MUSICOLOGY 101
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Josh Groban Wants To Settle Down, What Marriage Does To Musicians

Although Josh Groban tickets will be collected in several venues this summer, the real spectacle is coming this fall.  The “You Raised Me Up” singer kicks off his highly anticipated “In the Round Tour” on Oct. 2 in Boise, Idaho.  For this outing, which ends Nov. 13 in Dallas, Groban will utilize a 360° degree stage.   The circular rostrum will allow the singer to interact with everyone in the arena.

Fans will want to mark the following dates on their calendar: Oct. 9, when Phoenix welcomes Josh Groban to the US Airways Center; Nov. 3, when Philadelphia rolls out the red carpet for Josh Groban at the Wells Fargo Center; and Nov. 12, when Houston hosts a Josh Groban concert at the Toyota Center.  For his 22-date trek, Groban will be supporting his latest opus, All That Echoes.  The oeuvre dropped in early February. 

The crooner has been doing tons of press to promote his album and tour.  During a recent interview with CBS News, Groban said he wants to settle down but his schedule makes it hard to find someone special.  Grobs is 32.

Groban is rich, handsome, and famous.  He’ll find someone… eventually.  Nonetheless, his desire for domestication made me think about musicians and marriage.  Does tying the knot help or hurt a musician’s career?  While a full survey of matrimony and popular music is beyond the scope of this article, I still think it’s interesting to look at five (semi) random artists and the first album they released after saying “I do.”

Justin Timberlake
Married: Jessica Biel (Oct. 19, 2012)
First Album as Husband: The 20/20 Experience (March 15, 2013)

Justin Timberlake’s The 20/20 Experience debuted at number one (his third in a row).  The good news about this album is the artist was able to grow and mature.  The former N’ Sync member drew from musical influences he had hitherto not used before.  The bad news is the album is a little repetitious. 

Jay-Z
Married: Beyonce Knowles (April 4, 2008)
First Album as Husband: The Blueprint 3 (Sept. 8, 2009)

Jay-Z’s The Blueprint 3 is an historic work.  It was Jay-Z’s 11th number one album and enough to move him past Elvis Presley for most all time.  Critics liked The Blueprint 3 and generally placed it as the trilogy’s second best effort.

John Lennon
Married: Yoko Ono (March 20, 1969)
First Album as Husband: Abbey Road

I wanted to include John Lennon in our quick survey because rock and roll lore says his wife, Yoko Ono, forced the ruination of The Beatles.  While that’s a bit of hyperbole, Lennon’s marriage to Ono was followed by Abbey Road, one of the greatest albums of all time.  Lennon’s first solo album, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, dropped in December of 1970.  That albumis also considered one of the greatest albums of all time. 

Billie Jo Armstrong
Married: Adrienne Nesser (July 2, 1994)
First Album as Husband: Insomniac (Oct. 10, 1995)

Insomniac was not only Billie Jo Armstrong’s first Green Day album after getting married, it was also the first album after the birth of his son.  One might expect Insomniac to be softer and more sensitive, but it was actually darker and heavier than the band’s three previous albums.  It’s a pretty decent record but it left many pundits disappointed.  The band hadn’t really changed their sound in four studio albums.


Kenny Chesney
Married: Renee Zellweger (May 9, 2005)
First Album as Husband: The Road and the Radio (Nov. 8, 2005)

Kenny Chesney met actress Renee Zellweger in January of 2005.  His tenth album, Be as You Are (Songs from an Old Blue Chair), dropped Jan. 25.  In early May, Chesney and Zellweger married.  In September, they had their marriage annulled.  In November, Chesney released The Road and the Radio.  Both albums went to number one which is silly to enumerate—it’s like saying Chesney sings in English.  Of the two albums, The Road and the Radio is more celebrated and did better at the cash register.  Chesney had quite a dramatic year in 2005 but he ended it by releasing one of his better albums.

Robert Plant Can Sing Anything

Robert Plant begins a tour of North America on June 20.  The first city on his route is Dallas, Texas.  His trek ends July 27 in Brooklyn, New York.  Robert Planet tickets will be collected all over the country including three concerts in the Pacific Northwest: the Britt Festival in Jacksonville, Oregon; the Jambase Festival in George, Washington; and the Portland Blues Festival in Portland, Oregon.  For his upcoming outing, Plant will be backed by the Sensational Space Shifters.

