Celebrity briefs (Nov. 8)
The 2009 "American Idol" winner Kris Allen
–After six months of going through the legal system, Usher’s divorce from Tameka Foster Raymond was finalized this week.
–Susan Boyle will perform next week on “Dancing With The Stars.”
–Actor Dennis Hopper was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
–”American Idol” champion Kris Allen’s new video premiered this week. Click here to watch it.
–John Mayer recorded a duet with Taylor Swift. The song “Half of my Heart” will appear on his upcoming album “Battle Studies.”
–Dolly Parton, Kid Rock, Charlie Daniels and Ernest Tubb will be inducted to the Music City Walk of Fame Nov. 8 in Nashville.
–Lady Gaga will perform her new song “Bad Romance” Nov. 16 during an episode of the tv show “Gossip Girl.”
–During the 2009 MTV Europe Music Awards this week, Beyonce thanked husband Jay-Z for putting a ring on it. This is a big deal because its the first time they have shown verbal affection toward each other in front of the cameras. From day one they’ve made a vow to refrain from discussing their relationship publicly.
What to do in Oklahoma on Nov. 8, 2009
Okemah-born singer-songwriter Woody Guthrie (The Oklahoman Archives photo)
Today’s featured event:
Hear a Tribute to Woody Guthrie at 7 tonight at the Blue Door, 2805 N McKinley.
For more information, go to www.bluedoorokc.com
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
Read more What to do in Oklahoma on Nov. 8, 2009 at BAM's Blog
What to do in Oklahoma on Nov. 8, 2009
Okemah-born singer-songwriter Woody Guthrie (The Oklahoman Archives photo)
Today’s featured event:
Hear a Tribute to Woody Guthrie at 7 tonight at the Blue Door, 2805 N McKinley.
For more information, go to www.bluedoorokc.com
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
Kris Allen new music video: Live Like We’re Dying
Mariah Carey New Year’s Eve concert
Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon arrived at the premiere of her new film titled "Precious." ((AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Unlike many celebrities, Mariah Carey won’t be ringing in the new year sipping on crystal or Belvedere vodka.
Instead, she will be performing a show for her fans. Carey will host a concert the night of New Year’s Eve at Madison Square Garden.
Carey made the announcement on her Web site. Tickets will go on sale Nov. 9 for members of her fan club and Nov. 14 for the general public.
Carey also recently completed filming a music video for her new song titled “H.A.T.U.” The song appears on her album “Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel.”
Taylor Swift to host, perform on “Saturday Night Live” tonight
Taylor Swift (Associated Press photo)
Country music starlet Taylor Swift will host and perform tonight on ”Saturday Night Live.”
“I’ve been thinking about skit ideas for a long time,” Swift, 19, told the Associated Press last month. “There are definitely some hilarious things that have happened to me over the past couple of months that I think will be pretty substantial skits.”
The only question is who will play Kanye West, since it’s hard to imagine that the “Not Ready for Primetime Players” won’t want to spoof West’s buffoonery at this fall’s MTV Video Music Awards, when he memorably hijacked Swift’s acceptance speech.
“SNL” airs at 10:30 p.m. on NBC (KFOR-4 in Oklahoma City).
For more TV news, visit Penny Soldan’s always informative blog at http://blog.newsok.com/television.
-BAM
Tickets to Bon Jovi Tulsa show go on sale Nov. 16
Rockers Bon Jovi have announced that their 2010-2011 “The Circle World Tour,” promoted by AEG Live, will stop April 13 at the BOK Center in Tulsa.
Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Monday, Nov. 16 and can be purchased at the BOK Center Box Office and all Tickets.com outlets, phone at (866) 7BOKCTR or online at www.bokcenter.com.
Ticket prices are $29.50, $59.50, $99.50 and $129.50. Tickets are subject to applicable service charges and event time and date are subject to change.
The GrammyAward-winning band will spend much of the next two years on the road, performing 135 shows in 30 countries.
With the grounds of New Meadowlands Stadium as their backdrop, the band’s Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, David Bryan and Tico Torres recently announced their two-year global trek with an exclusive performance for a group of more than 5,000 lucky contest winners, fan club members, and on-site construction workers currently building the venue. Following in the footsteps of their hugely successful “Lost Highway Tour” — Billboard’s No. 1 top-grossing tour of 2008 — Bon Jovi will draw fans around the world into “The Circle,” with a residency at London’s O2 Arena in June 2010 before returning to America in the fall for an additional nationwide leg, and further dates well into 2011.
The Nov. 10 release of the band’s new album, “The Circle,” and subsequent world tour, provides a powerful reassertion of Bon Jovi’s commitment to the rock ’n’ roll that has been the band’s indelible signature since it began more than 26 years ago.
For more information on the tour, go to www.bonjovi.com.
