Two Gods, One Stage

After pairing with Jeff Beck for 2 Madison Square Garden shows in February of next year, Eric Clapton will be joined by Roger Daltrey for a limited set of dates beginning Feb 25 in Pittsburgh.

This could be the hottest show of the Winter.

The dates are:

Thu 02/25/10 Pittsburgh, PA Mellon Arena

Sat 02/27/10 Nashville, TN Sommet Center

Sun 02/28/10 Birmingham, AL BJCC Arena

Tue 03/02/10 Tulsa, OK BOK Center

Wed 03/03/10 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center

Fri 03/05/10 Memphis, TN FedExForum

Sat 03/06/10 New Orleans, LA New Orleans Arena

Mon 03/08/10 Raleigh, NC RBC Center

Tue 03/09/10 Duluth, GA The Arena At Gwinnett Center

Thu 03/11/10 Sunrise, FL BankAtlantic Center

Sat 03/13/10 Orlando, FL Amway Arena

BackstagePassDirect can confirm that a limited number of passes will be available for the show. Don't delay, put in your requests early.

Mariah Carey 2010 Tour

Mariah Carey returns to the road next year, mapping an eight-week North American tour in support of her latest studio album, "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel"

The singer's "Angels Advocate" tour kicks off New Year's Eve in New York's Madison Square Garden.

Her album's first single, "Obsessed," was released in June, well before "Angel" hit stores. The song was written and produced by Carey, The-Dream and Tricky Stewart, who also worked on the majority of tracks on the new album. Two additional singles, "I Want to Know What Love Is" (a cover of the 1984 Foreigner chart-topper) and last month's "H.A.T.E.U.," have followed since the album's release.

Here are the dates:

December 2009
31 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden

January 2010
2 - Atlantic City, NJ - Borgata Event Center
15, 16 - Mashantucket, CT - MGM Grand Theatre @ Foxwoods
19 - Atlanta, GA - Fox Theatre
21 - Hollywood, FL - Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
25 - Detroit, MI - Fox Theatre
27 - Washington, DC - Dar Constitution Hall
30 - Boston, MA - Wang Theatre

February 2010
1 - Philadelphia, PA - Tower Theatre
10 - Columbus, OH - Schottenstein Center
13 - Chicago, IL - Chicago Theatre
16 - Minneapolis, MN - Northrop Auditorium
18 - Dallas, TX - Nokia Theatre
20 - Phoenix, AZ - Dodge Theatre
23 - Universal City, CA - Gibson Theatre
26 - Oakland, CA - Oracle Arena
27 - Las Vegas, NV - The Pearl Concert Theater

Wanna see the show from the back and meet Mariah? Join BackstagePassDirect now.

Member Review: Steely Dan

Member Blackheart writes:

That was Aja, what do you want to do now?” joked Steely Dan singer-keyboardist Donald Fagen.

Fagen and guitarist Walter Becker had just performed the ‘70s New York jazz-rock duo’s most commercially successful album, 1977’s Aja, in its entirety with the help of a big-and-crisp-sounding 11-piece band, and was feeling particularly jovial.

“Sit back, relax, and we’ll take care of the rest,” added Fagen.

The audience did just that and got one dynamic night of music given Fagen and Becker’s notoriously high standard of musicianship, Aja hits like Deacon Blues, Home At Last, Peg, I Got The News, and Josie, and tons of stuff from their impressive back catalogue.

It helped that their 11-piece band, including a four-man horn section and three female background singers, provided a vibrant backdrop for the duo, who have always been great musicians, if not consistently exciting live performers.

Fagen, in sunglasses, energetically rocked back and forth while on his piano stool a la Ray Charles (even though that was Duke Ellington painted on the front of his keyboards), and even got up and roamed the stage withmelodica in hand.

While seated, he often raised one arm in the air to emphasize a note or when a song was coming to its conclusion, he’d get up and stand in front of drummer KeithCarlock with both arms raised over his head and his point his fingers wildly.

His passion was evident.

“What a night!” Fagen exclaimed to me when when he returned backstage after the encore.

All night long, Becker, who gave up lead guitar billing to Jon Herington, also the musical director, was content to maintain a pretty static position during his solo turns and took over on lead vocals for, thankfully, only one song during Daddy Don’t Live In That New York City No More.

Fans, meanwhile, stayed seated for the most part, although some of the more enthusiastic ones attempted to stand up and dance briefly, even that one woman who danced backwards up the aisle while being herded by an usher.

By the end though, practically everyone was standing up and cheering for the encore barnburner, Reelin’ In The Years, with Herington doing justice to the classic song’s signature guitar solo.

SET LIST

Black Cow

Aja

Deacon Blues

Peg

Home at Last

I Got the News

Josie

Bodhisattva

Hey Nineteen

Daddy Don’t Live In That New York City No More

Godwhacker

Babylon Sisters

Green Earrings

Black Friday

Dirty Work

Love Bug (Supremes cover)

Don’t Take Me Alive

My Old School

Kid Charlemagne

ENCORE

Reelin’ In The Years

BackstagePassDirect members see all the best shows and meet the legends and the soon-to-be-legends. You can too. A full year's membership is only $49. Why not give it to yourself for Christmas?

The E.N.D. of the World in 2010

Those hoping for a quiet winter will need to move to another planet next year. The Black Eyed Peas – will.i.am., apl.de.ap, Taboo and Fergie have announced “The E.N.D. World Tour 2010.”

Promising an “Ultimate Black Eyed Peas party experience” with a hot dance club complete with guest DJs, the tour gets underway in Atlanta at Philips Arena Feb. 4 and runs through early April.

The Black Eyed Peas, have redefined outside-the-box like no other group in contemporary music and culture. You can expect a roller coaster ride that will redefine the live entertainment experience as only the Peas can.

Here's the lineup of dates and venues:

Thu 02/04/10 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena

Sat 02/06/10 Miami, FL AmericanAirlines Arena

Tue 02/09/10 Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville Veterans Mem. Arena

Wed 02/10/10 Tampa, FL St. Pete Times Forum

Fri 02/12/10 Nashville, TN Sommet Center

Sat 02/13/10 Birmingham, AL BJCC Arena

Tue 02/16/10 Columbus, OH Schottenstein Center

Wed 02/17/10 Lexington, KY Rupp Arena

Fri 02/19/10 Raleigh, NC RBC Center

Sat 02/20/10 Charlotte, NC Time Warner Cable Arena

Tue 02/23/10 Washington, DC Verizon Center

Wed 02/24/10 New York, NY Madison Square Garden Arena

Fri 02/26/10 Boston, MA TD Garden

Mon 03/01/10 Uniondale, NY Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Wed 03/03/10 Philadelphia, PA The Wachovia Center

Thu 03/04/10 Pittsburgh, PA Mellon Arena

Tue 03/09/10 Auburn Hills, MI The Palace Of Auburn Hills

Thu 03/11/10 Milwaukee, WI Bradley Center

Sat 03/13/10 Chicago, IL United Center

Fri 03/19/10 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center

Sat 03/20/10 Tulsa, OK BOK Center

Mon 03/22/10 Saint Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center

Wed 03/24/10 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center

Thu 03/25/10 Des Moines, IA Wells Fargo Arena

Sat 03/27/10 Denver, CO Pepsi Center

Mon 03/29/10 Los Angeles, CA Staples Center

Wed 03/31/10 Glendale, AZ Jobing.com Arena

Fri 04/02/10 San Jose, CA HP Pavilion At San Jose

Wed 04/07/10 Sacramento, CA ARCO Arena

Will BackstagePassDirect have passes? You bet. Want yours? Request early.

Not yet a member? Join today.

Member Review: Lady Gaga

BPD member Catbrain just sent this to us:

Shit, where do I begin?

It's hard to believe it was just a short six months ago, that the 23-year-old New Yorker was playing a club show at Kool Haus. At the time, she didn't even have a band and the biggest prop on stage was a scooter.

Since then, she's released a follow-up to her 2008 blockbuster debut, The Fame, which has spawned such hits as Just Dance, Love Game, Poker Face, and Paparazzi, with The Fame Monster which features eight new songs including the breakout single, Bad Romance.

Opening with Dance in the Dark, Lady Gaga launched into a raucous and racy set that featured almost as many costume changes as songs.

At first blush, it might seem the real driving force behind Gaga's meteoric rise to fame is her hand-picked cadre of costume and set designers -- dubbed Haus of Gaga -- who seemingly know no bounds when it comes to pushing the envelope of haute couture and the theatre of the absurd.

But what really sets Gaga apart from the middling masses of lip-synching Britney clones and Idol wannabes is her pure, unadulterated musical talent.

The Lady can sing.

After an understated opening, the stage vacated of dancers following the hit single Just Dance to facilitate the first of many wardrobe changes, and the show really heated up.

