The Script to perform tonight on “Dancing with the Stars”
Oklahoma fans who had planned to see The Script live in Norman tonight can still watch the Irish rockers on television.
The Celtic soul trio will perform their platinum-selling single “For the First Time,” from their sophomore album “Science & Faith,” tonight on the “Dancing with the Stars” results show, airing from 8 to 9:01 p.m. on ABC. The Script will be accompanied on the hit reality TV show by “DWTS” returning pros Dmitry Chaplin and Chelsie Hightower.
Last week, the band’s publicist confirmed that The Script was cancelling its performances scheduled for tonight at Riverwind Casino in Norman and Wednesday at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa because those dates conflicted with the “Dancing with the Stars” taping.
According to information provided by both venues, ticketholders are being refunded for next week’s scrapped concerts. However, the band intends to make up the Oklahoma dates in 2010, though rescheduled dates have not yet been determined.
Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to talk with The Script guitarist Mark Sheehan about the band’s eclectic musical style, global success and live performances. I’ll hold on to that feature with the hopes of running it in advance of the rescheduled dates.
The Script is best known for its hit power ballads like “Breakeven (Falling to Pieces),” “The Man Who Can’t Be Moved” and “For the First Time.” The group’s latest single, “Nothing,” has cracked the top 40 and is climbing after just six weeks on the Billboard Hot 100.
For more information on the canceled Norman show, call 322-6464 or go to www.riverwindcasino.com. For more information on the canceled Tulsa show, call (918) 584-2306 or go to www.cainsballroom.com.
Also on tonight’s “Dancing with the Stars,” musical guest Demi Lovato will return to the ballroom to perform the hit single “Skyscraper” from her latest album, “Unbroken,” in a number choreographed by Emmy Award winner Wade Robson. In addition, the episode will feature the first “Macy’s Stars of Dance” performance of the season, with a number created by Emmy Award-winning choreographer Marguerite Derricks and inspired by the legendary Busby Berkeley. In addition, all nine male “DWTS” pros and troupe members will perform a number.
By the episode’s end, one couple will be eliminated, as determined by a combination of the judges’ scores and viewers’ votes on dances performed on Monday’s performance show. Someone among the 11 couples will become the second team to leave this season, following basketball star Ron Artest (AKA Metta World Peace) and his pro partner Peta Murgatroyd.
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Greyson Chance makes Billboard’s “21 Under 21″ list again
Greyson Chance
For the second year, Edmond singer/songwriter/pianist Greyson Chance, 14, has made Billboard’s “21 Under 21,” its annual list of music’s most powerful minors.
The teen music sensation is ranked No. 15 on the trade publication’s list. He was listed at No. 9 last year, when his voice-and-piano cover of Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” went viral on YouTube, leading to his signing as the first artist on Ellen DeGeneres’ boutique label eleveneleven.
Billboard.com this year has dubbed Greyson “the thinking man’s Justin Bieber.”
“Armed with classical training, a way-beyond-his-years voice and a knack for emotional songwriting, Greyson Chance has built upon the overnight success he gained when his cover of Lady Gaga’s ‘Paparazzi’ earned 43 million YouTube views,” is Billboard.com’s assessment.
Greyson released his debut album “Hold On ‘Til the Night” in August. Inspired by Snow Patrol and Coldplay, the album featured the singles “Waiting Outside the Lines” (9 million YouTube views) and “Unfriend You” (6 million YouTube views). He will try to widen that audience even more with an upcoming “massive touring block,” according to Billboard.com.
The Oklahoma teen has ties to two other youths on the “21 Under 21″ roster: He toured with 14-year-old Aussie heartthrob Cody Simpson (No. 13 on the list) earlier this year, and he worked with 19-year-old Nick Jonas (No. 8 ) in the youngest Jonas Brother’s capacity as a songwriter.
Justin Bieber moves into top spot on the 2011 “21 Under 21″ since the previous No. 1, country music superstar Taylor Swift, turned 21 last December. Swift will play Oct. 15 at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City. For more information, go to www.chesapeakearena.com.
