Pearl Jam to close the Spectrum down

Well musically, that is. Lot of memories from this place when I was growing up, but I think we'd all agree (at least those who know that the Spectrum isn't just a range of colors) that it's time to say goodbye to this lovable shit hole. It's not as bad as the Vet was in it's final years, but it's not too far off.

Pearl Jam is scheduled for Oct 28th and 30th as part of a short (warmup, I'd assume) tour in support of their upcoming album, Backspacer (Sept 20th). Tickets go on sale tomorrow bitches.

Get your tour dates here

• The Hold Steady and Drive-By Truckers
• Andrew Bird
• Black Lips
• Black Mountain
• Ghostland Observatory
• The Walkmen (dates added)
• Nine Inch Nails (dates added)
• Neil Young (w. DCFC and Wilco)
• Fleet Foxes
• Coldplay (dates added)
• Iron and Wine
• Yeasayer
• Kings of Leon
• Jose Gonzalez (dates added)

Get your tour dates here!

• Eddie Vedder
• Of Montreal
• Cold War Kids
• The Kooks
• Stars
• Silver Jews
• The Notwist
• Dr. Dog
• Takka Takka

Get your tour dates here!

Some good ones coming up. High on my list are MMJ at Constitution Hall and Nick Cave at the 9:30. No love for DC from Wolf Parade... bummer.

• My Morning Jacket
• Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
• Coldplay
• The Helio Sequence
• Modest Mouse (dates added)
• Fleet Foxes (dates added)
• Bloc Party
• Death Cab for Cutie
• Wolf Parade
• Boris
• Liars (dates added)
• Beck

Festivals

• Virgin Mobile (MD)
• Pitchfork (Chi-town)

Get your tour dates here!

I've been in a bit of a concert drought lately, but plan on turning that frown upside-down with a few of these:

• Tapes 'n Tapes
• Colin Meloy (lead singer of The Decemberists)
• The New Pornographers w/Okkervil River (both are playing some seperate dates as well)
• Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks
• Feist
• Islands
• Sea Wolf
• Cat Power
• Statehood
• The Police w/Elvis Costello (Elvis has a few dates w/o The Police)
• Eddie Vedder
• Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
• Kanye West w/Lupe Fiasco and others
• Yeasayer w/Man Man (both are playing some seperate dates as well)
• British Sea Power
• Black Kids w/Cut Copy (both are playing some seperate dates as well)
• Jay-Z and Mary J. Blige

Decisions, decisions

I'm torn. Radiohead dates and venues have been released for the first part of their US tour. Only 8 dates and some interesting cities left off - no NYC or Philly (sorry fellas) and nothing close to the West Coast. I'm sure they'll knock all of those out when they return from their summer stint in Europe though.

I should be happy. They are coming to the DC area... but it's the effing Nissan Pavilion. Horrible. I hate heading out there - it turns a concert into a 7-8 hour event. One way in and one way out. It's like grunting out a tough turd on the shitter.

My other concern is that I thought Radiohead was so-so when I last saw them in 2003. I know, I'm probably one of the few that has ever thought that, but I'll admit I was disappointed. Maybe I was expecting too much. Maybe it was because the guy in front of me was dancing like he was having an epileptic seizure for most of the concert.

The show at Nissan is on a Sunday which is promising. This is pretty motivating as well.


Tickets go on sale this Saturday. Less than 3 days to decide. Tick tock, tick tock...

• May 5 West Palm Beach, FL - Cruzan Amphitheatre
• May 6 Tampa, FL - Ford Amphitheatre
• May 8 Atlanta, GA - Lakewood Amphitheatre
• May 9 Charlotte, NC - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
• May 11 Bristow, VA - Nissan Pavilion at Stone Ridge
• May 14 St. Louis, MO - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
• May 17 Houston, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
• May 18 Dallas, TX - Superpages.com Center

Get your tour dates here!

