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Another Phish Date

January 7, 2009 11:20 AM

Photo: Kravitz/FilmMagic

On top of the three shows Phish announced at Virginia's Hampton Coliseum — going down in early March — details are slowly emerging about their rumored summer tour.

A fourth date has been added, with Phish booked to play the Post-Gazette Pavilion, in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, on June 18th.

While those are the only four shows that have been announced officially, it's pretty much a done deal that Phish will play the Bonnaroo Festival in June.

Are you psyched for fresh Phish?  

UPDATE: Since we posted this story this morning, LiveNation has removed the Pennsylvania show from their site. But that, of course, doesn't mean it's not happening! The date, June 18th, falls four days after the conclusion of Bonnaroo.

UPDATE (Jan. 8, 2009): Billboard has posted a bunch of "confirmed" Phish tour dates, beginning June 4 & 5 at Jones Beach in Wantagh, NY. There's a big hole in the shedule between June 9 and June 16, when the Bonnaroo festival hits. None of the dates have been posted on Phish's website. Click here for more info. 

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More: Tour Dates

Van Morrison Takes Astral Weeks Back To New York

January 7, 2009 10:58 AM

Photo: Getty

We told you this might happen, and we're so psyched that it's true.

Last November, Van Morrison performed Astral Weeks at the Hollywood Bowl for the first time ever. It broke our heart that we had to miss that gig. 

Now Morrison has announced two gigs New York City in which he promises Astral Weeks in its entirety. Of course, Manhattan where he originally recorded his masterpiece more than forty years ago. Two shows have been booked at the Theater at Madison Square Garden for February 27th and 28th.

Also, on February 10th, Morrison will release Astral Weeks: Live at the Hollywood Bowl, which documents those amazing shows. A DVD will be released later this year.

Tracks include: 

"Astral Weeks/I Believe I've Transcended"
"Beside You"
"Sweet Thing"
"Slim Slow Slider/I Start Breaking Down"
"The Way That Young Lovers Do"
"Ballerina"
"Cyprus Avenue/You Came Walking Down"
"Madame George"

"These Hollywood Bowl concerts gave me a welcome opportunity to perform these songs the way I originally intended them to be," says Van, who admits that only one rehearsal was held before the Bowl gigs. "There are certain dynamics you can get in live recordings that you just cannot get in a recording studio. I love listening to live recordings. You get the whole thing right there, unabridged, raw and in the moment. There was a distinct alchemy happening on that stage in Hollywood. I felt it."

We wanna feel it!

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More: Concerts, New Album, Tour Dates

Tough Times for Ron Wood

January 6, 2009 10:49 AM

Photo:Duvall/FilmMagic

Rolling Stone Ron Wood is not starting 2009 on the good foot.

We were perusing the Post this morning when we came across a story by gossip maven Cindy Adams about Ron Wood's financial troubles.

Huh? He's got to be filthy rich, right? 

Well, the alleged money woes are reportedly stemming from his sordid affair with Russian cocktail waitress Ekaterina Ivanova. (Various press reports estimate her age to be somewhere between 18 and 21.) 

Last summer Wood met Ivanova at a London bar, and they apparently hit it off. But when Wood entered rehab in July, it was speculated that the dalliance was over, and that Wood might reconcile with his wife, Jo. But not so. In October, Wood moved out of his family's home. The Post reports, "Jo now figures better a divorce than continued humiliation." And it seems she's got the ammo to take Wood to the cleaners.

With Wood's funds allegedly running low, and no Rolling Stones tour in the works, Wood has been banking on a Faces reunion.

Perfect!

Problem is that when the Faces -- Rod Stewart, Ian McLagan, Kenney Jones and Wood -- reunited recently for a rehearsal, the music sounded great but the vibes were bad. The members apparently can't get along, resulting in no tour.

As if things couldn't get any worse, his former manager, Nick Cowan, has just written a tell-all book called Fifty Teabags and a Bottle of Rum. The book follows Wood's exploits and features plenty of sex, drugs and rock & roll. It also details Wood's affairs over the years, including a one-nighter with model Kelly LeBrock. Cowan had been Wood's manager for 22 years, keeping all his secrets hush-hush, but when Wood replaced him with his wife's son, James, Cowan spilled the beans.

Sad.
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More: Drama

Allman Brothers Band Return To the Beacon To Toast Skydog!!!

January 5, 2009 10:09 AM

Photo: Ufberg/Wireimage

After the Allman Brothers Band flaked out on last year's installment of their annual residency at New York's Beacon Theatre (with a good excuse, frontman Greg Allman was recovering from Hepatitis C), the band has announced they will return to the venue in March!

The ten-date run at the Beacon will kickstart March 9th. Since 1989, the Allmans have played the theater more than 175 times.

"I'd love to tell you what we have planned," Gregg Allman told Billboard, "but it's just kick-ass, that's all I can tell you."

Well, the Smoking Section can tell you a little more. It seems that the gigs -- which celebrate the Allmans' 40 year anniversary -- will be billed as tributes to Duane "Skydog" Allman, the band's legendary guitarist, who was killed in a motorcycle accident in 1971, weeks before his 25th birthday. 

Special guests like Boz Scaggs (Duane tore shit up on his 1969 epic "Loan Me A Dime") and Eric Clapton (who teamed with Skydog for Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs) will almost certainly be on hand. Also, look out for Dickey Betts to rejoin his old band!

And there ya go.

UPDATE: ABB's manager calls the Dickey Betts prediction "categorically untrue," and rumors of Clapton "premature."

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