Rock 'n' Roll Roundup: GRAMMY Awards, Dave Matthews Band, Jason Aldean

Today proved to be a big day in the rock world with major announcements concerning the GRAMMY Awards, Dave Matthews Band (who close out their tour locally in Irvine, CA), and Jason Aldean…

Speaking of the Fab Four, we'll kick off this long and wide-ranging post with a media release from the Recording Academy. I have to admit to being shocked that Ringo Starr has never performed on the Grammys in the past. 

NOMINEE SARA BAREILLES AND 2014 MUSICARES^® PERSON OF THE YEAR CAROLE KING TOGETHER IN A SPECIAL PERFORMANCE

Music's Biggest Night^® Airs Live on CBS Sunday, Jan. 26, 8 P.M. ET/PT

#GRAMMYs

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (Jan. 14, 2014) — The latest performers for the 56th Annual GRAMMY Awards^® telecast were announced today and they include: current GRAMMY^® nominees John Legend, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Kacey Musgraves, Taylor Swift, and Keith Urban, as well as nominee Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr — who as members of the Beatles will receive the 2014 Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award. Other special performances include nominee Sara Bareilles together with four-time GRAMMY winner and 2014 MusiCares^® Person of the Year Carole King. Two-time GRAMMY winner LL COOL J returns as host of Music's Biggest Night^®. The music industry's premier event will take place live on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2014, at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles and will be broadcast in high-definition TV and 5.1 surround sound on the CBS Television Network from 8 – 11:30 p.m. (ET/PT). The show also will be supported on radio worldwide via Westwood One, and covered online at GRAMMY.com and CBS.com. Additional performers, presenters and special segments will be announced soon. For GRAMMY coverage, updates and breaking news, please visit The Recording Academy^®'s social networks on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

This will be the first performance on the GRAMMY Awards telecast for Sara Bareilles, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Kacey Musgraves, and Ringo Starr.

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis have seven nominations: Album Of The Year and Best Rap Album for The Heist; Song Of The Year for "Same Love" (along with Mary Lambert); Best Rap Performance (along with Wanz) and Best Rap Song for "Thrift Shop"; Best Music Video for "Can't Hold Us" (along with Ray Dalton, Jon Jon Augustavo, Tricia Davis, Honna Kimmerer, Jenny Koenig, and Jason Koenig); and Best New Artist.

Kacey Musgraves and seven-time GRAMMY winner Taylor Swift have four nods each: Musgraves is nominated for Best New Artist, has two nominations in Best Country Song for "Mama's Broken Heart" (along with Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally) and "Merry Go 'Round" (along with Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne), and is nominated for Best Country Album for Same Trailer Different Park; Swift is up for Album Of The Year and Best Country Album for Red, Best Country Duo/Group Performance for "Highway Don't Care" (along with Tim McGraw and Keith Urban), and Best Country Song for "Begin Again."  

Sara Bareilles and 16-time GRAMMY winner Paul McCartney are each up for two awards: Bareilles is nominated for Album Of The Year for The Blessed Unrest and Best Pop Solo Performance for "Brave"; and McCartney is up for Best Rock Song for "Cut Me Some Slack" (along with Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, and Pat Smear) and Best Music Film for Live Kisses (along with Jonas Åkerlund, Violaine Etienne, Aron Levine & Scott Rodger).

Nine-time GRAMMY winner John Legend and four-time GRAMMY winner Keith Urban each have a nomination: Legend is nominated for Best R&B Album for Love In The Future; and Urban has a nod in Best Country Duo/Group Performance for "Highway Don't Care" (along with Tim McGraw and Taylor Swift).

Previously announced performers include current nominees Daft Punk with nominee Nile Rodgers (of Chic), nominee Pharrell Williams, and 25-time GRAMMY winner Stevie Wonder; nominee Kendrick Lamar joined by nominees Imagine Dragons; nominee Lorde; eight-time GRAMMY-winning group Metallica and GRAMMY Cultural Ambassador to China Lang Lang performing together; nominee Katy Perry; nominees P!nk and Nate Ruess (of FUN.); nominee Robin Thicke and GRAMMY-winning group Chicago, whose debut album was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame^® this year; and a special performance featuring Merle Haggard, 2014 Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Kris Kristofferson,Willie Nelson, and nominee Blake Shelton. Also performing with Daft Punk are the RAM (Random Access Memories) session players: Chris Caswell, Nathan East, Omar Hakim, and Paul Jackson Jr.

For more information about The Academy, please visit www.grammy.com.