Wearing a glittering ribbed blouse and matching headpiece, Gaga stormed back on stage with Love Game, featuring the cheeky lyric "I wanna ride your disco stick."

Lady Gaga oozed sexuality, channelling her obvious hero Madonna as dancers grooved and groped alongside the bleached blonde diva.

"I'm about to be very wicked," she promised.

Then, lying prone at centre stage, her legs splayed in the air, she cooed, "I'm kinda like Tinkerbell."

Toying with the crowd, she added "Don't you all look amazing? Has anybody passed out yet? Don't pass out. It distracts me. It makes me nervous. Are you drunk? Are you with your mom?"

Of course, lots of costume changes in the form of a black feathered jacket for the new song Monster, with dance moves reminscent of Michael Jackson, and, and a gold Cleopatra-like crown and matching body suit for Fashion and The Fame.

She also wore bondage-inspired black leather gear for Boys Boys Boys and donned multiple blond braid extensions, a la Rapunzel, for Paparazzi.

When I commented to her backstage about all the costumes, she just laughed and gave me "Gaga is just trying to change the world, one sequin at a time."

Great show and what a treat to be backstage.

SET LIST

Dance In The Dark

Just Dance

Love Game

Alejandro

Monster

So Happy I Could Die

Teeth

Speechless

Poker Face (on piano)

Fashion

The Fame

Money Honey

Beautiful Dirty Rich

Boys Boys Boys

Paper Gangsta

Poker Face (with band)

Paparazzi

Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)

Bad Romance

Great shows are coming in 2010. Don't miss out on meeting your faves. Join BPD now.

Are You Jones'in?

Norah Jones is getting her new groove together and taking it on the road, beginning March 5 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Jones’ latest album – The Fall – with its guitar riffs and darker sound represents a change in direction for the lady whose Grammy winning debut album – Come Away With Me – captivated music fans with her jazz-flavored songs.

"I did some demos of (songs) and they came out really well, but some of them sort of begged to go in a different direction,” Jones said during an October interview.

“I realized, I think, what I want to do is work with some different sounds,” Jones added. “I figured that the best way to do that was to try and step outside of my comfort zone a little bit, and work with some different musicians and a different producer. It just felt like a good time to do that.”

So here she comes:

5-Mar-10 Brady Theater Tulsa, OK


6-Mar-10 Midland Kansas City, MO


7-Mar-10 Orpheum Omaha, NE


9-Mar-10 Civic Center Des Moines, IA


11-Mar-10 EJ Thomas Performance Arts Hall Akron, OH


12-Mar-10 Whitney Hall Lousiville, KY


13-Mar-10 Murat Indianapolis, IN


15-Mar-10 Overture Hall Madison, WI


17-Mar-09 O'Shaughnessy St. Paul, MN


19-Mar-10 Riverside Theater Milwaukee, WI


20-Mar-10 Chicago Theatre Chicago, IL


25-Mar-10 Wang Center Boston, MA


26-Mar-10 MGM Foxwoods Mashantucket, CT


27-Mar-10 WaMu Theater at MSG New York, NY


30-Mar-10 Lyric Opera House Baltimore, MD


1-Apr-10 The Paramount Theater Charlottesville, VA


2-Apr-10 Warner Theater Washington, DC


3-Apr-10 Tower Theatre Philadelphia, PA


18-Apr-10 Paramount Theatre Seattle, WA


19-Apr-10 Arlene Schnitzer Hall Portland, OR


21-Apr-10 The Fillmore San Francisco, CA


23-Apr-10 Orpheum Los Angeles, CA


24-Apr-10 Spreckels Theater San Diego, CA


25-Apr-10 Dodge Theater Phoenix, AZ


28-Apr-10 Kiva Auditorium Albuquerque, NM


29-Apr-10 Plaza Theatre El Paso, TX


1-May-10 Stubbs Bar-B-Q Austin, TX


4-May-10 Majestic Theatre Dallas, TX


5-May-10 Verizon Wireless Theatre Houston, TX


6-May-10 Saenger Theatre Mobile, AL


8-May-10 Orpheum Theatre Memphis, TN


9-May-10 The Alabama Theatre Birmingham, AL


11-May-10 Thomas Wolfe Auditorium Asheville, NC


12-May-10 Ovens Auditorium Charlotte, NC


14-May-10 Ryman Auditorium Nashville, TN


15-May-10 Cobb Energy PAC Atlanta, GA

Make your requests early.

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Member Review: John Mayer

BPD member Bibzzy check in:

To coincide with announcing a national tour set for February, John Mayer entertained a sold-out crowd with a polished, slick 100-minute set.

And while that tightness was quite surprising considering he’s only done a few shows supporting his top-charting new album Battle Studies, Mayer and his band sounded like they were ready to record a live DVD on Tuesday night.

Perhaps that may explain the boom camera filming everything and hovering over the fans throughout, from the opening power pop of Heartbreak Warfare to Friends, Lovers Or Nothing which came about 100 minutes later.

Regardless, the 32-year-old guitarist dipped his fingers into several genre pies with relative easy, occasionally sacrificing a lengthy solo but showing his chops on the lengthy, soulful Gravity from his Continuum album.

In fact, it was this more soulful, blues-tinged material which composed most of the set, with only a smattering of older material including the folksy nugget Why Georgia and the radio-friendly Bigger Than My Body making the cut.

Sporting a black t-shirt and thanking the crowd for making him feel brand new, Mayer hit his stride early on with Vultures, a slightly sultry groove setting the tone for the give-and-take with the predominantly female audience.

“I love you too,” he replied to a fan after the song, quickly leading into I Don’t Trust Myself (With Loving You) with a guitar solo resembling Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour to some extent.

Mayer’s tongue has occasionally competed with his playing for sharpness, leading him to tell one reporter recently he would sodomize their editor after a series of inane questions. The only verbal gem on this night might have been referring to his various series of girlfriends. “When your last name becomes a verb, you know you’ve shamed yourself,” he told me.

One moment where he certainly shamed nobody was his cover of Crossroads, grooving it up a bit more than Eric Clapton’s rendition yet still packing a punch. Here Mayer also seemed much looser, sounding like he came from the Chitlin’ Circuit as the boogie blues riffs garnered a surprisingly strong response.

That should’ve been the only cover he attempted though, as later in the encore he paid tribute to Tom Petty with Free Fallin’, a rather bland version on this night which was indeed heartbreaking to say the least. That Petty vibe fared much better with the simple melodic pop which oozed out of Half Of My Heart.

Other highlights included Waiting On The World To Change as Mayer asked if Toronto had groove or not. Several minutes later, after fleshing out the coda with drummer Steve Jordan and keyboardist Charlie Wilson, the answer was evident.

A few more songs couldn’t have hurt but Mayer probably kept a few surprises knowing full well he’d be back.

Thanks Bibzzy; here are John's Feb-March dates for next year:

Thu 02/04/10 Sunrise, FL BankAtlantic Center

Fri 02/05/10 Tampa, FL St. Pete Times Forum

Sat 02/06/10 Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville Veterans Mem. Arena

Mon 02/08/10 North Charleston, SC North Charleston Coliseum

Tue 02/09/10 Birmingham, AL BJCC Arena

Wed 02/10/10 Nashville, TN Sommet Center

Fri 02/12/10 Auburn Hills, MI The Palace Of Auburn Hills

Fri 02/19/10 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena

Sat 02/20/10 Washington, DC Verizon Center

Sun 02/21/10 Philadelphia, PA The Wachovia Center

Wed 02/24/10 Boston, MA TD Garden

Thu 02/25/10 New York, NY Madison Square Garden Arena

Fri 02/26/10 New York, NY Madison Square Garden Arena

Sun 02/28/10 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena

Mon 03/01/10 Milwaukee, WI Bradley Center

Tue 03/02/10 Saint Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center

Thu 03/04/10 Omaha, NE Qwest Center Omaha

Fri 03/05/10 Oklahoma City, OK Ford Center

Sat 03/06/10 Houston, TX Toyota Center

Mon 03/08/10 Austin, TX Frank Erwin Center

Tue 03/09/10 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center

Wed 03/10/10 New Orleans, LA New Orleans Arena

Fri 03/12/10 Columbus, OH Nationwide Arena

Sat 03/13/10 Louisville, KY Freedom Hall @ The Kentucky Expo Center

Mon 03/15/10 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum Complex

Tue 03/16/10 Charlottesville, VA John Paul Jones Arena

Wed 03/17/10 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena

Fri 03/19/10 Memphis, TN FedExForum

Sat 03/20/10 St. Louis, MO Scottrade Center

Mon 03/22/10 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center

Tue 03/23/10 Denver, CO Pepsi Center

Thu 03/25/10 Los Angeles, CA Staples Center

Fri 03/26/10 San Jose, CA HP Pavilion At San Jose

Tue 03/30/10 Portland, OR Rose Garden Arena

Wed 03/31/10 Seattle, WA KeyArena At Seattle Center

Member Review: Stone Temple Pilots

BPD member PeanutBuTR wrote:

The recently reunited Stone Temple Pilots were fronted by the twisting the night away enigma Scott Weiland, who was fronted occasionally by his bullhorn.

