Kings of Leon to tour with Band of Horses
The 29-date tour with the two powerhouses will kick off July 25 in Orange Beach, Ala., and will wrap up Sept. 12 in Seattle, Wash.
Tickets go on sale April 29, at kingsofleon.com.
“Tommy” to tour with Daltrey, without Pete Townshend
The Who’s rock opera “Tommy” will head out on tour with singer Roger Daltrey, but without the opera’s composer Pete Townshend. Lead guitar responsibilities will be taken over by Townshend’s son, Simon.
Speaking of rock musicals…
There are a slew more rock operas headed your way, with efforts from the likes of Flaming Lips, Tom Waits, Panic! At the Disco, the Decemberists, Run DMC and the late Jeff Buckley.
For more info, head on over to http://www.spin.com/articles/sneak-peek-10-rock-musicals-watch-out.
Beastie Boys stream new album
Yeah, I know, it seems every Music News column lately has some B-Boys news, but the trio are all over the place hyping their new album, “Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 2,” which can be streamed at http://www.spin.com/articles/beastie-boys-blast-live-stream-comeback-album.
Lollapalooza turns 20
This summer marks the 20th anniversary of the Lollapalooza Festival. The three-day event held at Chicago’s Grant Park on Aug. 5-7 will feature Eminem, Foo Fighters, Coldplay, Muse, My Morning Jacket, and, yes, The Cars!
The festival’s founder, Jane’s Addiction’s Perry Farrell, said, “I wish I was 20, but unfortunately it’s my festival that’s 20.”
Sounds like a good summer road trip to me.
Smashing Pumpkins announce reissues
The first wave of reissues from the 90s rockers will begin in the fall, with their 1991 debut, “Gish,” 1993’s “Siamese Dream” and “Pisces Iscariot” arrive in stores. Each release will include bonus material, with the second wave of releases coming in 2012.
Those releases will include “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness,” the five-disc rarities set “The Aeroplane Flies High” and 1998’s “Adore.” The rest of their catalog, as well as a new release, “Oceania,” will arrive in 2013.
The Strokes return to the studio
Even though the Strokes just released “Angles” on March 22, they are already returning to the studio to work on new material. Bassist Nikolai Fraiture tweeted on April 25, “Super excited to go in to the studio today and work on some new ideas! I’ll keep you posted.”
Modest Mouse collaborates with Big Boi
The Portland group is combining efforts with rapper Big Boi, who announced through Twitter that he is currently in the studio working on new music with Modest Mouse. No further details have been revealed.
Death Cab for Cutie announces tour
DCFC will support the release of their new album, “Codes and Keys,” with a summer tour beginning in Columbus, Ohio, on July 23, and wrapping up in Morrison, Colo., on Aug. 23 at Red Rocks Amphitheater. Check out all the dates at deathcabforcutie.com.
Soul singer Phoebe Snow dies
The singer/songwriter known for her 1975 hit “Poetry Man,” died April 26 at the age of 58 from complications related to a 2010 cerebral hemorrhage.
Snow began her career as a folk guitarist, but began playing jazz and blues to show off her sultry, bluesy voice. In 1975 she appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone and appeared on “Saturday Night Live.”
Cirque du Soleil to recreate Neverland Ranch
The Mandalay Bay hotel-casino in Las Vegas will soon see Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch in the desert. Cirque du Soleil announced that the hotel will open a large entertainment complex in 2013 that will feature a Jackson-themed lounge, memorabilia museum, and a theater with a replica of Jackson’s famous theme-park-themed home.
The French troupe is also setting out on a $57 million tour titled “Michael Jackson, the Immortal World Tour,” which begins in Montreal in October.
Beyonce sued by video game company
Software developer Gate Five is suing Beyonce for allegedly backing out of a deal to create the game “Starpower: Beyonce.” The game would have been a motion-sensing dance game. Gate Five is suing for more than $100 million.
Fugazi to release concert archive
The punk legends Fugazi are in the final stages of archiving every live show they’ve ever played in their 15-year career.
They plan to start with releasing 100 shows online for fans, with thousands more to follow. Fugazi’s frontman Ian MacKaye says they plan to “put 20 more on every month or something. We’re still building the site, it’s an interesting and complicated process.”
No word yet on how much the downloads will cost.
Red Hot Chili Peppers new album due in August
The Chili Peppers’ drummer Chad Smith has said the band’s latest release is still being finalized, but will be out by the end of August.
The album is tentatively titled “Dr. Johnny Skinz’s Disproportionately Rambunctious Polar Express Machine-head.”
Yep.
Flavor Flav’s chicken restaurant has no flavor
The rapper’s fried chicken franchise in Clinton, Iowa, has closed after less than four months of operations. The Public Enemy emcee had envisioned a chain of the restaurants, but financial problems, including the bouncing of employee paychecks, has forced the restaurant to shut down.
The eatery’s manager says the payroll issue was the result of a “credit card glitch,” and declared Flav to be a “fraud.”
Flavor’s not dissuaded, however; he plans to open “Flavor Flav’s House of Flavor” in Las Vegas next month.
Jared Mees is on his way!
Yes, in case you missed it in the local music calendar, Portland’s own Jared Mees is bringing his high-octane show to Alex’s on Friday.
Trust me, you don’t want to miss this show.
And, finally, Mariah Carey has twins
A so-far-nameless boy and nameless girl were born April 30, the third wedding anniversary of her marriage to Nick Cannon.
