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IDIOT CLUB EXCLUSIVE: AMERICAN IDIOT COMING TO TAMPA

Brian — Wed, 16 May 2012 23:09:44 +0000

From Idiot Club:

May 17 - 19, 2013 - Tampa, Florida @ Carol Morsani Hall (Straz Center for the Performing Arts)

GREEN DAY THROUGH THE YEARS

Brian — Wed, 16 May 2012 23:04:31 +0000

From Lollapalooza to Billie Joe Armstrong's Final Performance In "American Idiot" On Broadway Fuse has it all: HERE

Tampa, Florida - 2013-05-17 00:00:00 to 2013-05-19 00:00:00

Brian — Wed, 16 May 2012 22:18:20 +0000

Friday, May 17, 2013 to Sunday, May 19, 2013

Where:

Tampa, Florida

Ticket Info:

Ticket Info

Broadway Venue:

Straz Center

IDIOT CLUB EXCLUSIVE: FAN STICKERS NOW AVAILABLE

Brian — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:12:58 +0000

From Idiot Club:

Last month during the fan designed t-shirt contest, the band selected four additional graphics to be made available as stickers! They are now available in the online store: HERE. International fans can order through the US store.

TONIGHT ON GLEE, LADY GAGA & GREEN DAY COVERS

Brian — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:51:46 +0000

Tonight, May 15, FOX will air two back-to-back GLEE episodes, entitled 'Props' and 'Nationals'. As the countdown to graduation continues, the kids of New Directions prepare a high-concept routine for Nationals. When Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz) bumps her head, the world of New Directions is turned upside down in her eyes. Then, New Directions face off against Wade (Alex Newell) and Vocal Adrenaline at Nationals in Chicago, where they perform in front of celebrity judge Lindsay Lohan (guest-starring as herself).

Check out photos and full tracks from the episodes below, which include: 'We Are the Champions,' 'Good Riddance (Time of Your Life),' 'I Won't Give Up,' and more!

GLEE is a musical comedy about a group of eager and ambitious students who strive to outshine their singing competition to win Nationals while navigating the cruel halls of McKinley High. Since its debut, GLEE has become a bona fide cultural phenomenon, received prestigious honors including the Golden Globe and Peabody Award and singlehandedly made glee clubs cool again.

GLEE is produced by Ryan Murphy Television in association with 20th Century Fox Television. Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan are co-creators of the series. Murphy, Falchuk, Brennan and Dante di Loreto serve as executive producers.

New Orleans, LA 2012 Voodoo Music Experience

Brian — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:35:06 +0000

Tour Date:

10-27-2012

Location:

New Orleans, LA

Venue:

2012 Voodoo Music Experience

20 ESSENTIAL SONGS FROM THE LATE LOOKOUT! RECORDS

Brian — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:29:20 +0000

Started as a rebellious lark in 1988 by a boho Zelig named Larry Hayes (who took the sobriquet "Livermore" in a nod to a northern California nuclear facility), Berkeley-based Lookout! Records was run as a seat-of-the-pants labor of love and hate until it shuttered completely earlier this year. In addition to grooming Green Day (a 12-year-old Tre Cool played with Livermore in a band called the Lookouts), the label is best known for documenting the scraggly, playfully defiant East Bay pop-punk scene, based around, and in reaction to, the famed 924 Gilman Street club (but mostly enjoyed in countless house parties). The scene emerged as an antidote to the twin funcrushers of '80s punk — hardcore's Reagan-ranting political self-righteousness (most prominently voiced by Maximum Rocknroll, based in San Francisco) and macho, neck-vein-busting bluster (mostly emanating from Southern California and New York). In reaction, Lookout! stuck out its tongue, reminded everybody that the Ramones were better than Black Flag, and popped a beer.

By way of tribute, SPIN asked Frank "Dr. Frank" Portman, leader of the much-mythologized and criminally misunderstood Lookout! band Mr. T Experience, and author of instant-classic 2007 young-adult novel King Dork, to choose the label's most essential songs, with his liner notes. Here are those picks, plus-one-more we insisted upon. CHARLES AARON

7. Green Day "Dry Ice" (from 1,000 Hours EP, 1989)
The 1980s were an awful, awful time for music, so when I first saw a crowd of scruffy youths and their parents and guardians explode into an ecstatic frenzy to songs like this, my reaction was, "Wow, so people still like good music after all." That's still my reaction. F.P.

Full article at SPIN: HERE

IDIOT CLUB: THE BOO HAIKU CONTEST WINNER ANNOUNCED

Brian — Tue, 15 May 2012 03:44:42 +0000

From IdiotClub.com:

**WINNER = RYAN M with his winning Haiku**

Uno, Dos, and Tre!
Sure to be Awesome as Fuck!
Only months away!

Stay tuned for more contests from Idiot Club: HERE

GREEN DAY TO HEADLINE 2012 VOODOO MUSIC EXPERIENCE

Brian — Mon, 14 May 2012 23:02:46 +0000

Fuse is stoked to exclusively reveal Green Day as one of the headliners of Voodoo Music Experience 2012. The punk trio will tear up the New Orleans music festival this October along with a slew of other acts, which Voodoo will announce Wednesday## morning.

Green Day's gig at Voodoo Fest is their only scheduled North American tour date this year. By the time Billie Joe, Tre and Mike hit New Orleans, the band will have released ¡Uno!, the first album in their upcoming trilogy. So if you want to see Green Day rocking fresh off their new album, Voodoo 2012 has your back.

Voodoo Fest has been bringing an eclectic host of major artists to New Orleans' City Park since 1999, snagging the likes of Eminem, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ozzy Osbourne, Nine Inch Nails, R.E.M., Duran Duran and Deadmau5. Green Day played the fest back in 2004 and according to YouTube evidence, they totally slayed.

Read the full article and video announcement at FUSE TV: HERE

New Brunswick, NJ - 2013-01-29 00:00:00 to 2013-01-30 00:00:00

Brian — Sun, 13 May 2012 14:34:43 +0000

Tuesday, January 29, 2013 to Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Where:

New Brunswick, NJ

Ticket Info:

Ticket Info

Broadway Venue:

State Theatre

IDIOT CLUB: EXCLUSIVE PRE-SALES TO 'AMERICAN IDIOT'- NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ

Brian — Sun, 13 May 2012 14:29:39 +0000

AMERICAN IDIOT has announced January 29 – 30, 2013 dates in New Brunswick, NJ at the State Theatre! Presale tickets are available NOW through Idiot Club.

DAVEY HAVOK ON ST. JIMMY AND BROADWAY

Brian — Sat, 12 May 2012 14:11:43 +0000

WINSPEAR OPERA HOUSE PRESENTS AMERICAN IDIOT NOW THRU 5/20

Brian — Sat, 12 May 2012 14:03:19 +0000

The Winspear Opera House welcomes the AMERICAN IDIOT national tour, the punk rock adaptation of Green Day's conceptual album of the same name from tonight, May 11 through May 20.

AMERICAN IDIOT is a one-act, sung-through stage musical that infuses traditional story telling with the steampunk, electro-explosive music of Green Day. Centered around three friends, Johnny, Will, and Tunny, the show displays the stifling atmosphere of suburbia and their parents' restrictions. Turning to the urban jungle, the friends attempt to find the vibrancy of life - and the methods to get through it unscathed.

The cast includes Broadway veteran Van Hughes as Johnny, with Jake Epstein as Will, and Scott J. Campbell as Tunny. AdditionAl Green Day songs were interpolated from other sources, including 21st Century Breakdown and the American Idiot b-sides. Original direction is by Michael Mayer.

AMERICAN IDIOT was nominated in 2010 for three Tony Awards, including best musical. The show closed on Broadway in April 2011, and subsequently launched the first U.S. national tour, which is scheduled to travel throughout 2012.

Tickets are available at www.dallas-theater.com.

Full article at Broadway World: HERE

IDIOT CLUB EXCLUSIVE: Q&A WITH MIKE DIRNT

Brian — Wed, 09 May 2012 21:18:43 +0000

From IdiotClub.com:

We had such a blast with Adrienne's Q&A we are bringing it back for Round #2 with Mike Dirnt! Login to the Idiot Club forum and post your best questions for him in the thread titled, "Q&A w/ Mike Dirnt" by May 23rd. We will send the best 10 questions to him to answer and post exclusively on the Idiot Club. Good luck!

FENDER SIGNATURE BASS GIVEAWAY

Brian — Wed, 09 May 2012 17:02:28 +0000

You heard right. Squier is going to pick out ten grand-prize winners, each of whom will pick out their favorite amid a dozen great Squier artist models—instruments bearing names including Mike Dirnt, John 5, Matt Freeman, James Johnson, Avril Lavigne, J Mascis, Simon Neil, Jim Root, Joe Trohman, Mikey Way, Pete Wentz and Deryck Whibley. Enter now and one of the ten could be yours. Just name it...

Enter: HERE

KERRANG! MAGAZINE

Brian — Wed, 09 May 2012 01:22:53 +0000

Look for Billie Joe on the cover of the new issue of KERRANG! in stores tomorrow. More info: HERE

HE WANTS TO BE AN 'AMERICAN IDIOT'

Brian — Mon, 07 May 2012 20:02:43 +0000

For former Goth kid Kelvin Moon Loh, being gay and a punk junkie is the perfect marriage of art and rage

Kelvin Moon Loh knows what it’s like to be an outsider. In high school, he was the gay kid who hung out with the theater crowd, but also the Goths.

“I was one of those punk kids, wearing guyliner from age 12 to 18,” he admits. For Loh, those threads — gay and punk — felt seamless and natural. What was odd about being on the distaff side of society, both musically and sexually?

Which is why it has always struck him as odd that punk music too often has an undeserved reputation as homophobic. Nothing could be further from the truth, Loh thinks.

So when he heard about the casting call for the national tour of American Idiot, Loh made it his mission to get on board. But why?

“I get asked that question a lot,” he says. “I’m the only out gay man in the entire cast, and in the history of the show, there have only been three. It hasn’t attracted a gay talent base, and I wonder what it is about this piece that spoke to me so loudly? It basically is the rage.”

