U2 Announce The iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Tour 2015

Here is the news of the day...

LOS ANGELES , Dec. 3, 2014 /CNW/ -- The dates for U2's upcoming iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Tour 2015 have been announced today by Live Nation. The iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Tour, which begins in 2015, will see U2 play indoor arenas for the first time in a decade and will visit 19 cities worldwide during its first year with pairs of shows in each city. A complete tour itinerary is below. Tickets for all shows will go on general sale on Monday, Dec. 8 . In addition, special shows are being planned for Dublin for the end of next year – to benefit the U2-initiated Music Generation project - details of which will be announced as soon as they are finalized.

The tour follows the recent release of U2's thirteenth studio album Songs Of Innocence by Island Records, which was given to U2.com subscribers and gifted by Apple to over half a billion iTunes Music Store customers worldwide. To date, Songs of Innocence has been streamed 81 million times and has been downloaded by 30 million fans.

"We are going to try to have a completely different feeling from night one to night two," said Bono, "and have some fun playing with the idea of innocence and experience. More to be revealed!"

"The anticipation for a U2 tour is always extraordinary, as it should be," said Arthur Fogel , President - Global Touring and Chairman - Global Music. "Following the record-setting 360 Tour, I'm amazed that they still want to be ground-breaking, this time on a more intimate scale."

Tickets for the U2 iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Tour 2015 go on general sale beginning Monday, Dec. 8 . As usual, there is an exclusive priority presale for U2 Fan Club subscribers at U2.com, from Thursday, Dec. 4 at 10 a.m. through Saturday, Dec. 6 at noon (all times local). Tickets will be general admission on the floor and reserved seating in the stands.

UPS is the logistics supplier to the tour. Ron Rogowski , UPS Vice President, Global Brand and Sponsorships said - "We're excited to work closely with U2 and Live Nation on this amazing tour in the most sustainable and environmentally responsible manner while providing them speed, efficiency and reliability."

iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE
TOUR ITINERARY
DATE	CITY	VENUE	ON-SALE
NORTH AMERICA 2015
May 14	Vancouver, BC	Rogers Arena	Dec. 8
May 15	Vancouver, BC	Rogers Arena	Dec. 8
May 18	San Jose, CA	SAP Center at San Jose	Dec. 8
May 19	San Jose, CA	SAP Center at San Jose	Dec. 8
May 22	Phoenix, AZ	US Airways Center	Dec. 8
May 23	Phoenix, AZ	US Airways Center	Dec. 8
May 26	Los Angeles, CA	Forum	Dec. 8
May 27	Los Angeles, CA	Forum	Dec. 8
May 30	Los Angeles, CA	Forum	Dec. 8
May 31	Los Angeles, CA	Forum	Dec. 8
June 12	Montreal, QC	Bell Centre	Dec. 8
June 13	Montreal, QC	Bell Centre	Dec. 8
June 24	Chicago, IL	United Center	Dec. 8
June 25	Chicago, IL	United Center	Dec. 8
July 6	Toronto, ON	Air Canada Centre	Dec. 8
July 7	Toronto, ON	Air Canada Centre	Dec. 8
July 10	Boston, MA	TD Garden	Dec. 8
July 11	Boston, MA	TD Garden	Dec. 8
July 18	New York, NY	Madison Square Garden	Dec. 8
July 19	New York, NY	Madison Square Garden	Dec. 8
July 22	New York, NY	Madison Square Garden	Dec. 8
July 23	New York, NY	Madison Square Garden	Dec. 8
EUROPE / UK 2015
Sept. 4	Turin, Italy	Pala Alpitour	Dec. 8
Sept. 5	Turin, Italy	Pala Alpitour	Dec. 8
Sept. 8	Amsterdam, The Netherlands	Ziggo Dome	Dec. 8
Sept. 9	Amsterdam, The Netherlands	Ziggo Dome	Dec. 8
Sept. 16	Stockholm, Sweden	Globe	Dec. 8
Sept. 17	Stockholm, Sweden	Globe	Dec. 8
Sept. 24	Berlin, Germany	O2 World	Dec. 8
Sept. 25	Berlin, Germany	O2 World	Dec. 8
Oct. 5	Barcelona, Spain	Palau Sant Jordi	Dec. 9
Oct. 6	Barcelona, Spain	Palau Sant Jordi	Dec. 9
Oct. 13	Antwerp, Belgium	Sportpaleis	Dec. 8
Oct. 14	Antwerp, Belgium	Sportpaleis	Dec. 8
Oct. 17	Koln, Germany	Lanxess Arena	Dec. 8
Oct. 18	Koln, Germany	Lanxess Arena	Dec. 8
Oct. 25	London, UK	O2	Dec. 8
Oct. 26	London, UK	O2	Dec. 8
Oct. 29	London, UK	O2	Dec. 8
Oct. 30	London, UK	O2	Dec. 8
Nov. 6	Glasgow, UK	The SSE Hydro	Dec. 8
Nov. 7	Glasgow, UK	The SSE Hydro	Dec. 8
Nov. 10	Paris, France	Bercy	Dec. 8
Nov. 11	Paris, France	Bercy	Dec. 8

