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Posts Tagged ‘Detroit’

Signal Path: Free Download & Winter Dates

THE PROSAIC FADES OUT MARCH 20;
FIRST IN A QUADRILOGY OF EPS FOR 2011


Signal Path

Live electronic act Signal
Path
have just released their brand new single titled “Bitcrush My Heart” as a preview of their upcoming
quadrilogy of EPs set to be released throughout 2011. Click here to download and/or stream the new
song for free.

The Prosaic Fades, the first EP of brand new material of SP’s four part release will be made
available free on the first day of Spring, March 20, 2011, through their website. A new EP will then be made available on the first day of each
new season in 2011.

WINTER TOUR DATES

02/10/11 Thu – St.Louis, MO – 2720

02/11/11 Fri – Chicago, IL - Double Door (w/ Archnemisis)

02/12/11 Sat – Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall (w/ BoomBox)

02/13/11 Sun – Detroit, MI – Magic Stick (w/ Boombox)

02/15/11 Tue – Aspen, CO – Belly Up (w/ DJ Rootz)

02/16/11 Wed – Vail, CO – Samana Lounge (w/ DJ Rootz)

02/17/11 Thu – Breckenridge, CO – Three20South (w/ DJ Rootz)

02/19/11 Sat – Denver, CO – City Hall (w/ Prefuse 73) (Westword’s Artopia)

Signal Path
Tour Dates

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Signal Path News
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Signal Path
Concert
Reviews


The Raveonettes: Spring Tour

TOUR STARTS MARCH 30 IN PHILADELPHIA; NEW LP ON THE WAY


The Raveonettes

Danish fuzz pop duo The
Raveonettes
announced a run of spring tour dates that will take them across North America throughout
April, closing with two stops at Brooklyn’s Music Hall of Williamsburg. The trek will be in support of the band’s fifth
full-length album, which Vice Records will release this spring.

The Raveonettes Tour Dates:

03-30 Philadelphia, PA – Theatre of the Living Arts

03-31 Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club
04-01 Montreal, QC – La Tulipe

04-02 Toronto, ON – Phoenix Concert Theatre
04-03 Detroit, MI – Magic Stick
04-05 Newport, KY – Southgate House

04-06 Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall

04-07 Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line Music Cafe
04-08 St. Louis, MO – The Firebird

04-09 Kansas City, MO – The Record Bar – Middle of the Map

04-11 Dallas, TX – Granada Theater

04-12 Austin, TX – Emo’s Alternative Lounging (Outdoor)

04-13 Houston, TX – Fitzgerald’s

04-15 Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade

04-16 Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle

04-17 Washington, DC – Black Cat

04-18 Northampton, MA – Pearl Street
04-20 Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg

04-21 Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg

The Raveonettes
Tour Dates

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The Raveonettes News
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The Raveonettes
Concert
Reviews


Sneaker Wars: Violence For the Love of Shoes

In our materialistic times, sneakers especially have taken hold of our youth culture. Many poor children (and pathetic adults) across the world would do just about anything for a pair of Jordans.

The Black Angels: U.S. Tour

BLACK ANGELS ANNOUNCE SPRING HEADLINING TOUR


The Black Angels

The Black Angels will be
heading out on a headlining tour this spring in support of their latest release, Phosphene Dream. The tour
will kick off at One Eyed Jacks in New Orleans, LA, on March 31 and conclude with a home state stop in Dallas, TX, at
The Loft on May 21. In between these dates, they will also be performing at their third annual Austin Psych Fest,
which will take place April 29-May 1.

The Black Angels US Tour Dates:

3/31- New Orleans, LA – One Eyed Jacks *

4/01 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade*

4/02 – Asheville, NC – The Grey Eagle *

4/03 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club *
4/05 – Philadelphia, PA – First Unitarian Church *

4/06 – Pittsburgh, PA – Mr. Smalls Theatre *

4/08 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom *

4/09 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg *

4/10 – Northampton, MA – Pearl Street *

4/11 – Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club *

4/12 – Montreal, QC – La Sala Rossa *

4/14 – Toronto, ONT – Lee’s Palace *

4/15 – Cleveland Heights, OH – Grog Shop *

4/16 – Detroit, MI – Magic Stick *

4/17 – Newport, KY – Southgate House *

4/18 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall *

4/20 – Madison, WI – The High Noon Saloon*

4/21 – Milwaukee, WI – Turner Hall Ballroom *

4/22 – St. Louis, MO – Old Rock House *

4/23 – Lawrence, KS – The Bottleneck*

4/9-5/03 – Austin, TX – Austin Psych Fest

5/05 – Boulder, CO – Fox Theatre #

5/06 – Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge #

5/07 – Boise, ID – Neurolux #

5/09 – Vancouver, BC – Venue #

5/10 – Seattle, WA – Showbox at the Market #

5/11 – Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom#

5/13 – San Francisco, CA – Slim’s #

5/14 – Pomona, CA – The Fox Theater (Supporting The Kills)

