Blogs N' Roses

Dragonforce Seeks New Singer

Craig Wettner — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 01:28:00 GMT

British extreme epic power metallers Dragonforce have now officially confirmed the departure of lead singer ZP Theart.

"It is with great regret that Dragonforce announce a parting of the ways with singer ZP Theart," the group writes in a statement. "This is due to insurmountable differences of musical opinion but the rest of the band sincerely wishes ZP great success with his future projects.

"While the creative core members have begun writing the fifth album, they have also started a worldwide search for a new vocalist."

"We are looking for a powerful, melodic singer to write a new chapter of Dragonforce with us," added guitarist Herman Li.

Anyone wishing to audition for the vacant position should apply by following the instructions at this location.

Qualifications for the job, you must be able to speak like the Micro Machines guy, have a high wail like your balls are in a vice, long hair, enjoy dragons, be a pharmacist at Walgreens, and drive a Subaru, but long to helm a Viking long ship.

Here is a Dragonforce song to get you started.

Smashing Pumpkins Seeking Bassist and Keyboardist

Craig Wettner — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 01:20:00 GMT

The Smashing Pumpkins bassist Ginger Pooley has left the band to raise her new baby with her husband. Billy Corgan has announced that he will look for a new bassist in the same manner as he found new drummer Mike Byrne last year: via an open audition process.

It might be beneficial if you can say the following phrases fluently:

"Damn Billy that sounds great."
"Corgan you are the best composer of the 90's."
"Billy that new song is the natural progression of old Pumpkins meets new Pumpkins."

These flattering statements will keep you employed with Corgan perhaps long enough for him to want to tour. Here is the information on how to apply for the job. I am guessing you can't just can't play Happy Birthday on the bass and be accepted.

Bassists and keyboardists looking to play with the PUMPKINS should send their background info (including age, a resume of any bands/recorded work), photos and performance web links via email only, either to pumpkinsbass@gmail.com or pumpkinskeys@gmail.com. Note: only musicians with video clips can be considered. YouTube.com-type posts are perfect — that's how Mike was found.

Final date for submission is March 31.

For more information, visit www.smashingpumpkins.com.

Strangeland To Film in Cleveland

Craig Wettner — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 01:07:00 GMT

Dee Snider's Strangeland will be filmed in the scariest place I can think of...CLEVELAND! Mark Gillispie of The Plain Dealer reports that a Cleveland City Council committee on Tuesday (March 9) approved $1.2 million in loan guarantees for three planned feature-length films produced by Nehst Studios, a New York-based production company that has established an office in Cleveland.

One of those movies is the sequel to Dee Snider's Strangeland entitled Strangeland: Disciple. Dee Snider stars as the bad guy Captain Howdy, which is hilarious since that is what I call my penis. However, my penis will never be caught in Cleveland.

Nehst chairman Larry Meistrich had this to say about Cleveland as if it was a good thing:

"Within 40 miles of midtown Cleveland, you can find suburbs, ghettos, farmland, sports stadiums and a waterfront," Meistrich said. "That doesn't exist in a lot of places."

Actually, it's only 10 miles from Old City in Philadelphia to the ghettos and sports stadiums and waterfront. So if that is what you are looking for Meistrich, you mine as well film in Philadelphia. But I guess you didn't get the tax breaks required to film in such locations.

Blogs N' Roses Invades Your Kindle

Craig Wettner — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 01:54:00 GMT

Ladies, how many times have you just not been into sex and wanted to read a book instead? Maybe a romance novel where you can pretend the creature thrusting lazily into you is actually Fabio or some other man you lust after. I bet it happens every weekend or maybe once a month. Well Amazon's Kindle can help you with this. While you ride your date that night, place the Amazon Kindle on his big beer belly and read War and Peace while he prematurely ejaculates.

Actually, you can now read this site while being penetrated, well as much as a 3" cock can penetrate. You can get your latest rock news and our fucked up views downloaded wirelessly to your Kindle device. Just click this link here and subscribe to the feed.

We want to inform you, Amazon sets pricing on this thing, but if you just love this site and want something entertaining to read instead of brailing your husband's hairy chest, then $1.99 is a small price to pay. We have sexified your computer and now want to invade, lovingly of course, your Amazon Kindle. Let us fill the void your drunken last resort could not.