The punk rock opera, based on the concept album by the iconic band Green Day, spoke to Loh as a musical theater queen, a rock aficionado and as a gay man.

“[Queercore punk band] Pansy Division was one of those groups that, growing up as a gay man, I was impressed by. They know who they are. Even in high school and watching the punk scene, they were the misfits and the outcasts. They were the alternative kids and I felt right at home there,” Loh says. “Green Day was a big champion of Pansy Division.

That’s what I was attracted to.”

Punk rock, he says, fits hand in glove with the gay rights movement.

“The music is about standing up not just loud and angry, but proud. The only way for you to hear us is to stand with rage and a little bit of violence. There are just as many gay anthems in the punk movement as in disco and from Lady Gaga, just nobody realizes that,” he says.

The chance to bring that energy to the stage was one of the things that attracted Loh to American Idiot.

Full article at Dallas Voice: HERE

WATCH GREEN DAY PERFORM AT HALL OF FAME CEREMONY

Brian — Sun, 06 May 2012 21:04:13 +0000

IDIOT CLUB: THE BOO HAIKU SWEEPSTAKES

Brian — Sat, 05 May 2012 13:41:49 +0000

From Idiot Club:

IDIOTS!!! Last Christmas Billie Joe and his family recorded a limited pressing of 4 song EP's. The EP's were given to friends and family as Christmas cards. They were never released to the general public. We were VERY lucky to snag one of these for the winner of our next contest, The Boo Haiku!

Send your best Haiku poem about the upcoming albums, ¡UNO! ¡DOS! ¡TRE! (Coming September, November. January) to us by May 9 at 11:59pm EST. Not sure what a Haiku is? Traditional haiku consists of 17 total syllables arranged in three phrases of 5, 7 and 5 syllables respectively. Check it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haiku_in_English

ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY TO AIR THIS WEEKEND

Brian — Fri, 04 May 2012 20:30:44 +0000

Tune in to HBO this Saturday, May 5 at 9 p.m. for the debut of the 2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. The show was filmed in Cleveland on April 14. HBO Signature is also running a 24 marathon of the show beginning at midnight on May 5 until midnight on May 6 and there are also numerous repeats on the various HBO channels over the following few weeks. It will also be available on HBO GO and On Demand. More info at HBO: HERE

BJAofficial: Lollapalooza94 talked to Yauch almost everyday He was full of wisdom & encouragement for a freaked out kid like I was. Thank you MCA. LoveBJ

Fri, 04 May 2012 17:49:20 +0000

BJAofficial: Lollapalooza94 talked to Yauch almost everyday He was full of wisdom & encouragement for a freaked out kid like I was. Thank you MCA. LoveBJ

ARTISTS PAY TRIBUTE TO ADAM YAUCH

Brian — Fri, 04 May 2012 13:47:26 +0000

Eminem noted the impact MCA and the Beasties had on his career. "Adam Yauch brought a lot of positivity into the world and I think it's obvious to anyone how big of an influence the Beastie Boys were on me and so many others," Em said in a statement to MTV News. "They are trailblazers and pioneers and Adam will be sorely missed. My thoughts and prayers are with his family, Mike D., and Ad-Rock.

Nas — who worked with the group on the track "Too Many Rappers," which eventually appeared on the band's last album, Hot Sauce Committee Part Two — opened up about recording with the legends to MTV News. "One of my greatest moments in music was when I worked with the Beastie Boys. ... Now today I'm hearing our brother is gone. I prayed this would not happen. MCA was so cool, man. We had great talks about what it was like for them in the beginning, getting into the rap game. I'll never forget that experience for the rest of my life. MCA is a true legend who influenced me. God bless his soul and his loved ones."

Jack Black, who made a cameo in Yauch's "Fight for Your Right Revisited" film in 2011, told MTV News in a statement: "Adam made amazing artwork until the very end and he was a genuinely sweet guy. He will be sorely missed."

With the world mourning the loss of MCA, many of his musical contemporaries are still reeling from the news. "Lollapalooza94 talked to Yauch almost everyday," Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong recalled. "He was full of wisdom & encouragement for a freaked out kid like I was. Thank you MCA. LoveBJ."

Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello wrote, "Rip dear Adam Yauch. Words can't express the sadness and loss. Ur humor, talent & gentle soul are just irreplaceable. Be at peace brother."

Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea opened up about the man behind the music: "Prayers and all the love I could ever muster for Adam Yauch. What a beautiful man. God bless his beautiful soul. A class act all the way."

Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz noted his influence over his own career, tweeting, "beastie boys paved the way for so many who came after. #RIPMCA"

"This news hits hard," Good Charlotte's Benji Madden tweeted, mirroring Wentz's sentiment. "The Beastie Boys are 1of the reasons I do music&MCA was the captain."

Black Eyed Peas mastermind will.i.am, tweeted, "#restinpeaceMCA 1 of my favorite hiphop groups. hiphop raised a lot of us & now we have to wake up because are hero's are dying too young."

Cee Lo Green added, "Now playing: something's got to give: BEASTIE BOYS R.I.P. M.C.A. One of the best hip-hop groups of all time!much."

Lenny Kravitz recalled one of the group's biggest songs on Twitter while remembering the rapper: "Rest in peace MCA. You are a legend. No sleep 'till Brooklyn. Lenny."

"We are so sorry to hear about the loss of the Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch (MCA) a true legend & inspirational to everyone in weezers generation," Weezer said of the late, great MC.

Music producer Diplo was sitting in what used to be the Beasties' recording home, G-Son Studios, when the news broke. "Mca Adam Yauch RIP... Im sittin in the former g son studios," Dip wrote . "Flying the flag half mast today.... Rap/punk hero, philanthropist, legend."

Tune in to MTV tonight at 8 p.m. for "Adam Yauch: Remembering a Beastie Boy," an hour-long special hosted by Sway celebrating the life and career of Adam "MCA" Yauch, including his biggest moments and remembrances from his friends and peers. Check out mtvU now for classic Beastie Boys music videos.

NEW VIDEO

Brian — Thu, 03 May 2012 16:20:22 +0000

Green Day 5/2

Brian — Thu, 03 May 2012 00:15:35 +0000

Video Gallery:

Featured Videos

IDIOT CLUB: LIMITED EDITION STICKER PACK

Brian — Wed, 02 May 2012 16:33:04 +0000

News from Idiot Club:

When we told you the band had a hard time picking a winner for the t-shirt contest, we weren't just blowing smoke! They were very impressed with all of the creative submissions. So much so, that they chose 4 additional runners-up to make a limited edition sticker pack that will go on sale in the official store! Check out the runner up designs below. Stay tuned for more details!

IDIOT CLUB: FAN CLUB DESIGNED T-SHIRT NOW ON SALE

Brian — Tue, 01 May 2012 20:39:24 +0000

Green Day selected Caroline Moore's design idea to be the next Official Green Day T-Shirt. It is now available for purchase in the online store: HERE International fans can order from the US store.

20 REASONS TO BE EXCITED ABOUT 2012

Brian — Tue, 01 May 2012 20:34:28 +0000

Green Day's American Idiot musical hits the UK this autumn, stopping by Manchester, Southampton, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dublin, Birmingham and London. Read the list at NME: HERE

'AMERICAN IDIOT' MAKES STOP IN DALLAS

Brian — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 18:29:14 +0000

AMERICAN IDIOT The smash-hit Broadway musical, based on Green Day’s Grammy-winning album, gets its Dallas debut as part of the Lexus Broadway Series.

May 8-20 at the Winspear Opera House, 2400 Flora St., Dallas. $30-$150. 214-880-0202. attpac.org.

Full article at Dallas News: HERE

ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE

Brian — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 18:11:28 +0000

Look for photos of Green Day in the current issue of Rolling Stone Magazine from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction earlier this month: HERE

NEW VIDEO FROM THE STUDIO

Brian — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 00:35:03 +0000

Green Day 4/27

Greg — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 23:27:09 +0000

Video Gallery:

Featured Videos

THEATER REVIEW: 'AMERICAN IDIOT'

Brian — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 01:36:33 +0000

With its flashing lights, loud music, abundance of profanity and scenes of drug use and sex, “American Idiot” is not suitable for epileptics, people with sensitive hearing or children. It is, however, one of the most amazing shows I’ve ever seen and certain to be enjoyed by Green Day fans.

A live band plays Green Day’s pop-punk hits in “American Idiot,” the story of three hometown friends, Johnny, aka “Jesus of Suburbia” (Van Hughes), Tunny (Scott J. Campbell) and Will (Jake Epstein), looking for life and happiness outside of suburbia. Set on a stage that looks like an urban wasteland, “American Idiot” deals with the unhappiness and discontent of youth in post-9/11 America.

After drinking, smoking and partying in the beginning, Johnny asks Tunny and Will, “Are we gonna waste our lives or are we gonna get the fuck out of here?”

The three agree on the latter. Will’s journey ends when he finds out he got a girl pregnant. He stays behind, full of regret and permanently seated on a couch for the rest of the show.

Tunny grows sullen in the city and enlists in the army after a flashy song and dance number by an army general and babes in sparkly dresses.

“Tunny’s dream turned red, white and blue,” Johnny laments after an ensemble cast performance of soldier-like movements to “Are We the Waiting?” Tunny is deployed to the Middle East, where he gets injured.

Left alone in the city, Johnny becomes lonely and depressed. Enter St. Jimmy (Joshua Kobak), sporting a Mohawk, blue lip gloss and tossing glitter and heroin. Johhny gets swept up into a life of promiscuous sex, provided by his new “Extraordinary Girl” Whatsername (Gabrielle McClinton) and drugs, courtesy of St. Jimmy (side note: I am still trying to figure out how Jimmy earned his sainthood). A seductive dance scene ensues between Johnny and Whatsername, in which they’re connected by the rubber cord they use for shooting up.

Johnny becomes a junky and Whatsername gets fed up and kicks Johnny to the curb in a powerful, all-female performance of “Letterbomb.” With the voice of an angel, Johnny sings “Wake Me Up When September Ends” then decides to turn his life around. Cue “Death to St. Jimmy” and a tie and desk job for Johnny.

