The Ticket Blogger: Concert and sport tickets news and reviews.

PRIZES ANNOUNCED FOR JAMIE GOLD CHARITY TOURNAMENT

2009-08-10T10:32:00.000-07:00

7 August 2009 (London, UK) - The Jamie Gold Charity Poker Tournament, to be held at The Casino at the Empire during the Poker in the Park festival in Leicester Square, London – 13th and 14th August, is giving away a huge variety of generous prizes.

The tournament, which aims to raise money for The Jamie Gold Foundation’s numerous charities, will be co-hosted by 2008 WSOP Main Event winner Peter Eastgate and will commence at 7.30pm on Thursday, 13th August at The Empire’s Shadow Lounge.

It will be a 50 player No Limit Texas Hold’em Freezeout Tournament with starting stacks of 7,000 chips and 20 minute blind levels. Forty seats will be available at £500 per seat – the other ten seats are reserved for personal invites of Gold and Eastgate.

A number of prizes have been generously donated. These include the following:

· EPT seat worth £5,200 donated by Poker Stars

· £3,000 Unibet Open Package

· Gresham Blake Tailor Made Suit

· Custom Chip Set from Marlow Casino Chips

· £1,000 Gevril Wristwatch courtesy of Bluff Europe magazine

· Custom Poker Table worth £3,000

· Tag Heuer Sunglasses

· £1,500 Oceanault Wristwatch donated by Jamie Gold

· £1,000 PopStar’ Experience including one nights accommodation at Reading's 5 Star Forbury Hotel

· Poker & Golf program with Dare2Dream

· A week's poker training by "The Maven" in his Las Vegas poker academy

Prizes will be awarded by choice. i.e. 1st place gets first pick, second place gets second pick and so on.

Attending the tournament will be Michael Greco, Teddy Sherringham and Mark Chadwick of the band the Levellers. Also attending will be Poker Pro JJ Hazan as well as Gold and Eastgate.

Tori Amos and her ‘Sinful Attraction’ tour

2009-06-12T09:04:00.000-07:00

Get ready for the haunting and eccentric voice of American talent, Tori Amos, coming to Phoenix on July 18th. Singer, songwriter and pianist, Amos came to international success in the 90s with her deeply emotional and social-minded lyrics coupled with her offbeat composing. Even her performances are unusual in the way she presents herself, nearly facing the audience as she plays the piano. Her style is a little Kate Bush, a little Fleetwood Mac, a bit of Joni Mitchell but somehow she is an original.

Classified as alternative rock performer, her singles include top hits such as ‘Crucify,’ ‘Silent All These Years,’ ‘Cornflake Girl,’ and ‘A Sorta Fairytale, her most successful US single.

Her latest and tenth album, Abnormally Attracted to Sin, will be released on May 19th through distributor, Universal Republic, and was recorded at her Cornwall, UK home studio, Martian Studios, by her British husband Mark Hawley and his partner Marcel van Limbeek. The album has some powerfully sad melodies.

Amos describes the album as "really handmade. I wanted to make a treasure, something people will value… I wanted to really investigate how we're controlled by the threat of despair…. I wanted to look at power, how we think and how you can reclaim the right to think for yourself, to uncover what you believe in as a spiritual, sexual creature. You don't need the approval of your family, or of their religion. You can think, 'Wait a minute, I'm a spiritual being. Just because I like gold handcuffs doesn't mean I'm not a spiritual being. These definitions are not for my mother to make about me.' What I am exploring with this record is power, and giving it away with your thinking. How do we become controlled?"

This six-time Grammy award winner began playing piano at the age of two and by five she was composing pieces on the piano. At nine years of age she started adding in lyrics. Highly talented she won a full scholarship to the Preparatory Division of the Peabody Conservatory of Music at the age of 5, but it was suddenly discontinued when she turned 11, perhaps because of her newfound interest in rock music.

At age 21, Amos moved to Los Angeles to pursue her music career, formed a band, Y Kant Tori Read, and quickly secured a six-record deal with Atlantic Records. Her first album was an embarrassment to her but her next album very much piano-focused, and the recording company’s executives decided to promote her as the next Joni Mitchell and relocate her to Britain, considered to be more open-minded musically. Her career then began its steady ascent.

Come hear this ethereal and thought provoking star perform at our very own Dodge Theater for one memorable night.

TicketForce Announces Marc Ross, Sales Executive (East)

2009-05-18T16:15:00.000-07:00

Mesa, Arizona , May 15, 2009: TicketForce today announced the hiring of Marc Ross, Sales Executive (East). Mr. Ross will work from his Boston, MA office, commuting monthly to the corporate office in Mesa, AZ.

Mr. Ross brings experience from the music, sports and ticketing industry since 2000, excelling in software sales and customer service. His previous experience includes Regional Sales Director for ExtremeTix (Houston) and Senior Regional Account Manager for Vendini (Boston).

As Sales Executive for TicketForce, Mr. Ross will oversee sales in the Eastern States (east of Mississippi), and will represent the company at trade shows.