DAVE MATTHEWS BAND ANNOUNCES 2014 SUMMER TOUR Dave Matthews, right, with violinist Boyd Tinsley, at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in August 2006. Photo: Kelly A. Swift "A Very Special Evening With Dave Matthews Band" Will Feature The Group Performing Two Sets Each Night   Online Presale For Warehouse Fan Association Begins Thursday, January 16    Tickets Go On Sale To The Public Beginning Friday, February 7 In 2013, Rolling Stone put Dave Matthews Band on its list of the "50 Greatest Live Acts Right Now," observing,"Two decades in, DMB still know how to surprise their fans." The group's 2014 North American summer tour may be its most surprising yet. "A Very Special Evening with Dave Matthews Band" will feature the group delivering two sets per evening, performing songs from throughout its career. Dave Matthews Band will wind through numerous configurations - from electric to acoustic, from full-throttle numbers featuring the entire band to more intimate moments featuring small groups of band members - including a stripped-down pairing of Matthews with guitarist Tim Reynolds, performing as an acoustic duo, as they occasionally do when the band is off the road. A variety of guests will join the band throughout the summer. "I was talking to Carter about how much I still like just sitting around playing music together. It's how we started - in the basements of Carter's and my mom's houses," says vocalist/guitarist Dave Matthews. "Our shows are loose, but we started thinking that maybe this summer we should make them looser and bring some of that feeling to the stage. It seems like the opposite of a safe plan, so why not?" "Everyone was really psyched about the idea, so we've been busy figuring out how to turn it into the best possible experience for our fans," says drummer Carter Beauford.  The extensive North American outing will kick off on May 16 at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in Woodlands, TX and include two-night stands in Saratoga Springs, NY,Camden, NJ, Noblesville, IN, Chicago, IL, Hartford, CT and West Palm Beach, FL. Dave Matthews Band will launch the West Coast leg with three consecutive nights at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, CA (August 22-24). The group will headline The Gorge Amphitheatre in George, WA on August 29-31 in its traditional Labor Day weekend stint. This year's shows at The Gorge will also feature a Caravan stage with performances by additional artists. An online presale for all shows will begin on Thursday, January 16, at 10:00 AM ET at www.warehouse.davematthewsband.com for members of the DMB Warehouse Fan Association. Citi is the official credit card of the Dave Matthews Band Summer 2014 Tour. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets through Citi's Private Pass Program beginning on Monday, February 3, at 10:00 AM local time for all shows except the August 29-31 dates, which will be available beginning on Monday, February 17, 10:00 AM local time. For complete presale details visitwww.citiprivatepass.com. Tickets will go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, February 7, at 10:00 AM local time for all shows EXCEPT the August 29-31 dates, which go on sale Friday, February 21, at 10:00 AM PT. For further details, see below or visithttp://davematthewsband.com. Last summer's Dave Matthews Band run topped Billboard's Hot Tours chart in September 2013. The Dallas News noted, "the band's musicianship deserves undivided attention...For nearly three hours that organic blend of instruments, voices and songs swept through a crowd eager to spend all night with the Dave Matthews Band." "The only reliable Dave Matthews Band set list is a dart board with the group's entire 22-year-old discography. And that, my friends, is a good thing - for the fans and the band," said Cleveland's Plain Dealer. "Each night is a new night, a new beginning for us all...Like life, which really has no straight roads, a DMB show is a journey down twisting and turning byways. The difference is that there are no speed bumps, no orange barrels, but there ARE plenty of fascinating side roads."   Dave Matthews Band has sold a collective 37 million CDs and DVDs combined.The group has teamed up again with Rob Cavallo, who produced 2009's Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King,to record a new album that will be released later this year. With Away From The World entering the Billboard 200 at No. 1 in 2012, Dave Matthews Bandbecame the first group in chart history to have six consecutive studio albums debut atop the chart. The band ranked as the biggest ticket seller worldwide of the past decade and has sold over 19 million tickets since its inception. DAVE MATTHEWS BAND - 2014 TOUR DATES Date    City/State/Province  Venue                                                 Public On Sale Date                         5/16     Woodlands, TX                        Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion        2/7, 10 AM local time 5/17     Dallas, TX                   Gexa Energy Pavilion                          2/7, 10 AM local time 5/21     Tulsa, OK                    Bok Center                                          2/7, 10 AM local time 5/23     Pelham, AL                 Oak Mountain Amphitheatre               2/7, 10 AM local time 5/24     Atlanta, GA                 Aaron's Amphitheatre @ Lakewood    2/7, 10 AM local time 5/30     Saratoga Springs, NY    Saratoga Performing Arts Center         2/7, 10 AM local time 5/31     Saratoga Springs, NY    Saratoga Performing Arts Center         2/7, 10 AM local time 6/6       Bangor, ME                 Darling's Waterfront Pavilion             2/7, 10 AM local time 6/7       Mansfield, MA             XFINITY Center                                 2/7, 10 AM local time 6/10     Holmdel, NJ                 PNC Bank Arts Center                         2/7, 10 AM local time 6/11     Darien Center, NY       Darien Lakes Performing Arts Center  2/7, 10 AM local time 6/13     Camden, NJ                  Susquehanna Bank Center                     