Your Last Chance to See DMB (kinda)

Just in case you haven't heard........................

After twenty years of consecutive touring, Dave Matthews Band will be taking 2011 off. Looking forward to returning to the road in 2012, DMB wants to make the balance of their current tour a memorable one.

Passes for shows through early July have already been awarded. Here are the remaining venues of the summer:

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 Virginia Beach Amphitheater

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

Fri 07/23/10 Washington, DC Nationals Park

Appearing at "HullabaLOU Music Festival"
Sun 07/25/10 Louisville, KY Churchill Downs

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

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

Fri 07/30/10 West Palm Beach, FL Cruzan Amphitheatre

Sat 07/31/10 West Palm Beach, FL Cruzan Amphitheatre

Sat 08/14/10 Wichita, KS INTRUST Bank Arena

Appearing at "Mile High Music Festival"
Sun 08/15/10 Commerce City, CO Dick's Sporting Goods Park

Tue 08/17/10 Salt Lake City, UT Usana Amphitheatre

Fri 08/20/10 Chula Vista, CA Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre

Sat 08/21/10 Irvine, CA Verizon Wireless Amphitheater

Mon 08/23/10 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl

Wed 08/25/10 Concord, CA Sleep Train Pavilion At Concord

Fri 08/27/10 Wheatland, CA Sleep Train Amphitheatre

Sat 08/28/10 Mountain View, CA Shoreline Amphitheatre

Tue 08/31/10 Boise, ID Taco Bell Arena

Fri 09/03/10 Quincy, WA Gorge Amphitheatre

Sat 09/04/10 Quincy, WA Gorge Amphitheatre

Sun 09/05/10 Quincy, WA Gorge Amphitheatre

Fri 09/10/10 The Woodlands, TX The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

Sat 09/11/10 Dallas, TX Superpages.com Center

Tue 09/14/10 Omaha, NE Qwest Center Omaha

Wed 09/15/10 Saint Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center

With possibly the most pass requests in our history, DMB continues to please wherever the perform. Don't miss out on what will be your last chance (at least for a while) to get backstage.

Join BackstagePassDirect and request your passes now.

Member Review: Taylor Swift

BPD member 127623 writes:

Taylor Swift doesn't mince words. Backstage, I asked her why her songs seem to be so negative toward guys. Swift responded: "I guess if boys don't want me to write bad songs about them they shouldn't do bad things." The reference to Joe Jonas, he reportedly broke up with her over two years ago in a phone call that only lasted seconds, was obvious. Later on, in a continuation of this thread, she told the crowd "I think it's entirely possible that I've fallen in love with you after two songs. And I think that it's that kind of deep, pure love, that lasts forever. I love you like I love burning my ex-boyfriend's pictures. "

Deafening cheers and thunderous applause greeted her as she kicked off her Fearless tour 2010.

Initially dressed as a bandleader, Swift emerged from beneath her bright, colorful set - featuring a T-shaped catwalk at the front - with her dancers dressed as cheerleaders, and her band in school band outfits.

But the clean-cut cutie soon gave way to the sexier vamp in black leather boots.

With the first of many flips of her long, wavy, blond hair, Swift ripped off the bandleader coat to reveal a sparkly silver mini-dress underneath.

Swift, fresh-looking as ever after a costume change into a red sequined mini-dress, then launched into Forever And Always, a song written about Jonas as a last-minute add-on to Fearless.

And when Swift appeared in the audience stands to sing, Hey Stephen, in a new blue dress and brown cowboy boots, the crowd was besides themselves, particularly since she made a point of shaking hands with and hugging as many of them as possible as she made her way towards a smaller, rotating and levitating stage at the back of the floor.

"You looked like you were having fun back here, so I though I'd join you - is that alright?" said Swift, as she sat down with a 12-string acoustic guitar to perform, Fifteen, yet another song about a boy.

So many of Swift's songs deal with love - both falling in and out and of the unrequited variety - that her (almost entirely) young female audience's bond with her is intense, like it can only be for girls who feel things so deeply between the ages of 12 and 16.

Their continued and sustained screams for several minutes caused Taylor to stop, pull out of her earpieces, and take it all in right after she performed Tim McGraw and made her way back up to the larger stage.

"When I was a little kid that I would have this crazy dream I'd be able to sing on stage and have a crowd scream really, really loud, but what you just did was even cooler than that," said Swift. "Thank you so much."

And there were a few girly moments that were even too girly for me, although my younger sister, was close to going nuclear. For a moment, I thought it wasn't a concert so much as a massive love-in for God-fearing teens. The mood was excited the way people get all pumped up for Disneyland.

