Concerts And Tours Videos

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News, New Music, Exclusive, Movies Actor/director Zach Braff gave Grammy-nominated English pop star Imogen Heap plenty of exposure in America when he used 'Let Go,' a former Frou Frou song, in his break-out film 'Garden State,' so she thought she might return the favor. "I wrote the song 'Wait It Out' for this Zach Braff film called 'Open Hearts,'" she tells Spinner. "I read the script on the way to Hawaii to write songs for 'Ellipse' and I loved it. I wrote this song for him helping me get the first one started in 'Garden State' but the film 'Open Hearts' fell through. He wrote me an e-mail recently asking me to write songs in another film ['Swingles'] for the character played by Cameron Diaz but I haven't read the script yet." Heap is also very generous when it comes to lending her voice to charitable causes. She participated in the album 'Songs for Tibet: The Art of Peace,' an initiative to support the human rights effort in Tibet. Her latest pet project is a dream charity event that involves her fans and what they believe in. "I have this grand plan for the next tour I do in April, which is to go to each city and create some kind of platform for people to enter information on this computer screen at the venue on how they want me to improvise a song," she says. "I have to improvise a song on the theme of what they want." Once the song is written, she'll record it and put it on iTunes. "When people buy it the proceeds go to the charity that is particular to that city," she says.

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News Them Crooked Vultures -- the supergroup of Dave Grohl, Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones and Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme -- kicked off the start of a brief American tour in Los Angeles this week. The band, who just released their heavy, self-titled debut album, got the chance to show off their skills to around 2,000 fans at the sold-out Wiltern on Tuesday. "Ladies and gentlemen!" was Homme's opening greeting to the crowd -- which included actor Breckin Meyer and Homme's wife, Brody Dalle -- before he provided an introduction. "We're a new band called Them Crooked Vultures and we're gonna have a good time."

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News, New Music, Exclusive On Friday evening, British three-piece Band of Skulls will join members of the cast of 'New Moon' at Los Angeles' Hollywood & Highland Center for a promotional appearance related to the second big screen installment of the 'Twilight' series. The band, whose song 'Friends' appears on the 'New Moon' soundtrack, will play a short set, but don't expect co-singer and guitarist Russell Marsden to make a move to meet his fellow any of the film's stars. "If it was a Hollywood legend, I'd maybe make an extra effort," the not-very-star struck Marsden tells Spinner. "I don't know, it's just like, it's good that they're going to be there. We'll just do our gig. I'm quite interested to see that band Sea Wolf. They're playing as well, so we might stick around and watch those guys."

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News, New Music, Exclusive Last month, Rufus Wainwright, who recently released the CD/DVD 'Live in Milwaukee,' took part in Gavin Friday's 50th birthday celebration at Carnegie Hall. It was quite the extravagant affair and Wainwright found himself on stage at times with Scarlett Johansson (with whom he dueted), Courtney Love, U2 and more. Wainwright confesses to Spinner that being around that level of fame can mess you up a bit. "One does get a little bit jacked up on the fame quotient," he says. " I found myself saying, 'Oh, I'm going to wipe the stage clean,' or 'Nobody's gonna notice me' or 'Why don't I sell more records?' You get in this weird, ornery mood." But once the music started, that all faded away. "Then you get there and you start singing with the people and you start hanging with them as just human beings and all that s--- evaporates in a split second and the music really saves the day and pacifies the ego," he says.

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News, Exclusive, Movies Sea Wolf's massive fall tour will close with a grand finale when some of Hollywood's brightest young stars gather for the 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon' nationwide cast tour kickoff at the Hollywood & Highland Center in Los Angeles on Nov. 6. The indie outfit will perform at the event alongside Death Cab for Cutie, Anya Marina and Band of Skulls followed by a Q&A with several cast members, including teen heartthrobs Kellan Lutz, Nikki Reed and Jamie Campbell Bower. In short, it's going to be a mob scene. "They expect thousands of people. It's going to be interesting," says Alex Brown Church, who records as Sea Wolf. Church's song, 'The Violet Hour,' is featured on the recently released movie soundtrack alongside impressive indie artists like Radiohead's Thom Yorke, Death Cab For Cutie and Grizzly Bear. The moody melodic song wasn't written especially for the film -- it was actually recorded during summer 2008, when Church was creating his second album, the September-released 'White Water, White Bloom.' "It was really an extra song. I didn't want to put it on the record," he says. "It was a bit more of a pop song. It didn't fit the vibe I wanted for this record. But it's a totally cool song for a movie ... like 'Twilight.'"

