50 Cent has launched a short tour to promote his major-label debut, Get Rich or Die Tryin', due February 11. The dates begin January 25 in Las Vegas and wrap February 16 in Baltimore. ...

Bobby Brown has been released from the hospital, according to his lawyer Xavier Dicks. While the nature of the singer's illness was not known at the time of his admittance Tuesday (see "Bobby Brown Moved From Jail To Hospital"), his lawyer said Brown had been experiencing chest pains. "They ran a few tests, and he's out now," Dicks said. "He looked okay to me." ...

Justin Timberlake, Brian McKnight, Jamie Foxx and others will face Nelly, Ice Cube, Mark McGrath, Tim McGraw and more in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game in Atlanta on February 7. The showdown will air live on TNT. ... Angie Martinez is expecting her first child in a few months. The Hot 97 radio personality/ recording artist is five months along, and Nokio from Dru Hill is the daddy, according to Martinez's label. While Angie talked on-air earlier this week about taking time off from hosting on the radio, she isn't going to stop making music — her spokesperson said she is expected to head back to the studio next month and begin recording her third album, which is due in stores before the end of 2003. ...

Lil' Kim has set a March 4 release date for her third album, La Bella Mafia, which features a guest appearance by Missy Elliott and production from Scott Storch (Busta Rhymes), Kanye West (Jay-Z) and Swizz Beatz (DMX). The first single, "The Jump Off," was produced by Timbaland and features Mr. Cheeks. ... Maybe Swizz Beatz should change his first name to "Swift," as he'll need to concoct music soundscapes at an even more feverish pace than usual. Besides scoring such movies as "Biker Boyz" and the sequels to "Charlie's Angels" and "Bad Boys," he has a whole new set of artists to make tracks for. On Wednesday (January 22), a joint venture deal between Swizz's Full Surface and Clive Davis' J Records was officially announced; among the acts the 24-year-old producer will be putting out are veterans Keith Sweat and Bounty Killer, newcomer Cassidy and multimedia personality Big Tigger. ...  

Even before a winner is decided in Super Bowl XXXVII, one man will be crowned prince of the pigskin ... the PlayStation2 pigskin, that is. The ninth annual Madden Bowl is set for Thursday in San Diego. At the tournament party, expected to be attended by members of 'NSYNC and Carmen Electra, eight NFL players will compete in Madden NFL 2003 and attempt to take the title from two-time retiring champ Jacquez Green. ...

Reel Big Fish, the Toasters and Voodoo Glow Skulls will headline the Ska Summit at the Desert Breeze Skate Park in Las Vegas on March 29. The Selector, Mustard Plug, Rx Bandits, Buck-O-Nine, Let's Go Bowling, the Skeletones and the Specials are also on the bill. ... A book on the life of punk forefather Joey Ramone, titled "I Slept With Joey Ramone," will be written by Joey's brother Mickey Leigh and Legs McNeil, author of the seminal punk tome "Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk." A retrospective from birth to death told through memoirs and anecdotes, the book is expected to be in stores by Christmas. ...

According to a post on the band's official Web site, the Dismemberment Plan have decided to break up. They plan to continue playing the shows they've booked this winter, and may add a few additional dates as a last outing. "We certainly still love to rock the stage, so we have talked about continuing to play irregular shows in D.C. or doing benefits for things we think are important," the band said. ...

The Blue Man Group will release their second album, The Complex, in April. Unlike the Grammy-nominated debut, the instrumental Audio, the percussive troupe's new one is a full-fledged rock effort, featuring collaborations with Dave Matthews, Tracy Bonham and producer extraordinaire Dan "The Automator" Nakamura. ... Steely Dan will follow up their Grammy-winning Two Against Nature with Everything Must Go on May 6. Walter Becker and Donald Fagen's 2000 album upset Eminem, Radiohead and others for Album of the Year. ...

01.21.03

Jay-Z was looking for love in all the right places over the weekend as he shot his video for "Excuse Me Miss." Jay, who was backstage with R. Kelly on Thursday at the Power 105.1 Powerhouse concert in New Jersey, filmed scenes for his video in the Garden State and New York with director Little X. In addition to members of the Roc-A-Fella camp, who will turn up in the clip dressed in suits, Neptunes hitmaker Pharrell Williams makes an appearance. ...