It took a song or two before the STP flow took over.

It was still flowing about 10 p.m., when the encore, after an abrupt end to the main set, reached Trippin' on a Hole in a Paper Heart.

Weiland and his bandmates rocked their way to a finale of big, happy bows.

When STP took off, as it did on late-set blasts such as Interstate Love Song and Down, last night felt like a hot rock show.

"We are STP," Weiland said to cheers after mumbled greetings from guitarist Dean DeLeo about it being "mighty fine" to be here.

Weiland was looking sharp in a tight jacket and pants, charcoal to set off the grey tie. It made for a Mad Men meet the Jam touch, and fit right in with the twitch dancing he used all night.

Weiland, DeLeo and his brother, Robert DeLeo, and drummer Eric Kretz finally started to run STP hot and smooth on Big Empty.

There had already been some classic twisting the night away on the monitors from Weiland and a back-to-back pose with DeLeo as STP blazed away. Late in the show, the two bumped affectionately. Can anyone figure out if DeLeo was lost at the edge of the stage at the main set finale? He certainly looked shocked in a happy way as things ended behind him.

Weiland lost the jacket before the hour mark, looking even cooler in a white shirt. He kept spinning and twisting and sharing a few words as STP roared on down the empty highways -- of the soul? the future? -- that haunted the big screen every now and then.

Me and my 4 buds who got passes had a raucous time backstage both when the band was on and off. NJoid by all.

Request your own passes today. Join now.

Member Review: Daughtry

BPD member 21212 had this to say:

There’s really only one reason to see Daughtry in concert and that’s the man himself, Chris Daughtry.

His big, booming rock voice - and some say cute, shiny bald head along with southern charm - propelled him to some of the greatest success an American Idol contestant has ever enjoyed. And he didn’t even win the damn thing in 2006, getting kicked out when it got down to four semis.

Still, Daughtry’s 2007 self-titled album became the best-selling album of that year, spawned six singles including It’s Not Over, Home, and What I Want (this one featuring Slash on lead guitar) and won countless awards.

The sad part is that a band - in this case rounded out by lead guitarist Josh Steely, bassist Josh “JP” Paul, drummer Joey Barnes and rhythm guitarist Brian Craddock - needs to be more than just a great voice. The group’s sound is undeniably meat-and-potatoes rock, which has been compared to that of Nickelback, whose frontman Chad Kroeger collaborated on Daughtry’s second album, 2009’s Leave This Town. Live, the band is pretty much just that: meat and potatoes rock ‘n’ roll.

They even took a page out of the Nickelback handbook and blew up stuff on stage, like right before What I Want, or the trailing fireworks that punctuated Home during the encore. But effects can only go so far over the course of an hour-and-45 minute show if the material or showmanship isn’t there. “Are you going to sing?” said Daughtry, before launching into No Surprise from Leave This Town. There was a handy catwalk at the front that Daughtry tentatively ventured out on a few times before finally setting up shop with his acoustic guitar for a standout three song set: the twangy Tennessee Line, followed by a decent cover of Phil Collins’ In The Air Tonight, bolstered by the drumming of Barnes at the appropriate time, and then the group’s own Call Your Name.

The 29-year-old North Carolina native definitely as a future as a singer and I’m not convinced he couldn’t one day move into southern rock or even country if he wanted. I’m just not convinced Daughtry, the band, has that much future if they don’t step up their game as songwriters and live performers. And their set closed with the exhuberant Feels Like Tonight and You Don’t Belong, which was followed by the muscular encore of Home and There And Back Again, but by then it almost felt like too little, too late.

I was bummed.............so much so that I didn't hang around to go out with them after the show, as we had agreed before they took the stage. I'm sure they don't give a shit.

Me too.

Seeing the show from the back was great, but I'd be lying if I didn't speak my truth. BPD, forgive me, OK?

No holds barred! No problem.

Sometimes our faves disappoint.

Many great shows coming up in 2010. Join us now and make your requests early.

Get It Legal with Cheech and Chong

Here they go again. America’s favorite cannabis clowns – Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong – hit the road once more beginning in Colorado in January.

This time around the comedy team is teaming up with the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), to promote policy change through laughter.

The “Cheech and Chong: Get It Legal!” tour currently lists shows in 17 North American cities. It all starts in Boulder at the Macky Auditorium Jan. 16.

Chong spouse Shelby and DJ Joey Mojo appear on all dates.

For those of you feeling a little hazy when it comes to short-term memory, the “Cheech & Chong: Get It Legal!” tour is a follow up to the team’s successful “Light Up America” reunion tour. However, you can relive those memories when a DVD of the pair’s San Antonio show – “Cheech and Chong’s Hey Watch This” is released next April.

This time the funny guys have partnered with the Marijuana Policy Project to focus attention on “the harm caused by marijuana prohibition and the urgent need for different, more sensible marijuana laws.”

Or, as Tommy Chong said: “Want to make a change? Come to a Cheech and Chong show. It’s time to get it legal, before it’s too late.”

Sat 01/16/10 Boulder, CO Macky Auditorium Concert Hall

Fri 01/22/10 Indianapolis, IN Murat Theatre

Sat 01/23/10 Baltimore, MD Meyerhoff Symphony Hall

Thu 02/11/10 Bellingham, WA Mount Baker Theatre

Fri 02/12/10 Portland, OR Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall

Fri 03/05/10 Santa Barbara, CA Arlington Theatre

Fri 03/12/10 Tampa, FL Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center

Fri 03/26/10 Minneapolis, MN The State Theatre

Sat 03/27/10 Rockford, IL Coronado Performing Arts Center

Sat 04/03/10 Ann Arbor, MI Michigan Theater

Fri 04/09/10 Louisville, KY Louisville Palace Theatre

Sat 04/10/10 Washington, DC Warner Theatre

Fri 04/23/10 Bakersfield, CA Majestic Fox Theater

Sat 04/24/10 Phoenix, AZ Dodge Theatre

Fri 04/30/10 Fort Worth, TX Bass Performance Hall

To be honest, we were surprised by the volume of requests for passes to this duo's "Light Up America" tour this year. We have no doubt that the 2010 tour will generate similar interest, so make your requests early.

If you haven't joined us yet, you can do so here.

Member Review: Roger Daltrey

BPD member JoanRandall sent this to us:

His voice was rough, but his spirit was quite willing.

Roger Daltrey's Use It or Lose It solo tour is supposed to be about keeping his voice in shape should The Who go out on the road next year.

But even the 65-year-old singer admitted he was sounding mighty hoarse. He told me before he took the stage, "Every time we're coming through here, I get a cold. We'll get through it. I take breaks to let the pipes cool down a bit."

I asked why, at age 65, he was doing this. He said "The No. 1 reason is to get my ass off the sofa. I don't know ... singers with fat asses, ugh!"

And so he and his five-man band, which included Who guitarist Pete Townshend's young brother Simon on guitar and Frank Simes on lead guitar - valiantly soldiered on for the next hour-and-45-minutes. Daltry was having so much fun up on stage, his enthusiasm and playfulness was infectious.

Clad in a white shirt, blue jeans, blue-tinted glasses, and looking a decade and a half younger than his actual age, the singer was in a chatty, story-and-joke-telling mood between songs.

The set list was made up of Who classics, some of his solo work and covers (Taj Mahal's Freedom Ride, Levon Helm's Gimme A Stone, Bo Diddley's I'm A Man, Johnny Cash's I Got Stripes, Ring Of Fire, etc).

Daltrey eventually broke out his signature microphone twirling moves during Young Man's Blues - which featured some stellar playing from Simes - and the show standout, Baba O' Riley (even unbuttoning his shirt for this one), but otherwise maintained an acoustic folk-rootsy vibe throughout the show.

He even turned The Who classic My Generation into a blues number.

Interestingly, Daltrey chose to close the show with a never performed, Townshend-sung Who number, Blue, Red and Gray, with just him alone on stage and playing a ukele .

"Pete - he would never sing it on stage," explained the singer before mimicking Townshend's voice: "I'd look f---ing stupid standing up there with a f---ing ukelele."

"Well, here I am," concluded Daltrey to cheers from the audience. "And do I give a sh--?"

SET LIST:

Who Are You

Pictures Of Lily

Tattoo

Behind Blue Eyes

Days Of Light

The Kids Are Alright

Freedom Ride

Gimme A Stone

Going Mobile

Who's Gonna Walk On Water

Squeezebox

I Can See For Miles

My Generation

I'm A Man

Young Man Blues

Baba O'Riley

Johnny Cash Medley

Blue, Red and Grey

There are no words to express what it feels like to spend even 30 seconds with a giant like Daltrey. BPD, if I never get another pass from you, I don't care. This was IT!