Tunny ends up on a morphine trip in the hospital. A woman in a burka descends to his bedside and sheds her garb to reveal an “I Dream of Genie” look, and they dance suspended from the ceiling.

The boys reunite to “We’re Coming Home Again” and reflect.

Johnny asks, “Is this the end, or the beginning?” and the curtain closes.

The curtain reopens to reveal the entire cast holding guitars. Instead of taking a bow, they play “Good Riddance.”

As the curtain closed again, I wanted to shout for an encore. The adrenaline-pumping music, singing and dancing in “American Idiot” was wonderful and left me wanting more.

“Dookie: The Musical,” perhaps?

Grade: A

"American Idiot," Gammage Auditorium, 1200 S. Forest Avenue, Tempe, 480.965.3434, Thursday, April 26, to Sunday, April 29, times vary, $24+

Full article at College Times: HERE

'AMERICAN IDIOT' PACKS POP-PUNK PUNCH AT GAMMAGE

Brian — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 01:32:02 +0000

You could count me among the skeptics three years ago when the Berkeley Repertory Theatre announced it would premiere a musical adaptation of "American Idiot," the megaselling concept album by Green Day.

My objections were not as a theater buff but as a Green Day fan. Could the potent mix of "rage and love" from their Bush-era manifesto survive the constraints of Broadway-bound commercialization? After all, when the Who's "Tommy" finally made it to the Great White Way, it came with a new, Disneyfied ending. The whole idea smacked of sellout.

But "American Idiot" wasn't. The punk-rock opera staged by "Spring Awakening" director Michael Mayer is every bit as honest and angry as the album (and even more so in the case of follow-up disc "21st Century Breakdown," which contributed several tracks to the musical). With a towering industrial set festooned with video screens flashing propagandistic imagery, "American Idiot" expands on songwriter Billie Joe Armstrong's vision with a fleshed-out storyline and characters. And musically, its onstage band matches Green Day's energy lick for lick on hit songs such as "Holiday" and "Know Your Enemy."

The first national tour of "American Idiot" opened Tuesday, April 24, at ASU Gammage, and it matches the 2010 Broadway production in almost every regard. Lead actor Van Hughes, who took over for the Tony Award-winning John Gallagher Jr. in New York, provides a charismatic anchor for the show as Johnny, the restless 20-something who takes off for the big city to escape suburban conformity, only to discover that a life of sex, drugs and rock and roll isn't quite the utopia he had imagined.

Hughes gets strong support from Scott J. Campbell as Tunny, whose search for meaning leads him to the Army and the Iraq War, and Jake Epstein as Will, the party boy turned unplanned parent. And there are some excellent voices among the women of the cast, particularly Leslie McDonel as Heather (Will's pregnant girlfriend), and the whole ensemble shines in the roof-raising choruses of "21 Guns" and "Wake Me Up When September Ends."

For punk-rock fans new to musicals, "American Idiot" is a thrilling introduction to the magic of live theater. Alas, the reverse may not be true. At opening night at Gammage, some of the better-dressed attendees were visibly nonplused by the rock-concert volume and free-flowing F-bombs.

Meanwhile, many a critic has pointed out that the show's narrative is a rather rickety scaffold compared even with the jukebox musical "Mamma Mia!", much less with "West Side Story." Yet, for my money, such complaints miss the point. It's not so important to know, say, the details of Will and Heather's breakup, or the psychological explanation for Tunny's turn toward patriotism. The characters are meant to be sketches, everyman stand-ins for disaffected youth everywhere.

In that regard "American Idiot" very much succeeds in its ambition to be the Gen-X (and/or Y) answer to "Hair." It replaces the hippie idealism of the late '60s with a smirking cynicism, but the two musicals share the same concerns about a nation at war and the perennial quest to find a new way of living outside the constraints and hypocrisy of the mainstream.

Also like "Hair," "American Idiot" arises from a particular moment in American history, except in this case that moment is 2004, when Green Day's album was released, rather than 2010, when the musical opened on Broadway. By then, this primal scream of protest against the "hollow lies" of gung-ho patriotism already felt dated; the country had caught up with the dissident voices on the Iraq War and moved on to the new anxieties and divisions of the age of Obama.

Less than 3 years old and already a period piece.

Full review at AZ Central: HERE

BLOOD ORANGE & FLORENCE WELCH COVER GREEN DAY

Brian — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 05:29:00 +0000

IDIOT CLUB: RENEWAL PACKAGES - NOW SHIPPING

Brian — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 05:11:23 +0000

News from Idiot Club:

The 2012 Idiot Club Postcard Packs are now shipping! As a special surprise 10 lucky Idiot Club members will receive an autographed card from the band! If you haven't renewed your account, better hurry!

NEW VIDEO FROM THE STUDIO

Brian — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 01:09:09 +0000

Green Day 4/24

Brian — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 21:15:33 +0000

Video Gallery:

Featured Videos

IDIOT CLUB: 'THE BOO' GIVEAWAY

Brian — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 05:00:00 +0000

This just in from Idiot Club:

Who would like a chance to snag a CD copy of The Boo? Details to be posted this week.... ;o)

GAMMAGE AUDITORIUM PRESENTS AMERICAN IDIOT THRU 4/29

Brian — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 04:51:59 +0000

Arizona State University welcomes the AMERICAN IDIOT national tour, the punk rock adaptation of Green Day's conceptual album of the same name tonight, April 24, through April 29. The show is scheduled to play Gammage Auditorium at the Tempe campus.

Tickets are available at www.phoenix-theater.com.

Full article at Broadway Word: HERE

13 EXCEPTIONALLY GREEN BANDS

Brian — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 23:15:33 +0000

Record Store Day is a hard act to follow, but today is actually another national holiday—Earth Day. With news of climate change constantly pervading all kinds of media outlets, many musicians have taken notice and taken action, from donating to environmental charities to changing the way they record and tour. To celebrate Earth Day, we’re highlighting 13 exceptionally green musicians.

9. Green Day
These California punks cemented their transition to cultural/political ambassadors in 2004 with the release of American Idiot. Around the same time, Green Day partnered with Natural Resources Defense Council, one of the most effective environmental action groups in the country. Together, Green Day and the NRDC are working to bring fans to action, demanding Congress take measures for cleaner energy and more green jobs.

Read the full article: HERE

1-2-3-4 GO! RECORDS -- WHY RECORD STORES SHOULD STILL MATTER

Brian — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:29:30 +0000

Maybe I'm just a casualty of my generation, but I fucking hate digital entertainment. There. I said it. I refuse to buy an iPod, a Kindle, or download any movies that go straight to my computer or television. I mourn the demise of the record store; the video store; the bookstores of my youth; the refuge when things got crazy and I needed a way out; the place where my friends and I could go and hang out and know we were welcome; the place where the music, the book, the video was just one part of the experience attached to memories of real friends I could trust who I'd known all my life. Face-to-face social interaction and good times, that was the true value of these businesses and what they brought to my, and everyone else's, community in a way the disconnect of digital media, and especially social media, cannot.

I was reminded of this on Saturday when I spent the day in the northern California Bay Area. I'd gone there for meetings and to spend the night with friends at the Prima Donna concert in Oakland before heading back home. At the last minute, we decided to stop in at 1-2-3-4 Go! Records in Oakland, California, a record store that learned to adapt and survive the digital age by adding a clever twist to their business model. For the audiophile, it's the expected treasure trove of vinyl records and CDs, but for the rest of us, it's a cool little hole-in-the-wall dive of live music. Featuring bands from all over California, you can go in on any given weekend and hear great live music in a casual, intimate setting where the musicians interact with the audience and even strangers feel like friends.

As the venue for one of Green Day's secret shows last September in anticipation of their upcoming three album trilogy, and a regular favorite venue for Billie Joe Armstrong's son, Joey Armstrong, and his band Emily's Army, 1-2-3-4 Go! Records has quickly established itself as a staple in the Oakland music scene. I'd gotten there on a good night because Kepi Ghoulie, a local punk rock favorite, was performing while they were shooting a music video. As is the tradition of a Kepi Ghoulie show, members of other bands took turns onstage singing and playing various instruments with him. Like a manic game of Tag, one would get off the stage and another would take his or her place, and the music never slowed. The fact that a video was being filmed only added to the intensity and the fun. It was an epic bonus for me especially because I went out that night expecting to just see Prima Donna at The Uptown Nightclub, and ended up seeing Kepi Ghoulie, Prima Donna, who was playing with Kepi at 1-2-3-4 Go! Records before their own show, The Phenomenauts, a rockabilly group with a futuristic edge and one of my favorites, The Dollyrots, and Dog Party, an up and coming all-girl teenage punk rock band.

Added to this was the record store itself. Before the show I was talking to Eric and Aaron of Prima Donna, just hanging out, catching up from the last time we saw each other, surrounded by vinyl records wrapped in plastic, like it was just any Saturday night out with friends. That's the zen-like calm and sense of family a record store produces. And this brings me back to the original point that the subsequent generations after me will never quite understand.

Generation Y, the Millennials, or whatever marketing buzzword they come up with next, have chosen the fast, convenient, easy and impersonal disconnect of the digital download at the expense of the emotional connections and experiences of real-life interactions. I know. I know. It's only a matter of time before I start talking about how I walked five miles in the snow to get to school, if, ya know, they had snow in the South where I live, but I digress. Though these real-life interactions may take a bit more effort, they're infinitely more satisfying and more memorable in the long run. I mean, I doubt my kids will look back on their life and say, "Hey, remember that epic time I sat alone at my computer and downloaded [insert band name here] new album?" No. No we don't. Of course, hanging out at the mall in my youth was also a highlight of a weekend out, so what the hell do I know right?

Fulla article at Huffington Post: HERE

ONE NINE NINE FOUR

Brian — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 02:14:47 +0000

"AMERICAN IDIOT" ACTRESS

Brian — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 01:47:33 +0000

You read that right: Leslie McDonel is an “American Idiot” actress, certainly not to be confused with the far more prevalent American “Idiot Actress.”

