Hank 3 Charts New Territory with a Four-Record Release Due Sept. 6

With his new label, Hank3 Records, and the sense that he has thrown off the chains holding him back creatively, Shelton Hank Williams III, aka Hank3, is coming out swinging this year with the release of four records on September 6 – that’s right – four.The unprecedented launch, in a distribution partnership with Megaforce Records (MRI), features a broad range of music that bridges more than one head-thumping genre – a familiar theme that true Hank3 fans have embraced for years.  Ghost to a Ghost/Guttertown, a double-album set, is a straight-shooting country collection, flavored with Hank3′s trademark hellbilly sound, and heavily weighted with Cajun influence (especially on Guttertown) and an ambient, lonesome mood – and a few very special guests.Two more releases are Attention Deficient Domination and 3 Bar Ranch Cattle Callin- intensely metal-driven records on which Hank3 plays all instruments.  Attention Deficit Domination is a pressure-dropping, doom rock statement that has been anticipated by his hardcore fans for years, and Cattle Callin explores a new mind-bending “Cattle Core” sound, featuring Hank3′s speed metal woven in and around actual cattle auctioneering.
All three projects were recorded at The Haunted Ranch, Hank3′s home and studio that lies on the outskirts of Nashville – a fitting place since the town has never really known what to do with this grandson of the American icon.  He finally parted ways with Curb Records January 1.

“I have musical freedom.  I’m able to say ‘Here’s my record’ and I don’t have to go through a million different channels just to put out a song,” he says. “It’s all me now.”Hank3 wrote the lion’s share of the songs that appear on the 41-track Ghost to a Ghost.  The players are Andy Gibson on steel guitar and banjo, who also aided in its recording, David McElfresh on fiddle and mandolin, Zach Shedd on standup bass, Daniel Mason on banjo, super-picker Johnny Hiland on guitar, Billy Contreras on fiddle, and Rory Hoffman on accordion.Guest appearances include the mythical Tom Waits on the haunted “Fadin Moon” from Guttertown and on the Ghost to a Ghost title track, Alan King of Hellstomper, Les Claypool of Primus fame and beyond, Dave Sherman, Troy Medlin and Hank3′s dog, Trooper.Cuts such as “Guttertown,” “Ridin The Wave,” and “The Devil’s Movin’ In” on Ghost to A Ghost, and “Goin to Guttertown,” “The Low Line,” and “I’ll Save My Tears” on Guttertown highlight both the excellent musicia nship on the records and Hank3′s unmistakable, confident vocals.

Attention Deficit Domination allows the listener into Hank3′s crunching, metal world of the heavy and the slow, complete with his renowned, fundamental percussion.  The nine tracks hardly allow you to get up from the floor.  With songs such as “I Feel Sacrificed” and the tormented “Livin’ Beyond Doom,” Hank3 works a ground somewhere between devastation and high theatre.

“Both A.D.D. and Cattle Callin are very intense.  It’s very manic,” Hank3 says.  “It’s hard to follow, even for the guys I play with.  I’m playing everything on these two.  It’s very complex.”
There are 23 tracks on Cattle Callin, featuring Hank3′s driving, formidable guitar attack, with instrumentation build around the auctioneering and, in some cases, his own higher-register vocal treatment laid over the top.  Metal fans will notice some tongue-in-cheek humor with titles such as “Heavy Cattle” and “Angus of Death.” Also, fans of bluegrass will love the banjo-driven “Cattle Callin’ Lonesome Blues,” featuring Mason. “I was raised around it [cattle auctioneering] and it’s pretty amazing how fast these guys are,” Hank3 says.  “Hip-hop has looped auctioneers.  Bluegrass has messed around with it a little bit.  This has never been done in the heavy metal world.”

The September release of all three projects represents a new birth for Hank3, and he’s happy to have the chance. “Megaforce Records has helped me with my vision to do something that’s never been done before,” he says.  “They’re handling my distribution, and I wanted to flood the market and do everything different.  I wanted to come out of the gate strong.“I’m opening up the mind a little bit and bringing some different styles together.”