Godsmack Release Single Cryin' Like a Bitch

Craig Wettner — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 01:25:00 GMT

Godsmack has released their new song Cryin' Like a Bitch. The song will appear off their upcoming studio album The Oracle. The song is supposedly about Nikki Sixx and all the bullshit the band had to endure on last summer's Cruefest.

One of the lyrics reads:

"Strut on by like a king/Telling everybody they know nothing/Long lived what you thought you were/Time ain't on your side anymore"

Hmm, that could be about Nikki or it could be about King Tut. Hard to say. Sully does say the song is inspired by what happened over last summer's Cruefest in the Rockpit.com webisode:

He further elaborated on the Cruefest drama in an interview with Hardrive Radio:

"There's definitely been some rock-star garbage on this tour that we just have never seen in our career . . . this was the first time that I felt like, 'You know what?! If there's gonna be some people that are gonna treat other people a certain way, then I'm gonna go out there every night and . . . make sure that we make you look old and fat, and go home with a nice big fat paycheck."

Either way, we called it like we saw it when we attended the tour last year. Godsmack was just a better show and Motley Crue sucked. Read our review here while listening to the new song Cryin Like a Bitch.

Joey Jordison Joins Rob Zombie's Touring Band

Craig Wettner — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 01:20:00 GMT

I am still pissed that the Gruesome Twosome tour (Article here) with Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper is only touring Canadia and the Pacific Northwest. Especially following the news that Rob Zombie has tapped Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison as his touring drummer.

Joey had this to say about touring with Zombie:

“I am honored, proud and excited to announce that I have joined the ranks as the new touring drummer for Rob Zombie. I’ve been a fan of Zombie’s since the beginning. I’ve toured with them and have always wanted to play for them. When John 5 called me up to ask if I knew any drummers I could recommend, I said, only half-jokingly, ‘Yeah, me!”

Here are the tour dates for the Cooper/Zombie tour:

Apr. 26 - Winnipeg, MB - MTS Centre
Apr. 27 - Saskatoon, SK - Credit Union
Apr. 28 - Edmonton, AB- Rexall Place
Apr. 29 - Calgary, AB - Corral
May 01 - Vancouver, BC - Pacific Coliseum
May 02 - Kennewick, WA - Toyota Center
May 04 - Casper, WY - Casper Events Center

Isn't that pathetic? I think the real reason this tour is so short is because Zombie will be headlining the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Cats Fucking Dogs Outdoor Boost Mobile Festival. He will headlining with KORN.

Those dates look like this:

July 10 -- San Bernardino, CA @ San Manuel Amphitheater
July 11 -- Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
July 13 -- Auburn, WA @ White River Amphitheater Southeast
July 16 -- Phoenix, AZ @ Cricket Wireless Pavilion
July 17 -- Albuquerque, NM @ Journal Pavilion
July 18 -- Englewood, CO @ Fiddlers Green Amphitheatre
July 20 -- Maryland Heights, MO @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
July 21 -- Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
July 23 -- Camden, NJ @ Susquehanna Bank Center
July 24 -- Hartford, CT @ The Comcast Theatre
July 25 -- Montreal, QC @ Parc Jean Drapeau
July 27 -- Mansfield, MA @ Comcast Center
July 28 -- Holmdel, NJ @ P.N.C. Bank Arts Center
July 30 -- Clarkston, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre
July 31 -- Noblesville, IN @ Verizon Wireless Music Center
August 1 -- Atlanta, GA @ Lakewood Amphitheatre
August 4 -- Virginia Beach, VA @ Virginia Beach Amphitheater
August 6 -- Tinley Park, IL @ First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
August 7 -- Pittsburgh, PA @ Po -- Gazette Pavilion At Star Lake
August 8 -- Bristow, VA @ Nissan Pavilion at Stone Ridge
August 10 -- Tampa, FL @ Ford Amphitheatre
August 11 -- We -- Palm Beach, FL @ Cruzan Amphitheater
August 13 -- Dallas, TX @ Superpages.com Center
August 14 -- Oklahoma City, OK @ Zoo Amphitheatre