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News On Saturday night, while most people were plodding through a sea of Balloon Boys and Jon Gosselins in search of candy or alcohol (or both), partygoers at the KCRW Masquerade costume ball in Los Angeles were treated to a night of good tunes, courtesy of Sea Wolf, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Little Dragon and a killer DJ set from DJ Shadow. There were some notable guests in attendance at KCRW's first ever Halloween party -- actors Colin Hanks, Rosario Dawson and Olivia Wilde were all spotted partying alongside costume-clad indie rockers. Flip through our gallery after the jump to see pictures from the event.

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News Making their US debut, Florence and the Machine were in high spirits at their sold-out New York show last night and weren't afraid to show it. The singer and her band only have one more scheduled date in the States this year and the audience seemed to grasp the urgency of the night. The audience was dotted with celebrities including 'Gossip Girl' stars Penn Badgley and Blake Lively, who swayed with the crowd to opener Holly Miranda and her backing band -- none other than Nada Surf -- before ascending to the VIP balcony. But the crowd also included a delighted, vocal gathering of fans who could hold many a tune and keep up with their lyrics.

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News, Video Har Mar Superstar is ready for his closeup. Riding high with a new album, 'Dark Touches,' and a role in Drew Barrymore's movie, 'Whip It!,' the wildman from Minnesota dominated the stage on Monday's episode of 'Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.' Dressed in an African-themed tunic, some fire red skinny jeans and spaceman kicks, Har Mar (aka Sean Tillman, aka Sean Na Na) busted out his best moves and gave one funky performance of his latest dance hit 'Tall Boy,' a song he originally penned for Britney Spears. While he didn't strip down to his skivvies like he usually does at gigs, he apparently left an impression on everyone, including Roots drummer ?uestlove, who tweeted, "hahahaha told my band they weren't ready for Har Mar Superstar" soon after the show. Check out Har Mar Superstar's performance of 'Tall Boy' after the jump.

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News, Canada Montreal's Think About Life were the third of six acts at CMJ's "M" for Montreal showcase at Manhattan's Arlene's Grocery Wednesday, but they could have carried the entire night on their own. The four-piece dance act arrived on stage after an increasingly vibrant and upbeat performance by Beast, led by B atrice Bonifassi, the voice of 'The Triplets of Belleville,' who seemed to be revving up the crowd for the party that was to come. The room packed in tight for Think About Life, who were evidently having their CMJ moment after a less well-attended early slot on Brooklyn Vegan's showcase at the Music Hall of Williamsburg the night before. Still, the set, comprised mostly of tracks from their second album, 'Family,' seemed to be falling on new ears.

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News, UK Johnny Depp has made no secret of his love for Britpop-era band Baby Bird -- the group behind the mid-'90s radio standard 'You're Gorgeous' -- but it seems this time the film star really does intend to put his money where his mouth is. Reports from the British press hint that the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' actor may take to the stage when the band play a date in London next month. British papers the Sun and the Guardian have reported that the 46-year-old star is set to play with Baby Bird at the Hoxton Bar and Kitchen in London on Nov. 12. Only 450 of Depp's millions of adoring fans will be allowed in as that's the venue's max capacity.

