Constantine Maroulis in "Rock of Ages"
Photo: MTV News

History has not been kind to the hair-metal era of the late 1980s.

It was a time of leather and strategically ripped denim, of bangles and hoop earrings, of pumping fists and devil horns, of eyeliner and rouge. It was a time when women lusted after men who wore more hairspray, makeup and jewelry than they did. It was a time when Poison, Mötley Crüe, Whitesnake and Warrant ruled the charts, and bands with names like the Bang Tango, Britny Fox, Kix and Faster Pussycat were almost considered cool.

It was a time of glorious cheesiness. It was, to quote a hit of the era, nothin' but a good time.

So it was just a matter of time before somebody made a hair-metal musical, right?

In theory, it sounds awful. And by all rights, it should be. But the hilarious "Rock of Ages" — a new musical that revels in the cheese of the era, tacking a corny plot to anthems of the era by Whitesnake, Journey, Twisted Sister, Poison, Foreigner, Night Ranger and many others — gets it just right by laughing at itself as hard as its audiences do. It's not just your typical cheesy off-Broadway musical. It's your typical cheesy off-Broadway musical on steroids. (Imagine a hair-metal "Mamma Mia.")

It's got mullets, bimbos, spandex, a sleazy club owner and wannabe rockers galore. Not cheesy enough? It's even got "American Idol" castoff Constantine Maroulis in a lead role.

"Let's set the scene," he says. "1987, Sunset Strip, lots of big dreams, lots of big guitars, big hair, stripper poles, naked chicks, really funny characters ... and two dreamers move to L.A. and try to make it big."

The plot centers on (you guessed it) a boy, Drew, and a girl, Sherrie, with dreams of making it big in the music business, moving to Hollywood in the late '80s and working at a rock club on the Sunset Strip (a winking stand-in for the Whisky a Go Go). The two fall for each other, but wait! Starstruck Sherrie has a seedy one-night stand (in the club restroom) with sinister superstar Stacee Jaxx, who then promptly forgets her. Discouraged, she and Drew lose sight of their dreams; she becomes a stripper, he joins a wack rap combo. Then, the club is about to be demolished to make way for condos! All seems lost!

You'll never guess how it plays out.

And in case the plot gets a little too complicated — which is pretty much an impossibility — a narrator is there to help the story along. And he takes his job very seriously.

"The narrator, it's an ancient rock-and-roll device used back in the day to involve the crowd," said Mitchell Jarvis, the mulleted, Jack Black-channeling narrator. "Because a lot of time the music and the lyrics are so complicated that you need that layman's voice."

The plot is so filled with winks that everyone in the house is in on the joke. But what really makes the show, believe it or not, is the music. The extroverted nature of the songs translates beautifully to a Broadway setting, and anyone who doesn't walk out of the theater with respect for the craft of "Here I Go Again" or "Don't Stop Believin' " has no sense of fun. Adding to the ambience, the theater is loaded with concert posters from the era, fake lighters are distributed along with the programs, and — not insignificantly — alcohol is served.

"It's kind of like the anti-Broadway musical," says Will Swenson, who steals the show as Stacee Jaxx. "It's super-interactive with the crowd, people are ordering drinks and singing along with the songs."

"What we've done is taken those '80s bands and theatricalized them and put them into a musical with a really big plot," says Kelli Barrett, who plays Sherrie. "Rock and roll for us is the priority. It's a light show, we've got the hazer fog, and we've got an amazing band."

For those reasons and many others, "Rock of Ages" works much better than it should. As Jarvis says, "The magic happens when I put this mullet on and go out there and do my thing."

• 'Rock Of Ages' Is The 'Anti-Broadway Musical'

• Constantine Maroulis
• Whitesnake
• Poison

Beyoncé (file)
Photo: Getty Images

A New York Supreme Court judge said "no, no, no" to Beyoncé this week. The Destiny's Child singer was ordered to pay the Wilhelmina modeling agency a hefty sum after the judge ruled that she had failed to honor her contract with the company when she didn't pay them a commission and service fee for setting up a deal with L'Oreal in 2001. Wilhelmina's president, Sean Patterson, said the singer "just got some bad advice" from her lawyers. A spokesperson for Beyoncé could not be reached for comment at press time. The judgment is still being calculated, but Patterson estimated that it would be between $1 million and $1.8 million. ...