Happy to hear you enjoyed IT, JoanRandall.

Is anyone still sitting on the sidelines and missing out on hanging with your faves? Sign up today.

George Strait 2010 Tour + Reba

The “King of Country” is back!

17x CMA Entertainer of the Year nominee George Strait will kick off his arena tour early next year and this time, he’s bringing along one very special lady –Reba McEntire.

The superstar acts performed together for the first time in many years for a sold-out crowd at the Cowboy’s Stadium Inaugural event in Dallas. The concert was hailed by the Dallas Morning News as “an extravaganza” that “showcased Strait at the pinnacle of his musical game” and Ft. Worth Star Telegram wrote “Reba McEntire’s performance was a breathtaking master’s class in effortless brilliance.”

With 57 number one hits, 33 multi-platinum albums and countless sold-out shows year after year, Strait who holds the record for the most CMA wins and a record 17 CMA Entertainer of the Year nominations, is known for giving fans exactly what they want and expect. This new tour will be no exception.

Strait’s recent release TWANG debuted at #1 on The Billboard 200 and the Top Country Albums chart. This is the fourth time in Strait’s career that a new release has debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart and the 13th time debuting at #1 on the Top Country Albums chart. It has become a critically acclaimed album and received rave reviews in USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, People, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Houston Chronicle, The Dallas Morning News, The Boston Globe, Billboard and many more.

One of the most successful female recording artists in history, Reba has sold over 55 million albums worldwide, earned 33 #1 singles and was recently recognized as the biggest female hit-maker in country music history by “Billboard,” “Mediabase” and “Country Aircheck.” She is the winner of 15 American Music Awards, 12 Academy of Country Music Awards, 9 People’s Choice Awards, 7 Country Music Awards and 2 GRAMMY Awards.

Reba’s new album, Keep On Loving You, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart – her first solo studio album to do so. With 11 #1 albums, Reba holds the record as the female artist with the most #1 albums in the history of the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.

2010 TOUR DATES


22-Jan Baltimore, MD 1st Mariner
23-Jan Greensboro, NC Coliseum
29-Jan Knoxville, TN Thompson Boling
30-Jan Charlottesville, VA JPJ Arena
5-Feb Phoenix, AZ US Airways
6-Feb Las Vegas, NV MGM Grand
18-Feb St Louis, MO Scottrade Center
19-Feb Wichita, KS Intrust Bank Arena
20-Feb Tulsa, OK BOK Arena
25-Feb Atlanta, GA Philips Arena
26-Feb Orlando, FL Amway Arena
4-Mar Memphis, TN FedEx Forum
5-Mar New Orleans, LA New Orleans Arena
6-Mar Little Rock, AR Verizon
26-Mar Portland, OR The Rose Garden
27-Mar Tacoma, WA Tacomadome
8-Apr Omaha, NE Qwest Center
9-Apr Kansas City, MO Sprint Center
10-Apr Des Moines, IA Wells Fargo Arena

Hot ticket? You bet. Even hotter to see the show from the back and meet these superstars.

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Obit: Norton Buffalo

It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Norton Buffalo, harmonica virtuoso, one-of-a-kind performer and consummate accompanist to the stars. Buffalo died Friday night from cancer near his home in Paradise, California. He was 58.

Mr. Buffalo, who appeared on more than 180 albums and spent 33 years as a member of the Steve Miller Band, was diagnosed with cancer in September. His life will be celebrated Jan. 23 at the Fox Theater in Oakland in a benefit concert starring the Steve Miller Band and the Doobie Brothers, with special guests Huey Lewis, George Thorogood, Charlie Musselwhite and Bonnie Raitt.

Bonnie Raitt said

"He was the antithesis of East Coast cynical. He was always in funny mode without being too gooey about it. He's been that guy all this time. In one guy, you got all the hope and optimism of the '70s."

He collaborated on tours and a series of recordings for more than 20 years with blues guitarist Roy Rogers. One of their songs, "Ain't No Bread in the Breadbox," was a cornerstone in the '90s live repertoire of the Jerry Garcia Band.

Miller said:

"He was a complete original. He worked with all kinds of people. He did tons and tons of projects. Everybody who worked with him loved him, really enjoyed working with him. He had way more music in him than I could use. I just had more work for him than everybody else."

Buffalo's own recordings include his 1977 Capitol Records release, "Lovin' in the Valley of the Moon," an album that maintains a strong cult following, and a 2000 blues-based release, "King of the Highway." He recently released a joint CD with Hawaiian slack key guitarist George Kahumoku Jr. He was a virtuosic and technically accomplished chromatic harmonica player who could play anything - blues, rock, pop, country, folk, show tunes.

Check him out here.

Member Review: Chris Isaac

BackstagePassDirect subscriber ChrisNutt just sent us this e-mail:

Whenever there was a scene on The Chris Isaak Show where the band was playing, there was almost always a group of burly men at the front going crazy for the music. Hmm, bikers digging Chris Isaak. That's a big suspension of disbelief. He always seemed more of a mellow crooner for the ladies to me. Sure, he's from San Francisco, where some burly men aren't always what they seem, but this was still a strange incongruity to an otherwise excellent television program. How wrong I was. TV is not the live stage. In the flesh and still almost a cartoon character of California cool, the 53-year-old self-described "sparkling hillbilly" delivered a full-blown rock 'n' roll show for us fans last night. Some were burly men going crazy for the music. Women, too. He riffed on Elvis, Roy Orbison and himself, veered from unrequited love songs to full-blown two-steppin' stompers, which also happened to be about getting rejected in one form or another. Only one of the songs performed last night had a happy side, was about "requited" love, and it turned out to be a little ragtime number urging women to remember a line they can use on their husbands: "What am I to you?" Guys have been known to jump out of a moving car upon hearing that, Isaak said. He's a cut-up. Between the band's immaculate readings of cosmic country tunes, Isaak staged a hilarious standup act -- often making members of his own band the butt of his jokes. Yes, the same guys from the show were there, causing a bit of pop cultural/reality dissonance when you realized these sidemen were as famous as the star: guitarist Hershel Yatovitz, bassist Rowland Salley and the formidable drummer Kenney Dale Johnson. A real actor, Jed Rees, was hired to play Isaak's keyboard player. He wasn't there, of course, but real keyboard player Scott Punkett was, introduced as "Scott Plinkiplunkett" and publically pitied by Isaak for not really fitting in with the rest of the guys in the band. Isaak said sadly, "The only affection he will ever know is from you people, in the dark." Of the guitarist, he told the audience, "Maybe you come here tonight from the farm, and you're a little bit afraid ... I want you to think of Hershel tonight as your heifer." (The joking continued backstage after the show and even I was made a [willing] target.) Then, Isaak sprinted up to the first balcony to sing a campy version of Love Me Tender. Isaak was ironic about everything -- his look, his voice, his general Elvisness, his ridiculous suit, his band members' even more ridiculous suits -- and while admitting that you're silly doesn't make you any less silly, it's amusing for onlookers. However, when it came time to start playing, Chris Isaak was dead serious. His voice has only improved with age. He has this trademark yodel, a hitch in his voice when he switches to falsetto, which is one of the best in the business. Both his range and his stamina were impressive. The musicians were the real deal, too, playing the living hell out of Isaak's short and sweet tunes. It didn't seem like a rock show at first, his mellowest fare like Wicked Game knocked off early, and a few disconcerting lulls from generic Bakersfield filler. But this didn't last. Chris was soon duck-walking across the stage, his band deftly pounding out one old-time rocker or passionate torch ballad after another. They even rocked while seated on stools. What a truly strange and excellent band this is.

"Strange and excellent"; nice combo. Glad you enjoyed the show.

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Member Review: David Gray

Member Su Z wrote:

David Gray almost made it to the end of his show without having to tell anyone off in the audience.

But then, unbelievably, the 41-year-old British singer-songwriter caught someone loudly having a chat in or near the front row.

“This is nuts,” said Gray mid-song, while continuing to strum his acoustic guitar. “I can hear you having a conversation. You can’t wait 10 minutes until the gig is over? Just an idea.”

The lights went up momentarily and the confrontation brought cheers and applause from the rest of us who had been paying proper attention.

Backstage, he asked me rhetorically, "Why do people have to behave like such pricks?" I thought it best to just shut up and shrug my shoulders.

What could have been an uncomfortable moment seemed to just get Gray more riled up as a performer - he was a pretty passionate, animated and intense presence already - as he delivered an outstanding final song with the epic-like Nemesis, punctuated by the glowing reflected lights of a huge, disco ball behind Gray and his four-man band, all of them dressed sharply in suits, while the audience clapped along.

The night began much more calmly as Gray launched the evening with the gentle-sounding First Chance, also from Draw The Line, before rocking it up with the next new song, Fugitive, followed by crowd favourite, Sail Away, from his now decade-old breakthrough album, White Ladder.