Slash Designing Backpacks

Craig Wettner — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 01:47:00 GMT

Nickelodeon is creating a limited-edition series of celebrity-designed backpacks for auction this summer. With more participants to be announced shortly, VELVET REVOLVER/ex-GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash and Shakira, along with Salma Hayek Pinault and John Leguizamo, will put their personal touches on special Dora-themed backpacks. A limited quantity of each backpack will be auctioned off globally in countries including the United States, France, the U.K., Mexico, Canada, Spain, The Netherlands, Greece, Australia, New Zealand and Israel. One hundred percent of the U.S. proceeds will benefit the Children's Defense Fund. One hundred percent of international proceeds will go toward childhood education in each respective country.

I used to have one of those L.L.Bean backpacks with my initials on them. Unfortunately my real initials spell COW. (Craig Oswald Wettner) I used to get made fun of because I was a chubby child and my initials, of course, brought that to attention.

My parents never understood what the problem was. "Why are you not enthralled with your initials?" "Because they spell COW was not a valid excuse. If I had a cool backpack designed by my hero John Leguizamo, maybe the kids wouldn't have teased me so bad. I mocked up what my favorite Leguizamo design might look like.

Iron Maiden to Tour with Dream Theater

Craig Wettner — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:39:00 GMT

Do you like Iron Maiden? Who doesn't? Do you like Dream Theater? Yea they are too progressive for me. But those two bands have decided to tour.

The duo will run through North America hitting your local arenas and sheds. Though if you can find a method to the madness, you are a smarter man than I....which is wholly possible. Here are the tour dates:

Jun. 09 - Dallas, TX - Superpages.com Center
Jun. 11 - Houston, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Jun. 12 - San Antonio, TX - AT&T Center
Jun. 14 - Denver, CO - Comfort Dental Amphitheatre
Jun. 16 - Albuquerque, NM - The Pavilion
Jun. 17 - Phoenix, AZ - Cricket Wireless Pavilion
Jun. 19 - San Bernardino, CA - San Manuel Amphitheatre
Jun. 20 - Concord, CA - Sleep Train Pavilion
Jun. 22 - Auburn, WA - White River Amphitheatre
Jun. 24 - Vancouver, BC - GM Place
Jun. 26 - Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place
Jun. 29 - Saskatoon, SK - Credit Union Center
Jul. 03 - Toronto, ON - Molson Amphitheatre
Jul. 07 - Montreal, QC - Bell Centre
Jul. 11 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC
Jul. 12 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
Jul. 14 - Pittsburgh, PA - First Niagara Pavilion
Jul. 15 - Cleveland, OH - Blossom Music Center
Jul. 17 - Detroit, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre
Jul. 18 - Chicago, IL - First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
Jul. 20 - Washington D.C. - Jiffy Lube Live

They skipped over Philadelphia, but are playing in DC at the Jiffy Lube. It still should be a pretty good show. Iron Maiden really hasn't disappointed live (except when they played their entire album Life After Death) and Dream Theater knows how to play a great set. It might be worth checking out, if Uncle Sam or the Queen gives you any money back on your taxes.

Airbourne Release New Song Born to Kill

Craig Wettner — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:34:00 GMT

AC/DC Lite have released a new single from their hotly anticpiated album No Guts No Glory (due out April 20 in the US April 8-9 for Europe and Canadia).

You may know AC/DC Lite better as Airbourne...or AC/DC if they were fronted by Blaine Cartwright of Nashville Pussy.

Anyway, they performed live at Alcatraz Club in.....where would guess the Alcatraz Club is located? If you said Milano, italy step forward and claim your prize.

The song was recorded by a cell camera and is called Born to Kill. It is a bit jumbled, but if you listen closely you can just a faint bit of Angus Young on the track. Angus was clearly hidden behind the speakers and playing guitar on this track. Take a quick listen below.

Danko Jones Releases a Bit of Below the Belt

Craig Wettner — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 23:23:00 GMT

I am not exactly sure why I like Danko Jones. Maybe it was because the MILF i picked up in college responded to "the lover call." But I have a fond spot in my heart for Danko.