5/15 – Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre #

5/16 – Solana Beach, CA – Belly Up Tavern #
5/18 – Phoenix, AZ – Rhythm Room #

5/20 – Oklahoma City, OK – ACM Performance Lab#

5/21 – Dallas, TX – The Loft #



*with Suuns

#with Sleepy Sun

The Black Angels
Tour Dates

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The Black Angels News
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The Black Angels
Concert
Reviews


Telekinesis: Album & Tour

STREAM 12 DESPERATE STRAIGHT LINES NOW AT NPR.ORG

Telekinesis will release
their sophomore album 12 Desperate Straight Lines on February 15, but you can now listen to the
whole album at NPR.org. A North
American tour is scheduled, starting February 18 in Bellingham, WA and ending March 27 in Vancouver, BC.

TELEKINESIS TOUR DATES

Feb 18 Bellingham, WA Jinx Arts Space

Feb 20 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge *

Feb 23 San Francisco, CA Noise Pop Festival – Cafe Du Nord w/ Versus & The Love Language
Feb 24 Los Angeles, CA The Echo *

Feb 25 San Diego, CA The Casbah *

Feb 26 Tempe, AZ The Sail Inn *

Feb 28 Norman, OK The Opolis *

Mar 01 Omaha, NE Slowdown Jr *

Mar 02 Minneapolis, MN 7th St. Entry *

Mar 04 Chicago, IL Schubas *

Mar 05 Detroit, MI Magic Stick *

Mar 06 Toronto, ON Horseshoe Tavern
Mar 07 Montreal, QC Casa Del Popolo

Mar 08 Cambridge, MA TT the Bear’s Place *
Mar 09 New York, NY Mercury Lounge *

Mar 10 Brooklyn, NY The Rock Shop *

Mar 11 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda’s *

Mar 12 Washington, DC The Red Palace *

Mar 13 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506 *

Mar 14 Atlanta, GA The Earl *

Mar 22 Denver, CO Hi Dive

Mar 23 Salt Lake City, UT Kilby Court
Mar 24 Boise, ID Neurolux

Mar 26 Seattle, WA The Crocodile

Mar 27 Vancouver, BC Media Club w/ Wye Oak



* = w/ The Love Language

Telekinesis
Tour Dates

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Telekinesis News
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Telekinesis
Concert
Reviews


Dengue Fever: Spring Tour Dates

CANNIBAL COURTSHIP OUT APRIL 19 VIA FANTASY RECORDS

Dengue Fever have
announced a run of Spring dates, beginning April 20 at the Fillmore in San Francisco. The tour will also hit Portland,
Vancouver, Seattle, Santa Cruz, Dallas, Austin, and other cities before ending May 7 in Houston. The band’s fourth
album, Cannibal Courtship is due out April 19 from Fantasy Records / Concord, featuring eleven
original songs by Dengue Fever, in English and Khmer.

TOUR DATES

04/20/11 Wed The Fillmore San Francisco, CA

04/22/11 Fri Dante’s Portland, OR

04/23/11 Sat Biltmore Cabaret Vancouver, BC

04/24/11 Sun Crocodile Cafe Seattle, WA
04/27/11 Wed Moe’s Alley Santa Cruz, CA

04/28/11 Thu SOHO Restaurant and Music Club Santa Barbara, CA

04/29/11 Fri Casbah San Diego, CA
04/30/11 Sat Detroit Bar Costa Mesa, CA

05/05/11 Thu The Loft Dallas, TX

05/06/11 Fri Emo’s Alternative Lounge Austin, TX

05/07/11 Sat Fitzgerald’s Houston, TX

Dengue Fever
Tour Dates

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Dengue Fever News
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Dengue Fever
Concert
Reviews


Lil Wayne Announces North American Tour

FEATURING NICKI MINAJ, RICK ROSS, TRAVIS BARKER,
MIXMASTER MIKE; TICKETS ON SALE
WEEKEND OF FEBRUARY 4


Lil Wayne

Lil
Wayne
has announced details and dates for his 2011 North American
tour, the “I Am Music II Tour.” He will be joined by protege Nicki Minaj and hip-hop heavyweight Rick Ross. Rounding out the stellar line
up are Travis Barker and
Mix Master Mike, will open all dates with a DJ/Drummer set.

