CINCINNATI -- Ken Griffey Jr. is leaving home to get back in a pennant race. The Chicago White Sox acquired Griffey from the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday, hoping the 38-year-old outfielder has enough left to help them hold onto their slim lead in the AL Central.
The Reds sent Griffey and cash to Chicago for reliever Nick Masset and Triple-A second baseman Danny Richar. The deal was announced a half-hour before the 4 p.m. EDT deadline to make trades without waivers.
Griffey, who hit his 600th home run this season, agreed to the trade earlier in the day. But because of the cash transaction involved, the deal did not become official until the commissioner's office approved it.
White Sox general manager Kenny Williams had coveted Griffey for several years. Now older, it's uncertain how much Griffey has left in his often-injured body and where he will fit in with Chicago. Manager Ozzie Guillen and the White Sox began the day with a 1 1/2-game division lead over Minnesota.
"Ozzie has the opportunity to field his best team, offensively and defensively, on a day-to-day basis over the next two months," Williams said. "And this gives us a chance to keep some of our middle-of-the-order hitters fresh and producing down the stretch.
"I spoke with Ken, and he is excited to be coming to Chicago to try to help us reach the postseason," he said.
Williams said Griffey will give Guillen more options. Guillen has considered moving center fielder Nick Swisher to first base in place of slumping Paul Konerko, but had limited options to replace him in center.
Once one of baseball's premier players, Griffey has never reached the World Series and has not even been in the playoffs since 1997 with Seattle. The trade ended a bittersweet stay with his hometown team - a lot of injuries, a few benchmark homers, no playoff appearances.
Notably, his last hit with the Reds was a homer.
Griffey was on pace to break Hank Aaron's home run record when he came to Cincinnati in a trade with Seattle before the 2000 season. A series of severe injuries dropped him well off the pace. He finally reached No. 600 this season - only the sixth to get to the mark - but struggled mightily at the plate.
That short, sweet swing has slowed down this year.
He hit a three-run homer in a 9-5 win in Houston on Wednesday that left him with 15 homers, 53 RBIs and a .245 batting average despite playing in one of the major leagues' most homer-friendly ballparks. His 608th career homer left him one behind Sammy Sosa for fifth place on the career list.
Now, he can catch up with Sosa on the south side of Chicago. First, the White Sox have to figure out how he fits.
Griffey was an All-Century center fielder with Seattle in the 1990s, but his speed and range have diminished. The Reds moved him to right field before the 2007 season, hoping that less wear-and-tear on his legs would keep him fresher and healthier. Rookie Jay Bruce currently plays center for Cincinnati.
Griffey could go back to his old position in Chicago, with Swisher moving to first base. After Chicago lost to Minnesota 6-5 on Tuesday night, Guillen indicated he was considering shifting Swisher to first, but he wasn't confident anyone could take his place in center.
Swisher and Konerko could split the job at first, or Konerko and Jim Thome could platoon as the designated hitter. The White Sox are set in left and right field with Carlos Quentin and Jermaine Dye.
The Reds agreed to pay some of the money left on Griffey's contract to get the deal done. He makes $12.5 million this season, and has an option for 2009 at a $16.5 million salary. If the White Sox don't want to pick up next year's option, Griffey will be owed a $4 million buyout.
The Reds were interested in dealing Griffey because of the size of his contract and their plummet after the All-Star break, which dropped them back to near the bottom of the NL Central, 13 1/2 games out of first place. The Reds haven't had a winning season since 2000.
The trade that united Griffey with the Reds in 2000 was hailed as a major breakthrough for the franchise, but turned out to be far less than expected. After the 2002 season, former general manager Jim Bowden tried to trade Griffey to San Diego for Phil Nevin, who used his no-trade clause to block the deal.
Bowden was trying to work out a deal with the Yankees in 2003 before Griffey got hurt. The White Sox also have shown an interest in Griffey, but Reds ownership was reluctant to trade its most prominent player as he closed in on 600 homers.
Masset, a righty, was 1-0 with a 4.63 ERA in 32 games for Chicago. Richar hit .262 with nine homers for Triple-A Charlotte.
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Thursday, July 31, 2008
OLYMPIC UPSIDE
BEIJING - China's had a rough road to the Olympics, but you'd never know it when you look across the Olympic Green today.
Put aside for a minute the human rights questions, the censorship and the troubled torch relay, and you simply think: "Wow!"
Sun Weide, the suave diplomat serving as deputy media director for the Beijing Olympic Committee, puts it more formally. Beijing, he says, "is ready to show the outside world China's social and economic development."
The Swiss-designed National Stadium, better known as the Bird's Nest, poised to take centre stage at the Games.
The cleanup crews need to make a few more passes, but for all intents and purposes the Olympic sites are ready to go, with the Swiss-designed National Stadium, better known as the Bird's Nest, poised to take centre stage.
The tangle of pewter-grey steel twigs with a red "egg" inside that seats 91,000, is an architectural marvel. Who would have thought steel girders could be whimsical?
There is nothing like it anywhere else in the world and people coming to the 8-8-8-8 opening ceremonies - Aug. 8, 2008 at 8 p.m. - will be dazzled. It is the symbol of the modern country China wants the world to see.
Across the Olympic Green, the Australian-designed National Aquatic Center, or Water Cube, vies for attention. It's a simple steel grid of a building clad in "bubble wrap" - actually, a material called ETFE that self-cleans and changes from white to pale blue when the sunshine finds it. The Cube is already a favourite with Beijingers. In the evenings now, they bring chairs and snacks and sit along the perimeter fence - they can't get any closer yet - to watch the lights switch on and turn the Cube a brilliant blue.
Next to it sits the low-slung, curvy-roofed National Indoor Stadium. There's no nickname for this Olympic gym, and considerably less pizzazz about it, too. But that's by comparison. Like the nine other newly erected Olympic sports venues, the stadium was built primarily for athletics, not admiration.
Still, these less-than-iconic venues, plus the extensive renovations done to 11 existing sports centres that will be used during the Games, form a large part of Beijing's Olympic legacy. Not only will they give a whole raft of new sports facilities - pools, playing fields, gyms, arenas, tracks and marinas - to a city that sorely lacks all of these things, but most of the venues were also built or revamped with the environment in mind. The green technologies that are showcased in many of them could have an impact on how buildings around China are designed for a long time after the sports fans have gone home.
The Olympic Village, which will house 10,000 athletes during the Games and be sold for much-needed housing afterwards, contributes to the environment-friendly theme Beijing is emphasizing, too. It's an interesting looking apartment block in a fabulous setting, but its real claim to fame is that it is partially powered by solar energy. That's rare in China, one of the world's leading polluters.
The signature Bird's Nest and the Water Cube anchor the grand Olympic Green, a 1,135-hectare park that connects 13 venues, plus the Village.
The Green is built on Beijing's historic north-south axis and visitors are likely to find it slightly daunting. The avenues stretch forever and shade doesn't seem to have played a big part in the design. Given temperatures that will soar above 30 C most days, organizers might have considered installing fans in the sleek light standards that march down the centre of sidewalks instead of high tech surveillance cameras and loud speakers.
Sun's job with the Beijing Olympic Committee is to talk up the Olympics, but even he has a hard time just focusing on the sports venues when it is so glaringly obvious the years of preparation for the Games have transformed all of Beijing.
It is an "imperial" capital now, with wide boulevards and hundreds of imposing new buildings and grand hotels that have transformed a skyline that used to be dominated by dowdy, Stalinist style buildings and red slate roofs.
The 230-metre twisted tower of the Dutch-designed state television building isn't quite finished, but it is awesome anyway. French architect Paul Andreu's National Theatre, dubbed "the alien egg," is set in a "lake" with the Forbidden City as a backdrop, and it is a definite conversation piece.
Everyone has an opinion about it - and most are negative.
British architect Norman Foster's dragon-shaped Terminal 3 now dominates the Beijing airport and a brand new high-speed train built by Bombardier links it to downtown in just 20 minutes. There are three new subway lines, for a total of eight, making travel around the capital significantly easier, plus ribbons of new roads and hundreds of kilometres of newly paved and cobbled streets.
There were also hundreds of measures, big and small, taken to deal with the choking pollution that still threatens to spoil Beijing's day in the sun.
Factories were re-located outside the city, fleets of "clean" buses were introduced, auto-emission standards increased and buildings across the city were forced to convert from coal to oil or natural gas.
With or without the Games, Beijing was eventually going to have to make these kinds of infrastructure and environmental improvements, but add them to the price of building and staging the Olympics and China is facing a bill that makes these Games the most expensive ever. Estimates range from $20 billion US to as high as $40 billion.
There is little mention anymore of who and what had to give way to bring change on the scale Beijing has seen in the seven years since it was awarded the Games.
Suffice to say, the Olympic building spree employed an estimated 1.3 million workers on 7,000 building sites, one million people were removed from their homes, and, officially, six workers, but perhaps 10, died building the Olympic venues China needed to realize its ambition of "One World, One Dream."
Sun makes it clear the cityscape isn't the only thing that has been spruced up for the Olympics - Beijingers have, too. "They have been socialized," he proudly reports.
In a bid to make the residents as welcoming as their city, the Chinese government subjected them to several years of English instruction and manners training.
Sun explains how informal language groups were nurtured in neighbourhoods around the capital, tea parties and English "corners" were organized in local parks, Mandarin newspapers printed one paragraph about the Olympics each day in English and the Beijing television news began each night with different celebrities talking for one minute in English.
To a casual observer, the results are disappointing. You still can't take most Beijing taxis and expect to get anywhere close to your destination without speaking Mandarin or showing the driver an address in Chinese characters. And on the streets, bargaining is still a matter of passing a calculator back and forth. After attracting your attention with a shout of "hey lady," most vendors have used up their store of English.
The official campaign to cultivate "civilized" manners produced better results. There is definitely less spitting on the streets. While still not sacrosanct, the effort to make Beijingers practise lining up on the 11th of each month (11 resembles two lines) means queues are more or less respected now. The newly sprouted No Smoking signs are mostly heeded, too.
On the downside, the city seems a little less Chinese without the bamboo poles covered with drying laundry sprouting from every window, with fewer food stands on the streets and with nobody sleeping on their doorsteps on these sultry summer nights.
No one even attempted to change the age-old Chinese custom of keeping toddlers diaperless, however, so seeing them do their business on crowded sidewalks is still a cross-cultural experience in store for foreign visitors.
Put aside for a minute the human rights questions, the censorship and the troubled torch relay, and you simply think: "Wow!"
Sun Weide, the suave diplomat serving as deputy media director for the Beijing Olympic Committee, puts it more formally. Beijing, he says, "is ready to show the outside world China's social and economic development."
The Swiss-designed National Stadium, better known as the Bird's Nest, poised to take centre stage at the Games.
The cleanup crews need to make a few more passes, but for all intents and purposes the Olympic sites are ready to go, with the Swiss-designed National Stadium, better known as the Bird's Nest, poised to take centre stage.
The tangle of pewter-grey steel twigs with a red "egg" inside that seats 91,000, is an architectural marvel. Who would have thought steel girders could be whimsical?
There is nothing like it anywhere else in the world and people coming to the 8-8-8-8 opening ceremonies - Aug. 8, 2008 at 8 p.m. - will be dazzled. It is the symbol of the modern country China wants the world to see.
Across the Olympic Green, the Australian-designed National Aquatic Center, or Water Cube, vies for attention. It's a simple steel grid of a building clad in "bubble wrap" - actually, a material called ETFE that self-cleans and changes from white to pale blue when the sunshine finds it. The Cube is already a favourite with Beijingers. In the evenings now, they bring chairs and snacks and sit along the perimeter fence - they can't get any closer yet - to watch the lights switch on and turn the Cube a brilliant blue.
Next to it sits the low-slung, curvy-roofed National Indoor Stadium. There's no nickname for this Olympic gym, and considerably less pizzazz about it, too. But that's by comparison. Like the nine other newly erected Olympic sports venues, the stadium was built primarily for athletics, not admiration.
Still, these less-than-iconic venues, plus the extensive renovations done to 11 existing sports centres that will be used during the Games, form a large part of Beijing's Olympic legacy. Not only will they give a whole raft of new sports facilities - pools, playing fields, gyms, arenas, tracks and marinas - to a city that sorely lacks all of these things, but most of the venues were also built or revamped with the environment in mind. The green technologies that are showcased in many of them could have an impact on how buildings around China are designed for a long time after the sports fans have gone home.
The Olympic Village, which will house 10,000 athletes during the Games and be sold for much-needed housing afterwards, contributes to the environment-friendly theme Beijing is emphasizing, too. It's an interesting looking apartment block in a fabulous setting, but its real claim to fame is that it is partially powered by solar energy. That's rare in China, one of the world's leading polluters.
The signature Bird's Nest and the Water Cube anchor the grand Olympic Green, a 1,135-hectare park that connects 13 venues, plus the Village.
The Green is built on Beijing's historic north-south axis and visitors are likely to find it slightly daunting. The avenues stretch forever and shade doesn't seem to have played a big part in the design. Given temperatures that will soar above 30 C most days, organizers might have considered installing fans in the sleek light standards that march down the centre of sidewalks instead of high tech surveillance cameras and loud speakers.
Sun's job with the Beijing Olympic Committee is to talk up the Olympics, but even he has a hard time just focusing on the sports venues when it is so glaringly obvious the years of preparation for the Games have transformed all of Beijing.
It is an "imperial" capital now, with wide boulevards and hundreds of imposing new buildings and grand hotels that have transformed a skyline that used to be dominated by dowdy, Stalinist style buildings and red slate roofs.
The 230-metre twisted tower of the Dutch-designed state television building isn't quite finished, but it is awesome anyway. French architect Paul Andreu's National Theatre, dubbed "the alien egg," is set in a "lake" with the Forbidden City as a backdrop, and it is a definite conversation piece.
Everyone has an opinion about it - and most are negative.
British architect Norman Foster's dragon-shaped Terminal 3 now dominates the Beijing airport and a brand new high-speed train built by Bombardier links it to downtown in just 20 minutes. There are three new subway lines, for a total of eight, making travel around the capital significantly easier, plus ribbons of new roads and hundreds of kilometres of newly paved and cobbled streets.
There were also hundreds of measures, big and small, taken to deal with the choking pollution that still threatens to spoil Beijing's day in the sun.
Factories were re-located outside the city, fleets of "clean" buses were introduced, auto-emission standards increased and buildings across the city were forced to convert from coal to oil or natural gas.
With or without the Games, Beijing was eventually going to have to make these kinds of infrastructure and environmental improvements, but add them to the price of building and staging the Olympics and China is facing a bill that makes these Games the most expensive ever. Estimates range from $20 billion US to as high as $40 billion.
There is little mention anymore of who and what had to give way to bring change on the scale Beijing has seen in the seven years since it was awarded the Games.
Suffice to say, the Olympic building spree employed an estimated 1.3 million workers on 7,000 building sites, one million people were removed from their homes, and, officially, six workers, but perhaps 10, died building the Olympic venues China needed to realize its ambition of "One World, One Dream."
Sun makes it clear the cityscape isn't the only thing that has been spruced up for the Olympics - Beijingers have, too. "They have been socialized," he proudly reports.
In a bid to make the residents as welcoming as their city, the Chinese government subjected them to several years of English instruction and manners training.
Sun explains how informal language groups were nurtured in neighbourhoods around the capital, tea parties and English "corners" were organized in local parks, Mandarin newspapers printed one paragraph about the Olympics each day in English and the Beijing television news began each night with different celebrities talking for one minute in English.
To a casual observer, the results are disappointing. You still can't take most Beijing taxis and expect to get anywhere close to your destination without speaking Mandarin or showing the driver an address in Chinese characters. And on the streets, bargaining is still a matter of passing a calculator back and forth. After attracting your attention with a shout of "hey lady," most vendors have used up their store of English.
