Tour News: Due to the recent bus crash involving Rivers Cuomo, and per doctor’s orders, the following WEEZER shows have been cancelled:

01/09/10-Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, CA

01/11/10-UCI Bren Events Center, Irvine, CA

01/13/10-RIMAC Arena, La Jolla, CA

01/15/10-Dodge Theatre, Phoenix, AZ

Refunds will be given at point of purchase.

Event: Celebration of Song, Voice Teacher Mary Lou Eagan Muratori Celebrates 40 Years of Teaching Voice; Sat., Sept. 26, 7:30 p.m.; $10

Article and photo by Rachel Heisler

Mary Lou Eagan Muratori

Ever since I can remember, all I wanted to do was sing. I sang everywhere I could: In high school choir and theater, at home with my hairbrush microphone and with my friends in our make-shift singing competitions. It wasn’t until high school that I decided to take singing to the next level, and that meant taking real voice lessons. And that is when I met Mary Lou Eagan Muratori. (more…)

Website review: Paltalk, www.paltalk.com

By Rachel Heisler

JoJo and Paltalk president Joel Smernoff

With so many musicians and bands flooding the market, it can be difficult to wade through it all and find music that suits you. Paltalk’s MusicScene is an interactive and participatory online user site that helps with this sorting endeavor by bringing bands and musicians onto fans’ computers. MusicScene presents new musical releases and/or live performances and fans can use voice, video and text chat to speak with the week’s featured bands. It’s a behind-the-scenes look that until now was not readily available, and it brings bands and fans together in a unique way. (more…)

Concert updates, Las Vegas, NV

By Rachel Heisler

Evan Dando

Concert: The Jesus and Mary Chain with Evan Dando (of The Lemonheads)
Venue: House of Blues, Mandalay Bay
Date: Saturday, October 20
Time: 8 pm
Cost: $35-$45
Tickets: 702-474-4000, www.ticketmaster.com (more…)

Product: Centerfold guitar by DeVillian

By Rachel Heisler

Swedish company, DeVillain, has created the first-ever folding electric guitar. That’s right, a folding guitar. The Centerfold guitar isn’t cheap, the price tag is a cool $3,370, but what you get in return is a guitar that can go wherever you go. (more…)

Event/DVD review: Pre-screening of David Gilmour’s Remember That Night – Live At The Royal Albert Hall, Saturday, September 15, 2007

By Rachel Heisler

It’s been five decades that Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour has been sweeping people off their feet with mesmerizing psychodelia, unbeatable melodies and blues-infused rock. Though his solo works have not received the same amount of love as his work with the Floyd, he hasn’t stopped pushing ahead, writing and performing. This Tuesday will see the release of Gilmour’s latest work, Remember That Night – Live At The Royal Albert Hall, a two-disk DVD that contains more than 20 songs, documentaries and more. (more…)

Band update: Ra Ra Riot, self-titled (The Rebel Group, July 10, 2007)

By Rachel Heisler

John Pike The band

It’s both sad and ironic that one of the six tracks on Ra Ra Riot’s EP is called “Dying Is Fine” because on Saturday, June 2 at 3 a.m., drummer John Pike went missing. The band performed in Providence, RI, on Friday night and afterwards attended a party in Fairhaven, MA, which is where Pike was last seen. On June 3, the band’s PR department sent out an e-mail asking for any information concerning the missing musician, but on June 4, another e-mail reported that after an extensive two-day search, a police dive team found the 23-year-old’s body off Wilber’s Point in about seven feet of water. (more…)

By Danny Brown

In the previous State Of Indiependence, we looked at the best ways to promote yourself using various methods that were just a little outside the box. One of the ways we looked at was organizing a showcase; not only does this get you more gigging experience, it also helps attract the right kind of people. You know – the ones that can make things happen for you. But it’s not just a matter of arranging a gig and hoping for the best – a good showcase takes work, preparation and a whole lot more. Here, in part two of our ongoing State Of Indiependence series, we tell you how the top 10 ways to promote your showcase and get the best results.

* A showcase is just another gig – the difference is there’s no pay involved. So, make sure you promote it as much as you can via flyers, MySpace, bulletin boards – whatever it takes.

* Use it as a way to expand your audience. Look for music conferences, small town festivals, etc., and send your information their way. The beauty here is that you may get to play somewhere you normally wouldn’t get booked since you have no fan-base. Get your music out there!

* Do your homework about the venue you’re playing. What kind of crowd comes in, type of music they normally offer, bands who’ve showcased there before (you can ask them how it helped them), etc. The more you know the better prepared you’ll be.

* Get to know the owner. There’s an old saying that it’s not what you know, but who, and never has that been truer than in the music industry. Becoming friends with the owner lets you ask about other venues in the area, or local press and radio stations to advertise on.

* Find out if the venue has an e-mail list. It may cost you a little to get on it, but it’s worth it if you’re showcase is being advertised to a couple of thousand subscribers.

* Get to know the local bands on the bill. Get in touch with them, perhaps swap e-mail lists and get on their e-mail blasts to their fans and do the same for them – it’s all about networking!

* Local = global. After your set has finished, mingle with the audience, talk to people and ask if they want to be on your mailing list – your fanbase will soon grow, especially if you’ve just played a blinding set!

* Sell, sell and sell some more! Sign copies of your EP or CD, sell it at a good price exclusive to the showcase and wander around with a few copies. Many people don’t bother with merch tables if there are other acts on, so approach your listeners.

* A showcase can be an anchor. Look around, say a 50-100 mile radius of where you’re playing and arrange other dates. You reach a wider audience and you can promote the hell out of your showcase prior to it, and then bring new fans along with you.

* Enjoy it! Yeah, it might sound obvious, but just relax and do what needs to be done. Mingle, schmooze, promote, cold call – it’s all part of the process, so enjoy it, and you’ll soon see the benefits.

Miscellaneous: The State of Indiependence Series, Tips On How Your Band Can Make It To the Top

By Danny Brown

With the popularity of MySpace, iTunes, PureVolume and many other similar social network and music sites, it’s getting ever harder to try and stand out from the hundreds, nay thousands, of other indie bands out there, all vying for the same audience that your band is courting. And with the line between success and failure being finer than a Michael Jackson alibi in a kindergarten, making sure you promote yourself properly is paramount.

However, with just a little bit of outside thinking, you can make your own impact in the right circles. In the first of an ongoing series, we explain some of the better options out there for you. Even if you just put one or two of these to effect, you should start to see some results fairly soon. So, kick off your sneakers, sit back and let us help you on your path to the top (note: all success is moderate, so please don’t sue us if this doesn’t work for you!)…

(more…)

Rock memorabilia: Jim Morrison’s last notebook for sale

By Rachel Heisler

Amazing. 36 years after his death, Jim Morrison’s last notebook surfaces, and YOU can own it. (more…)