News

The massive AEG campus in downtown continues to expand. In addition to the Staples Center, Club Nokia, the Nokia Theater and the Conga Room (and a bowling alley with the strictest dress code I've ever seen), it's now home to the Grammy Museum. It's only fitting that a museum of an award show ends up in Los Angeles.

Full info about all the opening events after the jump...

Another sign that the recession has been going on a lot longer than a month: Two local record stores are going bye-bye. In fact, Open Mind Music -- which moved to Market Street a couple years back in the hopes of staving off extinction -- is already gone, having shuttered its doors last month. (The store will apparently sell its remaining underground hip-hop, freaky techno, and oddball rock at the Other Shop on Divisadero and online.) Now comes the news that the 24th Street location of Streetlight Records is going kaput after the holidays.

A story at Billboard.com states that rockers Creed are planning a reunion tour in 2009. The band last performed in 2004 before singer Scott Stapp went on to a solo career that fizzled out quickly and the other guys formed Alter Bridge that had limited success.

I guess they got tired of singing the song of a career that goes nowhere and will get back together. The band sold 26.1 million albums -- though I'd debate that most of their songs sounded the same.

The twin pianos -- one black, one white -- stationed in the St. Pete Forum conference room should've offered a pretty solid clue. But the rumor at the news conference was that the Forum was unveiling a Britney Spears tour date.

Instead, Tampa Bay Lightning owner Oren Koules stood at the podium just past 11 a.m. and announced that the venue would host Billy Joel and Elton John's Face 2 Face Tour on Thurs., March 5, 7:30 p.m.

The twin pianos -- one black, one white -- stationed in the St. Pete Forum conference room should've offered a pretty solid clue. But the rumor at the news conference was that the Forum was unveiling a Britney Spears tour date.

Instead, Tampa Bay Lightning owner Oren Koules stood at the podium just past 11 a.m. and announced that the venue would host Billy Joel and Elton John's Face 2 Face Tour on Thurs., March 5, 7:30 p.m.

Singer/songwriter extraordinaire Geri X is freezing her ass off in Wisconsin and has decided to return to Tampa Bay-- permanently.

Which makes us very happy.

Six months have passed since Snowden last appeared onstage at Lenny's for Corndogorama in June. Since then, the rumor mill has percolated with talk of relations turned sour between the band and its Wilmington, Del.-based indie label, Jade Tree Records. And for the most part, the rumors are true.

After inking a three-record deal with Jade Tree and embarking on six tours across the United States and Europe within a year's time, Snowden frontman/guitarist/principle songwriter Jordan Jeffares wasn't happy with how things were proceeding and he wanted out; so much so that he got his lawyer involved.

It seems we can't go a week without hearing a reunion story, but this one is actually not too bad. Maria Taylor and Orenda Fink, the duo formerly known as Azure Ray are set to reunite onstage November 30th at the Troubadour. It'll be their first show together in just about four years, and apparently it's a one-time only show. 

This one isn't exactly music-related but the impact is potentially huge. As of today, the Metro Red Line is running until 3 a.m.. I know to you New York-types this doesn't seem like that big a deal, but to public-transportation-phobic Los Angeles, this is a tremendous step in the right direction.

Mastodon guitarist Bill Kelliher (pictured second from left) has been hospitalized in London as of Nov. 3. while embarking on the bands current European Unholy Alliance Chapter 3 tour. Doctors continue monitoring his condition which is said to be improving.

For the time being Mastodon is continuing on as a trio and are hopeful that Kelliher will rejoin the group in time for their headlining tour of Europe which begins Nov 30, in Utrecht, Holland.