Member Review: Robert Plant

4 year BPD member Slash This writes to us:

Throughout the course of his 20-song set, Plant often looked at singer/guitarist Patty Griffin, guitarist Buddy Miller and multi-instrumentalist Darrell Scott and repeated the word "yeah" off microphone, sensing it was going to be what he called "another scintillating evening" from the opening notes of the opener Cindy, I’ll Marry You Someday.


For the most part he was correct, especially on slower, groove-riddled numbers like Angel Dance with Scott on mandolin.


While Miller, Griffin and Scott shone when taking the lead vocal on Trouble, Love Throw A Line and A Satisfied Mind respectively, Plant seemed to enjoy and excel in these still new musical waters on numbers like the fine Please Read The Letter and the winding, deliberate rendition of Richard Thompson's House Of Cards.


And Plant also managed to deftly saunter through material from his Led Zeppelin period by reworking and retooling many of those numbers. This was especially true of Ramble On and Houses Of The Holy, the latter with the Jimmy Page hook still audible but surrounded by a sweet, roots-y feel that got a standing ovation from many.


Also going over just as nicely was a Sun Studios-era rockabilly romp through Rock And Roll with drummer Marco Giovino finishing with the same drum intro the late John Bonham did on the original


It was obvious from the beginning fans wanted their Zeppelin fix, but like his choice to opt out of a reunion tour following the widely praised one-off 2007 London show, Plant does what he wants.


After a crawling version of Gallows Pole - far different from the original foot-stomper - Plant and company returned for a short encore that ended with all six doing an a cappella version of And We Bid You Goodnight.


After the show, Plant admitted to me that there had been a few miscues, particularly when his last hit Tall Cool One came across at best as average and Satan, Your Kingdom Must Come Down took a while to heat up. It wasn't that way for me. Overall, I felt that it was a very good night indeed.

Thanks for writing to us, Slash This.

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12 Stages, 2 Weekends, 1 Great Festival

This year’s New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival festival is set for April 29-May 1 and May 5-8. Taking place at the New Orleans Fairgrounds’ race track, Robert Plant’s Band Of Joy tour, Jeff Beck, Wyclef Jean, The Avett Brothers, Mumford & Sons, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk and Keb’ Mo’ are just some of the artists scheduled for opening day, April 29.

Saturday, April 30 performances include Bon Jovi, Jason Mraz, Fantasia, Irma Thomas, Robert Cray, Amos Lee, Ahmad Jamal, Rance Allen and Ricky Skaggs while John Mellencamp, Tom Jones, John Legend performing with The Roots, Dr. John, Alejandro Sanz, Arlo Guthrie, Kenny G, The Decemberists and Vickie Winans are on the Sunday, May 1 schedule.

Weekend No. 2 launches Thursday, May 5 with Wilco, Cyndi Lauper, Lucinda Williams, Galactic, Maceo Parker with special guest Pee Wee Ellis, Ivan Lins, Joseph Zigaboo Modeliste, Michelle Shocked and Charlie Musselwhite plus many, many more.

Arcade Fire tops the Friday, May 6 lineup along with Willie Nelson, Lupe Fiasco, Better Than Ezra, Jamey Johnson, Gregg Allman Blues Band, Kermit Ruffins & the Barbecue Swingers, Buckwheat Zydeco and Big Sam’s Funky Nation.

On Saturday, May 7 Jazz & Heritage welcomes Jimmy Buffett, The Strokes, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Allen Toussaint, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Mystikal and Bobby Blue Bland.

Kid Rock‘s on the lineup for the festival’s last day – Sunday, May 8 – along with The Neville Brothers, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Sonny Rollins, Robert Randolph & The Family Band, Maze feat. Frankie Beverly, The Radiators and Cowboy Mouth.

Of course, the acts mentioned above are just a very small inkling of what Jazz & Heritage is all about. Other artists appearing include Tom Jones, Sonny Landreth, Ellis Marsalis, Henry Butler, BeauSoleil Avec Michael Doucet, Jesse Winchester and Nicholas Payton, but we’re still only brushing the surface and you really need to examine the schedule to appreciate the depth and scope of this year’s event.

The 2011 Jazz & Heritage Festival is also hosting the largest celebration of Haitian culture in the U.S. since last year’s earthquake. Along with Wyclef Jean, other Haitian musicians appearing include Tabou Combo, RAM, Boukman Eksperyans, Emeline Michel, Djakout #1, DJA-Rara and TiCoca & Wanga Neges.

Make your pass requests either for weekend #1 or #2 (or both).

Coachella 12

The Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival has unleashed its artist lineup for No. 12.

Happening April 15-17 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif., headliners include Arcade Fire, Kanye West and Kings of Leon plus an almost endless list of artists and bands including a re-formed Big Audio Dynamite.

With Kings Of Leon topping the Friday, April 15 bill, other first-day acts include The Black Keys, Interpol, The Chemical Brothers, Caifanes, Robyn, Sasha, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Brandon Flowers, Crystal Castles and Magnetic Man.