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Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announces 2012 nominees, including Joan Jett, Heart, The Cure, Guns N’ Roses
Joan Jett (AP file)
Heart
Chaka Khan (AP file)
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced the nominees for its 2012 class, and it’s an eclectic group featuring three powerhouse female acts.
“I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” standard bearers Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, rock sister act Heart and funk group Rufus featuring R&B belter Chaka Khan are bringing a solid shot of girl power to the list of first-time nominees to the rock hall.
Other first-time nominees are hip-hop pioneers Eric B. & Rakim, post-punk goth rockers The Cure, bluesman Freddie King, R&B vocal group The Spinners and The Small Faces/The Faces, which includes Rod Stewart. Hard rock hit-makers Guns N’ Roses, who will play the University of Oklahoma’s Lloyd Noble Center Nov. 9 on their first U.S. tour in five years, also are among the first-timers on the 2012 nominations list. For more information on GnR’s upcoming Oklahoma show, click here.
Previous nominees again contending for inclusion in the rock hall include The Beastie Boys, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Donna Summer, Laura Nyro, Donovan and War, according to the Associated Press.
An act must have released its first single or album 25 years ago to qualify for induction. More than 500 voters will determine who makes the hall, according to the AP.
New members will be inducted at a ceremony at the hall of fame in Cleveland on April 14.
To read more about the nominees, go to www.rockhall.com.
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Guns N’ Roses to play OU’s Lloyd Noble Center Nov. 9; tickets go on sale Oct. 4
Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose performs a 2006 show at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom that sold out in less than three minutes. (Business Wire Commercial Photo)
A version of this story is set to appear in Wednesday’s The Oklahoman.
NORMAN — Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-nominated band Guns N’ Roses will bring its first U.S. tour in five years to the University of Oklahoma in November.
Frontman Axl Rose and his cohorts will play Nov. 9 at the Lloyd Noble Center, the venue and promoter have confirmed.
Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4, with an online only presale for OU students, faculty and staff starting at 10 a.m. Monday. Prices are $90, $67.50 and $47.50.
Tickets will be available at the OU Athletics Ticket Office, by phone at (800) 456-4668 (GOOU) or online at www.lloydnoblecenter.com and www.zooamp.com.
When the band’s U.S. dates were announced last week, they initially included a Tulsa show. But that was apparently a mistake: The band was not booked and is not expected to play Tulsa’s BOK Center, said Paige Reese, the venue’s director of sales and marketing.
The Lloyd Noble show was initially announced last week at the Zoo Amphitheatre’s Maroon 5 and Train show and the OU-Missouri football game to great response, said Howard Pollack, president of PM Group and Innervisions, in an email. Innervisions Inc./Starrlite Concerts Inc. are promoters for the local show.
Guns N’ Roses, which toured worldwide in 2009 and 2010, will spend much of October playing dates in South America and Mexico before embarking on the U.S. tour Oct. 28 in Orlando, Fla.
The trek will be the band’s first stateside tour since the debut of its long-delayed 2008 album “Chinese Democracy,” which was released 15 years after the band’s previous record, 1993’s “The Spaghetti Incident?”
Guns N’ Roses was founded in 1985 when Rose (vocals) and Izzy Stradlin (rhythm guitar) of the band Hollywood Rose teamed with L.A. Guns members Tracii Guns (lead guitar), Ole Beich (bass) and Rob Gardner (drums). But the original lineup was short-lived, with guitarist Slash, bassist Duff McKagan and drummer Steven Adler replacing Guns, Beich and Gardner to form the classic GnR lineup that signed with Geffen Records.
The band brought sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll back to the popular music of the era with the release of its first LP, 1987’s “Appetite for Destruction,” which included the smash singles “Welcome to the Jungle,” “Paradise City” and “Sweet Child O’ Mine.”