Madonna is slated to make her small-screen debut on an upcoming episode of "Will & Grace," according to an NBC spokesperson. Details about her character are still being worked out. The episode, which will tape in March, will air during the sweeps month of May. ... Hank Williams Jr.'s "Are You Ready For Some Football?" may have sufficed being played before ordinary games broadcast on ABC, but for the big game on Sunday, ol' Bocephus will get a little help from Kid Rock. The pair have recorded a new song, "Are You Ready for the Superbowl?," which will premiere just prior to Super Bowl XXXVII on ABC. ...

Lisa Marie Presley has set an April 8 release date for her debut album, To Whom It May Concern, on which Elvis' daughter wrote or co-wrote all of the material, with producers ranging from Glen Ballard to singer/songwriter Gus. "You're going to see who I really am and not what the tabloids say or whatever anyone has to say about me," Presley explained in a statement. ... Aside from her judging duties on "American Idol," Paula Abdul is writing songs for Kylie Minogue and other pop stars, and is recording her own comeback album. "My fans want to dance and that's what I want to do," she said. "It's going to be funky, but I'm doing a lot of different things, keeping it fresh." ...

The Donnas, Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Folk Implosion, Tortoise and a reunited Camper Van Beethoven are among the headliners scheduled for the 11th annual Noise Pop festival from February 25 to March 2 in San Francisco. A complete schedule, also featuring Cat Power, Hot Rod Circuitand No Knife, is available at www.noisepop.com. ... Raise a glass and keep the frat boys at bay, because the second annual Jagermeister Music Tour is back for a second round. The six-week tour, sponsored by the get-loose juice preferred by four out of five frat houses, will feature headliners Saliva and (hed) Planet Earth, as well as Breaking Benjamin, Systematic and Stereomud. The tour opens March 6 in Philadelphia, with last call coming April 20 in Detroit. Last year, the tour featured Drowning Pool, Coal Chamber and Ill Nino. ... Promoters have landed Thursday, Andrew W.K., the Used and Goldfinger, among others, for the third annual Skate and Surf Festival, set for April 25-27 at the Convention Center Complex in Asbury Park, New Jersey. The three-day concert will also feature a surf contest and skate and BMX exhibitions. ...

Common will release the Jill Scott collaboration "I Am Music" as the second single from his recently released Electric Circus. After a cameo in last fall's "Brown Sugar," the Chicago rapper is also hoping to star in a film this year. "I'm working on my acting chops right now 'cause I don't wanna be just a rapper trying to act," he said at last week's American Music Awards. ... Nivea will shoot the video for "Laundromat," the second single from her self-titled debut album, in Los Angeles this week with director Nzingha Stewart (Bilal, Common). "It was written and produced by R. Kelly, so that's pretty interesting," she said of the song at the AMAs. "It's a beautiful song, incredibly written and produced and I think people will love it." ...

Zakk Wylde has drafted Ozzy Osbourne to record vocals on one track from the next Black Label Society album, The Blessed Hellride. Ozzy sings on the song "Stillborn." ... Pitchshifter have announced that their March U.K. tour will be the band's last, and that the group will split up after the trek. Everyone involved has stressed that this decision isn't due to any rift within the camp, but rather because Pitchshifter have reached a natural end. The band will release a live album to coincide with these farewell shows. ... Cradle of Filth will release their new album, Damnation & a Day, through Epic on March 10. ...

Mainstays of the SoCal punk scene, NOFX, have begun to record their next album, titled The War on Errorism, the follow-up to 2000's Pump Up the Valuum. Prior to its release on May 6, the band will issue Regaining Unconsciousness on March 25. ... On Friday, teen R&B singer Mario pulled a muscle in his back while rehearsing for the video shoot of his next single, "C'mon." The injury forced him to cancel an appearance on an upcoming episode of "Showtime at the Apollo." Mario is recovering at home, and will proceed with his Erik White-directed video shoot on January 28. ...