Lil Wayne’s I Am Music II tour will make stops at arenas throughout
North America this March and April, beginning with a show in Buffalo, NY on March 18, 2011 at the HSBC Arena,
concluding on April 29, 2011 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver with additional dates being announced soon.
Tickets for the I AM Music II Tour will be available through Live Nation.com starting the weekend of February 4,
2011.

TOUR DATES

3/18/11 Buffalo, NY HSBC Arena
3/19/11 Columbus, OH Nationwide Arena

3/20/11 Baltimore, MD 1st Mariner Arena

3/23/11 Hampton, VA Hampton Coliseum

3/24/11 Cleveland, OH Quicken Loans Arena
3/26/11 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center

3/27/11 Long Island, NY Nassau Coliseum
3/30/11 University Park, PA Bryce Jordan Center
4/1/11 Chicago, IL United Center

4/2/11 Detroit, MI The Palace of Auburn Hills
4/3/11 Washington, D.C. Verizon Center

4/6/11 Miami, FL Bank Atlantic Center

4/8/11 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum

4/9/11 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena
4/10/11 St. Louis, MO Scottrade Center

4/14/11 New Orleans Arena New Orleans, LA

4/15/11 American Airlines Arena Dallas, TX
4/16/11 Houston, TX Toyota Center
4/19/11 Phoenix, AZ US Airways Arena

4/23/11 Anaheim, CA Honda Center

4/24/11 Oakland, CA Oracle Arena

4/26/11 Sacramento, CA ARCO Arena
4/28/11 Edmonton, Canada Rexall Place
4/29/11 Vancouver, Canada Rogers Arena
*5/01/11 *East Rutherford, NJ *Bamboozle Festival @ Meadowlands Arena

*Independent of tour

Lil Wayne
Tour Dates

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Lil Wayne News
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Lil Wayne
Concert
Reviews


Kristen Bell Neutrogena Ad Campaign Spokesmodel

Say hello to the new face of Neutrogena: Former Veronica Mars actress Kristen Bell! Bell will be the new face of the Neutrogena Naturals line, E! News reported Monday. Neutrogena’s staying mum on the details of the deal, but a source close to the situation says the Detroit native, 30, will earn somewhere in the [...]

Robyn Hitchcock & Joe Boyd: Music/Spoken Word Tour

“LIVE & DIRECT FROM 1967″ FEATURES SONGS AND STORIES FROM BOYD’S CAREER, INCLUDING SUCH
ARTISTS AS PINK FLOYD, NICK DRAKE, BOB DYLAN AND JIMI HENDRIX


Robyn Hitchcock

Psychedelic troubadour Robyn
Hitchcock
has announced plans to team up with legendary producer Joe Boyd for an unprecedented
series of live performances. “Robyn Hitchcock & Joe Boyd – Live & Direct From 1967″ is a very special evening of
songs and stories, melding Hitchcock’s musical performances of songs produced by Boyd with Boyd’s own
reminiscences of his collaborations with such
iconic artists as Pink Floyd, Nick Drake, Fairport Convention, and Jimi Hendrix.

The tour will
feature readings from Boyd’s acclaimed 2006 memoir,
White Bicycles – Making Music In The 1960s. The run begins March 9 at The Birchmere in Alexandria,
Virginia, followed by visits to New York City, Philadelphia,
Detroit, Chicago, and North Adams, Massachusetts (full itinerary below).