Inspired by Queen and Elton John, GnR ambitiously released “Use Your Illusion I” and “Use Your Illusion II” on the same day in 1991, and the albums debuted in the top two spots on the charts. Rock epics “November Rain” and “Civil War” showed how the band’s sound had evolved in a relatively short time frame, and group was soon packing stadiums across the globe.
When the tour wrapped in late 1993, the band paid tribute to their 1970s hard rock, punk and glam heroes with the covers album “The Spaghetti Incident?”
The band took a long break starting in 1994 and went through a major shakeup in personnel. In the new millennium, Rose, who is the only remaining original member of GnR, took a new incarnation on the road. In 2008, “Chinese Democracy” finally bowed to largely positive critical response and debuted at No. 3 on the multi-genre Billboard 200 chart.
Earlier today (Tuesday), GnR were listed among the nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 2012 class, along with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Beastie Boys, The Cure, Donovan, Eric B. & Rakim, Heart, Freddie King, Laura Nyro, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rufus with Chaka Khan, The Small Faces/The Faces, The Spinners, Donna Summer and War.
Along with Rose, the current GnR lineup includes guitarists DJ Ashba, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal and Richard Fortus, bassist Tommy Stinson, keyboardists Dizzy Reed and Chris Pitman and drummer Frank Ferrer, according to the band’s Facebook page.
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What to do in Oklahoma on Sept. 27, 2011: Hear Journey, Foreigner and Night Ranger at OKC’s Zoo Amphitheatre
Journey
Today’s featured event:
Hear hit-makers Journey, Foreigner and Night Ranger at 7 tonight at the Zoo Amphitheatre, 2011 NE 50. Gates open at 5:30 p.m., and the fall weather should be wonderful.
For more information, go to www.zooamp.com.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
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Box office report for Sept. 26, 2011: “Lion King” rules for second straight week
For the second straight week, Disney’s limited re-release of “The Lion King” ruled the box office over the weekend, hauling in $21.9 million, according to the Associated Press.
The Diamond Edition Blu-ray for “The Lion King” is set for Oct. 4 release.
It was a close competition at the box office over the weekend. The fact-based baseball drama “Moneyball,” starring Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill and based on Michael Lewis’ best-selling book, debuted at No. 2 with $19.5 million.
It was closely followed by the fact-based family film “Dolphin Tale,” starring Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd and Morgan Freeman, which opened with $19.2 million.
Here are the top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, according to the AP:
1. “The Lion King,” Disney, $21,929,332, 2,330 locations, $9,412 average, $61,475,402, two weeks.
2. “Moneyball,” Sony, $19,501,302, 2,993 locations, $6,516 average, $19,501,302, one week.
3. “Dolphin Tale,” Warner Bros., $19,152,401, 3,507 locations, $5,461 average, $19,152,401, one week.
4. “Abduction,” Lionsgate, $10,925,253, 3,118 locations, $3,504 average, $10,925,253, one week.
5. “Killer Elite,” Open Road Films, $9,300,000, 2,986 locations, $3,115 average, $9,300,000, one week.
6. “Contagion,” Warner Bros., $8,451,226, 3,136 locations, $2,695 average, $57,007,898, three weeks.
7. “Drive,” Film District, $5,763,998, 2,904 locations, $1,985 average, $21,417,373, two weeks.
8. “The Help,” Disney, $4,370,051, 2,695 locations, $1,622 average, $154,414,153, seven weeks.
9. “Straw Dogs,” Sony Screen Gems, $2,051,333, 2,408 locations, $852 average, $8,835,187, two weeks.
10. “I Don’t Know How She Does It,” Weinstein Co., $2,002,040, 2,490 locations, $804 average, $7,968,465, two weeks.
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Video: Cady Groves’ “This Little Girl,” featuring Blake Shelton cameo
Oklahoma-bred singer Cady Groves has released the music video for her woman-scorned single “This Little Girl.”
The video features country music star Blake Shelton, who was born in Ada and lives in Tishomingo, in a funny cameo as a tow-truck driver.
