Bruce Springsteen's camp 'Working' on US tour
The first handful of US dates have surfaced for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's upcoming world tour behind their new album, "Working On a Dream," which reaches stores tomorrow (1/27).
US stops so far confirmed by promoters include San Jose, CA; Charlottesville, VA; Washington, DC; and Pittsburgh, PA; and tickets for each of those shows are scheduled to go on sale Feb. 2. Many more dates are in the works. Last week, Springsteen's camp nailed down plans for a half-dozen European shows scattered from early June through early July.
"Working on a Dream," the follow up to 2007's platinum-certified "Magic," is Springsteen's 24th album. The set--his fourth to feature producer Brendan O'Brien behind the knobs--features 12 new Springsteen compositions and two bonus tracks.
Springsteen's new album and tour will get a huge promotional boost on Feb. 1, when he performs during the halftime show at Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, FL.
The Boss made another high-profile appearance during the inaugural festivities for President Barack Obama when he teamed with U2, Stevie Wonder, Garth Brooks and other big-name acts for a free, inaugural-kickoff concert in Washington, DC.
April 2009
1 - San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion
May 2009
5 - Charlottesville, VA - John Paul Jones Arena
18 - Washington, DC - Verizon Center
19 - Pittsburgh, PA - Mellon Arena
Laserdisc - Goodbye old friend
Pioneer has closed the doors on it's final three Laserdisc production lines today. Twelve years after the lauch of DVD, Laserdisc graciously made way with class (despite some fearful resistance from the LD owners of that day). So power on your Pioneer Elite today and watch The Godfather Collection, the original Star Wars, Frighteners, The Jaws documentary, Dune or Chasing Amy.
And do you remember: "Leonard Nimoy Demonstrates the Magnavox LaserVision Player".
Good times!!
New CD Releases, January 27th: Bruce Springsteen, Franz Ferdinand, Renee Olstead
Bruce Springsteen "Working on a Dream" (Columbia)
The Boss is set to release his 24th album, "Working on a Dream." The album follows 2007's "Magic," which reached platinum status and scored two Grammy Awards.
"Working on a Dream" was recorded with Springsteen's best-known group of musical cohorts, the legendary E Street Band. It features 12 new Springsteen compositions plus two bonus tracks, and it marks the Boss man's fourth collaboration with Brendan O'Brien, who produced and mixed the record.
Springsteen has been busy advancing the album in a variety of high-profile ways. Most notably, he recently teamed with Bono, Stevie Wonder, Garth Brooks and other big-name acts for a free concert in Washington, DC, that marked the start of inaugural festivities for President Barack Obama. He'll receive even more exposure when he performs during the halftime show at the Feb. 1 Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, FL.
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Franz Ferdinand "Tonight: Franz Ferdinand" (Sony)
The Scottish rock band, which is named after historical figure Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, returns with its third studio release. The set follows the band's 2004 eponymous release and 2005's "You Could Have It So Much Better."
"Tonight: Franz Ferdinand" was produced by Dan Carey, whose credits include working with Lily Allen, Hot Chip and Brazilian Girls. The first single from the album is the track "Ulysses."
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Renee Olstead "Skylark" (Reprise)
The 19-year-old vocal sensation, who received a big boost in popularity after performing on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," finally releases a follow-up to her self-titled 2004 set, which hit No. 2 on the jazz charts.
Olstead is backed on "Skylark" by several accomplished players, including producer/arranger David Foster (who performs on strings, horns, piano and other instruments), trumpeter Chris Botti and pedal-steel wizard Robert Randolph.
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Various Artists "2009 Grammy Nominees" (Rhino)
Get ready for the so-called "biggest night in music" by listening to this collection of Grammy-nominated artists/tracks. The 20-track disc includes such offerings as Coldplay's "Viva la Vida," Radiohead's "House of Cards," Ne-Yo's "Closer," Maroon 5's "Won't Go Home Without You" and Jonas Brothers' "Burnin' Up." The Grammys will be held Feb. 8 in Los Angeles and air live on CBS.
