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.

Not yet a member? $49 buys you access for a full year. Sign up now.

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.

If you're not yet a BackstagePassDirect member, one year is only $49. Join us today.

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.