This Just In

Blink 182 has pulled out of its show in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., saying band members were grieving the death of their friend, celebrity disc jockey Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein.

Goldstein was found dead Friday in his New York City apartment. The cause of death has not been released pending the results of toxicology tests.

Goldstein and Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker were the sole survivors of a plane crash last year in South Carolina that killed four people. Barker was Goldstein's partner in the duo TRVSDJ-AM.

The band resumes its tour Wednesday night in Cleveland.

The show, with Weezer, Taking Back Sunday, Chester French and "some special surprises", would go on as scheduled. BPD members who hold passes may request full refunds at any time.

KISS This!

Here's what many members have been waiting for: the KISS tour dates have been announced.

The ‘Alive 35‘ tour takes the band to over 40 cities this fall, kicking off with two late September shows at the soon-to-be-closed Cobo Hall in Detroit. The fun continues and doesn’t end until December 6 in Dallas.

It’s mostly major markets for this tour, but smaller cities may be added. A secondary market tour could be in the works for the spring, although the KISS camp has yet to confirm it.

For now, here are the US dates: Sep. 25 - Detroit, MI - Cobo Arena Sep. 26 - Detroit, MI - Cobo Arena Sep. 28 - Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena Oct. 03 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena Oct. 05 - Boston, MA - TD Garden Oct. 09 - Uniondale, NY - Nassau Coliseum Oct. 10 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden Oct. 12 - Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Center Oct. 13 - Washington, DC - Verizon Center Oct. 16 - Hampton, VA - Hampton Coliseum Oct. 17 - Greenville, SC - Bi-Lo Center Oct. 19 - Pensacola, FL - Civic Center Oct. 21 - Tampa, FL - St Pete Times Forum Oct. 22 - Sunrise, FL - BankAtlantic Center Oct. 24 - Birmingham, AL - BJCC Oct. 26 - Atlanta, GA - Phillips Arena Oct. 28 - Nashville, TN - Sommet Center Oct. 29 - Little Rock, AR - Verizon Arena Nov. 06 - Chicago, IL - United Center Nov. 07 - Minneapolis, MN - Target Center Nov. 15 - Seattle, WA - Key Arena Nov. 17 - Portland, OR - Rose Garden Nov. 20 - Sacramento, CA - Arco Arena Nov. 21 - Oakland, CA - Oakland Arena Nov. 24 - Anaheim, CA - Honda Center Nov. 25 - Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center Nov. 27 - San Diego, CA - Sports Arena Nov. 28 - Las Vegas, NV Dec. 01 - Glendale, AZ - Jobing.com Arena Dec. 02 - El Paso, TX - Utep Dec. 04 - Austin, TX - Frank Erwin Center Dec. 05 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center Dec. 06 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center

Don't delay; KISS fanatics will be burning up our Request Queue. If you're not yet a member, $49 buys a full year's subscription. Join right away!.

Member's Letter

Member Party247 wrote us this kind letter:

Dear Maree:

I wanted to take one minute and write to thank you guys so much for two incredible years.

During the time of my membership, I haven't gotten passes for every show I requested. But I did get to go backstage for Aerosmith, for AC/DC, and for Alice in Chains.

These were all unbelievable experiences. To top that, you guys were f**king unbelievable. I can't tell you how much it means to know that there are real people on the other end to supply support when needed. I don't think members understand how hard you guys work for us.

I do...............muchas, muchas gracias!!

Thanks Party247. It's nice to be reminded that we're appreciated.

Memberships are $49 for a full year and allow you to make unlimited requests for passes. Check us out.

New Dates for ZZ Top

In case you've been on another planet, Aerosmith was forced to cancel its tour last week because of frontman Steven Tyler’s injuries resulting from falling off the stage during a performance at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, South Dakota.

Aside from ruining the summer for Aerosmith fans, the tour cancellation didn’t bode well for ZZ Top, which was appearing on the tour. But, the cancellation doesn’t mean the guys in ZZ Top are just hanging out combing their beards. The lil’ ol’ band from Texas has added new dates!

Said ZZ Top’s Frank Beard:

“When we found out that the tour was going to be canceled, we got together and decided that since we’re ready, willing and able, we should get out there immediately and get it on and that’s exactly what we intend to do.”

New, non-Aerosmith dates Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., at the Kewadin Casino Sept. 6-7; Washington, D.C., at the 9:30 Club Sept. 13-14; Boston at the Orpheum Theatre Sept. 15; New York City at the Beacon Theatre Sept. 18 and Reading, Penn., at the Sovereign Perf. Arts Center.

More dates are expected to be announced.

Pass requests for all dates may be made at the BackstagePassDirect website.

