Category: Concerts

Arcade Fire’s Agent Responds To Dress Code Hoopla

Everyone can stop freaking out over Arcade Fire’s request for fans to wear formal attire or costumes to the band’s 2014 North American tour. The group’s agent has assured Pollstar that fans will not be turned away for being party poopers and not dressing up.

When Arcade Fire played a handful of gigs at intimate venues under the pseudonym The Reflektors to celebrate October’s album release, attendees were also asked to take on another identity of sorts by wearing formal attire or costumes. A tweet from the band noted that “formal wear = suit, dress or fancy something …”

Now that the band has announced dates for its 2014 North American tour some fans were surprised to find that the Canadian indie rock band is still encouraging ticketholders to don their fanciest duds.

Slate writes, “For most of us, formal attire is reserved for weddings or special nights out. Trying to force otherwise ordinary rock shows into the special category strikes me as presumptuous – an attempt to reinforce the band’s status as capital-A Artists.”

But unlike some of The Reflektors gigs, in which Arcade Fire’s Twitter page reminded fans that the dress code was “MANDATORY,” the special note on Ticketmaster.com for the 2014 tour says, “NIGHT OF SHOW: Please wear formal attire or costume.”

So, don’t worry – nobody is forcing you to do anything! It’s just a little suggestion. And Arcade Fire said “please,” so at least they get points for being polite. When you go to a costume party the assumption is that you’ll arrive in a costume, but there’s always the option to be the odd-man out and not participate. If dressing up is so “not you” or if you’re totally opposed to costumes or you just hate fun, then just don’t dress up.

Arcade Fire’s agent David Viecelli of The Billions Corporation told Pollstar that venues won’t be stopping non-formal tickerholders from attending the 2014 shows.

“No, of course not,” Viecelli said. “It’s just a request, it’s just something that carried over from some of the small shows they were doing before the record came out where … a lot of people turned out in costume and it really made the event special so they just kind of wanted to continue it. Like, how can we make it a little bit more unusual or a little bit more fun to be in an arena for a rock show?

“So, no – it’s certainly not a requirement, never meant that way at all. They just think everybody will have a whole lot more fun, and so will they, if people dress up.”

I love what Toronto’s NOW magazine wrote in defense of Arcade Fire’s dress code: “Besides, don’t we put on a costume every single time we go to a show, anyhow? Every time you put on your bucket hat for a Joey Bada$$ show, or a rainbow of neon for an EDM fest, or a slouchy toque with a tank top for the Weeknd, or a mandarin-collared shirt buttoned right to your adam’s apple for this, or a destroyed denim vest for that, you’re dressing up to play the part of engaged, part-of-the-club fan, trying to assert your specialness and ultimately ending up in a sea of same-looking people.”

There you go – you can either wear your indie rock costume of “trying to look cool without looking like you care” or you can wear formal attire or a costume. Up to you.

Arcade Fire ask that you wear “formal attire or a costume” to their summer tour

One of the things I personally found most awesome about Arcade Fire’s Reflektor roll-out was the band’s persistence in maintaining their new persona, even in the face of potential commercial repercussions. Color me naive, but I do believe that if Arcade Fire had gone on The Colbert Report and actually referred to themselves as Arcade Fire, and not The Reflektors, Reflektor may have had a shot at outperforming The Suburbs.

It remains to be seen how the band will present themselves for their upcoming summer tour, though I have a hard time believing Coachella wants The Reflektors, and not Arcade Fire, as the name listed at the top of the lineup. The band does appear to be holding firm to their new dress code, though, which has been implemented for every date in support of Reflektor thus far. As Slate points out, the Ticketmaster page for Arcade Fire advises patrons to “please wear formal attire or costume.” That includes, you, KFC Yum! Center.

I doubt anyone will be kicked out for wearing a Neon Bible t-shirt, but I do disagree with Slate’s premise that it’s a “misguided attempt by a big band to retain some vestige of their erstwhile smallness.” God forbid we think outside the box every once in a while.