It was like Christmas, Easter and your high-school prom all rolled up into one, but packing more estrogen than a Lillith Fair concert.

I preferred the stripped-down simplicity of Swift just playing her acoustic guitar on White Horse myself, but something tells me I was just about alone on that.

Swift also scored major points by injecting a bit of Justin Timberlake's What Goes Around Comes Around, into her own You're Not Sorry, as she sat at a piano while white fog floated around her feet.

This was the first time I've ever been backstage at a show. It was UNREAL!

SET LIST

You Belong With Me

Our Song

Tell Me Why

Teardrops On My Guitar

Fearless

Forever and Always

Hey Stephen

Fifteen

Tim McGraw

White Horse

Love Story

The Way I Loved You

You're Not Sorry/What Goes Around Comes Around

Picture to Burn

ENCORE

Today Was a Fairytale

Should've Said No

127623 , UNREAL is what it is! Our members get to have experiences that others can only dream about.

Join BPD today and get in on all the action.

More Justin Beiber Passes

Everyone's favorite 15 year old, Justin Beiber, has been performing to sellout crowds night after night on his My World tour. Backstage passes to his performances have been some of the most sought after this year.

Passes for June shows are already gone, but we are pleased to announce that we will be receiving a larger number of passes for his July and August appearances.

Here are the dates:

07/02/10 Moline, IL i wireless Center
07/03/10 Omaha, NE Qwest Center Omaha
07/05/10 Grand Prairie, TX Verizon Theatre At Grand Prairie
07/06/10 Tulsa, OK BOK Center
07/08/10 Broomfield, CO 1STBANK Center
07/10/10 West Valley City, UT The E Center
07/13/10 Everett, WA Comcast Arena At Everett
07/14/10 Portland, OR Rose Garden Arena
07/17/10 Oakland, CA Oracle Arena
07/18/10 Reno, NV Reno Events Center
07/20/10 Los Angeles, CA Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE
07/21/10 Paso Robles, CA Grandstand @ California Mid State Fair
07/24/10 Las Vegas, NV Planet Hollywood Theatre For The Performing Arts
07/25/10 Glendale, AZ Jobing.com Arena
07/28/10 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center
07/29/10 North Little Rock, AR Verizon Arena
07/31/10 Memphis, TN FedExForum
08/01/10 Lafayette, LA Cajundome
08/04/10 Orlando, FL Amway Arena
08/05/10 Sunrise, FL BankAtlantic Center
08/08/10 Charlotte, NC Time Warner Cable Arena
08/09/10 Duluth, GA The Arena At Gwinnett Center
08/11/10 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena
08/12/10 Indianapolis, IN Conseco Fieldhouse
08/14/10 Columbus, OH Schottenstein Center
08/15/10 Auburn Hills, MI The Palace Of Auburn Hills
08/25/10 Albany, NY Times Union Center
08/27/10 Providence, RI Dunkin' Donuts Center
08/28/10 Newark, NJ Prudential Center
08/29/10 Syracuse, NY New York State Fairgrounds
08/31/10 New York, NY Madison Square Garden Arena

If Justin is a must see for you, here's your chance. Join BackstagePassDirect and request your passes today.

Member Review: Them Crooked Vultures

BPD member Zepman4Ever logs in:

“This is the biggest show we’ve ever played and it means a lot to us,” singer, guitarist and former Queens Of The Stone Age architect Josh Homme told me prior to going out front to put out a roughly two-hour show. “It means a lot to us. We’re just four guys who wanted to play together, and here we are.” That's really it; they don't have to sell CDs and tickets, they're just having fun.

Aside from Homme, these “just four guys” happens to be Foo Fighters main man Dave Grohl on drums, touring guitarist Alain Johannes and Led Zeppelin bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones.

And for most of the 15-song set, Them Crooked Vultures rampaged through a brand of ‘70s era-influenced hard rock that truly has to be seen to be appreciated. Whether watching Grohl punish himself physically as much as his battened-down drum kit numerous times or Jones shuffling around while keeping the groove, the band does not take any short cuts in achieving such an impressive sound.

TCV opened with the swampy hook of No One Loves Me & Neither Do I which had most on the floor bobbing along. Then, the group dished out Gunman before the “little dance number” Scumbag Blues reared its catchy head.

Part of the attraction of the band, though, is seeing both Homme and Grohl playing off of Jones, the elder statesman at 66. As Jones doled out a few quick bass lines during Scumbag Blues, Homme and Grohl both resembled kids in awe of meeting their rock hero for the first time.