Sights and Sounds: Holiday Music Roundups, Austin City Limits, Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve

With Christmas set to arrive in just over three weeks, best to catch up with the latest holiday music collections. Indeed, there are exciting new holiday recordings from the celebrated likes of Erasure, Johnnyswim, The Living Sisters, Darius Rucker, Idina Menzel and more!

You can read my roundup of new seasonal sounds in my latest column on the Music News Nashville site here. You can read George A. Paul's fantastic roundup on his Music Minded blog here.


Austin City Limits Announces Complete Season 40 Broadcast TV Schedule

Milestone Season Continues January 3rd With Seven New Episodes Including Foo Fighters, The Black Keys, Ryan Adams, Jenny Lewis, Nickel Creek, Spoon and Sam Smith

Austin, TX—December 3, 2014—The landmark television music series Austin City Limits (ACL) unwraps the second half of its milestone Season 40, celebrating a four-decade run with more legendary artists, innovators and highly-anticipated debuts.  Seven brand-new shows begin airing in January 2015 as part of the program's fourteen-episode season. Providing viewers with a front-row seat to the best in music performance for 40 years, ACL returns on Saturday, January 3, 2015 with a double-bill featuring the return of roots rockers The Avett Brothers and Grammy-winning bluegrass trio Nickel Creek. ACL airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings for times) and full episodes are made available online for a limited time at http://video.pbs.org/program/austin-city-limits/ immediately following the initial broadcast. The show's official hashtag is #acltv40.

A highlight of the season is powerhouse rock duo The Black Keys, with the six-time Grammy winners making their highly anticipated ACL return, having first appeared in Season 36. ACL favorites Spoon make their fourth appearance, sharing the bill with fellow Austin natives White Denim. Acclaimed singer/songwriter Jenny Lewis returns for her solo ACL debut, originally appearing in Season 31 as part of the indie rock duo Rilo Kiley; in what's sure to be one of ACL's most talked about episodes, Ryan Adams shares the bill in a memorable ACL return. The extended line-up features a number of artists making ACL debuts, among them chart-topping British sensation Sam Smith, synth-pop trio Future Islands and southern rockers J. Roddy Walston & The Business.

Rock superstars Foo Fighters return to the ACL stage with an hourlong, monumental performance. Joined by Austin legends Gary Clark Jr. and Jimmie Vaughan, Foo Fighters’ powerful performance is a high point of the standout season.  The renowned band recently immortalized Austin and ACL's executive producer Terry Lickona in an installment of their HBO series Sonic Highways, even recording a song, “What Did I Do?/God As My Witness”,  in ACL's historic Studio 6A for their companion new release.  

ACL closes out the celebratory season with a special episode featuring performance highlights from the first annual Austin City Limits Hall of Fame presentation.  Performers include music legends Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett,Emmylou Harris, Buddy Guy and Double Trouble.  

“We’ve had an amazing 40th anniversary year,” says ACL’s Terry Lickona, “and the second half of the season says as much about the future as our past. As always, we try to showcase the best music being created today, and every one of these shows is exceptional. Then for a grand finale, we’ll tie it all together with a celebration of the artists and individuals who have inspired the longest-running music show on TV.”