The 48th annual Grammy Awards will be held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on February 8, organizers announced on Wednesday (June 8). The CBS-broadcasted show returns to its traditional Wednesday slot after airing on a Sunday the last three years. Nominations will be announced on December 7. ... Hilary Duff has been tapped to be the face of Candie's fall ad campaign. The teen queen will be promoting the launch of the company's new junior division clothing line, which will be sold exclusively in Kohl's department stores. "I am so excited to be the new Candie's girl! There have been so many cool people that have done [their] ads in the past, and I feel like I am in good company with a lot of really cool people," said the singer/actress, who will be joining the ranks of former Candie's spokespeople Kelly Clarkson, Dixie Chicks and Destiny's Child. ...

The cancellation of the Zooma Tour left artists like Ben Harper with wide-open schedules. Rather than spend his summer in the backyard barbecuing, though, he's going to embark on a U.S. and Canadian tour. Harper's trek kicks off on July 12 in Vancouver, British Columbia, and hits 15 cities before wrapping up on August 1 in Atlanta. After the outing, Harper will head into the studio to work on his next album. ...

It's not impossible to imagine the Flaming Lips as the house band at, say, a cantina on Mars. But on a Carnival Cruise Line ship? Well, starting this October, that's just what they'll be, serving as the headlining act on the inaugural Xingolati Groove Cruise. The event, aboard the Carnival Paradise liner, is a four-day jaunt from Los Angeles to Ensenada, Mexico, where the ship will be transformed into a floating music festival. The Lips will perform a set in the ship's main auditorium, screen their recent career-spanning DVD, "The Fearless Freaks," and host the first-ever "Pacific Ocean Zaireeka Party," a playing of their obscure, 1997 four-disc album that requires four boom boxes to play. Other acts along for the trip include G. Love and Special Sauce and Medeski, Martin & Wood. The cruise sets sail on October 14. ... In support of their just-released album, Man-Made, Scottish rockers Teenage Fanclub are planning their first Stateside trip in four years. The group, which in its 16-year career has only ever made a handful of U.S. appearances, will kick off a 14-date tour on July 18 in Carrboro, North Carolina, and will finish up August 8 in San Diego. ...

Lit's A. Jay and Jeremy Popoff suffered a tragic loss this weekend when their parents were involved in a fatal motorcycle accident. Their mother, Sheri Suglia, and their stepfather, Kerry Suglia, were cruising down the Ortega Highway in Lake Elsinore, California, after a visit with the brothers when their motorcycle was struck by a drunk driver in an SUV. Kerry was killed on impact, while Sheri is in critical condition after suffering multiple injuries. A memorial fund has been established in their stepfather's name, and you can leave messages of support for A. Jay and Jeremy and their family on the band's Web site, litlounge.com. ...

David Coverdale is joining Whitesnake on the road this summer for a world tour. "I'm back with a mission," Coverdale said. "It's an appropriate time to reintroduce good, uplifting, positive rock and roll." The U.S. leg of the tour — which will feature such Whitesnake hits such as "Here I Go Again" and "Is This Love" as well as early material from Coverdale's other band, Deep Purple — kicks off June 22 in Seattle and wraps July 30 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The tour coincides with a new live DVD out in early July, "Whitesnake: The Rock & Roll, Rhythm & Blues Show," recorded in October at London's Hammersmith Apollo. ... Taproot have set an August 16 release date for their next album, Blue Sky Research. Toby Wright (Korn) produced the LP, and Billy Corgan and Gratitude's Jonah Matranga contributed lyrics. ...