Plant’s exalted place in the history of rock and roll is undeniable.  His stint with Led Zeppelin has made him an icon, a legend, and a rock god.  Of course, Valhalla rolled out the welcome mat not because of some fortuitous timing or because Plant co-opted the musical genius of Jimmy Page.  No, Plant has ascended to rock’s highest stratosphere because of his immense vocal prowess.  In other words, Plant can sing just about anything.  He truly is one of rock music’s greatest singers.

Below, Musicology-101 makes its case that Plant can sing just about any type of music.  What follows are five different and distinct music genres that have benefited from Plant’s abundant talents.  What’s really amazing about this list is it doesn’t even mention the blues.  And of course, at his core, Plant is really just an extremely talented blues singer. 

Hard Rock/Heavy Metal
Let’s get the easy one out of the way first, hard rock/heavy metal.  During his days with Led Zeppelin, Plant defined the position of lead singer for a hard rock/heavy metal band.  He is the benchmark to which all others are judged.  His voice had the range, his phrasing was perfect, and his stage persona was overflowing with confidence.  If you want to front a hard rock or heavy metal band you have to study Robert Plant.

>>For more information about tickets to see Robert Plant in Los Angeles CLICK HERE!!!

Rock/Pop
After his days with Zeppelin were over, Plant wanted to show the world that he could do more than just “get the Led out.”  While he never went full on “pop,” Plant proved that he could sing more sensitive and gentler songs like “Big Log,” “In The Mood,” “Little By Little,” “Ship of Fools,” “Tall Cool One,” and "Hurting Kind (I’ve Got My Eyes on You)."

>>For more information about tickets to see Robert Plant at Red Rocks CLICK HERE!!!

Standards
In 1984, Robert Plant put together a band (featuring Jimmy Page) and recorded an album of classic songs from the 1950s.  The group was called The Honeydrippers and the album was The Honeydrippers: Volume 1.  The hit song from this project was “Sea of Love.”  Its success scared Plant because he didn’t want to be known as a “crooner.”  He hoped the EP’s big hit would have been “Rockin’ at Midnight.”  Despite Plant’s disdain over the album’s hits and misses, The Honeydrippers demonstrated that Plant could have been a successful singer in the 1950s and, if he wanted, a bona fide crooner.

>>For more information about tickets to see Robert Plant in Boston CLICK HERE!!!

Country
In 2007, Robert Plant collaborated with Alison Krauss to record and release Raising Sand.  The highly regarded work went on to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.  Raising Sand encompasses a variety of genres but it’s basically a country music joint.  In fact, the album went all the way to number two on the country charts.  Parts of the opus were recorded in Nashville and the duo covered songs penned by Mel Tellis, Gene Clark, and Townes Van Zandt.

>>For more information about tickets to see Robert Plant in Brooklyn CLICK HERE!!!

Folk
Plant has dabbled in folk music his entire career, from his days with Zeppelin all the way through his 2010 release, Band of Joy.  Plant recorded the aforementioned album with the band of the same name.  Band of Joy was popular amongst critics and garnered two Grammy Award nominations.  To hear Plant tackle more folk songs check out various Zeppelin recordings as well as the albums Raising Sand, Fate of Nations (1993), and Dreamland (2002).

Steely Dan Can Do It All: Sell Records, Win Awards, Fill Arenas

There are many reasons why Steely Dan is one of the most underrated rock bands of all-time.   One, the duo behind Steely Dan—Donald Fagen and Walter Becker—have faces for radio and less charisma than Fox News pundits.  Second, they fused rock with jazz, which, in the 1970s, was not the most popular musical genre in the world.  And finally, Steely Dan never embraced the rock persona.  They were always “anti-heroes” or “anti-hippies.”

Despite Steely Dan’s unorthodox nature, they are one of the few rock and roll bands that can do it all.  Below, we look at how the band successfully sells records, wins major awards, and consistently sells Steely Dan concert tickets.  Most bands are lucky if they achieve success in just two of the three aforementioned categories but Steely Dan can do it all.

Selling Records
Steely Dan released its first album, Can’t Buy a Thrill, in 1972.  Their ninth and latest album, Everything Must Go, dropped in 2003.  Of those nine LPs, seven have been certified Platinum with their 1977 classic, Aja, going 2x Platinum.  In the United States, a Platinum album means you’ve sold a million copies.  Five of their albums peaked inside the top ten of the Billboard 200 with another three cracking the top 20.  In total, they’ve sold more than 40 million albums during their legendary 40-year career.  Yes, bands have sold more, but Steely Dan’s album sales are consistent and they move records based on music and not on the shoulders of some marketing department.