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, Canada It's not Ryan Gosling's fault he's a famous actor. But just because he's, ahem, moonlighting as a musician doesn't mean he's gone the way of Bruce Willis. As Gosling and pal Zach Shields made clear during last night's Toronto performance, their spook-rock duo Dead Man's Bones is more art project than vanity project. Gosling did boast a slight smirk when he took the stage before a sold-out crowd, which included the Canadian actor's mother. The look wasn't from smugness but rather simple acknowledgment of the strangeness of performing after a woman skipping rope with her poodle (a local talent show has taken place on every tour date in place of opening bands). Then a children's choir, dressed in their Halloween finest, emerged to croon along to songs about werewolves, zombies, slow-dancing with ghosts and cemeteries where 'Flowers Grow Out of My Grave.'

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News What do Bram Stoker, Oscar Wilde, William Butler Yeats and Jack White have in common? These men of letters have all held forth at Dublin's Trinity College's Philosophical Society. White, the White Stripes frontman and member of the Raconteurs and the Dead Weather, gave a surprise lecture there Sunday, Oct. 18. White, of course, is the latest raconteur, if you will, to speak at the Society, which was founded in 1683. The rocker was awarded Honorary Patronage, the highest award that the Society bestows and White now resides alongside the diverse likes of Senator John McCain, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Al Pacino, Gabriel Byrne, Dame Helen Mirren, U2's the Edge, Sir Bob Geldof and Pete Doherty. White's 40-minute Q&A session with students turned into something of a lecture, as the 34-year-old Detroit native held court. According to reports, White engaged in a highly philosophical discussion, based in pop culture and name checking the likes of Britney Spears alongside Tom Waits and Bob Dylan. His comparative theories on authenticity, however, chose neither musician as being more artistically valid. Apparently, White sat on the fence and non-judgmentally said, "I don't know if Bob Dylan and Tom Waits are as authentic as I think they are. Perhaps they're not. Sometimes you start thinking that maybe Britney Spears, or someone like that who's doing exactly what they want to do in the way that they best know how, is more authentic than any of those people you could mention."

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News, Movies The Museum of Modern Art became the nexus for skate punk, lo-fi rock and independent film enthusiasts at Thursday's PopRally event. The showcase, dubbed 'An Evening of Skate Videos,' celebrated influential clips from the '80s to the present day and featured a panel of venerable skateboarders and filmmakers. The event even included an appearance by director Spike Jonze, who currently is the subject of an exhibition at the New York gallery, as well as a performance by No Age. The ragged music duo, otherwise known as Dean Spunt and Randy Randall, played in the museum lobby under bright orange lights next to a prop skeleton. "Wasn't it f---ing awesome?" drummer/vocalist Spunt asked the crowd of the screening, before launching into tracks from their 2008 disc 'Nouns.' The Los Angeles act's steady stream of shouting, feedback and hyperactive beats easily had the audience bouncing alongside priceless works of art. Spotted among the stylish Manhattan crowd was actress Catherine Keener, who's worked with Jonze in 'Being John Malkovich' and 'Where the Wild Things Are.'

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News On the cusp of downtown Austin, Texas, stands an old power plant, one of which hasn't provided much of a function for years now -- until last night. Austin's Rare Magazine and internet radio station Woxy decided to use it as a venue, converting the pavement outside into a stage area and the hollowed out insides into a VIP lounge. Headlining this unofficial Austin City Limits after party was Canadian's finest ensemble indie rock act, Broken Social Scene, who came to town for this show specifically, as they weren't on the actual festival bill. The lineup for a Broken Social Scene show is always a shifting thing, depending on what members are off doing on their own, and this show consisted of what lead singer Kevin Drew dubbed "a Canadian sausage-fest." The band tore through a host of songs from their 2002 release, 'You Forgot It in the People,' including what Drew said was his favorite song off that record, 'Looks Just Like the Sun.'

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News, Video Thom Yorke played a 90-minute set with his super group of a new band at Los Angeles' Echoplex Friday night, including material from 2006's 'The Eraser,' several new or previously unperformed songs, and even a Radiohead B-side, "Paperbag Writer," from 2004's 'COM LAG' EP. Yorke announced his new band lineup -- Beck drummer Joey Waronker, Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich, percussionist and Forro in the Dark lead Mauro Refosco, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Flea on bass -- on the Radiohead blog Dead Air Space last week. Celebrities including Spike Jonze, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Kim Gordon and members of Muse came to Friday's show, which the ever-modest Yorke played down as a "warmup show" on Dead Air Space. It's going to be "kind of a rehearsal," he wrote, and cautioned in an earlier post, "[W]e don't really have a name and the set will not be very long cuz ..well ...we haven't got that much material yet!"