06.07.2005

In this week's episode of "Britney and Kevin: Chaotic," not only will we see Britney Spears bouncing around and acting goofy in some strange house and Kevin Federline smoking more cigarettes, but we'll also get a window into K-Fed's mind. In one of the show's segments, Federline reveals to the world that he refused to tell his wife he loved her until he was sure the feeling was mutual. "I wasn't going to tell her I loved her until I knew for sure that she really felt that way about me," he says. "So, I kept my mouf shut. Maybe not my emotions, but my mouf. After that, we both kinda opened up to each other." Spears also explains that she, too, has torn down her defenses since meeting Federline. "I think that's what love does," she says. "You can't put up any more walls and all that stuff." ... (Click for photos from the show.)

Stevie Wonder, Will Smith, Kelly Clarkson and Alanis Morissette have all signed on to headline pregame performances during this year's NBA Finals. Smith will kick off the series prior to game 1 on Thursday, performing his single "Switch," while Morissette will deliver her rendition of the national anthem. Clarkson will take over anthem duties for game 2 on Sunday, via satellite from the Persian Gulf, where she is on a USO tour with several NBA legends. Finally, on June 14, Wonder will take the stage, performing "The Star-Spangled Banner" as well as his new single, "So What the Fuss," from his forthcoming album, A Time to Love. ... Attention, gamers: Get those controllers ready, because you're about to get your chance to go head-to-head with the Mouth of the South. Ludacris has signed up for Xbox Live's Game With Fame event, where the rapper will challenge fans from across the globe in "Forza Motorsport," a driving simulator game. "When Xbox came to me with this opportunity, I jumped at it," Luda said. "There's nothing like kicking back, relaxing and playing some Xbox [with] my fans all over the world." All gamers have to do is look for the MC's gamer tag "ludacrisgwf" from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET on Friday. ...

P. Diddy has been tapped to serve as the master of ceremonies for the inaugural Vibe MusicFest, which kicks off Friday at Atlanta's Georgia Dome. The hip-hop mogul will open the three-day event, which is being held in celebration of Black Music Month. Damian and Stephen Marley, sons of reggae icon Bob Marley, have also been added to the star-studded lineup, along with Lyfe, who is currently opening for John Legend on tour. Kanye West, Amerie, Tommy Davidson, 112, Lyfe and Legend will hit the stage Friday night, while Lauryn Hill, Outkast's Big Boi, Ludacris, Faith Evans, T.I. and the Marleys will wrap up the festivities on Saturday. Seminars will also be held throughout the weekend and will include appearances by Public Enemy's Chuck D, TLC's T-Boz, "American Idol" 's LaToya London and others. ...

Four days after the five global Live 8 concerts, organizers are planning a sixth show on the doorstep of the G8 summit conference to turn up the heat on the world's richest nations to forgive African debt. The July 6 show at Edinburgh, Scotland's Murrayfield Stadium will come the day the G8 summit begins one hour up the road at the Gleneagles resort, and will feature sets from Annie Lennox, Dido, Travis, organizer Bob Geldof, Texas, the Proclaimers, Embrace, Youssou N'Dour, Natasha Bedingfield, Zutons, Damon Albarn, Snow Patrol and Wet Wet Wet. The show will also coincide with the Long Walk to Justice Rally, which Geldof hopes will result in 1 million people descending on Edinburgh to rally for debt relief on the 6th. ... A contest to give away more than 150,000 tickets to the London Live 8 show on July 2 drew more than 1.5 million entries in its first few hours. The text-messaging contest that launched Sunday gives fans a chance to win a pair of tickets to the show by answering a trivia question. The contest ends Sunday, when a computer will randomly distribute the 72,500 pairs of tickets to see Coldplay, Elton John, U2, R.E.M. and the Cure, among others. ...

