Eddie's first Post-Rehab Appearance

From Billboard.com

Eddie Van Halen will serve as an honorary NASCAR official this weekend in what will be the guitarist's first post-rehab appearance. Van Halen will participate Friday (April 20) in pre-race activities at the Subway Fresh Fit 500 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series event at the Phoenix International Raceway, unveiling a limited edition Fender Stratocaster guitar series. Additionally, he is set to greet drivers on the pre-race stage the following day as they are introduced prior to the start of the race. As previously reported, the guitarist entered a rehabilitation facility early last month, four days before he and his Van Halen bandmates were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in New York. As such, he skipped the Rock Hall ceremony -- along with lead singer David Lee Roth and drummer Alex Van Halen. Ironically, only ex-members Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony were present to represent the band that night. The guitarist's personal travails contributed to the cancellation of a planned summer Van Halen tour with Roth on vocals for the first time in 20+ years.

How about that sweet pic above!? I think that's my favorite Van Halen pic of all time. Also, here is a pic of the Eddie Van Halen Frankenstein™ replica guitar which is an exact replica of Eddie's original strat right down to the 1971 quarter he put underneath his tremolo. There will only be 300 made. It looks pretty kick ass. Check out more about the Eddie Van Halen Frankenstein here.

The Bad Plus - A Jazz collective doing a Prog album - Very Cool

The Bad Plus is a collective made up of bassist Reid Anderson, pianist Ethan Iverson, and drummer David King who are currently doing a project called "Prog" (out May 8th) which judging by the incredible version of RUSH's Tom Sawyer will be an album made up of different cover versions of some of the greatest prog bands around...but not in the fashion we normally hear cover songs...bland remakes that try to perfectly emulate the song which is good for a quick laugh...no, no, no! Not here!

So you're probably asking yourself.."So, what am I to expect? Why do I need to hear cover tunes of prog songs I already love?" well...because these cover tunes are done in a jazz/fusion style where the music stands alone while still capturing the essence of the original song which is a very hard thing to do. But they somehow manage to do it! Take 5 parts accomplished jazz, 3 parts experimentation, and 1 part cover song and you get The Bad Plus. Definitely worth checking out.

There is also a really good blog written by pianist Ethan Iverson called Do the Math (it seems they are Big Lebowski fans). Lastly, if ya want to check 'em out live, here is their tour schedule.

Go see 'em! (You know they're good if playing a couple dates w/ Mike Stern)

May 2007

06 College Park, MD -- Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
08 San Diego, CA -- Saville Theater
09 Santa Barbara, CA -- Soho Restaurant and Music Club
10 Oakland, CA -- Yoshi's
11 Oakland, CA -- Yoshi's
12 Oakland, CA -- Yoshi's
13 Oakland, CA -- Yoshi's
14 Santa Cruz, CA -- Kuumbwa Jazz Center
15 Los Angeles, CA -- The Mint
16 Los Angeles, CA -- The Mint
17 Seattle, WA -- Dimitriou's Jazz Alley
18 Seattle, WA -- Dimitriou's Jazz Alley
19 Seattle, WA -- Dimitriou's Jazz Alley
20 Seattle, WA -- Dimitriou's Jazz Alley
22 Portland, OR -- Berbati's Pan
23 Bellingham, WA -- The Nightlight Lounge
25 Boulder, CO -- Boulder Theater
27 Atlanta, GA -- Atlanta Jazz Festival

June 2007

15 Paris, FR -- Festival Jazz de la Defense
17 Amsterdam, NL -- BimHuis (TBP only}
19 Amsterdam, NL -- Theater Carre (w/ Mark Morris Dance Group)
20 Amsterdam, NL -- Theater Carre (w/ Mark Morris Dance Group)
23 Winnipeg, CA -- COOL Jazz WInnipeg Festival
24 Calgary, CA -- Calgary Jazz Festival
26 Vancouver, CA -- Vancouver Jazz Festival (opening for Joshua Redman)
28 Montreal, CA -- Le Festival Int'l De Jazz De Montreal (w/ Mike Stern)

30 New York, NY -- The HighLine Ballroom

Kevin Costner Sues Music Promoter

http://entertainment.msn.com/news/article.aspx?news=257406

The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES -- Kevin Costner has sued a music promoter, claiming the company reneged on a contract to back the actor's fledgling music career.

Costner, 52, filed the lawsuit Tuesday in Superior Court. The suit accuses Mahee Worldwide Ventures Inc. of breach of contract and fraud. Costner is seeking damages in excess of $8.5 million.

Costner is the lead singer in the Kevin Costner Band, for which he also writes songs. He also has a company, Kevin's Music LLC, that manages his musical activities.

The lawsuit claims Costner's company and the promoter entered into a two-year agreement in January that would allow the actor's band to perform in as many as five concerts each year. Mahee also would create and maintain a Web site marketing Costner's band, the lawsuit said.

But Mahee has failed to hold up its end of the deal, according to the lawsuit.

"Defendants made numerous promises regarding their capabilities to promote Mr. Costner's music and (their) willingness to pay for the right to do so," the lawsuit stated. "Instead of following through on their promises, defendants continued to make false promises and ultimately disappeared ..."

An e-mail message left for Mahee was not immediately returned Thursday.

Chadd's Post about Reunion tours

Genesis is doing a reunion tour now.

So are Smashing Pumpkins.

and Crowded House.

Getting annoyed.

It has to be said that Crowded House had decided to reform before anyone
else did, including the police.

Anyway, the genesis reunion is only the Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford, Tony
Banks trio, no Steve Hackett or Peter Gabriel although at one point he was
seriously considering rejoining to a tour that would have been called, "The
Lamb." That would have been badass.

What the fuck Mike? Why didn't I find this out on your blog.

I guess I should have posted it. I'm just too damn lazy to figure it out.

My first post should be about the year of reunions.

But I'll probably not do it.

I snorted my father...

"The strangest thing I've tried to snort? My father. I snorted my father," Richards was quoted as saying by British music magazine NME.

"He was cremated and I couldn't resist grinding him up with a little bit of blow. My dad wouldn't have cared," he said. "... It went down pretty well, and I'm still alive."

Kieth Richards in Yahoo! music

Avril Lavigne - The Best Damn Thing (Full CD Leak)

CLEAN edit. I know, I know, it sucks but w/e. Better than nothing

1. Girlfriend

2. I Can Do Better

3. Runaway

4. The Best Damn Thing

5. When You're Gone

6. Everything Back But You

7. Hot

8. Innocence

9. I Don't Have to Try

10. One of Those Girls

11. Contagious

12. Keep Holding On

AFTER 8,000 DOWNLOADS, I THINK ITS

TIME TO TAKE DOWN THE LINK. SORRY

Are iPod Owners Sheep?

Killer ad campaign, but the iPod is still cool. I don't like the white headphones that really do mark you as one of the sheep though...

Good PC Magazine article.

It's all about SanDisk's new player. Check out iDont.com.