Arcade Fire 2013-2014 Tour Dates:
11/15 – Glasgow, UK @ Barrowland
11/16 – Glasgow, UK @ Barrowland
11/19 – Berlin, DE @ Astra
11/22 – Paris, FR @ Pavillon Baltard
11/24 – Brussels, BE @ Halles De Scharbeek
11/27 – Blackpool, UK @ Empress Ballroom
12/07 – Oakland, CA @ Not So Silent Night
12/08 – Los Angeles, CA @ KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas
01/17 – Auckland, NZ @ Big Day Out
01/19 – Gold Coast, AU @ Big Day Out
01/24 – Melbourne, AU @ Big Day Out
01/26-27 – Sydney, AU @ Big Day Out
01/31 – Adelaide, AU @ Big Day Out
02/02 – Perth, AU @ Big Day Out
03/06 – Louisville, KY @ KFC Yum Center!
03/08 – Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center
03/10 – Auburn Hills, MI @ The Palace of Auburn Hills
03/12 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Consol energy Center
03/13 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Center
03/14 – Ottawa, ON @ Canadian Tire Centre
03/16 – Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena
03/17 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
03/18 – Bridgeport, CT @ Webster Bank Arena
03/29-30 – Santiago, CL @ Lollapalooza Chile
04/01-02 – Bueno Aires, AR @ Lollapalooza Argentina
04/05-06 – Sao Paulo, BR @ Lollapalooza Brazil
04/09 – Houston, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
04/10 – Austin, TX @ Austin360 Amphitheater
04/23 – Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
04/26 – Kansas City, MO @ Starlight Theatre
04/27 – St. Louis, MO @ Verizone Wireless Amphitheater
04/29 – Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
05/01 – Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
05/02 – Atlanta, GA @ Aaron’s Amphiteatre at Lakewood
05/29/31 – Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound
06/12-15 – Aarhus, DK NorthSide Festival
06/21-24 – Scheessel, DE @ Hurricane Festival
06/21-24 – Neuhausen, DE @ Southside Festival
07/30 – Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
08/08 – George, WA @ Gorge Amphitheatre
08/11 – Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place
08/12 – Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome
08/14 – Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre
08/17 – Washington, DC @ Verizon Centre
08/19 – Boston, MA @ Comcast Center
08/22 – Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
08/23 – Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
08/26 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
08/30 – Montreal, QC @ Parc Jean-Drapeau

Arcade Fire announce ‘Reflektor’ tour for 2014

Perhaps by 2014, you will have fully ingested and processed Arcade Fire’s new album Reflektor and will thus be ready to enjoy them in a live setting. Luckily for you, they are indeed heading out on tour next year.

The Reflektor Tour kicks off on March 6 in Louisville, KY, and will take them through August 30 in Montreal. Tthe tour is broken up into three different legs: They’ll start off in hockey arenas and graduate to amphitheaters and other outdoor venues once the weather warms up.

Tickets go on sale November 22, so check out their official site for more details and purchase instructions.

Check out the whole list of tour dates below, and also give the “Reflektor” video another spin while you’re at it.