Model/actor Tyson Beckford was injured in a car accident early Monday in Secaucus, New Jersey, when his Dodge Ram truck crashed into a utility pole and burst into flames, The Associated Press reports. The 34-year-old was able to escape from the wreckage before the vehicle became fully engulfed in the blaze. Beckford was taken to Jersey City Medical Center, where he was treated for head trauma and minor cuts. ... After more than 10 years away from the music scene, jazzy rap trio Digable Planets are returning to the spotlight with a 25-gig North American trek. All three original members (Butterfly, Doodlebug and Ladybug) will be taking part in the reunion tour, which kicked off Monday in Ottawa, Ontario, and wraps July 9 in New Haven, Connecticut. The trio split in 1994 due to creative differences, but reunited in the fall of 2004. ...

Beck, Stereolab, the Eels, Irving and the Apples in Stereo are among a slew of artists who will be covering the tunes of electronic-music pioneers Bruce Haack and Esther Nelson as part of the forthcoming LP Dimension Mix. Haack and Nelson founded the Dimension 5 record label, which has released several children's records and influenced the field of electronic music. Produced by Rich Harris and set for release by Eenie Meenie Records, a portion of the album's sales will go toward the charitable organization Cure Autism Now. Look for the disc to hit stores August 23. ... The Mars Volta have been tapped to curate All Tomorrow's Parties Nightmare Before Christmas show (December 2-4) at the Camber Sands Holiday Center outside London. The prog-heavy list of acts includes the Kills, Diamanda Galas, Cinematic Orchestra, Blonde Redhead, High on Fire, the F---ing Champs and others. ...

Death Cab for Cutie's Chris Walla, a vegetarian since age 13, has shot a PSA for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals' youth movement, Peta2. Sitting against a white backdrop dressed in a white shirt and tie, Walla espouses the benefits of a colorful plate of veggies as he discusses his love for animals and environmental concerns. ... Alterna-rockers Nada Surf — perhaps best known for 1996's summer radio hit "Popular" — will release their fourth studio LP, The Weight Is a Gift, on September 20. The album was produced by Death Cab's Walla, who also performs on the disc, which features the songs "Do It Again," "All Is a Game" and "Imaginary Friends." ...

• Beyoncé
• Hilary Duff
• The Flaming Lips
• Ben Harper
• Whitesnake

• Britney Spears
• Jennifer Lopez
• Michael Jackson
• Whitesnake
• Jessica Simpson

Ruben Studdard will make a cameo appearance in "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed," due next spring. The "American Idol" winner takes a stage with Sarah Michelle Gellar and Linda Cardellini in the movie, which also stars Freddie Prinze Jr., Matthew Lillard, Alicia Silverstone and Seth Green. ...

Chingy takes his Midwest swing from St. Louis to the dirty South for his new remix of "Right Thurr." The newest member of Ludacris' Disturbing Tha Peace family teamed with Miami's Trina and Atlanta's Jermaine Dupri for the new song. ... The latest installment of the Reggae Gold compilation series hits stores on Tuesday (June 17), and features collaborations from Shaggy and Will Smith on the remix to "Hey Sexy Lady" and Wayne Wonder and LL Cool J on the remix to "No Letting Go." Sean Paul, who started to blow because of the inclusion of his "Gimme the Light" on Reggae Gold 2002, is also featured on the new compilation, on the remix to Busta Rhymes' "Make It Clap." ...

Green Day drummer Tre Cool has a bone to pick with you. Recently he underwent knee surgery, and after the procedure, he joked on the band's Web site that he would give away a removed bone chip to a fan. When fans e-mailed him back to find out how they could procure the chunk, Cool responded with an actual proposition. "Hey you little freaky weirdoes," he said in an audio message, "I never thought anybody would really want my bone chip, but I did [offer]." Contestants hungering for Tre's bone must write a haiku and post it on the message board on the Green Day site. "I alone will judge," said Cool. "Good luck bastards." ...

Take Them On, On Your Own, the new album from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, is due September 2, preceded by first single "Stop." A North American tour is set for July 5 in Toronto through July 24 in San Francisco. ... The Polyphonic Spree, Tripping Daisy singer Tim DeLaughter's 23-member group, are re-releasing their 2002 debut, The Beginning Stages Of ... with four bonus tracks through a new deal with Hollywood Records. The group, which just shot a video for "Light & Day," will release their second album in early 2004. ...

