New Kids on the Block fill in tour schedule
New Kids on the Block have mapped out a full North American run to kick off their international reunion tour.
The trek is now scheduled to launch Sept. 19 in Toronto and visit about 35 cities across the US and into Canada through late November.
The first round of arena shows went on sale earlier this month, and sellouts have already been logged in Toronto; Atlantic City, NJ; Uncasville, CT; and Rosemont, IL, according to the New Kids website. Second nights were added in most of those markets. An updated itinerary is listed below.
The boy band, whose members are now pushing 40, gave screaming fans a taste of what's to come last week when they performed together publicly for the first time in 15 years on NBC-TV's "Today" show. They followed that with a couple of radio festivals on the East Coast.
Last month, the bandmates--Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, Jordan Knight, Jonathan Knight and Danny Wood--appeared on the "Today" show to announce they were back together and working on a new album, which is due this fall. Their first new single, "Summertime," is currently available at digital outlets and is streaming at NKOTB's MySpace page.
Concert-goers who purchase a ticket/album bundle will get the "Summertime" MP3 immediately, and their downloads will come with an additional audio program, "The Making of the Album," which includes interviews with the New Kids. Further details are available at the group's website.
As teenagers, New Kids on the Block sold more than 70 million records and racked up back-to-back No. 1 albums with 1988's "Hangin' Tough" and 1990's "Step by Step." Their R&B/pop crossover hits included "You Got It (The Right Stuff)," "Cover Girl," "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)," "Hangin' Tough," "I'll Be Loving You," "Step By Step" and "Tonight." Following the whirlwind of success and the world tours, the group quietly disbanded in 1994.
Since then, McIntyre, Wood and Jordan Knight have released solo albums; Wahlberg has made a name for himself as an actor; and Jonathan Knight became a real estate developer, according to various reports.
September 2008
19 - Toronto, Ontario - Air Canada Centre
20 - Montreal, Quebec - Bell Centre
21 - Toronto, Ontario - Air Canada Center
23 - East Rutherford, NJ - Izod Center
24 - Uniondale, NY - Nassau Coliseum
26 - Boston, MA - TD Banknorth Garden
27 - Atlantic City, NJ - Borgata Hotel & Casino Event Center
28 - Boston, MA - TD Banknorth Garden
30 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
October 2008
2 - Washington, DC - Verizon Center
3 - Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena
4 - Rosemont, IL - Allstate Arena
8 - Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center
10 - San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion
11 - Las Vegas, NV - Mandalay Bay
13 - Glendale, AZ - Jobing.com Arena
16 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center
17 - San Antonio, TX - AT&T Center
19 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
21 - Saint Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center
22 - Milwaukee, WI - Bradley Center
24 - Rosemont, IL - Allstate Arena
25 - Auburn Hills, MI - Palace Of Auburn Hills
27 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
29 - Duluth, GA - Gwinnett Center
November 2008
1 - Sunrise, FL - BankAtlantic Center
2 - Tampa, FL - St. Pete Times Forum
5 - Philadelphia, PA - Spectrum
10 - St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center
11 - Kansas City, MO - Sprint Center
12 - Omaha, NE - Qwest Center
14 - Broomfield, CO - Broomfield Event Center
15 - West Valley City, UT - The E Center
17 - Edmonton, Alberta - Rexall Place
21 - Vancouver, British Columbia - General Motors Place
22 - Seattle, WA - Key Arena
23 - Portland, OR - Rose Garden Arena
26 - San Diego, CA - San Diego Sports Arena
Former NHL-ers star in music video
TORONTO - Canadian teams may be out of the Stanley Cup playoffs, but that hasn't kept Ottawa singer-songwriter Kathleen Edwards from creating her own bit of NHL fun.
The acclaimed roots-rocker is hitting the ice with a hockey-themed music video for the song "I Make The Dough, You Get The Glory," off her current disc, "Asking For Flowers."
Former NHL-ers Marty McSorley, Paul Coffey and Brad Dalgarno join Edwards and her band for a lopsided game of shinny that also features sportscaster Dave Hodge as well as Blue Rodeo singer Jim Cuddy in a villainous role.
"I've always wanted to make a hockey video - my whole life I thought it would be the funniest thing and I've never really had a warm reception to the idea," Edwards says from San Diego, Calif., where she's on tour.
"It's about to be summer and my record company was like, 'We need to make a summer video.' I don't want to make a summer video, I want to make a hockey video!"
In the video, Edwards straps on hockey skates for a faceoff against Cuddy but finds herself woefully unprepared - she can barely stand on the ice and Cuddy has stacked his team with an all-star roster of former NHL greats.
Things take a turn for the better when Coffey, an NHL hall of famer, shows her how to skate, and enforcer McSorley shows her how to hip-check.