Awards
Steely Dan’s Aja was nominated for a Grammy Award for Album of Year in 1978 and Gaucho was nominated in the same category in 1982.  As they say, the third time is a charm.  Steely Dan finally won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 2001 for their comeback special, Two Against Nature.  It was the band’s first studio album in 20 years.   Four Steely Dan albums have won Grammy Awards for Best Engineering.

Steely Dan earned those trophies.  When it comes to laying down tracks, Fagen and Becker are perfectionists.  In one documentary I saw about their masterpiece Aja, a session musician said they didn’t play musical chairs with musicians they played musical chairs with entire backing bands.  Their desire for perfection meant an album that would normally take a band a month to record took them a year—case in point, Aja took a little more than a year to finish.

In 2001, Steely Dan‘s drive for perfection got them inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Performing Live
In 1974, nearly three years after they released their first album, Steely Dan decided to give up touring and stick to the studio.  Why?  According to Becker, they didn’t really like it.  The band didn’t return to the road until 1993.  Since then, Steely Dan tours have been launched in 1996, 2000, 2003, 2006 (stretched into 2009), and 2011.  You can also add the year 2013 to that list.

Steely Dan launches its “Mood Swings: 8 Miles To Pancake Day Tour” on July 18 in Atlantic City.  The trek ends more than 40 stops later. Highlights of their upcoming outing include Steely Dan in Los Angeles on Aug. 24 and Aug. 25; Steely Dan in Philadelphia on Sept. 21; and Steely Dan in Boston on Sept. 24 and Sept. 25.

As always, Steely Dan will be backed by an all-star collection of musicians including guitarist Jon Herington, drummer Keith Carlock, and keyboardist Jim Beard.  A Steely Dan concert won’t be festooned with Broadway-like sets, costume changes, or backup dancers but the tunes will sound top notch and the musicianship will be out of this world.

Paul McCartney: His Amazing Accomplishments Since Turning 60

Paul McCartney is 70 years old (he was born June 18, 1942).  A lot of music fans half his age and younger may dismiss him as a has-been or one of those old fogeys from the 1960s that’s still living off of what he did “Yesterday.”  Young people are likely to reject the idea that Macca is still a vital and relevant force in popular music.

They are, of course, dead wrong.

Sir Paul has accomplished more in the last dozen or so years than most musicians accomplish in a lifetime.  Did his laurels help?  Sure, but after you see all the things he’s done since turning 60 (although I start when he’s 59-and-a-half) you’ll realize that most of what he’s done in the 21st century had little to do, or was only indirectly a result of, what he did in the 20th.  Below is a timeline of Paul McCartney’s main accomplishments in the past dozen years.  Musicology-101 guarantees that you’ll be impressed. 

June 16, 2001
Paul McCartney turns 59.

Oct. 20, 2001
Paul McCartney organizes and closes the “Concert for New York City.”

Nov. 12, 2001
Paul McCartney releases his 12th solo studio album, Driving Rain.  It peaks at number 26 on the Billboard 200 and sells enough copies to achieve Gold certification.

Feb. 3, 2002
Before Super Bowl XXXVI, Paul McCartney performs his song “Freedom.”

April 1, 2002
Paul McCartney launches “Driving World Tour.”  The trek sells more than $125 million in Paul McCartney tickets and is named the top concert tour of 2002 by Billboard Magazine.<

June 16, 2002
Paul McCartney turns 60.

Nov. 11, 2002
Paul McCartney releases Back in the U.S.  The live album peaks at number eight on the charts and goes on to receive double Platinum certification.

Nov. 29, 2002
Paul McCartney performs at the “Concert for George.”  He performs three Harrison compositions: “For You Blue,” “Something,” and “All Things Must Pass.”

December – 2002
Paul McCartney receives his own coat of arms from the College of Arms.  The coat of arms features a bird holding a guitar and four emblems representing The Beatles.

Feb. 6, 2005
Paul McCartney performs “Drive My Car,” “Get Back,” “Live And Let Die,” and “Hey Jude” during the halftime of Super Bowl XXXIX.

July 2, 2005
Paul McCartney opens and closes Live 8.

Sept. 12, 2005
Paul McCartney releases Chaos and Creation in the Backyard.  The studio album makes it all the way to number six on the Billboard 200 and then becomes a gold record.

Sept. 25, 2006
Paul McCartney releases his fourth classical work, Ecce Cor Meum.

June 4, 2007
Paul McCartney’s Memory Almost Full drops.  The album peaks at number three on the Billboard 200 and attains Gold status.