David Bowie had better trade in some Bowie bonds for traveler's checks. To coincide with his forthcoming album, Reality, due in October, Bowie plans to set out on his first world tour in eight years. The chameleon of rock will visit 17 countries in seven months. ... Lou Reed's place in music will be cemented June 24, when the former Velvet Underground frontman's handprints are placed on the Hollywood RockWalk. Reed's mitt imprints will lie alongside those of Johnny Cash, Brian Wilson, the Ramones and others who've made significant contributions to rock. ...   Los Angeles' All Tomorrow's Parties festival, which was rescheduled from June to September 26-28 due to slow ticket sales, will include many of the same bands originally lined up by curator Matt Groening, including ... And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, Boredoms, Breeders, Buffalo Daughter, !!!, Fantômas, the Melvins, Mogwai, Throwing Muses, Wire and Yo La Tengo. ... Australian rockers You Am I will release their sixth album, Deliverance, on August 19. The effort follows 2001's Dress Me Slowly. ...

Whitesnake, Warrant, Kip Winger and Slaughter are joining forces for the Rock Never Stops Tour, which kicks off July 11 in Manchester, New Hampshire. The 27-date outing wraps up August 24 in Hamilton, Ontario. ... Still without a permanent drummer after the departure of Ken Jay, Static-X are working on their third album, Shadow Zone, which is slated for an early fall release. A Perfect Circle's Josh Freese is manning the kit in the studio for the follow-up to 2001's Machine. ... Slipknot bassist Paul Gray will be amongst the artists contributing to the Death tribute album, which should be released in early 2004. The tribute record is being coordinated by ex-Death and Testament guitarist James Murphy, CKY guitarist Deron Miller, former Malevolent Creation drummer Dave Culross and ex-Malevolent Creation singer Brett Hoffman. ...

The first major-label offering from My Morning Jacket, It Still Moves, will be released in August. The disc was produced by frontman Jim James and will include the songs "Dancefloor," "Golden," "Masterplan" and "One Big Holiday." ... New Jersey screamo faves Thursday will issue their new album, War All the Time, on September 16. The album is the follow-up to 2001's Full Collapse. ...

06.16.03

When they're not shaking stadiums with their visceral vibes on the Summer Sanitarium Tour with Metallica, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park and Mudvayne, Deftones will do some club shows on the off days. Seven shows are scheduled thus far, beginning with Lincoln, Nebraska, on July 1, and ending with Boise, Idaho, on August 6. ...

The July 3 opening date of Lollapalooza in Ionia, Michigan, has been canceled due to technical problems. The tour will now kick off July 5 in Noblesville, Indiana. ... Comedian, talk-show host, and all-around guy's guy Jimmy Kimmel will host the 31st annual American Music Awards, which will be broadcast live on ABC on November 16. Nominations for the 17 AMA statuettes will be announced in September. ...

The as-yet-untitled follow-up to Nelly Furtado's 2000 debut, Whoa, Nelly!, is scheduled for a November 25 release. That album provided Furtado with a Grammy in 2001, for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, for its single "I'm Like a Bird." ... Aerosmith drummer and former Bronx resident Joey Kramer will be inducted into the Bronx Walk of Fame at a June 22 ceremony, along with DJ Red Alert and "Raging Bull" boxer Jake LaMotta, among others. ...

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds will release their first DVD, "God Is in the House," August 26. Featuring music videos and live footage recorded in Lyon, France, in 2001, the home video includes the documentary "No More Shall We Part - The Recording Sessions," which chronicles the making of the group's 2001 album. ... The vertically challenged but mighty Glenn Danzig has hired ex-Comes With the Fall drummer Bevan Davies to fill the stool of Joey Castillo, who split in September to join Queens of the Stone Age. Davies will debut with Danzig July 4 in Spain at the Bilbao Accion Rock Festival. The band is expected to begin recording a new studio album in July. ...