An accomplished bass guitar player, Marc holds his BA from Clark University in Psychology with a minor in jazz studies.

Marc Ross
Eastern Sales Executive
Office: 866-726-3581, ext. 238
Direct Line (Boston): 781-452-7201
Email: marc@ticketforce.com

About TicketForce

TicketForce utilizes a powerful web-based ticketing system to provide venues, promoters, festivals, arenas and civic centers with a fully-customizable solution for full-service ticketing and box office management. TicketForce serves as a technology partner for its customers, enabling sales through integration with Internet sales, box offices, and Call Centers. TicketForce provides a complete suite of scalable products and services, including print-at-home ticketing, electronic will-call, access control, payment processing, management tools, and real-time reporting. More information is available at http://www.ticketforce.com/ticketforce-news.html.

More details: http://www.ticketforce.com/ticket-solutions.html
Contact the Sales Team: sales@ticketforce.com
Toll-Free: 866-726-3581

Pat Benatar and Debra Harry, ‘Call Me Invincible’ tour

2009-05-14T13:19:00.000-07:00

These two female rock icons, who have never shared a stage before, are hitting the road together this summer on their ‘Call Me Invincible’ tour. It will feature songs from their combined ten platinum albums and eight number one hits, including favorites such as ‘Heart of Glass,’ and ‘Love is a Battlefield.’ They arrive in Phoenix on July 28th at the Dodge Theatre.

If there are two cooler rock-chicks on the proverbial road tour today, one would be hard pressed to name them. Tickets for this unique event will go quickly. According the joint press release, Deborah Harry, a.k.a. Blondie, says of her new stage mate, "Pat Benatar is not only a friend, but a fearless female rocker who has entertained me and her wealth of fans for so many years. This will be a reunion for us both and being able to bring our two shows to fans across the country is very exciting!" Pat Benatar returns the compliment, "Deborah and I have been friends forever. I'm thrilled that we're finally getting an opportunity to tour together, it should be a blast."

If you think these dames of rock have been in quiet retirement until now, think again.

The sixty-three year old Deborah Harry, a former Playboy Bunny and best known as the lead singer for the band Blondie, has been working steadily all these years and has achieved success as a solo artist, as well as an actress; she has over 30 film roles and several television appearances to her credit.

Major international success came in 1978 with the album, Parallel Lines, that included the hit single ‘Heart of Glass,’ and continued steadily through 1981 when Harry released her first solo album. The band then regrouped but their tour was cut short by a band member’s illness. This and declining sales forced them to split up. But the Blondie machine kept going with successful remixes through the late 80s to the mid-90s, and in 1997, Blondie began working together once more to renewed applause. In fact Harry had the great distinction of winning a place in the Guinness World Book of Records in 1999 as the "Oldest Female Singer to Reach No. 1 in the UK Chart" with her hit, ‘Maria.’ She was 53.

According to Wikipedia, Blondie began recording further tracks in 2001 but the master tapes were lost after 9/11. The band regrouped in 2002 with a UK tour that preceded the successful release of a new single, ‘Good Boys,’ as well as their eighth studio album, The Curse of Blondie. The band continued touring for four years, and in 2006, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

In the summer of 2007, Blondie toured the UK again and did a world tour starting in October of 2008.

And what about Benatar? She hasn’t rested on her laurels, either.

Fifty-three year old Brooklyn born Benatar is a four-time Grammy Award-winner best known for hit songs ‘Love Is a Battlefield,’ ‘Hit Me with Your Best Shot,’ and ‘Heartbreaker.’ Billboard Magazine ranked Benatar as the most successful female rock vocalist of all-time with 19 Top 40 singles to her credit, as well as many Platimum albums.

Benatar’s mother was an opera singer and subsequently, classical music ruled in Pat’s household. This mezzo-soprano was classically trained all the way, even studying at Julliard. Nevertheless, she was always a rocker at heart. "I was singing Puccini and 'West Side Story' but I spent every afternoon after school with my little transistor radio listening to the Rolling Stones..."

Catch Benatar and Harry this summer at the Dodge Theater and be prepared to be blown away by two of rock’s best female legends.

Joe Cocker at the Dodge Theatre on June 7th

2009-05-13T23:28:00.000-07:00

Arguably one of the grittiest and most soulful rock voices of the past five decades is none other than British singer and composer Joe Cocker. Who can forget throaty numbers like ‘You can leave your hat on;’ ‘Unchain my heart;’ ‘Up where we belong;’ and ‘Summer in the City?’ If you’re looking to put a notch in your belt for seeing all time greats, go see this tireless performer live on tour in Phoenix at the Dodge Theatre on June 7th.

Cocker was born in Sheffield, England on May 20, 1944. To support his musical ambitions, he worked as an apprentice gas fitter, but at night he was Vance Arnold of The Avengers, singing in dingy bars. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t good. On the contrary, he caught the attention of the Rolling Stones, and in 1963 Cocker and his band acted as their warm up at Sheffield City Hall. They were a huge success, and fortune built steadily from there.

