House of Blues Tag Page

Black Label Society U.S. Tour Dates Announced!

Black Label Society will embark on the “Black Label Bash” headlining tour in March. This trek, which will feature support from SEVENDUST, will be the band’s first in North America since the fall of 2007. According to BLACK LABEL SOCIETY guitarist/vocalist Zakk Wylde, the current trek through Europe has been a huge success — and with the release of a greatest-hits package in the spring, “the time felt good to get back on the bus with the guys back home.” The first confirmed dates are as follows (

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Odetta: Another One Done Gone

The original one-named diva, known as Odetta Holmes when she was born in Birmingham in 1930 and later by her married name as Odetta Gordon but most of her life simply as Odetta, died yesterday of heart failure in New York, after a couple of weeks in hospital and a couple of years of failing health. I missed her last time she came through Toronto, but saw her at Hugh's Room a couple of years ago, for the first time, and feel fortunate to have breathed the same air as those incredible lungs for

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Tokyo Police Club plots Spring fun

For as much as people ride Tokyo Police Club for being a byproduct of hype, fortunate, or whatever other explanation one can come up with to evaluate the existence of the Canadian outfit thus far, they definitely aren’t ones for slacking. In a year that has seen TPC release its debut album, Elephant Shell (yeah, that did happen this year!), tour relentlessly solo and with Weezer, and even make a guest appearance on Desperate Houswives, Dave Monks and Co. are showing no signs of slowing down. At

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Interview: Max Ochs

Tomorrow night the Velvet Lounge offers a very special treat: Outsider folk hero Max Ochs will celebrate the release of his new album, Hooray for Another Day, which features all-new instrumental recordings and poetry from the 67-year-old Annapolis native. Along with John Fahey and Robbie Basho, Ochs was among the East Coast Blues Mafia that ushered in the tradition of “American primitive guitar” in the ’50s and ’60s. Along with his influential recordings on “Contemporary Guitar ‘67″ — the f

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Nightly Ramble:Now the Season is REALLY On; More Bailout Blues; More

Welcome, dear reader, to the most intense nightly read anywhere on the ’sphere…BitsBlog’s Nightly Ramble Tonight, we ramble back through time a bit. This pic to the right… (no, the OTHER right…) was the first BitsBlog World Headquarters. A  little sparse, but it was home. And a technological triumph, too. Our twin XT-10’s equipped with 20mb ST225’s were the envy of every operator in the day, but that was nothing compared to our super-fast 300 baud modem. The wire, of course ran uphill both w

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Would You Trust Alternative Medicine for Your Children?

Would You Trust Alternative Medicine for Your Children? Weekly advice from our herbs and alternatives expert December 3, 2008 By Sara Altshul At one time in the not too distant past, asking a doctor about an herb or an acupuncture treatment for your child’s health problem would probably get you a patronizing glance, if not an outright sneer and a reputation as an irresponsible parent. But that attitude is changing. One day soon, your pediatrician may suggest some decidedly non-white-coat tr

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RIP odetta, legendary folk singer and civil rights activist

Hush little baby, don’t you cry Odetta, the woman with the huge voice who inspired Bob Dylan and countless others to get into folk music through her 1950s recordings, died of heart disease on Tuesday in New York after being admitted to a city hospital with kidney failure. She was 77. Famously political, she once told The Washington Post that she uses folk music to “do my teaching and preaching, my propagandizing”, something a young Joan Baez identified with and followed. In the early 1960s she

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It Seems About Right

The hysteria that is our national election process is over now.  The evil villain has been ousted from the White House and his McClone was not his successor. No longer is there daily doom and despair on the daily news. It is all just peachy now that a young and ambitious man will be the next president. The big plus is that he and NOLA’s Mayor Nagin have not only a chocolate city but a chocolate White House as well. How fuckin’ sweet. Problem is the rosy tint we see on the horizon isn’t a beaut

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Black Label Society tour unveils Black Label Bash dates and presale

Heavy metal band Black Label Society is currently touring Europe, but the rockers have announced plans to bring the party back to North America for an early spring trek. More than 20 dates have been confirmed for the Black Label Bash, from the March 7 opener at The New Oasis in Sparks, NV, with the band coming full-circle for a May 1 show at the House of Blues in Las Vegas, NV. The 24-date run includes a March 13 show at the Knitting Factory in Spokane, WA, a March 28 gig at Congress Theater i

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The Pretenders detail 2009 itinerary

As alluded to earlier this month, The Pretenders will spend a great deal of 2009 on the road touring in support of their recently released album, Break Up the Concrete. While the idea of a tour might not be as special as some other old favorites - after all, their most recent tour was in 2007 - one certainly has to give props to the British outfit. After thirty years with a history that could fill a book, Chrissie Hynde and Co. are still going strong. Beginning at the end of January, Hynde alo