June 16, 2007
Paul McCartney turns 65.

Nov. 24, 2008
Electric Arguments is released.  It’s the third album from The Fireman, a group Paul McCartney formed with Youth (Martin Glover). 

July 15, 2009
Paul McCartney performs on the top of the marquee of the Ed Sullivan Theatre in New York City as part of his appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman.  McCartney, as a member of The Beatles, played at that theatre in 1964.  It was the Fab Four’s first appearance on American television and one of the seminal moments in the history of rock and roll and pop culture.

July 17, 18, and 21, 2009
Paul McCartney plays the first three concerts ever at Citi Field in New York City.

Sept. 9, 2009
The Beatles: Rock Band video game debuts. 

Nov. 17, 2009
Good Evening New York City hits store shelves.  The live Paul McCartney album breaks the top 20 and is certified Gold.

Oct. 4, 2011
Paul McCartney releases his fifth classical work, Ocean’s Kingdom.  The work was commissioned by the New York City Ballet.

Aug. 18 & 19, 2010
Paul McCartney plays the first ever concerts at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Feb. 7, 2012
Paul McCartney releases an album of standards called Kisses on the Bottom.  The albums tops out at number five.

Feb. 10, 2012
The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences honors Paul McCartney as MusiCares Person of the Year.

Feb. 12, 2012
Paul McCartney performs at the 54th Grammy Awards.

June 4, 2012
Paul McCartney closes the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Concert.

June 16, 2007
Paul McCartney turns 70.

July 27, 2012
Paul McCartney closes the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England.

Dec. 12, 2012
Paul McCartney closes the “12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief” with the surviving members of Nirvana.  The concert was seen by nearly two billion people.

May 4, 2013
Paul McCartney launches his 2013 “Out There Tour” in Brazil.  His trek comes to America in mid-May where he has ten dates scheduled including the Bonnaroo Music Festival and his first ever concert in Austin, Texas. 

>>May 18 – Paul McCartney tickets for Orlando, FL @ Amway Center
>>May 22 – Paul McCartney tickets for Austin, TX @ Frank Erwin Arena
>>May 26 – Paul McCartney tickets for Memphis, TN @ FedEx Forum
>>May 29 – Paul McCartney tickets for Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center
>>June 13-16 – Paul McCartney tickets for Bonnaroo Music Festival
>>June 25 – Paul McCartney tickets for Verona, VR @ Arena Di Verona
>>July 9 – Paul McCartney tickets Boston, MA @ Fenway Park
>>July 12 – Paul McCartney tickets for Washington, DC @ Nationals Park
>>July 19 – Paul McCartney tickets for Seattle, WA @ Safeco Field

Mumford & Sons: Best British Folk Band Of All-Time?

Mumford & Sons won the 2013 Grammy Award for Album of the Year and the 2013 Brit Award for Best British Group.  Their sophomore effort, Babel, was one of the bestselling albums of 2012 in both the U.K. and the U.S.  And for the last couple of years, Mumford & Sons tickets have been collected all over the world.  Regardless of where they perform their live shows are well-received and highly sought after.   Without a doubt, Mumford & Sons are one of the world’s top recording and live acts.

It’s early in their career but the success they’ve already achieved has made it necessary to ask “Are Mumford & Sons the best British folk band of all-time?”  While the isle has produced a bunch of great folk artists, Musicology-101 looks at just five M&S will have to pass in order to be crowned king of British folk.  They may have already passed a few of the acts listed below, and if they haven’t, they are definitely closing the gap.  If there’s one thing this list tells us, with one exception, is to be considered the best in this genre, either you or your legacy needs to be around for a long time.  For that, Mumford & Sons, who formed in 2007, has a long ways to go.

Donovan
Donovan was known in the 1960s as the British Bob Dylan.  That description wasn’t always meant as a compliment.  Donovan found fame in England and America after releasing hits such as “Sunshine Superman,” “Mellow Yellow,” “Catch the Wind,” “Atlantis,” and “Hurdy Gurdy Man.”  However, he was so closely associated with the 1960s, and was such the ideal hippie, that it hurt his career after the decade ended.  Even so, his music lived on and he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012.

>>For More Information about Mumford & Sons tickets to their show in Chula Vista CLICK HERE!