"There's also this little side fantasy-type moment where...there's a kissing scene!" Edwards gushes.
"It was the best day ever, I have to say, just filming this video was so fun."
Although Edwards' song, "I Make The Dough, You Get The Glory," name-drops McSorley, it isn't even about hockey.
It's about her friendship with one of her bandmates, with lyrics that pair contrasting images like: "You're the Great One, I'm Marty McSorley," referring to superstar player Wayne Gretzky and his on-ice protector.
Snagging the hockey greats for the video was a matter of connecting through managers and friends of friends, says Edwards, noting that Cuddy is a hockey nut and buddies with Coffey.
It took a few weeks of wrangling, but the 45-year-old McSorley jumped on board despite recently having hip surgery, says Edwards.
On the ice, 47-year-old Coffey impressed her with his fitness during the 10-hour shoot at St. Michael's arena in Toronto.
"I did feel his thigh and it's still about as rock hard as you can imagine," she says. "The guy's got crazy, crazy athletic legs."
Edwards and her band have been on the road for much of the playoffs, but she says they've managed to follow the race for the Stanley Cup pretty closely.
"We actually watch the games right up until the time when we hit the stage," she says.
"And then we have a guy onstage with a laptop - because he's got some effects running through it - and he gets the little updates on the scores as the game progresses if the game's not over. So, we generally know what's going on."
Edwards has spent much of the past two months on an extensive U.S. tour, but heads north for a string of dates in British Columbia and Alberta beginning May 25.
Her affection for hockey stretches back to when she was a kid, but she says it's the community vibe that surrounds the game that draws her in.
"I think I like more the spirit of hockey, which is that it brings people together - everyone meets at the bar after work and has some beers and watches the game," says Edwards, whose third disc, "Asking For Flowers," came out last month.
"I just kind of love that camaraderie of hockey, it's a real community thing for me."
The video is set for release next week.
New CD Releases, May 20: Foxboro Hot Tubs, 3 Doors Down, Donna Summer...Scarlett Johansson?!?
Foxboro Hot Tubs "Stop, Drop and Roll"
Things are heating up for the Foxboro Hot Tubs, an alter ego of platinum-plus-selling punk-rockers Green Day [ tickets ]. The band is now ready to issue its debut album under the Hot Tubs moniker--"Stop, Drop and Roll."
The Green Day guys admitted last month that they are the secret identities of the Foxboro Hot Tubs. What's the difference between the two bands? Fans can find out by listening to the new album, which features the hit single "Mother Mary," or they can go see the Hot Tubs in concert. The group kicks off an eight-show, small-venue trek today (5/19).
Meanwhile, there's no word as to when Green Day will release a follow-up to 2004's multi-platinum-selling "American Idiot," which topped The Billboard 200 chart and won a Grammy for Best Rock Album.
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3 Doors Down "3 Doors Down"
The popular alt-rock act, which has sold more than 13 million records to date, returns with its eponymous fourth album. The group reportedly spent 11 months in the studio working on the set, which follows the 2005 chart-topper "Seventeen Days."
The lead single from the new record is "It's Not My Time," which is already a radio hit. The band did, however, previously release one track from the set--the song "Citizen Soldier"--which was used in 2007 as part of a major promotional campaign for the National Guard.
The Mississippi/Nashville-based group will support "3 Doors Down" on tour with fellow alt-rockers Hinder and Staind. The trek kicks off with a Fourth of July show in Michigan.
* * *
Donna Summer "Crayons"
The '70s disco queen returns with her first studio album in 17 years. Her previous batch of new material came with 1991's "Mistaken Identity."
The 12 tracks on "Crayons"--all co-written by Summer--cover everything from pop to world music to retro-modern dance. For this project, she worked with such big-name producers and writers as Greg Kurstin (Lily Allen) and Evan Bogart (Rihanna).
Summer will tour throughout the summer in support of "Crayons." The trek begins June 24 in Nashville.
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The Dresden Dolls "No, Virginia"
The indie cabaret duo--pianist Amanda Palmer and drummer Brian Viglione--is set to release a follow-up to 2006's critically acclaimed "Yes, Virginia." "No, Virginia" is a collection of b-sides, rarities and covers (including one of the Psychedelic Furs' "Pretty in Pink"). The twosome is currently on the road, conducting a 10-city tour in support of the new album.
* * *
Scarlett Johansson "Anywhere I Lay My Head"
The Hollywood star turns to the songbook of Tom Waits with her debut CD. "Anywhere I Lay My Head" features Johansson covering 11 Waits numbers, including "Town With No Cheer," "I Wish I Was in New Orleans" and "Song for Jo."