Unfortunately, Danko does not have a fond spot for Americans as he never tours here. Danko opened up for Guns N' Roses and Sebastian Bach all across Canada. Then he got home and decided to unleash a taste of "Below the Belt." Wait, I can make that more sexual.

Danko Jones gives you a taste Below the Belt. Below the Belt is the upcoming studio album from Danko and it sounds like vintage Danko. Check out the 28 second clip below and checkout the album cover of Below the Belt boasting two giant pussies.

Muse Philadelphia Concert Review and Setlist 03.02.2010

Craig Wettner — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 23:27:00 GMT

The Europeans have been gagging all over Muse's cock for years. Various European magazines have proclaimed them the artists of the decade,touring artist of the year, and so on and so on. I have been a fan since the Absolution album. Their first two albums are a bit avant garde for me. I had the ability to see them at the Khyber Bar about six years ago. I passed. "Muse...I hate their EP." I am kicking myself for that.

Muse has not brought their full production tour to the States. Most of the time opting for stripped down sets, which makes us Yanks feel like red headed step children. However, we finally got a full production last night at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia. I see why the European press has nothing but great things to say about this band.

I have been to countless concerts and I experienced things I have never experienced last night. In America, we like to be close to the band.This gets us in trouble (See Dimebag tragedy), but in Europe they are ok being 15-20 feet away from the stage. Muse has a big circular stage,then about 10-15 feet of railway tracks for two cameras. After the camera pit comes the bouncer and photographer pit (about 5-8 feet) and THEN the barrier for the people. So Muse performed a whopping 20-25 feet away from the audience. That is not a gripe, just something I haven't ever seen before. Even Metallica stadium shows are closer than that.

The house lights dim around 8:30 and there are three giant columns onstage. An intro plays where lights shine on the columns to make them seem like tall buildings. The intro is a bit long, but finally Muse erupts into the familiar beat of their latest single Uprising. The "buildings" fall revealing Muse standing on top of LED light columns.They are 20 feet above the stage standing on top of the columns. The columns change colors, showcase vibrant colors and images (flowers, green fields). They are amazing and totally unique. I have never seen a band use LED lights quite like it.

Matt Bellamy, lead guitar and vocals, looked like Liberace's closet threw up. He had silver pants and jacket and sparkling shoes. Actually, he may have been the straight version of Liberace since at one point Matt jumped on the piano.

They played a lot of songs off their latest album Resistance, but did still rely heavily on the older albums. They did a good job of playing to not only the older fans, but also the newly minted Twilight fans. Speaking of that, those Twlighters are fucking annoying. They have the potential to ruin Muse for the casual fans. They are fanatical about everything (Twlight, Muse, budding breasts). I have a feeling that Muse will be seen as the "Twlight" band and not the good band they are. It is exactly what happened to Dave Matthews. Yea, his band is good, but his fans ruin it for everyone else. Perhaps the worst fan would be the one who love Twlight, Muse, and Dave Matthews. Luckily, so far, those people are myths.

The sound was impeccably balanced. I didn't get any reverb, ricochet sound, or cracks/hisses. That is hard to do in an arena setting. Muse was able to captivate an entire arena. I also might add an entire Philadelphia arena. Philly is typically a harsh crowd, but they loved Muse. The band made fans sitting behind the stage a part of the show, playing to them a few times and making sure to make eye contact with them. A few arena bands (Linkin Park come to mind) opens the back of the stage and then never plays to them.

Are Muse the best touring band in the world? No. Are they artist of the decade? That is debatable. But do they put on a great performance for your money? Absolutely. Some pictures are below that I took with my cellphone. I forgot to dilate my ass and squeeze my camera in. You have to settle for cell phone pictures. As with all our pictures, you can click the image to pop to the larger version.

Setlist:

Uprising
Resistance
New Born
Map of the Problematique
Supermassive Black Hole
Guiding Light
Hysteria
Nishe
United States of Eurasia
Feeling Good
Helsinki Jam
Undisclosed Desires
Starlight
Plug In Baby
Time is Running Out
Unnatural Selection

Encore:

Exogensis: Symphony Part 1
Stockholm Syndrome
Knights of Cydonia

Take a moment to follow us on Twitter (www.twitter.com/blogsnroses) or Facebook (www.facebook.com/blogsnroses). Whenever we go to a show, we always try to Twat live and update the Facebook with random musings from the show and the setlist. It is also free of charge!