The Dream Academy
Mumford & Sons has only one album to go to catch The Dream Academy.  This English folk rock band made a name for themselves in the mid-1980s thanks to their smash-hit, “Life in a Northern Town.”   The band’s debut album went to number 20 in the U.S. but their next two albums failed to chart in the U.K.  While they’ve never duplicated the success of the aforementioned “Life in a Northern Town” they still made an important and lasting impact on the English folk rock scene.

>>For More Information about Mumford & Sons tickets to their show in Austin CLICK HERE!

Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention is the band Mumford & Sons has to usurp to become the undisputed English kings of folk.  The Convention was formed in 1967, and minus a brief hiatus, they’ve been folk rocking ever since.  Fairport Convention is widely regarded as England’s most important folk rock band and credited with incorporating elements of traditional English music into rock and roll.  The band has undergone numerous lineup changes over the years with Simon Nicol and Dave Pegg being the longest serving members.

>>For More Information about Mumford & Sons tickets to their show in Dallas CLICK HERE!

The Waterboys
Comprised over the years of musicians from Scotland, England, Ireland, and America, The Waterboys have fused Celtic folk music with good old fashion rock and roll.  Sometimes they lean more towards rock and sometimes they lean more towards folk but whatever genre they’re playing The Waterboys did it with aplomb.  They haven’t achieved much commercial success since their formation in 1983 but their music has influenced countless artists over the years including Bono, World Party, Colin Meloy, and Eddie Vedder.

Yusuf Islam/Cat Stevens
Perhaps the biggest name on this list is Yusuf Islam/Cat Stevens.  Some have called Mumford & Sons’ Babel a modern day Tea for the Tillerman, which was an album Yusuf released in 1970 (as Cat Stevens).  Also as Cat Stevens, Islam released iconic songs like “Wild World,” “Peace Train,” and “Morning Has Broken.”  During his long career, Yusuf Islam/Cat Stevens established himself as one of folk music’s best performers as well as one of its greatest songwriters.  He was born in England thus putting him on M&S’ radar.  He’s a talent they’ll definitely have to work hard to catch.

Eagles Touring To Support Own Documentary

The Eagles have launched a lot of tours during their historic career but none of have been to support a documentary.

In January, the “History of the Eagles” made its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. The following month the documentary aired on Showtime.

If you missed either showing don’t worry.  The film will be available for purchase beginning April 30.

The package will include three discs.  The documentary itself spans two of them while the third is a special concert video called “Eagles Live at the Capital Centre.”  Footage for the concert was culled from the band’s two-night stand at the Capital Centre in Washington D.C. way back in March of 1977.

To support their new documentary, the band is launching “History of the Eagles Live in Concert” tour. The trek gets underway July 6 when the Eagles visit Louisville, Kentucky.  Their outing spans 11 concerts with the final show occurring July 25 at the famed Bethel Woods Center in Bethel, New York.

Highlights of the Eagles tour include stops in Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh.

Apart from the Rolling Stones pending outing, the Eagles concerts should be one of the hottest tickets of the year.  They have been a consistent fixture on the touring scene since their triumphant 1994 return and are still considered one of rock music’s best live acts.

The Eagles are currently comprised of Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Joe Walsh, and Timothy B. Schmit.

Eagles Facts
**Based on certified sales, the Eagles are the highest grossing American rock band of all-time.
**The Eagles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.
**The Eagles have charted seven number one singles and six number one albums.
**The Eagles began a 14-year hiatus in 1980.
**The Eagles ended their 14-year hiatus with 1994’s “Hell Freezes Over Tour.”
**The Eagles’ “Long Road Out of Eden Tour” is the 12th highest grossing concert tour of all-time.
**The Eagles’ Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975) is the second bestselling of all-time after Michael Jackson’s Thriller.
**Timothy B. Schmit is the only member of The Eagles (past or present) that’s actually from California.  That’s noteworthy since The Eagles are known for their “California sound.”
**Hotel California has sold more than 32 million copies worldwide and is considered one of the greatest rock albums of all-time.  However, it lost the Grammy Award for Album of the Year to Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours.
**The Eagles have six Grammy Awards sitting in their trophy case.
**Nearly 28 years transpired between the band’s sixth album, The Long Run, and their seventh, Long Road Out of Eden.
**One of the band’s biggest hits, “Take It Easy,” was written by Glenn Frey and Jackson Browne.