Cocker had his first appearance on American television in 1969 on the iconic Ed Sullivan. The press adored him, and so did America. He performed that summer in Woodstock in front of an incredible half a million people. Twenty-five years later, he was the opening act and one of the few originals who later performed in Woodstock ‘94.

While Cocker had hits internationally in the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s, his first American number one was his duet with Jennifer Warnes in ‘Up where we belong,’ the theme song to An Officer and a Gentleman. In fact he has sung several theme songs for movies such 9 1/2 Weeks – featuring ‘You can leave your hat on’ from his Platinum album, Cocker; Harry and The Hendersons, Bull Durham, and An Innocent Man.

While he has toured most of his career, Cocker’s notable performances include playing at Royal Albert Hall and on The Tonight Show in 1988, as well as singing at an inauguration concert for President George H. W. Bush in 1989. Success still continued and in 1992, his version of ‘Feels Like Forever’ by Bryan Adams hit the UK Top 40. In 2007 the Queen awarded him an OBE for services to music.

His last album, Hymn for My Soul, released in 2007, was produced by Ethan Johns and includes several noteworthy musicians such as Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, as well as Cocker’s versions of songs such as Stevie Wonder's ‘You Haven't Done Nothin’.’ Each is well worth downloading to your iPod.

Cocker has no plans to retire as he still enjoys ‘the buzz of performing.’ He currently lives in Jane Fonda’s old house, Mad Dog Ranch, in Crawford, Colorado. A bit of a mad old dog himself, this pit-bull rock legend is still giving it his all and is more than worth it to hear live.

KENNY G On Tour

2009-05-10T14:20:00.000-07:00

The biggest-selling instrumental musician, with global sales exceeding 75 million albums (over 45 million albums sold in the U.S. alone), touches down in Phoenix on June 13th at the Celebrity Theatre. A qualified pilot, Kenny G (short for Gorelick) might even be flying his own plane to get here. Who knows when he had the time to learn to fly – and oh, to become a highly respectable golfer, too, with a handicap of +0.6.

Kenny G was first inspired to play the soprano saxophone after watching a performance on the Ed Sullivan Show. He took lessons from local trumpeter Gerald Pfister and practiced along to records to try to copy what he heard. Born in Seattle, Kenny - who unequivocally plays as romantically as Cyrano courted Roxanne - had the good fortune to perform for years with greats such as Barry White’s Love Unlimited Orchestra and Jeff Lorber Fusion. Although Arista Records signed him in 1982, his truly pivotal moment came six years later on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Always someone to take risks, at the last minute he overturned the producer’s decision that he perform a piece of music with a singer. Since his goal was to establish himself as an instrumentalist, he felt he needed to perform alone. He played ‘Songbird,’ and his star was finally ablaze.

Kenny has collaborated with many great artists such as Aretha Franklin, Natalie Cole and Frank Sinatra, and his sixth album Breathless became the biggest selling instrumental record in the U.S. with over 12 million records sold in the America alone (15 million in total). ‘Forever in Love,’ became a GrammyÆ award winning single from that album. He then topped his own record with his 1994 holiday compilation, Miracles, which hit number #1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, and which became the best selling holiday album of all time. According to Wikipedia, the album still holds that record today.

He continues to add his own personal touch to the greatest of love ballads such as ‘The Way You Look Tonight,’ Alicia Keys’ ‘I Ain’t Got You,’ and James Blunt’s ‘You’re Beautiful.’ Of his music he says, “I think my music gives people the opportunity to listen to their own thoughts. Tap into their imaginations. Create their own stories to songs without the limitation of words...”

Kenny G’s last album, Rhythm & Romance, was his first Latin Jazz compilation. Recorded live in the studio, he used some of the world’s finest Latin musicians. He calls it a rich, one-of-a-kind tapestry of samba and salsa, ballads and bossa nova. “Musically, this is nothing like I have ever done before,” he says.

He has performed all over the world for millions of people and is a great favorite internationally, especially China, where the government uses some of his music for closing time at public places or at the end of school classes. Even mass transit systems in Tianjin and Shanghai play his songs when trains arrive at stations.

A final curiosity… he holds a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for playing the longest note ever recorded on a saxophone. He held an E-flat for 45 minutes and 47 seconds. How is that possible? Perhaps you will get a glimpse of how he performs such magical feats when he arrives here at the Celebrity Theatre.

Jimmy Buffett – The Summerzcool Tour

2009-04-28T09:04:00.000-07:00

If summer holidays weren’t enough to be excited about, we have Mr. Margaritaville himself coming to town. That’s right, Jimmy Buffett and his Coral Reefer Band arrive in Phoenix on 5/14 at the Cricket Wireless Pavillion for the Summerzcool Tour 2009 – Buffett’s 34th music tour of his career.

