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Busta Rhymes' "Bang" Sells Big
BUSTA RHYMES' The Big Bang sold 209,000 copies its first week out to land the rapper at Number One on the chart, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The DIXIE CHICKS clocked in at Number Two again, selling another 130,000 copies of their RICK RUBIN-produced album, Taking the Long Way, and marking the trio's sixth platinum album. AFI's Decemberunderground also continued strong, selling 104,000 copies (Number Three). Other big debuts this week include Canadian new-metal act THREE DAYS GRACE's One-X (78,000, Number Five) and BILLY JOEL's 12 Gardens Live, the live concert CD documenting the Piano Man's twelve-night engagement earlier this year at New York's Madison Square Garden (44,000, Number Fourteen).
Weezer Singer Weds Longtime Sweetheart on a Malibu Beachfront
Producer RICK RUBIN and WEEZER members of yesterday and today (including MATT SHARP of the RENTALS) helped celebrate the wedding of frontman RIVERS CUOMO and Kyoto Ito on Sunday. The ceremony, held in Paradise Cove, Malibu, featured a "fine live string quartet" and "delicious vegan fare," according to an official posting on Weezer's message board. Cuomo and Ito met at a show in Massachusetts back in 1997. The singer's big day comes right after another: his long-time-coming June 8th graduation from Harvard, where he studied English.
Ramones Musical to Debut in London
A musical based on the songs of the RAMONES, Gabba Gabba Hey!: A Lower East Side Love Story, opens July 31st and runs through August 5th at London's KOKO theatre. The show features a house band helmed by former CLASH guitarist NICK SHEPPARD and a cast that includes ANGIE BOWIE, TONY JAMES, HUGH CORNWELL and musical director/last-Ramone-standing TOMMY RAMONE.
My Chemical Romance and Taking Back Sunday Team Up
MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE fans were given a special gift yesterday, as the band released online presale tickets for two shows they're splitting with fellow Warped Tour favorites TAKING BACK SUNDAY. The site, mychemicalromance.ducatking.com, has already shown the signs of demand outweighing supply. General public tickets for the September 3rd show in Syracuse, New York -- also featuring SAY ANYTHING and the HONORARY TITLE -- at the New York State Fairgrounds go on sale this Saturday through Ticketmaster. The September 2nd Allentown, Pennsylvania show at the Great Allentown Fair -- featuring Say Anything and HOT LIKE A ROBOT -- has yet to go on sale, but you can find those tickets at ticketmaster.com/venue/16398 in the near future.
"Top of the Pops" Goes Off the Air
Declining singles sales and twenty-four-hour music channels are being blamed for the sudden death of Top of the Pops, the BBC institution that began forty-two years ago with a ROLLING STONES performance of "I Wanna Be Your Man." In its Seventies prime, the show averaged 19 million viewers. July 30th will be its final airing.
Modest Mouse Nix Dates, Head Into the Studio
The dates are still more than a month away, but MODEST MOUSE have pulled out of a brief, early August trek through California (Santa Barbara, Sacramento) and Oregon (Bend, Troutdale). According to the official Modest Mouse site, the band is currently on lockdown in a Mississippi studio with producer DENNIS HERRING (COUNTING CROWS, JARS OF CLAY), completing the follow-up to its breakthrough album, Good News for People Who Love Bad News.
New Head of Rock Hall of Fame Named
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation announced this week that veteran entertainment executive Joel Peresman has been named CEO and President. Peresman was formerly executive vice president of famed New York venue Madison Square Garden, overseeing several aspects of events at both MSG and historic Radio City Music Hall, and COO of Clear Channel Entertainment's tri-state music operations. While the Hall of Fame is located in Cleveland -- the first induction ceremony was held there in 1986 -- Peresman will operate out of New York.
Former "Idol" Contestant Harris Brings Album
New Orleans native JUDD HARRIS, also known as a semi-finalist from the fourth season of American Idol, will celebrate the release of his debut on July 7th at New York's Knitting Factory. Harris' band, VISIBLE FROM SPACE, brings a funk-rock sound on Fly -- as well as a guest appearance from fellow Idol castaway SARAH MATHER on the song "We All Want to Believe."