SUMMERFEST ANNOUNCES SPECIAL TICKET OFFERS

MILWAUKEE – May 31, 2011 – Summerfest officials are excited to announce significant savings on admission to Summerfest with low cost alternative packages, as well as deals on other local attractions and businesses.

Milwaukee Brewers and Summerfest 2 for $24 Ticket Package
Summerfest and the Brewers have teamed up again to offer a ticket package that includes one Summerfest General Admission ticket, good any time during Summerfest 2011, as well as one Terrace Reserved ticket to the Brewers home games against the Rays & Twins June 20-24.  The package also includes a special edition Brewers-Summerfest long sleeve t-shirt.  To order, visit brewers.com/summerfest or call (414) 902-4000.  This offer ends June 24.

Harley - Davidson Museum® and Summerfest Rock-N-Roll 2-For-$20 Ticket Package

The package includes one Summerfest General Admission ticket, good any time during Summerfest 2011, as well as one adult admission to the Harley-Davidson Museum, good through December 31, 2011.  The $20 package represents a collective savings of $11.  Patrons can order online now at Summerfest.com through June 10, 2011.

Cost Cutters Family Hair Salon Ticket Offer
Beginning now, spend $30 or more at any participating Milwaukee area Cost Cutters salon and receive one free Summerfest General Admission ticket while supplies last.  Visit Costcutters.com for a location nearest you.

The Business Journal Power Lunch
All patrons presenting an original coupon (printed in the Business Journal) will receive one FREE admission ticket valid Noon – 2:00 pm any weekday (7 days). Duplications will not be accepted, original coupons only.

Summerfest 2011 will take place June 29th – July 3rd and July 5th – 10th, from noon until midnight, daily.  Summerfest will be closed Monday, July 4th.  The World’s Largest Music Festival and Milwaukee’s cornerstone summer celebration attracts the music industry’s hottest stars, emerging talent, and local favorites.  The Marcus Amphitheater and 10 additional stages, along with a diverse selection of food and beverage vendors, marketplaces, and interactive exhibits, are set against the Lake Michigan and downtown backdrops. The aforementioned creates a festival experience like no other.  Patrons can also enjoy Miller Lite, the Official Beer of Summerfest.  For more details visit Summerfest.com.

Cars On State 2011

The Cars on State Classic Car Show returns to State Street in Madison for a fifth year on Saturday, June 4, 2010, from 10 am to 3 pm.  More than 100 classic cars will be on display on State Street from the State Capitol to the UW campus.  For event information, see www.carsonstate.com or call (608) 512-1342.

Cars to be featured in the show include a 1932 Ford Coupe, a 1949 Packard Deluxe 8, a 1950 Pontiac Streamliner, a 1952 Willys convertible (owned by Madison Fire Department Fire Marshall Ed Ruckriegel), two Austin-Healey convertibles (one 1956, the other 1967), a 1957 Ford Thunderbird, a 1959 Edsel station wagon, a 1973 Plymouth Cuda, a 1976 Rolls Royce, and a 1981 DeLorean DMC 12 (the “Back to the Future” car).

Organized by the Greater State Street Business Association with support from Madison’s Central Business Improvement District (BID), Cars on State has quickly become a downtown Madison tradition, with thousands of spectators packing State Street. This family-friendly event offers a perfect day to come downtown, take a stroll to see the cars and talk to the owners, and explore downtown’s more than 370 shops and restaurants, many locally owned.  For more event information, plus where to stay, park, shop, dine, and play in downtown Madison, see www.carsonstate.com

Slayer and Rob Zombie To Bring Hell On Earth To North America

The Two Metal Icons Will Together for the First Time in More than a Decade.Get ready for hell on earth, because for the first time since they tour together on Ozzfest 1999, Rob Zombie and Slayer are teaming up to hit the road, bringing a glorious purgatory to fans in 12 North American cities.The co-headline trek kicks off Wednesday, July 20 at the Sovereign Center in Reading, PA.Tickets go on sale this Friday, April 1 at 10:00AM local time.Tickets for all shows are available at the venues’ box office, and via the online outlets as listed below.