Member Review: Blink 182

BPD member BamBam just sent in this flash report:

After four years of acrimony, the odds of seeing punk rockers Blink-182 together again seemed at best a long shot.

But it appears that a serious reality check - a plane crash last September that killed four and left drummer Travis Barker with severe burns (and 16 operations) - made all the spats or tiffs seem like small things.

DeLonge and Hoppus told me backstage that they got caught up in all the "small, inconsequential shit" and it wasn't until disaster struck, that they woke up to how precious life is.

Before a near capacity horde of late teens and twentysomethings, Blink-182's 90-minute set was basically three guys obviously having fun from start to finish, even if guitarist/singer Tom DeLonge's precision was still something of a work in progress compared to Barker and bassist/singer Mark Hoppus.

He does have the between lyrics belch down pat, as was the case during Always halfway through the show.

Regardless, Blink-182 based their success on catchy punk rock nuggets such as The Rock Show, one of the early highlights which they sounded tight on. "Guess what, the show's not over!" DeLonge quipped before stating Obvious was "so good you guys are probably f------ pregnant" because of it.

The band also seemed quite content to steamroll through their material such as What's My Age Again? and Obvious, briefly allowing DeLonge to make some sexual jokes about Hoppus before Hoppus retorted in a Southern preacher-like style. When that didn't work, a "Shut Up Tom" sign was displayed on the six small circular video screens behind them.

Highlights were many, but the biggest was simply watching the fills and rolls the gleeful, smiling Barker executed throughout the night on the anthem-like Stay Together For The Kids, the more melodic I Miss You and especially on Stockholm Syndrome. A drum solo in the encore also had Barker showing no ill effects of the last 12 hellish months as the drum kit elevated, rotated and swung from one side of the stage to the other, at times with Barker parallel to the stage.

As for effects or eye candy, the band used lights, lights and more lights but little else. Thankfully flames or fireballs - a part of their previous tours - were nowhere to be found given the recent events.

With the crowd standing, dancing and singing throughout, Blink-182 went into a higher gear beginning with the chipper, crisp First Date and the foot-stomping Man Overboard as the mosh pit looked like an exercise in chaos.

Pretending to fall asleep prior to Going Away To College, DeLonge succeeded in not "f------ up" the song as Hoppus said he did at a recent show in Boston. A high-five between the two concluded Not Now.

From that point on it was smooth sailing as Adam's Song and All The Small Things were performed, resulting in the same frenzy and singing they both evoked when Blink-182 went on hiatus in 2005.

I never thought I'd get to see Blink-182 again, let alone hang with them backstage. Way to go, BPD!!

Thanks BamBam.

Full year memberships are still only $49 from the BPD website.

Member Review: AC/DC

Member StevieZapp wrote us:

AC/DC earned $60 million last year. Dirty deeds, done dirt cheap, sure add up even if one could argued that AC/DC is the ABBA of Australia. (ha ha).

Last night's show was absolutely fantastic!!! One attends an AC/DC show, they flick their switch and you have rock & roll the way it was intended to be EVERY TIME!!! They never disappoint and like I said to many of my friends before the show: Friday night in the summer… outdoors… AC/DC… Does it get any better?

The “Black Ice” tour starts off with a video depicting Angus as a devil riding a train that is apparently out of control (you think?) with lots of pretty women all over the place. As the animation continues, Angus has to make a decision to jump off the train and as he does: BOOM!!! AC/DC explodes onto the stage with “Rock and Roll Train.” After playing “Hell Ain’t a Bad Place to Be” they laced into “Back in Black.” In a word- “Wow”- the folks on the floor (and everywhere else) went wild as both Brian and Angus took turns walking down the runway. The mood was at a fever pitch. They are on their game again.

Then of course the incomparable-“Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap”. Angus did his best Chuck Berry impression on “Shot Down in Flames.”as he lifted that front leg and hopped across the stage- I was out of my mind on how friggin’ good he was. The hits just kept coming with “Thunderstruck.” Then one of my personal favorite songs of the night performed was the title track of their latest album- “Black Ice.”

The blues continued with the ever popular “The Jack”- I don’t care how many times I hear this song- I friggin’ love it. It was performed to perfection as Angus had a much bigger stage to present his “strip-tease” and show his AC/DC underwear to the frantic crowd. I can’t get enough of the bass and guitar groove on this song-they should have made this song go 10 minutes or more. (The original recording). A huge bell then drops from high above the stage. Brian takes the rope and swings on it crashing into both sides as the “bonging” has the rabid audience foaming at the mouth.

