Neil Finn
Photo: Zoren Gold

It'll be a crowded house indeed when Neil Finn takes the stage in New Zealand next month for a series of all-star gigs set to feature Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder and members of Radiohead as special guests.

The former leader of pop group Crowded House will share the stage of the historic St. James Theatre in downtown Auckland for a five-date run (April 2-6) that will celebrate the release of Finn's second solo album, One Nil, which is slated for international release April 9. No U.S. release has been scheduled.

In addition to vocals from Vedder, guitarist Ed O'Brien and drummer Phil Selway of Radiohead will join Finn, as will former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr and former Soul Coughing bassist Sebastian Steinberg. Other guests include Tim Finn, Finn's brother and former Crowded House/Split Enz partner, and singer/songwriter Lisa Germano on vocals, piano and violin.

"The concept for these shows is to invite friends whose music I admire to collaborate with me in presenting a week-long musical extravaganza which I optimistically expect to be a blast," Finn said in a press release announcing the shows.

"Given a bit of preparation time and careful planning, it should go far beyond the sometimes token nature of one-off all star shows." All of the guests are slated to perform along with Finn for each of the concerts.

• Neil Finn
• Pearl Jam
• Radiohead
• The Smiths
• Lisa Germano

The Indigo Girls are tapping a host of female performers for a tour that promises to offer what Indigo Girl Amy Ray is calling "a socialist experiment in rock and roll."

Lisa Germano, Jane Siberry, Heart's Ann Wilson, Luscious Jackson's Kate Schellenbach, The Breeders' Josephine Wiggs, Mecca Normal's Jean Smith, Come's Thalia Zedek, Lourdes Perez, and Gail Ann Dorsey (who has played with David Bowie and Tears For Fears) will all be on board for the 12-date tour, which kicks off on August 19 in Portland, Maine. The Indigos are hoping for a harmonious convergence of the differing style and approaches represented by each of the artists who will share the stage. Or as Ray said in a statement released to announce the tour, the plan is to "gather a bunch of musicians from different musical genres who are relatively unfamiliar with each other… throw them on a tour bus together… drop them off at a rock club, and see what happens."

If you want to see what happens (and see opening acts Shonen Knife and Buffalo Daughter), here's where to look:

• 8/19 - Portland, Maine @ State Theater
• 8/20 - Burlington, Vermont @ Memorial Auditorium (w/Buffalo Daughter)
• 8/22 - Cleveland, Ohio @ The Agora (w/Buffalo Daughter)
• 8/24 - Detroit, Michigan @ State Theater (w/Buffalo Daughter)
• 8/25 - Chicago, Illinois @ The Riviera (w/Buffalo Daughter)
• 8/26 - Chicago, Illinois @ The Riviera (w/Buffalo Daughter)
• 8/27 - Milwaukee, Wisconsin @ Rave (w/Shonen Knife)
• 8/28 - Minneapolis, Minnesota @ First Avenue (w/Shonen Knife)
• 8/30 - Cincinnati, Ohio @ Bogart's (w/Shonen Knife)
• 9/1 - Norfolk, Virginia @ Boathouse (w/Shonen Knife)
• 9/2 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania @ Electric Factory (w/Shonen Knife)
• 9/3 - New York, New York @ Roseland

• Lisa Germano
• Heart
• The Indigo Girls
• Luscious Jackson
• Shonen Knife