- Tokyo Police Club
- Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
- R.E.M. (w/Modest Mouse and the National)
- Vampire Weekend
- Lightspeed Champion
- Ghostland Observatory

Get your tour dates here!

Tour dates have been announced for the following:

• Hot Chip
• Mountain Goats
• The Hives
• Black Mountain
• Jose Gonzalez
• Black Crowes
• The Dodos
• Yeasayer (w. MGMT)
• Black Keys
• George Clinton & the P-Funk

Radiohead sure knows how to dangle the carrot in front of us effectively. The other day they released just the cities they'd be hitting on the North American leg(s) of their tour. Now there are venues and dates rumored, which includes August stops at Citizens Bank Park, Fenway Park, Grant Park and Giants Stadium. Don't get too excited yet - according to MOKB, these are questionable.

Get your tour dates here

- Bob Dylan & Elvis Costello are teaming together for some dates this fall. I've saw Mr. Dylan and his band a few years ago and can't say I was too impressed. It instead made me wonder what it would have been like to be at one of his concerts back in the day. I've heard good and bad things about Elvis Costello, although I think he's playing solo during this tour.

- The Boss and the E Street band are heading out to support their upcoming release, Magic. I can wait to see what the ticket prices are for this. And I'm sure Ticketbastard isn't going to be shy with their service fees. Yeah that's right, I'm Mr. Brightside.

- Keeping with the ridiculously expensive tickets prices theme, Van Halen has kissed and made up with David Lee Roth and are planning mucho dates. I say planning, because you never know how long the love fest will last, especially with someone as annoying as DLR. Tickets have already gone on sale for some dates and some are already sold out.

- Okkervil River's new album, The Stage Names is getting mixed reviews. I'm still undecided, but am leaning towards some of their earlier efforts. Their tour starts tonight and runs till Dec.

- The Cure have postponed their tour till April/May 2008 because they haven't finished their new album. New dates TBA.

Get your tour dates here

- Well, it looks like the Cold War Kids subscribe to Gus "R" Us and read my thoughts on their concert with Muse a few week back. I should have been a band manager when I grew up. They're hitting a few smaller venues at the major cities in Nov/Dec. That is after they're done whoring themselves out as openers for Muse & the White Stripes (just kidding fellas).

- Jose Gonzalez is touring this fall to promote his new album In Our Nature. Dates and his new single here.

- Spoon was supposed to be hitting up some smaller venues again this fall, but then a little band called the Shins asked them to open for them. I know Spoon has cancelled their dates at the 9:30 Club because it conflicted with the Shins at Merriweather, so I'm assuming they're doing the same with the rest of their tour. Shins dates here.

- For anyone who has not sunk their teeth into the newest Cloud Cult album, The Meaning of 8, you are truly missing out. They have started announcing dates beginning in September (October/November dates TBA). Unfortunately, I don't see a DC area venue on there as of now.
.
- Queens of the Stone Age are giving no love to DC this time around. They'll be hitting up B-more, but it's 2 days before I'll be up in that area for a night of debauchery (read Bachelor Party). Dates here.

- Bright Eyes anyone? Dates are hot off of the press.

Tour dates announced

With their upcoming album complete, Band of Horses have scheduled a handful of dates, beginning on August 1st at Red Rocks. Looks like they'll be teaming with Modest Mouse for about half of them. Dates can be found on their MySpace page, although their appearance at the 9:30 Club in DC on Aug. 7th (unfortunately not with Modest Mouse) is nowhere to be found there. My hope is that it's the band's error, not the 9:30 Club.

The National is returning to the states for some more goodness before heading back to Europe. A full list of dates can be found on their website.

The VH1 Hip Hop Honors Tour featuring the Roots, MC Lyte and Big Daddy Kane are hitting a handful of cities this fall. Scheduled dates here.

This is a little late notice, but the Format kick off their summer tour tomorrow night in Dallas. Scheduled dates here.