McDonel, who enjoyed early theatre success in the musical Hairspray, is a long-running cast member in another hit show - American Idiot – based on the Green Day album of the same name. Leslie also was in the original Broadway cast of Idiot, sings on the original Broadway cast soundtrack album, and performed with Green Day at the Tony Awards.

In this entertaining conversation with Rock Cellar Magazine McDonel discusses Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong, acting, singing and dancing on Broadway, Hairspray’s John Waters, and, even the current debate over contraception.

RCM: When you were in the Broadway cast, you met Green Day’s frontman – singer/songwriter Billie Joe Armstrong. What was that like?

LM: He’s amazing! He’s a genius, a punk and a kid, and a passionate musician. I was always a fan of his music, but I didn’t realize until I did this show what a poet he is. His lyrics are just as strong as his music. To interpret them every night was such a gift for me. But then you meet him: he’s so passionate, and works on his music all day. He practices and perfects his craft more than anyone I really ever worked with. He also has that sense of youth and fun to him still – mischievousness, fire and all that.

RCM: And he played one of the characters with you…

LM: He played St. Jimmy. Johnny, the lead male who does go to New York… when he starts wanting more, he finds this alter ego within himself called St. Jimmy – who introduces him to sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. All the stuff that feels good right away, but then ultimately destroys him.

RCM: So what was it like performing with Billie Joe Armstrong on the “Great White Way?”

LM: Just like a jolt – a jolt of natural energy and electricity. I felt like as soon as he joined – between his energy and also the audience’s reaction to him – the level of noise that created – together those two things just gave you natural energy. You didn’t even have to try and get to it; it was just there.

Read the full interview at Rock Cellar Magazine: HERE

LIGHTING AMERICAN IDIOT ON TOUR

Brian — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 01:19:45 +0000

The award-winning Broadway musical, Green Day's American Idiot, is out on the road, and Live Design has caught up with triple Tony-winner, lighting designer Kevin Adams, for a Q&A about his lighting for the tour:

Live Design: At what point did you know the production would tour? Was there any talk of that while designing the Broadway version?

Kevin Adams: I suspected that the show might tour while we were preparing the Berkeley Rep and Broadway productions, but we didn't know exactly what the tour future would be well into the Broadway run. While preparing those productions, and keeping in mind that the show might possibly tour, I tried to keep the front of house hang as simple and minimal as possible, which fit well with the Broadway aesthetic of "rock show at the opera house."

Excluding the 20 VLX units I hung around the proscenium on Broadway, I only hung three front-of-house movers, knowing that the less I hung out front the easier the plot would be to adapt for a tour. A few years ago I put several shows out on tour and almost everyone advised me not to hang movers front of house saying it makes life much, much easier. It was excellent advice and I've tried to keep to that rule.

LD: What changes did you make in terms of design for the tour and how did that in turn affect the rig and choice of equipment?

KA: The biggest change is that I swapped all the various movers from the Broadway production for a single model of unit: the VL 2000 wash. When Spring Awakening went out on a reduced Networks tour a couple of years ago I did the same thing. I swapped VL1000 shutter units for VL2000 wash units. I lost all the details of shutters, hard edged lines and templates, but losing those specific details made load-in and focus less time consuming and more user friendly. Also, instead of traveling with several different kinds of movers, like we had on Broadway, we could tour with just a single model of mover making maintenance easier and allowing for electrics to save space on the trucks.

Basically the tour plot is a greatly reduced and simplified front-of-house plot with no scrollers or movers and with very few circuits. I also reduced the onstage conventionals greatly, cutting several template systems just because they take up space and take forever to focus. And I cut several specials and offstage units, replacing them all with the movers we did keep. I also cut these cool tall vertical MR16 strip booms that toned the walls and acted as a neat sculptural object. The tour walls are almost black instead of the original light grey set, so cutting those strips didn't have a lot of impact on the design. We kept the small LED MR16 blinder units in the upstage wall and I added a few more slightly larger LED units that pointed back at the audience the same way that the smaller LED units did. We also kept a constellation of strobes that are inset into the set and that point at the audience. I was able to add four Atomic 3000 strobes to the sound towers as well as relocating the former house movers to this location.

The biggest change in the tour design is that most of the gear is now visible. Excluding the 20 VLX units that wrapped around the proscenium, only about 10% of the rig was visible by the audience of the Broadway production and it made rock n roll flash hard to create because the rig was hidden. I just wasn't able to point much back into the audience’s eyes. Also, I was using a large amount of restraint for the Broadway production in trying to keep the "rock show at the opera house" aesthetic as rigorous as possible so that the emphasis would be more on the emotional narrative of the characters instead of oversize rock spectacle. Because we lopped 15 feet off the height of the set for the tour, I was able to bring the overhead rig down from a trim of 40' to around 25'. For the tour about 90% of the rig is now in sight, and knowing that we were playing vastly larger houses to much larger audiences, I was able to tart the design up quite a bit with a lot of rock flash and trash. Ultimately I felt the tour design needed louder spectacle to push back into the larger tour houses.

American Idiot Tour
Lighting gear list, provided by PRG:
66 ETC Source Four 14, 750w
14 ETC Source Four 19, 750w
3 ETC Source Four 26, 750w
2 ETC Source Four 36, 750w
16 ETC Source Four PAR VNSP 575w
26 ETC Source Four PAR NSP 575w
18 ETC Source Four PAR MFL 575w
4 ETC Source Four PAR WFL 575w
2 Altman 6" Fresnel 750w
1 Arri 4k HMI Fresnel w\ Ballast and Head Cable
2 Wybron Eclipse Dowser for 4k HMI
2 Arri 5k Fresnel (Tungsten)
2 Philips Color Kinetics ColorBlast 12 TR w/Power Head and accessories
6 Mini Ten Worklight 500w
6 Mini Ten Worklight 1000w
39 Philips Vari-Lite VL2000 Wash 700w
5 Atomic 3000 strobe
6 GEM DMX Controlled Fans
2 MDG DMX Controlled Hazer
3 Le Maitre Radiance Hazer
1 25'-0" Rose Brand Snowstar Theatrical Snow Machine
36 Wybron 7.5" Coloram 2 Color Scroller
3 Wybron Large Format Coloram 2 Color Scroller for 5k Fresnel
40 Pulsar LED MR16 size fixtures
1 ETC Eos lighting console

Crew:
Lighting designer: Kevin Adams
Lighting associate: Joel Silver
Lighting assistant: Paul Toben
ML programmer Tommy Hague
Head electrician: Mark Anthony
Assistant electrician: Warren Bishop

Full article at Live Design Online: HERE

STEVE NESSER OPENS FAMILIA HEADQUARTERS

Brian — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:44:37 +0000

Steve Nesser is perhaps one of the hardest working pro skaters in the business. Aside from juggling all the travel required of a skater, he also owns Familia Skateshop in Minneapolis, puts in work on daddy duty and now has added 'skatepark owner' to his list of responsibilities. Last weekend, Steve and the Familia crew opened Familia Headquarters and the result looks like one helluva good time. We caught up with Steve to ask what prompted the move.

ESPN.com: What made you decide to open up a skatepark?
Nesser: I've always wanted one in Minneapolis. I was just waiting for all the things to time out and find the right place. There's a lot of things I want to do here and now we have the place to do them. Plus in case you haven't heard, our winters aren't the greatest for outdoor skating.

Will the park work in conjunction with the skateshop or will the shop move into the park?
As for now, one is the shop and one is the park but I have no idea what the future of all this will bring.

What was the hardest part of starting a park?
Finding the right building and lining up all the people to help with the project and, of course, the cheddar.

Isn't there already a big indoor skatepark in Minneapolis? Is the skate scene that big there to warrant two parks?
I think the scene is one of the best and I believe it will grow, so the more places to skate, the better.

Does your park have a loop? If not, you're blowing it.
Naw, it doesn't. You should build one at your house instead of that weird ledge.

Will Green Day (Billy Joe Armstrong is Steve's brother-in-law) play the park opening?
No, but I'm not saying they won't ever play a Familia event.

Full article at ESPN: HERE

'GLEE' GRADUATION ALBUM TO FEATURE GREEN DAY, MADONNA AND MORE

Brian — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:21:49 +0000

Columbia Records will release "Glee: The Music, The Graduation Album" on May 15 and among the tracks are the "Glee" versions of fun.'s "We Are Young," Queen's "We Are The Champions" and Green Day's "Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)."

But missing from the album are tracks from the upcoming Whitney Houston tribute episode and the "Saturday Night Fever" disco special.

So how will the seniors of New Directions say goodbye? Check out the track list below.
1."We Are Young"
2."Edge Of Glory"
3."I Won’t Give Up"
4."We Are The Champions"
5."School's Out"
6."I Was Here"
7."I'll Remember"
8."You Get What You Give"
9."Not The End"
10."Roots Before Branches"
11."Glory Days"
12."Forever Young"
13."Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)"

Full article at Huffington Post: >a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/17/glee-graduation-album-songs_n_1...">HERE

TOP 3 WINNERS & LOSERS: FROM GREEN DAY TO AXLE ROSE

Brian — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 20:59:40 +0000

Winner # 1: Green Day
These guys are so awesome they went in the studio to record a new album and come back two months later with the announcement that they have THREE albums ready to come out within the next nine months. Also, they handled an Axl Rose-less Guns N’ Roses induction at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with aplomb, acknowledging that Axl is "crazy" but still giving him his proper due. Excellent work for one week, guys!

Full list at Fuse: HERE

IDIOT CLUB: SPOT THE DIFFERENCE SWEEPSTAKES

Brian — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:07:49 +0000

From IdiotClub.com:

Guess who will be sporting a new pair of Macbeth shoes soon.....??

CONGRATS TO ALYSSA F for winning our Spot the Difference sweepstakes.

In case you couldn'f find all of the differences, here they are for ya. Hope you enjoyed the sweepstakes. More to come!!

IDIOT CLUB: T-SHIRT CONTEST PRODUCTION PHOTOS

Brian — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 04:00:00 +0000

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE

Brian — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 21:55:20 +0000

Watch the video: HERE

ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME

Brian — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 21:51:44 +0000

If it's the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, then drama is as much a prerequisite as loud guitars, receding hairlines and a night-ending all-star jam on a golden oldie.