“We haven’t toured with Zombie since Ozzfest 1999, so you can expect no less than ‘hell on earth,’” said Slayer’s Kerry King.“Total sonic annihilation and a visual bludgeoning.Bring your own body bag…”

“Total destruction on stage and off is what this combination promises,” states Zombie, “Seriously, how much more Hell could you ask for?The answer is none more Hell.”

Both Zombie and Slayer will present their full headline sets at every show, and both bands will close shows over the course of the tour.San Francisco’s thrash-metal band Exodus has been confirmed to open all shows.

Slayer has been performing its classic 1990 Seasons In the Abyss album in its entirety over the past several months, but will instead draw from its entire 30-year catalogue for this tour’s setlist.

Never one to play it safe, Zombie will be bringing his legendary stage show out in full force.Audiences can expect an exploding non-stop barrage of sin, sex and Satan guaranteed to rip your face off.This a true rock and roll spectacle at its finest.

Rob Zombie: With more than 15 million albums sold, seven Grammy nominations, the helming of five major motion pictures (including the #1 record-breaking “Halloween”) and dozens of music videos under his belt, Zombie is truly a force to be reckoned with in today’s entertainment landscape.For over 25 years his unique meld of horror and hard rock has influenced his sound as a musician, and more recently, his vision as a director and writer.After the tour, Zombie will be starting production on his sixth feature film, “The Lords of Salem,” with the producers of the Paranormal Activity franchise.

Slayer:  The Chicago Tribune’s Greg Kot wrote that the four-time-nominated, two-time Grammy winning Slayer is “one of the great American rock bands of the last 30 years, forget about genre.“Indeed, few bands come close to matching the intensity that Slayer brings to its live shows, having been named “Best Live Band” by numerous media outlets including Revolver, SPIN, and Metal Hammer.With songs that mirror the turmoil and aberrations of our society, God’s terrifying global genocide, the chaos of our broken political system, chemical warfare, the hideous minds of serial killers, and the way-too-close proximity of world horrors that technology has brought us, Slayer remains crushing and brutal, steadfastly refusing to cater to
the Mainstream.

Dates for the Slayer and Rob Zombie tour are as follows:

JULY

20   Sovereign Center, Reading, PA - ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster locations

22   DTE Amphitheatre, Detroit, MI - ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster locations

23   Stage AE, Pittsburgh, PA - ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster locations

24   Heavy T.O. at Downsview Park, Toronto, ON Canada - ticketmaster.ca and all Ticketmaster locations

27   MTS Centre, Winnipeg, MB Canada - ticketmaster.ca and all Ticketmaster locations

29   Credit Union Centre, Saskatoon, SK Canada - ticketmaster.ca and all Ticketmaster locations

30   Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, AB Canada - ticketmaster.ca and all Ticketmaster locations

31   Rexall Place, Edmonton, AB Canada - ticketmaster.ca and all Ticketmaster locations

AUGUST

2   Save-On-Foods Memorial Center, Victoria, BC Canada - SelectYourTickets.com

3   Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC Canada - ticketmaster.ca and all Ticketmaster locations

5   Rose Quarter Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR - ComcastTix.com

6   WaMu Theatre, Seattle, WA - ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster locations

Yoko Ono Plays Two Benefits for Japan, March 29th and Cibo Matto at LPR, March 27th

Yoko Ono Plays Two Benefit Shows For Japan March 29th with Patti Smith + Cibo Matto At Le Poisson Rouge March 27th with Sonic Youth, Sean Lennon + Cibo Matto At The Miller Theatre (Sold Out)

ALL PROCEEDS TO GO TO RELIEF EFFORTS IN JAPAN

Yoko Ono and Friend: To Japan With Love

Tuesday March 29th 2011

YOKO ONO PLASTIC ONO BAND
Yoko Ono, Sean Ono Lennon, Antony, Yuka Honda, Michael Leonhart, Shimmy Hirotaka Shimizu, Yuko Araki. Pattit Smith with Tony Shanahan, Cibo Matto and more.

