Due to exhaustion, Jane's Addiction have canceled their brief tour with Marilyn Manson. Only five dates had been confirmed, including New Year's Eve at New York's Madison Square Garden. ...

A Chicago-area businessman who hired rapper Bow Wow to pass out toys to an elementary school is protesting the rapper's decision to opt out of the event. Harold Ward says he arranged for Bow Wow to pass out toys to the Ira F. Aldridge School Friday (December 19) but that the rapper canceled his appearance to instead make promotional appearances for a radio station and retail store. Ward and the principal of the school, Deborah Jackson, are organizing a protest of Bow Wow's appearance at WGCI radio and their Pepsi Jam concert later in the evening. ... In Macomb County Circuit Court on Thursday, Eminem's ex-wife, Kimberly Mathers, pleaded guilty to possessing 25 grams or less of cocaine and failing to yield to an emergency vehicle. The charges stemmed from an incident in June, during which Mathers was pulled over and searched. In exchange for pleading guilty to the two offenses, the prosecutor dropped a third charge of driving with a suspended license, as well as a charge of maintaining a drug house. The latter was leveled in September after police busted a party and confiscated marijuana and ecstasy. ...

In an effort to find a new bassist, Disturbed have posted a message on their Web site. Applicants should send a demo, an 8x10 photo and contact information to: JBM, 4042 N. Pulaski, Chicago, IL 60641. On November 7, Disturbed's management confirmed that former bassist Fuzz had quit. At the time, the group was in the studio writing songs for its third record. ... Ashanti, Puddle of Mudd, Metallica and Westside Connection will perform at the New Year's Eve celebration on FOX's "American Party" program. The event, which will be hosted by Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton of "The Simple Life," will also feature Hootie & the Blowfish, Keith Urban and DJ Funkmaster Flex. The program will air live and begins at 11 p.m. ET. ...

Lil' Wayne has pushed back the release of his next solo album, The Carter. With albums by his fellow Cash Money members Big Tymers and Juvenile already slated for December, the release date change is understandable. The Carter will now be out March 9. ... The third record by Junkie XL (a.k.a. Tom Holkenburg) will be a double disc packed with guest vocalists, including Robert Smith of the Cure, Chuck D, Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode, Gary Numan, Terry Hall of the Specials, and Solomon Burke. The album, Radio JXL: A Broadcast From the Computer Hell Cabin, will be out February 10 and will also feature songs with old vocal tracks by Elvis Presley and Peter Tosh. ...

Staind will perform at the Chevy Truck Snowboard Grand Prix Friday evening (December 19) in Park City, Utah. The band will play at the Mountain resort an hour before the superpipe finals. ... De La Soul's final installment of their comeback trilogy Art Official Intelligence will come out in 2004, three years after the release of its predecessor, AOI: Bionix in 2001. In an interview with The Toronto Sun, Posdnuos said it would be more of a tribute to DJs, with only a few songs containing raps. MC lovers needn't fret, however: De La Soul's eighth album, also promised next year, will be more straightforward. ...

Draw up your sleeping bag and canteen of hot cocoa -- 10,000 Maniacs are telling Campfire Stories. The two-disc compilation, subtitled The Popular, Obscure and Unknown Recordings of 10,000 Maniacs, will include smash singles, unreleased demo tracks and rare cover songs. It hits stores January 27. ... Thirty-two years after the Who played a three-hour set that ended in the destruction of Pete Townshend's guitar and Keith Moon's drum set, the band will return to the Isle of Wight. The group, whose Townshend and Roger Daltrey are the only original members, have signed on as the third headliner to the 2004 Isle of Wight Festival, set for June 11-13. They'll join previously confirmed headliners David Bowie and Stereophonics. ...

The Allman Brothers Band will celebrate their 35th anniversary with an eight-night run at New York's Beacon Theatre, starting March 18 and ending March 27. In conjunction with the shows, the band will release a yet-untitled double CD of last year's residency at the Beacon, which will include 15 songs that were on the "Live at the Beacon Theatre" DVD, which came out in September, along with four additional songs. ...

12.18.03

Janet Jackson will strut her stuff across the 50-yard line when she performs at the halftime show of Super Bowl XXXVIII February 1 in Houston. The big game will air live on CBS. Last year's halftime show featured Shania Twain, No Doubt and Sting. ...

Of course you saw this coming. After hearing its brand name shouted out in one of 2003's most popular songs, Outkast's "Hey Ya!," Polaroid has recruited Andre 3000 and Big Boi to bring out Polaroid cameras with them during their live shows. One hopes the company read all the press on the group in which Andre swore off touring -- and convinced him hitting the road would actually be a good thing. ... After 40 years of practice, who other than the Rolling Stones should have had the most successful tour of 2003. The Stones' Licks Tour grossed nearly $300 million this year, according to Billboard. Bruce Springsteen placed second, while the Dave Matthews Band, Kiss/ Aerosmith and Summer Sanitarium (featuring Metallica, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park and Mudvayne) came in at seventh, eighth and ninth. ...

Mr. Cheeks has severed ties with Universal Records and is putting out his next LP independently. The former Lost Boyz frontman is currently recording tracks for the March release Ladies and Ghettomen. The first single is called "What We Do," but we'll hear new Cheeks lyrics before that: He has a dis track going at none other than 50 Cent hitting the streets soon. ... "O-kaaaaaaaayyyyyyy!" Lil Jon had a double-platinum party Wednesday night at Club Lobby in New York to celebrate the success of his LP Kings of Crunk. Ja Rule, David Banner and former New York Knick Anthony Mason showed the yelling producer love. ...

Audioslave's Tom Morello and System of a Down's Serj Tankian and their Axis of Justice organization are hosting a benefit concert Thursday (December 18) in Hollywood for striking grocery workers in Southern California. Morello (a.k.a. the Nightwatchman), Tankian, Audioslave's Brad Wilk, Slipknot's Corey Taylor, Phantom Planet, the Chambers Brothers' Lester Chambers and the Coup's Boots Riley will perform, while workers will speak about their struggle. ... Clay and Ruben are returning to TV. "American Idol" runner-up Clay Aiken will play himself and perform two songs in an episode of NBC's "Ed" slated to air next month. Then in February, winner Ruben Studdard, also playing himself, will guest star and perform on UPN's "One on One." ...

John Mayer is turning to the electric blues for a pair of shows on December 28 and 29 at New York's Irving Plaza. Mayer is teaming up with legendary blues guitarist Buddy Guy and Double Trouble, the former backup band for late guitar virtuoso Stevie Ray Vaughan, to play two nights of blues classics. ... Jamie Lynn Spears, who already stars on Nickelodeon's sketch comedy show "All That," is in negotiations to star in her own series for the channel, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Britney's 12-year-old sister will play a boarding school student in the comedy. ...

Sensitive rocker Conor Oberst and his group Bright Eyes are heading on a 10-day tour in February that will feature solo and collaborative performances among Oberst, My Morning Jacket's Jim James and young confessional crooner M. Ward. The tour starts in Oberst's hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, on February 19 and ends in Somerville, Massachusetts, on February 29. ... After three albums in seven years, Remy Zero are no more. Brothers Shelby and Cinjun Tate, who was briefly married to "Charmed" actress Alyssa Milano, are expected to release new material next year. ...

The much ballyhooed debut by Velvet Revolver, the supergroup featuring ex-Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum and fronted by Scott Weiland, is now expected to drop in late April, after previous predictions saw its release in February. The album is currently in the final mixing stage. ... Cypress Hill have set March 23 as the release date for their upcoming album, 'Til Death Do Us Part. ...