Caricature artist Al Hirschfeld, whose good-natured pen-and-ink sketches of stars ranging from Madonna to Woody Allen to Aerosmith graced newspapers, magazines, Broadway playbills and album covers, passed away in his sleep on Monday at the age of 99. ... "Bodysong," the experimental film scored by Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood, will debut at the International Film Festival in Rotterdam on January 27. The movie tells the story of an archetypal human life using images taken from all around the world and the last 100 years of cinema. ...

• 50 Cent
• Justin Timberlake
• *NSYNC
• Lil' Kim
• Swizz Beatz

Usher might want to brush up on his etiquette and refresh his memory on "How to Serve Humans" when he makes an appearance on UPN's "The Twilight Zone." Filmed last week and scheduled to air November 6, the episode finds the R&B hottie as a cop intent on protecting a young prostitute from murder. ... N.E.R.D., Cee-Lo and DJ Shadow will perform at the second annual Shortlist Concert and Award Ceremony October 29 at the recently restored Henry Fonda Theatre in Hollywood. The three performing acts, along with Aphex Twin, the Avalanches, Björk, the Doves, the Flaming Lips, the Hives and Zero 7, are vying for the Shortlist Prize for Artistic Achievement in Music. ...

Stone Sour drummer Joel Ekman fractured his wrist in a fall last week during a show in Toledo, Ohio. The sticksmith with be replaced by ex-Megadeth member Jimmy DeGrasso for shows over the next two or three weeks. ... Reel Big Fish escaped a burning tour bus unharmed on Saturday morning thanks to their driver, who alerted the sleeping group and crew members that the bus was on fire while they were parked at a truck stop in Missouri. The cause of the fire remains unknown, and the band will continue the tour to promote their album, Cheer Up. ...

The release date for Rob Zombie's long-delayed feature film debut, "House of 1,000 Corpses," has been pushed back yet again. The low-budget horror flick is now scheduled for a March release. ... Meanwhile, the persistent pushing-back of Zombie's We're a Happy Family can't be making too many Ramones fans cheery. The tribute album, with contributions from Eddie Vedder, Rancid and Metallica, is now also expected to drop in March, following previously scheduled release dates in December, November, and August. ...

Toad the Wet Sprocket will fire up their engines again on December 10 when the beloved Santa Barbara, California, band opens a show for the Counting Crows at the Universal Amphitheatre in Universal City, California. The group, which broke up in 1998, has also signed up for a five-show opening stint at the Warfield in San Francisco (December 16, 17, 20, 21 and 22) and, according to their manager, a 20-city headlining reunion tour is in the works for February. ... NBA star Walt Williams will release his first album, The Insight of a Wizzard, Tuesday on his new label, Big Wad Entertainment. The record will feature Big Wad's roster of producers and rappers, including J Stretch, Beware and Hydro Hassan. ...

Korn's show earlier this year at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom, which was broadcast live in theaters across the country, is now coming to the small screen on DVD. "Korn Live," due November 19, will feature all 16 tracks performed at the show, including "Got the Life" and "Here to Stay." ... Also due on November 19 is "The Best of Bowie DVD," a two-disc collection with more than 45 videos from pioneering rocker David Bowie. Along with such classic clips as "Space Oddity," "Let's Dance," "China Girl," "Modern Love," "Blue Jean" and "Ziggy Stardust" are rare live and television performances of "Queen Bitch," "Five Years," "Starman," "Rebel Rebel" and "Young Americans." ...

Grammy Award-winning composer, arranger and bandleader Ray Conniff, 85, died Saturday at Palomar Medical Center in Escondido, California, after falling and hitting his head, according to the Associated Press. Conniff, who created easy-listening classics such as "Somewhere My Love," is survived by his wife and daughter. ... Radio legend Horace Logan, 86, died Sunday of complications from pancreatitis and acute respiratory distress syndrome, his wife told the Associated Press. Logan coined the catchphrase "Elvis has left the building" and started the country music program "Louisiana Hayride'' at KWKH-AM in Shreveport, Louisiana, when he was 16. ...

