Smoking Section by Austin Scaggs

Concerts

Latest

Coldplay To Get 1.4 Million Pounds For Middle East Gig

February 12, 2009 1:42 PM

This is just ridiculous.

Coldplay will receive 1.4 million pounds (around $2 million) for a one-night performance at the Emirates Palace in the United Arab Emirates. Justin Timberlake, Shakira, Elton John and Bon Jovi have all performed at the Palace, which backs up against a mile-long beach and holds about 15,000. 

Promoter Elissa Murtaza said, "Coldplay's debut performance in the Middle East is set to attract one of the biggest attendances in the UAE. Regional fans of the band have waited a long time for this show and they won't be disappointed."

They should book Carrie Underwood to play the Emirates. 

At the Grammys, she rocked about fifty times harder than Coldplay (who somehow took home awards in the rock categories). 


Concerts

Neil Young Added to Jazz Fest!

February 12, 2009 11:12 AM

Photo: Denholm/WireImage

Neil Young has just been added to the 40th annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage festival.

The two-weekend festival -- held at the Fair Grounds Race Course, April 24-26 and April 30-May3 -- include gigs by Dave Matthews Band, James Taylor, Joe Cocker, Ben Harper & Relentless7, Kings of Leon, Wilco, Bonnie Raitt, Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, Wynton Marsalis, Sugarland, Earth, Wind & Fire, Neville Brothers, The O'Jays, Erykah Badu and hundreds more.

A bit of a bummer: Aretha Franklin has canceled her appearance, citing scheduling issues. 

Click the jump for the full line-up, and click here for more info.

New Orleans needs us all... Book it now -- flights are still cheap!

(more...)


Kings Of Leon Set List, 1/29/09

January 30, 2009 1:09 PM



Concerts

Killers Destroy the Garden

January 26, 2009 11:16 AM

(Smoking Section)

Such an exciting week at Madison Square Garden. Last night we watched the Killers rock the shit out of the World's Most Famous Arena. On Thursday we'll be back for the Kings of Leon, who also sold the joint out.

We can't tell you how many times we've been to the Garden to see heritage acts like Dylan, Clapton, the StonesMcCartney, Springsteen, etc., or pop stars like Timberlake and Madonna, or reunion shows like Jane's Addiction. We're not complaining, but it truly fills us with pride to see the great rock bands of OUR generation finally start to tackle the big venues in the U.S. 

The Killers kicked things off with their new single, "Spaceman." Their twenty-song set felt like a hit parade, though many of the older tunes were awesomely rearranged, like "Sam's Town" and "Bling (Confessions of a King)." Hot Fuss cuts like "Jenny Was A Friend of Mine," "Mr. Brightside," and "Somebody Told Me" stood up to their more adventurous new cuts from Day & Age like "Neon Tiger," "Joy Ride," "Human" and "This Is Your Life." Sam's Town jams like "Bones," "Read My Mind," "For Reasons Unknown," and the set closer, "When You Were Young," blew the roof off the motherfucker. Brandon ran around the stage like a madman, Ronnie beat the shit out of his drums, and Mark and Dave held it down. They added ringers on sax and percussion.

We had the best seats in the house (just look at our photo above), but Flowers was projecting to the cheap seats. When the crowd got into, "I got soul but I'm not a soldier," the chorus was deafening.

The Killers have a handful of U.S. dates before they head out for gigs around the globe. They'll return in April to resume their U.S. tour. Click here to scope out tix.  


Concerts

Why the Hell Not? Mott the Hoople Reunite

January 16, 2009 11:36 AM

Photo: Michael Ochs Archive/Getty

For the first time in 35 years, the original line-up of Mott the Hoople will perform together, at London's HMV Apollo.

It feels like light years away, but on October 2nd and 3rd, Ian Hunter, Verden Allen, Dale Griffin, Overend Watts and Mick Ralphs will play the same stage where, in 1973, they recorded Mott the Hoople Live.

The short-lived rock group are most famous for their awesome rendition of David Bowie's "All the Young Dudes." 

Get tickets to the reunion here, if you wish.


Concerts, Reunion

Leonard Cohen Takes Manhattan

January 13, 2009 5:00 PM

Photo: Hache/AFP/Getty

It's official! Master songwriter Leonard Cohen will play his first U.S. show in fifteen years!

The gig is booked at New York's Beacon Theater for February 19th.

Last year Cohen played incredible gigs in Canada and Europe, and our colleague Andy Greene trekked up to Toronto last June to see Cohen's performance.

Here's what Andy has to say:

"Imagine how awesome it would be to see Leonard Cohen in concert, then multiply that by a thousand. The audience is stunned and mesmerized. He's got the greatest band, and when he comes out and sings, 'First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin,' it will send a chill up the back of everyone in the theater. He's 74 -- older than Elvis would be if he were still alive -- but he played for nearly three hours. 'Where Is My Gypsy Wife' was maybe the single greatest live performance I've ever seen."

Sounds pretty good! 

Tickets go on sale on Friday at 9:00 am, via Ticketmaster.


Concerts

Coachella, Pemberton Updates

January 12, 2009 2:25 PM

Photo: Shearer/Wireimage

handful of awesome acts have just been confirmed for Coachella (April 17-19 in SoCal) including Fleet Foxes, the Hold Steady, the Killers and Girl Talk. The Coachella rumor-mill is also churning up artists like the Black Keys, Blur, Neil Young, the Pretenders, the White Stripes and the Red Hot Chili Peppers

In other festival news, the Pemberton Festival, which broke into the scene last July in British Columbia, will not be going down this year. 

Last year's festival brought in 40,000 people a day, but the event was plagued by dust and thunderstorms, as well as massive lines of traffic. 

Good riddance!


Bonnaroo 365

January 7, 2009 2:09 PM

Photo: Kravitz/FilmMagic

Bonnaroo 365, a new feature at the Roo website, allows users to stream audio and video of certain sets from previous fests for the discounted price of $0.

The Raconteurs are the first to receive the 365 treatment. Fans can check out songs from their brilliant 2008 Roo set. So far, performances of "Consoler of the Lonely," "Old Enough," "Top Yourself" and "Blue Veins" have been posted, and the Rac's whole set will be stream-able when 365 officially launches on January 11.

More shows will be added to the Bonnaroo 365 page in the coming months.


Concerts

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!


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."


Concerts
Latest


Advertisement

Advertisement