DMB 2010 Tour Dates

Do ya know who is the #1 touring band of the last 10 years?

To some it will be no surprise: DMB - the Dave Matthews Band, having sold 11.6 million tix and collecting $529 million at the turnstiles.

The band continues its tradition in 2010 with a giant American tour kicking off May 28.

But the biggest news may be who will be joining them on various stops: Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings appear May 28-29; The Felice Brothers Jun 1-5; Yonder Mountain String Band June 7-8; Robert Earl Keen June 15-22; Martin Sexton June 23-July 1; Zac Brown Band July 3-10, July 16-17 & July 23; Amos Lee July 13-14 & July 20-21; Gov’t Mule July 27-31; Black Joe Louis & The Honeybears Aug. 14, Sept. 10-15; Brett Dennen Aug. 17-21; Raphael Saadiq Aug. 23-28 and Ben Harper and Relentless7 Sept. 3-5.

Ready to do some dancin' in the aisles? Here are all the dates thru the end of July:

Fri 05/28/10 Hartford, CT Comcast Theatre

Sat 05/29/10 Hartford, CT Comcast Theatre

Wed 06/02/10 Darien Center, NY Darien Lake Performing Arts Center

Fri 06/04/10 Saratoga Springs, NY Saratoga Performing Arts Center

Sat 06/05/10 Saratoga Springs, NY Saratoga Performing Arts Center

Mon 06/07/10 Mansfield, MA Comcast Center

Tue 06/08/10 Mansfield, MA Comcast Center

Tue 06/15/10 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Music Center

Wed 06/16/10 Maryland Heights, MO Verizon Wireless Amph. St. Louis

Fri 06/18/10 Noblesville, IN Verizon Wireless Music Center

Sat 06/19/10 Noblesville, IN Verizon Wireless Music Center

Tue 06/22/10 Columbus, OH Huntington Park

Wed 06/23/10 Clarkston, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre

Fri 06/25/10 Cuyahoga Falls, OH Blossom Music Center

Wed 06/30/10 Camden, NJ Susquehanna Bank Center

Thu 07/01/10 Camden, NJ Susquehanna Bank Center

Sat 07/03/10 East Troy, WI Alpine Valley Music Theatre

Sun 07/04/10 East Troy, WI Alpine Valley Music Theatre

Fri 07/09/10 Hershey, PA Hersheypark Stadium

Sat 07/10/10 Pittsburgh, PA PNC Park At North Shore

Tue 07/13/10 Bethel, NY Bethel Woods Center For The Arts

Wed 07/14/10 Scranton, PA Toyota Pavilion At Montage Mountain

Fri 07/16/10 New York, NY Citi Field

Sat 07/17/10 New York, NY Citi Field

Tue 07/20/10 Virginia Beach, VA Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater

Wed 07/21/10 Charlotte, NC Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

Fri 07/23/10 Washington, DC Nationals Park

Sun 07/25/10 Louisville, KY HullabaLOU at Churchill Downs

Tue 07/27/10 Atlanta, GA Aaron's Amphitheatre At Lakewood

Wed 07/28/10 Tampa, FL Ford Amphitheatre @ State Fairgrounds

Make your pass requests early.

Add Some Mayhem to your Summer

The 2010 Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival has what you’re looking for.

The summer tour lineup features Korn, Rob Zombie, Lamb of God and Five Finger Death Punch on the main stage while Hatebreed, Chimaira, Shadows Fall,Winds Of Plague and the Jagermeister Battle of the Bands winner rock the Jagermeister stage.

And if that’s not enough sonic debauchery for you, the Mayhem Festival stage will host Atreyu, Norma Jean, In This Moment and Three Inches Of Blood.

The tour begins near San Bernardino in Devore, Calif., at the San Manuel Amphitheatre July 10 and will be playing mostly outdoor venues.

