Concert Ticket Stories

Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis is hosting a new two-day summer music festival in which he put together the lineup. The New American Music Union Festival, presented by clothing manufacturer American Eagle Outfitters (AE) and produced in partnership with Live Nation, is set for August 8-9 in Pittsburgh, PA’s historic Southside Works.

The event combines 15 of the country's best college bands with some of the music industry’s most innovative and popular artists, including Bob Dylan and His Band, The Raconteurs, Gnarls Barkley, The Roots, Spoon, The Black Keys, Black Mountain, The Duke Spirit, NASA and Tiny Masters of Today. More artists are to be added.

As they prepare for The Reconnected Tour, marking their first shows in the U.S. in 25 years, Yaz (Vince Clarke and Alison Moyet) have added a third New York City show, but at a different venue. The new July 19 show is at a sit-down venue, the Beacon Theatre, while their other shows, scheduled for July 16-17, will be at the general admission club Terminal 5. The two Terminal 5 shows have sold out.

Yaz fan club pre-sale for the new NYC is underway and will end on May 18 at 10 pm ET. Advance tickets will also be available via the venue pre-sale today, May 16, through Sunday. General on-sale is Monday, May 19 at noon ET.

The band 3 Doors Down has booked a full headlining summer tour with support from Staind and Hinder beginning July 9 in Maryland Heights, MO. The tour will wind down September 7 in Burgettstown, PA, but the 24 shows are plotted out with room to add more dates in the future.

With the hard-hit the economy is taking, 3 Doors Down is creating flexible, fan-friendly ticket prices that will vary in price, starting at $25 at all venues. The tour is promoting 3 Doors Down's upcoming self-titled album due out May 20.

Country singer John Michael Montgomery has voluntarily checked himself into a rehabilitation treatment center at an undisclosed location for substance abuse due to severe anxiety attacks and sleep disorder. He has canceled all concert dates and personal appearances for the next 30 days. His tour will pick up on June 14 in Auburn Hills, MI.

“I will be disappearing for a while to try and defeat the demons that have stripped me of my energy of life and good health for so many years now," Montgomery says in a May 9 post on his website. "I assure you that however long it may take, I'm gonna fight to the end and come out stronger.”

Cirque du Soleil's holiday family show, Wintuk, which made its world debut last year at WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, is returning for its second season. The stay will be a 10-week, limited run from Oct. 30 to Jan. 4. Annual return visits are planned.

The seasonal, winter-themed show, filled with acrobats and dancers, tells a winter tale of one boy’s quest to find snow and adventure in the land of Wintuk. This is Cirque's first show specifically created for a family audience. A touring version is planned for 2010.

The Vans Warped Tour 2008 has added two acts to the main stage, Matisyahu and Chiodos, the tour announced this week. Matisyahu will join the tour for the July 9 (Atlanta, GA), July 10 (Orlando, FL), July 11 (Tampa, FL) and the July 13 (Jacksonville, FL) shows, while Chiodos will perform a one-night-only show on July 18 (Detroit. MI).

"I'm really glad this opportunity came up with Matisyahu," said tour founder Kevin Lyman in a statement. "He's an artist I've always felt would be an amazing addition to the line up, so I'm excited to have him finally join us for a bit. It’s always great to have a band like Chiodos--who's been a part of the Warped family since the beginning of their careers--want to come back after all their success to spend a day with us."

Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson will reprise their successful 2 Worlds 2 Voices tour this fall with concerts in Canada and the U.S.

The unique tour, combining both superstar bands and both acts on one stage for a combined non-stop set, sold out 15 markets from mid-January to mid-February. They have now booked 24 additional shows beginning September 25 in Winnipeg, MB and ending November 22 in Baltimore, MD.

Chicago-based The Hush Sound, who play a dose of American music that filters in blues, swing, rock, and folk, will be on the road all summer trekking through Canada and the U.S. The Hush Sound will join the 2008 Honda Civic Tour with Panic At The Disco from May 13 - June 14, and then headline the Dance Across the Country Tour with The Cab from July 7-Aug. 24. More dates and bands for the latter trek, which will also include Steel Train and The Morning Light, will be announced shortly.

The Hush Sound has just released their third album, "Goodbye Blues," which follows 2006's "Like Vines." The album was recorded last fall at North Hollywood's Fairfax Recordings with producer/engineer Kevin Augunas (Cold War Kids, Jon Brion) at the helm.

This year's Oregon State Fair will be held Aug. 22 - Sept. 1 at the Fairgrounds in Salem, OR. The Fair will feature varied genres of music including country, pop, and rock artists and a line-up that features Willie Nelson, Poison, and Vanessa Hudgens.

The Oregon State Fair, a division of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, is a 144-year-old statewide tradition. Spanning 11 days every summer, the State Fair brings together the best of Oregon including agricultural exhibits, animals, food, beer and wine competitions, cultural events, and world-class entertainment. Over 26,000 exhibits will be on display during this year's Fair. Tickets go on sale June 14 and include admission to the Fair.

Slightly Stoopid, who describe their music as "a fusion of acoustic rock and blues with reggae, hip-hop, and punk," are heading out on their first-ever headlining amphitheater tour. Dubbed the Tailgate 2008 Summer Tour, it will begin Aug.1 in Las Vegas and wind down on Sept. 6 in their hometown of San Diego, CA.

The tour is in support of Slightly Stoopid's 10th album release, "Slightly Not Stoned Enough to Eat Breakfast Yet Stoopid," and is their first release on their newly formed label, Stoopid Records. Lending tour support are the band Pepper and reggae legends Sly & Robbie. More dates are expected to be announced.