Saturday night's 27th edition was no exception according to reports, with as much intrigue as a telenovela, as well as some genuinely peaceful Southern California bro-downage, irreverent induction speeches and fresh spots in the Hall for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beastie Boys, The Faces, Freddie King, Laura Nyro and Guns N' Roses.

The spotlight, of course, was on the famously fractured band of battling former brothers in GNR. Lead singer and sole remaining original member Axl Rose loudly decried the institution in a scathing letter  earlier in the week, saying he would not attend and intimating that anyone who did was a fraud.

That was just fine for former guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan, who made the most of the honor, while, ahem, never once mentioning Rose. "I don't know that it matters who's here tonight, because it's about the music that these bands played," said McKagan, who jammed a short time later on three songs with a pseudo-GNR made up of Slash, former Guns guitarist Gilby Clarke and drummers Steven Adler and Matt Sorum and Alter Bridge singer Myles Kennedy. It was the first time in nearly 20 years that Slash, McKagan and Adler had performed together and according to reports there were little signs of rust on the classics "Sweet Child O' Mine" and "Paradise City."

In his induction speech at the Cleveland ceremony, Green Day singer Billie Joe Armstrong dubbed Guns' 1987 album, Appetite for Destruction, "the best debut album in the history of rock and roll ... every song hits hard. It takes you ion a trip to the seedy world of Los Angeles. The thing that set them apart from everyone else was guts." And after ticking off the strengths of all the members of the group, he cheekily added, "Let's see, who am I missing?" The latter set off yet another chorus of four-letter catcalls from the 7,400 in attendance, which inspired Armstrong to add, "Shut up. He [Rose] was the greatest frontman to ever step in front of a microphone."

Rose wasn't the only star missing. Rod Stewart was not on hand to celebrate with the Faces/Small Faces because he was reportedly sick with the flu and Beastie Boys member Adam Yauch was absent because of ongoing recovery from cancer treatment.

B Boys member Mike D made up for it, giving a shout-out to the trio's hometown for inspiration. "Thank you, New York City, for basically raising us and giving us all the music we love and grew up on," said D, who was on hand along with bandmate Ad-Rock to celebrate becoming only the third hip-hop act in the Hall. During a later performance, Kid Rock, Travie McCoy and the Roots' Black Thought joined the duo for a medley of their classics, including "Sabotage."

Also inducted were Donovan, blues guitarist Freddie King, Laura Nyro, music exec Don Kirshner and a number of sidemen and backup musicians.

Accepting their award from comedian Chris Rock, Red Hot Chili Peppers singer Anthony Kiedis said it felt a bit weird to join such a hallowed hall when his band is still out on the road promoting new music. "We're going somewhere," he said. "How can we stop and take an award when really we're just halfway there?" The Peppers later performed with a triple-drummer line-up that included two former skins pounders, Jack Irons and Cliff Martinez.

The five-plus hour ceremony will be boiled down to a two-and-a-half hour special for a May 5 HBO broadcast.

Full article at MTV: HERE

ROCK HALL INDUCTIONS 2012: LIVE COVERAGE TONIGHT

Brian — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 23:11:35 +0000

Live stream schedule

Get live streaming video of the red carpet at Public Hall starting at 5:30 p.m. Then, join us for our pre-show at 7:30 p.m. with cleveland.com's Denise Polverine and The Plain Dealer's Michael Norman as we set the stage for tonight's program and get to know the Rock Hall's Class of 2012. Watch exclusive live streaming video from backstage as the inductees meet the press in the media room, starting around 8:30 p.m.

Watch the event: HERE

PIPELINE TO A CURE

Brian — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 22:37:08 +0000

Ladies and Gentlemen! Pipeline to a Cure has named their first two celebrity ambassadors and I am happy to Announce that they are Billie Joe and Mike Dirnt from Green Day! Billie and Mike have been supporting cystic fibrosis for many years and we are honored to have them as our ambassadors! 2012 is gonna ROCK!

Check out Pipeline To A Cure: HERE

MIKE DIRNT'S FIRST TWEET

Brian — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 20:37:14 +0000

Sooo glad the cat is out of the bag!!! Let do this!

Follow Mike Dirnt's Twitter: HERE

NEW VIDEO

Brian — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 13:02:12 +0000

Green Day - ¡Uno! ¡Dos! ¡Tré!

Brian — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 02:55:43 +0000

Video Gallery:

Featured Videos

PRESS RELEASE

Brian — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 22:37:02 +0000

GREEN DAY IN THE STUDIO RECORDING THREE ALBUMS – A TRILOGY ENTITLED ¡UNO!, ¡DOS!, AND ¡TRÉ!

ALBUMS TO BE RELEASED FROM
SEPTEMBER 2012 TO JANUARY 2013

LOS ANGELES, CA – April 11, 2012 – Green Day is currently in the studio recording three albums – a trilogy entitled ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, and ¡Tré! – that will be released by Reprise Records on Tuesday, September 25th 2012; Tuesday, November 13th 2012 and Tuesday, January 15th 2013 respectively. The albums are the follow-up to the Grammy®Award-winning 21st Century Breakdown, and are being produced by the band’s long-time producer Rob Cavallo. ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, and ¡Tré! are being recorded in their hometown of Oakland, CA.

“We are at the most prolific and creative time in our lives. This is the best music we've ever written, and the songs just keep coming,” said the members of Green Day. “Instead of making one album, we are making a three album trilogy. Every song has the power and energy that represents Green Day on all emotional levels. We just can't help ourselves... We are going epic as fuck!"

Green Day is scheduled to play several music festivals this summer. Confirmed dates are listed below with more to be added.

AUGUST
18TH Tokyo, Japan Summer Sonic 2012
19th Osaka, Japan Summer Sonic 2012
26th Paris, France Rock en Seine 2012

SEPTEMBER
1st Konstanz, Germany Rock am See 2012
2nd Bologna, Italy I-Day Festival

BILLIE JOE TWEETS

Brian — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 21:49:14 +0000

Billie Joe just Tweeted the following:

Ok. Here's the deal. We're making a 3 album trilogy. Not 1. Not 2. But 3 albums. Called ¡UNO! ¡DOS! ¡TRE! Coming September November January

Follow Billie Joe's Twitter account: HERE

BJAofficial: (null) http://t.co/5CZ6Wqr8

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 21:14:51 +0000

BJAofficial: (null) http://t.co/5CZ6Wqr8

BJAofficial: Ok. Here's the deal. We're making a 3 album trilogy. Not 1. Not 2. But 3 albums. Called ¡UNO! ¡DOS! ¡TRE! Coming September November January

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 21:06:36 +0000

BJAofficial: Ok. Here's the deal. We're making a 3 album trilogy. Not 1. Not 2. But 3 albums. Called ¡UNO! ¡DOS! ¡TRE! Coming September November January

AMERICAN IDIOT BACKSTAGE EXCLUSIVE

Brian — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 21:48:09 +0000

Young Hollywood takes you backstage at the Ahmanson Theatre and behind the scenes of the rockin' musical, 'American Idiot', based on the Grammy-winning Green Day album of the same name! Stars Van Hughes and Jake Epstein rest their pipes and sit down with us to talk about the show's amazing run and success -- hear how Van went from stand-in to leading man, and Jake shares a specific pitfall of spending the entire show on stage! Hosted by Lesley Robins.

Newsletter Signup

admin — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:19:56 +0000

San Jose, CA - 2013-06-04 00:00:00 to 2013-06-09 00:00:00

Brian — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 14:30:54 +0000

Tuesday, June 4, 2013 to Sunday, June 9, 2013

Where:

San Jose, CA

Ticket Info:

Ticket Info

Broadway Venue:

Center for the Performing Arts

IDIOT CLUB / MACBETH SHOE GIVEAWAY - ONE MORE DAY TO ENTER

Brian — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 00:13:14 +0000

From Idiot Club:

04-04 - Spot the Difference Sweepstakes

Time for a little fun, Idiots. We're takin this sweepstakes back old school Dookie-style! Here's how it works.... there are ten (10) differences in the picture on the right from the original one on the left as seen below. For reals! Jot down all ten differences in an email and send them over to us. Contest starts NOW and ends 11:59pm on Wed, April 11, 2012.

Check out our friends over at Macbeth HERE

BJAofficial: Watch Tony Vincent tonight on The Voice! After the show be sure to vote for him. Let's show him our support!

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 17:32:47 +0000

BJAofficial: Watch Tony Vincent tonight on The Voice! After the show be sure to vote for him. Let's show him our support!

HUFFINGTON POST

Brian — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 23:26:31 +0000

"Is It a Broken Dream or the Dawning of the Rest of Our Lives?"

I saw Green Day's American Idiot last Friday at the Ahmanson. I'm a huge Green Day fan, so I expected to love the music and enjoy the show. I expected the social commentary and for it to be thought-provoking, and to then discuss the state of the world with my boyfriend after it was over (particularly that of the younger generation's apathy, the immediate impulse of today's society to go for quick fixes of numbing themselves, the control the media has over us, etc). But man, I wasn't expecting the reaction I had. I was in for a surprise.

This show touched something in me on such a deep personal level that it was shocking. Yes, it did brilliantly evoke all those points I previously mentioned, but like all good art is meant to, there are many different levels to it. Good art touches each individual person differently and uniquely. Something that I have hidden deep down inside, covered up, tried to ignore, that has been lying dormant, well, was awoken.

Whenever I see theatre -- I mean good theatre, there's a lot of crappy theatre out there -- and particularly musicals, I get nostalgic and may even get a little teary eyed. I grew up as a child actor -- it began when I was 3 and I saw another little girl on TV and starting crying and told my mom "mommy, put me on there! I can do that!" But really what I did, what I loved, was theatre... really musicals, which I did up until college, when I gave it up for many reasons (more on this later). The stage was my home. So I expected the little twinge of heartache and homesickness I normally feel when I walk into a theatre and smell that perfect mixture of paint, wood, stale heat from the lights, cream make-up foundation, the subtle smell of dust on the curtain; it's a twinge similar to that of when you see an ex-love... But I didn't expect what happened next.