10.11.02

Good Charlotte will drag their young and hopeless selves onto the road beginning October 15 with a gig at the Showplace in Buffalo, New York. The month-long, 24-date headlining tour is scheduled to wrap up at Tabu in Orlando, Florida, on November 15. ... "American Idol" finalist Tamyra Gray will make her acting debut with in a four-episode arc on Fox's "Boston Public" during the February sweeps period. Gray will portray a student at the fictional Winslow High School, and it was not announced whether she will sing on any of the episodes. ... The White Stripes will bring some family values to "Saturday Night Live" on October 19. The Detroit duo are scheduled to be the musical guests on the show, which will be hosted by Sen. John McCain, according to a spokesperson for the group. ...

Justin Timberlake, Ja Rule, Mariah Carey, India.Arie, Jill Scott, Elton John and others will honor Stevie Wonder at BET's eight annual Walk of Fame induction ceremony, which is taping October 19 in Washington, D.C. and airing October 29. Jamie Foxx is hosting the event, which has recognized Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston and Boyz II Men in past years. ... Jackson, meanwhile, has invited more than 200 Air Force members and their families to spend Saturday (October 12) at his Neverland Ranch in California. The King of Pop wanted to thank the soldiers for serving overseas as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. ...

Master P won the rights to TheNewNoLimitRecords.com in a cybersquatting arbitration against Divine Mafa (doing business as The New No Limit Records Inc.). The ruling said that Mafa, who allegedly tried to sell the name to P, registered the Web address in bad faith. There was no finding of bad faith with regard to the domain PMillerCollection.com. Click here to see the National Arbitration Forum's decision. ...

Erykah Badu and Common will join the D.O.C. and Russell Simmons at the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network's latest gathering on Friday (October 11) and Saturday in Dallas. Past summits have been held in New York and Los Angeles. ... A DVD filmed at last year's Farm Aid just days after September 11 will be released November 19. "A Concert for America" features performances from Dave Matthews, John Mellencamp, Neil Young and others. ... Dreamstreet's Chris Trousdale and Myra and a host of young television stars have recorded holiday classics for School's Out! Christmas, due October 29. Evan Rachel Wood ("Once and Again") and Ashlee Simpson ("7th Heaven") are among the thespians showing off their vocal skills on the disc. ...

Rocket Man Elton John will send out a time capsule of his tops of the pops, from "Your Song" to "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore," on the two-disc set Greatest Hits 1970 - 2002, due November 12. Among the other tracks slated for the collection are "Daniel," "Tiny Dancer," "Candle in the Wind," "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" and "Nikita." ... Due the same day is Travelogue - Blues Traveler Classics, a collection of favorites such as "Gina," "But Anyway," "Run-Around" and "Carolina Blues." ... Just in time for the giving of the thanks, Funked Up: The Very Best of Parliament spans George Clinton & Co.'s Chocolate City/Casablanca years with classics such as "Bop Gun," "Flash Light," "All Your Goodies Are Gone," "Give Up the Funk" and "Aqua Boogie." The disc is due November 5. ...

The Strokes and former Pavement bassist Mark Ibold came out to show support for Australian quartet You Am I at New York's Mercury Lounge Tuesday on the second date of the 13-year-old band's seven-date U.S. tour (four shows find them opening for the Strokes), its first in four years. While the band is looking to secure a major-label deal for a new album, SpinART is in negotiations to domestically release their latest, Deliverance, which dropped in Australia last week. ... NYC anti-folk duo the Moldy Peaches are releasing individual solo albums. Kimya Dawson's I'm Sorry That Sometimes I'm Mean is set for release November 5, while Adam Green's Garfield is slated for October 22. Green kicks off a tour October 17, opening for Badly Drawn Boy until November 8, and the Strokes from Nov 9-17. ...

Bob Dylan, Billy Joel and James Taylor filed a lawsuit against Vivendi Universal-owned MP3.com Inc. for copyright infringement. Although MP3.com has settled suits with the five major label groups by May 2000, the artists can still sue over previous cases of infringement to the tune of $150,000 per instance. ... If you've always yearned for a refrigerator personalized by '80s rocker Billy Idol, you'd better hurry up and get over to eBay and bid on one in the "Art of the Appliance" auction. Idol, along with BMXer Mat "The Condor" Hoffman and racing legend Mario Andretti, have customized refrigerators for a charity auction ending Saturday (October 12), with Idol's benefiting the Muscular Dystrophy Association and bearing a caricature of the singer with the words "rock and roll" substituted for his signature spiky hair. ...