Groves grew up in Marlow, Cache and Yukon, according to OklahomaRock.com.
Watch Groves talk to Idolator.com about making the video here:
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“Rock and Worship Show” featuring MercyMe, Jars of Clay and more playing Nov. 17 in Oklahoma City
MercyMe
“The Rock and Worship Roadshow” will venture into the second leg of its tour, hitting 12 markets this November with a stellar cast including MercyMe, Jars of Clay, Disciple, Hawk Nelson, Matt Maher and Group 1 Crew. Talented rapper Trip Lee along with other artists will serve as the pre-show entertainment. This will mark the first time “The Rock and Worship Roadshow” will tour in the fall in addition to its annual spring trek.
The tour visits Oklahoma City at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17 at Chesapeake Energy Arena.
Admission prices will be the traditional $10 at the door, making it an affordable event for the whole family. Compassion International will once again serve as a tour sponsor. Compassion International is a Christian child advocacy ministry that releases children from spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enables them to become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults. For more information on Compassion International go to www.compassion.com.
Kicking off Nov. 4 in Grand Rapids, Mich., the tour will stop in cities such as Cleveland, Ohio; Atlanta, Ga.; Columbia, S.C.; Oklahoma City; and Kansas City, Mo., before wrapping on Nov. 20 in Memphis, Tenn.
For more information, go to www.rockandworshiproadshow.com or www.chesapeakearena.com.
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Trans-Siberian Orchestra to play Dec. 10 in OKC; tickets on sale Saturday
Paul O'Neill of Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Theatrical rockers and seasonal favorites Trans-Siberian Orchestra are preparing to light up the road for an eight-month world tour, traveling to more than 120 markets in the U.S. and Europe. This includes a stop in Oklahoma City for shows at 3 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10 at Chesapeake Energy Arena.
Tickets for the two shows go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday and will be available at the Cox Convention Center box office, all Ticketmaster outlets including area Homeland stores, by phone at (800) 745-300 and online at www.ChesapeakeArena.com.
The tour will showcase TSO’s unique combination of story-telling, virtuoso musicianship and over the top production. Beginning Nov. 11, TSO will rock your winter season, performing the timeless classic “Christmas Eve and Other Stories” in its entirety, followed by excerpts from the upcoming Rock Theater installment “Gutter Ballet and The New York Blues Express.” Then in February, TSO will unleash their Spring Tour with “Beethoven’s Last Night,” bringing the music and the story of the famed composer’s battle for his eternal soul to markets new and old.
As one of the top-selling acts in the world, Trans-Siberian Orchestra has cemented itself as an annual tradition not to be missed. The band has grown to become a year round touring juggernaut, performing what creator/writer/producer Paul O’Neill has dubbed “Rock Theater.” Charting its success and the creation of this genre — which is part theatrical show, part rock spectacle — the new PBS Special, “The Birth of Rock Theater,” focuses on O’Neill’s vision for TSO and how he went about creating this art form. Featuring live performances from “Beethoven’s Last Night,” TSO’s gold-certified rock opera fantasy, as well as music from their most recent album “Night Castle,” which debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard Charts, “The Birth of Rock Theater” is a must see for any TSO fan.
TSO’s 2011 Winter Tour will encompass 118 performances in nearly 80 cities in North America. TSO’s Winter Tour played to more 8 million fans in 80-plus cities, generating revenues of nearly $330 million. Since its first tour in 1999, TSO has been one of the concert business’s most successful acts, consistently rating in the Top 10 for both gross revenues and audience attendance.
With sales in excess of 8 million – Trans-Siberian Orchestra is among the most popular groups of the modern era. The Orchestra debuted in 1996 with the timeless “CHRISTMAS EVE AND OTHER STORIES”. Highlighted by the remarkable hit single, “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24”, the album has since achieved double-platinum certification from the RIAA, with sales now rapidly approaching 3 million. Two further albums completed O’Neill’s planned Christmas Trilogy; 1998’s “THE CHRISTMAS ATTIC” and 2004’s “THE LOST CHRISTMAS EVE”, both of which are currently approaching double-platinum certification. All three of the Orchestra’s Christmas-themed albums have proven enduring blockbusters, returning annually to the top 10 on Billboard’s “Top Catalog Albums” and “Top Holiday Albums” charts.
