Concert Dates, Concert Tour News, Artist Information

Garth Brooks Takes Up Residency at Wynn Las Vegas

Country fans all over the country are rejoicing with the announcement that Garth Brooks is coming out of retirement for a five-year residency at the Encore Theatre at Wynn Las Vegas.  Brooks, a Grammy Award-winning singer, will perform four shows per weekend, 15 times a year.  Brooks officially retired in 2001 to spend time with his wife, Trisha Yearwood and his daughters, but now he’s back on the scene, saying that this residency will still allow him to spend quality time with his family.  Apparently the Wynn threw a private jet into the deal to shuttle Brooks back and forth from his home in Oklahoma to Las Vegas.  The first weekend of shows is set for Dec. 11-13.  Check out Brooks’ website for more complete details and time frames.

You can get tickets to this and all other country music events by going to Stubhub and getting your own pair of Garth Brooks tickets.

Thievery Corporation Entering the Studio in 2010

Billboard.com announced yesterday afternoon (Oct. 15) that Thievery Corporation is pondering the follow-up to the duo’s 2008 Grammy-nominated album Radio Retaliation. One-half of Thievery Corporation, Rob Garza, told Billboard.com, “We’re going to start recording in January. This year we kind of marked for doing a lot of touring, so 2010 we have marked down as being a studio year.” Garza also reveals that he and fellow founding member Eric Hilton plan on entering the studio without any ideas of what they want to create. “That’s how our records start. We always have ideas in the back of our minds, but once you start (recording) it’s like some strange road trip; all of a sudden you wind up some place completely different. So there’s no sense in trying to choose a direction; in the end the record kind of dictates what it’s about rather than you,” explained Garza.

Radio Retaliation received a Grammy nod for Best Recording Package and Garza and Hilton told Billboard.com that they have enjoyed playing the record, which features cameos by Chuck Brown, Femi Kuti, Anoushka Shankur and Seu Jorge, among others, for audiences. Said Garza, “It’s great to go out and see that the audiences were really receptive to this record and just love a lot of the songs. We’re not a band that gets any radio airplay, and to go out and see how receptive people are and how familiar with the work they are is great.”

Get all your Thievery Corporation tickets at StubHub.

Lady GaGa Announces Dates For a New Run

Lady GaGa has recently announced dates for a solo tour run that kicks off late next month.  The journey, which is being called The Monster Ball, is set to be unveiled on November 27 at The Bell Center in Montreal, and she will subsequently spend the next eight weeks on the road, wrapping things up with a pair of shows on January 20 and 21 at the Radio City Music Hall in her hometown of New York City.  Hip Hop artist Kid Cudi will be joining the fabulous Lady G on all dates during her tour.  The singer will also be re-releasing her smash hit debut album, The Fame next month as a special edition CD called The Fame Monster.

Don’t miss the lovely Miss Lady GaGa as she embarks on this much-anticipated tour, get your own pair of Lady GaGa tickets today from Stubhub.

Black Eyed Peas Singer Returns to Native Philippines to Aid in Relief Efforts

In the aftermath of the pair of devastating storms in his native Philippines, Black Eyed Peas singer apl.de.ap delivered aid and performed a benefit concert there. Billboard.com reports that apl.de.ap, who resides in Los Angeles and whose real name is Allan Pineda Lindo, will perform in Manila tonight (Oct. 15) and previously told reporters, “I just want to tell everybody that my heart goes out to you guys and I will try my best to help out.” In late September, the northern Philippines, known for rice-growing, and the capital Manila were hit with the worst flooding in 40 years after a typhoon resulted in heavy rains that killed 712 people and effected over 7 million due to landslides and flooded towns.

The Black Eyed Peas’ apl.de.ap was adopted when he was 14-years-old and subsequently moved to the U.S. but remains active in outreach programs in his native country. In partnership with the Philippine Department of Tourism and MTV Asia, apl.de.ap recently performed a music video for the song “Take U to the Philippines” which showcased the beautiful landscape of the now-ravaged country. “I love our culture, and you know I wanna share that all over the world. I’m not ashamed of who I am, I’m very proud to be Filipino,” said apl.de.ap, who also created his own record label, Jeepney Music, in hopes of discovering music talent in his native country.

Get all your Black Eyed Peas tickets at StubHub.

Rivers Cuomo is working with Katy Perry!

In a move that probably would surprise fans of his who think he’s moved in too much of a pop direction, Rivers Cuomo is apparently going to be recording some music with Katy Perry. He revealed the news while playing a word-association game with Buzznet, according to Pitchfork. When they asked him what words come to mind when the phrase “Katy Perry” was mentioned, he immediately shot back “studio.” Well, that prompted some questions, and Cuomo let it slip that he was going into the studio with Perry for her next album. Pretty interesting news for Weezer fans.
And on the note of Weezer, Pitchfork also pointed out that the band’s Wuggie, a Weezer-themed Snuggie, is now available for pre-order on their homepage. More exciting news: “the band’s iTunes Pass launched yesterday at the iTunes Music Store. Anyone who pays $19.99 will get weekly installments of new Weezer goodies between now and November 24, starting with the band’s cover of the Clash’s ‘Should I Stay or Should I Go.’ You also get the deluxe version of Raditude (due November 3 from Geffen), as well as bonus tracks, live recordings, remixes, behind-the-scenes footage, and the video for ‘(If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To.’”
Looking for concert tickets to a Weezer experience (or a Katy Perry one)? Get tickets at StubHub.com.