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John Frusciante "The Empyrean" (Adrenaline)
Frusciante, an artist best known for his guitar work in The Red Hot Chili Peppers, is set to release his 11th solo record. "The Empyrean," said to be a concept record, features contributions from fellow Chili Pepper Flea, Modest Mouse man Johnny Marr and others.
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More new releases:
The Bird and the Bee, "Ray Guns are Not Just the Future" (Blue Note)
Pat Green, "What I'm For" (RCA)
Hoobastank, "For(n)ever" (Island)
Keith Jarrett, "Yesterdays" (ECM)
Dean Martin, "Amore" (Capitol)
Steve Martin, "The Crow: New Songs for the 5-String Banjo" (40 Productions)
Paul McCartney, "Amoeba's Secret" (EP) (Hear Music)
Kylie Minogue, "Boombox" (Astralwerks)
Mark Olson, Gary Louris, "Ready for the Flood" (New West)
Enrico Rava, "New York Days" (ECM)
Duncan Sheik, "Whisper House" (RCA)
Various Artists, "Wow Gospel 2009" (Verity)
Various Artists, "WWE: The Music, Vol. 9" (Sony)
Soundtracks and scores:
"World's Fair: To Broadway with Love" (DRG)
McCartney, Radiohead To Rock Grammy Telecast
Paul McCartney, Radiohead, Justin Timberlake and the quadruple threat of Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, T.I. and Kanye West have been added to the performance lineup for the 51st annual Grammy Awards, to be held Feb. 8 at Los Angeles' Staples Center.
McCartney will be backed by Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl on drums, while Radiohead will be making its first live U.S. television performance in nearly nine years.
Meanwhile, Jay-Z, Wayne, T.I. and West will team to perform the hit single "Swagga Like Us," while T.I. and Timberlake will also perform together.
Previously announced Grammy performers include Kenny Chesney, Coldplay, Jennifer Hudson, Jonas Brothers, Katy Perry and Carrie Underwood.
Streep, Penn win lead-acting honors at SAG
LOS ANGELES – Meryl Streep of the Roman Catholic drama "Doubt" and Sean Penn of the Harvey Milk film biography "Milk" won lead-acting honors Sunday at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
The prize for overall cast went to the rags-to-riches saga "Slumdog Millionaire," while Heath Ledger of the Batman blockbuster "The Dark Knight" and Kate Winslet of the Holocaust-themed drama "The Reader" took supporting honors.
"Can I just say there is no such thing as the best actress, you know? There is no such thing as the greatest living actress," said Streep, the Academy Awards record-holder with 15 acting nominations, including one for "Doubt," in which she plays an old-school nun in a war of wills with a priest.
"I am in a position where I have secret information, that I know this to be true," she said. "I am so in awe of the work of the women this year — nominated, not nominated — so proud of us girls. And everybody wins when we get parts like this."
The honors raise winners' prospects to take home Hollywood's big prizes at the Academy Awards on Feb. 22.
Two-time Oscar winner Streep's best-actress competitors this time will include Winslet, who was nominated by Oscar voters in that category rather than the supporting one for "The Reader."
Oscar winner Penn played gay-rights political pioneer Milk but said the film had a universal theme.
"As actors, we don't play gay, straight. We don't play any of these kinds of people. We play human beings, and this movie is something that all of us involved are so proud of," Penn said. "This is a story about equal rights for all human beings."
A low-budgeted film with a cast of unknowns, "Slumdog Millionaire" continued to live up to its story line about a poor boy who rises from squalor on the streets of Mumbai to find love, fame and fortune as a champion on India's version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire."
"Slumdog Millionaire" dominated the Golden Globes and has 10 Oscar nominations, including best picture.
Co-star Anil Kapoor, accepting on behalf of the "Slumdog" cast, dedicated the award to the children in the cast.
"They deserve this award. They set our performances," he said. "It's the children who've done it, not us."