Season 40 | 2015 Broadcast Schedule

January 3, 2015      | The Avett Brothers | Nickel Creek
January 10, 2015    | Spoon | White Denim
January 17, 2015    | Sam Smith | Future Islands
January 24, 2015    | Ryan Adams | Jenny Lewis
January 31, 2015    | The Black Keys | J. Roddy Walston & The Business
February 7, 2015    | Foo Fighters
February 14, 2015  | Austin City Limits Hall of Fame Special

Honoring ACL's milestone 40th anniversary, PBS releases the DVD AUSTIN CITY LIMITS CELEBRATES 40 YEARS on December 2, 2015, featuring an all-star lineup of ACL royalty paying tribute to the show's enduring legacy with unforgettable music performances. With guest hosts Jeff Bridges, Sheryl Crow and Matthew McConaughey, the two-hour program features memorable moments from the trailblazing show’s remarkable run, while the brightest stars in the series’ history return to the ACL stage for dream duets and choice collaborations. Artists performing on the special include: Alabama Shakes, Jeff Bridges, Gary Clark Jr., Sheryl Crow, Joe Ely, Foo Fighters, Buddy Guy,Emmylou Harris, Robert Earl Keen, Kris Kristofferson, Lyle Lovett, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, Robert Randolph, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Jimmie Vaughan. DVD bonus material includes additional music performances from artists such as Willie Nelson and Alabama Shakes, as well as two behind the scenes segments.


About Austin City Limits
ACL offers viewers unparalleled access to featured acts in an intimate setting that provides a platform for artists to deliver inspired, memorable, full-length performances. The program is taped live before a concert audience from The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. Austin City Limits is the longest-running music series in American television history and remains the only TV series to ever be awarded the National Medal of Arts. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the pilot episode taped in 1974 with Willie Nelson. Since its inception, the groundbreaking music series has become an institution that's helped secure Austin's reputation as the Live Music Capital of the World. The historic KLRU Studio 6A, home to 36 years of ACL concerts, has been designated an official Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Landmark. In 2011, ACL moved to the new venue ACL Live at The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. ACL received a rare institutional Peabody Award for excellence and outstanding achievement in 2012.

ACL is produced by KLRU-TV and funding is provided in part by Budweiser, the Austin Convention Center Department, Dell and HomeAway. Additional funding is provided by the Friends of Austin City Limits. Learn more about Austin City Limits, programming and history at acltv.com.

Florida Georgia Line, Magic! and Idina Menzel to join Taylor Swift on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve; set to perform for more than one million fans in Times Square

 
“Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2015" Begins Live 
at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC-TV from New York’s Times Square
 
 

Los Angeles, CA (December 3, 2014) – Florida Georgia Line, MAGIC! and Idina Menzel will perform live for over one million fans in Times Square as part of the lineup on “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2015.” Menzel will sing the winter wonderland instant classic “Let It Go,” Florida Georgia Line’s medley of songs will include their record-breaking, multi-platinum #1 smash “Cruise,” platinum-certified hit "This Is How We Roll" and current single “Sun Daze,” and MAGIC! will perform their chart topper “Rude” and recent release “Let Your Hair Down.” They will join headliner Taylor Swift for the biggest music celebration of the year as the New Year's Rockin' Eve programming begins at 8:00 pm ET/PT on ABC Television Network.

The bi-coastal celebration will include hours of special performances and reports on New Year’s celebrations from around the globe, and Ryan Seacrest will lead the traditional countdown to midnight from Times Square in New York City as he has for the last 9 years. As previously announced, Jenny McCarthy will report live from Times Square and Fergie hosts the Billboard Hollywood Party with previously announced performers Charli XCX, One Direction and Meghan Trainor.