Along with Arcade Fire’s Saturday, April 16 performance the second-day list includes Animal Collective, Mumford & Sons, Bright Eyes, Empire Of The Sun, Big Audio Dynamite, Steve Angello, the Kills, London Suede, Broken Social Scene, One Day As A Lion, Erykah Badu and Paul van Dyk.

Sunday’s lineup has Kanye West closing after a day of performances by The Strokes, Duran Duran, The National, P.J. Harvey, Death From Above 1979, Wiz Khalifa, Ratatat, Nas & Damian Marley, Jimmy Eat World, Axwell, Sven Vath and The Bloody Beetroots.

These acts are only the short list as the lineup goes deeper each day, listing performances by such notables as Flogging Molly and Ozomatli (Friday), Scissor Sisters, The New Pornographers and Gogol Bordello (Saturday) and Chromeo, Duck Sauce, She Wants Revenge, and Jack’s Mannequin (Sunday). Plus tons more.

We'll have a limited number of passes for individual days. When you make your requests, please include the day you'd like to be backstage.

Rod Stewart and Stevie Nicks: HEART & SOUL TOUR

Rod Stewart and Stevie Nicks have announced that they have joined forces for one of the most anticipated musical events of the year, THE HEART & SOUL TOUR. Launching March 20, 2011 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the tour will unite two of music’s most legendary forces for a series of arena concerts throughout the US. The tour will feature both artists performing all rock & roll sets from their incomparable catalogs of hits and backed by an incredible band of musicians and stage production.

Said Rod Stewart: “We haven’t yet begun rehearsals but I can already tell you this, with Stevie on board our audiences are in store for an evening of pure rock & roll music. I’m already thinking about which of my old favorites to bring back and vocally, I think we’ve both begun thinking about which songs might be great fun and well-suited for a duet or two.”

In a career spanning five decades, with an estimated 250 million album and single sales, Rod Stewart is a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and indisputably one of the most successful performers of all time. He finished 2010 at the top of both the touring and album charts - highlighted by his critically-heralded, sold-out first run of concerts at The Colosseum in Las Vegas, a “Boxscore,” chart-topping, 33-date European summer tour which included 4 sold-out dates at London’s O2 Arena.

Throughout his prolific career, he’s garnered 16-Grammy nominations, including his current for “Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album," and sales of more than one million albums worldwide for his 2010 album FLY ME TO THE MOON…THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK, VOLUME V. In addition, Rod Stewart is set to release THE BEST OF…THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK available in stores February 1st, 2011 (J Records).

Stevie Nicks, Rock and Roll's reigning queen, will be releasing her highly anticipated new CD “IN: YOUR DREAMS” on May 3, 2011. The new album, her first album of new material in a decade, was co-produced by former Eurythmic Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard. The official release date of the first single, "Secret Love”, is February 3rd.

Confirmed dates:

Sun 03/20/11 Sunrise, FL BankAtlantic Center
Wed 03/23/11 Tampa, FL St. Pete Times Forum
Thu 03/24/11 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena
Sat 03/26/11 New York, NY Madison Square Garden Arena
Sun 03/27/11 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena
Wed 03/30/11 Boston, MA TD Garden
Tue 04/05/11 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center
Sat 04/09/11 Chicago, IL United Center
Sun 04/10/11 Detroit, MI Joe Louis Arena
Fri 04/15/11 Phoenix, AZ US Airways Center
Sat 04/16/11 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl

Requests for passes are already coming in. If you wait, you're late.

Visit BackstagePassDirect and request your member passes now.

Setlist: Weezer

BPD member Weezil got to be backstage with his faves Weezer recently and reported this setlist:

Memories

If You're Wondering If I Want You To (I Want You To)

Troublemaker

Pork and Beans

Beverly Hills

Keep Fishin'
(Brian Bell on lead vocals)

Photograph

Island in the Sun

Hash Pipe

Falling For You

. Encore:

My Name Is Jonas

No One Else

The World Has Turned and Left Me Here

Buddy Holly

Undone - The Sweater Song

Surf Wax America

Say It Ain't So

In the Garage

Holiday

Only In Dreams
(Josh Freese on drums)

Never been backstage before? Nowz your chance; join us today.

Janet Jackson Number Ones, Up Close and Personal Tour

Janet Jackson will be bringing her Number Ones, Up Close and Personal Tour to North America. The legendary Icon took the suggestions of her fans to heart and after her start in Asia she will be bringing the tour to the United States. Janet will be performing songs from her 35 number one hits in 35 global cities.

This tour will differ from her previous concert schedules in that she will perform music exclusively from her chart topping CD NUMBER ONES. There will also be a focus on venues that will allow Janet to be up close and personal in a much more intimate setting. In each selected city, she'll offer something different to her performance so no show will be the same. This tour is Janet more revealed, more intimate, and more personal than ever before. Don't look for special effects. Just listen to and look at Janet, as you have never seen her before.