Here's the complete schedule:

Sat 07/10/10 Devore, CA San Manuel Amphitheater

Sun 07/11/10 Mountain View, CA Shoreline Amphitheatre

Tue 07/13/10 Auburn, WA White River Amphitheatre

Fri 07/16/10 Phoenix, AZ Cricket Wireless Pavilion

Sat 07/17/10 Albuquerque, NM Journal Pavilion

Sun 07/18/10 Englewood, CO Comfort Dental Amphitheatre

Tue 07/20/10 Maryland Heights, MO Verizon Wireless Amph. St. Louis

Wed 07/21/10 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Music Center

Fri 07/23/10 Camden, NJ Susquehanna Bank Center

Sat 07/24/10 Hartford, CT Comcast Theatre

Tue 07/27/10 Mansfield, MA Comcast Center

Wed 07/28/10 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center

Fri 07/30/10 Clarkston, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre

Sat 07/31/10 Noblesville, IN Verizon Wireless Music Center

Sun 08/01/10 Atlanta, GA Aaron's Amphitheatre At Lakewood

Wed 08/04/10 Virginia Beach, VA Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater

Fri 08/06/10 Tinley Park, IL First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre

Sat 08/07/10 Burgettstown, PA Post-Gazette Pavilion

Sun 08/08/10 Bristow, VA Jiffy Lube Live

Tue 08/10/10 Tampa, FL Ford Amphitheatre @ State Fairgrounds

Wed 08/11/10 West Palm Beach, FL Cruzan Amphitheatre

Fri 08/13/10 Dallas, TX Superpages.com Center

Sat 08/14/10 Oklahoma City, OK Oklahoma City Zoo Amphitheatre

Want passes for backstage? Know where to get'em?

Right here.

30+ Years in the Making

The possibility of a summer US tour featuring the Eagles and Fleetwood Mac is being presented to stadium and arena operators and promoters. The double bill is being considered for a combination of single nights in baseball and football stadiums and multiple nights in arenas.

The two Hall of fame groups have shared a stadium bill only once--July 25, 1976 at Schaefer Stadium in Foxboro, MA. The Eagles were the headliners, having released a greatest hits album earlier in the year. Fleetwood Mac was still touring in support of their self-titled disc that was the first to feature Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. Within a year of that show both bands would release the albums that elevated them to superstar status, "Hotel California" and "Rumours."

Stay tuned here for followup info.

The 11th All Starr Band Tour Dates

Ringo Starr has assembled his 11th line up of the All Starr Band including: Edgar Winter, Gary Wright and All Starr newcomers are Rick Derringer, Richard Page (from Mr. Mister) and Wally Palmar (from the Romantics).

The tour will kick off in the States on June 26, 2010 and will include a July 7 (Ringo's 70th Birthday!) show at Radio City Music Hall.

The latest confirmed dates include:

June:
26 Bethel NY Bethel Woods Center
30 Westbury NY Westbury Theatre

July
2 State Theatre Easton PA
3Atlantic City NY Caesar's Circus Maximus
7 New York NY Radio City Music Hall
8 Lancaster PA American Theatre
10 Atlanta Ga Chastain Park
11 Durham NC Durham Performing Arts Center
13 Clearwater Fl Ruth Eckerd Hall
15 Hollywood Fl Hard Rock Arena
17 Saint Augustine FL St Augustine Amphitheatre
20 Cleveland OH City Lights Pavilion
21 Canandaigua NY Sands PAC
24 Hammond IN Horseshoe Casino
31 Woodinville Wa Chateau St Michelle

August
7 Los Angeles, Greek Theatre

More dates are expected to be announced soon.

Wanna meet Mr. Starkey and friends? Join BackstagePassDirect today.