Tickets $100. On sale _here_ (http://bit.ly/Japangig)

Le Poisson Rouge,
158 Bleecker Street, NY 10012,  USA
(212) 228-4854
10pm doors, 10:30pm show. 18+

Jethro Tull Celebrates Aqualung’s 40th Anniversary With A North American Tour

In celebration of the park bench, dribbly-nosed voyeur’s 40th Anniversary, Ian Anderson returns to the USA with his band Jethro Tull, starting June 8 in Denver, CO and ending on the 27 in Chicago, IL. 

The group features longtime members Ian Anderson (flute, vocals, acoustic guitar) and Martin Barre (guitars), Doane Perry (drums), as well as David Goodier (bass) and pianist John O’Hara.The latter two joined in 2006 after working with Ian on some of his solo projects.

The group will be performing the Aqualung album in its entirety plus a range of their other favorites from the lat 42 years.Critics dubbed AQUALUNG “a concept album,” particularly for Ian’s critical, skeptical views of organized religion, mostly on side B (“My God,”  “Hymn 43”). Anderson has disputed - almost resented - the assessment seeing the record as “just a bunch of songs.” This led the band to give the critics a full-blown concept album with the following studio release THICK AS A BRICK which topped the Billboard charts in 1972.

On AQUALUNG, the group explores the struggles of the less fortunate in our society (e.g., “Aqualung,”  “Cross-Eyed Mary,” “Up to Me”).Teenage angst and formal education difficulties (e.g., “Wind Up”) are explored, and Ian returns to his parental themes with “Cheap Day Return,” a tune encompassing Anderson’s feelings while traveling North on the train to visit his sick father. “Locomotive Breath”  touches on the issues of globalization, population expansion and runaway economics. Sound familiar?

Formed in 1968, Jethro Tull released its first album THIS WAS late in that year and followed up in 1969 with STAND UP. In the 1970s, the group was one of the most successful live performing acts on the world stage, rivaling Zeppelin, Elton John and even the Rolling Stones. Surprising, really, fora group whose more sophisticated and evolved stylistic extravagance was far from the Pop and Rock norm of that era.

With now some 30-odd albums to their credit and sales totaling more than 50 million, the apparently un-commercial Tull continues to perform over a 100 concerts per year with its rich variety and depth of expression,  wherever fans, young and old, want to hear Rock, Folk, Jazz and Classical-inspired music.Music for boys in long trousers and girls with brains.

In 2011, Tull will tour in Australia, Ireland, and Germany.And Ian will perform solo shows in Germany, Spain, Cyprus,  Turkey, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Venezuela, Panama, Mexico, Czech Republic,  the UK, Sweden, Denmark and Finland finishing with his customary charity Christmas concerts at three UK cathedrals.

In 2006, Ian was awarded a Doctorate in Literature from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, the Ivor Novello Award for International Achievement in Music and, in the New Years Honours List 2008, an MBE for services to music.In 2012, he expects to be awarded the Smithsonian Medal of Honor for smelling OK for someone his age and having ears still in proportion to the rest of his head. His bladder remains elastic and his prostate the size of a pinhead.

June 8:  Red Rock Amphitheater, Morrison, CO
June 10: Comerica Theatre, Phoenix,  AZ
June 11: The Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
June 12: TBA, Valley Center, CA
June 13: The Grove, Anaheim, CA
June 14: TBA, Saratoga,  CA
June 16: Cuthbert Amphitheater, Eugene, OR
June 17: McMenamins Edgefield Concerts On The Lawn, Troutdale, OR
June 18: TBA, Woodinville,  WA
June 19: Centre for the Performing Arts, Vancouver, BC
June 21:  Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, Edmonton, AB
June 22: Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, Calgary, AB
June 23: Casino Regina, Regina, SK
June 25: Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis, MN
June 26: Chicago Theatre, Chicago,  IL
June 27: Rosemont Theatre, Rosemont,  IL

Summerfest Announces “Let’s Fest!” Campaign and Opening Day Headliners

Summerfest announces “Let’s Fest!” campaign with 100,000 ticket giveaway, opening day headliners, and introduces a limited edition commemorative opening day ticket.