* * *
More new releases:
Bun B, "II Trill" (Rap-a-Lot)
James Carter, "Present Tense" (Emarcy)
Flobots, "Fight With Tools" (Universal)
Julianne Hough, "Julianne Hough" (Mercury Nashville)
Mason Jennings, "In the Ever" (Brushfire)
William Joseph, "Beyond" (Warner Bros)
King's X, "XV" (Inside Out)
Sonny Landreth, "From the Reach" (Landfall)
Mates of State, "Re-Arrange Us" (Barsuk)
Jesse McCartney, "Departure" (Hollywood)
Pat Metheny, "Tokyo Day Trip--Live EP" (Nonesuch)
John McLaughlin, "Floating Point" (Abstract Logix)
Orchestra Baobab, "Made in Dakar" (Nonesuch)
The Yellowjackets, "Lifecycle" (Heads Up)
Soundtracks and scores:
"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" (Concord)
Brian Wilson Returns To Capitol For New Album
After issuing his recent work on Rhino and Nonesuch, Beach Boys principal Brian Wilson has returned to Capitol Records for the release of his next album, "That Lucky Old Sun." The set is due Sept. 2.
"That Lucky Old Sun," which centers around the Southern California of Wilson's youth, was premiered last September at London's Royal Festival Hall. The work comprises 11 new songs plus four spoken narratives written by longtime collaborator Van Dyke Parks and a vocal excerpt.
It's Wilson's first new studio album since 2004's "Gettin' in Over My Head." Also that year, he completed work on the long-unfinished album "Smile," originally intended for release by the Beach Boys in the mid-1960s.
Wilson has a handful of U.K. and North American tour dates on tap this summer, beginning June 28 in London and wrapping with a Sept. 12-14 stand at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
Here is the track list for "That Lucky Old Sun":
"That Lucky Old Sun"
"Morning Beat"
"That Lucky Old Sun" (narrative)
"Good Kind of Love"
"Forever My Surfer Girl"
"That Lucky Old Sun" (narrative)
"Live Let Live"
"Mexican Girl"
"That Lucky Old Sun" (narrative)
"California Role"
"That Lucky Old Sun" (narrative)
"Oxygen"
"Can't Wait Too Long" (vocal excerpt)
"Midnight's Another Day"
"Going Home"
"Southern California"
Inside Ashlee and Pete's Wedding
Los Angeles (E! Online) - Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz got hitched Saturday night under tents and amid tight security, but E! News has an insider's account of the top-secret wedding ceremony and reception.
The ceremony was held in the backyard of parents Joe and Tina Simpson, decorated in an Alice in Wonderland theme.
"It was magical and beautiful," says the guest, who termed the whole affair "The Joe Simpson Show."
After escorting Ashlee down the aisle, Joe Simpson regaled the 100-plus guests with funny and touching stories of his daughter before performing the brief ceremony himself. The elder Simpson got choked up throughout the ceremony, as did Ashlee and Jessica. "They were all crying," says the source. "It was very moving."
Seeming to acknowledge the challenges of marrying into the Simpson family, at one point Joe quipped, "Pete is a very patient guy."
Ashlee wore an ivory Monique Lhuillier gown with a veil for the ceremony, while the bridesmaids were draped in black Vera Wang numbers. The men wore black tuxes with skinny black ties. Guests had been asked to wear dark clothing, and most everyone did, with attire ranging from black jeans and sports coats, to fancy black tuxes and dresses.
The reception and dinner followed.
Jessica and Tony Romo sat at the wedding party table, but the guest observes, "Jessica did not look happy the entire night. She just wasn't her bubbly self. She was very subdued and she and Tony barely interacted the entire night, except for some dancing at the end.
"You could tell she was really happy for her sister, but that maybe she was a little bit sad that things aren't working out as well for her."
Jessica did, however, give a very emotional, off-the-cuff speech toast, saying that Pete and Ashlee's relationship "has inspired me to love again" and spoke very affectionately of her little sister.
"She apologized for not writing anything more formal," the guest says, "but it was very much from the heart."
Wentz's brother also gave a toast.
The guest says that for a wedding of two musicians it subdued, with a deejay and no band. "It was weird. No one was dancing. There was like nobody on the dance floor until after they cut the cake, and then people finally danced." After taking photos, the bride livened up and slipped into a "sexy black party dress" and danced. "She managed to hide her pregnancy pretty well," the source says. "She really didn't look pregnant."
Guests were required to check their cell phones and cameras outside the tent. "You could step out and make a call, but you had to check the phone in before returning back inside. It wasn't a big deal. Everyone there gets it." The reception did experience some drama. At one point later in the night, Ashlee lost one of her diamond earrings. "Pete got on the mic and told everyone to look for the earrings," the guest says. "He said they cost more than the entire wedding!" Within a few minutes, a guest found the missing baubles.