Member Review: Guns N' Roses

BPD member Stinkweed writes:

Even though Axl Rose kept all of us waiting nearly two decades for the album, and another year-and-change for a tour, the moment he hit the stage, all was forgiven. Supported by his latest version of GN'R -- guitarists Richard Fortus, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal and DJ Ashba, keyboardists Dizzy Reed and Chris Pitman, drummer Frank Ferrer and bassist Tommy Stinson (formerly of The Replacements) -- the 47-year-old singer treated fans to a fiery three-hour set and repeatedly rewarded fans out front (and the lucky ones like me and my sweets in the back) for their loyalty and patience along the way.

After working his ass off for 3+ hours, he still gave me his time after the show, sharing a (I'll leave that out) and talking.

Here's how it went down, bit by bit:

Chinese Democracy

After the intro music builds tension in the dark, one of the guitarists -- I'm not sure who's who yet -- is spotlit as he cranks out the opening power-chord riff. As the band kicks into gear and Axl growls the first verse, sparklers ringing the stage fire off and we get our first look at him. He's wearing a black fedora over a red bandanna, a pair of slim shades, well-worn blue jeans and a pinstripe work shirt open to his midriff to frame a large silver crucifix. Oh, and he's got a mustache! It's midway between pirate, biker, bandito and Morgan Spurlock. Kinda weird. But at least he's lost the dreads or cornrows or whatever they were. When Axl wails the final worlds, "All I've got is precious time!" there's a pyro burst and the lights fade, leaving him backlit. Two points for a killer opening.

Welcome to the Jungle


As another guitarist (still getting my bearings there) works the niggly little riff, Rose jumps the gun and does the, "Do you know where you are? You're in the jungle, baybeee!" line. Actually, it's more like we're at the circus -- and not just because percussion bombs and fireworks are going off in time with the music. The stage itself is a massive structure with three runways -- in fact, it's so wide it overhangs the first five rows in the stands on both sides. It's covered in some sort of black vinyl or fabric and lined with glow-in- the-dark tape -- from overhead, it almost looks like one of those blobby Keith Haring figures with his circular hands in the air. The circular theme is carried on throughout the set. There's a cat-eye drum riser at stage centre, with an illuminated staircase going up and around on either side. Behind that are two pods for the keyboard players. Hanging above are a series of concentric lighting trusses festooned with VariLights and wrapped in lighting curtains (or whatever you call them). More of those illuminated curtains flank the stage, hanging in half-columns in front of vertical lighting trusses and some of the several video screens scattered around the place. Say what you will about Axl, he does things big.

It's So Easy

Another Appetite for Destruction tune. So far, so good. Axl has already lost the fedora and the shades. He bolts up to the mic, grabs the stand and hurls it back the 10 metres or so to the drum riser. Just to make it clear he's not kidding around, I guess. Gotta admit, he looks fit. Sure, he's a little beefier around the middle than 20 years ago. Who isn't? But he hasn't slowed down. He's sprinting from one end of the stage to the other and pumping his leg hard enough to make Angus Young look sedate. More fireworks herald the end of the tune.

Mr. Brownstone

"Meanwhile, back in the jungle," cracks Axl as Ferrer pounds out a heavy tom-tom beat to go with the scraping guitar riff. As Rose does that snake-hip move he used to do back in the day, those circular lighting rigs dip down from the rafters at opposing angles. Interesting. Also interesting: Every time there's an instrumental break or a solo -- even if it's only for 30 seconds -- Rose sprints off the stage. Not sure why, though it looks like he's making sure the rest of the band get time in the spotlight.

Shackler's Revenge

After a few pleasantries from Axl -- including a simple, "Nice to be here with you tonight" and a crack about the weather (which is actually unseasonably warm) -- the electronica-rocker from Chinese Democracy lurches into a groove. White spotlights start twirling as if there's been a prison break, and the light trusses drift apart into arcs and tier up on different levels. Between the eight guys flying around the stage and the show, there's plenty to attract (and distract) your attention.

Richard Fortus Spotlight

After introducing Fortus, Rose takes a hike while the Izzy Stradlinesque guitarist cranks out a twangy guitar-rock instrumental reminiscent of the James Bond and Peter Gunn themes. See what I meant about sharing the spotlight?