Can they make up their minds already? Practically moments after settling first on Cockstar and then on Motordog, the new band featuring Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx, L.A. Guns guitarist Tracii Guns, Adema drummer Kris Kohls, former Mötley Crüe vocalist John Corabi and a frontman named London have changed their name again, this time to Brides of Destruction. ... Taking a page from the Phish career guide, funk jam act Deep Banana Blackout have announced that they are going on an "extended hiatus." The eight-person collective, formed in 1995, still has more than a dozen dates left on its End of Party outing and will cease touring for an indefinite period after that. ...

Unwritten Law have severed ties with Interscope Records and are currently searching for a new label. ... Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony again joined former VH frontman Sammy Hagar and his band the Waboritas onstage earlier this week, according to his Web site. Anthony and the band ran through several Hagar-era Van Halen hits, including "Best of Both Worlds," "When It's Love," "Right Now" and "Dreams" at the Cabo Wabo Cantina in Mexico. ... Following in the footsteps of Tommy Lee, Nelly and Disturbed's David Draiman, Korn singer Jonathan Davis recently became a Playboy "celebrity photographer," shooting pictures of his fiancée, former porn star Deven. "There's nothing better than shooting your chick naked," Davis told Playboy.com.

• Usher
• N.E.R.D.
• Stone Sour
• Rob Zombie
• DJ Shadow

Bad Religion
Photo: Atlantic

Bad Religion and NOFX are among the bands set to warp under the summer sun, as the Vans Warped Tour has lined up an itinerary for its annual trek.

The summer tour staple will hit 46 cities, beginning June 21 in Nampa, Idaho, according to tour organizers. Following a string of Midwest dates, the punk-rock caravan travels south to Texas and Arizona before visiting California in early July. From there, it takes a northern route across the country and dips into the Southeast. The remainder of the scheduled 48 shows — consecutive bills are slated for Los Angeles and San Francisco — wind down in the Northeast and wrap up in Detroit, Michigan, on August 18.

In addition to Bad Religion and NOFX, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, New Found Glory, Lagwagon, Reel Big Fish, Alkaline Trio and Something Corporate are also on board to perform on one of Warped's stages (see "Warped Tour '02 To Feature Bad Religion, NOFX, New Found Glory, More"). Recent additions to the roster include Boy Sets Fire, Gob, Guttermouth, Riddlin Kids, the Damned, the Start, Tiger Army and Ultimate Fakebook.

Among new features for fans on this year's outing, is the Pirate Zone, a mini-water park of sorts which lets contestants take aim at artists perched in a dunk tank. Warped Are They Now? displays memorabilia from eight years of the tour, and those who think they beat their skins the fastest can put their percussion to the test in the Extreme Drumming tent, which is looking for the fastest drummer in the world.

Last year's tour featured Blink-182, Rancid, D12, Jimmy Eat World and Thursday, among others (see "Warped Tour Opener: Rancid, Pennywise, Shabby Sound, Trashed Goodie Bags").

Vans Warped Tour '02 schedule, according to organizers:

• 6/21 - Nampa, ID @ Idaho Center
• 6/22 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Utah State Fairpark
• 6/23 - Brighton, CO @ Adams County Fairgrounds
• 6/25 - Omaha, NE @ Westfare Amphitheater Lot
• 6/26 - Maryland Heights, MO @ Riverport Amphitheater Lot
• 6/27 - Bonner Springs, KS @ Sandstone Ampitheatre Lot
• 6/28 - Dallas, TX @ TBD
• 6/29 - Houston, TX @ TBD
• 6/30 - San Antonio, TX @ TBD
• 7/2 - Peoria, AZ @ Peoria Sports Complex
• 7/3 - Chula Vista, CA @ Coors Amphitheatre Lot
• 7/5 - Las Vegas, NV @ Thomas & Mack Center Lot
• 7/6 - Soda Springs, NV @ Boreal Ski Area
• 7/7 - Tulare, CA @ Tulare County Fairgrounds
• 7/10 - Los Angeles, CA @ Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
• 7/11 - Los Angeles, CA @ Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
• 7/12 - Ventura, CA @ Seaside Park
• 7/13 - San Francisco, CA @ Pacific Bell Park Parking Lot
• 7/14 - San Francisco, CA @ Pacific Bell Park Parking Lot
• 7/17 - Calgary, AB @ Race City Speedway
• 7/19 - Vancouver, BC @ Thunderbird Stadium
• 7/20 - George, WA @ The Gorge
• 7/22 - Billings, MT @ Oscar Park Amphitheater
• 7/23 - Fargo, ND @ Fargodome Field
• 7/24 - Milwaukee, WI @ Marcus Amphitheatre Lot
• 7/25 - Noblesville, IN @ Verizon Wireless Music Center
• 7/26 - Cleveland, OH @ Nautica Stage
• 7/27 - Tinley Park, IL @ Tweeter Center
• 7/28 - Minneapolis, MN @ Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Parking Lot
• 7/30 - Columbus, OH @ PromoWest Pavilion
• 7/31 - Cincinnati, OH @ Firstar Center
• 8/1 - Atlanta, GA @ HiFi Buys Amphitheatre
• 8/2 - Orlando, FL @ Central Florida Fairgrounds
• 8/3 - Miami, FL @ Pompano Field
• 8/4 - Tampa, FL @ USF Soccer Field
• 8/5 - Jacksonville, FL @ Jacksonville Raceways
• 8/6 - Charlotte, NC @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Charlotte
• 8/7 - Virginia Beach, VA @ Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheatre Lot
• 8/8 - Bristow, VA @ Nissan Pavilion Lot
• 8/9 - Camden, NJ @ Tweeter Center at the Waterfront
• 8/10 - New York, NY @ Randalls Island
• 8/11 - Asbury Park, NJ @ Asbury Park Lot
• 8/13 - Pittsburgh, PA @ TBA
• 8/14 - Buffalo, NY @ La Salle Park
• 8/15 - Boston, MA @ Suffolk Downs
• 8/16 - Montreal, QC @ Parc Des Illes
• 8/17 - Barrie, ON @ Molson Park
• 8/18 - Detroit, MI @ Comerica Park

• Bad Religion
• NOFX
• Mighty Mighty Bosstones
• New Found Glory
• Reel Big Fish

Reel Big Fish
Photo: Jeff Bender

Can't make it out to Southern California this summer? Fear not — Reel Big Fish and Goldfinger are bringing Orange County to your backyard. Both groups, along with a rotating quintet of opening bands, will embark on the Crouching Fish, Hidden Finger Tour beginning July 13 in Philadelphia, according to a spokesperson for the trek. The month-long outing, which marks the first time the ska-punk stalwarts will hit the road together in more than four years, intends to visit 24 more cities before winding down August 11 in Los Angeles.

Priming the crowd for the pogofest will be fellow Southern Californians Zebrahead, Rx Bandits and Homegrown, the latter of whom have been tapped to open all the tour dates. The supporting cast is rounded out by Chicago's Mest and Long Island, New York's the Movielife. Along with Homegrown, the Movielife recently inked a deal with Drive-Thru Records, the indie home of New Found Glory and Rx Bandits, according to a label spokesperson. New albums by Homegrown and the Movielife are expected next year.

Reel Big Fish and Goldfinger will be touring in support of their most recent albums, last year's Everything Sucks and Stomping Ground, respectively. Both bands have been working on material that the spokesperson said would be test-driven on the road.

The Crouching Fish, Hidden Finger itinerary, according to a tour spokesperson: Dates with Homegrown, Rx Bandits and Zebrahead opening:

• 7/13 - Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
• 7/14 - Boston, MA @ Avalon
• 7/15 - Asbury Park, NJ @ Convention Hall
• 7/17 - New York, NY @ Roseland Ballroom
• 7/18 - TBA
• 7/19 - Atlanta, GA @ TBA
• 7/20 - Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live
• 7/21 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Chili Pepper
• 7/22 - St. Petersburg, FL @ Jannus Landing
• 7/24 - New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues
• 7/25 - Dallas, TX @ Deep Ellum Live
• 7/26 - Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theatre
• 7/27 - Omaha, NE @ Anchor Inn

• 7/28 - Chicago, IL @ Congress Theatre
• 7/29 - Minneapolis, MN @ Quest Club
• 7/31 - Cleveland, OH @ Nautica Stage