At 62, Buffett might not be getting any younger but he’s still a heck of a lot of fun, and his guitar strumming is pure nostalgia. His songs are the main staple of summer parties, beach or otherwise. Margaritaville, for instance, is an American classic and rates number 234 on the Songs of the Century list (an educational project organized by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the National Endowment for the Arts, and Scholastic Inc.)

With Margaritaville and Cheeseburger in a Paradise alone, he is practically the symbol of island life, but he is also a powerful institution. Author of three bestselling fiction and non-fiction books, writer of children’s books, songwriter, musician, cameo-actor, businessman, philanthropist and pilot, Buffett may sing about the laid back island life – like the balmy Key West where he lives - but he is a busy entrepreneur wearing many hats, earning an estimated total of $100 million a year.

Born in Mississippi, Buffett’s music career took off in 1977 with the album release of Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes, featuring his breakthrough single, Margaritaville. Amazingly, with all his success and popularity over the last 30 years, it wasn’t until 2003 that he had another top hit – It’s Five O’clock Somewhere, a duet with Alan Jackson. It went to the top of the country charts and won the 2003 Country Music Association Award for Vocal Event of the Year. Also incredibly, this was his first award. Granted, a lot of his music has some dubious language that might have been a holdback for awards and honors.

Still, this legend still looks great and keeps up with the times, and his fans, aka Parrotheads, will be in for a treat as he promises to introduce several more songs on his tour, including: We’ve Got a lot to Drink About - a song meant to lift spirits despite stock market and unemployment blues. His music is pure entertainment guaranteed to make you smile, a valuable commodity in these troubled times. Be quick. Most of his tickets sell out in minutes.

Buy Jimmy Buffett Tickets Here

Jennifer Hudson @ Dodge Theatre in Phoenix

2009-04-24T09:52:00.000-07:00

It isn’t everyday that one gets to hear one of America’s most powerful singing voices up close and personal. Often compared to a young Aretha Franklin, Jennifer Hudson will perform in Phoenix on 5/05 at the Dodge Theatre with Robin Thicke as part of her 2009 tour.

The 27-year old Chicagoan has had both a remarkable and tragic few years. After finding fame on American Idol in 2004 as one of twelve finalists, Hudson won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2006 for the movie musical, Dreamgirls. She then went on to release her debut 2008 album, self-titled, that contains rich and emotional songs such as If This Isn’t Love, Giving Myself, and Spotlight, along with sassier numbers like Pocketbook, featuring Ludacris. But in October of that year, the unthinkable happened when her mother, her brother Jason and her nephew were murdered. Her fans wondered if she could ever recover from such a devastating and public loss.

But Hudson did come back, and she did so on one of the biggest platforms there is in the US. She reemerged at Superbowl XLIII, performing the Star Spangled Banner. Although the song was rumored to be prerecorded, the sadness in her voice was there for all to feel. It was a nerve-wracking performance but beautifully done. She went on to perform on Oprah among other big-name shows, as well as the Grammy Awards, where she sang a particularly poignant single off her new album – You Pulled Me Through. She proceeded to win Best R&B album of the year.

There is still so much to come for this young and powerful singer as she moves forward from her family’s tragedy. Be part of her history and see her this May. In the meantime, keep up with her on http://www.JenniferHudsonOnline.com

Buy Jennifer Hudson Tickets

JONAS BROTHERS WORLD TOUR 2009

2009-04-20T06:29:00.000-07:00

Young fans and their parents, too, will be lining the streets to see this fresh faced, clean living band. The Jonas Brothers World Tour 2009 comes to the Jobing.com arena in Glendale on August 11th 2009 to promote their fourth pop-rock album, Lines, Vines and Trying Times, which will be released on June 15, 2009. All twelve of the songs’ lyrics were written by Jonas brothers Nick, Kevin and Joe. In a recent Rolling Stone Magazine interview, Nick said of the album title: "Lines are something that someone feeds you, vines are the things that get in the way, and trying times, well, that's obvious."

This young New Jersey group started as a solo band with Nick, who originally began playing on Broadway at the tender age of 7 in many top productions. In 2002 he wrote a song with his father, and Nick was ‘discovered’ because of the song by Columbia Records and was signed jointly with them and INO Records in 2004. Several songs on the subsequent album were written by all three brothers and although it had only a limited release, it was enough to persuade Columbia Records to sign the three brothers together. The band was eventually dropped by Columbia in 2007 but was picked up quickly thereafter by Hollywood Records with whom they really took off, combined with their success on the Disney Channel.

These young kids are successful to say the least. Their second album, released in the summer of 2007, hit number five on the Billboard Hot 200 chart in its first week. They won Breakthrough Artist at the 2008 American Music Awards, and they were the youngest band ever to appear on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine (July 2008.) In December 2008, they were nominated for the Best New Artist award at the 51st Grammy Awards. They were also listed number 9 on the richest pop acts of 2008, making over sixty-two million US dollars. And they’ve done all of this with a very family-friendly, wholesome image.