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News, Exclusive S aturday night, Oct. 3, friends, family and fans will gather at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in L.A. for what Tommy Ramone calls a "Ramones fair." Fans who pay the $10 admission to raise money for prostate cancer research -- the disease that killed guitarist Johnny Ramone -- will see the world premiere of 'Night of the Living Dead 3-D' and the 1977 Ramones concert film, 'It's Alive,' a retrospective of Dee Dee Ramone's paintings and the chance to get autographs from Tommy and CJ Ramone, and some of Johnny's famous friends. But more than anything, it's a chance to celebrate Johnny's life just over five years after his September, 2004 passing. His widow, Linda, tells Spinner the fact that the event continues to grow in its fifth year would mean everything to the late guitarist. "Most important to Johnny was his legacy. It was super important to him," Linda says. "So the fact that each year the tribute gets bigger and bigger, to me, that is very special because I feel like I do it with lots of love and lots of hard work. But Ramones fans come and they absolutely love the event."

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News, Exclusive, Movies Having recently completed a tour with his band, Counting Crows vocalist Adam Duritz is now looking forward to some rest and relaxation. "I'm not doing jack for a while," he tells Spinner, "I'm gonna hang out in New York City. I'm gonna ride the subway." The time off is well-deserved: On top of his rock career, Duritz has been moonlighting as a movie producer. His latest film project, 'Freeloaders,' is a collaboration with Broken Lizard, the comedy team best known for 'Super Troopers' and 'Beerfest.' In addition to the guys from Broken Lizard, the movie also includes Clifton Collins, Jr., Jane Seymour, Dave Foley, Olivia Munn and Duritz, who appears as himself.

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News, Television U2 will help launch the new season of 'Saturday Night Live' when it serves as musical guest for the Sept. 26 premiere. The band's television performance comes on the heels of its two-night stint at the soon to be destroyed Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. as part of its ongoing 360 tour. Cast member Bill Hader spilled the beans about U2's third live performance at Rockefeller Center 's Studio 8H to Access Hollywood. Marking the start of SNL's 35th season, the upcoming appearance -- which also counts host Megan Fox -- will mark Bono and the boys' third time on the show, following performances in December 2000 and November 2004.

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News, Exclusive On Sunday, Kaiser Chiefs took to the stage at the Leeds Festival in their British hometown and bid goodbye to their fans for a while.After three albums over the last five years, the UK act is taking a break. "That's right. I'm looking at the iCalendar and there's nothing in September," drummer Nick Hodgson tells Spinner of their upcoming non-plans. "That's never happened before in our lives." The group capped off support of 2008's 'Yours Truly, Angry Mob' with a memorable tour with Green Day stateside earlier this summer and their performance at a very rainy Leeds festival on Sunday night. And despite the fun treks like the one with Green Day brought -- including an audience with Brad Pitt in New Orleans -- they weren't originally part of the Kaiser Chiefs schedule.

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News, Live It Out, Canada Tom Cruise ain't got nothing on Thunderheist's 'risky business.' The Toronto electro duo had a tall order translating their dancefloor-ready anthems to an outdoor stage with no help from a mid-afternoon set time at Virgin Festival Ontario. After a slow start, they persevered mightily with vocalist Isis -- clad in a men's dress shirt and oversize shades a la Cruise's famous 'Risky Business' scene -- working the festival's early birds into a mild frenzy while beatmaster Grahm Zilla did his level best to make 3PM feel a bit more like 3AM. The audience seemed unsure what to make of to make of the juxtaposition of booming bass and blaring sun, but as the group worked their way through fan faves like 'Suenos Dulces' and 'Jerk It,' everyone settled into a groove. It was refreshing to see that the group has embraced some new sounds, channeling mid-'90s house and R performances have their limits.