A breeder in China’s Sichuan Province wants to take this panda down from a tree, but the lovely panda wants a reward. So it asks the breeder for a hug before moving. Daaaw!
Taylor Swift Does It All – Save The Music Industry AND Stops Babies From Crying
6-month-old Rosie loves Taylor Swift, and it looks like Taylor Swift loves Rosie.
THIS IS THE BEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN.
http://t.co/4bNzbBdcsX
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) March 2, 2015
Music is your best friend when nobody else understands you.
Rock ‘N’ Roll Didn’t Start In The 1950s
I just finished reading author and photograph collector Jim Linderman’s book called The Birth of Rock and Roll that includes many found photographs of the types of musicians who contributed to what eventually became known as rock ’n’ roll music. It’s a facinating read to those of us who believed the genre started in the 1950s, or with Nirvana. I kid.
Linderman spoke with Lisa Hix of Collector’s Weekly in a fine article, published last week: “We have this notion that rock ’n’ roll started in Memphis in 1955, and it really didn’t,” Linderman says. “Bob Wills was playing in the ’30s and ’40s in Oklahoma, and Chuck Berry modeled ‘Maybellene’ on a Bob Wills song. The roots of rock go back a lot further than we realize. It came from the church, from vaudeville, from the music played in after-hours clubs, from juke joints. Some of it came from Ireland. It’s such a conglomeration, and that diversity is the real back story of rock ’n’ roll. Without any trouble at all, I was able to include people of all races in this book. I was able to show the melting pot in America, which came together to create this phenomenon.
“I was especially happy to be able to include so many women performers, because they never got their due,” he continues. “Which is why we don’t know who they are now. I love being able to illustrate how broad the music used to be, because now it’s so narrow and pigeonholed. It seems we’ve lost some of the breadth that used to be there.”
Amanda Palmer races to $13,000 per release in Patreon crowdfunding
From The Guardian:
Every time US musician Amanda Palmer releases a new song, video or long-form piece of writing, she’ll earn more than a total of $13,000 from her 1,400 backers on crowdfunding site Patreon, making her one of the site’s most popular creators.
It took just over 14 hours for the musician to reach that figure after launching her profile on the US-based site, with her fans pledging to pay an average of $9.28 each whenever she releases a new piece of content to her “patron-only” feed.
Palmer famously raised $1.2m in 2012 from fans on Kickstarter to fund the release of her last album, plus an art book and tour. She’s now shifting her efforts to Patreon, with its model of regular, smaller payments from fans to support the work of creators.
Canada’s Walk Of Fame Announces The Return Of The “Emerging Artist Music Mentorship Program”
Canada’s Walk of Fame announces the return of the highly successful Emerging Artist Music Mentorship Program, supported by RBC, as part of Canada’s Walk of Fame Emerging Artists Programs and Scholarships. Valued at more than $100,000, the 2015 national competition will once again focus on the world of music, calling all aspiring Canadian musicians to visit www.canadaswalkoffame.combeginning today for details on eligibility and submission requirements. The deadline for submissions is Thursday, April 30, 2015 at 11:59 pm ET.
In 2014, over 200 submissions were received from highly gifted emerging artists across Canada. After winning last year’s Grand Prize, Guelph, Ontario’s own NEFE opened for Canadian icon Burton Cummings during his Canada’s Walk of Fame Festival performance at Massey Hall and recently signed a recording contract with Universal Music Canada, the country’s leading music company.
“Last year’s Grand Prize winner was ‘discovered’ through this program, and we couldn’t be more proud of this. NEFE is an amazing talent,” says Melanie Hurley, CEO, Canada’s Walk of Fame. “When we launched this competition, our goal was to offer gifted Canadian musicians opportunities to develop their careers that they otherwise might not have. This mentorship program allows us to do just that with opportunities for exposure, mentorship, and access to key influencers and monetary support. It is an all-encompassing opportunity to provide aspiring musicians with the tools to flourish.”
“Through the RBC Emerging Artists Project, we are committed to providing opportunities and funding to artists in the early stages of their careers,” said Shari Austin, Vice President, RBC Corporate Citizenship and Executive Director, RBC Foundation. “We’re proud to partner with Canada’s Walk of Fame on this initiative, and are honoured to be able to contribute to the professional success of Canada’s next generation of musicians through this program.”