Just as impressive are their philanthropic endeavors. They have donated 10% of their earnings to the charity they founded: Change for the Children Foundation that supports “programs that motivate and inspire children to face adversity with confidence, determination and the will to succeed.”

They were in Arizona just last year, kicking off their last tour down in Tucson. If you missed them, this is the ideal band to take the entire family. Go hear their energetic sing-a-long tunes at their August appearance in Glendale.

Click here to buy Jonas Brothers Tickets

NICKElBACK TOUR KICKS OFF

2009-04-16T06:35:00.000-07:00

One of Canada’s biggest rock star acts, Nickelback, has just kicked off their tour and will reach Glendale on September 8th to promote their Dark Horse album featuring the single, "Gotta Be Somebody."

Nickelback’s lead singer, Chad Kroeger has one of the sexist male voices in rock. If you have any doubts, his duet with Santana with ‘Into the night’ and with Josey Scott on the Spider-Man theme song, "Hero," will likely change your mind.

The band plays an interesting mix of AC/DC style hard rock and tuneful melodies, like Photograph, that the softer rock fans enjoy. In fact, they really went mainstream with ‘I Wanna be a Rock Star’ – a parody on rock star life. Who better to know, ayh? If they play this one on tour, the whole place will be standing and singing. It’s not shown as part of their song setlist, but if they’re smart, they’re using it as an encore.

Their Dark Horse album has the usual mix of hard and softer tunes, and lead single, ‘Gotta Be Someone,’ is about as romantic as it gets with its lyrics on searching for one’s soul mate. It must be resonating with a lot of fans, old and new, as it’s creeping up the Billboard in the top 20.

A last FYI for those new fans who didn’t already know… apparently the band got its name from band member Mike Kroeger frequently telling customer’s at his Starbuck’s job, "Here's your nickel back." Funny where inspiration hits. Grab and ticket for the tour and get a further jolt.

Buy Tickets To Nickelback Here

U2 360 Tour

2009-04-15T21:38:00.000-07:00

Start standing in line, Phoenix fans… U2 360 Tour tickets go on sale on April 20th for an October 20th appearance at the University of Phoenix Stadium. Ticket holders will get just what the tour’s name advertises: 360_ staging. This most famous of Irish bands will be surrounded literally by their fans – an experience that surely will be incredible for the audience, as well as the band itself. Check out what it looks like on U2’s official website site: http://360.u2.com/

On the tail of their newest album release since 2004, No Line on the Horizon, their twelfth album, has generated so much excitement since its February release that tour sales have already exceeded 2.5 million tickets. Such a long pause between albums obviously paid off – as well as the time it took to make the album: 16 months in the studio.

Diehard fans of post-punk U2 will not be disappointed by No Line on the Horizon, which has plenty of hard guitar and rhythmic echos combined with Bono’s grandiose vocals and philosophical lyrics. The top singles – which debuted every night in one week on the Letterman Show – include Get on Your Boots, Magnificent, Breathe, and I’ll Go Crazy If I don’t Go Crazy Tonight.

Those searching for a softer side may find solace in another album, recorded at the same time as No Line on the Horizon and that is to be released at the end of the year. Bono has been quoted as saying it’s a "more meditative album on the theme of pilgrimage."

Pilgrimage your way right to buying a ticket for this tour that promises to have you 360 dizzy with the kind of larger-than-life entertainment only Bono and his band can illicit.

Click here for U2 Tour Tickets

KEITH URBAN’S ESCAPE TOGETHER TOUR

2009-04-15T06:06:00.000-07:00

New Zealand born but raised in Australia, Keith Urban music sounds more like that of a Tennessee native’s, but perhaps that is the magic of country music’s flexibility and reach. Urban is heading our way on July 25th on his Escape Together World Tour to promote his sixth U.S. studio album, Defying Gravity, released on March 31, 2009. The album has hit number one on Billboard 200.

Named the 2005 CMA's Male Vocalist of the Year, Urban is widely regarded for his guitar skills, and has performed on albums with the likes of Charlie Daniels, Emerson Drive, Garth Brooks and the Dixie Chicks. His guitar plucking is as good as ever on Defying Gravity, never ceasing to entertain with foot tapping tunes you can crank up loud and sing to.

You can see why Kidman fell for this eye-pleasing talent. His sassy country hits just lift the spirits. ‘Sweet Thing,’ his latest CD's first single that has already become his 18th Top 5 Country single, is a fast paced charmer. And the rest of the album won’t disappoint either. ‘I’m In,’ ‘Kiss a Girl,’ and ‘Hit the Ground Running’ will have everyone rockin’ in the aisles for the lucky few able to grab tickets. The album should keep selling at the top of the charts through the summer with the momentum of this promising high-energy tour.

Click here to buy Keith Urban Tour tickets

MADONNA’S STICKY AND SWEET TOUR 2

2009-04-14T21:36:00.000-07:00

Madonna - yes, she is still touring: Sticky & Sweet 2 kicks off in London at the O2 arena on July 4th. She has already played in the US, and it became the highest-grossing tour ever by a solo artist reaching $US 280 million in sales – this as she turned 50. There is, however, nothing middle-aged about her physique. Tight, toned, and sinewy as a high-performance athlete, there is not a dab of flab on her.