Live and Let Die

Flames and more grenades decorate and punctuate the Paul McCartney cover from Use Your Illusion. Axl has switched into a sleeveless shirt and the fedora is back. His rusted-siren vocals are strong and he's hitting all the notes solidly, though the PA isn't doing him any favours -- if he isn't belting, you have to strain to hear him. After the song, bassist Stinson pitches a little hissy fit at some dude who apparently chucked something at him. "Don't throw s--- at me, please; I'll f---ing leave!" he complains. Guess he had enough crap heaved at him in the Mats to last a lifetime. Anyway, he takes off up onto the drum riser for the next song.

Sorry

This sluggish grinder is not one of my favourite Chinese Democracy cuts, but guitarist Ashba (now that I can tell him and Fortus apart, I'm good) serves up a blistering solo.

If the World

Still in Chinese Democracy land. Bumblefoot opens this slow-burning funk cut with the flamenco licks from the album. Gotta give the band credit; they're doing a decent job of recreating Rose's insanely detailed tracks. The sound is obviously nowhere near as crisp, but hey, you can't have everything.

Dizzy Reed Spotlight

A grand piano rolls out from beneath the drum riser so the stringy- haired keyboardist can throw down some solo chops. The song is familiar, but I can't place it -- maybe because I'm too busy trying to figure out if that's supposed to be toes or fingernails or what painted on the piano lid. The sides, meanwhile, are covered in little mirror-ball tiles. It's like hippies broke into the Liberace museum or something.

Street of Dreams

Dizzy stays down at the piano for this Democracy power ballad. Rose emerges in shirt No. 3 -- a shiny black number. No bandanna. After the tune ends, drummer Ferrer goes 'Boom, boom, boom-boom" on his bass drum again -- he's been doing that between songs. Then I get it: It's so people will chant: "Guns N' Roses." Sneaky.

Better

The lighting trusses do more aerial ballet over the stage as the band works through another one of Rose's ballad-to-rocker numbers from Chinese Democracy. His right leg is kicking like Stompin' Tom on speed.

You Could be Mine

Finally, another classic. Or at least an oldie. This barnburner from Use Your Illusion II gets a solid treatment, with more concussion bombs for emphasis. And a silver-plated .45 swirling around on the video screens just for, um, I dunno, menace? Flames shoot up around the stage during the last chorus. Oh, Axl has a new bandanna: It's blue and white, FYI.

DJ Ashba Spotlight

After a few more pleasantries -- including a belated, "Happy f---ing holidays to you" -- Rose vacates again so Ashba can peel off a blistering solo on his black sequined axe while the band lays down a slow, There Was a Time-style backbeat. Not sure which is more impressive: His playing, or his full-sleeve tats.

Sweet Child o' Mine

The crowd has been well behaved so far -- no moshing and little surfing -- but this hit brings them to their feet. While red and white lights bathe the stage, Rose debuts shirt No. 4: A red-checked V-neck pullover that looks intentionally dirty. I just noticed he also has red tape wrapped around his left hand -- whether because of an injury or just because it matches his red microphone, I have no idea. Bumblefoot handles the wah-wah pedal guitar solo capably.

I.R.S.

If I were writing the set list, I might have tossed another oldie in here instead of this midtempo Chinese Democracy grinder. Especially since it sounds distractingly muddier than the album version.

Axl Piano Solo

That weird-looking keyboard rolls out again -- all the way to the front of the stage -- so Axl can tinkle the ivories. He's wearing a long-tailed burgundy coat with big buttons and a black leather fedora. You know, most people wouldn't be able to pull that off. Most people aren't Rose, of course.

November Rain

Rose stays at the 88 to lead the band through the Use Your Illusion epic. The three guitarists divide the solos, while the lighting trusses split and descend, and sparklers go off at the back of the drum riser and on the stairs. Not sure how rain and sparklers go together, but it looks nice anyway.