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Doin’ the Christmas Shuffle, Volume 4

Like last year (when we did Volumes 1, 2, and 3) I’ll put the laptop Christmas stash on “shuffle” once a week and we’ll see what comes out. “The Christmas Song”/Gerri DiMaggio with Richard Davis and Paul Hastil/My Holiday Wish. From a compilation featuring Madison-area musicians, this is a summit meeting of local jazz royalty—especially Davis, now a University of Wisconsin professor of music, a towering figure in jazz and classical music, but who also played on Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks and Br

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Got the Burnt Brownie Blues

Dear Home Ec 101, I love making brownies; it makes the house smell so good! I’ve got everything in my cupboard; I’ll try to make them tomorrow. Got a question for you all, when I make brownies, often the outer edges are done way before the center is; the edges are overcooked and the center is just done. Am I doing something wrong? It happens with cakes in my 9×13 pan, too. Do you experience this, too? Signed, Burnice the Baker Heather says: Many people prefer the slightly more done textur

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Photo of the Day

Renowned music producer Phil Spector wears a button in support of President-Elect Barack Obama while arriving at Superior Court as his 2nd degree murder retrial continues on December 2, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. Spector is charged with shooting actress and House of Blues VIP hostess Lana Clarkson, 40, to death in his Alhambra, California mansion on February 3, 2003. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) --Michael Crowley

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of Montreal Add U.S. Dates, Plus Interviews

Some more of Montreal news. Paste Magazine follows up their David Barnes interview with a Nina Barnes interview, both falling into the category of “not interviewed nearly enough,” so it’s most welcome.  Kevin Barnes, meanwhile, talks about iPhone apps, Jimmy Stewart movies, and the Cleveland Browns in this piece for Drowned in Sound. Illuminated has kindly scanned this Venus Zine article covering a Kevin & Nina shopping trip to Athens’ Wuxtry Records. Finally, the band has added some U.S

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Odetta, R.I.P.

Odetta, the singer whose deep voice wove together the strongest songs of American folk music and the civil rights movement, died on Tuesday at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan. She was 77. The cause was heart disease, said her manager, Doug Yeager. He added that she had been hoping to sing at Barack Obama’s inauguration. Odetta sang at coffeehouses and at Carnegie Hall, made highly influential recordings of blues and ballads, and became one of the most widely known folk-music artists of the 1950

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Fishtown Blues

For a city like Philadelphia, smaller is not better. To survive as a viable city, it has to attract new people. If it keeps losing population - and most of the folks exiting are middle class - then what will be left is a city that is increasingly poor. That is a city that cannot support itself. Sooner or later, there simply won’t be enough taxpayers to pay for the services needed. If you want to see an example of such a place, go to Wikipedia and type in “Camden, N.J.” So, encouraging new peo

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Indie super compilation Dark is the Night on the way

A specially recorded compilation with a ridiculously good indie cast entitled Dark is The Night produced by Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National will be released on 4AD on the February 16th (Worldwide) and 17th (North America) 2009. A total of thirty-two exclusive tracks have been recorded for the compilation, which will be available as a double cd, triple vinyl and download album, with profits benefitting the Red Hot Organization - an international charity dedicated to raising funds and aw

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Annuals presale in Dallas - code posted

Annuals presale in Dallas - code posted A Annuals presale password is here: During this pre-sale you can buy your Annuals tickets before the public. The free presale password for Annualss show in Dallas unlocks tickets for a short time. This is your chance to buy a pair and see the show like a real VIP. Here is the Annuals show info: Annuals House of Blues Dallas,Dallas, TX Sat, Feb 14, 2009 07:00 PM HOB Member Presale Start: Wed, 12/03/08 10:00 AM CST End: Thu, 12/04/08 10:00 PM CST Annua

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Ben Rector in Dallas - presale code

Ben Rector in Dallas - presale code The Ben Rector free presale code is here! With this presale password, you can buy Ben Rector tickets early (before the regular onsale). The FREE pre-sale password for Ben Rectors concert in Dallas unlocks tickets for a short time. I know you can't wait to see Ben Rector perform. Here is the Ben Rector concert info: Ben Rector House of Blues Dallas,Dallas, TX Fri, Jan 23, 2009 07:00 PM Member Ticketing Start: Wed, 12/03/08 10:00 AM CST End: Thu, 12/04/08

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Big Head Todd and the Monsters in Dallas - presale code

Big Head Todd and the Monsters in Dallas - presale code The Big Head Todd and the Monsters free presale code is here! With this presale password, you can buy Big Head Todd and the Monsters tickets early (before the regular onsale). The FREE pre-sale password for Big Head Todd and the Monsterss concert in Dallas unlocks tickets for a short time. I know you can't wait to see Big Head Todd and the Monsters perform. Here is the Big Head Todd and the Monsters concert info: Big Head Todd and the M

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