“History of the Eagles Live In Concert” 2013 Tour
>>July 6 – The Eagles at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, KY
>>July 7 – The Eagles at Summerfest in Milwaukee, WI
>>July 9 – The Eagles at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, OH
>>July 11 – The Eagles at Air Canada Center in Toronto, ON
>>July 15 – The Eagles at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa, ON
>>July 16 – The Eagles at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA
>>July 18 – The Eagles at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT
>>July 19 – The Eagles at Comcast Center in Mansfield, MA
>>July 22 – The Eagles at Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.
>>July 23 – The Eagles at Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, PA
>>July 25 – The Eagles at Bethel Woods Center in Bethel, NY

John Mayer: Time To See New & Improved Guitar God Live

Sadly, the news that John Mayer broke up with Katy Perry overshadowed the announcement that the guitarist is hitting the road for the first time in three years.

Mayer is one of the best musicians of his generation. Yet, his name is seldom brought up in reference to his music but is frequently used when chronicling his high profile romances–he’s dated everyone from Jennifer Love Hewitt to Kelly Minka.

Then again, Mayer is a product of his era. He’s flourishing during a time where celebrity trumps accomplishments and shame trumps talents. Yes, guitar gods have been licentious for decades, and yes they’ve been fans of the bottle since the invention of the amp. The only difference is back in the day there wasn’t the internet, social media, and a 24-hour news cycle.

Nowadays, you can be known more for your exploits than for your compositions. That’s certainly the case with the Mayer even as he’s about to embark on a notable world tour. For the first time in a while, venues on two continents will be collecting John Mayer concert tickets but all the media seems to care about is who’s sleeping with him.

John Mayer’s 2013 Tour
After a couple of warm-up dates in April, the 2013 John Mayer tour begins in earnest July 6 in Milwaukee. His trek keeps him on the road through Oct. 5. On closing night, John Mayer entertains fans at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. Highlights of his trek include John Mayer in Toronto, Ontario on Aug. 1; John Mayer in Charlotte, North Carolina on Sept. 4; John Mayer in Atlanta, Georgia on Sept. 27.

There are more than 40 dates on Mayer’s calendar including shows in Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro. Those two South American dates are planned for mid-September.

A More Focused Mayer
Mayer’s three-year hiatus had little to do with his love life and nothing to do with writer’s block. Instead, the “Your Body Is A Wonderland” singer underwent two surgeries to repair a granuloma in his throat. His singing career was in serious jeopardy. To make matters worse, Mayer was drinking heavily and his love of scotch was not helping his throat. Mayer has been forced to cut back on the partying and the late nights. The energy he spent on boozing will likely go back into his music. That’s a good thing for fans and critics. Look for a more focused Mayer during his upcoming trek.

Red Rocks
John Mayer returns to Red Rocks (Morrison, Colorado) rather early during his tour. He’ll perform at the historic venue on July 16. His gig is sandwiched between stops in Woodlands, Texas and Ridgefield, Washington. Other iconic venues on his schedule, besides the aforementioned Hollywood Bowl, include the Gorge Amphitheatre (July 20), the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts (Aug. 20), and Nikon at Jones Beach Theater (Aug. 28).

Phillip Phillips
John Mayer’s opening act is the reigning American Idol champ Phillip Phillips (although a new A.I. winner will be crowned before the tour begins). This not only makes for a great night of music but it’s the perfect job for Phillips at this point of his career. Instead of touring as a headliner, visiting small venues in medium-sized cities, Phillips can play top-tier venues while not having the burden of filling seats. Phillips will gain valuable experience in a low pressure environment. He’ll also get the chance to pay some dues. That should endear him to music’s most persnickety fans.

Rolling Stones: Financial Machinations Behind Their Pending Tour

The pending Rolling Stones tour will likely be the hottest concert ticket of the year.  Yet, before Keith Richards plays a chord or Mick Jagger struts across the stage, the band is making headlines.  The business machinations behind the Stones forthcoming trek is more like a “19th Nervous Breakdown” than an easy-breezy “Let’s Spend the Night Together.”

At the end of 2012, Australian promoter Paul Dainty and Virgin Music produced five of their concerts that sold more than 73,000 Rolling Stones tickets and grossed more than $38.6 million.  The quintet of shows celebrated the band’s 50th anniversary.

I’ve seen conflicting reports on whether or not the five shows were profitable as the concerts were expensive to produce and a related pay-per-view event under performed.

Whether or not the initial investment lived up to the expectations of the bean-counters, it still grossed considerably more than it cost (even with the Rolling Stones’ paycheck of $25 million).  Not only that, but who doesn’t want the prestige and notoriety that comes with promoting a Rolling Stones tour even if it’s not the greatest investment?