The official campaign to cultivate "civilized" manners produced better results. There is definitely less spitting on the streets. While still not sacrosanct, the effort to make Beijingers practise lining up on the 11th of each month (11 resembles two lines) means queues are more or less respected now. The newly sprouted No Smoking signs are mostly heeded, too.
On the downside, the city seems a little less Chinese without the bamboo poles covered with drying laundry sprouting from every window, with fewer food stands on the streets and with nobody sleeping on their doorsteps on these sultry summer nights.
No one even attempted to change the age-old Chinese custom of keeping toddlers diaperless, however, so seeing them do their business on crowded sidewalks is still a cross-cultural experience in store for foreign visitors.
Obama Campaign Slams 'Offensive' Ludacris Rap
Barack Obama's presidential campaign says a new rhyme by supporter and rapper Ludacris is "outrageously offensive" to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Republican Sen. John McCain and President Bush.The song brags about an Obama presidency being destiny. It uses an expletive to describe Clinton, calls Bush "mentally handicapped" and says McCain doesn't belong in "any chair unless he's paralyzed."The lyrics don't spare the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who recently apologized for making crude comments about Obama. "If you said it then you meant it," intones the rapper.Obama's campaign blasted "Politics as Usual," which is on the "Gangsta Grillz: The Preview" mixtape with Atlanta spinner DJ Drama."As Barack Obama has said many, many times in the past, rap lyrics today too often perpetuate misogyny, materialism, and degrading images that he doesn't want his daughters or any children exposed to," campaign spokesman Bill Burton said in an e-mail statement. "This song is not only outrageously offensive to Sen. Clinton, Rev. Jackson, Sen. McCain and President Bush, it is offensive to all of us who are trying to raise our children with the values we hold dear. While Ludacris is a talented individual, he should be ashamed of these lyrics."
Ludacris' publicist and manager did not immediately return calls for comment.
Ludacris' publicist and manager did not immediately return calls for comment.
Katy Perry Starts Sixth Week Atop Hot 100
Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.
Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl" begins a sixth week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, with digital sales of 151,000 copies keeping the song of the summer ahead of Rihanna's "Take a Bow" at No. 2 and Chris Brown's "Forever" at No. 3.Another Rihanna song, "Disturbia," races 15-4 thanks to digital sales of 122,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Coldplay's "Viva La Vida" and Lil Wayne's "A Milli" hold at Nos. 5 and 6, respectively, while Wayne's "Lollipop" featuring Static Major slides 4-7.Kardinal Offishall's "Dangerous" featuring Akon rises 9-8, Leona Lewis' "Bleeding Love" declines 6-9 and Jesse McCartney's "Leavin'" remains No. 10 to round out the top portion of the Hot 100.Estelle's "American Boy" featuring Kanye West is the chart's top digital gainer after selling 84,000 downloads. The cut jumps 26-16, a new peak for the U.K. vocalist.Shwayze's "Corona and Lime" is the top debut at No. 26 after digital sales of more than 74,000. The act is the subject of the new MTV reality series "Buzzin'," with a track of the same name also soaring 93-46 thanks to sales of 55,000 downloads.
Also new this week is Miley Cyrus' "Breakout" at No. 56. It's the title track of her new Hollywood album, which debuted yesterday at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.Keyshia Cole's "Heaven Sent" continues its rule over Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for an eighth week. On that tally, Lil Wayne sets a new record by placing 13 titles as a lead or featured artist this week. He surpasses T.I.'s previous mark of 11, set in February.Alan Jackson is No. 1 on Hot Country Songs for a second week with "Good Time," while Foo Fighters begin a second week atop the Modern Rock chart with "Let It Die." Disturbed's "Inside the Fire" rules the Mainstream Rock roundup for a 13th week.
Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl" begins a sixth week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, with digital sales of 151,000 copies keeping the song of the summer ahead of Rihanna's "Take a Bow" at No. 2 and Chris Brown's "Forever" at No. 3.Another Rihanna song, "Disturbia," races 15-4 thanks to digital sales of 122,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Coldplay's "Viva La Vida" and Lil Wayne's "A Milli" hold at Nos. 5 and 6, respectively, while Wayne's "Lollipop" featuring Static Major slides 4-7.Kardinal Offishall's "Dangerous" featuring Akon rises 9-8, Leona Lewis' "Bleeding Love" declines 6-9 and Jesse McCartney's "Leavin'" remains No. 10 to round out the top portion of the Hot 100.Estelle's "American Boy" featuring Kanye West is the chart's top digital gainer after selling 84,000 downloads. The cut jumps 26-16, a new peak for the U.K. vocalist.Shwayze's "Corona and Lime" is the top debut at No. 26 after digital sales of more than 74,000. The act is the subject of the new MTV reality series "Buzzin'," with a track of the same name also soaring 93-46 thanks to sales of 55,000 downloads.
Also new this week is Miley Cyrus' "Breakout" at No. 56. It's the title track of her new Hollywood album, which debuted yesterday at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.Keyshia Cole's "Heaven Sent" continues its rule over Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for an eighth week. On that tally, Lil Wayne sets a new record by placing 13 titles as a lead or featured artist this week. He surpasses T.I.'s previous mark of 11, set in February.Alan Jackson is No. 1 on Hot Country Songs for a second week with "Good Time," while Foo Fighters begin a second week atop the Modern Rock chart with "Let It Die." Disturbed's "Inside the Fire" rules the Mainstream Rock roundup for a 13th week.
Parton 'Dolly-izes' Tunes For '9 To 5' Musical
Gary Graff, Detroit
Though she's still actively promoting her latest album, "Backwoods Barbie," Dolly Parton is gearing up for the September debut of the musical based on her hit 1980 film "9 to 5."The show, which is comprised entirely of Parton's music, runs Sept. 3-Oct. 19 at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles before moving to Broadway's Marriott Marquis Theatre on March 24. Megan Hilty will play Doralee Rhodes, the role Parton created in the film, while Alison Janney recreates Lily Tomlin's Violet Newstead, Stephanie J. Block takes on Jane Fonda's Judy Bernly and Marc Kudisch steps into Dabney Coleman's shoes as reprehensible boss Franklin Hart, Jr."It's a big thrill and it was a challenge, but I loved it," Parton tells Billboard.com. For the show, she expanded the song "9 to 5," which was a No. 1 pop and country hit, to include "lots of new verses and choruses.""They're not your typical Broadway songs," Parton says of the arrangements of her music for the production. "You can tell they're kind of Dolly-ized, but they're not hard country, either. The only country song that we purposely tailored to really sound country was 'Backwoods Barbie;' the rest are more mainstream Broadway, but they've got a little Dolly flavor."Parton says she expects her movie co-stars to turn out for the opening nights in both Los Angeles and New York. "They're gonna be at the L.A. opening, and I'm sure the New York one as well," Parton confirms. "The fact that Jane, Lily and Dabney and me are all gonna be there is gonna be a great thrill. I'm looking as forward to that as I am to the opening of the show."
Parton -- who's currently working a third single, "Shinola," from "Backwoods Barbie" -- plans to release the title track as a single to coincide with the Broadway opening in 2009. And while she's been pleased with the reception to the album, her first set of country music in nearly a decade and her highest Billboard 200 debut ever (No. 17), Parton's not sure what direction her next album will take her."I purposely did this particular album trying to cater to the country market to see if I could still get some play," she explains. "But you know me; I'm never gonna be just any one thing, I'm just Dolly. I may do a gospel album next. I know I'm gonna do some children's CDs and some DVDs for children. I wake up with new dreams every day, and I just kind of follow my gut and follow my heart. It may be a country album next, or it may be something completely different. I may wind up doing a dance record!"
Though she's still actively promoting her latest album, "Backwoods Barbie," Dolly Parton is gearing up for the September debut of the musical based on her hit 1980 film "9 to 5."The show, which is comprised entirely of Parton's music, runs Sept. 3-Oct. 19 at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles before moving to Broadway's Marriott Marquis Theatre on March 24. Megan Hilty will play Doralee Rhodes, the role Parton created in the film, while Alison Janney recreates Lily Tomlin's Violet Newstead, Stephanie J. Block takes on Jane Fonda's Judy Bernly and Marc Kudisch steps into Dabney Coleman's shoes as reprehensible boss Franklin Hart, Jr."It's a big thrill and it was a challenge, but I loved it," Parton tells Billboard.com. For the show, she expanded the song "9 to 5," which was a No. 1 pop and country hit, to include "lots of new verses and choruses.""They're not your typical Broadway songs," Parton says of the arrangements of her music for the production. "You can tell they're kind of Dolly-ized, but they're not hard country, either. The only country song that we purposely tailored to really sound country was 'Backwoods Barbie;' the rest are more mainstream Broadway, but they've got a little Dolly flavor."Parton says she expects her movie co-stars to turn out for the opening nights in both Los Angeles and New York. "They're gonna be at the L.A. opening, and I'm sure the New York one as well," Parton confirms. "The fact that Jane, Lily and Dabney and me are all gonna be there is gonna be a great thrill. I'm looking as forward to that as I am to the opening of the show."
Parton -- who's currently working a third single, "Shinola," from "Backwoods Barbie" -- plans to release the title track as a single to coincide with the Broadway opening in 2009. And while she's been pleased with the reception to the album, her first set of country music in nearly a decade and her highest Billboard 200 debut ever (No. 17), Parton's not sure what direction her next album will take her."I purposely did this particular album trying to cater to the country market to see if I could still get some play," she explains. "But you know me; I'm never gonna be just any one thing, I'm just Dolly. I may do a gospel album next. I know I'm gonna do some children's CDs and some DVDs for children. I wake up with new dreams every day, and I just kind of follow my gut and follow my heart. It may be a country album next, or it may be something completely different. I may wind up doing a dance record!"
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Roger Federer clings to top spot
ROGER FEDERER waited until the last moment to start the rescue of his No1 ranking, overcoming Robby Ginepri 6-7 (2-7) 7-6 (7-5) 6-0 yesterday at the ATP Cincinnati Masters in Ohio.
The second-round drama in 2hr 13min showed the Swiss just how tough it will be to hold off the field as he tries to extend his 235 weeks on top of the rankings.
If Federer goes out in his title defence before the semi-finals and Spaniard Rafael Nadal wins the event - it would be his eighth of the season - the top ranking changes hands.
"I do enjoy the challenge that I'm the No1 in the world," Federer said. "I'd rather it be me than rather it be him. I'm on a great run with my ranking. If I would lose it I would want it back."
Australian Chris Guccione won his first ATP-level match since early last month, ending four losses as he beat Jesse Levine 6-3 6-4.
Andy Roddick, the 2003 champion, fell victim to the shoulder injury which he picked up in May, coming on to the court to announce that he could not play against German Philipp Kohlschreiber.
"I woke up with shoulder and neck pain," Roddick, the sixth seed, said. "I can hardly look from side to side. I wanted to come and give it a go. But I knew I wouldn't be able to finish so I wanted to give someone else the chance to play."
The second-round drama in 2hr 13min showed the Swiss just how tough it will be to hold off the field as he tries to extend his 235 weeks on top of the rankings.
If Federer goes out in his title defence before the semi-finals and Spaniard Rafael Nadal wins the event - it would be his eighth of the season - the top ranking changes hands.
"I do enjoy the challenge that I'm the No1 in the world," Federer said. "I'd rather it be me than rather it be him. I'm on a great run with my ranking. If I would lose it I would want it back."
Australian Chris Guccione won his first ATP-level match since early last month, ending four losses as he beat Jesse Levine 6-3 6-4.
Andy Roddick, the 2003 champion, fell victim to the shoulder injury which he picked up in May, coming on to the court to announce that he could not play against German Philipp Kohlschreiber.
"I woke up with shoulder and neck pain," Roddick, the sixth seed, said. "I can hardly look from side to side. I wanted to come and give it a go. But I knew I wouldn't be able to finish so I wanted to give someone else the chance to play."
China denies underage gymnast reports
BEIJING -- China on Wednesday denied media reports that two of its female gymnasts were too young to compete in the Beijing Olympics. "The Chinese Gymnastics Association organized the athletes' passports according to identity documents provided by the province, autonomous region, or city where they were registered," the association said in a statement sent to AFP. The association also attached a copy of the gymnasts' passports and identity cards, which both showed that the two were both 16 -- the minimum age for Olympic gymnastic competitors, according to a rule set in 1997. Chinese media and the New York Times have raised questions about whether He Kexin and Jiang Yuyuan, two athletes named in the squad, have yet turned 16. Online records listing Chinese gymnasts along with reports in Chinese news media indicated that He and Jiang could be as young as 14, The New York Times said. But according to the copy of the identity cards faxed to AFP, he was born on January 1, 1992, and Jiang on November 1, 1991 -- making them both 16. The association said Jiang and He had both recently attended international competitions. "These competitions are official ones run by the International Federation of Gymnastics," it said in the statement. "The federation would have strictly verified their passports, and confirmed their ages conformed to the age regulations of the World Championships, the World Cup and the Olympic Games." China has faced criticism for its harsh training regime for young athletes, gymnasts in particular.
Cheech & Chong Plan First Tour In 25 Years
Mitchell Peters, L.A.
Comedy duo Cheech and Chong will reunite for their first tour in more than 25 years, beginning Sept. 12 at the Tower Theatre in Philadelphia. More than 20 dates have been confirmed for the Live Nation-produced U.S. trek, with more to be announced in the coming weeks.Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong's upcoming "Light Up America..." tour will visit such markets as Washington, D.C., Detroit, Atlanta, Miami, Seattle, Los Angeles, Boston and Denver. Tickets for the jaunt go on sale Aug. 8 via livenation.com.Chong's wife and comedy partner, Shelby Chong, has been tapped to open all dates.In their career as a comedy duo, Marin and Chong released nine albums between 1972 and 1985 and won a Grammy Award for best comedy album ("Los Cochinos") in 1973. The pair also co-wrote and starred in eight films, including "Up In Smoke," "Next Movie" and "Nice Dreams."Here are Cheech & Chong's U.S. tour dates:
Sept. 12: Philadelphia (Tower Theatre)
Sept. 13: Washington, D.C. (Warner Theatre)
Sept. 19: Indianapolis (Murat Center)
Sept. 20: Detroit (Fillmore State)
Sept. 26: Atlanta (Tabernacle)
Sept. 27: Miami (Fillmore Jackie Gleason)
Oct. 24: Westbury, N.Y. (Westbury Theatre)
Oct. 25: Minneapolis (Orpheum Theatre)
Oct. 31: Houston (Verizon Wireless)
Nov. 1: Dallas (Majestic Theatre)
Nov. 7: Wallingford, Conn. (Chevrolet Theatre)
Nov. 8: Rosemont, Ill. (Rosemont Theatre)
Nov. 14: Phoenix (Dodge Theatre)
Nov. 15: Austin, Texas (Austin Music Hall)
Nov. 21: Sacramento, Calif. (Memorial Auditorium)
Nov. 22: Berkley, Calif. (Berkeley Community Theatre)
Nov. 28: San Diego (Copley Symphony Hall)
Nov. 29: Seattle (Paramount Theatre)
Nov. 30: San Jose, Calif. (San Jose PAC)
Dec. 6: Los Angeles (Gibson Amphitheater)
Dec. 12: Boston (Orpheum Theatre)
Dec. 13: Atlantic City, N.J. (Borgata Music Box)
Dec. 19: Reno, Nev. (Silver Legacy Casino)
Dec. 20: Denver (Paramount Theatre)
Comedy duo Cheech and Chong will reunite for their first tour in more than 25 years, beginning Sept. 12 at the Tower Theatre in Philadelphia. More than 20 dates have been confirmed for the Live Nation-produced U.S. trek, with more to be announced in the coming weeks.Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong's upcoming "Light Up America..." tour will visit such markets as Washington, D.C., Detroit, Atlanta, Miami, Seattle, Los Angeles, Boston and Denver. Tickets for the jaunt go on sale Aug. 8 via livenation.com.Chong's wife and comedy partner, Shelby Chong, has been tapped to open all dates.In their career as a comedy duo, Marin and Chong released nine albums between 1972 and 1985 and won a Grammy Award for best comedy album ("Los Cochinos") in 1973. The pair also co-wrote and starred in eight films, including "Up In Smoke," "Next Movie" and "Nice Dreams."Here are Cheech & Chong's U.S. tour dates:
Sept. 12: Philadelphia (Tower Theatre)
Sept. 13: Washington, D.C. (Warner Theatre)
Sept. 19: Indianapolis (Murat Center)
Sept. 20: Detroit (Fillmore State)
Sept. 26: Atlanta (Tabernacle)
Sept. 27: Miami (Fillmore Jackie Gleason)
Oct. 24: Westbury, N.Y. (Westbury Theatre)
Oct. 25: Minneapolis (Orpheum Theatre)
Oct. 31: Houston (Verizon Wireless)
Nov. 1: Dallas (Majestic Theatre)
Nov. 7: Wallingford, Conn. (Chevrolet Theatre)
Nov. 8: Rosemont, Ill. (Rosemont Theatre)
Nov. 14: Phoenix (Dodge Theatre)
Nov. 15: Austin, Texas (Austin Music Hall)
Nov. 21: Sacramento, Calif. (Memorial Auditorium)
Nov. 22: Berkley, Calif. (Berkeley Community Theatre)
Nov. 28: San Diego (Copley Symphony Hall)
Nov. 29: Seattle (Paramount Theatre)
Nov. 30: San Jose, Calif. (San Jose PAC)
Dec. 6: Los Angeles (Gibson Amphitheater)
Dec. 12: Boston (Orpheum Theatre)
Dec. 13: Atlantic City, N.J. (Borgata Music Box)
Dec. 19: Reno, Nev. (Silver Legacy Casino)
Dec. 20: Denver (Paramount Theatre)
Miley Trumps Sugarland To Lead Billboard 200
Keith Caulfield, L.A. and Katie Hasty, N.Y.