PRIZING DETAILS
Chosen by a selection committee comprised of music and industry experts, and announced later this year, the Grand Prize winner will receive:
- A cash prize of $25,000
- Performance opportunities at Canada’s Walk of Fame events
- Twenty (25) hours of private recording studio time with a producer, periodically mentored by established Canadian music talent
- Introductions to music industry executives
- Album cover artwork design
Six additional winners will also be chosen. Their prize will include:
- A cash prize of $7,000 for a Second Prize winner
- A cash prize of $1,200 each for five additional winners
- Performance opportunities at Canada’s Walk of Fame events
All winners will also be invited to participate in a private Music Industry Career Development Information Session with Q&A. The approximate value of the prizing in total is over $100,000.00 CDN.
“Canada’s Walk of Fame is a celebration of everything that makes our nation great, and the mentorship program ensures that the next generation of artists achieve this greatness,“ said Randy Lennox, President and CEO, Universal Music Canada. “Universal is honoured to be attached to such a wonderful mentorship program with RBC, and we look forward helping the next bumper crop of talented Canadians reach their goals both at home and abroad. As we have seen with last year’s winner NEFE, who signed with Universal Music for the world, the campaign is helping Canadian artists grow into the stars of the future.”
To be eligible for this year’s Emerging Artist Music Mentorship Program supported by RBC:
- Candidate must be between the ages of 10-35. Anyone under the age of 18 must have consent by a parent or legal guardian in order to participate, should they be selected.
- Must be enrolled in an accredited Canadian school or institution at the time of entry, or provide a resume which demonstrates a continuing commitment to developing a career in music.
- Must submit a maximum 60-second video or audio file, of a solo or group musical or vocal performance via the entry form on canadaswalkoffame.com in one of the following formats: WebM files, .MPEG4, 3GPP, MOV files, .AVI, .MPEGPS, .WMV, .FLV, MP3
- Only one submission per applicant will be accepted.
EARTH, WIND & FIRE and CHICAGO Announce North American Co-Headling Summer Tour
Two of the most successful and critically-acclaimed bands Earth, Wind & Fire and Chicago announced today their North American co-headlining summer tour Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire – Heart And Soul Tour 2015 kicking off July 15 in Concord, CA. The 25+ date tour, promoted by Live Nation, will take the Grammy Award-winning and multi-platinum selling groups through major U.S. cities including Los Angeles, New York City, Las Vegas, Atlanta and Boston. The tour will conclude September 6 in Atlantic City, NJ.
“One of the most exciting things about the show is when both bands perform at the end of the concert,” Lee Loughnane of Chicago said. “Having these 21 very talented musicians playing our greatest hits together puts the excitement level at a fever pitch! From the Heart of Chicago and the Soul of Earth, Wind & Fire, it is an unforgettable experience.”
“This is a real treat for fans of both groups to experience again the power-packed collaboration of Earth, Wind & Fire and Chicago,” Philip Bailey of Earth, Wind & Fire added. “We are looking forward to it ourselves – it has always been one of our favorite tours.”
Tickets for the tour go on sale starting Friday, March 13 at 9 a.m. in select cities on www.livenation.com. Please see below for full details and on sale information.
With more than 200 million albums sold and 20 GRAMMY® nominations between them, the tour will provide unparalleled entertainment from two of America’s most legendary musical groups. Billboard hails that Chicago is one of “the most successful American rock band[s] of all time, in terms of both albums and singles” and “been able to fill arenas with satisfied fans” with music that has endured throughout time while Rolling Stone has described Earth, Wind & Fire as “a funk-fusion powerhouse that changed the sound and history of popular music.”
Earth, Wind & Fire is one of the most innovative and influential contemporary music forces of the 20th century. With a signature sound beyond category and a groove as deep as the soul of the planet the band has impacted the history of music and pop culture for over four decades. EWF has sold over 90 million recordings earning them a solid spot as one of the all-time bestselling music artists. Rolling Stone and VH1 ranked Earth, Wind & Fire on their lists of the Greatest Artists of Rock & Roll. Originating from Chicago in 1969, EWF’s career achievements include an induction into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2000), a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (1995), eight Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards. Earth, Wind & Fire’s music has influenced, been covered or sampled by top artists including, Prince, Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Jay Z, Usher, Bruno Mars, P. Diddy, wil .i.am and more. Founded by music genius Maurice White; EWF’s co-founders Philip Bailey, Verdine White and Ralph Johnson continues to tour and perform to sold-out audiences around the world.