• 8/1 - Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart's
• 8/2 - Detroit, MI @ TBA
• 8/3 - Indianapolis, IN @ Egyptian Room @ Murat Centre
• 8/4 - Ft. Wayne, IN @ Allen County Memorial Coliseum
• 8/5 - St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
• 8/7 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Fairgrounds Building
• 8/8 - Phoenix, AZ @ The Web Theatre
• 8/9 - Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
• 8/10 - Anaheim, CA @ Sun Theatre
• 8/11 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Palace

• Reel Big Fish
• Goldfinger
• Zebrahead

If pop music is due for an '80s metal revival, those wacky kids in Reel Big Fish will be the first ones to welcome it back with open arms.

The band's video for "The Set Up," the first single off of their upcoming album "Why Do They Rock So Hard" (due October 20), is an homage to the finer points of the glam metal performance clips that thrived during the mid-to-late '80s.

However, when the group stopped by MTV recently, they seemed more impressed by colorful bits of paper than by any of the other headbanging conventions used in the clip.

"There are 70 lbs. of confetti in the video," trumpet player/vocalist Scott Klopfenstein told MTV News. guitarist/vocalist Aaron Barrett added proudly.

"We've got a giant mummy head that blows smoke, yeah," Klopfenstein elaborated.

"With red eyes. We've got the rotating drum set with barbed wire, and I've got a different guitar in every shot," Barrett boasted.

"He dies," Klopfenstein added. "Did I mention there was confetti?" [28.8 RealVideo]

The power of 70 lbs. Of confetti was on display Sunday night when "The Set Up" made its debut on "120 Minutes."

If you'd rather see Reel Big Fish in person, here's where you can find them:

• 10/5 - Burlington, VT @ Club Toast
• 10/6 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
• 10/7 - State College, PA @ Crowbar
• 10/8 - Cleveland, OH @ Odeon Concert Club
• 10/9 - Rochester, NY @ Institute Of Technology
• 10/10 - Oswego, NY @ SUNY / Oswego
• 10/11 - Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall
• 10/13 - Milwaukee, WI @ Rave
• 10/14 - Chicago, IL @ House Of Blues
• 10/15 - St. Louis, MO @ Mississippi Nights
• 10/16 - Tulsa, OK @ Cain's Ballroom
• 10/17 - Austin, TX @ Liberty Lunch
• 10/18 - San Antonio, TX @ White Rabbit
• 10/20 - Las Vegas, NV @ Joint
• 10/21 - Tempe, AZ @ Gibson's
• 10/23 - Hollywood, CA @ Palladium
• 10/31 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Gateway Clipper
• 11/1 - West Palm Beach, FL @ Coral Sky Amphitheatre

• Reel Big Fish

Reel Big Fish played a surprise show last Wednesday night at the Troubadour in Los Angeles and debuted a handful of new songs, including "Everything Is Cool," "I Wish I Were Dead" and "Scott's a Dork."

But aside from performing material off of their current CD, "Turn the Radio Off," Reel Big Fish never considers a show complete without playing an assortment of covers, including A-Ha's "Take on Me," a number the band, with tongue firmly in cheek, claims to have repatriated from the '80s Norwegian group.

"Actually Tavis," joked Scott Klopienstein to MTV Radio Network, "Our second trumpet player, he actually wrote the song years and years ago and through something political lost all publishing rights to those Norwegian guys in A-Ha through some international incident that we can't comment about because it's still in courts." [130k Audio]

"C'mon, man, you think some Norwegian band could write a song that good?" inquired vocalist and guitarist Aaron Barrett, rationalizing his bandmate's tall tale. "That's a great old American pop song." [130k Audio]

Reel Big Fish plans to start work on their next album in May.

• a-ha
• Reel Big Fish

Matt Wong, the bass player for Reel Big Fish, will have to sit out the band's current headlining tour for the next few weeks.

Wong, who had been feeling "under the weather" for a few days, was hospitalized on Monday, diagnosed with appendicitis. The musician went directly into surgery and is said to be "recovering nicely."

Wong is expected to be recuperating at home in California for the next few weeks while Anna from Pilfers (one of the opening bands on the tour) takes over bass duties.