Miley Cyrus lands her second No. 1 album on The Billboard 200 as "Breakout" (Hollywood) bows with 371,000 U.S. copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. That's the second-biggest sales week of the year for a female artist, following the 463,000 debut of Mariah Carey's "E=MC2" (Island).Cyrus' last album, the half soundtrack, half studio set "Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus" (Hollywood/Walt Disney), started at No. 1 last summer with 326,000. The first "Hannah Montana" soundtrack, which launched her recording career, also bowed at No. 1 in 2006, with first-week sales of 281,000. It went on to be the best seller of that year's fourth quarter with less than three months of shelf life.Debuting in the runner-up slot on The Billboard 200 is country duo Sugarland with the deluxe version of "Love on the Inside" (314,000). It's easily the Mercury Nashville act's best sales week and highest charting album ever. The band's previous high came with 2006's "Enjoy the Ride," which debuted and peaked at No. 4 with 211,000.Sugarland also enjoys the best sales week for any country act since the Eagles' "Long Road Out of Eden" (ERC) shifted 359,000 in its second week of release last fall.
If (Not bIsRightVersion) And (nRequiredVersion
Sugarland has another reason to celebrate, as "Love on the Inside" becomes its first No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart. The duo's first two sets, "Twice the Speed of Life" and "Enjoy the Ride," peaked at Nos. 3 and 2, respectively.Next week will mark an interesting sales test, as the standard edition of "Love on the Inside" bowed in stores today (July 29); those sales will be merged with the deluxe edition's total next week. The standard edition lacks five bonus tracks found on the deluxe version.With an 84% sales boost, the Decca soundtrack to "Mamma Mia!" moves 168,000 copies, remaining at No. 3 on The Billboard 200 for a second week. Kid Rock's "Rock N Roll Jesus" (Atlantic) continues to resurge 6-4 with a 26% increase to 93,000. Lil Wayne's "Tha Carter III" (Cash Money/Universal) dips 2-5 with 85,000 (-19%). Coldplay's "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends" (Capitol) descends 4-6 with a 17% decrease to 75,000, while the Jonas Brothers-led soundtrack to Disney's "Camp Rock" falls 5-7 with 67,000 (-15%). After bowing at the summit last week, Nas' untitled Def Jam album slips to No. 8 with a 66% sales decrease to 63,000. The multi-label "Now 28" hits compilation re-enters the top tier 11-9 despite a 8% sales reduction to 37,000. Taylor Swift's Wal-Mart exclusive EP/DVD "Beautiful Eyes" rounds out the top 10, falling 9-10 with 35,000 (-13%).After its free online release in May, Nine Inch Nails' latest album, "The Slip," debuts at No. 13 after a physical release via the Null label. The set sold 29,000 copies; it was expanded to a double-disc, digipak set, individually numbered and limited to a pressing of 250,000 globally.One Day As A Lion, the collaboration between Rage Against the Machine's Zach de la Rocha and ex-the Mars Volta drummer Jon Theodore, bows at No. 28 with its self-titled Anti- EP, which sold 17,000.Other debuts to crack the top 50 include the reunited Candlebox's "Into the Sun" (Silent Majority/ILG, No. 32, 14,000) and R&B singer Noel Gourdin's "After My Time" (Sony Urban, No. 36, 14,000). Blues legend Buddy Guy earns his highest charting album ever as "Skin Deep" (Zomba) enters at No. 68 with nearly 9,000. It's also the best sales week for the artist since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking data in 1991. At 7.84 million units, sales this week are up 4.8% from last week's sum and down 1.6% from the same week last year.
Miley Cyrus lands her second No. 1 album on The Billboard 200 as "Breakout" (Hollywood) bows with 371,000 U.S. copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. That's the second-biggest sales week of the year for a female artist, following the 463,000 debut of Mariah Carey's "E=MC2" (Island).Cyrus' last album, the half soundtrack, half studio set "Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus" (Hollywood/Walt Disney), started at No. 1 last summer with 326,000. The first "Hannah Montana" soundtrack, which launched her recording career, also bowed at No. 1 in 2006, with first-week sales of 281,000. It went on to be the best seller of that year's fourth quarter with less than three months of shelf life.Debuting in the runner-up slot on The Billboard 200 is country duo Sugarland with the deluxe version of "Love on the Inside" (314,000). It's easily the Mercury Nashville act's best sales week and highest charting album ever. The band's previous high came with 2006's "Enjoy the Ride," which debuted and peaked at No. 4 with 211,000.Sugarland also enjoys the best sales week for any country act since the Eagles' "Long Road Out of Eden" (ERC) shifted 359,000 in its second week of release last fall.
If (Not bIsRightVersion) And (nRequiredVersion
Sugarland has another reason to celebrate, as "Love on the Inside" becomes its first No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart. The duo's first two sets, "Twice the Speed of Life" and "Enjoy the Ride," peaked at Nos. 3 and 2, respectively.Next week will mark an interesting sales test, as the standard edition of "Love on the Inside" bowed in stores today (July 29); those sales will be merged with the deluxe edition's total next week. The standard edition lacks five bonus tracks found on the deluxe version.With an 84% sales boost, the Decca soundtrack to "Mamma Mia!" moves 168,000 copies, remaining at No. 3 on The Billboard 200 for a second week. Kid Rock's "Rock N Roll Jesus" (Atlantic) continues to resurge 6-4 with a 26% increase to 93,000. Lil Wayne's "Tha Carter III" (Cash Money/Universal) dips 2-5 with 85,000 (-19%). Coldplay's "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends" (Capitol) descends 4-6 with a 17% decrease to 75,000, while the Jonas Brothers-led soundtrack to Disney's "Camp Rock" falls 5-7 with 67,000 (-15%). After bowing at the summit last week, Nas' untitled Def Jam album slips to No. 8 with a 66% sales decrease to 63,000. The multi-label "Now 28" hits compilation re-enters the top tier 11-9 despite a 8% sales reduction to 37,000. Taylor Swift's Wal-Mart exclusive EP/DVD "Beautiful Eyes" rounds out the top 10, falling 9-10 with 35,000 (-13%).After its free online release in May, Nine Inch Nails' latest album, "The Slip," debuts at No. 13 after a physical release via the Null label. The set sold 29,000 copies; it was expanded to a double-disc, digipak set, individually numbered and limited to a pressing of 250,000 globally.One Day As A Lion, the collaboration between Rage Against the Machine's Zach de la Rocha and ex-the Mars Volta drummer Jon Theodore, bows at No. 28 with its self-titled Anti- EP, which sold 17,000.Other debuts to crack the top 50 include the reunited Candlebox's "Into the Sun" (Silent Majority/ILG, No. 32, 14,000) and R&B singer Noel Gourdin's "After My Time" (Sony Urban, No. 36, 14,000). Blues legend Buddy Guy earns his highest charting album ever as "Skin Deep" (Zomba) enters at No. 68 with nearly 9,000. It's also the best sales week for the artist since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking data in 1991. At 7.84 million units, sales this week are up 4.8% from last week's sum and down 1.6% from the same week last year.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Bills happy to greet new faces on defense
Like a kid at Christmas, Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Perry Fewell was thrilled with the new toys he received this offseason.
Now he can hardly wait to see if they all work.
“On paper, I like them and non pads I really like them,” Fewell said of free agent additions Marcus Stroud, Spencer Johnson and Kawika Mitchell as well as selections in a defensive-oriented draft led by first-round pick Leodis McKelvin. “But we haven’t played a game yet. We still have to see how everything fits together.”
The Bills hope their porous run defense will get better by getting bigger. Stroud and Mitchell were important acquisitions in that regard because they have the size and strength to make the front seven more stout than it has been in years.
The 6-foot-6, 310-pound Stroud is looking to rebound from a couple of injury-plagued seasons in Jacksonville. The Bills are hoping he returns to the gap-plugging and disruptive force he was during several Pro Bowl seasons with the Jaguars.
Mitchell is an upgrade in terms of size (6-1, 253) and experience at weak-side linebacker. The sixth-year veteran has 66 career starts and was a standout for the Super Bowl champion New York Giants last year.
“Mitchell brings a certain element of physical toughness, and he does some things technique-wise that we really like and we can learn from,” Fewell said. “Marcus is the same thing. I’ve been pleased with what he’s been doing. I like their physicalness, their mentality. They are tough-minded guys, they are no-nonsense guys. I think that helps our young guys.”
Who lines up next to Stroud at tackle will be a story line to follow in training camp. It was assumed John McCargo would step in after Larry Tripplett was released. But Kyle Williams goes into training camp as the man to beat.
Now he can hardly wait to see if they all work.
“On paper, I like them and non pads I really like them,” Fewell said of free agent additions Marcus Stroud, Spencer Johnson and Kawika Mitchell as well as selections in a defensive-oriented draft led by first-round pick Leodis McKelvin. “But we haven’t played a game yet. We still have to see how everything fits together.”
The Bills hope their porous run defense will get better by getting bigger. Stroud and Mitchell were important acquisitions in that regard because they have the size and strength to make the front seven more stout than it has been in years.
The 6-foot-6, 310-pound Stroud is looking to rebound from a couple of injury-plagued seasons in Jacksonville. The Bills are hoping he returns to the gap-plugging and disruptive force he was during several Pro Bowl seasons with the Jaguars.
Mitchell is an upgrade in terms of size (6-1, 253) and experience at weak-side linebacker. The sixth-year veteran has 66 career starts and was a standout for the Super Bowl champion New York Giants last year.
“Mitchell brings a certain element of physical toughness, and he does some things technique-wise that we really like and we can learn from,” Fewell said. “Marcus is the same thing. I’ve been pleased with what he’s been doing. I like their physicalness, their mentality. They are tough-minded guys, they are no-nonsense guys. I think that helps our young guys.”
Who lines up next to Stroud at tackle will be a story line to follow in training camp. It was assumed John McCargo would step in after Larry Tripplett was released. But Kyle Williams goes into training camp as the man to beat.
Sabres sign Darche
Journeyman minor league left winger Mathieu Darche signed a one-year, $575,000 contract with the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday.
Darche, 31, was an unrestricted free agent, who had a career-high 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) in 73 games with Tampa Bay last season. He has spent most of his career in the American Hockey League since breaking into the NHL as an undrafted free agent with Columbus in 2000. Darche also played for Nashville and San Jose.
The Sabres are well-stocked at forward and are expected to have Darche open this season with their new AHL affiliate in Portland, Maine.
"I figured that's where I'll have a good chance," Darche told the Syracuse Post-Standard. "Lindy Ruff is a lot like [former Tampa Bay coach] John Tortorella. You get what you deserve. I decided the fit was good in Buffalo, and I liked the talk I had with Darcy Regier."
Newsday is reporting that Tortorella will be the next coaching candidate interviewed by the New York Islanders, who recently fired Ted Nolan.
Darche, 31, was an unrestricted free agent, who had a career-high 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) in 73 games with Tampa Bay last season. He has spent most of his career in the American Hockey League since breaking into the NHL as an undrafted free agent with Columbus in 2000. Darche also played for Nashville and San Jose.
The Sabres are well-stocked at forward and are expected to have Darche open this season with their new AHL affiliate in Portland, Maine.
"I figured that's where I'll have a good chance," Darche told the Syracuse Post-Standard. "Lindy Ruff is a lot like [former Tampa Bay coach] John Tortorella. You get what you deserve. I decided the fit was good in Buffalo, and I liked the talk I had with Darcy Regier."
Newsday is reporting that Tortorella will be the next coaching candidate interviewed by the New York Islanders, who recently fired Ted Nolan.
The Billboard Q&A: Miley Cyrus
Cortney Harding
Let's get it out of the way. That Vanity Fair photo shoot? For a teen idol that's suddenly been turned into glossy rag mag fodder, Miley Cyrus is remarkably sanguine when asked about the bare-shoulder, bedsheet-entwined photo. "I was embarrassed," she says in her rapid, self-assured clip, "but also it's like, every career thing that I do can't be perfect, and sometimes my decisions are wrong. I think that just makes me even more relatable. I don't think people will look at me any differently because they're like, 'You know what, I'm going to do stupid stuff too, and I'm going to make mistakes, and that's fine.' It still hurts when I think about it—but you know what, it doesn't mean that you can't move on."So with that in mind, we'll move on. Cyrus certainly has—she's got a new record, "Breakout," out July 22 and is currently filming a "Hannah Montana" movie in Tennessee, followed quickly by a return to the Disney studios to shoot another season of the show that made her a household name. After the season wraps, she'll hit the road for another tour, hoping to mimic, if not best, the remarkable success of her last tour outing.The hardworking professional spills the beans about her new album, new movie, TV show and the importance of being a good role model.How is the new album different from your previous efforts?