Arcade Fire’s Reflektor Tour
March 6 – Louisville, KY (KFC Yum! Center)
March 8 – Minneapolis, MN (Target Center)
March 10 – Auburn Hills, MI (The Palace of Auburn Hills)
March 12 – Pittsburgh, PA (Consol Energy Center)
March 13 – Toronto, ON, CA (Air Canada Centre)
March 14 – Ottawa, ON, CA (Canadian Tire Centre)
March 16 – Cleveland, OH (Quicken Loans Arena)
March 17 – Philadelphia, PA (Wells Fargo Center)
March 18 – Bridgeport, CT (Webster Bank Arena)
April 9 – Houston, TX (Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion)
April 10 – Austin, TX (Austin360 Amphitheater)
April 23 – Denver, CO (Pepsi Center)
April 26 – Kansas City, MO (Starlight Theatre)
April 27 – St. Louis, MO (Verizon Wireless Amphitheater)
April 29 – Columbus, OH (Schottenstein Center)
May 1 – Nashville, TN (Bridgestone Arena)
May 2 – Atlanta, GA (Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood)
July 30 – Mountain View, CA (Shoreline Amphitheatre)
Aug. 8 – Seattle, WA (Gorge Amphitheatre)
Aug. 11 – Edmonton, AB, CA (Rexall Place)
Aug. 12 – Calgary, AB, CA (Scotiabank Saddledome)
Aug. 14 – Winnepeg, SK, CA (MTS Centre)
Aug. 17 – Washington, DC (Verizon Center)
Aug. 19 – Boston, MA (Comcast Center)
Aug. 22 – Brooklyn, NY (Barclays Center)
Aug. 23 – Brooklyn, NY (Barclays Center)
Aug. 26 – Chicago, IL (United Center)
Aug. 30 – Montreal, QC, CA (Parc Jean-Drapeau)

Michael Bublé Sets Canada Run

Michael Bublé’s latest success is his sixth studio album, To Be Loved, which has been selling like tickets for the Stanley Cup playoffs. As a Christmas gift to fans, Bublé will release a specially priced package featuring To Be Loved with his seasonal chart-topper Christmas. The combo will be released exclusively to Canadian retail outlets Nov. 11.

Bublé is also playing a special engagement in your living room via a Christmas television special airing Dec. 16. Check your local listings for more information.

Playing the U.S. in November, Bublé will sing his way across Europe January through March and tour Australia and New Zealand beginning late April.

Here’s the newly announced Canada leg:
June 19 – Vancouver, British Columbia, Rogers Arena
June 22 – Edmonton, Alberta, Rexall Place
June 23 – Calgary, Alberta, Scotiabank Saddledome
June 25 – Winnipeg, Manitoba, MTS Centre
June 28 – Toronto, Ontario, Air Canada Centre
June 30 – London, Ontario, Budweiser Gardens
July 2 – Ottawa, Ontario, Canadian Tire Centre
July 4 – Montreal, Quebec, Bell Centre

Shania Twain announces 2014 Las Vegas show dates

Shania Twain has added another 15 dates to her Las Vegas performing calendar.

Tickets for shows scheduled from Jan. 22 to Feb. 15 go on sale Friday.

The country superstar already has performances of Shania: Still the One set through October and into November to round out her first full year at Caesars Palace.

The five-time Grammy winner known for hits such as “Any Man of Mine” and “That Don’t Impress Me” made her debut last December shortly after parading down the Las Vegas Strip on horseback.

Her show features trained horses, a live band and a flying motorcycle.

It’s set at the Colosseum, home to fellow Canadian songstress Celine Dion.

Cher Announces ‘Dressed to Kill’ Tour

Cher is ready to hit the road on the “Dressed to Kill” tour, her first trek in eight years. The legendary performer made the announcement Monday morning on NBC’s “Today” show, telling the hosts that it won’t be easy.

“The road is horrible, but the concerts are great,” she told Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie. “I understand why guys in bands tear up hotel rooms and throw TVs out the windows, because it’s a very lonely place. The only time you have fun is at the concerts.”

The tour will visit 49 cities across North America starting March 22 in Phoenix and will include stops in major markets including Washington D.C., Philadelphia, NYC (Brooklyn and East Rutherford, NJ), Seattle and Los Angeles before wrapping up July 11 in San Diego.

A pre-sale for American Express cardholders runs Monday, Sept. 30, through Thursday Oct. 3. Online ticket-buyers will get a free copy of Cher’s new album, “Closer to the Truth,” which comes out tomorrow (Sept. 24). Further ticket info, including timing for general public sales, will be made public on Cher’s website.

Cher, 67, wrapped her “Farewell Tour” (later dubbed “The Never Can Say Goodbye Tour”) in 2005 after playing 325 dates in 20 countries over the span of nearly three years.