2/7, 10 AM local time 6/14     Camden, NJ                  Susquehanna Bank Center                     2/7, 10 AM local time 6/20     Noblesville, IN             Klipsch Music Center                           2/7, 10 AM local time 6/21     Noblesville, IN             Klipsch Music Center                           2/7, 10 AM local time 6/24     Toronto, ON               Molson Canadian Amphitheatre                       2/7, 10 AM local time 6/25     Clarkston, MI              DTE Energy Music Theatre                 2/7, 10 AM local time 6/27     Cuyahoga Falls, OH      Blossom Music Center                          2/7, 10 AM local time 6/28     Burgettstown, PA         First Niagara Pavilion                          2/7, 10 AM local time 7/2       Milwaukee, WI             Marcus Amphitheater - Summerfest    2/7, 10 AM local time 7/4       Chicago, IL                  FirstMerit Bank Pavilion                     2/7, 10 AM local time at Northerly Island 7/5       Chicago, IL                  FirstMerit Bank Pavilion                     2/7, 10 AM local time at Northerly Island 7/9       Cincinnati, OH             Riverbend Music Center                       2/7, 10 AM local time 7/11     Hartford, CT                XFINITY Theatre                              2/7, 10 AM local time 7/12     Hartford, CT                XFINITY Theatre                              2/7, 10 AM local time 7/15     Jacksonville, FL           Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena2/7, 10 AM local time 7/16     Tampa, FL                   MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre  2/7, 10 AM local time 7/18     West Palm Beach, FL  Cruzan Amphitheatre                           2/7, 10 AM local time 7/19     West Palm Beach, FL  Cruzan Amphitheatre                           2/7, 10 AM local time 7/22     Charlotte, NC              PNC Music Pavilion                             2/7, 10 AM local time 7/23     Raleigh, NC                  Walnut Creek Amphitheatre                2/7, 10 AM local time 7/25     Virginia Beach, VA       Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach     2/7, 10 AM local time 7/26     Bristow, VA                 Jiffy Lube Live                                     2/7, 10 AM local time 8/22     Berkeley, CA               Greek Theatre                                      2/7, 10 AM local time 8/23     Berkeley, CA               Greek Theatre                                      2/7, 10 AM local time 8/24     Berkeley, CA               Greek Theatre                                      2/7, 10 AM local time 8/26     Bend, OR                     Les Schwab Amphitheatre                    2/7, 10 AM local time 8/29     George, WA                 The Gorge Amphitheatre                     2/21, 10 AM local time                                                 Dave Matthews Band Caravan 8/30     George, WA                 The Gorge Amphitheatre                     2/21, 10 AM local time                                                 Dave Matthews Band Caravan 8/31     George, WA                 The Gorge Amphitheatre                     2/21, 10 AM local time                                                 Dave Matthews Band Caravan 9/5       Chula Vista, CA            Sleep Train Amphitheatre                    2/7, 10 AM local time 9/6       Irvine, CA                    Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre                       2/7, 10 AM local time Read my review of DMB's performance in Irvine back in September 2012 on The Orange County Register site here. And you can read my review of the troupe's September 2009 concert via this link. JASON ALDEAN SETS 2014 'BURN IT DOWN TOUR' DETAILS  First Announced Stadium Dates Will Include Special Guests Florida Georgia Line and Tyler Farr  Jason Aldean performing at Go Fest in Irvine, CA in September 2012. Photo: Kelly A. Swift Multi-Platinum entertainer Jason Aldean has announced the details of his 2014 BURN IT DOWN TOUR that will kick off May 1, 2014 in Roanoke, VA and continue on to roughly 50 cities through the end of the year.  Red-hot duo Florida Georgia Line and breakthrough artist Tyler Farr are also on the bill.  Aldean also revealed from MLB.com studios that the trek will hit baseball stadiums across the country, including Nationals Park (Washington, D.C.), Citizens Bank Park (Philadelphia, PA), PNC Park (Pittsburgh, PA) and Great American Ball Park (Cincinnati, OH).  Fans can purchase tickets beginning Jan. 24 for select cities as part of tour promoter Live Nation’s Country Megaticket at www.Megaticket.com, and additional ticketing information will be available in the coming weeks atwww.jasonaldean.com. “It's no secret that I grew up dreaming of playing baseball stadiums,” said Aldean. “I thought it would be as a first baseman, but playing them as a musician is just as sweet!   We're going to crank this thing up to 11, bring along our buddies Florida Georgia Line and Tyler Farr and put on the biggest and best show we can.  My goal is that when the last song is over, and you're walking back to the parking lot, you're already on your phone searching to find the next show.” In the wake of shattered attendance records and more than 1.5 million tickets sold on his last tour, Aldean’s 2014 BURN IT DOWN TOUR follows sellouts at some of the nation’s most legendary venues including University of Georgia's Sanford Stadium, Wrigley Field, a two-night stand at Fenway Park, Madison Square Garden and the Hollywood Bowl. Read my review of Jason Aldean's performance at Go Fest in Irvine in September 2012 in The Orange County Register here. Reigning ACM “Male Vocalist of The Year” Jason Aldean has sold over 8.5 million albums to date and notched 12 No. one hits at Country Radio. The Macon, GA native‘s current album NIGHT TRAIN claimed a No. one debut on the Billboard all genre Top 200 and earned PLATINUM certification in only four weeks. The album is currently nominated for “Country Album of the Year” at the 56th Annual GRAMMY Awards. For more information, visit www.jasonaldean.com.