It's grown-up. I wrote all the songs except two. My last one, "Meet Miley Cyrus," was more just meeting me, finding out who I am, and here it's more getting in depth of what's been going on in my life in the past year.Not many people are aware that you're a songwriter. Can you talk a little bit about your process?Songwriting is what I really want to do with my life forever. No matter how long what I'm doing here lasts, I want to be a songwriter for the rest of my life. I love it and it's my escape. I just hope this record showcases that—more than anything—I'm a writer.I wrote my first song when I was probably 7—it was called "Pink." That shows what kind of song it was about—it's about the color pink. But you know what, darn it, I wrote it and I've been writing since I was my little sister's age.At this point, though, when I'm writing I like to not listen to music at all because I don't want to ever be like, "Oh, this is cool," and start to sound like anyone else. I try to just kind of focus on my music and just continue to write, just kind of block everything out. I don't watch TV at night; I actually try to make sure my mind is focused.There were many kids who were disappointed that they couldn't see you on your last tour. Are you planning to tour with this new record, and what are you going to do to make sure all your fans can see you?Yeah, we're definitely going to go on tour. We're not sure when we're going to do that—probably early next year, later this year, we're not sure—but I want to make it a lot different. My last tour was successful, but I want to do something that no one's tried before.In terms of the kids who couldn't get in, I don't know if I could do more—we did 76 shows last year and I don't know that I could do more than that. Maybe I could do that and take a little break and go back into it? Also, the 3-D movie was awesome for the people that didn't get to come see the show.Those kids can also watch you in the third season of "Hannah Montana," which starts filming soon. After this season wraps, will you want to stay with Disney for the long term, or will the "Hannah Montana" show eventually wrap up and you'll move on to different projects?It will wrap up, eventually. I mean, I won't be Hannah Montana by the time I'm 30. But we've only done two seasons, so we definitely want to work on that hopefully for another two years.And the film you're working on is also tied to the "Hannah Montana" story, correct?The story of the new movie is basically about going back to Tennessee and wanting to just kind of get back to your roots, but then realizing that maybe you don't want to go back to them. I think the movie is about just having the Hannah character not disappear, but kind of be put on the back burner for a minute and have Miley Stewart just really show her talent and also her ambitions and dreams and other things more than just the Hannah life.Do you plan to act in other films that aren't connected to Disney or "Hannah Montana"? Perhaps some sort of really edgy indie film where you break out of the box?I've been talking to people about some cool movies, but right now I mostly want to stay within my company and keep them happy and keep everything that we're doing successful and focus on that. I like to do everything that I do 120% and unless I can focus hardcore on that, I don't want to do it yet.Yet you still find time to juggle all these projects. There was also some buzz about you writing a memoir a while ago—is that still the plan?Kind of—it's more of a book for kids and teenagers, and I'm going to start working on that at some point. I love to write. Any way I can get a pen and paper and write down some ideas, whether it's a song, movie, book, anything—I love to do that.You come across as someone who is very concerned with being a good role model for young kids and particularly young women. In an era when teen stars are falling out of limos with no underpants on, how do you make sure you stay true to yourself?It's something that I've been super blessed with, that I've had the opportunity and the ability to spread the light. That doesn't mean that I'm not going to make mistakes and do things that everyone's going to be happy with, because there's no such thing as perfection. My thing that I always believe in—that I also try to tell girls especially—[is that] so many people look at these models and actors and singers and they're so perfect . . . [but] I say imperfections equal beauty. The most beautiful things in life are the ones that aren't perfect. There's so many beautiful things about life that won't be perfect that you'll learn from. I just like to be the role model that doesn't say you have to be perfect all the time. I like to tell them that their mistakes are beautifully broken.A recent survey out of Canada highlighted your show as being great for young women because it showcases a wide range of body types. Is that something that you did intentionally, and is it important to you?I stress about that stuff like everyone else, but at the end of day, I'm a good ol' Southern girl that likes her Cracker Barrel at 9 o'clock at night and if I want it, gosh darn, I'm going to eat it. I'm not going to make myself miserable. And for so many girls, you don't want to be thin because you want the guy to think you're gorgeous or whatever—you do it all for women, you do it all for a competition. That's so silly, it's such a game. [Why] waste your time with a game you're never going to win? There's always going to be someone that I think is prettier than me, there's always going to be someone that I'm going to think is a better vocalist, or a better writer, better guitarist. There's always going to be that, so why stress myself about the competition the whole time? Are there any artists you look up to, or mentors who have helped guide you through this process and keep you focused? Anyone whose career you admire and might want to emulate? Mostly my mom—no one knows better than the person that made Billy Ray Cyrus, you know what I mean? My mom was a huge part of my dad during "Achy Breaky Heart" and all that. No one knows better than her because [of what] my dad's already been through—and when he forgot most of it, my mom remembers every moment. [laughs]As far as other artists, it's hard because everyone is so different. I went on tour with the Jonas Brothers and I got to watch them grow, I got to watch them become famous. When I first went on tour with them they hadn't really had their record out very long—and all of a sudden I watched them blow up. It was fun to watch them do that, and I like to see what kind of career moves they'll make. I like to watch other stars that have grown up in this business, but I think everyone's path is going to be so different and everyone needs to take their own direction.I'm so happy with what I'm doing right now. I recognize that I'm super blessed and thank the Lord every day that I get to live my dream.
Let's get it out of the way. That Vanity Fair photo shoot? For a teen idol that's suddenly been turned into glossy rag mag fodder, Miley Cyrus is remarkably sanguine when asked about the bare-shoulder, bedsheet-entwined photo. "I was embarrassed," she says in her rapid, self-assured clip, "but also it's like, every career thing that I do can't be perfect, and sometimes my decisions are wrong. I think that just makes me even more relatable. I don't think people will look at me any differently because they're like, 'You know what, I'm going to do stupid stuff too, and I'm going to make mistakes, and that's fine.' It still hurts when I think about it—but you know what, it doesn't mean that you can't move on."So with that in mind, we'll move on. Cyrus certainly has—she's got a new record, "Breakout," out July 22 and is currently filming a "Hannah Montana" movie in Tennessee, followed quickly by a return to the Disney studios to shoot another season of the show that made her a household name. After the season wraps, she'll hit the road for another tour, hoping to mimic, if not best, the remarkable success of her last tour outing.The hardworking professional spills the beans about her new album, new movie, TV show and the importance of being a good role model.How is the new album different from your previous efforts?
It's grown-up. I wrote all the songs except two. My last one, "Meet Miley Cyrus," was more just meeting me, finding out who I am, and here it's more getting in depth of what's been going on in my life in the past year.Not many people are aware that you're a songwriter. Can you talk a little bit about your process?Songwriting is what I really want to do with my life forever. No matter how long what I'm doing here lasts, I want to be a songwriter for the rest of my life. I love it and it's my escape. I just hope this record showcases that—more than anything—I'm a writer.I wrote my first song when I was probably 7—it was called "Pink." That shows what kind of song it was about—it's about the color pink. But you know what, darn it, I wrote it and I've been writing since I was my little sister's age.At this point, though, when I'm writing I like to not listen to music at all because I don't want to ever be like, "Oh, this is cool," and start to sound like anyone else. I try to just kind of focus on my music and just continue to write, just kind of block everything out. I don't watch TV at night; I actually try to make sure my mind is focused.There were many kids who were disappointed that they couldn't see you on your last tour. Are you planning to tour with this new record, and what are you going to do to make sure all your fans can see you?Yeah, we're definitely going to go on tour. We're not sure when we're going to do that—probably early next year, later this year, we're not sure—but I want to make it a lot different. My last tour was successful, but I want to do something that no one's tried before.In terms of the kids who couldn't get in, I don't know if I could do more—we did 76 shows last year and I don't know that I could do more than that. Maybe I could do that and take a little break and go back into it? Also, the 3-D movie was awesome for the people that didn't get to come see the show.Those kids can also watch you in the third season of "Hannah Montana," which starts filming soon. After this season wraps, will you want to stay with Disney for the long term, or will the "Hannah Montana" show eventually wrap up and you'll move on to different projects?It will wrap up, eventually. I mean, I won't be Hannah Montana by the time I'm 30. But we've only done two seasons, so we definitely want to work on that hopefully for another two years.And the film you're working on is also tied to the "Hannah Montana" story, correct?The story of the new movie is basically about going back to Tennessee and wanting to just kind of get back to your roots, but then realizing that maybe you don't want to go back to them. I think the movie is about just having the Hannah character not disappear, but kind of be put on the back burner for a minute and have Miley Stewart just really show her talent and also her ambitions and dreams and other things more than just the Hannah life.Do you plan to act in other films that aren't connected to Disney or "Hannah Montana"? Perhaps some sort of really edgy indie film where you break out of the box?I've been talking to people about some cool movies, but right now I mostly want to stay within my company and keep them happy and keep everything that we're doing successful and focus on that. I like to do everything that I do 120% and unless I can focus hardcore on that, I don't want to do it yet.Yet you still find time to juggle all these projects. There was also some buzz about you writing a memoir a while ago—is that still the plan?Kind of—it's more of a book for kids and teenagers, and I'm going to start working on that at some point. I love to write. Any way I can get a pen and paper and write down some ideas, whether it's a song, movie, book, anything—I love to do that.You come across as someone who is very concerned with being a good role model for young kids and particularly young women. In an era when teen stars are falling out of limos with no underpants on, how do you make sure you stay true to yourself?It's something that I've been super blessed with, that I've had the opportunity and the ability to spread the light. That doesn't mean that I'm not going to make mistakes and do things that everyone's going to be happy with, because there's no such thing as perfection. My thing that I always believe in—that I also try to tell girls especially—[is that] so many people look at these models and actors and singers and they're so perfect . . . [but] I say imperfections equal beauty. The most beautiful things in life are the ones that aren't perfect. There's so many beautiful things about life that won't be perfect that you'll learn from. I just like to be the role model that doesn't say you have to be perfect all the time. I like to tell them that their mistakes are beautifully broken.A recent survey out of Canada highlighted your show as being great for young women because it showcases a wide range of body types. Is that something that you did intentionally, and is it important to you?I stress about that stuff like everyone else, but at the end of day, I'm a good ol' Southern girl that likes her Cracker Barrel at 9 o'clock at night and if I want it, gosh darn, I'm going to eat it. I'm not going to make myself miserable. And for so many girls, you don't want to be thin because you want the guy to think you're gorgeous or whatever—you do it all for women, you do it all for a competition. That's so silly, it's such a game. [Why] waste your time with a game you're never going to win? There's always going to be someone that I think is prettier than me, there's always going to be someone that I'm going to think is a better vocalist, or a better writer, better guitarist. There's always going to be that, so why stress myself about the competition the whole time? Are there any artists you look up to, or mentors who have helped guide you through this process and keep you focused? Anyone whose career you admire and might want to emulate? Mostly my mom—no one knows better than the person that made Billy Ray Cyrus, you know what I mean? My mom was a huge part of my dad during "Achy Breaky Heart" and all that. No one knows better than her because [of what] my dad's already been through—and when he forgot most of it, my mom remembers every moment. [laughs]As far as other artists, it's hard because everyone is so different. I went on tour with the Jonas Brothers and I got to watch them grow, I got to watch them become famous. When I first went on tour with them they hadn't really had their record out very long—and all of a sudden I watched them blow up. It was fun to watch them do that, and I like to see what kind of career moves they'll make. I like to watch other stars that have grown up in this business, but I think everyone's path is going to be so different and everyone needs to take their own direction.I'm so happy with what I'm doing right now. I recognize that I'm super blessed and thank the Lord every day that I get to live my dream.
The Rolling Stones Leave EMI For Universal
Jonathan Cohen, N.Y. and Juliana Koranteng, London
Ending months of speculation, the Rolling Stones have split with longtime label EMI and inked a new deal with the Universal Music Group. The pact covers not only future studio albums but the band's lucrative back catalog from 1971's "Sticky Fingers" onward.EMI, which has endured a rocky transition to private equity ownership by Terra Firma in recent months, is understood to have lobbied heavily to convince the Stones to remain with the company.New recordings will be released via UMG's Polydor label worldwide, putting the distribution of the entire Stones catalog under one roof for the first time. The deal covers both digital and physical distribution, with UMG already working on a long-term strategy to digitize the catalog.The Stones tested the waters with Universal in April, when they released the soundtrack to the Martin Scorsese documentary "Shine a Light" through the label. U.S. sales are at 106,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.After recording for Decca Records through 1970, the Stones formed their own Rolling Stones label for the release of "Sticky Fingers" the following year. The previous deal with Virgin/EMI dates back to 1991, prior to Virgin's acquisition by EMI the following year. Warner Music, EMI itself and Sony BMG (as CBS) had all previously handled the catalog between 1971 and 1990.
ABKCO and Decca are co-owners of the copyrights outside North America for the Stones' catalog from 1963-1970. The Stones released three studio albums for Virgin: 1994's "Voodoo Lounge," 1997's "Bridges to Babylon" and 2005's "A Bigger Bang." The titles have sold a combined 3.6 million copies in the United States.
Ending months of speculation, the Rolling Stones have split with longtime label EMI and inked a new deal with the Universal Music Group. The pact covers not only future studio albums but the band's lucrative back catalog from 1971's "Sticky Fingers" onward.EMI, which has endured a rocky transition to private equity ownership by Terra Firma in recent months, is understood to have lobbied heavily to convince the Stones to remain with the company.New recordings will be released via UMG's Polydor label worldwide, putting the distribution of the entire Stones catalog under one roof for the first time. The deal covers both digital and physical distribution, with UMG already working on a long-term strategy to digitize the catalog.The Stones tested the waters with Universal in April, when they released the soundtrack to the Martin Scorsese documentary "Shine a Light" through the label. U.S. sales are at 106,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.After recording for Decca Records through 1970, the Stones formed their own Rolling Stones label for the release of "Sticky Fingers" the following year. The previous deal with Virgin/EMI dates back to 1991, prior to Virgin's acquisition by EMI the following year. Warner Music, EMI itself and Sony BMG (as CBS) had all previously handled the catalog between 1971 and 1990.
ABKCO and Decca are co-owners of the copyrights outside North America for the Stones' catalog from 1963-1970. The Stones released three studio albums for Virgin: 1994's "Voodoo Lounge," 1997's "Bridges to Babylon" and 2005's "A Bigger Bang." The titles have sold a combined 3.6 million copies in the United States.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
No more LeBron-ze -- 'King James' leads US hunt for gold
WASHINGTON -- When it comes to medals, a bronze won't be good enough this time for Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James and his teammates on the US Olympic squad of National Basketball Association stars.
The Americans had lost only twice in Olympic history, and never with an NBA lineup, until 2004 in Athens where they were beaten three times and settled for a bronze medal. James spent most of his time watching from the bench.
That disappointment led USA Basketball to elicit a three-year commitment from players that began with the 2006 World Championships, where James played a key role on a US team that lost a semi-final to Greece and settled for third.
Now the Beijing Olympics offer US NBA stars a chance at vindication and the opportunity to reclaim their global supremacy.
"We will be Olympic champions this year," James said at the NBA All-Star Game. "I'm excited. We have a talented team that works hard."
James, this year's NBA scoring champion, has been joined by Miami's Dwyane Wade and Denver's Carmelo Anthony as a captain under the guidance of coach Mike Krzyzewski, the long-time Duke University mentor.
James, Anthony and Wade were all members of the 2004 US Olympic team but spent most of their time on the bench.
"Four years ago, I wasn't put in the position I could care. I didn't get to go out and play the way I could," James said. "This time I'm a captain and I know we are going to be a very tough team to beat."
With such stars as Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player, adding scoring punch, the Americans figure to be formidable once more.
"We have guys who don't want to lose -- Kobe, Carmelo, Dwyane Wade -- and the guys off the bench are very good," James said.
"We've got so many great players and a great coach in Coach K who allows us to do what we want to do as long as we don't let things get out of hand," he said.
James, who stands 2.03m and 113kg, has been a US star since his high school games were shown on national television. James was taken first overall in the 2003 NBA Draft at age 18 by the Cavaliers, who counted on a kid from nearby Akron to lift them into contention.
The flamboyant playmaker did not disappoint.
James has career averages of 27.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.6 assists in 391 NBA games. The 23-year-old small forward, a four-time NBA All-Star, was the 2004 NBA Rookie of the Year and MVP of the 2006 and 2008 NBA All-Star Games.
The biggest night for James came last year in game five of the NBA Eastern Conference finals, when he scored 48 points to lead a double-overtime Cleveland victory. He scored 29 of the Cavaliers' last 30 points, including the final 25.
Cleveland reached the NBA Finals only to be swept by San Antonio, but James has become the NBA's biggest star showman since Michael Jordan with high-flying dunks and spectacular mid-air moves.
James won his first NBA scoring title this season with 30 points a game and added a career-high 7.9 points and 7.2 assists a game. The only other players with numbers so high in a season were Jordan and Oscar Robertson.
James played only 14.6 minutes at Athens, producing just 5.8 points and 2.6 rebounds. At the 2006 worlds, James averaged 13.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists but the Americans finished behind world champion Spain and Greece.