Summerfest officials are excited to announce preliminary plans for the “Let’s Fest!” campaign to reward Summerfest fans and promote Summerfest 2011. Elements of the campaign were exclusively revealed via a new “Summerfest Insider” video on Summerfest.com at Noon CST, which included plans to give away over 100,000 Summerfest tickets to Fest-fans now through Summerfest 2011, which runs June 29–July 3 and July 5–10. Fest-fans are encouraged to stay connected to Summerfest, its sponsors, and marketing partners to find out how they can win various tickets in the upcoming weeks. The video clip was the first in a series of new “Summerfest Insider” social media video clips which will keep Fest-goers connected to the latest and greatest Summerfest news, updates, and inside information by simply “Liking” Summerfest on Facebook and visiting Summerfest.com.

As part of the “Let’s Fest!” ticket giveaway, Summerfest is celebrating its new opening day, Wednesday, June 29, in a big way by introducing a new limited edition, Commemorative Opening Day Ticket valid only on Wednesday, June 29. The Commemorative Opening Day Ticket also includes a bonus coupon for a $1.00 beer during the World’s Largest Happy Hour, sponsored by Hooter’s, during a return visit on the following Wednesday, July 6 from 5:00–7:00pm. The collectable ticket carries over a $20 value; however, the ticket is not available for purchase. Summerfest will give away 44,000 of the Commemorative Opening Day Tickets in honor of its 44th Anniversary and the new Opening Day, Wednesday June 29, and to thank Fest-fans for their decades of support. Fans can score these special tickets through participating in new “Let’s Fest!” promotions, such as upcoming social media driven scavenger hunts, surprise events, online video contests, and more. Details on these opportunities will be forthcoming in the weeks and months ahead. To amplify the Opening Day festivities, Summerfest will host mega-Opening Day headlining performances by Hall & Oates, Jack’s Mannequin, Meatloaf, Saving Abel, Buddy Guy, Matisyahu, Max Weinberg, and many more. Summerfest will announce the Marcus Amphitheater headliner slated for Opening Day next week. Opening Day will also feature other fun surprises and a fireworks show like never before, as Summerfest and Bartollota Fireworks team up to create Summerfest’s Biggest Bang Ever with a massive, “can’t miss” spectacle salute finale.

New this year, Summerfest will let fans “be first to know” about this year’s line-up through new Summerfest Headliner Release Parties coming in April. These new events will take place all over town, and Summerfest and its sponsors will exclusively announce one stage’s headliner line-up, “live” at each event, and prior to issuing any social media or press releases on the information. The Headliner Release Parties will be free to the public. Those in attendance will receive a Commemorative Opening Day Ticket and have a chance to win Summerfest tickets and prize packs, including Marcus Amphitheater tickets, VIP access and more.

Fans are encouraged to stay connected to Summerfest and check Summerfest.com, “Like” Summerfest on Facebook or follow Summerfest on Twitter to find out how they can get their Summerfest tickets and Commemorative Opening Day Tickets this year and be on the lookout for surprise Summerfest Street Team visits over the next few months at local bars, restaurants, and entertainment venues around the city. 

Get ready for an amazing Summerfest in 2011. “Let’s Fest!” Summerfest 2011 will take place June 29–July 3 and July 5–10, from Noon until Midnight, daily. Summerfest will be closed Monday, July 4. The World’s Largest Music Festival and Milwaukee’s cornerstone summer celebration attracts the music industry’s hottest stars, emerging talent, and local favorites. The Marcus Amphitheater and 10 additional stages, along with, a diverse selection of food and beverage vendors, marketplaces, and interactive exhibits are set against the Lake Michigan and downtown backdrops. They create a festival experience like no other. Patrons can also enjoy Miller Lite, the Official Beer of Summerfest.