Alice Cooper will survive his upcoming Bare Bones Tour without being guillotined, electrocuted, hung or otherwise disposed of. The shows, which begin July 12 in Walker, Minnesota, will be free of theatrics and pyrotechnics, featuring only Cooper and his band banging out winners like "School's Out," "No More Mr. Nice Guy" and "I'm Eighteen" to an audience that might miss the drama and excitement of pythons, dancing girls and a few well-placed flash pots. ... Seattle rock museum Experience Music Project is currently hosting a Kiss exhibit, which features stage costumes worn by the band through the years and other memorabilia. The display runs through the fall. ...

Superjoint Ritual, which features Pantera frontman Philip Anselmo, will shoot videos for "Dress Like a Target" and "Waiting for the Turning Point" on June 28 during a show the State Palace Theatre in New Orleans. Both songs are from the band's upcoming disc, A Lethal Dose of American Hatred, which comes out July 22. Tom Mignone, who worked on the band's DVD "Live From Dallas," will direct. ... Reel Big Fish drummer Carlos de la Garza has left the band to spend more time with his family. Justin Ferreria, who played in Fish singer Aaron Barrett's side project the Forces of Evil, is filling in on the band's current tour, which ends August 5 in San Francisco. The group's last disc, Cheer Up!, came out in July 2002. ...

• Ruben Studdard
• Chingy
• Green Day
• Sean Paul
• Whitesnake

And you thought Snoop Dogg coaching his son's football team was outrageous? Now, the D-O-Double G is hitting gridiron himself as he and his all-stars are squaring off against none other than the Inland Empire Police Department. The first annual Snoop Bowl, a fundraiser for the Lama Linda Children's Hospital, will be held Thursday at Long Beach City College Veteran Stadium. ...

While his album God's Son just dropped on Friday the 13th, Nas already has more music hitting the streets. The remix of "Made You Look," which has just popped up on mixtapes, features the same beat and chorus, but new lyrics by guest stars Jadakiss, Ludacris and Nas himself. ... From one diva surrounded by dilemmas to the next, Nelly just loves collaborating with the ladies. The harmonious rhymester appears on the remix to Whitney Houston's "One of Those Days," rapping in a reggae-like rhythm. ... Good friends Mariah Carey and Kelly Price have hooked up again for some musicmaking. The two singers have collaborated for a remix of M.C.'s "Through the Rain." ...

It may not have eyes, a nose or mouth, but at least it's got a title. Godsmack have nearly completed their third album, which they've dubbed Faceless. The follow-up to 2000's Awake is slated to drop April 8. ...

"Jackass" wunderkind Steve-O was granted a continuance for his arraignment Monday in his upcoming obscenity and battery trial in Louisiana. The stuntman, whose real name is Stephen Glover, hopes to plea bargain his felony charges down to misdemeanors. Terrebonne Parish District Attorney Carlos Lazarus said that they're currently discussing a deal that would reduce the obscenity charge from a three-year felony to a six-month misdemeanor, and reduce the principal to second-degree battery charge from a five-year felony to another six-month misdemeanor. Reducing the battery charge, however, requires the victim's approval. Glover's arraignment is now set for February 10. ...

Zalman Yanovsky, the 58-year-old guitarist for 1960s group the Lovin' Spoonful, died Friday of a heart attack in his home near Kingston, Ontario. Two years after the band's big hit "Do You Believe in Magic" in 1965, Yanovsky left the band following a drug bust in San Francisco. He escaped severe punishment, including deportation, by rolling over on his dealer, a move which didn't sit well with most of the counterculture. ...