Alice in Chains Release Final Your Decision Comic

Craig Wettner — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 23:24:00 GMT

You sickos have completed the comic book sequel to Alice in Chains video Your Decision. The video centers around a character who is brought to a mansion of sex and horror by a hot chick in black.

The video ends with you being restrained in a chair after seeing a bunch of old dudes eating people. You had to decide what happened next.

Alice in Chains teamed with Popcult and Devil's Due Comics to create a comic book that explained what happened after the video ended. The top five stories were voted on by users. The final comic book is now available as a free PDF download at this location.

My two girls one cup storyline didn't make it, but the ending is kind of unexpected. I won't ruin it for you, but it is pretty cool and just as disturbing as the video.

The Smashing Pumpkins Release New Song

Craig Wettner — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 23:09:00 GMT

The Smashing Pumpkins, ok The Corgan Pumpkins, have released the third song from their next album Teardrops by the Kaleidoscope.

The song entitled A Stitch in Time can be previewed below. However, I am warning you, it is not very good. Long gone are the halcyon days of Zero, Today, or even Tarantula. All we are left with is Billy Corgan's playful studio whims. It really seems like he is just saying "I am going to write a middle Eastern influenced song." Out pops the song A Stitch in Time.

You can be the judge below, but here is what Billy had to say about this track:

"The song came in during a stream of consciousness moment while sitting backstage at a Pumpkins concert in those wee, still hours between soundcheck and the show. The lyrics came just as surprisingly fast as the music, and the whole process took about 20 minutes," mainman Billy Corgan said in a question-and-answer session e-mailed to the press. "I recorded it on my phone, and so for a year it was the only document I had of the song. But the song stuck with me and I put it in my back pocket as something worth coming back to later." Corgan calls the track a protest song. "What I am protesting I'm not sure but it has something to do with real inner freedom and the consequence of what it means to be free," he said.
A Stitch In Time by Smashing Pumpkins

You can sample the first track on our website at this location. But again, be wary, this song also stinks. At least that one is free.

Warrant Issued for Warrant

Craig Wettner — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 22:40:00 GMT

Oh I have wanted to write that headline for years. Warrant issued for Warrant. Sadly, the warrant isn't for the entire band, it is just for Jani Lane.

Jani Lane has failed to show up to two court dates for his 2009 DUI conviction. In legalese, two missed court dates apparently equals warrant for arrest.

Lane has been a hot mess over the years. He appeared on Celebrity Rehab on VH1, which highlighted his addiction to alcohol. Lane left Warrant in 2002, came back to Warrant in 2008 and then they dropped him in favor of Robert Mason of Lynch Mob.

I was never a Warrant fan. In fact, if I never hear Cherry Pie again, I would be ok with it. But addiction sucks so I hope Lane rights the SS Jani shorly. I found a picture of what Jani looked like then and what he looks like now. Drink moderately people.

New Song Posted by Bret Michaels and Miley Cyrus

Craig Wettner — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 03:57:00 GMT

You heard the rumors and they are true. Bret Michaels, legendary lead singer of the flamboyant 80's band Poison, has teamed up with Disney's pop princess Miley Cyrus. The song Nothing to Lose can be previewed below (only a minute of it). There are also five versions of the country-rock ballad Nothing To Lose available on CD.

I hope Miley didn't get paid much for her involvement because judging by the preview below, they edited her out. You can barely make out her voice on this "Every Rose Has It's Thorn" meets Country tune.

Blogs N' Roses MUST HAVE Live Albums

Craig Wettner — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 03:41:00 GMT

Live albums are a strange monster. They are essentially a recording of a live show, so it is easy for the band to do. However, capturing the feel of a live concert on a record or cd is the hard part. Some live albums fail and others are essential for your record collection.