Florida Georgia Line is continuing the record-breaking momentum with the release of their GOLD-certified sophomore album ANYTHING GOES (Republic Nashville) soaring to a #1 debut on the all-genre Billboard 200 and Billboard Top Country Albums charts. Fueled by their hot new single “Sun Daze” and PLATINUM, #1 smash "Dirt," music critics and fans alike have embraced the superstar duo’s fresh sound. FGL has skyrocketed to stardom becoming the only artist in history to join Brooks & Dunn in achieving four back-to-back, multi-week #1 singles; breaking the record for longest #1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart and selling nearly 20 million tracks worldwide of their 2X PLATINUM debut HERE’S TO THE GOOD TIMES. In addition to collaborating across genres with sensations like Nelly and Jason Derulo, FGL has won numerous industry awards and for a second consecutive year were named one of CMT Artists of the Year. In addition to scoring the 2014 Billboard Touring Award for Breakthrough Artist and the American Music Award for Favorite Band Duo or Group, Country, FGL scored their first nomination for the 2015 People’s Choice Awards for Favorite Country Group and fans can vote now at http://www.peopleschoice.com/pca/. The talented pair, who was named one of CMT’s Artists of the Year for a second time, has also been tapped to perform on WWE’s “Tribute To The Troops” later this month and to host the first-ever American Country Countdown Awards on December 15. Airing live on FOX, FGL scored six nominations for the new awards show, including the top nod for Artist of the Year. Just off the road as direct support on Jason Aldean's BURN IT DOWN TOUR, FGL will take their signature show worldwide next year on the headline ANYTHING GOES TOUR 2015.

Toronto born, Los Angeles based quartet MAGIC! consists of Nasri (lead singer), Mark Pelli (guitar), Ben Spivak (bass) and Alex Tanas (drums). Their debut album, Don’t Kill The Magic debuted at #6 on the Billboard Top 200 and #2 on the Digital Albums Chart. The album produced the certified platinum single “Rude” which was #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for 6 consecutive weeks, the most Shazammed song of the Summer in the US and has sold over 4 million singles worldwide. The music video for “Rude” has over 230 million views. MAGIC! is set to hit the road in 2015 with Maroon 5 in support of Don’t Kill The Magic. Their follow up single, “Let Your Hair Down” is currently rising up the charts.

Tony Award-winning icon Idina Menzel has a diverse career that traverses stage, film, television and music. Menzel’s voice can be heard as Elsa in Disney’s global box office smash Frozen, in which she sings the film’s Oscar-winning song “Let It Go.” After Menzel’s performance of the multi-platinum song at the 86^th annual Academy Awards, she made history as the first person with both a Billboard Top 10 hit and a Tony Award for acting. Menzel earned her first Tony nomination as Maureen in the Pulitzer Prize winner Rent, and won the award for her performance as Elphaba in Wicked. Other notable roles include Rachel Berry’s mother, Shelby Corcoran, on the hit television show Glee as well starring opposite Susan Sarandon and Amy Adams in Disney’s Enchanted. Menzel starred in her own PBS special, Barefoot at the Symphony, with an accompanying live album of the same name, and her highly successful international concert tour recently included a sold-out performance at Radio City Music Hall. In addition to cast albums, Menzel’s prolific recording career includes the solo albums I Stand, Here and Still I Can’t Be Still. Her first-ever Christmas album Holiday Wishes, released October 2014 on Warner Bros. Records, debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Holiday Albums chart and is already receiving rave reviews. Menzel can currently be seen on Broadway as Elizabeth in the original production If/Then, for which she earned critical acclaim and her third Tony nomination, and performed “Always Starting Over” from the musical at this year’s Tony Awards.

“Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2015” is produced by dick clark productions with Ryan Seacrest, Allen Shapiro and Mike Mahan serving as executive producers, and Barry Adelman and Mark Bracco are co-executive producers. Larry Klein is producer.

The complete lineup Wednesday night, December 31 on ABC is:

8:00 - 11:00 p.m. – “Dick Clark’s Primetime New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2015”

11:30 - 1:09 a.m. – “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2015, Part 1”

1:10 - 2:13 a.m.– “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2015, Part 2”
          
Cheat Tweet: 
.@FLAGALine, @ournameisMAGIC & @idinamenzel to perform on #RockinEve. Watch @OfficialNYRE 12/31 at 8pm ET on ABC: http://bit.ly/RockinEvePerformers

Facebook:       Facebook.com/NewYearsRockinEve
Twitter:           @officialNYRE
Snapchat:        OfficialNYRE
Instagram       @officialnyre
Tumblr:           rockineve.tumblr.com
Hashtag:         #RockinEve
Website:           newyearsrockineve.com