I felt the initial jealousy when the cast came on stage and starting singing and dancing their hearts out... seeing these performers' souls actually get to live out their purpose and passion. But the heat in me started rising more and more as the musical journey on stage unfolded, and then, when I heard these words sung, BAM. The dam broke and emotions I didn't realize I had been walling up for years came pouring out uncontrollably:

"When you're at the end of the road,
And you lost all sense of control,
And your thoughts have taken their toll,
When your mind breaks the spirit of your soul

When it's time to live and let die
And you can't get another try
Something inside this heart has died
You're in ruins"

( -- "From 21 Guns," written by Billie Joe Armstrong)

Before I knew it, I was sobbing. Yes. Yes... what they said. Exactly. When I gave up on being on stage, something inside my heart died. And it's too late now, I can't get another try. And my mind, which listened and succumbed to fears, absolutely broke the spirit of my soul.

I gave up on going for a career on stage, which is all I ever really wanted. I gave into rejection, and I gave into the influence of others. I gave into my debilitating fear of failure; I absolutely did not believe in myself -- I didn't believe in my talent, I didn't believe I could do it, so I decided it was easier to not even try. And now, at my age, and because of the choices I made based on fear during those "formative years," I can't get another try at being a working (musical) theatre actress.

I love all the other things I am doing with my life -- I love being a healer, and a writer, and a fitness teacher. I love being able to help people. But for the first 20 plus years of my life, I never thought I would be anything other than an actress... When I quit acting "forever" because I refused to take my top off for a movie and my manager and agent dropped me, I stopped fighting. I gave up. But see, that choice of not taking my top off, that's not what I'm regretting.

I messed up. I made the wrong choices. I didn't listen to my heart, to my soul. I never cared about being a famous movie star. I never cared about being on a TV series. I cared about being on stage. About carrying the life of one character from beginning to end LIVE -- experiencing and sharing her joys, her pains, her loves, her heartaches with the audience, evoking their own breakthroughs and realizations, just like this show did for me; to, in a sense, help heal people from the stage.

I cared about the art of acting, not about the business... I studied classical theatre at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in England... it was the best experience of my life. When I came back to L.A. after that and was on the "circuit" taking meetings with managers and agents, I had this one meeting with a manager who asked me, essentially, that if I would be guaranteed to make $40,000 a year for the rest of my life doing great theatre consistently, always working, would I do it. I was so excited, it sounded like a dream!! YES I told him. NO he told me. There was no way he would sign me. I obviously didn't have the drive or hunger to make it in the "biz."

So, from fear, I jumped right onto the film and TV bandwagon. I was told I couldn't make a good living doing theatre, but that probably wouldn't even matter, because there's no way I could even book a musical theatre job, because I wasn't a real dancer, my voice isn't Julliard trained, and on and on. So I caved. And I was miserable every day of pursuing the "dream" of TV and film acting. It never felt right to me. I felt like I was sleep-walking doing it. So it was easy for me to walk away from.

I wish I had a time machine to go back and tell that girl to F her fears. That fears shouldn't keep her from going for her passion and her purpose. That each rejection, each no, is just one step closer to yes. That rejection is a normal part of the process and that it doesn't mean there's anything wrong with her or that she's not talented. To give her the tools I now have, have learned through the years, of believing in herself. I would tell her just how incredibly talented she is, and help her to own that talent. I wish I had a time machine to tell her to F her fears and go to New York and just do it, who cares if she was a poor waitress, at least she'd be trying. At least she'd be doing it. So that years from then -- if she wasn't actually IN the show, which could have been a possibility -- as she was sitting in the audience of the show, she wouldn't be filled with such extreme regret that she quite honestly doesn't know what to do with herself.

Spiritually, of course, I know that everything happens for a reason. That we are exactly where we are meant to be. Yes, that's true. BUT, we have free will. We each have the ability to make choices. I believe that if I had made different choices back then, choices not based on fear, that the universe would still be supporting me in the same way and I would still be learning the lessons I'm here to learn. Yes, I believe that there may be "plans" for us, but again, I believe we have free will to make our own choices. When we make those choices, our plans just adjust and flow with us. I made choices from fear and lack of belief in myself. I ignored my heart and my soul, and because they felt so broken, I just pushed it deep down inside. This show last night triggered that part of me again.

I know many of us have this -- dreams, passions, purpose -- that we never truly went for because we let what society or our parents or whoever say influence us, because we didn't believe in ourselves, because we let our doubts and fears -- fear of failing, or even, sometimes, fear of succeeding -- win. I'm sure most of us, knowing what we know now, if we had the chance, would go back in a second and do it differently... choose differently... really go for it.

So now what... do we come to terms with it, face it, accept it, heal it, and move on? Or do we try again? Are we sentenced to walking a lonely road on the boulevard of our broken dreams... or does the acknowledgment of our broken dreams actually allow for the dawning of the rest of our lives?

Follow Holly Sidell on Twitter: www.twitter.com/HollySidell

Full article at Huffington Post: HERE

BILLIE JOE IN SHOWTIME'S 'NURSE JACKIE' - TONIGHT

Brian — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 14:33:33 +0000

The first episode of season 4 of Nurse Jackie, which sees Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong make a cameo appearance, has premiered in full on YouTube.

Having flexed his thespian muscles on Broadway as part of the Green Day stage show American Idiot, Armstrong plays the role of a stranger who Nurse Jackie (Edie Falco) meets randomly, causing a major change in her life.

The episode is not due to air until April 8th but Showtime have made the episode free to watch on their Youtube channel. You can also see the first episodes of the network's other returning series The Big C and The Borgias ahead of their new season premieres as well.

Season 4 of Nurse Jackie will see the drug-addicted medical worker finally seek help for her demons. Guest stars on the season are set to include Bobby Cannavale, Rosie Perez, Joel Grey, Aida Turturro, Stephen Wallem, Arjun Gupta and Lenny Jacobson.

Full article at GigWise: HERE

TWITTER

Brian — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 23:40:18 +0000

Check out Adrienne Armstrong's Twitter for a photo of Billie Joe getting a new tattoo from Kat Von D: HERE

Check out Kat Von D's short video clip: HERE

HOW LES PAULS POWERED THE PUNK MOVEMENT

Brian — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 14:26:16 +0000

Lest anyone forget what rock and roll is all about, punk rock is always there to reaffirm the music’s primal essence. Especially in the mid-to-late ’70s, when progressive music and other “inflated” rock forms were putting cracks in rock and roll’s rebellious foundation, a new generation of determined guitarists came along to put buzzsaw teeth back into the music. Not surprisingly, during that era and others, it’s been Gibson players who’ve led the charge. Simply put, nothing stokes punk rock’s ferocious energy like a Les Paul or one of its close Gibson kin.

Mid-’70s punk rock rose from the ashes of glam, with many of the genre’s guitarists citing Bowie sideman Mick Ronson and T.Rex’s Marc Bolan – both devoted Les Paul players – as prime inspirations. That was never more evident than with the New York Dolls. Formed in the early ’70s, the band’s trashy, Stones-y sound was powered by the dual-guitar interplay of Sylvain Sylvain and the late Johnny Thunders.

“Me and Johnny Thunders basically put the Les Paul Junior on the map,” Sylvain told Gibson.com, in a 2009 interview. “We called them ‘automatic guitars,’ like a car with an automatic transmission – easy to use. The Les Paul Junior had two knobs and one pickup. You didn’t need to control two volumes at the same time. It was the perfect guitar for the New York Dolls because it was stripped down – like the band was and like our songs were.”

As evidenced by the cover shot on the Dolls’ second album, Too Much Too Soon, Thunders played a 1955 Les Paul Special during the band’s early years. Later, his choice guitar became a ’59 Les Paul TV Junior, which, as Sylvain points out, had the simpler features of a single pickup, one volume control and one tone knob. The TV designation, incidentally, denoted the guitar’s color – a beautiful honey-yellow that was dazzling even when viewed on black and white television sets.

As Sylvain explained to Gibson.com’s Ted Drozdowski, it was he who first owned the TV model, which he swapped with Thunders for a Black Beauty. Sylvain later became closely associated with his trademark white Les Paul Custom.

Ironically, that very same white Les Paul Custom eventually fell into the hands of the Sex Pistols’ Steve Jones, another of the premier architects of punk guitar. Citing Ronson, Ron Wood, Free’s Paul Kossoff and the Dolls as influences, Jones used the previously Sylvain-owned guitar on the Sex Pistols’ Never Mind the Bollocks, one of the most ferociously sustained slabs of music ever committed to vinyl.

“Punk was extremely selective [with regard to influence],” Jones told Guitar World, in a 1995 interview. “Much value was placed on sifting through past musical styles in order to pick out the oft-overlooked cool stuff. Some artists, particularly The Cramps and The Clash, looked back to rockabilly – the original dangerous, anti-social music of the ’50s. Also very important were the ‘one-hit wonder’ garage bands of the mid-’60s: The Shadows of Knight, Blues Magoos, Electric Prunes, Count Five and similar bands.”

Punk is often thought to be a near-exclusively male phenomenon, but through the years, such female artists as Patti Smith, X’s Exene Cervenka and Joan Jett have proved that women can roar as loudly as men. Jett, in particular, has relied on a Gibson Melody Maker to create snarling, incendiary rock and roll throughout her career. In a 2010 interview, she told Gibson.com how she obtained her first beloved Melody Maker.

“My first real guitar was a Gibson Les Paul,” she said. “Once I was in The Runaways, I saved up some money and I got this beautiful blond Les Paul Deluxe and its pickups were reversed; the treble pickup was the bottom one which made the toggle switch in the right place for my hand.”

“It’s a heavy guitar, the Les Paul, and so I was actually looking for a lighter guitar as a number two,” she continued. “One of my roadies, at the time, had worked with Eric Carmen from The Raspberries and knew Carmen had a guitar he wanted to sell. It was a Gibson Melody Maker double-cutaway, California-style, and so I bought this guitar second hand. It turns out it was the guitar that played on ‘Go All the Way,’ The Raspberries hit; that’s my white guitar.”