This website decided to rank their best live albums. They did a great job putting a list of good live albums together. However they missed some really great ones. So I decided to put together my own list of live albums. They are the official Blogs N' Roses Live Album Buying Guide:

Thin Lizzy - Live and Dangerous
The Who - Live at Leeds
The Rolling Stones - Get Your Ya Ya's Out!
Cheap Trick - Live at the Budokan
The Clash - From Here to Eternity
Led Zeppelin - How the West Was Won
Queen - Live Killers
Judas Priest - Unleashed in the East
KISS - Alive
AC/DC - If You Want Blood, You Got It

Honorable Mention:

U2 - Live at Point Depot
Peter Frampton - Frampton Comes Alive

Muse Release Resistance Video

Craig Wettner — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 03:40:00 GMT

Muse have released the official music video of Resistance, off their latest album entitled Resistance.

The video gives a look at their energetic and extravagant live performances that have won them critical and social acclaim world wide.

We are checking out their live show tomorrow with indie, hipster rockers Silversun Pickups. It better be a good show, or at least encapsulate some of the video below. You can also check out the tour dates after the video.

Mar 2 Wachovia Center Philadelphia, PA
Mar 3 1st Mariner Arena Baltimore, MD
Mar 5 Madison Square Garden New York, NY
Mar 6 TD Banknorth Garden Boston, MA
Mar 8 Air Canada Center Toronto
Mar 10 Bell Centre Montreal
Mar 12 United Center Chicago, IL
Mar 13 Palace of Auburn Hills Detroit, MI
Mar 15 Sommet Center Nashville, TN
Mar 17 Ft Worth Convention Center Dallas, TX
Mar 18 Toyota Center Houston, TX
Mar 29 Rexall Place Edmonton
Mar 30 Pengrowth Saddledome Calgary
Apr 1 Pacific Coliseum Vancouver
Apr 2 Key Arena Seattle, WA
Apr 3 Rose Garden Arena Portland, OR
Apr 5 The E Center Salt Lake City, UT
Apr 6 Odeum Colorado Denver, CO
Apr 9 US Airways Center Phoenix, AZ
Apr 10 Mandalay Bay Events Center Las Vegas, NV
Apr 11 Pima County Fairgrounds Tuscon, AZ
Apr 14 Oracle Arena San Francisco, CA
Apr 17 Coachella Festival Indio, CA

Johnny Rotten Disses Arctic Monkeys

Craig Wettner — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 03:38:00 GMT

John Lydon (Sex Pistols) has called the Arctic Monkeys a "showbiz construct." The Sex Pistols front man had the following quote:

"That's not a band. That's a showbiz construct. A mockery. (Frontman) Alex Turner just turns on the computer and types in 'punk' and it goes 'ping'. I see no gut-wrenching soul-searching going on there."

Because there is no social up rising or deep emotional thinking, doesn't mean the band is a social construct. And this coming from a guy who was chosen to be the models of punk clothing.

I don't give a shit about the Arctic Monkeys. They build their fanbase through MySpace, not an easy feat these days. But there are other "punk" bands deserving of ire and fire (Fall Out Boy). I think a guy who was essentially a clothing salesman has no room to talk.

However, I love John forever after his big FUCK YOU to the Rock N' Roll hall of fame.

Man in Wheelchair Suffers Injury at AC/DC Concert

Craig Wettner — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:44:00 GMT

There is tragic news from an AC/DC concert out of Australia. A quadriplegic man in a motorized cart was hurled into the AC/DC mosh pit at a Brisbane concert.

A metal "pin" used to manipulate objects stabbed the man in the eye when he finally landed.

From what I understand, the wheelchair location didn't have a front barrier. The man's friend touched the joystick controlling the chair, which caused the chair to rocket forward. That is when the disabled man fell forward into the pit.

I hate hearing about stories like this. The man was there rocking out, as much as a man with no use in his arms and legs can, to his favorite band. It is bad enough that he's a quadriplegic, but then he helplessly falls out of his chair due to a freak accident.

In America, thanks to our litigious society, we have barriers that come up to our waists. If the wheelchair access area had that, this event would have been avoided.

The man is in serious, but stable condition. I hope he gets to meet AC/DC out of this. It wouldn't be any consolation to losing sight in your one eye, but it might help. In honor of that man, here is an AC/DC song.