By about 1:30 a.m., the reception had died down and most guests had left. "It was beautiful. It was truly intimate and friends and family only. It wasn't a Hollywood wedding at all," says the attendee.
Guests were given a parting gift: a red box containing a cookie inscribed "Eat Me."
Good or bad, Indiana star Ford won't read reviews
CANNES, France (Reuters) - Good or bad, actor Harrison Ford will not be reading reviews of the new Indiana Jones movie, which divided the Cannes film festival's notoriously picky critics.
"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" had its world premiere at the annual festival on Sunday, and initial reaction was positive.
But with a little more time to reflect on a blockbuster that cost an estimated $185 million to make, reviews have become decidedly more mixed.
"I suppose it would be interesting, but I don't read reviews," Ford told Reuters in an interview to promote the film.
"I don't want to believe the bad stuff and I don't want to believe the good stuff. It doesn't really matter," added Ford, who reprises probably his most famous on-screen role as the whip-wielding archaeologist at the age of 65.
In Crystal Skull, he teams up again with Karen Allen, his co-star from the first Indiana Jones film in 1981.
They are up against an evil KGB agent, played by Australia's Cate Blanchett, who is seeking to harness the power of a skull which leads them on a high-octane adventure ending with a dramatic encounter with extra terrestrials.
Reviews appearing on the Internet within minutes of the end of the press screening in Cannes were largely positive.
Several, though, have since questioned the wisdom of resurrecting a successful franchise which last hit the screens 19 years ago.
"There's a reason the previous Indy film was called 'The Last Crusade'," wrote David Gritten of the Daily Telegraph. "Now it's ... time to entomb this elderly series once and for all."
"KICK YOUR BUTT"
Cannes, which is a major showcase of independent film making but thrives also on the star power Hollywood brings, has a fearsome reputation among actors and directors.
"They can kick your butt here and will if they're not happy with the movie, so I think we got a pretty good reception," Ford said, referring to the world premiere screening.
Blanchett added that veteran director Steven Spielberg was not immune to negative response.
"Steven was wanting to throw up before he went into the press conference he was so nervous about the response and I think it's because he cares," she told Reuters.
For Ford, the cinema-goer, not the critic, matters most.
"It's the people who pay to get in, and whether they are getting satisfaction for their dollars spent," he said.
Even critics underwhelmed by the latest Indiana Jones venture conceded that it would make little difference in terms of box office, which they predicted would be strong.
Studio Paramount would have preferred more unanimous praise for one of this year's biggest movies, but they were also likely to be breathing a sigh of relief that it avoided the critical mauling another recent blockbuster had in Cannes.
"The Da Vinci Code" was universally loathed in 2006, and while it went on to make an estimated $760 million at the global box office, it was an uncomfortable opening.
Ulrich Promises 'Dynamic' New Metallica Album
Metallica is "a couple of nips and tucks" away from completing its next album, which is still on target for a September release, according to drummer Lars Ulrich.
During a conference call yesterday on Thursday promoting this year's Bonnaroo Music Festival, which Metallica will headline on June 13, Ulrich told reporters that the group hopes to wrap up work on the album in time for the Memorial Day weekend holiday. Metallica recently met with a graphic designer to begin planning the package, though there's no confirmed title for the album yet and the songs still have working names.
"We sort of promised ourselves that unlike all the records we made in the '90s, [which] were just completely stressed-out and just nutty, that we were gonna try and have a little more sane environment -- and we've actually, surprising mostly to ourselves, been able to keep to that," Ulrich said. "We've pretty much finished the music now, so all the next level stuff is just starting to go down."
Ulrich said Metallica came into the project with 26 songs, which were knocked down to 14 when the group started working with producer Rick Rubin. There are now 11 slated for the album, though Ulrich said "length issues" might mean one more has to be eliminated.
"These are long songs ... we're talking seven-minute, eight-minute, nine-minute nutty-ass songs," Ulrich revealed. "We don't make them long or short on purpose; you just kind of do what feels natural. We're not really gonna edit them, (so) we're gonna lose another one at some point in the next month or so and probably end up with 10."
Ulrich described the material as "definitely pretty all over the place. There's a lot of variation, a lot of fast, slow, melodic ... kind of hardcore, nutty super-fast speed stuff. It's a little more like how some of the earlier records were a little more dynamic within the songs."
Ulrich was not sure how much of the new material Metallica will preview on the road this summer, although he said that "by the time we come to Bonnaroo hopefully we'll have some new stuff ready."
The group is playing radio festivals this weekend in Arizona and California before heading to Europe for an annual festival run that will be interrupted by Bonnaroo and the lone Ozzfest date on Aug. 9 in Frisco, Texas. An extensive North American tour is expected to follow the album's release.