Jett continued: “It had lots of coats of white paint and, as I would take it to the clubs, the paint would crack. So my guitar has the most incredible cracked finish. It’s all discolored from the smoke in the clubs, so it’s like a yellowed white and it’s got cracks in the shellac … and it’s just beautiful. And now, it’s off the road and it’s in a cedar closet being kept safe.”

Many people regard punk as one-dimensional, but by the early ’80s punk bands were adding sophisticated components to the sound. This evolution was especially evident in The Clash, who incorporated reggae, dub and even ratcheted-down tempos into their music. Still, no matter the stylistic detour, Clash guitarist Mick Jones relied on an array of Gibsons to craft his distinctive licks. “My first proper guitar was a Les Paul Junior,” Jones told Gibson.com, in 2006. “[On the first Clash album], I played it through a big 4x12 cabinet … kind of raw. I also had a great Les Paul Standard, a sunburst one. And then I had a black Custom, and a white Custom. And then the big white hollow-body for London Calling. But I still play the Juniors today.”

For those whose primary music pipeline was MTV, it probably seemed that punk rock was a spent force by the mid-’80s. Dominated by skinny-tie “New Romantics” and hair-metal bands, MTV’s first generation had little appetite for punk’s raw and unfettered visual countenance. Like a simmering volcano, however, punk lived on, its cinders kept aglow by the likes of The Replacements and Social Distortion. Riding shotgun to the ’90s grunge movement, Green Day propelled punk rock back into prime-time with such albums as 1994’s Dookie and 1995’s Insomniac.

In countless interviews, Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong has hailed Les Paul Juniors as an indispensable component of the band’s sound. “For me, I think that Les Paul Juniors have more of a rock and roll sound, because it’s the true sound of a guitar,” he told Gibson.com, in 2006. “The sound I go for is that really punchy, midrange kind of sound. The first time I ever picked up a Les Paul Junior – the one I call ‘Floyd’ – I plugged it in and [it captured] the sound that was in my head.”

More generally, Armstrong affirms an opinion widely held by the current generation of punk rockers; namely, that there’s nothing like a Gibson when it comes to creating classic, no-holds-barred rock and roll. “I love Les Paul Juniors,” he says, “and dog-ear ’50s P-90s are the punchiest pickup ever made. It is perfect for my style of playing. They’re dirty but have great string definition. Solid-body Gibsons are the perfect rock guitars.”

Full article at Gibson.com: HERE

MIKE DIRNT VISITS THE CAST OF 'AMERICAN IDIOT'

Brian — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 14:12:48 +0000

Nicci Claspell Tweeted a photo of Mike Dirnt with the cast of 'American Idiot' in Los Angeles last night. Check it out: HERE

'American Idiot' runs at the Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles until April 22. Check out ticket info: HERE.

BJAofficial: Check out Nurse Jackie this Sunday a 9pm on Showtime! Re-occurring roll?

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 06:22:54 +0000

BJAofficial: Check out Nurse Jackie this Sunday a 9pm on Showtime! Re-occurring roll?

FAMILIA HQ SKATEPARK

Brian — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 04:24:05 +0000

Check it: HERE

'AMERICAN IDIOT' COMING TO SAN JOSE

Brian — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 00:24:52 +0000

Green Day’s white hot Broadway smash American Idiot, the musical version of their eponymous rock opera, is coming to San Jose. The play was born at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre in 2009 under the direction of Tony Taccone in collaboration with the band.

Also debuting here are Rock of Ages, and the Tony-award winning musical Billy Elliot the Musical. The news came as part of the announcement by Broadway San Jose for their 2012-13 season which kicks off this fall.

Peter Pan and Blue Man Group round out the line-up for the organization’s fourth season in San Jose (see below for the complete schedule).

“We are very proud to be associated with the Center for the Performing Arts on the occasion of its 40th anniversary and honored to be partners in bringing Broadway’s best shows to San Jose. Congratulations on this important milestone and here’s to many more celebrations in the future,” said James L. Nederlander, president of The Nederlander Organization.

A large celebration is expected for the 40th anniversary of the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts, which opened its doors in April of 1972, and will continue to host the productions.

“San Jose deserves quality Broadway musicals and Broadway San Jose, a Nederlander partnership, delivers in the South Bay. San Jose has much to celebrate this year with Broadway San Jose’s fourth season and the 40th Anniversary of the Center for the Performing Arts,” said Bill Sherry, CEO of Team San Jose. “As a cultural venue in the heart of the downtown, the CPA has opened its doors to symphonies, ballets, musicals, and comedies, where our community has cried, laughed, and enjoyed thousands of performances.”

Full article at Stark Insider: HERE

BILLIE JOE MAKES DAVID LETTERMAN'S TOP 10

Brian — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 13:45:52 +0000

Watch David Letterman's Top 10 List from last night: HERE

ADRIENNE ARMSTRONG ANSWERS FANCLUB QUESTIONS

Brian — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 04:00:00 +0000

nicegirlsfinishlast86 asks: "What was it like making "The Boo"?

Adrienne: Making the Boo was super fun.. It was done over a weekend & we didn't practice at all.. Billie joe wrote the songs & had each of us come into our home studio where we did our part.. It was quick! We've only played the songs once or twice all together.

You can follow Adrienne's Twitter: HERE

NEW VIDEO

Brian — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:34:54 +0000

Green Day 4/4

Brian — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:15:36 +0000

Video Gallery:

Featured Videos

Exclusive: Green Day to Induct Guns N' Roses Into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

admin — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 21:04:30 +0000

Chris Rock, Carole King, Steven Van Zandt and Chuck D will also help induct the class of 2012

There's now one less mystery surrounding Guns N' Roses' entrance into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Green Day will deliver their induction speech. While Slash, Duff McKagan, Steven Adler, Matt Sorum and Dizzy Reed have all indicated they'll be present at the April 14th ceremony in Cleveland, Axl Rose and Izzy Stradlin have yet to publicly confirm their attendance. If Rose doesn't show, it's unlikely that the group will perform – and it's unclear whether or not Green Day will play in their place.

Green Day join an all-star group of speakers slated for the ceremony. Chris Rock is going to induct the Red Hot Chili Peppers alongside Bette Midler for Laura Nyro, Chuck D for the Beastie Boys, ZZ Top for Freddie King, Carole King for Don Kirshner, John Mellencamp for Donovan and Steve Van Zandt for Small Faces/Faces. Robbie Robertson will also be there to induct Cosimo Matassa, Tom Dowd and Glyn Johns, and Smokey Robinson will induct the Blue Caps, the Comets, the Crickets, the Famous Flames, the Midnighters and the Miracles.

The possibility of a Guns N' Roses reunion at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has intrigued fans of the group for many years. They haven't performed with drummer Adler since 1990, and Rose hasn't played with Slash since 1993. Rose currently tours with a new lineup of Guns N' Roses, though in recent years original members McKagan and Stradlin have sat in with the band on rare occasions.

"Everyone has been asking me what's going to happen [at the Hall of Fame]," Slash told Rolling Stone earlier this week. "And they know as much as I do. I feel you're totally obligated to be present and I would love to fucking play, but it's just something that's not gonna happen for whatever reason." Relations between Rose and Slash remain, to put it mildly, strained. "He hates my guts," says Slash. "It's over a lot of different stuff; I don't even know. There's just no communication between us. I talk to Duff and Steven, but when it comes to old Guns N' Roses, there really isn't anybody that makes decisions."

Read the original article at Rolling Stone

GREEN DAY - TEN BEST SONGS VIDEO

Brian — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 16:18:41 +0000

THE VOICE - UK

Brian — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 22:52:25 +0000

Watch contestant, Ross Wild, perform "Good Riddance" on The Voice UK: HERE

BIG LEBOWSKI DOES SYDNEY

Brian — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 19:22:42 +0000

What is your claim to fame?

At 17 I marched up to the lead singer of Green Day, Billie Joe Armstrong, at a club after a show and announced that I didn't know him or music, but my best friend did and had gone that night to their show and I'd like his autograph. His eyes shot open and he asked me whose music I did dig. I told him the Beatles and he told me that's why he got into music. We hung out till the sun came up and I learned that night that the worst anyone will say to you might be "piss off" or "no". But if they say yes .. It's been an ethos that's led me to launch several businesses, travel the world and rock out with some pretty cool people along the way.

Full article at The Sydney Morning Herald: HERE.

GREEN DAY, TOKIO HOTEL BATTLE FOR MUSICAL MARCH MADNESS CHAMPIONSHIP

Brian — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 15:55:12 +0000

It's a truly epic battle between two bands that have fought long and hard just to make it to this point: As reigning champs, Green Day entered the tourney with a target on their backs, and after pasting lesser foes the Decemberists and Lana Del Rey in the opening rounds, they faced their first true challenge in upset-minded "American Idol" fave James Durbin, who took them down to the wire. That was followed by an epic Elite 8 battle with another "Idol" alum, Adam Lambert, and a shoot-out with MMM heavyweights My Chemical Romance in the Final Four. And though they may be weary, with their run in 2012, Green Day have proven that, like all great champions, there's no foe they'll shy away from and no challenge too big. But do they have enough left in the tank to win one more?

The only thing standing in their way is Tokio Hotel, a band who basically only made the tournament based on their tremendous success in previous years (Final Four in 2010, Elite 8 last year). And they've definitely proven the selection committee's sage-like powers with their run in 2012, blasting everyone in their path. They ripped Arcade Fire and Muse in the first two rounds, destroyed underdogs F---ed Up in the Sweet 16, and then were victorious in a pair of record-busting battles: Besting longtime foes Coheed and Cambria in the Elite 8 and outgunning #1 Evanescence in the Final Four (and we mean outgunning ... there were more than 8 million votes cast in that one alone). Now, they stand on the precipice of their first-ever MMM championship ... they've just got to find a way to get by Green Day. Now if only their fans would stop bugging us about cheating.