Spinner’s 10 best Halloween videos

Can you believe we’re already halfway into October? Shocking, we know. But there’s some good news about how fast the month is moving: Halloween is getting closer and closer.
Spinner is getting their readers in the mood early with a compilation of the 10 best Halloween-themed (read: scary or disturbing) music videos that have ever been assembled. They include a lot of great music, as well as some truly great concepts, and quite a few of them you’ve probably never seen before. The number one video, of course, is Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” which is just as stunning today as it was back in the ‘80s. But there are some other, more experimental videos from such music video rebels as Spike Jonze and Chris Cunningham that turn the idea of the video on its head.
A few recommendations for what to check out if you can only pick a few: The Yeah Yeah Yeahs “Y Control,” which is shot like a disturbing, grainy horror film but it really playful and a lot of fun; Gnarls Barkley’s considerably more polished-looking vampire tale featuring a hard-on-his-luck Blacula; and The Horror’s “Sheena is a Parasite,” which is pretty short, shocking and brilliant.
If any of those bands are currently on tour, then look for concert tickets for them at StubHub.com.

Tegan and Sara Take the U.S. in 2010

The Canadian indie rock twin sister duo, Tegan and Sara have announced tour dates for a 2010 winter/spring U.S. tour.  This new round of stops will be Tegan and Sara’s first long U.S. tour in almost two years.  The journey for the indie crooners kicks off on Feb. 12 at the Calvin Theater in Northampton, Mass. and will wrap up on April 6 at In Venue in Salt Lake City.  Other dates on the girls’ tour schedule include the Orpheum Theatre in Boston, the Warner Theatre in Washington D.C., the Warehouse Live in Houston, the Copley Symphony Hall in San Diego and the Riverside Theatre in Milwaukee.  After their dates in the States wrap up, Tegan and Sara take off for a European tour.

Catch these globe trotters as they make the rounds in 2010.  Get your own pair of Tegan and Sara tickets today from Stubhub!

Billy Corgan, David Byrne are Jung men

Pitchfork has a shocker of a post up today regarding the recently published Red Book by infamous psychoanalyst C.G. Jung. Jung, for those who didn’t take Psych 101 in college, was a protege of Sigmund Freud who focused his energies on studying the split between the conscious and subconscious selves, with an emphasis on dreams, religion and the realm of the supernatural. There’s a deep streak of mysticism in Jung’s work that surely appeals to creative types of all schools of art, so why not harness their enthusiasm?
The Rubin Museum of Art is apparently doing just that, organizing a series of dialogues between well-known creative figures and an experienced psychoanalyst. The dialogues will feature a reading from Jung’s Red Book, followed by a spontaneous discussion. The musical figures who are participating include Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins and David Byrne of The Talking Heads, but you can also expect to hear from comedienne Sarah Silverman and director/screenwriter Charlie Kaufman. Fortunately, the Rubin Museum’s site will host podcasts of the discussions, so even if we can’t be there in person, we’ll still be able to attend.
It’s good to see Billy Corgan and David Byrne making public appearances away from their bands, but to see them on stage with instruments, check for concert tickets at StubHub.com.

Carrie Underwood Scores Another Hosting Gig

On the heels of hosting the CMA Awards in Nashville on November 11, Carrie Underwood will host her own Christmas special. Tentatively called “Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special,” the program will air on Fox, where it all started for Underwood when she won the network’s hit reality show American Idol. The Hollywood Reporter revealed that American Idol creator Simon Fuller will executive-produce the special while So You Think You Can Dance producer/judge Nigel Lythgoe and Hairspray director Adam Shankman (who frequently appears on SYTYCD) will direct. Dolly Parton, Brad Paisley (Carrie’s co-host for the CMA Awards) and fellow American Idol winner David Cook have been recruited to perform during the holiday special, while veterans from Frasier and Seinfeld have reportedly penned comedy sketches.

Carrie Underwood’s third album, Play On, is set to arrive on November 3. Play On will boast collaborations with Kara DioGuardi (the newest American Idol judge), Max Martin, Our Lady Peace frontman Raine Maida and Josh Kear (responsible for writing Underwood’s hit song “Before He Cheats”). Fellow Idol alum Jennifer Hudson will also host a show this holiday season, with “Jennifer Hudson: I’ll Be Home for Christmas” airing on ABC in December.

Get all your Carrie Underwood tickets at StubHub.

Bob Dylan releases his first Chirtsmas album song

If you’re a Dylan fan, you might have mixed feelings about the fabled folk legend doing a holiday album. Plenty of people thought about this as a sell-out of sorts, but nothing could be farther from the truth. Pitchfork has one of his songs from the record available for your listening pleasure, and it isn’t just a delightful Christmas-themed romp—it’s also what sounds like a deliriously drunken sing-along. The song is “Must Be Santa,” and Dylan sounds like he’s in good spirits—and perhaps has been drinking good spirits—as he dashes through the fast-paced track. It’s a lot of fun, and you’ll want to have a glass of warm cider in your hand while listening to it, especially when he reaches the end and starts listing the names of both reindeer and American presidents. It’ll probably take a few glasses for that to make sense.
In any case, no word on whether you’ll be able to see him perform these songs live, but if he does do a live tour for these tracks, make sure you get concert tickets early on at StubHub.com. You can bet there will be a rush for tickets.