ABOUT DICK CLARK PRODUCTIONS
dick clark productions (dcp) is among the world's largest producers and proprietors of televised live event programming. dcp produces perennial hits such as the "American Music Awards," "Golden Globe Awards," "Academy of Country Music Awards," "Billboard Music Awards," and "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest." Weekly television programming, includes "So You Think You Can Dance" from 19 Entertainment, a division of CORE Media Group, and dick clark productions; as well as "Rising Star" and the upcoming “Boom!” from Keshet DCP, the joint venture between Keshet International (KI), the global distribution and production arm of Keshet Media Group, and DC Media, the parent company of dick clark productions (dcp). In 2014, dcp will debut the "American Country Countdown Awards" (FOX), “Hollywood Film Awards (CBS) and "The PEOPLE MAGAZINE Awards" (NBC). dcp also owns one of the world's most unique and extensive entertainment archive libraries with more than 55 years of dcp's award-winning shows, historic programs, specials, performances, and legendary programming. For additional information, visit www.dickclark.com.

The Waterboys return with 'Modern Blues'

It's always a good day when there is news to share about The Waterboys!

The Waterboys will release a brand new album early next year entitled Modern Blues via Kobalt on January 20^th 2015.  The album is a first for the band, as it’s the first release fully recorded in Nashville, Tennessee by the group.  Produced by Waterboys leader Mike Scott and mixed by Bob Clearmountain, Modern Blues, the band’s eleventh studio album, contains nine freewheeling rock and roll songs with a southern soul edge, evoking the very best of The Waterboys past work while forging forth to explore new ground. 

A new song from the forthcoming album: “November Tale” made its debut yesterday and can be heard here: http://smarturl.it/novtalevid

Modern Blues is now available for pre sale as well. http://smarturl.it/waterboysmodernblues

Mike Scott entered the studio intent on harnessing the rolling, spontaneous energy that fuelled some of The Waterboys greatest albums. “I set out to make a record with an ensemble playing live, to get that performance spirit. It’s how I recorded Fisherman’s Blues.”  To that end, he corralled old hands and new friends. Ralph Salmins, a mainstay on drums for the past four years, appears alongside Scott and talismanic Waterboy Steve Wickham, who weaves a dizzying fuzz fiddle spell on several tracks of Modern Blues.

Fresh to the ranks of the group are Memphis keyboard player “Brother” Paul Brown, and David Hood, legendary bassist from the heyday of FAME studios and Muscle Shoals.

Asked why he chose to record in Nashville, Scott (who lives mostly in Dublin) explained, “Nashville has a reputation as Music City, USA and I fancied some of that. It’s one of the few cities that still has a recording studio industry intact, which brings the spur of competition. I know that across town Jack White's making a record, The Black Keys are making theirs.  I like that competitive feeling, it’s exciting. It's a spur.”

In true Waterboys’ style, a spirit of exploration defines the album. Few bands have changed as much as this one. Formed in 1983, on their first three albums The Waterboys sculpted a layered post-punk sound, culminating in 1985’s sky-scraping This is the Sea. Since then the music has never ceased to evolve, from the hugely influential mix of Celtic folk, gospel, country and rock on the classic Fisherman’s Blues, to the New York guitar sounds of Dream Harder,the agitated millennial sonic exploration of A Rock in the Weary Land, and the fired-up poetic passion of 2011’s An Appointment with Mr. Yeates.  In 2013 the band embarked an extensive North American tour with over 40 dates.

Modern Blues is an electric, eclectic, soulful, bold and gloriously freewheeling rock'n'roll record, arriving at a time when the relevance and popular reach of The Waterboys has never been greater. In 2013 Ellie Goulding scored a top 3 UK hit with their “How Long Will I Love You” and earlier this year Prince performed “The Whole of the Moon” solo at the piano during his Hit + Run show at Ronnie Scott’s in London.  “A Pagan Place” has also recently become a live staple for The War on Drugs.

A North American tour is in the works for The Waterboys in the spring of 2015 with details to be announced shortly.

Modern Blues Track Listing

Destinies Entwined

November Tale

Still A Freak

I Can See Elvis

The Girl Who Slept For Scotland

Rosalind (You Married The Wrong Girl)

Beautiful Now

Nearest Thing To Hip

Long Strange Golden Road

To Pre Order The Album Visit:

http://waterboys.tmstor.es/