Dead End Friends and especially the gear-shifting Elephants fared fine, but Highway 1, the first of two non-album tracks performed, didn’t quite match the intensity or bombast of the single New Fang or the tight Mind Eraser, No Chaser. But an ensuing effort with the title You Can’t Possibly Begin To Imagine was a surprise highlight. Here, the slow, seedy bluesy arrangement had Jones initially on fiddle while Homme fed off the crowd clapping along.

Regardless, Them Crooked Vultures held some of the best for last beginning with the lengthy Spinning In Daffodils that had Grohl looking like Animal from the Muppets with his rapid fills and rolls. Following the Zeppelin circa Physical Graffiti nugget Reptiles, the band closed things out with no encore but a fabulous, fatiguing Warsaw, a marathon-ish tune driven by some terrific playing.

Like Zeppelin, TCV is built from the ground up, with a monster rock rhythm section. But Homme's vocals and guitar charts are more innovative and playful like Clapton's Cream. It was thrilling to see the 60-something Jones playing as if he were a kid, the sexy Homme swaggering like a rock god, and, as always, Grohl as a frenzied blur behind the drum kit. The only time we saw his face was when he came up for air.

Naturally, Jones received loud cheers every time he soloed. When Homme introduced me to him in the back, he said "Dude, this is John-effing Paul Jones!" 'Nuff said.

Absolutely the best rock show I've seen in years. Them Crooked Vultures.............. Superband? You bet.

BPD, ohmigod, what can I say?

Nothing need be added, Zepman. You've said it all.

If you've never seen a show from the back, you haven't really lived. Change all that today with a membership to BackstagePassDirect.

Appreciation: Ronnie James Dio

Even as he endured grueling chemotherapy treatments to rid his stomach of cancer, Ronnie James Dio showed the fiery passion that made him a metal legend, flashing his famous devil's horns signal as he lay in a hospital bed.

"This hasn't really been a problem for me. Cancer? I'll kick the hell out of you," declared Dio in March in an interview with KIAH-TV in Houston, where he was being treated for the disease. "I refuse to be beaten in any shape or form so I'm going to beat you, too."

But on Sunday, Dio - whose famous wailing vocals gave Black Sabbath a second life - succumbed to the disease, at age 67.

"Today my heart is broken," Wendy Dio, his wife and a manager, wrote on the singer's website. "Many, many friends and family were able to say their private goodbyes before he peacefully passed away.

"Ronnie knew how much he was loved by all," she continued. "We so appreciate the love and support that you have all given us ... Please know he loved you all and his music will live on forever."

His publicist Maureen O'Connor said he died in Los Angeles.

Later Sunday, Black Sabbath bandmate Geezer Butler posted a picture of Dio on his website, with the caption: "Goodbye My Dear Friend."

Dio revealed last summer that he was suffering from stomach cancer shortly after wrapping up a tour in Atlantic City, N.J., with the latest incarnation of Black Sabbath under the name Heaven And Hell.

Though Dio had recently undergone his seventh chemotherapy treatment, he was hopeful to perform again. Earlier this month, Heaven And Hell canceled its summer tour, but Dio did not view being sidelined as a permanent thing.

"Wendy, my doctors and I have worked so hard to make it happen for all of you, the ones we care so much about, that this setback could be devastating, but we will not let it be," he said in a statement. "With your continued love and support, we ... will carry on and thrive. There will be other tours, more music, more life and much more magic."

Dio, who grew up in upstate New York in the town of Cortland, had his first taste of rock fame as the lead singer of the band Elf. From there, the spotlight grew, and in 1975, he became the first lead singer of Rainbow, the heavy metal band put together by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, who had just quit Deep Purple. Dio recorded three albums with the group until creative differences led him to leave.

But there was another band that needed his help. In 1980, after Ozzy Osbourne left the hugely successful and groundbreaking metal band Black Sabbath, the band tapped Dio to fill his spot.

In an interview, Dio acknowledged how difficult it was to step into the shoes of such a famous frontman.

"Ozzy especially had some real staunch fans, and for someone else to come into Sabbath, God, that was sacrilegious," he said.

Instead of serving as just a placeholder with the band, however, he united with them to create the album Heaven And Hell, considered by many critics to be one of the finest heavy metal albums ever.

His time with the band would be known as "Black Sabbath, the Dio years," touching off an intense debate among fans as to which singer was the true essence of the band, a discussion that lasts even to this day.

His tenure with the band was on-and-off, though. His first stint with the band lasted only two years.