When touring in Michigan, her home state, her performance was rated as a stylish sensory overload, brimming with high-end video, sublime lighting, strapping dance numbers and an array of pulsing hits (The Detroit Free Press.)

Madonna might now be able to recreate herself anymore, because let’s face it, she’s got nowhere else to go, but the tour is brimming with her risqué sexual energy. Billed as the hottest concert on the planet, if you missed last year’s tour, this is just the time to take advantage of the improved dollar exchange rate and take a trip to Europe because she will be one of the top sights to see. She’s playing in some of the most beautiful places like London, Prague, Barcelona, Paris, Marseille, Bucharest and St. Petersburg. Act fast because this tour already has many sold out shows.

Click here to buy tickets to Sticky And Sweet

BRITNEY SPEAR’S CIRCUS TOUR

2009-04-13T14:51:00.000-07:00

Britney Spears is on tour with the Pussy Cat Dolls and hits Glendale’s Jobing.com arena on April 24th. As we all know, Spears has had her ups and downs – mostly downs in the last few years. But, her new album, Circus, released in November of 2008is an absolute reincarnation and is bringing her vastly renewed success. The album sold over half a million copies in its first week in the US alone and debuted on Billboard 200 at number one. It is her fifth number-one album. Not too shabby for a twenty-eight year old from Mississippi.

Spear’s video of her featured song, ‘Circus,’ borrows extensively from Moulin Rouge’s Lady Marmalade in its girl power theme and colorful backdrop. But, her highly polished performance, crisp beat and lyrics are 100 percent Britney. When she sings, I’m like the ringleader, I call the shots… and she snaps that circus whip, you believe her. She’s the star and is telling us, not so subtly, that she is back in control of her life – after a life that is, well, like a three ring circus with her in the constant spotlight.

She bares a striking resemblance to Madonna in this video with her wavy bleached blond locks, fit body, and the way she enunciates her words. Her tight sharp dance moves are also Madonna influences but, hey, if you are going to borrow, you might as well borrow from the best. Spear’s fans will be pleased to note, however, that the playful southerner is still there for all to see and makes this video all her own.

This release is so hot that the tour promises to be the best of her career. Like she says, she’s calling the shots. We can only hope to keep up.

Buy Brittney Spears Tour Tickets Here

ROBIN THICKE/JENNIFER HUDSON May 5 - Dodge Theatre

2009-02-28T14:05:00.000-08:00

Tickets On Sale This Friday March 6th 10am

Tickets will be available at livenation.com, Dodge Theatre Box Office and to charge by phone call 1-877-LYV-6671.

Grammy winning, platinum superstar and recording artist Robin Thicke and Grammy and Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson are set to embark on a multi-city co-headlining tour beginning March 31st at Albany, NY’s Palace Theater. The Robin Thicke -Jennifer Hudson Tour will bring together two of the most distinctive and enduring voices in the current world of R&B music.

Robin Thicke, the award-winning multiplatinum superstar, returned to center stage with his 2008 release Something Else, a joyful and modern tribute to the ‘70s soul and pop records that have inspired an extraordinary career. Debuting at #3 on The Billboard 200, Something Else is Thicke’s highest charted album to date.

Thicke’s previous album The Evolution Of Robin Thicke, now on its way to double platinum status, includes the mega hit “Lost Without U” which became the #1 most played song on the Urban Adult Contemporary BDS as well as topping four Billboard charts simultaneously: #1 R&B /Hip Hop album, #1 Hot R&B / Hip Hop song, #1 Hot R&B Hip Hop Airplay, and #1 Hot Adult R&B Airplay.

World renown for her astonishing live vocal prowess, this marks the first official tour for Jennifer Hudson, who recently won a Grammy Award for “Best R&B Album” for her RIAA-certified Gold self-titled debut album. “I am so grateful” stated Hudson. “My first Grammy and my first tour, it doesn’t get any better than this!” Hudson also received three NAACP Image Awards for “Outstanding New Artist,” “Outstanding Album” and “Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration” for “I’m His Only Woman” featuring Fantasia.

Sparked by the success of her hit single “Spotlight,” Jennifer Hudson entered at #2 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart after its September 30th release on Arista Records. With a total of 217,720 units sold, the chart-topping entry was the biggest first week for a debut R&B female since November 2004. Hudson’s current single, the beautiful mid-tempo “If This Isn’t Love,” is steadily climbing the charts while the Diane Martel-directed video recently premiered on AOL.

Possible merger between Ticketmaster and Livenation

2009-02-06T12:28:00.000-08:00

Ticketmaster, Live Nation Deal Could Cost Fans
By Jeff Meisner E-Commerce Times
02/04/09 2:53 PM PT

Reports of a possible merger between Ticketmaster and Live Nation sparked a run-up of both companies' shares Wednesday and triggered concerns that the combination would be detrimental to customers. Prices would likely go up for concert tickets if the deal is approved, said analyst David Joyce of Miller Tabak.