Slick lighting and loads of reverb on his vocals made for a dramatic show and some of Gray’s vocal work was staggering like the big notes he let rip during Sail Away, Ain’t No Love and This Year’s Love, while electric-acoustic guitarist Neill MacColl provided lovely harmonies during The Other Side.

Gray, who alternated between acoustic guitar and piano, was also in a downright chatty mood, like when he sat down to perform the rarity Falling Down The Mountainside.

“I’m not getting any younger,” joked Gray as he took a set alone on stage with his acoustic guitar.

A young girl in the audience yelled out: “I’m old David.”

He responded: “Congratulations. This is not a competition.”

There was also a longwinded but entertaining if slightly disturbing explanation about him writing the new song, Breathe, which involved him and some friends drinking wine and watching a Manchester United game at his house before being interrupted by two Iranian intellectuals at his front door seeking donations for their imprisoned and persecuted brethren.

Other standout songs included Be Mine, a slower-tempoed version of Gray’s huge White Ladder hit, Babylon, The One I Love, Slow Motion, and the new song Transformation.

Here's the setlist:

First Chance
Fugitive
Sail Away
Jackdaw
You’re the World to Me
Be Mine
Stella The Artist
The Other Side
Ain’t No Love
Falling Down The Mountainside
Breathe
Transformation
Babylon
Everytime
The One I Love
Slow Motion

Encore:

This Year’s Love
Nemesis

This was the first time I'd seem Gray perform. It should be obvious that it was also the first time I got to meet him and see a show from backstage. For those who have never had this experience, (like me before a few nights ago), make sure you get to do it. It's UNBELIEVABLE!

Nuff said. Make it happen for yourself. Join BackstagePassDirect today.

New U2 Dates Added

U2.com reports:

Hope you caught U2 360° live from the Rosebowl, Pasadena on YouTube tonight. And now we can reveal that U2 360° is coming back to North America in 2010.

The tour will touch down next summer in Anaheim; Denver; Oakland; Seattle; Edmonton; East Lansing; Miami; Philadelphia and Montreal. U2 360° will also return for one night only in Toronto and Chicago before finishing the North American leg in New York at the New Meadowlands Stadium. On U2 360° the band currently play 22 live tracks, the first time fans have heard tracks from No Line On the Horizon, one of the best selling albums globally this year.

The new US dates are:

6 June, 2010 Anaheim CA Angel Stadium
12 June, 2010 Denver CO Invesco Field
16 June, 2010 Oakland CA Oakland Coliseum
20 June, 2010 Seattle WA Qwest Field
30 June, 2010 East Lansing MI Spartan Stadium
6 July, 2010 Chicago IL Soldier Field
9 July, 2010 Miami FL Land Shark Stadium
12 July, 2010 Philadelphia PA Lincoln Financial Field
19 July, 2010 New York NY New Meadowlands Stadium

It is possible that more dates may be added.

Jump on this and request your passes ASAP. Not yet a member? Join now!

Member Review: Wilco

Member Sasquatch recently told us:

They walked on stage to The Price Is Right theme yet for most of the night it seemed as if Wilco was playing Beat The Clock.

Led by Jeff Tweedy, the group's slightly curtailed but still strong two-hour show had its desired effect.

Even Tweedy mentioned how they were up against the clock early on, stating they weren't used to an imposed curfew and later joked how the catchy, crowd-pleaser Handshake Drugs would be the band's final tune just an hour into their set.

One main difference on this current tour in support of, er, Wilco (The Album) is that the sextet isn't serving up lengthy, adventurous tunes like the 10-minute Spiders (Kidsmoke). Rather, there is a bevy of shorter, crisper tunes such as I Am Trying To Break Your Heart, Either Way and I'll Fight.

But regardless of which Wilco numbers turn your proverbial crank, what is certain is the band's effortless ability to mix folk, roots, rock, country, soul and pop into enticing and endearing ear candy.

After opening with, er, Wilco (The Song), the band truly hit paydirt with Bull Black Nova off the new album which allowed Tweedy and the terribly underrated axeman Nels Cline to go off into some spacey rock realm before reining things back in.

With seven studio albums to cull material from, Wilco fared quite well with the new tracks such as One Wing, the '60s pop feel to I'll Fight and You Never Know - a musical twin of Tom Petty's Jammin' Me - which featured opener Liam Finn joining Wilco onstage.

Following the melodic yet melancholic How To Fight Loneliness, Tweedy asked the fans to provide lead vocals for Jesus, etc. which they eagerly obliged. Singing off microphone at the lip of the stage, Tweedy said the effort was "really, really, good" before diving into Hate It Here.

Supported by the rock steady rhythm section of drummer Glenn Kotche and bassist John Stirratt, Wilco rounded out the main 16-song set with the soul-rock ditty Theologians before I'm The Man Who Loves You had Cline again joyously lost in his own little feedback world while Tweedy did a few spins.

The lengthy encore featured some more gems off Summerteeth such as Can't Stand It while 1996's Being There album wasn't forgotten with the infectious, Stones-y tune Monday and Outtamind (Outta Site).

Not a sensational show, but a solid one. What raised the bar was seeing it all from backstage. Now that's something special. I've included a few photos. Use one if you like.

Like we did.

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Get Lucky with Mark Knopfler

Here's an early heads-up for virtuoso Mark Knopfler's US tour dates next year in support of his latest effort, entitled Get Lucky.

Apr 08, 10
Moore Theatre Seattle, WA
Apr 10, 10
Keller Auditorium Portland, OR
Apr 11, 10
Hult Center for the Performing Arts Eugene, OR
Apr 13, 10
Paramount Theatre of the Arts Oakland, CA
Apr 14, 10
Wells Fargo Center For The Arts Santa Rosa, CA
Apr 15, 10
Pechanga Resort & Casino Temecula, CA
Apr 16, 10
Pantages Theatre Los Angeles, CA
Apr 18, 10
Dodge Theatre Phoenix, AZ
Apr 20, 10
Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre Denver, CO
Apr 21, 10
Midland Theatre Kansas City, MO
Apr 22, 10
Fox Theatre Saint Louis, MO
Apr 23, 10
Chicago Theatre Chicago, IL
Apr 24, 10
Riverside Theater Milwaukee, WI
Apr 25, 10
State Theater Minneapolis, MN
Apr 27, 10
Michigan Theater Ann Arbor, MI
Apr 28, 10
University of Buffalo Center For The Arts Buffalo, NY
May 01, 10
MGM Grand at Foxwoods - MGM Grand Theater Mashantucket, CT
May 02, 10
Warner Theater Washington, DC
May 04, 10
Orpheum Theatre Boston, MA
May 05, 10
Count Basie Theatre Red Bank, NJ
May 06, 10
United Palace New York, NY
May 07, 10
Tower Theater Upper Darby, PA

These may be the Dire Straits frontman's only stateside appearances next year as he has a huge Euro-tour on the books.

If you've never seen Mark, you're missing out. He is one of the great guitarists of our time. Visit BackstagePassDirect to request your passes today.

Member Review: Kylie Minogue

BPD member 2By4Z writes:

Kylie came with her glamorous, sexy costumes (courtesy of Jean-Paul Gaultier); flashy, futuristic show design; and clear, high voice. Sure, her lightweight dance-pop songs aren’t exactly groundbreaking, but I've got to admit she is a fun time.

Minogue, who has sold 60 million albums worldwide over the last two decades, has never really broken through except for a few hits like a cover of Loco-Motion and her own Can’t Get You Out Of My Head.

Still, the blonde bombshell clearly knows how to command a stage and has devoted fans who responded wildly to every shake of her shoulder, wiggle of her hips, or flick of her wrist around that gorgeous face.

“Is there something in the drinking water?” she asked towards the end of the evening as the crowd was going nuts. “What’s going on? What a magical night. I feel it.”

Minogue opened the two-hour evening spectacularly, descending from above while perched on top of a glowing red skull while singing Light Years.

Her silver, corsetted outfit, which included a cone-shaped bra, was covered up by a long, flowing shredded shawl that looked like it was made out of the American flag, and suspended planets dangled on her head like a space-age crown.

It was quite a visual as robotic-looking dancers performed below Minogue alongside a six-piece band (which was later joined by a three-man horn section) as the early momentum continued with Speakerboxx, Come Into My World and In Your Eyes.

From there, it was pretty much non-stop action in terms of constant costume changes (I lost count after six); ever-changing, slick-looking video with the emphasis on Minogue’s fetching face and form; and an increasingly scantily-clad dance corps including a scene where her male dancers pretended to wash themselves in a shower and then remove their speedos while wrapped in red towels (turned out they had a second pair of speedos on underneath).