Full article: HERE

Vote Green Day: HERE

ROCK EN SEINE FESTIVAL TICKETS ON SALE TOMORROW

Brian — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 15:36:31 +0000

Look for tickets to go on sale to Rock en Seine tomorrow (Tuesday) at 10am local European time. Ticket info: HERE

Q&A WITH ADRIENNE ARMSTRONG

Brian — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 15:13:52 +0000

From IdiotClub.com:

Adrienne Armstrong has been kind enough to answer 10 Idiot Club member questions! Login to the forum and post your best questions for Adrienne in the thread titled, "Q&A w/ Adrienne Armstrong" by 4/2/12 and we will send her the best 10 to answer! Get crackin'!

MTV MUSICAL MARCH MADNESS - FINAL 4

Brian — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 14:22:10 +0000

Green Day are up against My Chemical Romance in the Final 4 of MTV's Musical March Madness. Vote now until April 2nd to send Green Day to the finals: HERE

NEW VIDEO

Brian — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 02:31:05 +0000

Green Day 3/28

Brian — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 02:20:45 +0000

Video Gallery:

Featured Videos

LIVE STREAMING Q&A WITH TONY VINCENT

Brian — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:25:11 +0000

From Tony Vincent's Facebook: The Voice's Justin Hopkins and I are sorting out a live/streaming Q&A for tomorrow night thru http://www.ustream.com/. Sign up for an account if you want to be part of our first on-line pow-wow! (More Details coming...) Watch Tony's last performance on The Voice below:

GEORGE WENDT VISITS 'AMERICAN IDIOT'

Brian — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 20:27:03 +0000

Cheers to George Wendt who came out to see the Idiots in LA last night!

Follow 'American Idiot's Facebook page: HERE

STREAM 'THE THING THAT ATE LARRY LIVERMORE'

Brian — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 20:22:20 +0000

Today we're excited to start our running stream of The Thing That Ate Larry Livermore compilation with Adeline Records. The compilation, out May 29, features 16 upcoming pop-punk bands selected by Lookout Records founder Larry Livermore, and each of the 16 songs were recorded exclusively for this comp.

For today's pair of song streams, we have Dear Landlord's "Walking Distance" and Mixtapes' "Right Where To Find Me." Hit the replies to hear both of the songs, leave your thoughts and remember to come back next week for the next two songs streaming from the comp. By the May 29 street date, we'll have streamed the entire release! Head here to check out the Mixtapes and Dear Landlord pages of the zine that's being included with physical copies of the record.

Start streaming at Absolute Punk: HERE

NEW ISSUE OF KERRANG! MAGAZINE

Brian — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 18:34:01 +0000

The Ultimate Rock Quiz!

The stars set the questions. You provide the answers. How much do you really know about your favourite band?

Posters: Halestorm, You Me At Six, Falling In Reverse, You Me At Six, Attack Attack! and Black Stone Cherry!

More info at KERRANG!: HERE

GREEN DAY LOOK TO DEFEND THEIR TITLE

Brian — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 18:08:19 +0000

West Returning MMM champs Green Day look to move one step closer to defending their crown, as they draw upset-minded "American Idol" fave Adam Lambert in the West final. After sleepwalking through much of their Sweet 16 matchup with another "Idol-ite" (James Durbin), Green Day turned it on late and advanced. Lambert, on the other hand, has shocked pretty much everyone (except for his Glamberts, of course), and sped through each round with relative ease — his throttling of MMM faves Panic! at the Disco in the round of 16 was particularly impressive.

Can he march on to the Final Four? Or will Green Day show the heart of a true champion and advance? This one might be closer than most folks think, and, truly, it wouldn't surprise us to see Lambert pull off the upset of upsets here. Your move, Green Day fans.

Vote Green Day: HERE

Berlin, Germany Wuhlheide

Brian — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 23:12:54 +0000

Tour Date:

08-30-2012

Location:

Berlin, Germany

Venue:

Wuhlheide

Buy Link:

Ticket Info

Munchengladbach, Germany Hockey Park

Brian — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 23:12:22 +0000

Tour Date:

08-29-2012

Location:

Munchengladbach, Germany

Venue:

Hockey Park

Buy Link:

Ticket Info

KTLA - VAN HUGHES & "AMERICAN IDIOT"

Brian — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 23:01:35 +0000

Van Hughes, the lead singer for "American Idiot", was live today on KTLA to talk about the musical and give us a preview performance.

Watch the video: HERE

'AMERICAN IDIOT' NATIONAL TOUR CELEBRATES 100TH PERFORMANCE

Brian — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 15:06:07 +0000

The national tour of Green Day's "American Idiot" just opened in Los Angeles on March 14 at the Ahmanson Theatre. Original Broadway cast member Van Hughes stars as Johnny, a role in which he concluded the "American Idiot" Broadway run, along with original Broadway cast member Joshua Kobak as St. Jimmy, Jake Epstein as Will, Scott J. Campbell as Tunny, original Broadway cast member Leslie McDonel as Heather, Gabrielle McClinton as Whatsername and Nicci Claspell as The Extraordinary Girl.

The national tour of American Idiot celebrated its 100th performance on Friday, March 23 and you can check out photos from the festivities below!

"American Idiot" also features Talia Aaron, Krystina Alabado, Gabriel Antonacci, Larkin Bogan, Jennifer Bowles, Matt DeAngelis, Dan Gleason, Kelvin Moon Loh, Tommy McDowell, Jillian Mueller, Jarran Muse, Vince Oddo, and Okieriete Onaodowan.

Full article at Broadway World: HERE

NEW TOUR DATES - GERMANY

Brian — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 14:52:05 +0000

GREEN DAY with Angels and Airwaves and All Time Low

Wednesday, August 29 2012
Munchengladbach Hockey Park

Thursday, August 30 2012
Berlin Wuhlheide

Tickets on sale this Wednesday 9am local European Time: HERE

2012 MTV MUSICAL MARCH MADNESS - ROUND 3

Brian — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 14:41:13 +0000

After two rounds of upsets and upheaval, MTV's Musical March Madness has finally reached the Sweet 16, where things really start to get interesting.

Because at this point in the tournament, only the strong remain: Our last two champions are both still alive, as are the last two runners-up. There are the perennial powerhouses still looking for that elusive MMM title, and a few hard-to-kill underdogs, too, each hoping to shock the world.
But you've got to hurry; voting in all Sweet 16 matchups closes Tuesday, March 27, at midnight ET, and on Wednesday, the tournament moves to the Elite 8.

And since time is short, we're gonna cut right to the chase ... here's a look at all the Sweet 16 matchups in MMM 2012.

Vote Green Day in Round #3: HERE

SHOWTIME PREMIERES FIRST EPISODE OF 'NURSE JACKIE' ONLINE

Brian — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 14:14:31 +0000

Watch the full unedited version April 8th on Showtime.

PACINO AND PALS GO WILDE FOR SALOME

Brian — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 18:04:34 +0000

When Oscar Wilde visited San Francisco in 1882, his three-day presence caused a local sensation, with throngs of admirers mobbing him at every turn. Al Pacino, in town for the premiere of his Oscar Wilde-themed documentary, Wilde Salome, found his portrayal of the notorious author-performer to be similarly compelling – how else to explain the throngs which surrounded him from the Castro Theater to the Fairmont Hotel? San Francisco gets a little starstruck when new notables appear – those red carpets seem to compel the teensiest bit of green envy of our Angeleno brethren, or our New York cousins, or our Parisian pals. It’s just all so paparazzi-perfect, so flashbulb fantastic. So our little City was literally a-Twitter when the Pacino premiere also included designer Jean Paul Gaultier with burlesque idol Dita Von Teese, and appearances by local matinee idols Peter Coyote and Joan Chen. With lines of admirers snaking onto Market Street five deep, the high visibility arrivals caused a palpable frenzy San Franciscans normally reserve for French Laundry reservations or Burning Man tickets. As the suave Serpico was swept into the theater on the wave of an unexpected push of Pacinophiles, his publicist explained it to him as the local Sally Field treatment, “Wow, they REALLY like you.”

Once safely onstage in front of a house packed to the gilded rafters, Pacino could muse about his 1992 performance as King Herod which sparked his curiosity about Wilde, a fascination which grew into the self-described ‘obsession’ which propels the documentary forward. Wilde’s 1891 tragedy Salome, based on the biblical story of the woman who requests the head of John the Baptist in exchange for performing the Dance of the Seven Veils, was embroiled in controversy from the start. This film explores themes of attraction and compulsion, including Wilde’s doomed relationship to his lover Lord Alfred “Bosie” Douglas, as the stage play, film of the play, and ‘making of’ documentary all unfold. Pacino’s multiple roles as actor, director, investigator and provocateur reveal and refract, offering a glimpse into his character even as he considers the nature and downfall of the brilliant, self-destructive Wilde.

The nature of celebrity was even more evident at the exclusive afterparty held on the rooftop of the Fairmont Hotel. An eclectic mix of socials, cineastes, bon vivants and nonchalants gathered on the foggy terrace to consider their own Wilde oats amidst the Moroccan-Rat-Pack splendor of the spectacular Ben Swig Suite. Once the red-carpet crew arrived here, the thronging began anew, although coteries chose to swell and swoon around the film or the fashion folk. Gaultier admirers were eager to meet the congenial couturier whose retrospective exhibit at the deYoung has had the town scouring for sailor stripes and conical corsets for many months. The sartorial standard was set impossibly high in the company of vintage va-voom Dita Von Teese, her petite presence all the more commanding in five-inch Louboutins. With her flawless flick of eyeliner and meticulous half-moon manicure, her porcelain perfection played perfectly against Pacino’s rough-around-the-edges artiste. And how did she manage to wear her own version of a seventh veil as a halter hoisting her perfect poitrine and then gift wrap herself to knot a saucy bow on her bustle? Wilde – and Salome – would have approved of the effort.

But not everyone was worried about their inner aesthete. Watching the preenings and proceedings from a corner of the billiards room, Green Day drummer Tre Cool sunk lower into his rumpled black suit and black Converse hightop sneakers. “I didn’t really think about what to wear to this,” he mused aloud. “I’ve been working in this suit all day, it’s kind of sweaty,” he confessed. Which, given the way the sexy sophisticates were getting hot and bothered by the scene and the soiree, might have put him in some very Wilde company, indeed.

Full article at SF Wire: HERE