CHER ‘DRESSED TO KILL’ TOUR IN 2014

March 22 – Phoenix, AZ (US Airways Center)
March 24 – Houston, TX (Toyota Center)
March 26 – Dallas, TX (American Airlines Center)
March 28 – Little Rock, AR (Verizon Arena)
March 29 – Tulsa, OK (BOK Center)
March 31 – Nashville, TN (Bridgestone Arena)
April 2 – Pittsburgh, PA (Consol Energy Center)
April 4 – Washington DC (Verizon Center)
April 5 – Uncasville, CT (Mohegan Sun
April 7 – Toronto, ON (Air Canada Centere)
April 9 – Boston, MA (TD Garden)
April 11 – Indianapolis, IN (Bankers Life Fieldhouse)
April 12 – Detroit, MI (Joe Louis Arena)
April 23 – Buffalo, NY (First Niagara Center)
April 25 – Montreal, QC (Bell Center)
April 26 – Ottawa, ON (Canada Tire Centere)
April 28 – Philadelphia, PA (Wells Fargo Center)
April 30 – Columbus, OH (Nationwide Arena)
May 2 – Cleveland, OH (Quicken Loans Arena)
May 5 – Charlotte, NC (Times Warner Cable Arena)
May 7 – Raleigh, NC (PNC Arena)
May 9 – Brooklyn, NY (Barclays Center)
May 10 – East Rutherford, NJ (Izod Center)
May 12 – Atlanta, GA (Philips Arena)
May 14 – Jacksonville, FL (Veterans Memorial Arena)
May 16 – Orlando, FL (Amway Center)
May 17 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL (BB&T Center)
May 25 – Las Vegas, NV (MGM Grand
May 28 – Denver, CO (Pepsi Center)
May 30 – Lincoln, NE (Pinnacle Bank Arena)
May 31 – Kansas City, MO (Sprint Center)
June 2 – Louisville, KY (KFC Yum! Center)
June 4 – St. Louis, MO (Scottrade Center)
June 6 – Milwaukee, WI (BMO Harris Bradley Center)
June 7 – Chicago, IL (Allstate Arena)
June 9 – Des Moines, IA (Wells Fargo Arena)
June 11 – Minneapolis, MN (Target Center)
June 20 – Winnipeg, MB (MTS Centere)
June 21 – Saskatoon, SK (Credit Union Centere)
June 23 – Edmonton, AB (Rexall Place
June 25 – Calgary, AB (Scotiabank Saddledome)
June 27 – Vancouver, BC (Rogers Arena)
June 28 – Seattle, WA (Key Arena)
June 30 – Portland, OR (Moda Center)
July 2 – San Jose, CA (SAP Center) at San Jose
July 5 – Ontario, CA (Citizens Business Bank Arena)
July 7 – Los Angeles, CA (Staples Center)
July 9 – Anaheim, CA (Honda Center)
July 11 – San Diego, CA (Valley View Casino Center)

More Slayer Dates!!

Seattle and several Canadian cities are the lucky locales receiving visits from Slayer during the band’s upcoming tour. Initially featuring 17 U.S. dates for the band’s first North American tour in two years, the fall outing has reached 25 gigs and counting.

Slayer is touring with guitarist Gary Holt, who continues to fill in for the late Jeff Hanneman, Of course, you know the other members – bassist/vocalist Tom Araya, guitarist Kerry King and drummer Paul Bostaph.

The band isn’t just hanging out until October. Traveling with Iron Maiden, Slayer will play Mexico City as well as a string of South American dates this month, including a stop at Rock In Rio – Rio De Janeiro Sept. 22.