In last year's FIBA Americas qualifying event in Las Vegas, James averaged 18.1 points, 4.7 assists and 3.6 rebounds and the US team twice beat Argentina, which will defend the gold.
"It's going to be competitive with us, Argentina and Spain," James said. "It's going to be tough."
The Americans had lost only twice in Olympic history, and never with an NBA lineup, until 2004 in Athens where they were beaten three times and settled for a bronze medal. James spent most of his time watching from the bench.
That disappointment led USA Basketball to elicit a three-year commitment from players that began with the 2006 World Championships, where James played a key role on a US team that lost a semi-final to Greece and settled for third.
Now the Beijing Olympics offer US NBA stars a chance at vindication and the opportunity to reclaim their global supremacy.
"We will be Olympic champions this year," James said at the NBA All-Star Game. "I'm excited. We have a talented team that works hard."
James, this year's NBA scoring champion, has been joined by Miami's Dwyane Wade and Denver's Carmelo Anthony as a captain under the guidance of coach Mike Krzyzewski, the long-time Duke University mentor.
James, Anthony and Wade were all members of the 2004 US Olympic team but spent most of their time on the bench.
"Four years ago, I wasn't put in the position I could care. I didn't get to go out and play the way I could," James said. "This time I'm a captain and I know we are going to be a very tough team to beat."
With such stars as Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player, adding scoring punch, the Americans figure to be formidable once more.
"We have guys who don't want to lose -- Kobe, Carmelo, Dwyane Wade -- and the guys off the bench are very good," James said.
"We've got so many great players and a great coach in Coach K who allows us to do what we want to do as long as we don't let things get out of hand," he said.
James, who stands 2.03m and 113kg, has been a US star since his high school games were shown on national television. James was taken first overall in the 2003 NBA Draft at age 18 by the Cavaliers, who counted on a kid from nearby Akron to lift them into contention.
The flamboyant playmaker did not disappoint.
James has career averages of 27.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.6 assists in 391 NBA games. The 23-year-old small forward, a four-time NBA All-Star, was the 2004 NBA Rookie of the Year and MVP of the 2006 and 2008 NBA All-Star Games.
The biggest night for James came last year in game five of the NBA Eastern Conference finals, when he scored 48 points to lead a double-overtime Cleveland victory. He scored 29 of the Cavaliers' last 30 points, including the final 25.
Cleveland reached the NBA Finals only to be swept by San Antonio, but James has become the NBA's biggest star showman since Michael Jordan with high-flying dunks and spectacular mid-air moves.
James won his first NBA scoring title this season with 30 points a game and added a career-high 7.9 points and 7.2 assists a game. The only other players with numbers so high in a season were Jordan and Oscar Robertson.
James played only 14.6 minutes at Athens, producing just 5.8 points and 2.6 rebounds. At the 2006 worlds, James averaged 13.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists but the Americans finished behind world champion Spain and Greece.
In last year's FIBA Americas qualifying event in Las Vegas, James averaged 18.1 points, 4.7 assists and 3.6 rebounds and the US team twice beat Argentina, which will defend the gold.
"It's going to be competitive with us, Argentina and Spain," James said. "It's going to be tough."
Becker claims Nadal is number one
The ATP computer says otherwise but Boris Becker believes Rafael Nadal has already replaced Roger Federer as the world number one.
Despite losing to Nadal in both the French Open and Wimbledon finals, Federer has yet to be evicted from top spot, arriving at the Toronto Masters for the start of his hardcourt campaign having held the ATP's number one ranking for 234 weeks.
But Becker, who was in Toronto on Monday to play an exhibition match ahead of his induction into the tournament's Hall of Fame, declared that he and the rest of the tennis world were in agreement on who was the true number one.
"If you watched the French Open and Wimbledon, there was a lot of talk about Federer going into the history books as the first man to win six Wimbledons in a row or Nadal being the first since Bjorn Borg to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year.
"The winner is known now and you have to give credit," said Becker, winner of six grand slam tournaments, including three at Wimbledon.
"In the world rankings there is still a number one called Federer but if you ask anyone in the world of tennis, who is considered the number one player in the world it is the winner of the French Open and Wimbledon.
Dwindling Advantage
"There is a change in position at the moment."
Becker's ranking and the official standings could fall into line before the end of the season.
Twice a winner on the Canadian hardcourts, Federer faces a challenging summer trying to protect a dwindling lead atop the ranking, now a mere 770 points above Nadal, while winning a gold medal at the Beijing Olympic Games.
It is almost certain the muscular Spaniard will continue to eat away at Federer's advantage with the Swiss having to defend a truck load of points earned from reaching the Canadian final at Montreal last year which was followed by wins at the Cincinnati Masters and US Open.
While Nadal's durability on the unforgiving hardcourts remains suspect, he has already demonstrated he is capable of winning on the surface, taking the Canadian title in 2005 and reaching the semi-finals last year.
"I am happy how I am playing but I am still number two and have the same motivation to improve my tennis," said Nadal.
"I want to be number one for sure but right now all I want is to play a good tournament here in Toronto.
"It's nothing new for him to defend a lot of points."
Despite losing to Nadal in both the French Open and Wimbledon finals, Federer has yet to be evicted from top spot, arriving at the Toronto Masters for the start of his hardcourt campaign having held the ATP's number one ranking for 234 weeks.
But Becker, who was in Toronto on Monday to play an exhibition match ahead of his induction into the tournament's Hall of Fame, declared that he and the rest of the tennis world were in agreement on who was the true number one.
"If you watched the French Open and Wimbledon, there was a lot of talk about Federer going into the history books as the first man to win six Wimbledons in a row or Nadal being the first since Bjorn Borg to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year.
"The winner is known now and you have to give credit," said Becker, winner of six grand slam tournaments, including three at Wimbledon.
"In the world rankings there is still a number one called Federer but if you ask anyone in the world of tennis, who is considered the number one player in the world it is the winner of the French Open and Wimbledon.
Dwindling Advantage
"There is a change in position at the moment."
Becker's ranking and the official standings could fall into line before the end of the season.
Twice a winner on the Canadian hardcourts, Federer faces a challenging summer trying to protect a dwindling lead atop the ranking, now a mere 770 points above Nadal, while winning a gold medal at the Beijing Olympic Games.
It is almost certain the muscular Spaniard will continue to eat away at Federer's advantage with the Swiss having to defend a truck load of points earned from reaching the Canadian final at Montreal last year which was followed by wins at the Cincinnati Masters and US Open.
While Nadal's durability on the unforgiving hardcourts remains suspect, he has already demonstrated he is capable of winning on the surface, taking the Canadian title in 2005 and reaching the semi-finals last year.
"I am happy how I am playing but I am still number two and have the same motivation to improve my tennis," said Nadal.
"I want to be number one for sure but right now all I want is to play a good tournament here in Toronto.
"It's nothing new for him to defend a lot of points."
Top Stars Step Up For Fashion Rocks Show
Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.
Some of the biggest names in music have signed on for the fifth Fashion Rocks concert, to be held Sept. 5 at New York's Radio City Music Hall and broadcast four days later by CBS.The lineup so far includes Beyonce, Black Eyed Peas, Chris Brown, Fergie, Justin Timberlake, Keith Urban, Lil Wayne, Mariah Carey, Rihanna, Kid Rock and Duffy.Proceeds from Fashion Rocks, which is sponsored by Chevrolet, Citi, CoverGirl, Kohl's, Nivea and Verizon Wireless, will benefit Stand Up To Cancer. A related Fashion Rocks magazine will be included in 16 Conde Nast titles in September.Fashion Rocks last year birthed a spin-off, Movies Rock, where artists performed classics songs from throughout history. Movies Rock was also broadcast by CBS.
Some of the biggest names in music have signed on for the fifth Fashion Rocks concert, to be held Sept. 5 at New York's Radio City Music Hall and broadcast four days later by CBS.The lineup so far includes Beyonce, Black Eyed Peas, Chris Brown, Fergie, Justin Timberlake, Keith Urban, Lil Wayne, Mariah Carey, Rihanna, Kid Rock and Duffy.Proceeds from Fashion Rocks, which is sponsored by Chevrolet, Citi, CoverGirl, Kohl's, Nivea and Verizon Wireless, will benefit Stand Up To Cancer. A related Fashion Rocks magazine will be included in 16 Conde Nast titles in September.Fashion Rocks last year birthed a spin-off, Movies Rock, where artists performed classics songs from throughout history. Movies Rock was also broadcast by CBS.
Jessica Simpson Sets Date For, Names Album
Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.
Jessica Simpson has christened her debut country album "Do You Know" and will release it Sept. 9 via Columbia Nashville. First single "Come on Over" rises 26-23 this week on Billboard's Hot Country songs chart.There are several other potential winners on the album, particularly the slow-burning "Might As Well Be Making Love," which has shades of Faith Hill's powerful belting, and the autobiographical "Pray Out Loud," which nods to the rootsy charm of the Dixie Chicks.Elsewhere, Simpson offers comfort to a victim of domestic abuse on "Remember That" and sings with Dolly Parton on the title track, which Parton penned. "I look in the mirror and I know I'm doing the right thing with my career and my life," Simpson told Billboard recently. "It's a great place of comfort."The album was produced by Brett James and John Shanks, with songwriting contributions coming from Rachel Proctor, Victoria Banks, Troy Verges and Hillary Lindsey, among others.Beyond a slew of morning and late-night talk show performances in the coming weeks, Simpson is making the rounds at U.S. country festivals. Next up is the Indiana State Fair in Indianapolis on Aug. 7.
In addition, Simpson will in August launch a new fragrance, "Fancy," to complement her existing fashion line of shoes, outerwear and lingerie.
Jessica Simpson has christened her debut country album "Do You Know" and will release it Sept. 9 via Columbia Nashville. First single "Come on Over" rises 26-23 this week on Billboard's Hot Country songs chart.There are several other potential winners on the album, particularly the slow-burning "Might As Well Be Making Love," which has shades of Faith Hill's powerful belting, and the autobiographical "Pray Out Loud," which nods to the rootsy charm of the Dixie Chicks.Elsewhere, Simpson offers comfort to a victim of domestic abuse on "Remember That" and sings with Dolly Parton on the title track, which Parton penned. "I look in the mirror and I know I'm doing the right thing with my career and my life," Simpson told Billboard recently. "It's a great place of comfort."The album was produced by Brett James and John Shanks, with songwriting contributions coming from Rachel Proctor, Victoria Banks, Troy Verges and Hillary Lindsey, among others.Beyond a slew of morning and late-night talk show performances in the coming weeks, Simpson is making the rounds at U.S. country festivals. Next up is the Indiana State Fair in Indianapolis on Aug. 7.
In addition, Simpson will in August launch a new fragrance, "Fancy," to complement her existing fashion line of shoes, outerwear and lingerie.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Mariano Rivera goes 1 2-3 scoreless innings for AL in all-star game
NEW YORK - The bullpen gates in left-centre field opened, "Enter Sandman" blared over the Yankee Stadium loudspeakers and out came Mariano Rivera to an overwhelming ovation and a crackle of thousands of camera flashes.
With the score tied three-all and a runner on first in the ninth inning Boston manager Terry Francona did what he suggested he would, he called on the mainstay of the Yankees' bullpen to do what he's done so many times from this mound: help his team wriggle out of one more jam.
While it didn't go quite to the script that many had hoped for - Rivera closing out the final all-star game at the storied stadium - he did not disappoint, reviving the pre-game Yankees celebration with 1 2-3 scoreless innings in the AL's 4-3, 15-inning victory.
After squelching the ninth-inning rally with a strikeout-caught stealing, Rivera worked the 10th and gave up two hits to put runners on first and third. He then got Dan Uggla to ground into an inning-ending double play.
"Definitely it was good," Rivera said even though he wasn't pitching in a save situation. "This one was top of the line."
Rivera then stood on the top step and leaned on the railing of the AL - Yankees - dugout with Derek Jeter and watched the 11th inning. Alex Rodriguez, along with other starters already out of the game, had left not long after he was removed with one out in the fifth, dressed spiffily in a suit.
Rivera was warmed up by his manager and former catcher Joe Girardi, who also got Rivera's Boston counterpart, Jonathan Paplebon, ready in the Yankees bullpen for his eighth-inning appearance. Paplebon gave up an unearned run to give the NL a 3-2 lead.
Rivera said that he knew he was going to pitch the ninth, even though he couldn't tell the media.
"I knew a few days," he said. "I couldn't tell you that. (Francona) didn't tell me specifically. My manager did."
Earlier in the evening, Rivera was feted along with Jeter and Rodriguez in a pre-game that felt like a Yankees celebration.
The "Bleacher Creatures" in right-centre field regaled them with the usual chants of their names. Rivera heard "Mar-iano!" as he was introduced with the pitchers.
Then Rivera caught one of four ceremonial first pitches from Yankees Hall-of-Famers, who were given the baseballs by George Steinbrenner, as part of a tribute to the frail 78-year-old team owner.
"It was priceless seeing our boss coming onto the field like that," Rivera said
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OLD AGE: Billy Wagner heard it from all sides.
Giants reliever Brian Wilson talked about admiring the New York Mets closer when he was playing in college. Braves star Chipper Jones made sure Wagner knew he was the oldest all-star on the National League team.
"I gotta make myself feel better that I'm not the oldest one here," Jones said.
Wagner, who turns 37 on July 25, actually was the oldest player on either roster for Tuesday night's all-star game at Yankee Stadium. Not that it mattered to him.
"I think over the long haul you look and go, 'Man, I've been here for a while and I'm still here,"' he said. "It starts to be a compliment more than somebody kind of saying something negative."
Wagner had 22 saves and a 2.31 ERA in the first half, earning his second straight all-star selection and sixth overall. He was looking forward to talking shop with the rest of the relievers in the bullpen.
He relieved Wilson in the eighth inning with two outs and gave up two hits, including the tying, run-scoring double to Evan Longoria to make it three-all.
Wagner also has big plans for Wednesday night - a trip to the White House to have dinner with President Bush. "Still wondering how that came about," he cracked.
Jones, the third-oldest player in the game behind Boston catcher Jason Varitek, also was enjoying his first All-Star appearance since 2001.
"Last time I was one of the youngest," the 36-year-old Jones said before signing a jersey for Colorado's Matt Holliday. "Crazy."
Jones went 1-for-3 with a single in the second.
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HOTEL GUEST: Josh Hamilton awoke the day after his dreamlike performance in the Home Run Derby and turned on the TV in his hotel room in midtown Manhattan and found the end of the movie "The Natural" playing.
Just then he received a visitor. It was time for a random drug test.
"Right when (Robert Redford's character) was about to hit the home run, the pee guy came in," Hamilton said. "I said, 'Hold on. I've got to watch this."'
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NO JOE: Dodgers manager Joe Torre was back in New York for the all-star break to host his Safe at Home Foundation's annual charity golf tournament and, along with Mayor Michael Bloomberg, attend a news conference to open the 11th Margaret's Place, a safehouse for student victims of domestic violence.
He did not attend the all-star game at Yankee Stadium, his baseball home from 1996-2007.
When asked by a reporter at the news conference, how it will feel to be back at the Stadium, he quipped, "I couldn't get a ticket."
Instead, Torre, who won four World Series titles and was the AL manager at the all-star game six times, will be home with his family.
"I'm not going. I will watch it," he said. "But if I was there, it would be strange to be on the other side of the field. That would be the odd perspective I'd have to look at it from."
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WILLIE'S BACK: Former Mets manager Willie Randolph accepted Yankees owner George Steinbrenner's invitation to the all-star game.
Randolph, a former all-star second baseman and longtime coach with the Yankees, was fired last month after the Mets got off to an inconsistent start this season. He was selected to be a coach for the game during the final season for Yankee Stadium and was replaced by Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella.
"George invited him to the all-star game on the basis of his great friendship for him and he wanted him to take part in this momentous occasion," Steinbrenner spokesman Howard Rubenstein said.