ROBYN HITCHCOCK & JOE BOYD: LIVE & DIRECT FROM 1967
03/09/11 Wed Birchmere Alexandria, VA
03/11/11 Fri Le Poisson Rouge New York, NY
03/12/11 Sat Mass MoCA North Adams, MA

03/14/11 Mon World Cafe Live Philadelphia, PA
03/18/11 Fri Detroit Institute of the Arts Detroit, MI

03/19/11 Sat Old Town School of Folk Music Chicago, IL

Robyn Hitchcock
Tour Dates

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Robyn Hitchcock News
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Robyn Hitchcock
Concert
Reviews


The Pixies Announce: Doolittle Canadian/US Dates

TOUR STARTS APRIL 9 IN HALIFAX, NS;
US DATES IN DETROIT, MILWAUKEE, ST.
PAUL


The Pixies

The Pixies have announced
they are bringing their “Doolittle Tour” to 13 Canadian cities this Spring. The tour will kick off April 9 at the Metro
Center in Halifax and work its way across to Western Canada, ending in Vancouver on May 3. This will be the Pixies’
most extensive tour of the provinces, and will see the band visiting several Canadian cities for the very first time. In
addition, the tour will make stops at three U.S. cities.

Starting today, Friday, January 21 at 1:00 PM EST, a limited number of tickets for the tour dates will be available
through a special presale on www.pixiesmusic.com. In addition, all pre-sale purchases will include a “download
taster” of live tracks from the “Doolittle” show. The public on-sale will kick off next Friday, January 28 – log onto www.pixiesmusic.com for all details. Check out all the dates
below.

APRIL

9 Metro Centre, Halifax, NS
10 Centre – Casino Moncton, Moncton, NB

12 Salle Albert-Rousseau, Quebec City, QC

13 Metropolis, Montreal, QC
16 Civic Center, Ottawa, ON

17 The Center in the Square, Kitchener, ON
18 Massey Hall, Toronto, ON
20 Wentworth Room, Hamilton, ON
22 Fox Theatre, Detroit, MI
23 Eagles Ballroom, Milwaukee, WI
24 Roy Wilkins Auditorium, St. Paul, MN
27 Centennial Concert Hall, Winnipeg, MB

29 TCU Place, Saskatoon, SK
30 Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, Calgary, AB

MAY

1 Shaw Conference Center, Edmonton, AB
3 Orpheum Theatre, Vancouver, BC

The Pixies
Tour Dates

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The Pixies News
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The Pixies
Concert
Reviews


Iron & Wine/The Low Anthem: Spring Tour Dates

SPRING TOUR STARTS APRIL 14

Iron & Wine have lined up
Spring US tour dates in support of new album Kiss Each Other Clean, out January 25. Check out
all the dates below, along with video of the performance from The Greene Space in NYC for NPR’s First Listen
series.

In April, The Low Anthem will play select dates with Iron & Wine. The two bands recently played The Wiltern in Los Angeles together earlier this month. Check out The Low Anthem performing “Ghost Woman Blues” from their forthcoming new album, Smart Flesh (out 2/22 on Nonesuch), here.

IRON & WINE TOUR DATES

04 March . Chicago, IL . Riveria Theater

14 April . Detroit, MI . Royal Oak Music Theatre*

15 April . Buffalo, NY . The Town Ballroom*

16 April . North Adams, MA . Mass MoCA*

17 April . Burlington, VT . Higher Ground*

18 April . Portland, ME . State Theatre

19 April . Boston, MA . House of Blues

21 April . Philadelphia, PA . Electric Factory*

22 April . Washington, D.C. . 9:30 Club*

23 April . Savannah, GA . Trustees Theater*

25 April . Athens, GA . 40 Watt Club*

26 April . Charlotte, NC . Amos’ Southend*

27 April . Richmond, VA . The National*

28 April . Pittsburgh, PA . Carnegie Music Hall

29 April . Cleveland, OH . House of Blues

* = w/ The Low Anthem

Iron & Wine
Tour Dates

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Iron & Wine News
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Iron & Wine
Concert
Reviews

The Low Anthem Tour Dates :: The Low Anthem News :: The Low Anthem Concert Reviews


Rachel Hated “The Rachel;” Mega Milllions Champ May Have To Share Jackpot With Abusive Ex; & More Evening Crunch Crumbs

-In the February issue of Allure, America’s Sweetheart Jennifer Aniston sets the record straight about the rumours in the media and that damned Rachel haircut. Believe it or not, Jen was not a fan of the famous Friends fringe style that became a huge trend in the mid-’90s. Also earning an Honorable Mention on Jen’s [...]

100 years of history

Last day at the Detroit Show and a visit to GM’s Heritage Centre just outside the city in Sterling Heights.

You’d hardly know there were some of the most exclusive cars in the world here – it’s a low-rise building that you could easily drive straight by. Perhaps GM’s a bit twitchy about the millions of dollars of automobile lurking inside.

