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| basement tapes | concert reviews | cd reviews | interviews | ticket swap | music news |
 By Andy Argyrakis |
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Ticket Summit 2008: The World's Largest Gathering of Ticket Industry Professionals Las Vegas, NV July 23 - 25 Friday, June 27, 2008 This July 23rd through the 25th hundreds of ticket industry professionals will descend on The Venetian Resort Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas to take part in Ticket Summit 2008 - the leading trade show and conference in the secondary ticket industry. This annual event, now in it's third year, brings together hundreds of experts and leaders within the ticket community, offering them a chance to establish and foster relationships valuable to their business. Combining a series of panels, interactive forums, training sessions and product demonstrations this event is the perfect way to network with the top leaders of the ticketing industry, including Ticket Brokers & Wholesalers, Software vendors, Concert and Event promoters, Advertising Agencies, Venue/Performer Agents and many others. As Molly A. Martinez (Executive Director of Ticket Summit 2008) explains about their company and this special conference, "Ticket Summit is the undisputed leader in educating ticket brokers, concert promoters and other ticket community members about current trends and issues in the ever changing ticket market. Based on current registration figures, we expect over eight hundred ticket industry professionals to attend this top rated industry event which will feature more speakers and exhibitors than any other ticket conference." Companies that have been added to the expanded sponsor roster include official airline sponsor JetBlue, in addition to corporate sponsorships on behalf of Live Nation, eBay Google, Houston Rockets, Billboard and David Saxe Productions. Ticket industry heavyweights Eric Baker, CEO of viagogo.com, Chris Tsakalakis of Stubhub /eBay and Greg Bettinelli of Live Nation, are slated to speak at Ticket Summit 2008 about evolving developments in the technology, legal, partnership and expansion aspects of the ticket business. To register for this year's Ticket Summit Conference and Trade Show visit: http://www.ticketsummit.org/register.aspx For a comprehensive schedule of this year's panels, events, etc go to: http://www.ticketsummit.org/schedule.aspx For more info on Ticket Summit 2008 call (860) 870-3400 x132 or visit: http://www.ticketsummit.org Contributed by Tony Bonyata |
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Weekend Report: Blondie at the zoo?, Wonder for free
Friday, June 27, 2008 It's a sad day when dance/pop purveyors Blondie have to play at a public zoo, but at least the band rebounds the next night with a side stage slot at America's biggest music festival. One of the new wave eras' most entertaining outfits might not have new material to promote, but is nonetheless touring in support of the recently re-issued Parallel Lines (Capitol). This deluxe edition of the cornerstone collection includes remastered versions of "One Way Or Another," "Heart of Glass" and "Hanging on the Telephone," plus a DVD of rare promo videos and live performances from that era. (Worth a shot - Friday at Lincoln Park Zoo- Chicago, IL: www.lpzoo.org and Saturday at Milwaukee Summerfest- Milwaukee, WI: www.summerfest.com). The Guess Who single-handedly put Canadian rock n' roll on the map, ironically with an anthem called "American Woman." Aside from becoming one of the greatest rock n' roll tracks of all time, Lenny Kravitz thought it was pretty cool as well, covering it for a single and regularly performing it in concert. But the band's catalogue digs much deeper than that sole smash, including the instantly familiar "These Eyes," "Share the Land," "Laughing," "Undun," "No Time," "No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature," "Hand Me Down World" and "Follow Your Daughter Home." Aside from a trip  down memory lane, the group is touring in
support of the new DVD Shakin' Las Vegas, loaded
with new tracks split between a classic and current
direction. (Bet your life - Friday at Arcada Theatre-
St. Charles, IL and Saturday at Bloomingdale Festival-
Bloomingdale, IL: www.onestientertainment.com).There's no doubt that Stevie Wonder will put on an amazing show this weekend in the massive Taste of Chicago confines. The question is just how many people will show up for the free event and will it be worth the hassle of dripping beer and barbeque sauce? That depends on one's degree of die-hard appreciation, though those who already caught him earlier in the week at Milwaukee's Summerfest or last year at Chicago's Charter One Pavilion probably found their fix. In any case, Wonder's set lists have been packed with all hits, plus a sprinkling off his latest superb CD A Time To Love (Motown). (Worth a shot - Saturday at Grant Park- Chicago, IL: www.tasteofchicago.us). |
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Street Week: LTJ endures, A Big Blue Ball of all-stars
Monday, June 23, 2008 Anyone who's followed Peter Gabriel's career closely knows speedy album turnarounds aren't exactly his specialty. The decade long wait between his solo projects Us and Up more than proved that point, though that pacing also permeated collaborative scenarios. The Gabriel-led Big Blue Ball super group of sorts first recorded sessions in 1991 and continued at various intervals though 1995, only to sit on the shelf until a seemingly endless string of finishing touches were applied. Nonetheless, the self-titled collection on Real World now features 75 artists from over twenty countries including Sinead O'Connor, Joseph Arthur, Tim Finn, The Holmes Brothers, Jah Wobble and members of Afro Celt Sound System. Longevity isn't generally associated with horn-heavy punk acts, but Less Than Jake is an impressive anomaly that continues to throw listeners for a loop with every robust album released. This week's GNA FLA releases on the band's own Sleep It Off following a string of indie and major label deals. The results find the always boisterous boys addressing  a grittier
side of its already aggressive sounds, simultaneously
bearing similarity to its raw beginnings, but also
blasting forward with an impressive new alternative
direction.It's also a busy week for music DVDs, starting with New Order's Live In Glasgow (Rhino), chronicling the electronic rockers' most recent tour in support of Waiting for the Sirens' Callv. Former Generation X punker turned solo star Billy Idol drops The Very Best of Billy Idol: Idolize Yourself (Capitol) featuring an audio assortment of singles and a visual disc of short video clips. And for all the beer drinkers and hell raisers out there, the bearded boys of ZZ Top deliver Live In Texas (Eagle Rock) in all its sharp dressed excess. |
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