When she’s in her campy disco diva mode, as she was during such highlights as Like A Drug, Boombox/Can’t Get You Out Of My Head, Wow, I Believe In You, a cover of Madonna’s Vogue, and Kids, she was pretty fun to watch, particularly when she performed such feats as doing the splits while her male dancers carried her on their shoulders.

Backstage, before the show, she admitted to me "Look, I'm not Amy Winehouse. I do pop. If you want pop, I'll deliver it".

That she do.

Hang out with your faves. Join so many other satisfied members. Sign-up today.

Taylor Swift Adds "Fearless" Dates

For Taylor Swift’s fans, which at last count number higher than many countries’ census figures, new tour dates represent another chance to experience Swift’s “Fearless”-ness, as well as an opportunity for newly minted followers to see their girl in action for the first time.

The new round of U.S. dates begin with March 4 in Tampa and run through June 2 in Washington, D.C. Although venues are not yet locked down, cities and dates are available, showing Taylor playing just about every U.S. metro area on the map, including Philadelphia, Dallas, Wichita, Lexington, Moline, Newark, Fresno, Houston, Uniondale and Des Moines.

As she has before, “American Idol” finalist Kelly Pickler opens for Swift in 2010.

Here's the 2010 list:

Thu 03/04/10 Tampa, FL St. Pete Times Forum

Fri 03/05/10 Orlando, FL TBA

Sun 03/07/10 Sunrise, FL BankAtlantic Center

Wed 03/10/10 Austin, TX Frank Erwin Center

Thu 03/11/10 Dallas, TX TBA

Fri 03/12/10 Corpus Christi, TX American Bank Center Arena

Thu 03/18/10 Philadelphia, PA TBA

Fri 03/19/10 Philadelphia, PA TBA

Sat 03/20/10 Charlottesville, VA John Paul Jones Arena

Fri 03/26/10 Detroit, MI TBA

Sat 03/27/10 Detroit, MI TBA

Sun 03/28/10 Cincinnati, OH TBA

Wed 03/31/10 Oklahoma City, OK TBA

Thu 04/01/10 Wichita, KS TBA

Fri 04/02/10 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center

Tue 04/06/10 Denver, CO Pepsi Center

Wed 04/07/10 Denver, CO Pepsi Center

Sat 04/10/10 Fresno, CA Save Mart Center

Sun 04/11/10 San Jose, CA HP Pavilion At San Jose

Thu 04/15/10 Los Angeles, CA TBA

Fri 04/16/10 Los Angeles, CA TBA

Thu 04/29/10 Lexington, KY Rupp Arena

Fri 04/30/10 Columbia, SC Colonial Life Arena

Sat 05/01/10 Raleigh, NC RBC Center

Thu 05/06/10 Des Moines, IA Wells Fargo Arena

Fri 05/07/10 Saint Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center

Sat 05/08/10 Moline, IL i wireless Center

Wed 05/12/10 Newark, NJ Prudential Center

Thu 05/13/10 Newark, NJ Prudential Center

Fri 05/14/10 Uniondale, NY Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Sat 05/15/10 Uniondale, NY Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Tue 05/25/10 Houston, TX TBA

Wed 05/26/10 Houston, TX TBA

Wed 06/02/10 Washington, DC TBA

Taylor's been a member fave for quite some time. So we expect request volume for these to be heavy. Remember, the earlier your request, the more likely you'll be backstage at her show.

Not a member yet; join now.

Member Review: Van Morrison's Astral Weeks

Stepson28 wrote:

With roughly three dozen studio albums under his belt, Van Morrison is finally returning to one of his masterworks.

And despite the fact it wasn't played in the same running order as the 1968 record, the Irish soul singer ensured that Astral Weeks was the focal point of his show.
With a large backing band - including a small string section - Van Morrison sat behind a black piano to start the 100-minute set with some other non-Astral Weeks efforts. Northern Muse (Solid Ground), the first of several tunes that dabbled almost simultaneously in folk, blues, country, Celtic and soul, set the tone for most of the first half highlights.

Not one for idle banter, Van Morrison, 64, left the piano for good and did a rather ordinary run through of Brown Eyed Girl as the audience eagerly helped out. But it was the ensuing number Fair Play which symbolized the magic of the man and his muse.

Often leading the very attentive group with subtle hand cues and gestures, the performer took Fair Play down a rather lengthy and lovely musical road, giving guitarist Jay Berliner (who played on Astral Weeks) and fiddler Tony Fitzgibbon time to shine as Van Morrison let the song guide him and not the other way around.

Nonetheless, the draw to this particular tour is Astral Weeks. Earlier this year Van Morrison released Astral Weeks: Live At The Hollywood Bowl as a live CD and DVD. Next year a documentary entitled To Be Born Again will be released revolving around his return to this particular masterpiece.

After a brief announcement stating Astral Weeks was commencing, the musician opened with the melodic title track, often playing off David Hayes plucking his standup bass. The song was also met with some heads bobbing and toes tapping throughout the audience.

Probably the night's highlight was the middle section where the blues-tinged Slim Slow Slider found its groove early on, bobbing and weaving as Van Morrison strummed his acoustic guitar with more verve. Singing at times a bit off microphone but with a voice that rarely needs amplification, he nailed the swaying, melodic Sweet Thing which he occasionally slowed to a crawl.

The combination of Ballerina and Madame George also soared, the former met with hoots and hollers while the latter - with the song again steering Van Morrison - concluded with a standing ovation, proving it was well worth the steep price to get in.

Closing with the warhorse Gloria, Van the Man thanked the band, took a bow and exited the building before I even got the chance to shake his hand.

Rock icons!! Whatcha gonna do? Still, the show from the back was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I've got no gripes. Props BPD.

Thanks Stepson. If we could have tied him down for ya, we would have.

More great shows coming. Don't miss out on meeting your faves. Become a member of BackstagePassDirect today.

McBride and Adkins Join Forces to Shine All Night

She's one hot mama and he's a tall drink of water. His rich baritone voice can bring the house down while her soaring, unparalleled vocals lift the roof off. He's garnered legions of fans with his anthems that inspire and champion America's heroes and she's made a name worldwide as a premier female vocalist with hits that entertain, raise awareness and deliver hope.

Martina McBride and Trace Adkins are joining forces to bring you the “Shine All Night” tour featuring complete sets by both artists beginning in November and running through April 2010.

Together, country music superstars Martina McBride and Trace Adkins have created an exceptional evening flavored with boisterous revelry, sexy romance and honest reflection. With their countless hits and fan favorites combined, fans will be dancing in the aisles to "God-Fearin' Women" and "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk," fist waving to the likes of "This One's For the Girls" and "Songs About Me," holding on tight with "I Just Call You Mine" and "All I Ask for Anymore" and remembering what matters most with "In My Daughter's Eyes" and "You're Gonna Miss This."

Add heartbreak with "Every Light in the House" and "Concrete Angel," a touch of vengeance with "Independence Day" and "Fightin' Words" and this event covers the gamut of emotional release.

The Shine All Night Tour, kicks off November 20th and covers 40 cities across the U.S. through the spring of 2010. Both McBride and Adkins will each perform full-length shows. In a few select cities, Blake Shelton and The Lost Trailers will be joining McBride ensuring that every night will be packed with great music and fun times -- both on stage and in the audience.

"I want fans to leave here knowing they got more than their money's worth," says Martina. "My goal is to have this on their list of memorable nights for years to come."

"I think this tour is going to give people a lot more bang for their buck," says Adkins.

The tour will also feature appearances by Blake Shelton and The Lost Trailers on select dates.

Here are the 2009 venues:

Fri 11/20/09 Moline, IL i wireless Center

Sat 11/21/09 Saint Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center

Sun 11/22/09 Milwaukee, WI Bradley Center

Thu 12/03/09 Colorado Springs, CO Colorado Springs World Arena

Fri 12/04/09 Wichita, KS Hartman Arena

Sat 12/05/09 Oklahoma City, OK Ford Center

Thu 12/10/09 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum Complex

Fri 12/11/09 Columbia, SC Colonial Life Arena

Sat 12/12/09 Duluth, GA The Arena At Gwinnett Center

Sun 12/13/09 Birmingham, AL BJCC Arena

Request your backstage passes right away. Sign up at BackstagePassDirect.

Member Review: Pink in the Funhouse

BPD member Stella'sNoFella just this to us:

Britney's latest tour may be a Circus, but Pink's Funhouse trek is way more inspired.is touring in support of her fifth studio album, Funhouse, and the show was fun, fun, fun and then some.

Appearing from beneath a trap door on her catwalk, and suspended in the air by a cable and sporting a long orange feathered train that matched a red and black outfit of sequins and spandex, Pink made a big carnival-like entrance and kept the momentum breathlessly going from there for the next hour-and-50-minutes.

Wearing numerous skimpy costumes and performing on an amusement park-inspired set with an eight-piece band and five dancers, there really was no stopping her infectious energy powered by that thrilling, soulful voice.