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“Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” to pay tribute to Pink Floyd this week with Pearl Jam, Dierks Bentley, The Shins and more
In the tradition of honoring great musicians, NBC’s “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” (11:35 a.m. Monday-Friday on NBC, KFOR-4 in Oklahoma City) will devote this week to celebrating the work of one of music’s most influential rock bands, Pink Floyd.
Each night, featured artists The Shins, Foo Fighters, MGMT, Dierks Bentley and Pearl Jam will pay tribute to Pink Floyd’s rock ‘n’ roll legacy by performing a classic song from the band’s extensive catalog. In a never-before-seen performance of “In The Flesh,” the Foo Fighters will rock out Fallon’s 6B stage with renowned Pink Floyd vocalist/bassist Roger Waters. Founding band members Waters and Nick Mason are also scheduled to stop by “Late Night” to chat with Fallon.
Jimmy Fallon
Pink Floyd is one of the most influential and commercially successful rock bands of all time. Despite having ceased recording and touring, the band continues to inspire new generations of listeners with such genre-defining albums as “The Dark Side of the Moon,” “The Wall” and “Wish You Were Here.”
The tribute week is sponsored by Budweiser and to kick things off on tonight. The Shins will make their first TV appearance in four years when they perform “Breathe,” from “The Dark Side of the Moon” album. After producing three albums for record label Sub Pop, including the No. 2 hit “Wincing the Night Away” in 2007, their debut album for Columbia Records will be released in 2012.
Also on Monday, Fallon welcomes Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason for a talk segment at the couch.
The excitement continues on Tuesday when Roger Waters appears as an interview guest. Of late, Waters has enjoyed worldwide sell-outs and widespread critical acclaim for his groundbreaking live presentation of “The Wall.” Later in the show, the legendary vocalist/bassist teams up with the Foo Fighters for a special performance of “In the Flesh,” from “The Wall” album. The Foo Fighters will be on tour this fall in support of their latest album, “Wasting Light.”
Performing “Lucifer Sam” from Pink Floyd’s 1967 debut album, “The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn,” MGMT takes the “Late Night” stage Wednesday night. The band is making a special appearance as part of Pink Floyd week following the conclusion of extensive touring in support of their second album, “Congratulations.”
On Thursday, country music artist Dierks Bentley sings “Wish You Were Here” from Pink Floyd’s album of the same name. Bentley recently scored his eighth No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart with “Am I the Only One,” from his latest album, “Diamonds.”
Closing out the week, Pearl Jam returns to Fallon’s studio for a performance of Pink Floyd’s “Mother,” from “The Wall,” on Friday. The band recently made its first appearance on “Late Night,” where they debuted the song, “Ole,” and collaborated with The Roots on “All Night.” This month, Pearl Jam celebrates a major milestone with the release of the “Pearl Jam Twenty” documentary (directed by Cameron Crowe), book (written by Jonathan Cohen) and soundtrack. The band is about to wrap a Canadian tour and will play stadium shows in South America beginning in early November.
The weeklong musical celebration coincides with Pink Floyd’s sweeping “Why Pink Floyd?” campaign with EMI. Launching Tuesday, the campaign includes the release of the band’s 14 remastered studio albums, a boxed 16-CD “Discovery” collection of the albums and two expanded editions of “The Dark Side of the Moon,” including a 6-disc boxed set with extensive previously unreleased audio and video content. On Nov. 8, “Wish You Were Here” will also be released in two expanded editions, as well as a new collection, “A Foot In The Door – The Best Of Pink Floyd.” The campaign will continue with the Feb. 28 release of “The Wall” in two expanded editions.
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