Hailed as one of the “most important bands in music since the dawn of the rock and roll era” by former President Bill Clinton, the legendary rock and roll band with horns, Chicago, came in at #13, the highest charting American band in Billboard Magazine’s list of Top 100 artists of all time. And Chicago is the first American rock band to chart Top 40 albums in six decades. Chicago’s album, Chicago Transit Authority, was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame in 2014. Lifetime achievements include a Grammy Award, multiple American Music Awards, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a Chicago street dedicated in their honor, and keys to and proclamations from an impressive list of US cities. Record sales top the 100,000,000 mark, and include 21 Top 10 singles, 5 consecutive Number One albums, 11 Number One singles and 5 Gold singles. An incredible 25 of their 36 albums have been certified platinum, and the band has a total of 47 gold and platinum awards. Chicago have toured every year since the beginning – they’ve never missed a year. The band is now in their 48th consecutive year of touring, and continue to be true ambassadors for their beloved hometown, carrying the city’s name with pride and dignity around the world.
Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire – Heart and Soul Tour 2015
All dates, venues and cities below subject to change.
|
Date |
City |
Venue |
On Sale |
|
July 15 |
Concord, CA |
Concord Pavilion |
March 14 @ 10 a.m. local |
|
July 17 |
Las Vegas, NV |
Axis @ Planet Hollywood |
March 13 @ 10 a.m. local |
|
July 18 |
Los Angeles, CA |
The Forum |
March 14 @ 10 a.m. local |
|
July 21 |
Phoenix, AZ |
Ak-Chin Pavilion |
March 13 @ 10 a.m. local |
|
July 23 |
Austin, TX |
Austin360 Amphitheater |
March 13 @ 10 a.m. local |
|
July 24 |
Dallas, TX |
Gexa Energy Pavilion |
March 13 @ 10 a.m. local |
|
July 25 |
Houston, TX |
Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion |
March 13 @ 10 a.m. local |
|
July 28 |
Denver, CO |
Pepsi Center |
March 13 @ 10 a.m. local |
|
July 31 |
St. Louis, MO |
Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre |
March 13 @ 10 a.m. local |
|
August 2 |
Indianapolis, IN |
Klipsch Music Center |
March 13 @ 10 a.m. local |
|
August 4 |
Atlanta, GA |
Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood |
March 14 @ 10 a.m. local |
|
August 14 |
Bristow, VA |
Jiffy Lube Live |
March 13 @ 10 a.m. local |
|
August 15 |
Camden, NJ |
Susquehanna Bank Center |
March 14 @ 10 a.m. local |
|
August 16 |
Wantagh, NY |
Nikon at Jones Beach Theater |
March 13 @ 12 p.m. local |
|
August 18 |
Holmdel, NJ |
PNC Bank Arts Center |
March 13 @ 12 p.m. local |
|
August 21 |
Kansas City, MO |
Starlight Theater |
March 13 @ 9 a.m. local |
|
August 25 |
Cincinnati, OH |
Riverbend Music Center |
March 13 @ 10 a.m. local |
|
August 26 |
Detroit, MI |
DTE Energy Music Theater |
March 13 @ 10 a.m. local |
|
August 28 |
Toronto, ON |
Molson Canadian Amphitheater |
March 14 @ 10 a.m. local |
|
August 29 |
Saratoga Springs, NY |
Saratoga Performing Arts Center |
March 13 @ 10 a.m. local |
|
August 30 |
Boston, MA |
Xfinity Center |
March 14 @ 10 a.m. local |
|
September 1 |
Bethel, NY |
Bethel Woods Center for the Arts |
March 14 @ 10 a.m. local |
|
September 4 |
Raleigh, NC |
Walnut Creek Amphitheater |
March 13 @ 10 a.m. local |
|
September 5 |
Virginia Beach, VA |
Farm Bureau Live |
March 13 @ 12 p.m. local |
|
September 6 |
Atlantic City, NJ |
Borgata Events Center |
March 13 @ 10 a.m. local |
About Earth, Wind & Fire:
About Chicago:
eOne Music Signs Burn Halo
California rock act BURN HALO has signed a worldwide deal with eOne Music with plans to release an all new LP WOLVES OF WAR later this summer. “It was important for us to find the right team,” says frontman James Hart. “With Scott Givens and his staff at eOne, we believe we have found that team. We’re all very excited about the future of Burn Halo.”