She's one big, blonde, bold, brash ball of fun and athleticism.

I can't remember the last time I saw someone skip down their catwalk over and over again.

"We are here, we are so happy, are you readying to tear it up?" she said, after performing such older standouts as Just Like A Pill and Who Knew, which both prompted major singalongs everyone out front.

One of the few mis-steps was Pink's slowed down version of The Divinyls' I Touch Myself, which featured her in a black lingerie-inspired outfit and writhing around on a red couch. It was sexy but too reminiscent of Madonna's Like A Virgin schtick of years gone by.

Otherwise, Pink kicked off the night off right with a cover of AC/DC's Highway To Hell accompanied by a video of her riding a motorcyCle, lighting a cigarette and setting her house on fire.

Unlike the limp showing by Britney Spears during her Circus trek, Pink was an athletic and enthusiastic performer as she clamoured around her stage, getting in the face of her musicians and the audience as she crawled around the catwalk or dropped to her knees.

She also knew how to make fun of herself.

"How many good dancers do we have tonight? How many terrible dancers? I want to see the worst dancing," said Pink before she launched into Leave Me Alone (I'm Lonely) and busted out a few nerdy moves of her own.

There was even a pillow fight staged by her four female dancers and one male dancer, all dressed in white underwear, on a leopard print, heart-shaped bed during another song highlight, So What.

Does this girl have male fantasies down or what?

Still, Pink got serious during a touching piano-and-violin version of Family Portrait and even strapped on acoustic guitar for I Don't Believe You, which saw four of her band members gather around her at the front of the stage.

Even more beautiful sounding was the harmony-heavy Dear Mr. President, a critical open letter to ex-U.S. president George Bush, which saw Pink hook up with her two backup singers, guitar player and drummer at the front of her catwalk or "our fake little campfire," as she called it.

Next up was an acoustic version of Trouble and an impressive cover of Led Zeppelin's Babe I'm Gonna Leave You before she made yet another costume change for the dramatic Sober featuring a two-person aerial trapeze act.

During the MTV Video Music Awards just over two weeks ago, Pink actually performed the girl part but a shoulder injury has prevented her from doing that more recently in concert although she did end the show with the ballad, Glitter In The Air, performing some more gentle aerial work and getting dunked in water.

She's still got guts, along with the glory. After the show was over, she came by to shake my hand (drenched though she was), share a cold soda and asked what I thought of the show.

What did I think? She was amazing.

SET LIST

Highway to Hell (Intro - AC/DC Cover)

Bad Influence

Just Like A Pill

Who Knew

Don't Let Me Get Me

I Touch Myself (Divinyls cover)

Please Don't Leave Me

U + Ur Hand

Leave Me Alone (I'm Lonely)

So What

Family Portrait

I Don't Believe You

Dear Mr. President

Trouble

Babe I'm Gonna Leave You (Led Zeppelin cover)

Sober

Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen cover)

Funhouse

Crazy (Gnarls Barkley cover)

Get The Party Started

ENCORE

Glitter In The Air

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Member Review: Is that Bryan Adams or Keith Urban?

Member Babydoll asks:

What if Bryan Adams had gone country? He might have been Keith Urban, whose Escape Together World Tour featured something for everyone.

Long-time fans were happy to hear hit singles such as Somebody Like You from 2002's Golden Road and Days Go By from his 2004 best seller Be Here, as well as tracks from his latest CD, Defying Gravity.

Urban's ability to blend country and pop with a rock and roll spirit has garnered him a huge crossover audience, although the lack of traditional roots in his music means he can sometimes come across as a little too slick and polished, and in the case of his ballads, pretty bland.

But live, Urban's songs sound more dynamic and electrifying, partly because he is a supercharged entertainer and one heck of a guitar player. Seeing him from backstage is such a unique experience. I'd never been in the back for a show before. It's F'n awesome!

Of all the current guitar-slinging country stars -- Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley etc. -- Urban is certainly the most gifted player of the bunch.

His fleet-fingered finesse is thrilling to watch.

Urban can be a show off, but it's tempered by an expressive grit and a bit of rock and roll raunch.

Wearing jeans and a red and white plaid western shirt, a constantly smiling Urban paraded back and forth across the stage and onto the protruding catwalk, encouraging the crowd to sing along.

Backed by a smoking-hot five-piece band, which included veteran Nashville guitarist Chris Rodriguez, Urban was laid-back and playful. There were a few corny staged moments, but the group still looked as if they were genuinely having fun.

The basic stage set up made it easier to focus on Urban and his band, and there was more of a light show coming from the flashing bulbs of cameras and Blackberry phones in the audience than on stage.

Urban doesn't have the strongest voice in country music, but it works for him. It came across crisp and clear to the delight of his devoted local fans.

His two-hour display of complimentary traits (handsome, talented, good singer, smart songwriter, decent guitarist) come together for a common cause (to make women melt) was as country as the average Bryan Adams concert, which is to say it was only country accidentally, and just as filled to the brim with romantic homilies.

Urban and his capable band opened with the upbeat Hit the Ground Running -- basically a warning that he won't take "we're through!" for an answer -- segueing gracefully into the slightly less upbeat Days Go By (a reminder that life is short) and then into the downbeat ballad Stupid Boy, an admonishment of some former cad boyfriend she's better off without.

Later came Once in a Lifetime, with its telling line, "Don't fear it now, we're going all the way," before getting into all the stuff about having kids and growing old together. This remains one of the best pick-up lines ever penned. The man is a master.

Small countrified trappings like a largely inaudible mandolin player who looked like Nikki Sixx or the fact everyone was wearing blue jeans did little to detract from the essential '80s-rock, balls-to-the-walls, Bryan Adams-ness of the evening.

All that was missing was a man singing about his first real six-string he bought at the five and dime in the summer of '69. Keith Urban was two years old in 1969, although the trusty "six string" appears in one of his best-loved songs, Who Wouldn't Wanna Be Me, not being played until his fingers bled, but with his girlfriend, "across her pretty knee."

Much has been made of Urban's prowess on the six-string, but again he is less a real "picker" like Brad Paisley than a basic rock guitarist. At one point, he copped his best Eddie Van Halen solo and sang at the same time. You don't hear that every day.

Urban was also unafraid to take the spotlight to himself in several songs, holding 14,000 fans in rapt attention with only his voice and strumming guitar -- on heartrending love ballads, mainly.

The more obvious romantic stuff got the biggest response, of course, including a late evening rendition of You Look Good in My Shirt while draped in a Canadian flag. Real crowd-pleaser, that one. Basic message of the song: Sure, we haven't worked out our problems yet, but the sex is awesome, so let's keep trying.

Taking the metaphor to music: Keith Urban still hasn't come up with a song I'm going to remember two minutes after it's over, but his showmanship is so amazing that maybe it doesn't matter.

F'n awesome indeed. Get your dose of F'n awesome. Join BackstagePassDirect today.

Fame Kills Cancelled

Kanye West and Lady Gaga's highly anticipated tour is over before it even began.

Just days after announcing dates for an ambitious joint show that was to kick off next month, the tour was cancelled without any explanation.

It was to kick off Nov. 10 in Phoenix and was scheduled to run through at least January.

Jackson Browne Goes Acoustic

Singer-songwriter Jackson Browne kicks off his Fall 2009 Solo Acoustic Tour on November 1. The tour wraps on December 7. These are Browne's first solo acoustic dates since early 2008.

The stripped-down, unscripted nature of Browne's intimate solo performances can be experienced through two live albums recorded on previous solo acoustic tours in the U.S., the U.K. and Australia: the GRAMMY®-nominated Jackson Browne - Solo Acoustic, Vol. 1 (2005) and Jackson Browne - Solo Acoustic, Vol. 2 ('08). Both albums are available on Browne's independent label, Inside Recordings.

Rolling Stone reviewer Anthony DeCurtis wrote, "Between songs, Browne speaks about his life and music with moving candor...This is Browne at his best, engaging his audience, his own experiences and the world around him, all in songs that will not lose their resonance any time soon."

These are special performances which makes them special opportunities for BPD members.