Furthermore, it was reported that Dainty and Virgin were going to promote the Stones’ upcoming jaunt (more on that in a bit).  It’s doubtful they’d return, or be asked to return, if the five concerts they promoted in 2012 were abysmal failures or slight successes.

Now, for the quartet of shows the Stones performed at the end of 2012 they asked for and received $25 million up front.  For their pending trek, the band wants a $20 million advance.  It’s believed they’ll get a total of $80 million for the entire tour.  So look for the Rolling Stones in big cities like Boston, Dallas, and Atlanta.

But something happened on the way to the box office.  Either the Stones got tired of waiting, or the old team didn’t (or couldn’t) meet their demands.  In other words, Daity and Virgin are NOT producing their upcoming tour.

With the band’s demands not getting met, their lawyer, Joyce Smyth, called AEG and asked if they could do the deal.

It took AEG a total of 45 minutes to yes to the Rolling Stones—there are groupies who don’t say “yes” that fast.  AEG Live’s Randy Phillips called AEG owner Philip Anschutz and asked if he wanted to promote the Rolling Stones 2013 tour.  The owner, who’s been around the block a time or two, emphatically said yes.

The Rolling Stones will likely announce their pending 18-date trek of North America at the end of month.  Reports say they’ll launch on the West Coast (probably with a Rolling Stones concert in Los Angeles) and then end on the eastern seaboard (with stops in the middle of the country, most likely a Rolling Stones show in Houston).

Apparently, a Rolling Stone’s Madison Square Garden concert hasn’t been booked (yet) and is not one of the 18 proposed dates.  MSG is a strong candidate for the band’s final show on the continent and possibly their final show ever in the New World.

After the States, look for the Stones to perform in the UK and Europe.

The Rolling Stones have not embarked on a full-fledged toured since 2007.

Coachella & Bonnaroo Continue Tradition Of Great Music Festivals

Festivals hold a special place in music history as well as in the hearts and minds of its fans.  One of the most significant music events of all-time was a festival, Woodstock, and one of the worst music events of all-time was also a festival, Woodstock 1999.  Every year millions of fans attend music festivals all over the world to hear great music, get their wallets stolen, and become dangerously dehydrated. 

In the spring of 2013, music fans will flock to America to attend two of the biggest and most popular musical festivals on the planet, known colloquially as Coachella and Bonnaroo.  In the past, these festivals have booked such luminaries as Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Prince, The Allman Brothers Band, Metallica, and Kanye West.

Coachella Dates
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is held over two three-day periods in mid-April.  In 2013, the first three-day period is April 12-14 and the second is April 19-21.  For those without a calendar handy, both sets of dates fall on a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Coachella Location
Coachella is held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California.  It was first used as a music concert venue in 1993 when Pearl Jam performed there in a feeble and ridiculous attempt to boycott Ticketmaster.  Indio is situated in a desert meaning temperatures during the festival can break 100 or dip near freezing.

Coachella Lineup
Headlining April 12 and April 19 are Blur and The Stone Roses (what is it 1989?).  Phoenix headlines both Saturdays and the Red Hot Chili Peppers perform on Sunday closing out the first weekend and then the festival as a whole.  Other acts scheduled to perform include Lou Reed, Modest Mouse, New Order, Postal Service, Wu-Tang Clan, and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.

Bonnaroo Dates
This year the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival spans from Thursday, June 13 through Sunday, June 16.  When the festival began in 2002 it was dedicated to jam bands but organizers have since expanded their festival’s lineup to include just about every genre of music under the sun.

Bonnaroo Location
Bonnaroo is held at the Great Stage Park located on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee.  Manchester is found about halfway between Nashville and Chattanooga on Interstate 24.  Manchester’s population is around 10,000 but during the music festival it grows to a city of more than 100,000.

Bonnaroo Lineup
Paul McCartney is headlining the 2013 Bonnaroo Festival.  Other great acts scheduled to perform include ZZ Top, Wilco, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Wu-Tang Clan, Mumford & Sons, R. Kelly, and “Weird Al” Yankovic.

Be Prepared
I’m sure in 1969 half the people attending Woodstock just hopped in their VW van and drove to Max Yasgur’s farm with nothing more than a dime bag and a lava lamp.  Attending Coachella and/or Bonnaroo is more complicated than just procuring tickets.  It’s imperative that if you’re going, or even thinking about going, that you thoroughly read their Web site.  There’s a lot you need to know.