-BAM
What to do in Oklahoma on Nov. 7, 2009
Today’s featured event:
TULSA — Listen to country star Alan Jackson and up-and-coming band Gloriana at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the BOK Center, 200 S Denver.
For more information, call (866) 726-5287 or go to www.bokcenter.com
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
Rascal Flatts closes 2009 tour, sells 550,000 tickets
Rascal Flatts (Associated Press photo)
Top-selling country band Rascal Flatts, which includes Joe Don Rooney of Picher, wrapped the first leg of the “Rascal Flatts American Living Unstoppable Tour” last weekend. The tour sold 550,000 tickets in 39 shows since it began in June, according to a news release.
This total includes the two sold-out stadium concerts at Chicago’s Wrigley Field and Columbus, Ohio’s Crew Stadium. From January of this year, the band has sold more than a million concert tickets, bringing the trio’s four-year total to more than 4 million tickets sold.
Critics claimed their live shows were a huge success. The Minneapolis Pioneer Press said, “the biggest band in country employed showers of sparks, a well-lit runway that ran the length of the arena’s main floor, and big screens bedecked with images of misty moors and words like “passion,” “faith” and “courage.” And it all fit well with their songs, which assign weighty import to the events of everyday life through carpe diem lyrics, every chorus screamed out with vein-popping urgency.” “Rascal Flatts is a dominant country band for a reason. The songs are catchy and the musicianship is some of the best in ANY genre,” claimed the Cleveland Plain Dealer and The Dallas Morning News said, “The show is high-energy, flat-out from the get-go.”
Next up for Rascal Flatts are nominations for Group of the Year at next Wednesday’s CMA Awards (watch the Country Music Association’s awards show on ABC and follow the live-blog here) and Country Group of the Year and Country Album of the Year at the American Music Awards (Nov. 22 on ABC).
Rascal Flatts newest CD, “Unstoppable,” has been certified platinum for sales in excess of 1 million. The CD launched as the group’s fourth consecutive studio album to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, more than any other country artist in the history of Soundscan. This brings the band’s career album sales to a staggering 20 million units in just this decade, and the group has amassed 22.5 million digital downloads.
Rascal Flatts is the biggest-selling and grossing group in country music history and has been named a Billboard Top Ten Touring Act in all genres with more venue attendance records than any other country act.
-BAM
Dueling Apps: Pandora vs. Last.fm, Round Eight: Carrie Underwood
My best iPhone music app experiences are currently with Pandora and Last.fm. I downloaded Pandora almost instantly once I got the phone, but I was pointed to Last.fm by a friend two weeks ago and since the two services are fairly similar in format and functionality, I decided it would be interesting to take one artist each day and build stations for them on the individual services. I will list the first 10 songs Pandora and Last.fm deliver for each artist, and then assess which service offered the best response.
Today, StaticBlog shakes it up a bit by venturing into country with Carrie Underwood, who just released her third CD this week.
Pandora, play on:
1. Carrie Underwood, “Last Name.”
2. Rascal Flatts, “Feels Like Today.”
3. Taylor Swift, “Tim McGraw.”
4. Sugarland, “Want To.”
5. Carrie Underwood, “Wasted.”
6. Tim McGraw, “Please Remember Me.”
7. Faith Hill, “Breathe.”
8. Rascal Flatts, “Here Comes Goodbye.”
9. Kenny Chesney, “There Goes My Life.”
10. Carrie Underwood, “You Won’t Find This.”
Pro: In the Top 5, Pandora is just killing it in the pop-country category with strong tracks by Underwood, Taylor Swift and especially Sugarland, and there’s the Oklahoma commonality with Rascal Flatts.
Con: Pandora seems to lose the thread a little in the bottom five, when the tracks could find equivalency with just about any modern commercial country act. It’s almost as if the service ran out of ideas.
Last.fm, start the carnival ride:
1. Taylor Swift, “Teardrops On My Guitar.”
2. Allison Iraheta, “Cry Baby.”
3. Faith Hill, “Baby You Belong.”
4. Brooke White, “Dream On.”
5. Rascal Flatts, “What Hurts Me Most.”
6. Jessie James, “Blue Jeans.”
7. Brooke White, “High Hopes & Heartbreak.”
8. Matt Giraud, “You Make Me Wanna.”
9. Bucky Covington, “Hometown.”
10. Taylor Swift, “Tim McGraw.”
Pro: Well, there are two Taylor Swift songs to ease the pain of this list, a Rascal Flatts track and Faith Hill. But I think we see what’s happening here.
Con: Somehow, the brain trust at Last.fm decided that a Carrie Underwood request equals “American Idol” mixtape, so you get Matt Giraud, Bucky Covington, two Brooke White songs and Allison Iraheta — and no Carrie. Four years past her “Idol” win, Underwood’s appeal has far transcended that show. Epic fail.
Advantage: Pandora by a country mile.