Here's the schedule:

Sun 11/01/09 Harrisburg, PA The Forum Auditorium

Tue 11/03/09 Morristown, NJ The Community Theatre At Mayo Center For The Performing Arts

Wed 11/04/09 Scranton, PA Weinberg Theatre

Fri 11/06/09 Kingston, NY Ulster Performing Arts Center

Sat 11/07/09 Greenvale, NY Tilles Center For The Perf. Arts

Mon 11/09/09 Baltimore, MD Lyric Opera House

Wed 11/11/09 Durham, NC Durham Performing Arts Center

Thu 11/12/09 Asheville, NC Thomas Wolfe Auditorium

Sat 11/14/09 Savannah, GA Johnny Mercer Theatre

Sun 11/15/09 Columbus, GA Bill Heard Theater

Tue 11/17/09 Orlando, FL Bob Carr Perf. Arts Centre

Wed 11/18/09 Sarasota, FL Van Wezel Perf. Arts Hall

Fri 11/20/09 Clearwater, FL Ruth Eckerd Hall

Sat 11/21/09 Miami Beach, FL Fillmore Miami Beach At Jackie Gleason Theater

Mon 11/30/09 Austin, TX Bass Concert Hall

Tue 12/01/09 Houston, TX Verizon Wireless Theater

Thu 12/03/09 Linden, TX Music City Texas Theatre

Fri 12/04/09 Memphis, TN Orpheum Theatre

Sun 12/06/09 Salina, KS The Stiefel Theatre For Perf. Arts

Mon 12/07/09 Des Moines, IA Civic Center of Greater Des Moines

Jackson Browne, all acoustic, all access backstage pass. What a combo! Make your pass requests now.

Still not a member? Join today.

Member Review: Kings of Leon

BPD member DaCrawDaddy wrote:

Sex, guitars, tattooed drummers, dark and moody looks, and disciplined raw power. Those are the rock and roll truths. Those are the Kings of Leon.

The Kings are singer Caleb Followill, with brothers Nathan and Jared on drums and bass and cousin Matt on lead guitar: three sons of a preacher man and their cousin.

Kings of Leon is a throwback to the 1960s and 1970s, when rock and roll was the common voice of a whole generation.

So it goes with Kings of Leon, a nostalgic rarity, a fashionably out of date, traditional Southern American blues rock and roll band which has more in common with bands from a generation and more earlier -- The Doors and The Black Crowes.

This was garage rock on a grand scale. Hell, there was no mistaking the lack of pretense, cliche or posing from this band, right down to the DIY band- logo taped onto the bass drum.

"You guys still having fun out there?" teased Caleb mid-set. Everybody was already having a lot of fun and ready for more. The teasing line was followed by a challenge to his bandmates.

"How are you doing up here on stage? You having fun?" he asked, looking around.

That meant it was time for Sex on Fire, the KOL anthem and a contender for the rock hall of fame.

With the light show burning red and the fans singing along massively, Sex on Fire burned along -- and the night was officially hot. It had been hot all night with only Caleb's three visits from me (as the designated refreshment deliverer) bringing some liquid coolant a cause for worry.

"In the last few days, we've come down with a cold or something. I know I'm not supposed to drink, but................ Would you take care of us while we're out front?" he had asked me before they took the stage. How could I say no?

Three times, though? Maybe all that sexy sweat on the frontman was a cold and maybe that held him back. Maybe. He did spit on stage at one point -- and not in a Johnny Rotten, let's spew all over the fans way. Maybe not. The only one of the band to move around much, he has finely judged prowl to go with his sweetly strong growls.

Their latest album, Only By the Night, celebrates its first birthday later this week and the hits just keep on coming.

The lead single Sex On Fire was No. 1 on the "Modern Rock" charts forever.

The second single, Use Somebody, came along with a video that long since cleared six million views on YouTube. It arrived in the encore in last night's set, long after songs like Notion and Crawl.

Kings of Leon were mostly brilliant, that is if your notion of a solid rock concert is less-is-more.

Serving refreshments? Now that's quite a gig!!

Our members sure do seem to have a good time. Want some? Join today.

"Fame Kills" is Official

Kanye West revealed in a recent TV appearance that he’ll embark on a joint tour with Lady Gaga later this year. West said, “She’s talented and so incredible that she’s not an opening act. We’re doing it together, with no opening act.” Perez Hilton says that Gaga and Yeezy will instead spend the entire show onstage performing together. One thing is certain: This show will definitely be one of the hottest backstage pass requests this year.

It’s no surprise that Kanye is a fan of Lady Gaga, who fronted Rolling Stone’s annual Hot Issue. West recently interpolated Gaga’s “Poker Face” hit into the Kid Cudi track “I Make Her Say” or “I Poke Her Face” as the kids on the streets call it. Kanye has even gone as far as saying Gaga is this generation’s Madonna. Kanye is also no stranger to recruiting the top talent on the charts to join him on tour, as his epic Glow In The Dark tour last year featured Rihanna, Chris Brown, N.E.R.D. and Lupe Fiasco.

The multiplatinum artists will unite for 34 shows in 34 cities, kicking off at the US Airways Center in Phoenix, AZ on November 10th and runs through January 24th at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.

Here's the full US schedule:

Tue 11/10/09 Phoenix, AZ US Airways Center

Wed 11/11/09 San Diego, CA San Diego Sports Arena

Fri 11/13/09 Las Vegas, NV Mandalay Bay Events Center

Sun 11/15/09 Anaheim, CA Honda Center

Mon 11/16/09 Los Angeles, CA Staples Center

Wed 11/18/09 Sacramento, CA ARCO Arena

Thu 11/19/09 San Jose, CA HP Pavilion At San Jose

Wed 12/02/09 Denver, CO Pepsi Center

Fri 12/04/09 St. Louis, MO Scottrade Center

Wed 12/09/09 Miami, FL AmericanAirlines Arena

Fri 12/11/09 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena

Sat 12/12/09 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum

Sun 12/13/09 Norfolk, VA Norfolk Scope Arena

Wed 12/16/09 Worcester, MA DCU Center

Fri 12/18/09 Philadelphia, PA The Wachovia Center

Sat 12/19/09 Baltimore, MD 1st Mariner Arena

Sun 12/20/09 Buffalo, NY HSBC Arena

Tue 12/22/09 East Rutherford, NJ Izod Center

Wed 12/23/09 Cleveland, OH Quicken Loans Arena

Sat 12/26/09 Hartford, CT XL Center

Wed 12/30/09 Washington, DC Verizon Center

Sun 01/03/10 Uniondale, NY Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Thu 01/14/10 Auburn Hills, MI The Palace Of Auburn Hills

Sat 01/16/10 Chicago, IL United Center

Thu 01/21/10 San Antonio, TX AT&T Center

Fri 01/22/10 Houston, TX Toyota Center

Sun 01/24/10 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center

Passes are awarded on a first come first served basis, so don't delay. Join now and get your requests in early.

Member Review: U2

This just arrived in this morning's e-mail from BPD member AboutFace:

The Irish rockers kicked off their two-hour set with Breathe, from their latest album, No Line on the Horizon.

They had a 150-foot-tall, mammoth spaceship-like stage and a 54-ton state-of-the-art cylindrical video screen that eventually came apart and formed a long cone around the band later in the show during The Unforgettable Fire and City of Blinding Lights.

The group played up the futuristic bent blasting David Bowie's Space Oddity before they came out on stage, and later connected with an astronaut at the international space station in a pre-taped segment during the Passengers rarity Your Blue Room.

There was also a circular catwalk around the perimenter of the band and the musicians took a moving bridge across to get closer to the audience with Bono doing a major lap during Until the End of the World. (Not like he usually does during Where the Streets Have No Name, which was still a standout song last night.)

Having launched the 360 Degree Tour on June 30 in Barcelona, the biggest rock show of the year is, by now, a well-oiled machine even if it did take about a half-hour into the set to really ignite the crowd.

After four songs from No Line on the Horizon, which hasn't produced any real significant hits, they finally offered up the first crowdpleaser of the night, Beautiful Day and finished the song off with a snippet of Costello's Alison.

Bono also played with a lit-up, oversized dangling microphone during the second encore songs, Ultra Violet (Light My Way) and With Or Without You, while wearing a lit up jacket.

Here¹s the U2 setlist:

Breathe
No Line on the Horizon
Get On Your Boots
Magnificent
Beautiful Day (with snippet of Elvis Costello's Alison)
Still Haven't Found What I¹m Looking For/Stand By Me
Elevation
Your Blue Room
Unknown Caller
Until The End Of The World
Stay (Faraway So Close)
The Unforgettable Fire
City Of Blinding Lights
Vertigo (with snippet of Elvis Costello's Pump it Up)
I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight (remix)
Sunday Bloody Sunday/Oliver's Army
MLK
Walk On
One (with Amazing Grace)
Where The Streets Have No Name

ENCORE

Ultra Violet (Light My Way)
With Or Without You
Moment of Surrender

I've seen the band a few times before. I'm sure that from the front, this wasn't their best outing. But this was my first time in the back, and from the back U2 ruled!!

"We got old songs, we got new songs, we got songs we can barely play, we got that spaceship," Bono confided to me backstage. Other great backstage stuff included Bono's "Without Edge none of us would be here. But in our defense, without us, Edge would still be in his bedroom twiddling knobs." The line of the night, however, belonged to bassist Adam Clayton: "The effortlessly stylish, citizen of the world, and sexual predator, the only man in U2 who uses face cream."

LOL

Thanks ever so much BPD.

Glad we could make it happen for ya. Join now and let us make it happen for you too (no pun intended)