Get-well cards can be sent care of the band's management to:

Milano Music 745 West Katella Avenue Orange, CA 92867

• Reel Big Fish

November 14 [16:00 EDT] -- You'd think Reel Big Fish would have no problem finding a location on its southern California home turf to shoot a video, but the band was left high and dry by Huntington Beach High School.

Of course, the reasons that the band was denied permission to shoot in the school are up for debate. For its next video, "She Has A Girlfriend Now," the band wanted to set the scene at a 1980s prom, and hoped to shoot in the high school, which houses a performing arts school and has hosted numerous film and television shoots in the past. The group then submitted a script of the video and a lyrics sheet to school officials for their review.

Reel Big Fish and Huntington Beach School Superintendent Ronald G. Bennett have differing views of what happened next.

The band claims that they were told that they were denied permission to shoot in the school because of the song's "lyrical content," which tells the tale of a guy whose girlfriend realizes she is gay.

However, Bennett claims that he had reservations about the shoot not because of the band's lyrics, but rather because of a script that he read for the video. He claims his concerns were with the clip's plot, which featured a "nerdy" student killing off classmates to increase his chances of being elected prom king. Bennett says his concerns were solely with what he saw as violent content within the video.

"I asked myself, 'Is this the kind of quality programming we can be proud of?'" Bennett told MTV News.

The Reel Big Fish camp says that frontman Aaron Barrett does indeed play a nerdy prom-king-wannabe in the video, but that the violence in the video is "Gilligan's Island-cheeky." A spokesperson for the band went on to say that the video could in no way be construed as violent or malicious.

The band eventually found a home for its shoot, and filmed the video at the Tustin Boys and Girls Club. They say the $5,000 space rental fee they paid the club helped the organization pay for much-needed repairs.

The video will be delivered to MTV on Monday, the same day that Reel Big Fish will offer a ska version of the National Anthem before a Monday Night Football game between the Miami Dolphins and the Buffalo Bills.

• Reel Big Fish

September 25 [16:00 EDT] -- So how do you celebrate when you find out that your album just went gold?

If you're Reel Big Fish, you sign a record deal with the folks who helped you get there.

When the band rolled into New York last week to play Irving Plaza, RBF celebrated its gold status after the show by finally inking a deal with Mojo Records, who released the band's debut, "Turn Off The Radio," last year without signing the band to a deal.

The band made it official in true lottery-winner fashion when they received an oversize check, which Mojo Record's president signed only as "Darth Vader." Mojo also noted on the check's memo line that the payment was "for selling out," allusion to the band top ten modern rock hit that has helped to spark sales of the album.

The band had little time to celebrate as they have a heavy slate of dates booked through October with MXPX and Save Ferris. After wrapping up this leg of touring, the band will head back to its native California to shoot a video for its next single, "She Has A Girlfriend Now."

• Reel Big Fish

August 22 [7:55 EDT] -- The Cali ska band Reel Big Fish walked off stage in mid-set during a Warped tour show in New Jersey recently because the group felt too many fans were getting hurt moshing.

While moshing and stage diving were a standard feature at most Warped stops, the band says it's an aspect of modern concert behavior they can do without.

"We don't like stage diving and half the time people, when people come up and dance on stage with us, they end up knocking over half of our mics," Fish trumpeter Tavis Werts told MTV News.

"There's a lot of us on stage," guitarist/vocalist Aaron Barret noted.

"(They're) running into the bells we play and tearing our lip in half," Werts added.

Barret concluded.

The band has since wrapped up its Warped experience, and will now launch its own tour on Saturday with a show at the Hollywood Paladium that will in part be a benefit for the Children's Hospital of Orange County (RBF's home turf).

Fans can also catch Reel Big Fish covering "Hungry Like Wolf" on an upcoming Duran Duran tribute album. The collection, which will also feature tracks from Goldfinger, the Deftones, and the esteemed ABBA revival group Bjorn Again, will arrive on October 7.

• Reel Big Fish

Paramore, My Chemical Romance, The Bravery, More At Bamboozle Left 2008

• Paramore
• My Chemical Romance
• The Bravery
• Chiodos
• Rx Bandits