He also enjoyed a successful solo career with his self-titled band, Dio, in between his three runs with Black Sabbath (1980-82, 1992, and 2007-09, when the band toured as Heaven And Hell, to differentiate it from Osbourne-led versions of Sabbath).

Many of his most memorable songs revolved around the struggle between good and evil, including his signature tune "Heaven And Hell." He also drew heavily on medieval imagery in songs like "Neon Knights," "Killing The Dragon" and "Stargazer."

Besides his growling voice, he became known for making the "devil horns" sign a heavy metal signature - a sign he said came from his Italian grandmother, who used it to ward off evil.

"He possessed one of the greatest voices in all of heavy metal and had a heart to match it," said Twisted Sister guitarist Jay Jay French, whose band toured with Dio since 1983 and was to do so again this summer at European rock festivals. "He was the nicest, classiest person you would ever want to meet."

Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx, whose band toured with Dio, said he was shocked to learn of his death.

"Ronnie was one of the kindest souls I have ever met and his talent was beyond inspirational to so many of us," he said in a statement. "I still have this image of him standing on stage in front of 100,000 belting out 'Man on the Silver Mountain' and remember the shivers it sent up my spine. He will be missed by all of us.

Dio organized an all-star charity collaboration in 1986 called "Hear N' Aid" to raise money for famine relief in Africa, styled on the successful "We Are The World" campaign of a few years earlier.

His solo hits included "Rainbow In The Dark," "The Last In Line" and "Holy Diver."

His last album was Heaven And Hell's The Devil You Know, released in April 2009.

In addition to his wife, Dio is survived by son Daniel, grandchildren Julie and Joey, and father Pat.

(Associated Press)

Member Review: Brooks and Dunn

Member Cowboy4Life writes:

From fistfuls of No. 1 singles and albums to numerous Country Music Association awards, Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn's partnership has been a great one. However, the superstar country duo decided last year to go their separate ways following what they call The Last Rodeo Tour.

About 10,000 of us took the opportunity to bid farewell to the kings of New Country, who in turn treated the crowd to more than 90 minutes of hard-hitting honky tonk hits, tear-jerking ballads, slick, toe-tapping country pop and a little Boot Scootin' Boogie. The huge band, including three back-up singers, sounded studio perfect. Especially soulful was the gospel ballad Believe.

While the pair reminisced about their lengthy career and showed their gratitude for all the years of support, there were no doleful stares, wistful meanderings or melancholic moments.

It was a full-on going-away party and Brooks & Dunn made sure everyone was having a good time.

The duo hit the stage wearing their trademark designer western shirts, which were far more tasteful than they have been in the past, and got the crowd revved up right away with the stomping Play Something Country.

Lyrics-wise, songs such as You Can't Take the Honky Tonk Out of the Girl and Honky Tonk Truth are fairly corny, but strangely, earnest ballads like That's What She Gets for Loving Me and It's Getting Better All the Time were effective and moving in a live setting.

Dunn has the warmer voice and took care of most of the lead vocal duties, but Brooks' rougher style gave his songs a more interesting edge.

The two -- backed by three attractive female singers and a very tight, professional band -- didn't have much to say during the first half the concert, but loosened their tongues as the night wore on. They happily chatted to the crowd and even let a fan take the mic during one song.

What surprised me, however, was that they stayed separate backstage, suggesting to me that the "magic" was gone. Perhaps that's why they're calling it a day.

This was my first time seeing a show from the back and it was really great, dampened only by the disconnect between B&D's onstage warmth and the backstage coolness.

FYI - BPD is a members-only service that provides backstage passes on a first come, first served basis to its members. There are no guarantees that you will be awarded a pass. It all depends on when your requests were made; the earlier the better.

All passes entitle the user to view the show from backstage, which is an awesome experience. In addition, you'll get to meet and spend time with your favorite performers.

Passes are awarded 4-6 weeks prior to the performance. If a pass is awarded, the price is $149 per pass. Annual membership is only $49.

Christina Aguilera goes 'Bionic'

Pop songstress Christina Aguilera will return to the stage this summer as she takes on a global tour behind her forthcoming album, "Bionic." British pop singer Leona Lewis will accompany Aguilera on the portion of the tour.

Aguilera will begin the US tour on July 15 and wraps up on Aug. 19 with a performance in Irvine, CA.

"Bionic" marks Aguilera's fourth studio set and the first since 2006's "Back to Basics." That album debuted atop The Billboard 200 and earned the performer a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Ain't No Other Man," as well as nominations for Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Candyman."

The video for "Not Myself Tonight," the lead single from "Bionic," is embedded above.