Here’s the North American tour as it stands today:

Oct. 22 – Anchorage, Ala., George M. Sullivan Sports Arena
Oct. 25 – Las Vegas, Nev., The Joint @ Hard Rock Hotel / Casino
Oct. 28 – Hollywood, Calif., Hollywood Palladium
Oct. 30 – San Jose, Calif., Event Ctr. At San Jose State Univ.
Nov. 1 – Seattle, Wash., WaMu Theater
Nov. 3 – Calgary, Alberta, Stampede Corral
Nov. 4 – Edmonton, Alberta, Shaw Conference Centre
Nov. 5 – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Prairieland Park
Nov. 7 – Winnipeg, Manitoba, MTS Centre
Nov. 8 – Saint Paul, Minn., Myth
Nov. 10 – Austin, Texas, Auditorium Shores (Fun Fun Fun Fest)
Nov. 12 – Houston, Texas, Bayou Music Center
Nov. 13 – Dallas, Texas, South Side Ballroom
Nov. 15 – Chicago, Ill., Aragon Ballroom
Nov. 16 – Detroit, Mich., The Fillmore Detroit
Nov. 17 – Columbus, Ohio, Lifestyle Communities Pavilion
Nov. 19 – Silver Spring, Md., The Fillmore Silver Spring
Nov. 20 – Pittsburgh, Pa., Stage AE
Nov. 21 – Toronto, Ontario, Ricoh Coliseum
Nov. 23 – Montreal, Quebec, CEPSUM At University Of Montreal
Nov. 24 – Quebec City, Quebec, Pavillon de la Jeunesse
Nov. 26 – Wallingford, Conn., Toyota Presents The Oakdale Theatre
Nov. 27 – New York, N.Y., Theater At Madison Square Garden
Nov. 29 – Camden, N.J., Susquehanna Bank Center
Nov. 30 – Lowell, Mass., Tsongas Center At UMass Lowell

Gojira and 4ARM support on all dates.

Mars gets Super Bowl ticket

Grammy-winner Bruno Mars will play the NFL’s Super Bowl halftime show — the annual entertainment extravaganza that last year drew more than 110 million TV viewers.

The hit-maker’s trademark fedora may come in handy at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, home of the New York Giants and New York Jets.

The NFL’s championships showcase, scheduled for February 2, will be the first Super Bowl to be held in a cold weather city without the protection of a domed stadium.

The announcement provoked some criticism in New York media, who pointed to the wealth of talented performers with New York and New Jersey roots.

But the Los Angeles Times pointed out that Bruce Springsteen has already played the Super Bowl, and Bon Jovi is in disarray after guitarist Richie Sambora’s departure from the band.

Mars doesn’t have the mega-star status of recent halftime headliners such as Madonna and Beyonce — the pop diva who thrilled the crowd at the Superdome last February with a pyrotechnic half-time spectacular that doubled as a much-anticipated Destiny’s Child reunion.

But Mars — who delivered scene-stealing performances at the MTV Video Music Awards and the Grammys — is packing fans into huge arenas on his Moonshine Jungle Tour, where he delivers suave performances with an eight-piece band.

The 27-year-old from Hawaii had written a string of hits for others before seizing the spotlight with his solo debut “Doo-Wops & Hooligans,” that featured hits “Grenade” and “Just the Way You Are.”

The pop and soul influenced “Unorthodox Jukebox” — featuring the smash hit “Locked Out of Heaven” — was released in December.

Eagles Tour Will Feature Founding Guitarist Bernie Leadon

The Eagles kick off their History of the Eagles world tour Saturday in Louisville, Kentucky, and Don Henley has confirmed reports that former guitarist Bernie Leadon will be joining them. “Bernie Leadon is definitely on this tour,” he told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “Randy Meisner, if he were healthy and willing, might have been included, too, but his current health will not permit. We are all wishing him well.”

Meisner, the group’s original bassist and lead singer of their 1975 hit “Take It to the Limit,” is still recovering from a choking incident earlier this year. “Randy was at home when something he was eating obstructed his breathing and he lost consciousness,” Poco’s Rusty Young wrote in an online note to fans in April. “[His wife] Lana rushed him to the emergency room where he got immediate care. Things are going to be a little rough for Randy for a while, but his doctors are optimistic he’ll recover from this incident. If you can, say a little prayer or just send love Randy’s way.”

