UNCLE CRACKER - BUSTED

Country-funk singer/songwriter Uncle Cracker (aka Matthew Shafer) was arrested Friday, August 17th in Raleigh, North Carolina according to Billboard.com. The reason for getting pinched? A woman accused the musician of performing a violating sexual act against her, without her consent. The official charge against the singer is a second degree sex offense.

The arrest warrant posted at TMZ says that Kracker is accused of "unlawfully, willfully and feloniously did engage in a sexual act other than vaginal intercourse" with the victim "by force and against the person's will".

The "Conditions of Release and Release Order" from the court, (also posted at TMZ) says that he had told the arresting officer that he planned to skip the state, back to his native Michigan, to avoid facing the charges and that his home address is unknown and because he was a "nationally known singer with major assets at his disposal," they determined that he was "an exceptionally high flight risk" and set his bail at $5 million dollars. However, the bond was reportedly later reduced to $75,000.

I've no idea if he actually did anything like this, but... D'oh!

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PLANT/KRAUSS CD CONFIRMED

I told ya about this a while back... like, in November of '06, maybe? But:

More than a few people in town wondered what was up when Robert Plant was spotted in recent months at the Grand Ole Opry and at the popular bluegrass club The Station Inn.

The former Led Zeppelin frontman's album with bluegrass star Alison Krauss, "Raising Sand," will be released Oct. 23 on Rounder Records, the label has announced.

Recorded in Nashville and Los Angeles and produced by T Bone Burnett, the album finds the two interpreting lesser-known material from blues, R&B, country and folk songwriters including Mel Tillis, Townes Van Zandt, Tom Waits, Gene Clark, Doc Watson, Little Milton Campbell and the Everly Brothers.

There's also "Please Read the Letter," a song written by Plant and Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page from their 1998 album, "Walking Into Clarksdale."

"You've got two singers that can handle a wide range of material _ storytellers. So you look for the stories," Burnett said in the release.

Krauss and Plant first sang together a few years ago at a tribute concert for blues great Leadbelly at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Supporting musicians on "Raising Sand" include guitarists Marc Ribot and Norman Blake, multi-instrumentalist Mike Seeger, drummer Jay Bellerose and bassist Dennis Crouch.

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VAN HALEN AND DAVID LEE ROTH ANNOUNCE NORTH AMERICAN TOUR


HISTORIC CONCERT TOUR MARKS FIRST OF ITS KIND FOR VAN HALEN IN 22 YEARS

LOS ANGELES, CA -- August 13, 2007 Beginning this September, in what promises to be the most exciting live tour this year, Van Halen will embark on a national concert tour throughout the U.S. and Canada with its original lead singer David Lee Roth for the first time in 22 years.

Considered by fans and media alike as one of the most highly anticipated tours in rock and roll history, Roth, guitarist Eddie Van Halen and drummer Alex Van Halen will perform with Eddie's son, Wolfgang who joins the line-up as the band's bass player. Van Halen and Roth have not performed or recorded together since 1984's classic multi-platinum album "1984" and subsequent tour, making this tour truly a historic event.

25 dates in all were announced today for the tour which is slated for a September 27th kick-off in Charlotte , North Carolina. Tickets for select dates on the tour go on sale beginning on Saturday, August 18th and are available on http://www.LiveNation.com. A complete list of confirmed dates is attached. The Van Halen tour is being produced by Live Nation. Individuals who have the Citi® / AAdvantage® card, the official credit card of the tour, will be offered access to purchase preferred seats to all U.S. shows.

Fans can enjoy the ultimate Van Halen experience including concert pre-show parties, backstage access, premium seating and more. For additional details go to http://www.iloveallaccess.com.

Fans are encouraged to also check in at http://www.van-halen.com/ or http://www.davidleeroth.com/ for additional information.

Van Halen remains one of the most important and influential bands of all time. Formed in Los Angeles in 1974, the band quickly won a loyal hometown fan base with their electrifying live shows. From the moment they released their self-titled 1978 debut album, Van Halen shook the foundations of rock, thanks largely to Roth's peerless showmanship, Eddie Van Halen's revolutionary guitar virtuosity and their songwriting abilities. It changed rock music forever.

The band's first album proved one of the biggest selling rock debuts, with key tracks like "Eruption," "Running with the Devil," "Jamie's Cryin'," "You Really Got Me" and "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" leading the way. The next year, the band followed up with "Van Halen II," which included the hit "Dance the Night Away."

Subsequent albums like "Women and Children First" (1980), "Fair Warning" (1981) and "Diver Down" (1982), along with worldwide touring, solidified the band's reputation for innovative and unparalleled live performances. Classic Van Halen tracks from the early 80's include "Everybody Wants Some," "Unchained", "And The Cradle Will Rock", "Beautiful Girls", "Mean Street" and "Somebody Get Me A Doctor" just to name a few.

With their sixth album, released in, and titled "1984", Van Halen rose to stratospheric heights. Recorded at Eddie Van Halen's 5150 Studios, the multi-platinum smash yielded one of Van Halen's signature hits, "Jump," which remained #1 on the Billboard charts for an astounding five weeks straight. Other hits from the album include " Panama," "Hot For Teacher" and "I'll Wait."

The band's record of achievement is hard to top. Presented with two Diamond Award RIAA Certified Status' for their albums "Van Halen" and "1984", Van Halen joins an elite short list of two time Diamond Award honorees in the history of the music industry. The Diamond Award is presented to an artist for album sales of 10 million or more units. They are also in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the most #1 hits on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart than any other band in history.

Inducted into the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame in March of this year, Van Halen has produced a treasured body of work that fans will admire for decades to come.


VAN HALEN TOUR

North American Dates

Sep. 27 Charlotte, NC Charlotte Bobcats Arena

Sep. 29 Greensboro , NC Greensboro Coliseum

Oct. 01 Philadelphia , PA Wachovia Center

Oct. 07 Toronto , ON Air Canada Centre

Oct. 10 Cleveland , OH Quicken Loans Arena

Oct. 14 Indianapolis , IN Conseco Field House

Oct. 16 Chicago , IL Allstate Arena

Oct. 18 Chicago , IL United Center

Oct. 22 Auburn Hills , MI Palace of Auburn Hills

Oct. 24 Minneapolis , MN Target Center

Oct. 26 Kansas City , MO Sprint Center

Oct. 28 St. Louis , MO Scottrade Center

Oct. 30 Boston , MA TD Banknorth Garden

Nov. 03 E. Rutherford, NJ Continental Airlines Arena

Nov. 13 New York , NY Madison Square Garden

Nov. 20 Los Angeles , CA Staples Center

Nov. 23 Glendale , AZ Jobing.Com Arena

Nov. 25 San Diego , CA Cox Arena

Nov. 27 Sacramento , CA Arco Arena

Nov. 29 San Jose , CA HP Pavilion at San Jose

Dec. 01 Portland , OR Rose Garden

Dec. 03 Seattle , WA Key Arena

Dec. 05 Vancouver , BC General Motors Place

Dec. 09 Edmonton , AB Rexall Place

Dec. 11 Calgary , AB Pengrowth Saddledome


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