Tom Petty Launches Actual Tour

Craig Wettner — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 23:00:00 GMT

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are heading out all over North America this summer. He has tapped the legendary Joe Cocker, the awesome Drive By Truckers, and legends Crosby, Stills, and Nash.

Here are the tour dates:

May 6 Raleigh Time Warner Cable Pavilion at Walnut Creek (w/Joe Cocker)
May 7 Charlotte Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre (w/Joe Cocker)
May 9 Tampa St. Pete Times Forum (w/Joe Cocker)
May 15 Dallas Superpages.com Center (w/Joe Cocker)
May 16 Houston Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion (w/Joe Cocker)
May 18 Phoenix US Airways Arena (w/Joe Cocker)
May 22 Los Angeles Hollywood Bowl (w/Joe Cocker)
Jun 2 San Diego Cricket Wireless Pavilion (w/Joe Cocker)
Jun 3 Irvine Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre (w/Joe Cocker)
Jun 5 Oakland Oracle Pavilion (w/Joe Cocker)
Jun 8 Vancouver GM Place (w/Joe Cocker)
Jun 11 Seattle The Gorge (w/Joe Cocker)
Jun 12 Seattle The Gorge (w/Joe Cocker)
Jun 15 Calgary Pengrowth Saddledome (w/Joe Cocker)
Jun 16 Edmonton Rexall Place (w/Joe Cocker)
Jun 19 Winnipeg MTS Centre (w/Joe Cocker)
Jun 22 St Paul Xcel Energy Center (w/Drive-By Truckers)
Jun 23 Omaha Qwest Center (w/Drive-By Truckers)
Jun 25 Milwaukee Summerfest (w/ZZ Top)****
Jul 10 Indianapolis Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre (w/Drive-By Truckers)
Jul 13 Kansas City Sprint Center (w/Drive-By Truckers)
Jul 15 Cincinnati Riverbend Music Center (w/Drive-By Truckers)
Jul 17 Chicago United Center (w/Drive-By Truckers)
Jul 20 Cleveland Blossom Music Center (w/Drive-By Truckers)
Jul 22 Detroit Palace of Auburn Hills (w/Drive-By Truckers)
Jul 24 Pittsburgh First Niagra Pavilion (w/Drive-By Truckers)
Jul 28 New York Madison Square Garden (w/TBD)
Jul 31 Philadelphia Wachovia Center (w/TBD)
Aug 11 Atlanta Philips Arena (w/Crosby, Stills and Nash)
Aug 12 Nashville Sommet Center (w/Crosby, Stills and Nash)
Aug 14 Darien Lake, NY Darien Lake Performing Arts Center (w/Crosby, Stills and Nash)
Aug 15 Bristow Jiffy Lube Live (w/Crosby, Stills and Nash)
Aug 17 Hartford Comcast Theater (w/Crosby, Stills and Nash)
Aug 19 Boston Comcast Center (w/My Morning Jacket)
Aug 21 Boston Comcast Center (w/My Morning Jacket)
Aug 24 East Rutherford Izod Center (w/My Morning Jacket)
Aug 25 Toronto Air Canada Center (w/Crosby, Stills and Nash)
Aug 27 Saratoga Springs Saratoga Performing Arts Center (w/Crosby, Stills and Nash)

I might never go to another Tom Petty show again and the show I saw of him soured me on the whole Tom Petty mystique. I saw the "Tom Petty and Friends" tour. It was my first time seeing the man I enjoyed listening to throughout my youth. The Allman Brothers were opening the show.

I dislike jam bands. Yes, Tom Petty is a jam type artist, and I should have expected jams, however it was one of the worst concerts I have been to....and I have seen Celine Dion. Celine Dion was more entertaining than Tom Petty.

Celine knows her audience only really wants to hear the hits. That is what the audience got, two hours of her hits. Tom Petty however, gave two hours of jam band activity on lesser known songs from his albums and cover versions no one knew.

You had a guitar battle between Tom and Derek Trucks. Allman brothers jumping on stage and jamming. The whole thing was a giant circle jerk for Tom Petty, while the audience suffered through. I don't want to hear No Second Thoughts, a song supposed to be 2 minutes, take fifteen minutes. I am a forgiving man. I might see Tom this time around,provided the federal government gives me money back.