Ledger's supporting-actor prize for his sociopathic reinvention of Batman bad guy the Joker put the late actor a step closer to becoming just the second performer to win a posthumous Academy Award. The first was Peter Finch, the best-actor recipient for 1976's "Network."
The award was accepted by "The Dark Knight" co-star Gary Oldman.
"I'm quite emotional," Oldman said. "It is a great honor to be asked to accept this on behalf of Heath. He was an extraordinary young man with an extraordinary talent, and it is wonderful that you have acknowledged that and honored that talent tonight."
Oscar buzz has been flying over Ledger's performance since before his death just over a year ago from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs. With the SAG win and the Golden Globe, Ledger seems unbeatable at the Oscars.
Winslet offered a tribute to the late Anthony Minghella and Sydney Pollack, both producers on "The Reader," and said 2008 was a fabulous year for films.
"It's really an honor to be included in what I think is such a remarkable year," Winslet said. "I really feel like everybody should be given a medal."
The role already earned Winslet the same prize at the Golden Globes, where she also won lead dramatic actress for "Revolutionary Road." But at the Oscars, Winslet was nominated only for "The Reader," in which she plays a former concentration camp guard.
As it did at the Golden Globes, "30 Rock" swept the TV comedy honors, Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin taking the individual acting prizes and the show winning the ensemble cast award.
Fey, creator and star of the series set behind the scenes at a sketch-comedy show, lobbed a wisecrack at Hollywood producers, who have battled Hollywood trade guilds over actors, writers and others' share of potential profits from Web programming.
Joking that one day, her young daughter would be old enough to watch reruns of "30 Rock" on the Internet, Fey said: "She'll look up at me and say, `What do you mean, you don't get residuals for this?'"
Hugh Laurie, who won his second straight SAG prize for best actor in a TV drama for the medical show "House," joked that he was disappointed one of his fellow nominees did not win.
"I actually had a hundred dollars on James Spader (of "Boston Legal")," Laurie said. "This is just not my night."
Sally Field earned the TV drama actress award for the family series "Brothers & Sisters," while the advertising saga "Mad Men" was named best drama show.
Accepting alongside his cast mates, "Mad Men" star Jon Hamm had kind words for the show's "dozen of viewers."
Before the show, "The Dark Knight" won SAG's honor for best movie stunt ensemble, while "Heroes" took the same prize for television.
James Earl Jones was honored with the guild's lifetime-achievement award for a career that included roles in "Dr. Strangelove," "Field of Dreams," "Cry, the Beloved Country" and "The Man," in which he played the first black U.S. president.
The ceremony featured clips highlighting Jones' rumbling bass voice as the mouthpiece of "Star Wars" villain Darth Vader, the noble patriarch in "The Lion King," even cable news with his "This is CNN" announcements.
"I want to thank you for all the work that you do," Jones told the audience, quoting the Book of Genesis on how God breathed life into man. "I don't mean to embarrass anybody by comparing the actor to God, but once we've taken the role, we have a similar responsibility to breathe life into that role, and only the actor can do that."
Here is the complete list of winners of the 15th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards:
Movies:
_Cast: "Slumdog Millionaire."
_Actor in a leading role: Sean Penn, "Milk."
_Actress in a leading role: Meryl Streep, "Doubt."
_Supporting actor: Heath Ledger, "The Dark Knight."
_Supporting actress: Kate Winslet, "The Reader."
_Stunt ensemble: "The Dark Knight."
Television:
_Drama series cast: "Mad Men."
_Actor in a drama series: Hugh Laurie, "House."
_Actress in a drama series: Sally Field, "Brothers & Sisters."
_Comedy series cast: "30 Rock."
_Actor in a comedy series: Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock."
_Actress in a comedy series: Tina Fey, "30 Rock."
_Actor in a movie or miniseries: Paul Giamatti, "John Adams."
_Actress in a movie or miniseries: Laura Linney, "John Adams."
_Stunt ensemble: "Heroes."
_Life Achievement: James Earl Jones.