Shares of Ticketmaster Entertainment and Live Nation surged more than 15 percent in early trading Wednesday on press reports that the two companies could merge as soon as this week in a blockbuster deal that would change the landscape in concert and sports ticketing.

Ticketmaster is one of the world's largest ticketing operations, and Live Nation is the world's largest concert promoter.

If the two companies can reach an agreement and then pass substantial regulatory hurdles, the combined entity would have access to more than 200 of the most popular musical artists in the world, including Billy Joel, Elton John, Jimmy Buffett, AC/DC, U2 and Madonna.

Ticketmaster officials could not be reached for comment and Live Nation spokesperson John Vlaughtin said that "as a matter of company policy, we don't comment on market speculation."

Deal Would Face Antitrust Scrutiny
"I think given the amount of publicity the story has gotten that there is some truth to the reports," David Joyce, an equity analyst with Miller Tabak, told the E-Commerce Times.

Even if the two companies can come to an agreement, it's clear that the U.S. Department of Justice will scrutinize any alliance between Ticketmaster and Live Nation carefully.

"There are some hurdles on the regulatory front," Joyce said. "Ticket prices will most likely rise and that won't make potential consumers happy."

It's also possible that some artists might be reticent to perform at venues where Ticketmaster and Live Nation control ticketing, he said.

Indeed, some musical groups have taken strong stands against Ticketmaster in the past due to the high service charges the company places on concert tickets. Seattle-based grunge rockers Pearl Jam are perhaps the most notable example of a group taking a stand against Ticketmaster.

In the mid-1990s, the band boycotted all venues controlled by Ticketmaster and testified against the company as part of the DOJ's antitrust investigation of Ticketmaster at the time. The DOJ eventually dropped its case.

Good Deal for Ticketmaster
If a deal is indeed consummated, Ticketmaster would be the clear winner.

"LiveNation used to be a Ticketmaster client and then they took their ticketing in-house," David Kestenbaum, an equity analyst with Morgan Joseph, said. "Surprisingly, they were very successful right off the bat."

Now, Ticketmaster is on the defensive. A deal with Live Nation would enable Ticketmaster to reclaim the 15 percent of the market it lost to Live Nation while at the same time eliminating an upstart competitor, Kestenbaum said.

"This deal makes a lot of sense for Ticketmaster," he said.

On the other hand, LiveNation would benefit from the stability of Ticketmaster's profitability and cash horde, especially at a time when consumers are spending less on discretionary items such as concert and sports tickets, Kestenbaum said.

"Live Nation's claiming that [the recession isn't hurting its business], but I have to believe in due course that it will," he said. "However, they do have a pretty good concert lineup for next summer with U2 and Madonna."

Potential Conflict of Interest
A deal between Ticketmaster and Live Nation would also set up a potential conflict of interest between the artists' managers under Live Nation and Ticketmaster's ticketing interests.

"The manager represents the interest of the artist and tries to get the best deal they can for their artists," Kestenbaum said. "The promoter represents the interests of the promoter. Some artists might shy away from that."

Coast To Coast Tickets

2009-02-05T17:52:00.001-08:00

Get your sports fix at Coast to Coast with cheap football tickets and basketball tickets!

March Madness Begins!

2009-01-22T07:32:00.000-08:00

March Madness isn’t just about the NCAA Tournament, there are a ton of great events for March! In sports besides the Mens and Womens NCAA Basketball tournaments there is great Spring Training Baseball plus the World Baseball Classic. Also there is the world famous 2009 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo a.k.a. RodeoHouston takes place March 3-22. This event crosses over to the great concerts as it features some of the top music performers of country and pop including Taylor Swift, The Jonas Brothers and Rascal Flatts.

Also on tour in March are The Eagles, Elton John & Billy Joel, Britney Spears, Nickelback, Phish, Fleetwood Mac and The Allman Brothers Band.

Finally there are some great Broadway shows including Hair, Guys and Dolls, West Side Story.

Other premieres in March are 33 Variations with Jane Fonda and God of Carnage with Jeff Daniels and James Gandolfini.

Super Bowl Tickets - Tickets to the Greatest Show in Sports

2009-01-21T04:06:00.000-08:00

Super Bowl Tickets - Tickets to the Greatest Show in Sports

The amount of money spent on commercials to play only during the airing of the NFL Super Bowl should give you an idea of how immensely popular this American sports tradition has become. But you can see all the commercials later on the internet. These Super Bowl tickets will allow you to be a part of history, experiencing all the pageantry, hype, and extravaganza that is the Big Game. Get Super Bowl tickets, and it is guaranteed to be an experience you will never forget.