In among the 1963 Chevrolet Corvette, the 1958 Oldsmobile F88 concept and literally dozens and dozens of of some of GM’s prized icons was one vehicle that caught my eye in particular.

Nestling right at the back of the building was a glorious Oldsmobile Limited dating from exactly 100 years ago.

Gleaming under the Centre’s lights, it looked a million dollars. Well, around eight million dollars to be precise, although it appears to be pretty difficult to drive.

No matter. If you had the cash, you’d certainly turn a few heads with this particular model, although spare parts might be a tad difficult.

And why was the steering wheel put on the right? I suppose in 1911, you just headed off into the sunset without any great thought as to which side of the road was important, given the dearth of vehicles.

Rod Stewart & Stevie Nicks: North American Tour

TICKETS GO ON SALE FRIDAY JANUARY 21


Rod Stewart

Rod Stewart and Stevie Nicks announced on The
Ellen DeGeneres Show
yesterday that they have joined forces for
“The Heart & Soul Tour.” Launching March 20, 2011 in Fort
Lauderdale, Florida, the tour will unite the two for a series of arena concerts
throughout North America – with performances already confirmed in New York, Toronto, Los Angeles, Philadelphia,
Chicago, Detroit, Tampa, Montreal and more. The tour will feature both artists performing all rock & roll sets.

Tickets for “The Heart & Soul Tour” will go on-sale beginning January 21, 2011 at 10:00 AM local time. Additional
North American on-sales will take place over the following few weeks as detailed in the below tour itinerary.

Additionally, American Express Cardmembers will have an opportunity to purchase tickets in advance of the public
on-sale date beginning Monday, January 17 by visiting ticketmaster.com; for the Philadelphia concert by visiting
comcasttix.com; and for the Montreal concert by visiting evenko.ca.

CONFIRMED TOUR DATES

March 20 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Bank Atlantic Center

March 23 – Tampa, FL – St. Pete Times Forum

March 24 – Atlanta, GA – Philips Arena

March 26 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden

March 27 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena

March 30 – Boston, MA – TD Garden

April 1 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre

April 2 – Toronto, ONT – Air Canada Center

April 5 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center

April 9 – Chicago, IL – United Center

April 10 – Detroit, MI – Joe Louis Arena

April 15 – Phoenix, AZ – US Airways Center

April 16 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl

Rod Stewart
Tour Dates

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Rod Stewart News
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Rod Stewart
Concert
Reviews

Stevie Nicks
Tour Dates

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Stevie Nicks News
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Stevie Nicks
Concert
Reviews


Umphrey’s: Fan Bus Tour 2011

GET ON THE BUS


Fan Bus Tour

Umphrey’s McGee have
announced the details for Fan Bus Tour 2011. The first leg is planned for February 3-5 in Lexington,
Columbus,
and Detroit. A ticket on the bus will include one ticket to each of these shows. Water and snacks will be provided on
the bus, as well as “planned surprises.” Pick up and drop off times are to be announced, and fans will receive a
discounted price on hotel rooms.

Click here for more information.

Umphrey’s McGee
Tour Dates

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Umphrey’s McGee News
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Umphrey’s McGee
Concert
Reviews


A crowded car industry: From Big Three to Magnificent Seven

America’s carmakers are back. A posse of tough competitors is waiting for them

FOR the past two years the Detroit motor show has been a dismal affair. But this year the parties were in full swing again. Helped by government bail-outs and with debt burdens lightened by bankruptcy, Chrysler and GM are back on their feet; Ford, the other member of Detroit’s Big Three, is thriving. It took America’s car industry 20 years and a world war to recover the three-quarters of production wiped out by the 1929 crash. By comparison, the aftermath of the latest recession has been surprisingly comfortable.

Ominously for the locals, though, the biggest splash on opening day was made by a Volkswagen saloon, which is to be built in a new factory in Tennessee. Europe’s best big carmaker is taking aim at the heart of the American market for the first time in over 20 years. Its bold move is just one sign of growing fragmentation in a market once dominated by the Big Three and a small clutch of Japanese rivals. …

One Ford, two VWs

Post-Detroit, a question arises. On one hand we have Alan Mulally and his One Ford policy otherwise known as ‘if it’s been designed right overseas (see Fiesta, Focus, C-Max) don’t tinker with it for the US (see Gen 1 Focus and successors on same platform; Mondeo-based Contour/Mystique)’.

