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Yesterday we rang up our drinking buddy Kid Rock at the adult amusement park he calls home, near Detroit. We called to congratulate Rock for selling out all 35,000 seats of Comerica Park -- home of the Detroit Tigers -- in less than thirty minutes! Tickets went so fast for the July 17th hometown show that they added another night. “We try to do a lot of stuff to make it so everybody can come out,” he says. “The most important thing is keeping tickets right. Not to get greedy.” Those gigs are part of a huge Summer tour of the U.S.    

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Country legend Merle Haggard is recovering after doctors removed a cancerous tumor from his lung. The singer had originally declined treatment when he was diagnosed with the cancer in May, but friends and family were able to persuade him into surgery. The 71-year-old Haggard is recovering at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital and is said to be in stable condition.

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Deftones bassist Chi Cheng is in "serious but stable condition" in a San Jose, CA hospital after being involved in a car accident on Monday. Some reports claim he is in a coma, while a statement from the band says he is in the ICU under the supervision of doctors.

"I don't know everything that's going on - I just know it's very serious," Deftones singer Chino Moreno said in an interview with the Sacramento Bee yesterday. "I'm on my way to be with his family. I'm pretty freaked out about it."

Cheng's mother requests that everyone say a prayer for the 38-year old musician and accomplished poet. 

Let's do it.

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Oscar nominee Joaquin Phoenix announced Monday that he'll be quitting films to pursue a career in music. According to Phoenix's camp, the born again musician is collaborating on a debut record with British rocker Tim Burgess of the Charlatans.

The actor told People back in 2004, "I don't sing. I don't even hum in the shower", but of course took vocal lessons and learned guitar for his decent turn as Johnny Cash in 2005's biopic Walk The Line. 

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After surviving a deadly plane crash less than a month ago, DJ AM will hit the stage with Jay-Z tonight for the grand re-opening of the Hollywood Palladium. 

"He's the greatest rapper in the world," DJ AM said. "This is the biggest thing that's happened in my career."

 

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The Beastie Boys have added three shows to their upcoming swing state tour. The five-day "Get Out and Vote" concert series now begins on October 27th in Charlotte, NC and will include performances by Jack Johnson, Ben Harper, Graham Nash, Norah Jones, Santogold, Sheryl Crow and Tenacious D. The non-partisan tour will make stops through Virginia, Ohio, and Minnesota before closing out on November 2nd at Milwaukee's U.S. Cellular Arena. 

"This election is too important to stay home," Beastie Boy Mike D told Rolling Stone. "Looking at musicians when they take on serious social issues with some degree of cynicism is probably healthy, because you don’t really ever know what people’s intentions are. But everybody is like, ‘What could I possibly do to weigh in here?’ You know we can try and make phone calls, and that’s good, but we could also probably reach a lot more people by doing this."

To pick up tickets click here.

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AC/DC have chosen Irish rock group the Answer as the supporting act for their upcoming North American tour. It's the first time the Answer have played America, but they're no virgins when it comes to opening for rock gods - they've kicked off gigs with the Who, Aerosmith and the Stones.

"It's an honor and privilege for the Answer to be offered the opportunity to support probably the greatest rock and roll act on the planet," says lead singer Cormac Neeson. "We are incredibly humbled."

Check out "Come Follow Me" below and for more info click here.

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Phish are back! After a five year hiatus, the jam-giants have booked three shows at the Hampton Coliseum in Virginia (on sale October 18), and the band plans on gigging more in 2009.

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