Outside of a two-song set at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 1998, the Eagles haven’t performed with Leadon since he quit the band in 1975. “I just wanted some time to regroup,” Leadon told Rolling Stone in 2008. “I suggested we take some time off. They weren’t excited about that idea.”

It’s often claimed that Leadon was unhappy the band was moving away from their country rock roots when he left, but Leadon disputes that assertion. “That’s an oversimplification,” he says. “It implies that I had no interest in rock or blues or anything but country rock. That’s just not the case. I didn’t just play Fender Telecaster. I played a Gibson Les Paul and I enjoyed rock & roll. That’s evident from the early albums.”

Fans hoping that the Eagles will also invite former guitarist Don Felder onto the tour are going to be disappointed. In the band’s recent documentary he cried when recalling his departure from the band in 2001, but Henley was unmoved. “That was a poignant moment, for sure – if it was real,” he said. “But since Mr. Felder continues to engage in legal action, of one kind or another, against us, I can’t really say anything further about it.”

The group has yet to reveal exactly what material they will present on this tour, but they have promised to resurrect songs they haven’t touched in years. “We’re building a whole new stage, lights, sound, visuals, set list,” Joe Walsh told Billboard in April. “We’re going to revisit a lot of old songs and do a whole new tour based around the documentary. It’ll be quite an evening . . . There’ll be part of the show that doesn’t involve me, but I may come out and play some James Gang stuff as part of the show just to show what I was doing when ‘Witchy Woman’ came out.”

No matter happens, Henley says this could be their last hurrah. “This could very well be our last major tour,” he said. “Covering the entire globe will take us about two years. The demand has been so strong in some markets that we will have to return next year, because multiple nights at arenas just aren’t available right now. Here in the States, we have to work around the schedules of the basketball and hockey teams. So, by the time we get through this tour, it’ll be 2015 and we’ll all be in our late 60s. It’s been an incredible experience for all of us, but it may be time to say adios and bow out gracefully.”

Rolling Stones unveil tour dates

In what could be the most uneventful tour announcement ever, the Rolling Stones unveiled details for a nine, yes, nine-date North America tour.

This comes after rumours circulated for weeks that the band would be hitting 18 cities. There’s just one Canadian stop.

The tour, called 50 and Counting, will start in Los Angeles next month (tour kickoff date will be announced soon), and will make its way to Toronto on May 25 at the Air Canada Centre. Tickets for the T.O. gig go on sale April 8 via rollingstones.com and Ticketmaster.ca at 10 a.m. ET.

Here’s hoping you are getting a nice tax refund this year – the top ticket will run you a whopping $624.50 and the cheapest one will be $166.50.

The short trek ends in Philadelphia on June 18. This is just a hunch (sarcasm alert), but expect more dates to be added once the nine sell out, which will match the original rumoured 18 dates.

The band will also play London’s Hyde Park on Saturday, July 6 following a headlining appearance at UK’s Glastonbury Festival on June 29.

“’50 and Counting’ has been pretty amazing so far,” lead singer Mick Jagger said in a statement on Wednesday.

“We did a few shows in London and New York last year … and had such a good time that we thought…let’s do some more.”

Mick Taylor, who was a member of the Rolling Stones from 1969-74, will be a special guest throughout the tour.

Rolling Stone reported that Mick, Keef and co. will be paid $4-5 million per show.

50 and Counting tour dates:

TBA Los Angeles Staples Center TBA

May 5 Oakland Oracle Arena On sale April 8 @ 10AM PST

May 8 San Jose HP Pavilion On sale April 8 @ 10AM PST

May 11 Las Vegas MGM Grand Garden Arena TBA

May 15 Anaheim Honda Center TBA

May 25 Toronto Air Canada Centre On sale April 8 @ 10AM EST

May 28 Chicago United Center On sale April 8 @ 10AM CST

June 12 Boston TD Garden TBA

June 18 Philadelphia Wells Fargo Center TBA