Super Bowl Tickets - History of the Super Bowl
The first NFL tickets to see the Super Bowl were sold for the 1966 season after the AFL and NFL merged into one league. The name actually is derived from a popular toy called the Super Ball, that AFL owner Lamar Hunt's son was playing with when ideas for a name were being tossed around. The name stuck, and now the Super Bowl is one of the greatest sporting spectacles in the world.

Super Bowl Tickets - Go to the Super Bowl!
If you've never heard of the super bowl, then you might not want to get tickets to the game, as there are plenty of things you will probably have to take care of in the cave you've been living in for the past 50 years. The Super Bowl nowadays is about half football and half pageantry, with elaborate pre-game and halftime shows and plenty of activities to do in the host city leading up to kickoff. It is the meeting of the two greatest football teams in the world, but it is also an unofficial American holiday called Super Bowl Sunday.

Cardinals beat the odds and go to the Superbowl

2009-01-18T15:42:00.000-08:00

Led my Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald, the Arizona Cardinals defeated the Philadelphia Eagles to advance to Superbowl 43. They will play the Pittsburgh Steelers or Baltimore Ravens

Tickets for the superbowl are now on sale at ArizonaSeats.com

FLEETWOOD MAC 'UNLEASHED' THE MAC’S GREATEST HITS TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED

2009-01-17T09:17:00.000-08:00

NEW CD/DVD PACKAGE OF 'RUMOURS' TO BE RELEASED SIMULTANEOUSLY
including Never Before Seen Footage and Previously Unreleased Tracks

Los Angeles, California (December 3, 2008) Legendary supergroup Fleetwood Mac will be embarking on their first concert tour in five years on March 1st at Pittsburgh's Mellon Arena and will include all the Macs’ many greatest hits from over the course of one of rock's most enduring and influential bands of our time.

"We love our band and think the title of the tour "UNLEASHED" perfectly describes how we all feel when we get on stage together - especially in 2009. We’re so happy to get back out on the road, perform everyone's favorite songs and see our fans,” said the band in a joint statement.

Tickets for the Live Nation produced tour go on sale to the public on December 15th at www.LiveNation.com and ticketmaster.com. American Express Cardmembers will have early access to tickets beginning December 8th at 10am local time through December 14th at 10pm local time at www.ticketmaster.com, excluding Uncasville, Ottawa and Montreal. American Express presale tickets for the Albany, NY show are available at www.tickets.com

The first 16 dates of the historic ‘UNLEASHED’ tour will include stops in New York, Boston, Washington and Montreal, it was confirmed today by Live Nation, the tour's national promoter (tour dates listed below). Fleetwood Mac, the multi-Grammy ® award winning Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees will continue the ‘UNLEASHED’ tour throughout the Spring and Summer. Additional dates to be announced shortly.

In other great Fleetwood Mac news, the iconographic 'RUMOURS' CD (certified Diamond ® signifying sales of over 10 million units by the RIAA) is scheduled to be re-released as part of a special CD/DVD boxed set on Reprise Records in conjunction with the tour dates. The boxed set will include previously unreleased tracks recorded during the making of 'RUMOURS' as well as a DVD component with never before seen footage of the band.

Click here for tour tickets

Elton and Billy Joel announce more US shows

2009-01-17T09:09:00.000-08:00

More Face2Face dates

Four more US concerts have been announced for the forthcoming Elton John/Billy Joel 'Face2Face' tour. The dates are:

May 12, 2009, Qwest Center, Omaha, Nebraska
May 14, Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Missouri
May 19, Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
May 23, Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio

Jonas Brothers, Coldplay added to Grammy line up.

2009-01-15T04:52:00.000-08:00

Coldplay, Lil Wayne, the Jonas Brothers and Kenny Chesney will perform at this year’s Grammy Awards.

The three acts join Katy Perry, who will perform in this year's "My Grammy Moment" segment.

Lil Wayne is the leading Grammy nominee this year with eight nominations, followed by Coldplay's seven.

Bradford to returns to OU

2009-01-15T04:06:00.000-08:00

Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford will return to the Oklahoma Sooners for his junior year. OU Football Tickets

NFC Championship - Cardinals or Eagles?

2009-01-13T08:21:00.000-08:00

The NFC Championship!

Its up to the Philadelphia Eagles or Arizona Cardinals to represent the NFC this year at Superbowl. The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Giants this past Sunday with a 23-11 victory win. The Arizona Cardinals however, upset the Carolina Panthers this past Saturday with a 33-13 win. The Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals will play at Arizona to see who will represent the NFC this Sunday, January 18, 2009 at 3:00 PM.

NFC History
The NFC Championship is the way to the Super Bowl, no two ways around it! This Championship is the semi final, matching the top two teams in the division, determining the champion of the National Football Conference. The winning team receives the George Halas trophy, and goes head to head with the winner of the American Football Conference. The NFC Championship had its start in 1970, when the NFL Merged with the AFL. The NFC was created with the teams that were NFL before the merger took place. In the end of each football season, a series of playoff games take place, involving the top six teams – four division champs and two wild cards. The two remaining teams play in the NFC Championship game.

Click here to buy tickets