Ryan Adams is the latest act to get the coveted opening slot on the Rolling Stones' Licks World Tour. He will join the outing for eight dates from January 10 in Pittsburgh to January 28 in Oklahoma City. ... Cult favorite raven-haired singer/songwriter Nick Cave and his band the Bad Seeds will release Nocturama, their first album since signing on with punk staple Epitaph's Anti imprint, on February 3. Cave, who has duetted with Kylie Minogue in the past, collaborated with Chris Bailey (The Saints) on "Bring It On," the album's first single. ... Alt-country pioneers Uncle Tupelo, members of whom went on to form Son Volt and Wilco after the group disbanded in 1994, will have their long out-of-print first three albums reissused on March 11. No Depression, Still Feel Gone and March 16-20, 1992 will all boast bonus tracks, newly remastered sound and expanded packaging. ...

Lenny Kravitz is locked down in Miami, working on his new album in his home studio. Rough ideas and demos of the tentatively titled The Funk Album began more than five years ago in New Orleans. ... Whitesnake are getting ready to go again, but they won't be on their own. The recently resurrected band — which consists of original vocalist David Coverdale, drummer Tommy Aldridge, and new members Doug Aldrich (guitar), Reb Beach (guitar), Marco Mendoza (bass) and Timothy Drury (keyboards) — will hit the road with Dokken and the Scorpions starting January 31 in West Palm Beach, Florida. ...

12.13.2002

Originally due in November, "American Idol" winner Kelly Clarkson's debut album will now hit shelves in the spring, around the same time Justin Guarini will release his first record. Both singers are recording their albums in Miami, where they are also filming the movie "From Justin to Kelly." ... Reports surfaced this week that Clarkson had recorded demos with various songwriters before she entered the "American Idol" contest last summer, but producers of the show said she was not paid and did not break the rules. "She is not a cheat," they said in a statement. ...

Rapper Eve will play a rookie paramedic on an upcoming episode of NBC's "Third Watch," scheduled to air January 6. The First Lady of Ruff Ryders has previously acted in the films "Barbershop" and "XXX." ... New material from Jurassic 5, Mos Def, Dilated Peoples and Pharcyde will be featured on N.V.A. (National Vinyl Association) - Straight From the Crates, Vol. 1, due January 28. Proof and Kon Artis of D12 are also on the album, rapping with Joey Zozza on "Whirlwind." ...

Sheryl Crow will headline an outdoor concert in Sunrise, Florida, on February 2 as part of the National Hockey League's All-Star festivities. ... Although the Mendip District Council in Somerset, England, has rejected the license application for the annual Glastonbury festival, organizer Michael Eavis is confident the decision will be overturned. R.E.M. are already booked to headline. ...

Singer/songwriter Ben Lee performed back-to-back gigs in Brooklyn and New York City on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, debuting new material from Hey You. Yes You, which was just released in Australia and is set for release in the States early next year, pending a domestic record deal. Among the new songs he performed at Fez in Manhattan was a track called "Hard Drive," which will appear on a forthcoming solo album from Lemonhead Evan Dando, who was not only in attendance, but led a rousing ovation by jumping on top of his chair and applauding wildly. According to Lee's manager, the Australian wunderkind has contributed about five songs to the Dando project. ...

After suffering a collapsed lung earlier this year, Cursive singer/guitarist Tim Kasher is now well enough to tour. The band will kick off 2003 on the road to support its upcoming album, The Ugly Organ, due March 4 on Saddle Creek Records. Cursive member Gretta Cohn and ex-Cursive guitarist Steve Pedersen also appear on an album of traditional Christmas songs that was put together by Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst and which is currently available on Saddle Creek's Web site. ... Morphine's most memorable musical moments while on the Rykodisc label are being gathered for a 16-track greatest-hits collection titled The Best of Morphine, 1992-1995, due February 18. One of the most heralded bands to stem from the Boston alternative music scene, Morphine's career was cut short after singer/bassist Mark Sandman died in 1999. ...

Following his directorial debut, 2000's "Love Her Madly," Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek will direct the upcoming "Riders on the Storm," an indie flick about three UCLA film students who travel to New Mexico looking for enlightenment. Actors Brad Renfro, Edward Furlong and Peter Stormare are in talks to star in the film, which Manzarek also co-wrote. ...

• Snoop Dogg
• Nas
• Nelly
• Mariah Carey
• Godsmack