Scraped

Instead of the layered vocals on the album, the Chinese Democracy cut opens with tribal tom-tom drumming. The rest of the tune is pretty much the same -- but Bumblefoot's solo on the fretless half of his double-neck guitar is impressive. Axl has a different blue-and-white bandanna. How many of these things does this guy own?

Bumblefoot Spotlight

The other guitarists showed off. Bumblefoot plays to the crowd -- first he does a Hendrix-style version of O Canada, then he makes with a rocked-up take on the Pink Panther theme. Nice to see a rocker with a sense of humour.

Out Ta Get Me

Back to the oldies. More fireworks and sparklers illuminate Rose's latest ensemble: A black-and-red lumberjack number. This guy changes more often than Beyonce -- and it looks like almost all of his outfits came from Mark's Work Warehouse. The spotlights do their prison-break thing again, and the concussion blast at the end of the song makes me jump. You'd think I would be used to them by now.

Knockin' on Heaven's Door

"This is dedicated to the people who hate us," is what I think Axl says before Dylan's classic. Or maybe it was, "This is dedicated to the people of Haiti," which probably makes more sense. But your guess is as good as mine. Anyway, he launches into a long shaggy-dog story (which is actually about a dog named Mojo) in the middle of the song. I only catch about half of it. I'm not sure I missed anything important. We have now passed the two-hour mark.

Nightrain

A train-whistle (natch) introduces the cowbell-rock ode to cheap wine. Bumblefoot whips off another fretless solo, the band fires on all cylinders and charges toward the end -- which is marked by yet another explosion. "Good night," says Axl and bolts -- as do a decent chunk of the audience (it's already after midnight on a school night).

Madagascar

The encore begins with this ambitious Chinese Democracy number, which features Rose's mid-song sonic collage of Martin Luther King, Mississippi Burning, Cool Hand Luke, Braveheart and others. The video screens show MLK graphics and footage to go with. Thankfully, I don't see any Braveheart footage.

This I Love

The piano rolls out one last time for another Chinese Democracy ballad. At the end, Rose fesses up that he: "kinda f---ed that up in the beginning." I'm too tired to notice.

Frank Ferrer Drum Solo

Mercifully brief. Nothing against him; it's just getting really freaking late.

Rocket queen

But not late enough to miss this Appetite for Destruction gem. Axl straightarms the mic below his waist and does a two-step while Ashba handles the slide solo. Just like old times. Almost.

My Generation

Bassist Stinson tackles The Who's classic for his spotlight tune. His vocals are suitably snotty -- and he doesn't embarrass himself on the John Entwistle solo either. For the record, everybody but second keyboardist Chris Pitman has now had a solo. Sorry Chris; your goofy straw hat is the problem.

Patience

Rose draws cheers as soon as he starts whistling the opening. But once he begins singing the mellow part, his voice sounds a little ragged. Which is no surprise, since he's been going full throttle for more than two-and-a-half hours. Maybe they need to move this up in the set list. Oh, and he has now changed into a white T-shirt with a filthy slogan on it. I have officially lost count of his outfits. And I'm pretty sure I missed at least one in there.

Paradise City

All the stops come out: The lighting trusses dance, bombs go off, the lights are cranked, the confetti cannons erupt, coloured mini- fireworks burst forth -- and as the song whams to a close with one final explosion, silver streamers are launched over the crowd. Cheapskates. "Oh won't you please take me home?" sings Rose.

Well, no -- but we will go home ourselves and we'll go satisfied and very, very tired.

Thanks to the troops at BackstagePassDirect. This has been one helluva ride.

The next "ride" could be yours. Join us today.

Troubador Reunion Confirmed for the U.S.

The Troubador Reunion is on. Originally scheduled for Australia and Japan, James Taylor and Carole King have now booked a series of dates here in the US beginning May 7 in Portland.