July 2010
15 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
17 - Darien Center, NY - Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
18 - Bristow, VA - Jiffy Lube Live
22 - Camden, NJ - Susquehanna Bank Center
24 - Clarkston, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre
25 - Tinley Park, IL - First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
28 - Wantagh, NY - Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
30 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center
31 - Mansfield, MA - Comcast Center

August 2010
3 - Burgettstown, PA - First Niagara Pavilion
5 - Atlanta, GA - Aaron's Amphitheatre at Lakewood
7 - West Palm Beach, FL - Cruzan Amphitheatre
8 - Tampa, FL - Ford Amphitheatre
10 - Dallas, TX - Superpages.com Center
12 - The Woodlands, TX - The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
14 - Phoenix, AZ - US Airways Center
15 - Chula Vista, CA - Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre
18 - Mountain View, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre at Mountain View
19 - Irvine, CA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater

Christina is one of a kind and you'll never forget hanging with her.

Members should make their requests early as passes will definitely be limited. Not a member yet? Where you been livin'?

Sign up today.

Member Review: Mark Knopfler

Longtime BPD member Tootsweet checks in:

Mark Knopfler, now 60, wowed us with his fluid finger-picking guitar style, laid-back, easy, no-fuss manner, and seven "master musicians," as he called his touring band.

The group - who included a flute player, fiddler, accordion player and at least two mandolin players - easily finessed whatever was thrown at them - rock, country, Celtic, and bluegrass.

Interestingly, Dire Straits percussionist Danny Cummings is now Knopfler's drummer.

And while there really wasn't a showman among them - Knopfler was the evening's undisputed star - he proved to be a generous leader, happily sharing the spotlight during longs jams and solos, like during Sailing To Philadelphia, where he and multi-instrumentalist Tim O' Brien traded verses.

Touring in support of his latest solo album, 2009's Get Lucky, the Scottish-born, British-raised Knopfler kicked off the night with the Celtic-tinged Border Reiver from that disc on a stripped down stage where the biggest effect all night was a backdrop of stars in the sky.

But he didn't delve too much into the record for the remainder of the evening only performing two other songs - the title track, and the poignant show-ender Piper To The End.

Instead, it was a mixed bag of songs from both his time with seminal '80s band Dire Straits, who split up n 1985, and varied older solo material like such highlights as What It Is, the bluegrass-feeling Prairie Wedding - which The Del McCoury Band has since recorded - Marbletown, and Donegan's Gone, and the rocking showstopper Speedway At Nazareth complete with strobe lights.

Still, it was the one-two punch of the Dire Straits signature songs Romeo and Juliet and Sultans Of Swing, which struck the biggest chord, the latter prompting the first standing ovation of the night for Knopfler's staggering solo, and So Far Away From Me, which prompted the second ovation during the encore.

After the show, Knopfler commented to me "They were very sweet to me". Didn't he understand how sweet he had been to us?

BPD, I can't thank you enough for allowing me to spend time with this guitar legend.

Toots, happy to oblige.

You too can get to be beside your favorites. Join BackstagePassDirect today.

Ozzfest Returns

Ozzy Osbourne and Motley Crue lead the lineup of the resurrected Ozzfest, which returns to arenas this summer.

Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford will also be on hand for the traveling metal festival, which was last seen in full travel mode in 2007 (2008's Ozzfest consisted of a single stadium show in Dallas), performing material from his long career fronting Priest, along with a selection of material from his solo career and his '90s side project Fight.

DevilDriver and Nonpoint round out the main-stage lineup, while a second stage will feature six-time Ozzfest participants Black Label Society, along with Drowning Pool, Kingdom of Sorrow, Goatwhore, Skeletonwitch, Saviours and Kataklysm.

The tour kicks off Aug. 14 in San Bernardino, CA, and will travel to just six cities this summer. It will mark the jumping-off point for Osbourne's planned 18-month world tour in support of his forthcoming studio album, "Scream."

Due in stores June 15, "Scream" is Osbourne's 10th solo release and his follow-up to 2007's "Black Rain." The set marks Osbourne's first album to feature his new guitar player, Gus G., who takes over for longtime axeman Zakk Wylde.

Ozzfest venues:

August 2010
14 - San Bernardino, CA - San Manuel Amphitheater
17 - Tinley Park, IL - First Midwest Bank Amphitheater
19 - Burgettstown, PA - First Niagara Pavilion
21 - Hartford, CT - Comcast Theater
22 - Camden, NJ - Susquehanna Bank Center
24 - Mansfield, MA - Comcast Center

Because of the limited number of shows, we expect requests for passes to be high. Don't delay.