A concert by Spanish tenor Placido Domingo went off without a hitch last night at Mexico's Chichen Itza archaeological site, silencing for the moment a controversy about whether the ancient Mayan ruins are an appropriate venue for such a modern spectacle. Prior to the event, a union of archaeologists pressed prosecutors to file criminal charges against the concert's organizers, saying that the event violated a law that states the ruins must be preserved for educational purposes.
Talk about an entourage! Paul McCartney played his first ever show in Israel last night to a crowd of 50,000--not including the 5,000 security guards he hired to guard Tel Aviv's Yarkon Park for the show.
Sir Paul opened the show with "Hello Goodbye" after a full day of visits to a local music school (where his attempt to play the violin made children merry) and Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity. Of course, with 5,000 guards, he probably had a very large presence in the country, from which The Beatles were disinvited in 1965.
That beefed-up security probably made him feel safer, but it had to attract a lot of attention when McCartney was in Israel. Who is better to travel with: 5,000 security personnel or a few well-placed ninjas?
L.A. concertgoers, rejoice! The Hollywood Palladium, once host to both the Rat Pack and the Grammy Awards, will reopen this fall with a gala concert by the 2008 equivalent of Frank Sinatra, Jay-Z.
The Palladium has been closed for repairs since being purchased by Live Nation in April 2007. Martin Luther King Jr. once spoke at the Palladium despite a bomb threat and artists from The Rolling Stones to the Red Hot Chili Peppers have performed there. But for us, it'll always be known as the backdrop to this scene from "Almost Famous" starring Kate Hudson:
Tickets for the Jay-Z show go on sale September 5.
Long before Barack Obama was a senator, Sheryl Crow sang "A Change Will Do You Good." But the singer insists she's not just jumping on the Democratic hype train--the presidential candidate has reached directly into her soul.
"We are finally inspired by the words that he's saying," Crow told the crowd when she performed Sunday night at the Red Rocks Ampitheatre.
Dave Matthews and the alt-country act Sugarland also performed at the kickoff concert along with John Legend, who debuted a new campaign song called "If You're Out There."
Winsome pop singer Feist recently taped an appearance on America's favorite street, singing a slightly modified version of her Grammy-nominated single "1234."
The Canadian singer, first name Leslie, is jetting off this summer to a lot of other places that aren't (sadly) imaginary.
Tomorrow night she performs in Park City, Utah, and is hitting Berkeley, Los Angeles and San Diego, California, over the weekend before an outdoor show in Vancouver.
Don't panic rock fans! It's true that Van Halen has postponed reunion shows in Dallas, Cincinnati, Raleigh and Baltimore. But the tour isn't cancelled, it's just been delayed so Eddie can get some medical tests.
For now, hold on to those tickets; they'll be honored at rescheduled shows. And if your worried about something like this ruining your music travel getaway, check out these travel insurance tips from Peter Greenberg.
Rock legends Led Zeppelin are set to announce a one time comeback concert today, nearly three decades after breaking up. Of course Plant and Page have joined forces a number of times over the years to mixed reviews. However, this gig, slated for November at London's 02 Arena will include Page, Plant, and John Paul Jones -- Jason Bonham, son of John, will be on drums completing the quartet.
The group split in 1980 after the death of drummer John Bonham and have performed only a scant few reunion gigs, last taking the stage 12 years ago at their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
London's O2 Arena is part of the Millennium Dome on the Greenwich Peninsula, in South East London, and holds up to 23,000. Tickets will no doubt go fast, and it looks like the O2 arena web site is already down due to heavy traffic, so make your travel arrangements soon.
Van Halen announced their 25-date North American tour, which was postponed back in March when Eddie entered rehab, is on for this fall. The always loquacious, sometimes lead singer, David Lee Roth said the reunion could lead to a world tour and a new album. Let's just wait and see how the current band, comprised of three Van Halens and a Roth, works together on the road this fall before proclaiming world tours and dropping albums.
The tour will start in Charlotte, at Bobcats Arena, and mid-size arenas will be the norm for this tour -- think anywhere an NBA team plays. The tour concludes in early December with three dates in Canada.
If you are planning to travel to see the reconstructed Van Halen, you should know original bassist Michael Anthony has been replaced by Van Halen's 16-year-old son, Wolfgang. We are guessing that means you will be able to see the Frankenstrat guitar, but not the Jack Danies bass.