We’ll also see this applied in reverse to larger cars when the Australian Falcon switches to front-drive and shares a platform with the bigger cars designed in and for North America.

On the other hand, there’s VW, which has shunned its new European Passat for a unique, larger model for, and built in, the US.

So, whose approach is right?

We’ve been here before, of course, with Japanese Toyota Camrys widened for the US and quite different Honda Accords for Japan, Europe and the US. VW is only the latest to make a mid-size car unique for the US though Toyota and Honda also sold their ‘wide’ Camry and Accords in other markets.

Coheed and Cambria: 10th Anniversary Tour

BAND WILL PERFORM DEBUT ALBUM IN CITIES ACROSS NORTH AMERICA;
DATES SET TO
COMMEMORATE 10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY AS A BAND


Coheed and Cambria

Coheed and Cambria today
gave full details about their plans this spring to perform their debut album, The Second Stage Turbine
Blade
, in it is entirety in 22 cities across the US and in Toronto, Canada. The “Evening with” format will also
feature a rare 30-40 minute acoustic set, as well as an extra set of songs from other albums.

Tickets go on sale this Friday, January 14 in most cities. Click here for specific ticket information.

APRIL

08 Kansas City, MO – Midland Theater
09 Dallas, TX – Palladium
11 Austin, TX – Stubbs

12 Houston, TX – Warehouse Live
14 Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle

15 Tampa, FL – Jannus Live
18 Charlotte, NC – Fillmore

19 Baltimore, MD – Rams Head Live

20 Washington, DC – 9:30 Club

22 Sayreville, NJ – Starland Ballroom

25 Boston, MA – House of Blues

26 Philadelphia, PA – Electric Factory

27 Toronto, ON – Kool Haus

29 Detroit, MI – Royal Oak Music Theater
30 Chicago, IL – House of Blues

MAY

02 Denver, CO – Ogden Theater
03 Salt Lake City, UT – In the Venue

05 Seattle, WA – Showbox Sodo
06 Portland, OR – Roseland Theater
07 Oakland, CA – Fox Theater

09 San Diego, CA – House of Blues
10 Tempe, AZ – Marquee Theater

11 Los Angeles – Club Nokia

Coheed and Cambria
Tour Dates

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Coheed and Cambria News
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Coheed and Cambria
Concert
Reviews


Vauxhall gets ball rolling with England

Off to GM’s Volt plant this morning with a tour of the Hamtramck facility near Detroit, although a fairly hefty snow dump is forecast.

I say hefty, but Detroit television stations are predicting up to 5″ – enough to paralyse the UK for days – but a fall here that is just met with a shrug of the shoulders.

Opel CEO Nick Reilly hosted a dinner last night in in downtown Detroit – enlivened by a vast American train hooting its way just feet from the event – and was on good form. He mentioned when the restructuring took place last year, he toured several European plants to explain the decision – in a 20min speech in German. Not bad for a Brit.

And Reilly’s UK partner Vauxhall also announced this morning it was to sponsor the England football team.

Brave move. We English crashed out of last year’s World Cup beano in South Africa – to the Germans – don’t remind me – and spectacularly garnered only one measly vote apart from our own representative at the recent ‘event’ to decide the 2018 tournament.

Vauxhall will take over from former sponsors Nationwide, who it’s fair to say, did a pretty good job and the fit with the car biz seems pretty apt too.

Cars and football – it’s not too difficult to see what sort of audience Vauxhall could be aiming at in its 3.5 year deal that industry speculation hints could see a sponsorship figure of around GBP100m pouring into the FA coffers.

There’s a chance Vauxhall might be talking to just-auto in Detroit about the deal from the UK later, so fingers crossed.

You wouldn’t really know that anything was happening in the UK from American TV, apart from one event. The networks are going nuts about the forthcoming Royal wedding and are devoting acres of airtime to the nuptials, gossiping about who’s on – and off – the knees-up event in the evening.

Time for some sanity and to head to the Volt plant.

“Desperate Housewives” Cancelled?!

Is it the end of the road for the Women of Wisteria Lane? Marc Cherry’s Emmy-winning dramedy Desperate Housewives may not be renewed for another season on ABC, network executive Paul Lee told the Television Critics Association in Pasadena on Sunday. The comedy drama, now in its seventh season, takes the show up to 2013, [...]