Live Entertainment Blog

The boys of Duran Duran have just recently put out a new album and are starting their multi-country tour starting tomorrow November 15th. They will start in Venezuela, ride on a makeshift boat to Panama City, rent mules en route to Brazil, hang glide to Mexico, and then swim their way into America. All of this will take place during their month long tour. They’re out to prove they can still thrill the same teenage hearts that they did back in the 80s (note that these teenage hearts are now in their 40s, have several children apiece, and most likely have spider veins).

Dancing with the Stars has repeatedly shown that it is a big favorite on American TV. Famous actors and actresses, singers and athletes, and all forms of celebrities are paired with real pro ballroom dancers in a competition to see who can learn the fastest and the best.  The audience watches them and then votes on which team is the best.  It’s great fun to watch a former politician or a large offensive lineman dancing the Viennese Waltz or other traditional dances.  But it’s also very impressive, because you can admire the pluck of these people, getting out and doing something that they aren’t as good at. Watching the show is supposed to be a lot of fun. You can get Dancing with the Stars tickets by clicking on this sentence!

The show must go on just like the Cedric must entertain. After successful appearances on “It’s Showtime at the Apollo,” “Def Comedy Jam” and “The Steve Harvey Show,” Cedric has solidified his place in hitory as one of the Kings of Comedy. But he’s not ready to stop just yet. He’s hitting the stage again with a revitalized fervor and looks to leave no funny stone unturned. Learn a little bit more about Cedric at his official website ceddybear.com.

Mamma Mia is still playing on Broadway.  People have loved this show all the time, and it’s because Abba is still very popular among many different groups of people.  Abba makes just the kind of music to bring you up when you’re down, to give you something else to think about.  Even on a dark and gloomy day, ABBA is there to cheer you up.  It’s no surprise, then, that Mamma Mia always brings in lots and lots of people for their audiences.  The musical is based on their music and chocked-full of it as well.  Of course, the movie, Mamma Mia the Movie, has brought yet more people into the fold.  Not that many people can make it to Broadway, but lots of people can make it to the movies and then they could see this musical.

Madonna is on tour, but she’s having some trouble at home.  A couple weeks ago, she and Guy Ritchie announced their divorce after 7.5 years of marriage.  The story got a little bit more complicated in the last few days, when Ritchie announced that he was turning down Madonna’s offer to settle the divorce out-of-court for $31 million.  His spokeman said “$31 million is a lot of money,but not in the entertainment world.  So now they are involved in battling out the details, and seeing whether they will have to take it to court or not.  They are also arguing about custody plans for their three children. Ritchie wants to keep them near him but she wants to move them to live with her.  Since she’s in the process of a tour, things can’t be great for her; the stress must be high.

AC/DC has begun an 18-month tour promoting their new album Black Ice.  The North American tour will begin on October 28th in Wilkes-Barre, PA, and continue until January 31, 2009.  Then the tour will move to other venues in South America, Australia, Europe and Asia.  Only some of the dates for the global shows have been announced so far.  Black Ice is the first album from the group since Stiff Upper Lip in 2000.  The tour is the first of theirs since 2001.  Opening for AC/DC during the North American shows will be the band “The Answer,” a hard rock and blues rock band from Northern Ireland.

AC/DC was formed in 1973 by Malcolm and Angus Young, brothers who brought in Larry Van Kriedt, Dave Evans and Colin Burgess. They became most famous in the late 70’s, thanks to the success of their album High Voltage.  Black Ice, the album, was released in North America on October 20th.

Harry Connick Jr.’s Oh My Nola (released January 2007) received rave reviews from his fanbase and critics alike. Now, he’s out to spread a little bit of holiday cheer with his music. Embarking on some yule tide tour dates, Harry Connick Jr. is bringing his 40s and 50s crooner style to areas near you. But his repertiore is not limited to that style, he’ll also be playing his patented blues and jazz style material as well. Visit Harry’s homepage to learn more about his upcoming tour dates, as well as background information on Connick’s style and biography.

Attention to all the Weeners out there, your favorite tagteam musical duo is releasing “Ween: Live at the Cat’s Cradle 1992″ very shortly, in time for the holiday season. The CD will feature their live act when it was only Gener and Deaner as a duo, and will be accompanied by a bonus DVD that features their first tour of Holland and some footage from Stache’s in Columbus, Ohio. Find out more information on ordering and pre-ordering through the official ween website right here.

The Dodos are indie-rock America’s new favorite band. Here’s why: they maintain the elements of “indie” (Okkervil River, Wilco, Wolf Parade-esque vocals, neo-folk guitar) while throwing in a bit of tribalism any modern day self-professed hippie attending the Phish reunion would appreciate. This three-man band combines innovative percussion with guitar into a beautiful blend of simple music that rings true of Autumn.  Their songs typically run about five minutes long but switch tempos and genres about four times from start to finish, but your foot or hands or head will be knocking and nodding the whole time.The Dodos will make you want to sit snuggle close by a camp fire on a brisk night and tap your cocoa mugs together as the leaves fall from the trees to crackle in the fire. You will want to run through the forest (donned in flannel), to grab sticks, not for the fire, but to start a gigantic drum circle that will echo into the night as your hair tangles into dreadlocks. Dont believe me? Listen for yourself here.

Avey Tare, Panda Bear, Geologist, and Deakin make up the vanguard of musicians known as Animal Collective. These are not their real names of course- Avey Tare comes from the tearing apart of Davey Portner, Geologist is for the headlight Brian Weitz wears during the shows, Panda Bear comes from the first drawings Noah Lennox created for the first set of songs he wrote, and Deakin is a combination of Conrad Deacon, a pen name Josh Dibb used when writing to other band members. The Animal Collective Sound is difficult to describe. Their genres span from psychedelic folk to electronic to noise rock- and they take those genres far into the realms of the experimental. An Animal Collective show is not to miss. Their lighting alone gives Daft Punk a run for their money and their music is like something you have never heard before. Check them out for yourself.