They squeezed in another classic into the set with the fantastic “Dog Eat Dog” from their “Let There Be Rock” album. This drove all the “old school” fans of AC/DC fans out of their mind as they were running for a space to dance, sing and head-bang. The older brethren really respect the way that Brian pays homage the tunes of Mr. Bon Scott. I think Mr. Johnson put all of his soul and emotion into this one as I would say he enjoyed this song the most. At this point of the show, Angus is completely saturated in sweat.

I could go on and on and on................................

The band came out for their two encores with “Highway to Hell” being the first. I don’t have to tell you- you know already. Then it was the one and only “For Those About to Rock.” After the song, there was a fire work display that was spectacular and unfortunately that was the signal that everyone’s summer night was coming to an end.

Thanks again Angus, Brian, Malcolm, Phil and Cliff. (And of course you too Bon, as you are always there in spirit). I bow to the masters.

Set List:

1. Rock and Roll Train
2. Hell Ain’t a Bad Place To Be
3. Back in Black
4. Big Jack
5. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
6. Shot Down in Flames
7. Thunderstruck
8. Black Ice
9. The Jack
10. Hells Bells
11. Shoot to Thrill
12. War Machine
13. Dog Eat Dog
14. Anything Goes
15. You Shook Me All Night Long
16. TNT
17. Whole Lotta Rosie
18. Let There Be Rock

Guitar solo

19. Highway to Hell (Encore)
20. For Those About to Rock (Encore)

I made the decision to see the show from the front which was a HUGE mistake. By the time I worked my way backstage after the show, the boys had bailed. I was devastated but had no one to blame but myself.......................stupid sh*t!!

Sorry to hear the bad news; happy to hear the good news. Full year memberships are only $49. Visit BackstagePassDirect for full details.

Use It or Lose It - Roger Daltrey Fall Solo Tour

What can you say about the man who sang “Pinball Wizard,” “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” “My Generation,” “The Real Me,” and many other rock classics except that Daltrey possesses one of the most incredible voices in rock ever to grace recording studios and concert stages.

Now Daltrey has his own solo tour to do with Pete's younger brother Simon Townsend accompanying him as he has on past tours. It’s called the Use It Or Lose It Tour – a reference to Daltrey’s remarkable voice – and it kicks off in the States on Oct. 12.

When we asked him what his fans could expect, Daltrey said he’ll play plenty of Who songs (“but they’ll be my versions of them”), solo stuff and even a few songs he’s never performed live. The famous frontman also promises he’ll perform a few covers of songs by artists that influenced him along the way.

“I thought it’d be nice to play smaller, more intimate venues,” Daltrey said. “I look forward to getting back to that. I want to give people a good night out. The economic situation being what it is these days, I think that’s what they want: to go out and feel they’ve had a good jolly-up.”

Here's the full list of the fall stops:

Mon 10/12/09 Seattle, WA Showbox SoDo

Thu 10/15/09 Highland, CA San Manuel Indian Bingo & Casino

Sat 10/17/09 Los Angeles, CA Orpheum Theatre

Sun 10/18/09 San Diego, CA Humphrey's Concerts By The Bay

Tue 10/20/09 Denver, CO Paramount Theatre

Thu 10/22/09 Thackerville, OK Winstar World Casino

Sat 10/24/09 Biloxi, MS Hard Rock Cafe

Sun 10/25/09 Jacksonville, FL Florida Theatre

Wed 10/28/09 Durham, NC Durham Performing Arts Center

Fri 10/30/09 Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium

Sat 10/31/09 Elizabeth, IN Horseshoe Southern Indiana

Mon 11/02/09 Chicago, IL House Of Blues

Tue 11/03/09 Cleveland, OH House Of Blues

Sat 11/07/09 Mashantucket, CT MGM Grand Theater

Sun 11/08/09 Boston, MA House Of Blues

Tue 11/10/09 Baltimore, MD Lyric Opera House

Wed 11/11/09 Montclair, NJ Wellmont Theatre

Fri 11/13/09 Atlantic City, NJ Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa / Music Box

Sat 11/14/09 Atlantic City, NJ Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa / Music Box

Tue 11/17/09 Red Bank, NJ Count Basie Theatre

Wed 11/18/09 Norfolk, VA Chrysler Hall

Fri 11/20/09 New York, NY Nokia Theatre Times Square

Tue 11/24/09 North Charleston, SC North Charleston Perf. Arts Center

Wed 11/25/09 Lake Buena Vista, FL House Of Blues

Fri 11/27/09 Fort Myers, FL Barbara B. Mann Perf. Arts Hall

Sun 11/29/09 Hollywood, FL Seminole Hard Rock Live

Mon 11/30/09 Clearwater, FL Ruth Eckerd Hall

Daltrey passes won't last long so act quickly. If you haven't signed up yet, $49 buys you a full year's membership. Go to BackstagePassDirect for complete details.