The set list will include a breadth of material including songs they performed during their 1969 debut show at the Troubadour in Los Angeles, which helped propel them both to the world stage.

The idea for the "Troubadour Reunion" tour came together in 2007 after Taylor and King performed at the famed Los Angeles venue for the first time since 1969 to celebrate the Troubadour's 50th Anniversary. The shows sold out immediately and garnered rave reviews from fans and critics alike.

"When James and I first played together, we connected immediately, both musically and personally, with an effortless, comfortable familiarity," says Carole King. "After we reunited in 2007 with Danny Kortchmar, Lee Sklar, and Russ Kunkel, the original band from our early Troubadour shows, none of us wanted the fun to stop. We can't wait to bring our Troubadour Reunion tour to the States."

"This tour, our Troubadour Reunion, has been waiting to happen for a long time and the years seem to have vanished, where does the time go?" asks Taylor. "When we reunited for the Troubadour's 50th Anniversary celebration, it felt like yesterday. It was and still is all about the music and the songs that we get to perform together."

Here are the dates and venues:

Fri 05/07/10 Portland, OR Rose Garden Arena

Sun 05/09/10 Seattle, WA KeyArena At Seattle Center

Tue 05/11/10 San Jose, CA HP Pavilion At San Jose

Thu 05/13/10 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl

Fri 05/14/10 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl

Sat 05/15/10 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl

Wed 05/19/10 Glendale, AZ Jobing.com Arena

Fri 05/21/10 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center

Sat 05/22/10 Nashville, TN Sommet Center

Mon 05/24/10 Rosemont, IL Allstate Arena

Tue 05/25/10 Saint Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center

Thu 05/27/10 Auburn Hills, MI The Palace Of Auburn Hills

Fri 05/28/10 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre

Sun 05/30/10 Columbus, OH Schottenstein Center

Wed 06/02/10 Charlotte, NC Time Warner Cable Arena

Thu 06/03/10 Duluth, GA The Arena At Gwinnett Center

Sat 06/05/10 Sunrise, FL BankAtlantic Center

Sun 06/06/10 Tampa, FL St. Pete Times Forum

Tue 06/08/10 Washington, DC Verizon Center

Thu 06/10/10 Philadelphia, PA The Wachovia Center

Sat 06/12/10 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena

Tue 06/15/10 New York, NY Madison Square Garden Arena

Sat 06/19/10 Boston, MA TD Garden

Sat 07/03/10 Lenox, MA Tanglewood

Sun 07/04/10 Lenox, MA Tanglewood

If you want to see these two legends from the intimacy of backstage, you'll need to act early. Make your requests today. Not yet a member? That's easy to fix.

Alicia Keys 2010 Dates

Alicia Keys has begun assembling dates for a spring arena tour to support her just-released studio set, "The Element of Freedom."

The Grammy-winning R&B/soul star dropped her fourth studio album earlier this week. "The Element of Freedom," which Keys co-produced alongside a bevy of well-known hit-makers, follows 2007's triple-platinum "As I Am."

"Doesn't Mean Anything," the first single from "The Element of Freedom," was released to radio in September. A second single, "Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart," hit in November. The album also features a collaboration with Beyonce called "Put It In a Love Song."

Earlier this month, Keys streamed her World AIDS Day/Keep a Child Alive benefit concert at New York's Nokia Theatre live from her YouTube channel.

These dates are confirmed with others to be added later:


Wed 03/03/10 Rosemont, IL Allstate Arena

Wed 03/17/10 New York, NY Madison Square Garden Arena

Fri 03/19/10 Newark, NJ Prudential Center

Mon 03/22/10 Boston, MA Agganis Arena at Boston University

Tue 04/06/10 Los Angeles, CA Staples Center

Don't miss out; request your passes from BackstagePassDirect today.

Happy 2010

Happy, Happy Partyin' New Year from all of us at BPD.

Great concerts continue to be announced even this early in the year. Check back often to stay in the loop.