WOLVES OF WAR will be the highly anticipated follow up to UP FROM THE ASHES released in 2011. The band teased their fans late last year with a lyric video for the title track seen below.
Bestival in Toronto Lineup & Pre-Sale Information
Toronto is looking to be the music capital of the world – for real – as UK Fest Bestival has expanded to North America, coming to Hanlan’s Point Beach, Toronto Islands, on June 12-13.
Check out the lineup below:
FLORENCE + THE MACHINE / NAS / FLUME / CARIBOU / SBTRKT (DJ) / FLOSSTRADAMUS / ROBIN SCHULZ / JAMIE JONES / ZHU / CLEAN BANDIT / WAVVES / JAMIE XX / RUDIMENTAL (DJ) / OWEN PALLETT / KEYS N KRATES / BORN RUFFIANS / BAKERMAT / OMAR SOULEYMAN / CASHMERE CAT / GRANDTHEFT / JUSTIN MARTIN / DUSKY / SKREAM / ROBERT DELONG / DJ TENNIS / CASSY / SHAMIR / LANE 8 / NATHAN BARATO / MATOMA / MUSEUM OF LOVE / HUNTER SIEGEL / SHAUN FRANK / KILL THEM WITH COLOURS / HUMANS / TOPS / WHILK & MISKY / TEI SHI / RIVER TIBER / HARRISON / COLEMAN HELL & MORE
PLUS ARENAS AND IMMERSIVE INSTALLATIONS:
THE BOLLYWOOD TEMPLE / THE BESTIVAL INFLATABLE CHURCH / YARN BOMBING TENT / COSTUME PARTY & PARADE / THE DRESSING UP BOX / THE DAY OF THE DEAD COCKTAIL BUS / SUNDAY BEST BALEARIC BEACH BAR / HULA HOOPING / FLASHMOB TAKEOVERS / CIRCUS TROUPES / MARCHING BANDS
Bestival curator Rob da Bank says:
“Canadian promoters Embrace and SFX Entertainment. Bestival Toronto is a partnership between Bestival, To say that we’re excited at Bestival HQ about launching our very first Bestival outside of the UK is a serious understatement. We’ve spent 12 years working up to this moment and are so proud to be teaming up with Toronto to launch the good ship that is Bestival overseas. I’m also very proud of our first heavy hitting line-up with typically diverse headliners, Florence and The Machine and Nas! Two amazing talents. We are also announcing; the best leftfield acts around with Caribou and Omar Souleyman, electronic music from Jamie xx and Flosstradamus. I really hope you can join us on the ferry to Toronto Island in June. See you on the beach!”
Tickets go on general sale on Thursday March 5th at 10AM here.
‘Sesame Street’ Parodies Unboxing Videos With Cookie Monster Unboxing His Lunchbox
Whoever is doing Sesame Street’s social media and videos are doing it better than any other company right now. What do you think Cookie Monster will find in his lunchbox? Watch and find out.
Shania Twain Sets Out On 1st North American Tour In Over A Decade
One of the world’s best-selling female artist in history, Shania Twain, has announced her first North American tour in more than 11 years entitled ROCK THIS COUNTRY. The 48 date run comes hot on the heels of her hit two-year residency in Las Vegas at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.
Shania’s tour kicks off in North America on June 5 in Seattle, WA where she will perform her extensive catalog of iconic hits in a brand new production for fans coast to coast in major US cities such as New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles, and Chicago, among others. Additionally, the tour will hit Canadian cities including Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, and Montreal, presented by AEG Live. American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets through Front Of The Line for the Canadian shows only before the general public beginning Tuesday, March 10th at 10am through Thursday, March 12 at 10pm local time, with the public on-sale for most North American shows beginning Friday, March 13 at 10:00 am local on axs.com. Exceptions noted below. ShaniaTwain.com presale begins Tuesday, March 10 at 10am local time through Thursday, March 12 at 10pm local time.
A limited number of exclusive VIP Packages also will be available. Theses offers can include premium reserved tickets, access to Shania Twain’s preshow VIP sound check, exclusive merchandise and much more. A $1.00 donation from each ticket purchased will go to the Shania Kids Can Foundation. Opening acts include Canadian musician and actor Wes Mack from June 5 – June 28, and Grammy Award nominated singer/songwriter Gavin DeGraw from June 30 – August 23.
“This is a celebration tour. It’s party time! The ROCK THIS COUNTRY tour will have a different spirit than my past tours,” said Twain. “It’s a Shania they’ve never seen before. A lot of years have gone by and I’ve got a lot more to share.”