Rules
For example, you can only bring a medium-sized backpack to Coachella (20” x 15” by 9”) and wristbands are void if removed.  At Bonnaroo, you can bring alcohol (if you’re over 21) but you can’t bring it in glass or kegs.  In fact, the one thing you can’t bring to Bonnaroo is glass—you’ll have an easier time smuggling in a gun.  Bonnaroo also has a 325-word article dedicated to their tollbooths.

Camping
Both festivals allow attendees to camp.  In fact, camping is encouraged, especially at Bonnaroo.  Each festival has the option to walk in and camp or drive in and camp near one’s parked car.  At Bonnaroo, you can bring your own RV or you can rent one.  At Coachella, there’s Lake Eldorado a polished campsite with amenities.  The festival itself offers safari tents which are the utmost in luxury and come replete with Coachella Music and Arts Festival tickets.

Festival Spirit
Attending Coachella or Bonnaroo isn’t for everyone.  You need to be more than just a music fan to enjoy these events.  You need to have the capacity, demeanor, and personality to live with 250,000 strangers (most of whom are drunk and/or stoned) in a pit of dirt for several days.  Bonnaroo even has its own code.  This code encourages attendees to not only share what they’ve brought but to bring extra so they CAN share.  That’s not a concept most hard working adults can embrace.

Tom Petty Tour Begins May 16 In Evansville

This May and June, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers have been booked to headline four different music festivals. May 17 through May 20, you can catch Petty and his band at the Hangout Music Festival in Gulf Shores, Alabama. About a month later, they’ll be at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee—June 16 to be exact. Then, from June 21 to June 23, TP&TH are scheduled to perform at the Firefly Music Festival in Dover, Delaware. Finally, on June 28, Petty et. al are in Wisconsin for a gig at renowned Summerfest.

That’s great news for Petty fans. However, that’s just the half of it. Well, at least it’s the half-of-it for Petty fans in the Big Apple and La La Land. On May 20, May 21, May 23, May 25, and May 26, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers are booked at the Beacon Theatre in New York City. Then on June 3, June 4, June 6, June 8, June 9, and June 11 Tom Petty tickets will be collected at the Henry Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles.

To put it another way, Petty has a residency at the cozy Beacon Theater in New York followed by a residency at the intimidate Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles. The Beacon holds north of 2,800 while the Fonda accommodates a mere 1,350. Your Tom Petty tickets will allow you to experience a living legend up close and personal. Petty has done this in the past, but it’s still rare to see someone of his ilk in venues of those sizes.

Other dates on Tom Petty’s calendar include stops in Minneapolis, Evansville, Noblesville, Pittsburgh, Saratoga Springs, Milwaukee, and London (Ontario). The tour, which only lasts about six weeks, comes as the band is recording a new studio album. Their pending release, the follow-up to 2010’s Mojo, will drop sometime in 2014.

To prepared fans for Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers upcoming road trip, Musicology-101 has compiled ten interesting facts about the Floridian superstar.

Ten Interesting Tom Petty Facts

>>Tom Petty, who has sold more than 60 million albums during his illustrious career, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.

>>When Petty was a kid he met Elvis Presley. The two really didn’t exchange words but Petty says the meeting was like a “procession in church.”

>>While living in Gainesville, Florida, Petty was taught guitar by Don Felder. In 1974, Felder joined the Eagles.

>>In 1985, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers played four songs during their appearance at Live Aid. They performed in Philadelphia.

>>In 2006, Tom Petty provided the music for ABC’s broadcast of the NBA playoffs—because when you think about a sport marketed to hip, young urbanites you think about the guy who sang “Don’t Do Me Like That.”

>>Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers performed during halftime of Super Bowl XLII (2008). They performed “American Girl,” “I Won’t Back Down,” “Free Fallin’,” and “Runnin’ Down a Dream.” The halftime performance kicked off a full-fledged Tom Petty tour.

>>Tom Petty has appeared in several movies and television shows. In the late 1980s, he played himself on the classic “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show.”

>>Tom Petty was honored in 1994 with a tribute album. Acts that contributed include Everclear (“American Girl”), Throneberry (“Here Comes My Girl”), and Truck Stop Love (“Listen to Her Heart”).

>>In 1981, Tom Petty publically voiced his displeasure with his record company for pricing his upcoming album $1.00 more than usual (at the time it was called “superstar pricing”). After Petty threatened to name his album Eight Ninety-Eight, the record company agreed to forgo the superstar increase and to sell the work at customary price of—yes, you guessed it—$8.98.

>>In 1987, an arsonist burned down Tom Petty’s home in Encino. Thankfully, firefighters were able to save his basement recording studio and all of his master tapes.