Mets star David Wright said he has exchanged messages with Randolph since he was fired, and was glad he was going to the game.
"I think it's good for a guy that's been such a part of that Yankees history to be here," Wright said. "He definitely deserves to be here."
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BIG RATINGS: More homes were tuned into Monday night's Home Run Derby than have ever watched the event. The contest on ESPN was seen by nearly 6.2 million households, breaking the record of more than 5.7 million set in 1999, the network said Tuesday.
The 6.4 rating was up 25 per cent from last year's 5.1. It was the most-viewed non-NFL program on ESPN since the Florida State-Miami football game Sept. 5, 2006.
The rating is the percentage of homes with televisions watching a broadcast.
With the score tied three-all and a runner on first in the ninth inning Boston manager Terry Francona did what he suggested he would, he called on the mainstay of the Yankees' bullpen to do what he's done so many times from this mound: help his team wriggle out of one more jam.
While it didn't go quite to the script that many had hoped for - Rivera closing out the final all-star game at the storied stadium - he did not disappoint, reviving the pre-game Yankees celebration with 1 2-3 scoreless innings in the AL's 4-3, 15-inning victory.
After squelching the ninth-inning rally with a strikeout-caught stealing, Rivera worked the 10th and gave up two hits to put runners on first and third. He then got Dan Uggla to ground into an inning-ending double play.
"Definitely it was good," Rivera said even though he wasn't pitching in a save situation. "This one was top of the line."
Rivera then stood on the top step and leaned on the railing of the AL - Yankees - dugout with Derek Jeter and watched the 11th inning. Alex Rodriguez, along with other starters already out of the game, had left not long after he was removed with one out in the fifth, dressed spiffily in a suit.
Rivera was warmed up by his manager and former catcher Joe Girardi, who also got Rivera's Boston counterpart, Jonathan Paplebon, ready in the Yankees bullpen for his eighth-inning appearance. Paplebon gave up an unearned run to give the NL a 3-2 lead.
Rivera said that he knew he was going to pitch the ninth, even though he couldn't tell the media.
"I knew a few days," he said. "I couldn't tell you that. (Francona) didn't tell me specifically. My manager did."
Earlier in the evening, Rivera was feted along with Jeter and Rodriguez in a pre-game that felt like a Yankees celebration.
The "Bleacher Creatures" in right-centre field regaled them with the usual chants of their names. Rivera heard "Mar-iano!" as he was introduced with the pitchers.
Then Rivera caught one of four ceremonial first pitches from Yankees Hall-of-Famers, who were given the baseballs by George Steinbrenner, as part of a tribute to the frail 78-year-old team owner.
"It was priceless seeing our boss coming onto the field like that," Rivera said
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OLD AGE: Billy Wagner heard it from all sides.
Giants reliever Brian Wilson talked about admiring the New York Mets closer when he was playing in college. Braves star Chipper Jones made sure Wagner knew he was the oldest all-star on the National League team.
"I gotta make myself feel better that I'm not the oldest one here," Jones said.
Wagner, who turns 37 on July 25, actually was the oldest player on either roster for Tuesday night's all-star game at Yankee Stadium. Not that it mattered to him.
"I think over the long haul you look and go, 'Man, I've been here for a while and I'm still here,"' he said. "It starts to be a compliment more than somebody kind of saying something negative."
Wagner had 22 saves and a 2.31 ERA in the first half, earning his second straight all-star selection and sixth overall. He was looking forward to talking shop with the rest of the relievers in the bullpen.
He relieved Wilson in the eighth inning with two outs and gave up two hits, including the tying, run-scoring double to Evan Longoria to make it three-all.
Wagner also has big plans for Wednesday night - a trip to the White House to have dinner with President Bush. "Still wondering how that came about," he cracked.
Jones, the third-oldest player in the game behind Boston catcher Jason Varitek, also was enjoying his first All-Star appearance since 2001.
"Last time I was one of the youngest," the 36-year-old Jones said before signing a jersey for Colorado's Matt Holliday. "Crazy."
Jones went 1-for-3 with a single in the second.
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HOTEL GUEST: Josh Hamilton awoke the day after his dreamlike performance in the Home Run Derby and turned on the TV in his hotel room in midtown Manhattan and found the end of the movie "The Natural" playing.
Just then he received a visitor. It was time for a random drug test.
"Right when (Robert Redford's character) was about to hit the home run, the pee guy came in," Hamilton said. "I said, 'Hold on. I've got to watch this."'
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NO JOE: Dodgers manager Joe Torre was back in New York for the all-star break to host his Safe at Home Foundation's annual charity golf tournament and, along with Mayor Michael Bloomberg, attend a news conference to open the 11th Margaret's Place, a safehouse for student victims of domestic violence.
He did not attend the all-star game at Yankee Stadium, his baseball home from 1996-2007.
When asked by a reporter at the news conference, how it will feel to be back at the Stadium, he quipped, "I couldn't get a ticket."
Instead, Torre, who won four World Series titles and was the AL manager at the all-star game six times, will be home with his family.
"I'm not going. I will watch it," he said. "But if I was there, it would be strange to be on the other side of the field. That would be the odd perspective I'd have to look at it from."
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WILLIE'S BACK: Former Mets manager Willie Randolph accepted Yankees owner George Steinbrenner's invitation to the all-star game.
Randolph, a former all-star second baseman and longtime coach with the Yankees, was fired last month after the Mets got off to an inconsistent start this season. He was selected to be a coach for the game during the final season for Yankee Stadium and was replaced by Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella.
"George invited him to the all-star game on the basis of his great friendship for him and he wanted him to take part in this momentous occasion," Steinbrenner spokesman Howard Rubenstein said.
Mets star David Wright said he has exchanged messages with Randolph since he was fired, and was glad he was going to the game.
"I think it's good for a guy that's been such a part of that Yankees history to be here," Wright said. "He definitely deserves to be here."
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BIG RATINGS: More homes were tuned into Monday night's Home Run Derby than have ever watched the event. The contest on ESPN was seen by nearly 6.2 million households, breaking the record of more than 5.7 million set in 1999, the network said Tuesday.
The 6.4 rating was up 25 per cent from last year's 5.1. It was the most-viewed non-NFL program on ESPN since the Florida State-Miami football game Sept. 5, 2006.
The rating is the percentage of homes with televisions watching a broadcast.
Canada's Olympic hope alive with win over South Korea at basketball qualifier
ATHENS - While the Canadian men's basketball team celebrated a pivotal win at Wednesday's Olympic qualifier, the post-game focus was on a player who was nowhere near the action.
With star centre Samuel Dalembert off the team, Canada rallied from a 18-point third-quarter deficit to beat South Korea 79-77, earning a coveted berth in the quarter-final against Croatia.
The Canadians need a top-three finish in the last-chance qualifier to reach next month's Olympic tournament - and they'll have to do it without Dalembert, the Philadelphia 76ers big man who was expected to give Canada some much needed depth up front.
Head coach Leo Rautins declined to reveal specifics about the incident, though his comments implied that Dalembert wasn't as committed to the team as the rest of the players.
"Everybody that's here now wants to be here, and wants to be a part of this team, and that's it," said Rautins. "Everybody here is playing for each other, and playing for Canada, and if that's not your agenda, you're not here."
Rautins said Dalembert's relations with the team have been strained for some time.
"Something like this doesn't just happen in one game, or overnight," said Rautins, who wouldn't say whether Dalembert left on his own or was kicked off the team. "It's kind of something that's been brewing a little bit.
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"At this point, our focus is not that. Our focus is the guys that are here, the guys that are sacrificing and giving up everything for each other, and that's the way it is."
Forward Rowan Barrett, who led the team with 22 points against Korea, said the remaining Canadian players are on the same page moving forward.
"We're all unified," said Barrett. "We support our coach in his decision. There's total unity within our team here."
Shop Dell Canada for great deals! Barrett questioned whether Dalembert, who was born in Haiti but became a Canadian citizen last summer, understood what he was getting into when he agreed to wear the red and white jersey.
"This is not the CIS, the NCAA or the NBA," said Barrett. "This is FIBA basketball. It's a different animal. I'm not sure that everyone who comes in necessarily has the background to fully understand what this is, and the type of a grind this is ... the four games in five days, the eight games in nine days.
"As taxing as it is physically, mentally it's even more taxing. The bottom line is, you're thinking about the flag. We're out here representing our country."
One day after looking listless in an 86-70 tournament-opening loss to Slovenia, the Canadians came out even more sluggish against a South Korean team looking for an upset. Canada trailed for most of the game, and faced a 77-67 deficit with 2:03 to go.
Jermaine Anderson kick-started the comeback with a steal and an uncontested layup. After Korea failed to inbound the ball in the allotted five seconds, Carl English drove to the basket and made the shot while being fouled. He converted the three-point play, reducing the deficit to five.
After Jung Young Sam missed a pair of free throws, Barrett buried a three-pointer to reduce the deficit to two. Korea turned the ball over again, and Anderson gave Canada its first lead since the first quarter on a three-pointer with 34 seconds left.
Oh Sekeun had a chance to send the game to overtime, but he missed a layup as time expired.
Rautins said his team finally played up to its potential after struggling mightily for a game and a half.
"For some reason, for the Slovenia game and the first half of the Korea game, we just weren't relaxed, guys just weren't themselves," said Rautins. "I wish I could tell you exactly why.
"It seemed that we kind of found ourselves a little bit (against Korea), and hopefully we can use this to move forward."
A loss would have spelled the end for Canada, which is trying to qualify for the Summer Games for the first time since finishing seventh at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Should the Canadians qualify for Beijing, they will be able to add a player to replace Dalembert.
Canada will enjoy a much needed day off before facing the pesky Croats, who finished 2-0 in Group D and should present the Canadians' toughest challenge to date. They're led by point guard Roko Ukic, who was Toronto's second-round pick in 2005 and will join the Raptors this season.
"The Croatian team is a very good team," said Rautins. "They're a lot like Slovenia, in terms of knowing how to play the game. They have very good size, especially at their perimeter positions.
"It's going to be a very, very tough game."
With star centre Samuel Dalembert off the team, Canada rallied from a 18-point third-quarter deficit to beat South Korea 79-77, earning a coveted berth in the quarter-final against Croatia.
The Canadians need a top-three finish in the last-chance qualifier to reach next month's Olympic tournament - and they'll have to do it without Dalembert, the Philadelphia 76ers big man who was expected to give Canada some much needed depth up front.
Head coach Leo Rautins declined to reveal specifics about the incident, though his comments implied that Dalembert wasn't as committed to the team as the rest of the players.
"Everybody that's here now wants to be here, and wants to be a part of this team, and that's it," said Rautins. "Everybody here is playing for each other, and playing for Canada, and if that's not your agenda, you're not here."
Rautins said Dalembert's relations with the team have been strained for some time.
"Something like this doesn't just happen in one game, or overnight," said Rautins, who wouldn't say whether Dalembert left on his own or was kicked off the team. "It's kind of something that's been brewing a little bit.
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"At this point, our focus is not that. Our focus is the guys that are here, the guys that are sacrificing and giving up everything for each other, and that's the way it is."
Forward Rowan Barrett, who led the team with 22 points against Korea, said the remaining Canadian players are on the same page moving forward.
"We're all unified," said Barrett. "We support our coach in his decision. There's total unity within our team here."
Shop Dell Canada for great deals! Barrett questioned whether Dalembert, who was born in Haiti but became a Canadian citizen last summer, understood what he was getting into when he agreed to wear the red and white jersey.
"This is not the CIS, the NCAA or the NBA," said Barrett. "This is FIBA basketball. It's a different animal. I'm not sure that everyone who comes in necessarily has the background to fully understand what this is, and the type of a grind this is ... the four games in five days, the eight games in nine days.
"As taxing as it is physically, mentally it's even more taxing. The bottom line is, you're thinking about the flag. We're out here representing our country."
One day after looking listless in an 86-70 tournament-opening loss to Slovenia, the Canadians came out even more sluggish against a South Korean team looking for an upset. Canada trailed for most of the game, and faced a 77-67 deficit with 2:03 to go.
Jermaine Anderson kick-started the comeback with a steal and an uncontested layup. After Korea failed to inbound the ball in the allotted five seconds, Carl English drove to the basket and made the shot while being fouled. He converted the three-point play, reducing the deficit to five.
After Jung Young Sam missed a pair of free throws, Barrett buried a three-pointer to reduce the deficit to two. Korea turned the ball over again, and Anderson gave Canada its first lead since the first quarter on a three-pointer with 34 seconds left.
Oh Sekeun had a chance to send the game to overtime, but he missed a layup as time expired.
Rautins said his team finally played up to its potential after struggling mightily for a game and a half.
"For some reason, for the Slovenia game and the first half of the Korea game, we just weren't relaxed, guys just weren't themselves," said Rautins. "I wish I could tell you exactly why.
"It seemed that we kind of found ourselves a little bit (against Korea), and hopefully we can use this to move forward."
A loss would have spelled the end for Canada, which is trying to qualify for the Summer Games for the first time since finishing seventh at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Should the Canadians qualify for Beijing, they will be able to add a player to replace Dalembert.
Canada will enjoy a much needed day off before facing the pesky Croats, who finished 2-0 in Group D and should present the Canadians' toughest challenge to date. They're led by point guard Roko Ukic, who was Toronto's second-round pick in 2005 and will join the Raptors this season.
"The Croatian team is a very good team," said Rautins. "They're a lot like Slovenia, in terms of knowing how to play the game. They have very good size, especially at their perimeter positions.
"It's going to be a very, very tough game."
Britney Spending Summer In The Studio
Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.
Britney Spears is "spending her summer in the recording studio" to work on her next album, according to a statement from Jive Records and the artist's manager, Larry Rudolph.Spears is said to be working "with a team of top-notch producers and songwriters" not named in the statement, but JR Rotem, Sean Garrett, Guy Sigsworth, Danja and Bloodshy & Avant have all independently revealed that they're contributing to the as-yet-untitled project.The new album, for which no release date has been confirmed, will be the follow-up to last year's "Blackout," which has sold 879,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.The album was largely overshadowed by Spears' tabloid-fodder personal life and her disastrous performance of the single "Gimme More" during the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards in Las Vegas.As reported last week, Spears will appear in a video that will be used during a sequence of Madonna's upcoming tour.
Britney Spears is "spending her summer in the recording studio" to work on her next album, according to a statement from Jive Records and the artist's manager, Larry Rudolph.Spears is said to be working "with a team of top-notch producers and songwriters" not named in the statement, but JR Rotem, Sean Garrett, Guy Sigsworth, Danja and Bloodshy & Avant have all independently revealed that they're contributing to the as-yet-untitled project.The new album, for which no release date has been confirmed, will be the follow-up to last year's "Blackout," which has sold 879,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.The album was largely overshadowed by Spears' tabloid-fodder personal life and her disastrous performance of the single "Gimme More" during the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards in Las Vegas.As reported last week, Spears will appear in a video that will be used during a sequence of Madonna's upcoming tour.
Lil Wayne Remains King Of The Billboard 200
Katie Hasty, N.Y.
For a third non-consecutive week, Lil Wayne's "Tha Carter III" (Cash Money/Universal) tops The Billboard 200. The set moved 125,000 copies during the tracking week, according to Nielsen SoundScan, a 20% drop in sales from the week previous.Coldplay's "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends" (Capitol) sits tight at No. 2 for a second week with 113,000 (-25%) while the Jonas Brothers-led soundtrack to Disney's "Camp Rock" keeps the No. 3 spot warm with 88,000 (-23%).Arriving at No. 4, Beck's "Modern Guilt" (Interscope) debuts with 84,000. His previous set, 2006's "The Information," bowed at No. 7 but sold 99,000. Kid Rock's "Rock N Roll Jesus" (Atlantic) continues to resurge with the help of the Hot AC/Adult Top 40 single "All Summer Long," climbing 7-5 with 61,000 (+34%). The multi-label "Now 28" compilation stays at No. 6 with a 17% decrease to 48,000.The Decca soundtrack to "Mamma Mia!," the film adaptation of the hit theatrical musical based on ABBA's songbook, debuts at No. 7 on The Billboard 200 with 48,000. The film hits theaters in the U.S. on Friday, so there's a good chance the album could see a sizable gain on next week's chart.