OZZfest, the original and iconic hard rock festival, returns in 2008 as a one-day stadium spectacular. The event will team OZZfest founder and namesake Ozzy Osbourne (in his only U.S. concert appearance this summer) with Metallica, who are marking their OZZfest debut. Produced by Sharon Osbourne (Ozzy's wife and manager) and AEG Live, the all-day festival at Pizza Hut Park in Dallas, TX on Aug. 9 will feature three stages of non-stop talent with many OZZfest alumni and reliably twisted OZZfest side attractions.

Formed in 1996, OZZfest 2007, promoted by Live Nation, made news last year when it toured as a free event across the country. This is the first time OZZfest is playing a stadium rather than sheds, and the first time it will be a stand-alone event, somewhat akin to Lollapalooza, which will be a stationary outing in Chicago for the third straight year.

Guitarist/singer/songwriter Keller Williams has confirmed his summer tour dates which will run from May 23 through Aug. 31. His trip will include select performances with his band - Moseley, Droll, and Sipe - as well as a co-headlining tour with longtime friends and musical colleagues Yonder Mountain String Band. The two have hit the road together in summers past, on such tours as Acoustic Planet and Big Summer Classic. For this outing, the tour will run throughout the south, the Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountain regions.

Presale for Williams/YMSB dates began last month at Keller Williams official site, and at local ticket outlets.

Green Day's alter ego, Foxboro Hot Tubs, will perform eight intimate shows from May 19 in Little Rock, AR to May 28 in Long Beach, CA. Tickets will cost $20 in cash, are limited to two per person, and will not be available until the day of the show at the venue box office only. Foxboro Hot Tubs' latest album, "Stop Drop and Roll!!!," will be released on May 20.

The Tubs are comprised of Jason White, Jason Freese, Michael Pritchard, Tre Cool, and Reverend Strychnine Twitch. Green Day bassist Mike Dirnt's real name is Michael Pritchard, and drummer Tre Cool was born Frank Edwin Wright III. Strychnine Twitch is probably the alter ego of vocalist/guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong. Freese and White have both played on Green Day's recent albums, and White is also a member of Armstrong's side project, Pinhead Gunpowder.

The Cure, one of the most revered British bands of the past quarter-century, started a North American tour on May 9 in Washington, DC. The trek ends June 21 in New York City. 65daysofstatic will open on all dates.

In tandem with the tour, The Cure have unveiled plans to release four A & B side singles on the 13th day of each month beginning May 13. The releases will precede the Sept. 13 release of their new studio album, as yet untitled, which will come out on Suretone/Geffen Records. It will be the band's first new music album since their 2004 self-titled album. Why will the singles be released on the 13th of each month? The forthcoming album will be The Cure's 13th studio album.

To meet overwhelming demand for tickets to Tina Turner's 2008 North American Tour, announced just last week, new concerts have been added in Hartford, CT and Minneapolis, MN; second shows were immediately added in Kansas City, MO; Boston, MA; and Toronto, ON; and a third concert has been added in Chicago, IL. Tickets for the first Kansas City show went clean in two minutes.

Tickets go on sale Monday, May 19 for additional shows in Kansas City, MO at Sprint Center (Oct. 8); Minneapolis, MN at Target Center (Oct. 9); and Hartford, CT at XL Center (Dec. 6).

Award-winning singer/ songwriter Phil Vassar is on the road this spring and summer, touring behind his latest album, "Prayer of a Common Man," which was released on April 22. The album is Vassar's fourth studio release and his label debut on Universal Records South. "'Prayer of a Common Man' paints a picture of my life," said Vassar in a statement. "Experience changes you and affects what comes out in your writing."

The first single, "Love is a Beautiful Thing," became a Top 10 hit on country radio and the accompanying video is in heavy rotation on CMT and GAC. The album was produced by Mark Wright (Gretchen Wilson, Brooks & Dunn, and Lee Ann Womack).

Folk singer/songwriter Richie Havens has an extensive set of dates booked through February 2009 with more to be added. His next official concert is May 17 in Roseburg, OR. However, on May 14, he will perform his chestnut "Freedom" at the opening ceremonies of the prestigious 61st annual Cannes International Film Festival in Cannes, France.

This performance takes place on the heels of the successful February 2008 European release of his latest album, "Nobody Left to Clown," which is his 27th album. There has been no U.S. release yet; Derek Trucksand Harry Manx guest on the album.

Once again there is speculation out of England about a Led Zeppelin 40th anniversary reunion world tour set for £250 million ($500 million). This time, rather than coming from a promoter who may or may not have offered bucket loads of pounds, the speculation centered around David Coverdale of Whitesnake.

Coverdale said in the Mirror on May 5 that Zeppelin was "very likely" to tour and that he was expecting to be the opening act. "I'm expecting a call from Jimmy any day asking my band Whitesnake to support them on their world tour," he stated. "Am I on board? You bet. Probably worth billions! Unlike rolling out the wheelchairs with the umpteenth Rolling Stones world tour, a Led Zeppelin tour will be incredible."

The Gibson Brothers, who have just released their fourth studio album, "Iron & Diamonds," continue on a touring trek that will take them deep into fall and will include a variety of bluegrass music festivals. The tour started last month in Tennessee.

"Iron & Diamonds" showcases the brothers' trademark harmonies and songwriting style. Carefully chosen covers like Tom Petty's "Cabin Down Below" are interspersed with original songs. The Gibson Brothers band includes Mike Barber (bass), Clayton Campbell (fiddle), and Rick Hayes (mandolin).

Following sold out shows in Japan and Australia and after logging nearly 400,000 free downloads of their ninth studio album, "Reason to Believe," Pennywise has launched a U.S. tour of headlining shows and radio festivals running through June 7 in Mountainview, CA.

Later this summer, the Hermosa Beach, CA band will join the Vans Warped Tourfor a string of main stage dates at shows in the East and Midwest, July 15-Aug. 3.