NY - Nassau Memorial Coliseum
March 28th - East Rutherford, NJ - Izod Center
March 30th - Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Center
April 2nd - Toronto, Ontario - Air Canada Centre
April 3rd - Boston, MA - TD Banknorth Garden
April 5th - Greensboro, NC - Greensboro Coliseum
April 6th - Washington, DC - Verizon Center
April 8th - Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena
April 9th - New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Arena
April 10th - Houston, TX - Toyota Center
April 12th - Dallas, TX - Superpages.com Center
April 15th - Anaheim, CA - Honda Center
April 17th - Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl
April 19th - Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand Garden Arena
April 20th - Oakland, CA - Oracle Arena

Initial Kanye West Tour Dates Unveiled

Well, we knew it was coming and today Ticketmaster announced the initial tour dates and venues for Kanye West’s upcoming Glow In The Dark tour with Rihanna, N.E.R.D. and Lupe Fiasco. (link) Woodlands Pavilion here comes The Blot! Sorry for two tour updates in a row, but I just couldn’t pass up sharing the info on both of these huge tours. It looks like its going to be a busy April and May for concert goers across the U.S. and Canada.


April 16th - Seattle, WA - Key Arena
April 18th - Sacramento, CA - ARCO Arena
April 19th - San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion
April 20th - San Diego, CA - San Diego Sports Arena
April 21st - Los Angeles, CA - Nokia Theatre
April 24th - Tucson, AZ - McKale Memorial Center
April 25th - Las Vegas, NV - Red Rock
April 26th - Albuquerque, NM - Journal Pavilion
April 27th - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
April 29th - Oklahoma City, OK - Ford Center
April 30th - Austin, TX - Frank Irwin Center
May 1st - Dallas, TX - Superpages.com Center
May 2nd - Woodlands, TX - Woodlands Pavilion
May 4th - Atlanta, GA - The Arena at Gwinnett Center
May 5th - Tampa, FL - Ford Amphitheater
May 6th - West Palm Beach, FL - Sound Advice Amphitheater
May 8th - Charlotte, NC - Verizon Amphitheater
May 9th - Raleigh, NC - Walnut Creek Amphitheatre
May 10th - Washington, DC - Nisson Pavilion
May 11th - Virginia Beach, VA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
May 13th - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
May 15th - Boston, MA - Tweeter Center
May 16th - Hartford, CT - Meadows Music Theatre
May 17th - Philadelphia, PA - Susquehanna Bank Center
May 18th - Scranton, PA - Toyota Pavilion
May 20th - Montreal, QC - Centre Bell Centre
May 21st - Toronto, Ontario - Molson Center
May 22nd - Auburn Hills, MI - Palace of Auburn Hills
May 23rd - Chicago, IL - United Center
May 24th - Minneapolis, MN - Target Center
May 27th - Saskatoon, SK - Credit Union Centre
May 29th - Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place
May 30th - Calgary, AB - Pengrowth Saddledome

Radiohead Prepares To Hit The Road

Today Radiohead announced the dates and venues for the first leg of their In Rainbows 2008 North America Tour taking place this May. Tickets for these shows go on sale Valentine’s Day, February 14th.

NORTH AMERICA

Mon., May 5th - West Palm Beach, FL - Cruzan Amphitheatre

Tue., May 6th - Tampa, FL - Ford Amphitheatre

Thur., May 8th - Atlanta, GA - Lakewood Amphitheatre

Fri., May 9th - Charlotte, NC - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

Sun., May 11th - Bristow, VA - Nissan Pavilion at Stone Ridge

Wed., May 14th - St. Louis, MO - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

Sat., May 17th - Houston, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

Sun., May 18th - Dallas, TX - Superpages.com Center

If you don’t see your city listed have no fear, more dates and venues are promised for these cities: Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Montreal, New York, Philadelphia, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Seattle, Toronto and Vancouver. I can’t tell from today’s announcement whether some of these cities’ shows will take place on the open dates in May or if these shows will take place after Radiohead’s European Tour in June and July.