Beloved by millions worldwide, Shania has multi-platinum album sales in 32 countries with over 75 million albums sold, and 17 top 10 singles. Three of Shania’s albums (The Woman In Me, Come On Over, Up! ) reached Diamond certification, making her the only artist to have three consecutive albums sell more than 10 million copies in the US.
Rising to fame with her debut album Shania Twain (1993), Shania became a worldwide phenomenon with the release of Come On Over (1997), which became the best-selling country album of all time, and the best-selling album released by a female artist. Most recently, Shania performed 105 shows during her two-year Las Vegas residency, Shania: Still The One, beginning on December 1, 2012 at The Colosseum at Ceasars Palace and wrapping in December of 2014. The show garnered rave reviews throughout its tenure.
Shania Twain 2015 Summer Tour
Opening acts include Wes Mack from June 5 – June 28, and Gavin DeGraw from June 30 – August 23
| Jun 5 | Seattle, WA | KeyArena at Seattle Center |
| Jun 7 | Vancouver, BC | Pepsi Live! At Rogers Arena |
| Jun 9 | Vancouver, BC | Pepsi Live! At Rogers Arena |
| Jun 11 | Edmonton, AB | Rexall Place |
| Jun 12 | Edmonton, AB | Rexall Place |
| Jun 14 | Saskatoon, SK | SaskTel Centre |
| Jun 15 | Winnipeg, MB | MTS Centre |
| Jun 19 | London, ON | Budweiser Gardens |
| Jun 20 | London, ON | Budweiser Gardens |
| Jun 22 | Hamilton, ON | FirstOntario Centre |
| Jun 24 | Toronto, ON | Air Canada Centre |
| Jun 25 | Toronto, ON | Air Canada Centre |
| Jun 27 | Ottawa, ON | Wesley Clover Parks **** |
| Jun 28 | Montreal, QC | Bell Centre * |
| Jun 30 | New York, NY | Madison Square Garden |
| Jul 1 | Long Island, NY | Nassau Coliseum |
| Jul 3 | Uncasville, CT | Mohegan Sun Arena ** |
| Jul 7 | Newark, NJ | Prudential Center |
| Jul 8 | Boston, MA | TD Garden |
| Jul 10 | Pittsburgh, PA | CONSOL Energy Center |
| Jul 11 | Grand Rapids, MI | Van Andel Arena |
| Jul 13 | Indianapolis, IN | Bankers Life Fieldhouse ** |
| Jul 15 | Jacksonville, FL | Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena |
| Jul 16 | Miami, FL | AmericanAirlines Arena |
| Jul 18 | Greenville, SC | Bon Secours Wellness Arena |
| Jul 19 | Charlotte, NC | Time Warner Cable Arena |
| Jul 21 | Washington, DC | Verizon Center |
| Jul 22 | Philadelphia, PA | Wells Fargo Center |
| Jul 25 | Auburn Hills, MI | Palace of Auburn Hills |
| Jul 26 | Moline, IL | iWireless Center |
| Jul 28 | Minneapolis, MN | Target Center |
| Jul 29 | Rosemont, IL | Allstate Arena |
| Jul 31 | Nashville, TN | Bridgestone Arena |
| Aug 1 | Atlanta, GA | Philips Arena |
| Aug 3 | Louisville, KY | KFC Yum! Center |
| Aug 4 | St. Louis, MO | Scottrade Center |
| Aug 6 | Des Moines, IA | Wells Fargo Arena |
| Aug 7 | Kansas City, MO | Sprint Center |
| Aug 9 | Austin, TX | Frank Erwin Center |
| Aug 10 | Dallas, TX | American Airlines Center |
| Aug 12 | Oklahoma City, OK | Chesapeake Energy Arena |
| Aug 14 | Denver, CO | Pepsi Center *** |
| Aug 15 | Salt Lake City, UT | EnergySolutions Arena |
| Aug 17 | San Jose, CA | SAP Center at San Jose |
| Aug 19 | Anaheim, CA | Honda Center |
| Aug 20 | Los Angeles, CA | STAPLES Center |
| Aug 22 | San Diego, CA | Valley View Casino Center |
| Aug 23 | Fresno, CA | Save Mart Center |
* On sale Saturday March 21
** On sale Friday March 20
*** On sale Friday March 27
**** Festival date with The Doobie Brothers also performing