In its 58th week on the chart, Rihanna's "Good Girl Gone Bad" (SRP/Def Jam) ascends 9-8 with 47,000, a 17% increase. G-Unit's sophomore set, "T.O.S. (Terminate on Sight)" (G-Unit/Interscope) sold 36,000 (-64%), slipping 4-9. John Mayer's "Where the Light Is: John Mayer Live in Los Angeles" falls 5-10 in its second week to 34,000 (-64%).Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis' "Two Men with the Blues" (Blue Note) opens at No. 20 (22,000) and also becomes Nelson's first No. 1 on the Top Jazz Albums chart. Other debuts include Los Temerarios' "Si Tu Te Vas" at No. 26 (Fonovisa, 17,000) and pop-punk act the Maine's "Can't Stop Won't Stop" at No. 40 (Fearless, 12,000).At 7.33 million units, sales this week are down 3% from last week's sum and off 11.7% from the same week last year.
For a third non-consecutive week, Lil Wayne's "Tha Carter III" (Cash Money/Universal) tops The Billboard 200. The set moved 125,000 copies during the tracking week, according to Nielsen SoundScan, a 20% drop in sales from the week previous.Coldplay's "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends" (Capitol) sits tight at No. 2 for a second week with 113,000 (-25%) while the Jonas Brothers-led soundtrack to Disney's "Camp Rock" keeps the No. 3 spot warm with 88,000 (-23%).Arriving at No. 4, Beck's "Modern Guilt" (Interscope) debuts with 84,000. His previous set, 2006's "The Information," bowed at No. 7 but sold 99,000. Kid Rock's "Rock N Roll Jesus" (Atlantic) continues to resurge with the help of the Hot AC/Adult Top 40 single "All Summer Long," climbing 7-5 with 61,000 (+34%). The multi-label "Now 28" compilation stays at No. 6 with a 17% decrease to 48,000.The Decca soundtrack to "Mamma Mia!," the film adaptation of the hit theatrical musical based on ABBA's songbook, debuts at No. 7 on The Billboard 200 with 48,000. The film hits theaters in the U.S. on Friday, so there's a good chance the album could see a sizable gain on next week's chart.
In its 58th week on the chart, Rihanna's "Good Girl Gone Bad" (SRP/Def Jam) ascends 9-8 with 47,000, a 17% increase. G-Unit's sophomore set, "T.O.S. (Terminate on Sight)" (G-Unit/Interscope) sold 36,000 (-64%), slipping 4-9. John Mayer's "Where the Light Is: John Mayer Live in Los Angeles" falls 5-10 in its second week to 34,000 (-64%).Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis' "Two Men with the Blues" (Blue Note) opens at No. 20 (22,000) and also becomes Nelson's first No. 1 on the Top Jazz Albums chart. Other debuts include Los Temerarios' "Si Tu Te Vas" at No. 26 (Fonovisa, 17,000) and pop-punk act the Maine's "Can't Stop Won't Stop" at No. 40 (Fearless, 12,000).At 7.33 million units, sales this week are down 3% from last week's sum and off 11.7% from the same week last year.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Reds' spring training deal with Arizona city is complete
It's official. The Cincinnati Reds will move to Arizona for spring training in 2010.
The Goodyear (Ariz.) City Council unanimously approved a 20-year lease with the Reds on Monday night, paving the way for the baseball club's move from Sarasota, Fla., to the desert.
Goodyear will build a $32 million facility for the Reds, which will include a clubhouse, six full practice baseball fields, one half-practice field and one agility field. There also will be pitching mounds, batting cages and tunnels, and an observation tower.
"The propsed facilities in Goodyear are going to be some of the best in baseball," Reds President Bob Castellini said.
The Reds will pay rent of $100,000 per year to the city of Goodyear. Goodyear will own the naming rights of the baseball stadium and sports complex, and will take a portion of ticket sales and advertising revenues.
The facilities must be finished by November 2009, and the Reds will report a few months later.
The Cleveland Indians were the first team to move its spring training operation to Goodyear. Work on the Indians' clubhouse is nearly complete. The Indians will begin moving in this August, in plenty of time to throw out the first pitch for the 2009 Cactus League Spring Training season.
Goodyear's $108 million Baseball Stadium and Recreational Sports Complex will offer seating at the main ballpark for 10,000 fans, including 500 premium box seats, 8,000 fixed seats and lawn seating for 2,000 fans. It will be the centerpiece of Ballpark Village, with offices, shops, restaurants, housing, hotels and a conference center.
Goodyear is located 20 minutes west of downtown Phoenix. In 2007, nine Major League teams trained in the greater Phoenix area and three trained in Tucson. In addition to the Indians, next year the Los Angeles Dodgers are scheduled to move their spring training headquarters to Arizona.
The Goodyear (Ariz.) City Council unanimously approved a 20-year lease with the Reds on Monday night, paving the way for the baseball club's move from Sarasota, Fla., to the desert.
Goodyear will build a $32 million facility for the Reds, which will include a clubhouse, six full practice baseball fields, one half-practice field and one agility field. There also will be pitching mounds, batting cages and tunnels, and an observation tower.
"The propsed facilities in Goodyear are going to be some of the best in baseball," Reds President Bob Castellini said.
The Reds will pay rent of $100,000 per year to the city of Goodyear. Goodyear will own the naming rights of the baseball stadium and sports complex, and will take a portion of ticket sales and advertising revenues.
The facilities must be finished by November 2009, and the Reds will report a few months later.
The Cleveland Indians were the first team to move its spring training operation to Goodyear. Work on the Indians' clubhouse is nearly complete. The Indians will begin moving in this August, in plenty of time to throw out the first pitch for the 2009 Cactus League Spring Training season.
Goodyear's $108 million Baseball Stadium and Recreational Sports Complex will offer seating at the main ballpark for 10,000 fans, including 500 premium box seats, 8,000 fixed seats and lawn seating for 2,000 fans. It will be the centerpiece of Ballpark Village, with offices, shops, restaurants, housing, hotels and a conference center.
Goodyear is located 20 minutes west of downtown Phoenix. In 2007, nine Major League teams trained in the greater Phoenix area and three trained in Tucson. In addition to the Indians, next year the Los Angeles Dodgers are scheduled to move their spring training headquarters to Arizona.
Cliff Lee takes on Ben Sheets in tonight's baseball All-Star Game; NL hasn't won in 11 years
NEW YORK - Cleveland left-hander Cliff Lee will throw the first pitch of tonight's All-Star Game in Yankee Stadium, where the American League looks to continue its recent dominance against the National League. The junior circuit is 10-0-and-1 over the last 11 meetings.
Lee will be facing Hanley Ramirez at the top of the senior circuit batting order. The Florida shortstop will be followed by Philadelphia second baseman Chase Utley, Houston first baseman Lance Berkman, St. Louis slugger Albert Pujols at designated hitter, Atlanta third baseman Chipper Jones, Colorado's Matt Holliday in right field, Milwaukee left fielder Ryan Braun, Chicago's Kosuke Fukudome in center and Cubs rookie catcher Geovany Soto.
Milwaukee right-hander Ben Sheets is the NL's starter. He'll be going up against Seattle right fielder Ichiro Suzuki in the leadoff spot. Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter is in the Number 2 hole, followed by Home Run Derby runner-up Josh Hamilton of Texas in center field, New York third baseman Alex Rodriguez, Boston left fielder Manny Ramirez, Rangers designated hitter Milton Bradley, Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis, Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer and Boston second baseman Dustin Pedroia.
Despite its shortcomings of the last decade or so, the National League still owns a 41-35-and-2 overall advantage in the Midsummer Classic.
Lee will be facing Hanley Ramirez at the top of the senior circuit batting order. The Florida shortstop will be followed by Philadelphia second baseman Chase Utley, Houston first baseman Lance Berkman, St. Louis slugger Albert Pujols at designated hitter, Atlanta third baseman Chipper Jones, Colorado's Matt Holliday in right field, Milwaukee left fielder Ryan Braun, Chicago's Kosuke Fukudome in center and Cubs rookie catcher Geovany Soto.
Milwaukee right-hander Ben Sheets is the NL's starter. He'll be going up against Seattle right fielder Ichiro Suzuki in the leadoff spot. Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter is in the Number 2 hole, followed by Home Run Derby runner-up Josh Hamilton of Texas in center field, New York third baseman Alex Rodriguez, Boston left fielder Manny Ramirez, Rangers designated hitter Milton Bradley, Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis, Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer and Boston second baseman Dustin Pedroia.
Despite its shortcomings of the last decade or so, the National League still owns a 41-35-and-2 overall advantage in the Midsummer Classic.
Coldplay Kicks Off Summer Tour In Los Angeles
Brian Cohen, L.A.
Coldplay opened its North American tour last night (July 14) at the Forum in Los Angeles, treating the sold-out crowd to a career-spanning, 20-song set list. The 90-minute show, complete with floating video globes, confetti and flashing laser beams, went heavy on new material in various different incarnations on multiple stages throughout the venue, including a two-song jaunt up in the top most colonnade of arena seats."I can tell it's gonna be a good one," singer Chris Martin told the audience while catching his breath after "Violet Hill" -- the first single from the band's new, chart-topping, "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends."Content to let layers of pre-recorded backing tracks fill out most of the new songs, Martin was free to spend much of the evening hopping, skipping and jumping around the stage like an over-caffeinated gymnast, while his bandmates -- guitarist Johnny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, and drummer Will Champion -- tucked into their instruments behind him with satisfactory aplomb. Barring a few to-be-expected missteps along the way, (missed instrumental cues in "Death and All His Friends," botched parts in "Speed of Sound") the show moved like clockwork, as teams of stagehands hustled to move pianos and makeshift drum kits back and forth onstage between songs. Clever enough to try and keep the audience from getting too bored at any given time, the group successfully interjected a variety of audio and visual amusements throughout the evening. Peppering new material with at least two songs from each of its previous three albums, Coldplay offered older hits like "Clocks" and "In My Place" early in the set.
Eight songs in, the group decamped to a smaller platform that extended outward from the right side of the main stage into the crowd for "Chinese Sleep Chant" and "God Put a Smile Upon Your Face", both of which featured a leaner guitar-and-bass arrangement, as well as sampled 808 electronic drums. Back on the main stage, the group wisely ditched the orchestral backing tracks, albeit temporarily, for stripped-down versions of "Trouble" and "Speed of Sound," the latter of which sounded refreshingly under-rehearsed. Later, the group was led by security onto the floor and up the stairs of the venue to a third platform all the way up in the highest group of the Forum's seats, where, huddled together like sardines, it performed acoustic versions of "Yellow" and "Death Will Never Conquer," which featured Champion on lead vocals. Los Angeles in certainly no stranger to big-budget, high-production-value extravaganzas, and as Martin befittingly joked, "Where better than to kick off the paid professional entertainment portion of our tour!" Coldplay returns to the Forum again tonight.
Coldplay opened its North American tour last night (July 14) at the Forum in Los Angeles, treating the sold-out crowd to a career-spanning, 20-song set list. The 90-minute show, complete with floating video globes, confetti and flashing laser beams, went heavy on new material in various different incarnations on multiple stages throughout the venue, including a two-song jaunt up in the top most colonnade of arena seats."I can tell it's gonna be a good one," singer Chris Martin told the audience while catching his breath after "Violet Hill" -- the first single from the band's new, chart-topping, "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends."Content to let layers of pre-recorded backing tracks fill out most of the new songs, Martin was free to spend much of the evening hopping, skipping and jumping around the stage like an over-caffeinated gymnast, while his bandmates -- guitarist Johnny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, and drummer Will Champion -- tucked into their instruments behind him with satisfactory aplomb. Barring a few to-be-expected missteps along the way, (missed instrumental cues in "Death and All His Friends," botched parts in "Speed of Sound") the show moved like clockwork, as teams of stagehands hustled to move pianos and makeshift drum kits back and forth onstage between songs. Clever enough to try and keep the audience from getting too bored at any given time, the group successfully interjected a variety of audio and visual amusements throughout the evening. Peppering new material with at least two songs from each of its previous three albums, Coldplay offered older hits like "Clocks" and "In My Place" early in the set.
Eight songs in, the group decamped to a smaller platform that extended outward from the right side of the main stage into the crowd for "Chinese Sleep Chant" and "God Put a Smile Upon Your Face", both of which featured a leaner guitar-and-bass arrangement, as well as sampled 808 electronic drums. Back on the main stage, the group wisely ditched the orchestral backing tracks, albeit temporarily, for stripped-down versions of "Trouble" and "Speed of Sound," the latter of which sounded refreshingly under-rehearsed. Later, the group was led by security onto the floor and up the stairs of the venue to a third platform all the way up in the highest group of the Forum's seats, where, huddled together like sardines, it performed acoustic versions of "Yellow" and "Death Will Never Conquer," which featured Champion on lead vocals. Los Angeles in certainly no stranger to big-budget, high-production-value extravaganzas, and as Martin befittingly joked, "Where better than to kick off the paid professional entertainment portion of our tour!" Coldplay returns to the Forum again tonight.
The New Jersey all-stars rock Central Park.
Jill Menze, New York
Bon Jovi madness took over New York's Central Park on July 12. Tens of thousands of people converged upon the park's Great Lawn for the Jersey boys’ big show, held in coordination with the Major League All-Star Game, and though technically it was a "free" concert, some die-hard fans were rumored to have paid up to $1500 for scalped tickets. The truly committed had been camped out since Friday night to secure a good spot. As the show got underway, the area directly in front of the huge stage was covered with spread-out blankets, empty food wrappers, bottles of water and more "Mrs. Bon Jovi" T-shirts than could be counted. These folks weren't messing around, they were in it for the long haul, and the band thanked them for their dedication with a nothing-but-hits set that got even the crankiest of over-heated fans to sing and fist-pump along. The Central Park show was one of Bon Jovi's last on its current Lost Highway tour (which wraps up with a two-night stand at Madison Square Garden July 14 and 15), but the band didn't appear to be running out of steam. Kicking off with the one-two punch of "Livin' on a Prayer" and "You Give Love a Bad Name," the group delivered exactly the kind of high-energy performance the crowd wanted. Jon Bon Jovi, 46, looked as young and fresh-faced as ever, with his pearly whites, bare chest and point-and-gaze-into-the-crowd gestures making fans young and old swoon. Guitarist Richie Sambora didn't miss a step either. Sporting a series of ornate jackets, he shredded through solos on the likes of "Lost Highway," "We Got it Goin On" and "Always," and offering vocals on "I'll be There for You." Except for the Beatles' "Twist and Shout" and "Shout" peppered in during "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" and "Bad Medicine," respectively, the set almost felt a little too predictable at times, but it was still a lot of fun. For the three-song encore, which started out with hits "Always” and "Wanted Dead or Alive" before closing out with the fitting "I Love This Town," Jon Bon Jovi looked slightly fatigued, and one couldn't help but detect a hint of smugness when he claimed they were just getting warmed up but had to stop because of the park's 10 p.m. curfew. For the most part, the band did seem to be rightly enjoying themselves, and Bon Jovi did make history: By playing the Great Lawn, the band accomplished something "that the Beatles and the Stones never did." Rock on.