Janet has expressed her gratitude and excitement for the upcoming shows in North America with the following statement:

"I thank my fans who have voted and helped me choose the cities we are announcing today. Each of you are so important to me. These concerts will be different from anything I have ever done. I will be as up close and personal as possible. These concerts are not about special effects. This is a love affair between me and those of you who have supported me and my work for all these years. I'll be singing and dancing from my heart. The music will all be songs that you've made number ones for me. Let's go!"

The US and Tour Dates are as follows:

Houston, TX March 4 Reliant Stadium

Chicago, IL March 7 & 8 The Chicago Theatre

Uncasville, CT, March 16 Mohegan Sun Arena

New York, NY March 18 Radio City Music Hall

Washington, DC March 22 DAR Constitution Hall

Atlantic City, NJ March 25 & 26 Borgata Spa & Resort Event Center

Atlanta, GA March 29 Fox Theatre

Saint Louis, MO March 31 Fox Theatre

Grand Prairie, TX April 2 Verizon Theatre

Denver, CO April 6 Wells Fargo Theatre at the Colorado Convention Center

Phoenix, AZ April 8 Comerica Theatre

Santa Barbara, CA April 9 Santa Barbara Bowl

Los Angeles, CA April 14 Gibson Amphitheatre

San Francisco, CA April 19 Bill Graham Civic Auditorium

Las Vegas, NV April 22 & 23 Caesars Palace - The Colosseum

Janet is honoring a limited number of passes for her shows. Become a BackstagePassDirect member and request your passes today.

Setlist: Prince

BPD member OhSoGr8 recently got the chance to be backstage at the Purple One's show; here's the setlist he sent us:

            The Beautiful Ones

            Let's Go Crazy

            Delirious

            999

            Little Red Corvette

            Uptown

            Raspberry Beret

            Cream

            Cool
            (The Time cover)

            Let's Work

            U Got the Look

            The ? Of U

            Purple Rain

        . Encore:

            Kiss

            She's Always in My Hair

            If I Was Your Girlfriend
            (With Janelle Monae)
        .
            Condition Of The Heart

            Do Me, Baby

            I Wanna Be Your Lover

            How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore

            Sometimes It Snows in April

        . Encore :

            Jungle Love
            (The Time cover) (With Cyndi Lauper and Egypt Sherrod)

Backstage at a Prince show? What else need be said? You want some? Come and get some!

Who Made the Big Bucks in 2010?

Welcome to 2011; glad you could make it.

As always, we start out the new year by looking at who made all the money last year................and as is often the case, there are a few surprises.

But let's begin by making some comparisons:

The Top 50 Tours Worldwide grossed a combined $2.93 billion which was down about 12% from last year's $3.34 billion. Total tickets sold was 38.3 million which was down about 15% or 7 million from 2009's 45.3 million. Total show count was down about 8% to 2,650. The only number to increase was the average ticket price which went up $2.86 or about 4%.

The Top 50 Tours in North America grossed a combined $1.69 billion which was down about 15% from last year's $1.99 billion. Total tickets sold was 26.2 million which was down about 12% from 2009's 29.9 million. Total show count was down about 3% to 2,114. Unlike the Worldwide chart, the average ticket price in North America dropped $1.55 or about 2%.

We'll leave you to draw your own conclusions, but we can say that in general, the international concert business was stronger than in North America where overbooked and overpriced shows at outdoor amphitheatre venues made it an especially difficult year.

OK, now on to the winners. In the Number #1 slot for North America was Bon Jovi, which played 51 shows on this continent and 80 overall, grossed $108 million here and $201 million total. The BJ tour knocked out all competition by a wide margin.

Roger Waters and AC/DC take up the No. 2 spots.

AC/DC, which has been on a rock ‘n’ roll train since 2008, put on 40 shows worldwide; its $177 million income became the second-highest grossing tour worldwide. Waters launched the phenomenal Wall tour in Toronto and spent 2010 Stateside, landing the No. 2 slot for North America. And even with a midyear start, that tour has grossed almost $90 million playing multiple nights in 35 cities. (Waters could be globetrotting through 2012, we're told.)

Rounding out the top 10 North American tours are Dave Matthews Band ($72.9 million), Paul McCartney ($61.8 million), Michael Bublé ($65.7 million), Eagles ($64.5 million), Lady Gaga ($51 million), James Taylor / Carole King ($50.7 million), The Black Eyed Peas ($50.5 million) and John Mayer ($49.9 million).

Worldwide it’s Bon Jovi and AC/DC, then U2 ($160.9 million), Lady Gaga ($133.6 million), Metallica ($110.1 million), Michael Bublé ($104.2 million), McCartney ($93 million), Eagles ($93.3 million) and Roger Waters, whose $89.5 million stateside still made The Wall Live one of the top-grossing tours worldwide.

Who'll tear up 2011? We'll have to wait and see. But if you want to be a part of the backstage action, you'll have to be a member. Go to BackstagePassDirect and join today!