Bon Jovi madness took over New York's Central Park on July 12. Tens of thousands of people converged upon the park's Great Lawn for the Jersey boys’ big show, held in coordination with the Major League All-Star Game, and though technically it was a "free" concert, some die-hard fans were rumored to have paid up to $1500 for scalped tickets. The truly committed had been camped out since Friday night to secure a good spot. As the show got underway, the area directly in front of the huge stage was covered with spread-out blankets, empty food wrappers, bottles of water and more "Mrs. Bon Jovi" T-shirts than could be counted. These folks weren't messing around, they were in it for the long haul, and the band thanked them for their dedication with a nothing-but-hits set that got even the crankiest of over-heated fans to sing and fist-pump along. The Central Park show was one of Bon Jovi's last on its current Lost Highway tour (which wraps up with a two-night stand at Madison Square Garden July 14 and 15), but the band didn't appear to be running out of steam. Kicking off with the one-two punch of "Livin' on a Prayer" and "You Give Love a Bad Name," the group delivered exactly the kind of high-energy performance the crowd wanted. Jon Bon Jovi, 46, looked as young and fresh-faced as ever, with his pearly whites, bare chest and point-and-gaze-into-the-crowd gestures making fans young and old swoon. Guitarist Richie Sambora didn't miss a step either. Sporting a series of ornate jackets, he shredded through solos on the likes of "Lost Highway," "We Got it Goin On" and "Always," and offering vocals on "I'll be There for You." Except for the Beatles' "Twist and Shout" and "Shout" peppered in during "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" and "Bad Medicine," respectively, the set almost felt a little too predictable at times, but it was still a lot of fun. For the three-song encore, which started out with hits "Always” and "Wanted Dead or Alive" before closing out with the fitting "I Love This Town," Jon Bon Jovi looked slightly fatigued, and one couldn't help but detect a hint of smugness when he claimed they were just getting warmed up but had to stop because of the park's 10 p.m. curfew. For the most part, the band did seem to be rightly enjoying themselves, and Bon Jovi did make history: By playing the Great Lawn, the band accomplished something "that the Beatles and the Stones never did." Rock on.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Padraic Harrington irons out the bugs
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Peter Dixon July 15, 2008
IF Padraig Harrington is looking for good omens before the British Open at Royal Birkdale this week and the defence of a title he won in such dramatic fashion at Carnoustie in 2007, he need look no further than his victory in the Irish PGA Championship on the weekend.
Last year, Harrington eschewed the big money on offer at the Scottish Open and plumped for something a little more low-key but potentially far more beneficial - the chance to hone his game on a links course.
The European Club in County Wicklow provided the perfect warm-up for Harrington 12 months ago. The Irishman came away with a win under his belt and confidence boosted, and will be hoping for more of the same after his four-shot victory over Philip Walton on the same course.
Talking about the challenge ahead, Harrington was determined to keep the pressure to a minimum.
"My performance this year at the Open has no reflection on my performance of 2007," Harrington said. "There's no point in me trying to burden myself with expectations. It doesn't make any difference. If you turn up and you do not play well that week, they don't take it off you."
At 36, Harrington admits that while he is "hungry" to win another Open, it wouldn't be his first choice win in another major championship.
"If you were going to tell me I'm going to win one more major, I'd pick one of the other three," he said. "And if you're going to tell me I'm going to win three more majors, I would pick all of the other three."
It is impossible to look back on Carnoustie and not think of the moment when Harrington seemed to have thrown away victory after twice visiting the Barry Burn at the 72nd hole. For one fleeting moment, his body language spoke volumes as he looked up at the giant yellow scoreboard and saw Sergio Garcia one shot ahead of him with just the 18th to play.
"You can see that when I turned around and looked at the leaderboard, my whole body sinks," he said. "When I hit the third shot in the water, I just died. I felt embarrassed. I thought I had choked, had thrown away the Open."
Those feelings were cut short when Caroline, Harrington's wife, let their three-year-old son, Paddy, run on to the green and into his father's arms.
"I suppose he felt like I had won," he said. "I was a champion in his eyes and I walked off the green feeling that way."
It was because of this that Harrington remained so positive while waiting to see how Garcia played the final hole. The Spaniard missed a six-foot putt for victory and Harrington says he knew then that the Claret Jug was his for the taking.
"I was sitting in the recorder's hut watching his putt, telling myself I was going to win the Open," he said. "I just knew I was going to win it."
And when he did go on to lift the most famous trophy in golf, he was heard to promise his son that he "could indeed put ladybirds in it".
So, has he? "Ladybirds have gone in there, yes, definitely," he said. "It wasn't that he was fussed about it, but I insisted that we had to do it."
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Peter Dixon July 15, 2008
IF Padraig Harrington is looking for good omens before the British Open at Royal Birkdale this week and the defence of a title he won in such dramatic fashion at Carnoustie in 2007, he need look no further than his victory in the Irish PGA Championship on the weekend.
Last year, Harrington eschewed the big money on offer at the Scottish Open and plumped for something a little more low-key but potentially far more beneficial - the chance to hone his game on a links course.
The European Club in County Wicklow provided the perfect warm-up for Harrington 12 months ago. The Irishman came away with a win under his belt and confidence boosted, and will be hoping for more of the same after his four-shot victory over Philip Walton on the same course.
Talking about the challenge ahead, Harrington was determined to keep the pressure to a minimum.
"My performance this year at the Open has no reflection on my performance of 2007," Harrington said. "There's no point in me trying to burden myself with expectations. It doesn't make any difference. If you turn up and you do not play well that week, they don't take it off you."
At 36, Harrington admits that while he is "hungry" to win another Open, it wouldn't be his first choice win in another major championship.
"If you were going to tell me I'm going to win one more major, I'd pick one of the other three," he said. "And if you're going to tell me I'm going to win three more majors, I would pick all of the other three."
It is impossible to look back on Carnoustie and not think of the moment when Harrington seemed to have thrown away victory after twice visiting the Barry Burn at the 72nd hole. For one fleeting moment, his body language spoke volumes as he looked up at the giant yellow scoreboard and saw Sergio Garcia one shot ahead of him with just the 18th to play.
"You can see that when I turned around and looked at the leaderboard, my whole body sinks," he said. "When I hit the third shot in the water, I just died. I felt embarrassed. I thought I had choked, had thrown away the Open."
Those feelings were cut short when Caroline, Harrington's wife, let their three-year-old son, Paddy, run on to the green and into his father's arms.
"I suppose he felt like I had won," he said. "I was a champion in his eyes and I walked off the green feeling that way."
It was because of this that Harrington remained so positive while waiting to see how Garcia played the final hole. The Spaniard missed a six-foot putt for victory and Harrington says he knew then that the Claret Jug was his for the taking.
"I was sitting in the recorder's hut watching his putt, telling myself I was going to win the Open," he said. "I just knew I was going to win it."
And when he did go on to lift the most famous trophy in golf, he was heard to promise his son that he "could indeed put ladybirds in it".
So, has he? "Ladybirds have gone in there, yes, definitely," he said. "It wasn't that he was fussed about it, but I insisted that we had to do it."
New Guns N' Roses Song Heads To 'Rock Band'
Antony Bruno, Denver
After a letting in a few peeks under the covers here and there in recent weeks, MTV and Harmonix have completely unveiled their plans for "Rock Band 2.""Rock Band 2" will be an Xbox 360 exclusive at launch this September, with the PlayStation3 and Wii coming online before the end of the year.In addition to several new gameplay features -- including new online battle options and greater control over single-player choices -- as well as a new lineup of instruments, "Rock Band 2" has a rather extensive music lineup in place.First, the companies confirmed that the Guns N' Roses track "Shackler's Revenge" from the still-missing-in-action "Chinese Democracy" album will be on the game. Also included will be a first-ever appearance by Bob Dylan, contributing "Tangled Up in Blue," and AC/DC's "Let There Be Rock."The news makes it seem increasingly likely that "Chinese Democracy" will finally see the light of day before year's end via Interscope. Nine seemingly complete tracks from the album, not including "Shackler's Revenge," leaked online earlier this summer.
More than 80 other songs will be included on the game disc, with 20 other bonus tracks available for download at the time of its release. The companies promise more than 500 downloadable songs available by the end of the year. Additional artists include Pearl Jam, Metallica, the Allman Brothers Band, Motorhead, Devo, Jane's Addiction, Megadeth, Paramore and Modest Mouse. Existing "Rock Band" users will be able to transfer the entire soundtrack of the existing game, as well as any songs downloaded to date, to the new version. However, it's unclear whether that will carry a cost.
After a letting in a few peeks under the covers here and there in recent weeks, MTV and Harmonix have completely unveiled their plans for "Rock Band 2.""Rock Band 2" will be an Xbox 360 exclusive at launch this September, with the PlayStation3 and Wii coming online before the end of the year.In addition to several new gameplay features -- including new online battle options and greater control over single-player choices -- as well as a new lineup of instruments, "Rock Band 2" has a rather extensive music lineup in place.First, the companies confirmed that the Guns N' Roses track "Shackler's Revenge" from the still-missing-in-action "Chinese Democracy" album will be on the game. Also included will be a first-ever appearance by Bob Dylan, contributing "Tangled Up in Blue," and AC/DC's "Let There Be Rock."The news makes it seem increasingly likely that "Chinese Democracy" will finally see the light of day before year's end via Interscope. Nine seemingly complete tracks from the album, not including "Shackler's Revenge," leaked online earlier this summer.
More than 80 other songs will be included on the game disc, with 20 other bonus tracks available for download at the time of its release. The companies promise more than 500 downloadable songs available by the end of the year. Additional artists include Pearl Jam, Metallica, the Allman Brothers Band, Motorhead, Devo, Jane's Addiction, Megadeth, Paramore and Modest Mouse. Existing "Rock Band" users will be able to transfer the entire soundtrack of the existing game, as well as any songs downloaded to date, to the new version. However, it's unclear whether that will carry a cost.
Green River Reunion Powers Sub Pop Party
Jason Cohen, Seattle
It was the birthday present everybody wanted from the start. Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam and Mother Love Bone. Mudhoney's Mark Arm and Steve Turner. Mother Love Bone/Love Battery guitarist Bruce Fairweather. Drummer Alex Shumway. Every member of original grunge band Green River, joined together for the first time in two decades.Heard through a port-a-potty, moments after "This Town" ended on day 2 of Sub Pop Records' 20th anniversary fest at Seattle's Marymoor Park: "If they were that good back then, they never would have broken up."This seemed to be a firm consensus. Some rock'n'roll reunions fall flat when musicians can't regain the spark of youthful energy and DIY not-quite-incompetence. But Green River's anthems sounded better with a touch of polish and precision. The 1985 classic "Swallow My Pride" (re-cut by the band in 1988, and also covered by Soundgarden, Fastbacks and Pearl Jam) sounded almost pop.Freed from the guitar he plays in Mudhoney, Arm could indulge his outer Iggy, stalking the stage in a white ringer t-shirt from something called "Green River Summer Camp." Turner and Gossard were almost twins -- similarly cool glasses, shaggy hair and groomed full beards -- and faced each other the entire set, bonding a la Bruce Springsteen and Little Steven Van Zandt, while Ament grinned ear-to-ear each time he joined Fairweather on backing vocals.Other highlights of the set included "P.C.C.," the Dead Boys cover "Ain't Nothin' To Do" and "Leech" an unreleased track that was later borrowed by the Melvins (as "Leeech"). Or was it? "We wrote this song in 1984," Arm said from the stage. "It was just a demo tape we passed along. The Melvins later, in Led Zeppelin-like fashion, recorded the song and credited it to themselves -- making us the Willie Dixon of grunge." As if they weren't already.
Beyond the closing set from adored indie rockers Wolf Parade, Sunday was a day for cultists and the cognoscenti, with a roster made up of another band from Sub Pop's infancy (Les Thugs), a pair of mid-to-late '90s favorites (Red Red Meat, Beachwood Sparks) and eight current artists.Originally known as the fourth band in the Sub Pop singles club (after the somewhat more heralded Nirvana, Mudhoney/Sonic Youth and Flaming Lips), Les Thugs went on to make four records for the label. The French quartet's set of ferocious, catchy songs -- punk-garage in the same vein as Aussie greats Radio Birdman, another group that ended up in Sub Pop's orbit -- was sparsely watched but fiercely loved by all who did so, including label co-founder Jonathan Poneman, head-bobbing happily in the fifth row.The "band's band" of the day was Comets On Fire, the regressive and relentless San Francisco avant-rockers fronted by Ethan Miller. As with the Vaselines on Saturday, the wings filled up with other bands, among them every member of Green River. Arm's slowly bobbing head suggested he had given himself over fully to Comets On Fire's relentless noise-trance, while Gossard and Ament seemed to grin in wonder at the band's complete commitment to its sound.Also on the bill Sunday were Kiwis the Ruby Suns; space-rock heavies Kinski and pop classicists Grand Archives (both from Seattle); freaky Portland roots-diggers Blitzen Trapper, hyperactive U.K. quintet Foals and L.A. duo No Age. "This next song's a Nirvana cover," joked the latter combo's drummer/vocalist Dean Spunt before one song. No one bought it for a minute.
It was the birthday present everybody wanted from the start. Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam and Mother Love Bone. Mudhoney's Mark Arm and Steve Turner. Mother Love Bone/Love Battery guitarist Bruce Fairweather. Drummer Alex Shumway. Every member of original grunge band Green River, joined together for the first time in two decades.Heard through a port-a-potty, moments after "This Town" ended on day 2 of Sub Pop Records' 20th anniversary fest at Seattle's Marymoor Park: "If they were that good back then, they never would have broken up."This seemed to be a firm consensus. Some rock'n'roll reunions fall flat when musicians can't regain the spark of youthful energy and DIY not-quite-incompetence. But Green River's anthems sounded better with a touch of polish and precision. The 1985 classic "Swallow My Pride" (re-cut by the band in 1988, and also covered by Soundgarden, Fastbacks and Pearl Jam) sounded almost pop.Freed from the guitar he plays in Mudhoney, Arm could indulge his outer Iggy, stalking the stage in a white ringer t-shirt from something called "Green River Summer Camp." Turner and Gossard were almost twins -- similarly cool glasses, shaggy hair and groomed full beards -- and faced each other the entire set, bonding a la Bruce Springsteen and Little Steven Van Zandt, while Ament grinned ear-to-ear each time he joined Fairweather on backing vocals.Other highlights of the set included "P.C.C.," the Dead Boys cover "Ain't Nothin' To Do" and "Leech" an unreleased track that was later borrowed by the Melvins (as "Leeech"). Or was it? "We wrote this song in 1984," Arm said from the stage. "It was just a demo tape we passed along. The Melvins later, in Led Zeppelin-like fashion, recorded the song and credited it to themselves -- making us the Willie Dixon of grunge." As if they weren't already.
Beyond the closing set from adored indie rockers Wolf Parade, Sunday was a day for cultists and the cognoscenti, with a roster made up of another band from Sub Pop's infancy (Les Thugs), a pair of mid-to-late '90s favorites (Red Red Meat, Beachwood Sparks) and eight current artists.Originally known as the fourth band in the Sub Pop singles club (after the somewhat more heralded Nirvana, Mudhoney/Sonic Youth and Flaming Lips), Les Thugs went on to make four records for the label. The French quartet's set of ferocious, catchy songs -- punk-garage in the same vein as Aussie greats Radio Birdman, another group that ended up in Sub Pop's orbit -- was sparsely watched but fiercely loved by all who did so, including label co-founder Jonathan Poneman, head-bobbing happily in the fifth row.The "band's band" of the day was Comets On Fire, the regressive and relentless San Francisco avant-rockers fronted by Ethan Miller. As with the Vaselines on Saturday, the wings filled up with other bands, among them every member of Green River. Arm's slowly bobbing head suggested he had given himself over fully to Comets On Fire's relentless noise-trance, while Gossard and Ament seemed to grin in wonder at the band's complete commitment to its sound.Also on the bill Sunday were Kiwis the Ruby Suns; space-rock heavies Kinski and pop classicists Grand Archives (both from Seattle); freaky Portland roots-diggers Blitzen Trapper, hyperactive U.K. quintet Foals and L.A. duo No Age. "This next song's a Nirvana cover," joked the latter combo's drummer/vocalist Dean Spunt before one song. No one bought it for a minute.
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