Microsoft enlists Kelly Clarkson for Kinect, store launch
Saturday is the 10 a.m. opening of the new Microsoft Store at Mall of America, outside Minneapolis. The first 1, 000 people to visit the store will get tickets to a performance by singer Kelly Clarkson, who will perform at 1:30 p.m. at the mall’s Nickelodeon Universe.
Read more at Seattle PI
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According to a Manila radio station, David Archuleta will arrive in the Philippines on November 16 to perform a show on the 17. David is also set for an exclusive showcase in Singapore on Nov. 14.
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Crystal Bowersox introduces her drummer. She tweets, “New Drummer in Town! Everyone say hi to Chad Szeilega of Breaking Benjamin!! Not sure if he’s perm… but he sure is fun to play music with”
PLUS: Crystal is heading to VH1 today to record an interview and song set. She reveals in an early morning twitter party, “playing 4 songs, 3 original, 1 cover, and there is new matierial being introduced!! YES songs even the VI’s havent heard!!”
One of the new songs is called “Hold On”
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Songwriter David Hodges tweets about songwriting with Katie Stevens, “Finished up a great @thekatiestevens song today (that we wrote w/ the incomparable @drh3). That’s #9, for those keeping score.”
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Tim Urban will begin releasing his 6-song EP “Heart of Me” on November 8. He’ll drop a song a day to iTunes. Check out the track list at AINow.
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More Headlines after the JUMP…
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Jennifer Lopez hits the recording studio with RedOne…
A mixer/music engineer has confirmed that Jennifer Lopez took a short break from her American Idol duties last night to work on her serially delayed new album ‘Love?’. Apparently, he goes on to reveal that the stylish mother of two was in the recording studio cooking up a “beast” of a song with superproducer RedOne!
Read more at Toyaz World
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AEROSMITH Will Make ‘Old-School’ Record, Says Drummer
AEROSMITH drummer Joey Kramer tells Spinner that he and the rest of his bandmates are planning on releasing a new studio album in 2011. “I would like to see a record within a year from the AEROSMITH boys, ” he says. “My brothers and I are destined to make another record in the next year or so.
“It’s going to be an old-school AEROSMITH record, ” Kramer continues. “We’re going to do it the old way with the whole band [in the same room] and it should be a good one. We’re all anticipating.”
Read more at Blabbermouth
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Full Kris Allen interview from the Blackbird Benefit
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Jason Castro’s little brother Michael earns more than $8, 000 online to start new record
ROCKWALL — Rockwall musician Michael Castro succeeded last week in raising the funds needed to produce his second album. Using the online fundraising tool Kickstarter, Michael collected $8, 321. He’s putting the money toward producing and selling his own album, effectively bucking the traditional recording label process for making music.
“I don’t need a label, ” Castro said, citing the hindrance to creativity he sees from meshing big business with art. “I just need fans.” This, he believes, is the future of the music industry.
A video on his fundraising page, complete with stick puppet animation (and pasted below), illustrates his free-spirited thinking, his sense of humor, and just enough irreverence for the music business to make you wonder if he might be right.
Read more and watch the video at Pegasus News
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Magnus invited to Philadephia’s parade
Cape Cod songbird Siobhan Magnus will celebrate turkey day in Philadelphia as a special guest in the city’s annual Thanksgiving Day parade on Nov. 25.
Magnus, a finalist on last season’s “American Idol” television show, will be appearing with singers Brandy and Justin Guarini, the Philadelphia Eagles cheerleaders and Miss Pennsylvania’s Outstanding Teen Jocelyn Gruber, according to the 2010 6abc IKEA Thanksgiving Day Parade website.
Read more at CapecodOnline
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Adam Lambert not Worried About Catching Viruses
The American Idol runner-up — who has become famous for his passionate entanglements with fans at live performances which see him snog or “tongue dive” random members of the audience — is determined to keep tongues wagging at his gigs, no matter what the risk.
“No, I’m not worried at all, ” he said of the possibility of picking up an infection.
“The more I worry about it the more likely I am to do it. It’s no big deal. And anyway, I have only done it twice. It’s just that people have made a big fuss about it.”
Read more at Showbiz Spy
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TV Promo for David Archuleta’s Singapore appearance
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Smokey Robinson calls American Idol “greatest musical platform in history.”
Plus, Smokey talks about singing with Jennifer Hudson at the White House. He also namechecks Carrie Underwood as a favorite singer.
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HQ Clip of Adam Lambert singing “Fever” (Including Kiss with Tommy) From MTV Japan)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRmyDtaVmIE&feature=youtu.be
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IN BRIEF: Syesha to sing at Van Wezel
SARASOTA COUNTY — Booker High School graduate and “American Idol” finalist Syesha Mercado will speak and sing at a luncheon to honor Sarasota County school principals.
The Sarasota County Arts Council will recognize school principals who value arts education at a 10th annual luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Nov. 17 in the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.
Mercado, who is currently starring in a national production of “Dreamgirls, ” will perform two songs and speak about the importance of arts in schools.
Read more at Herald Tribune
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Underwood an All-Canadian Girl in Toronto
On Tuesday night, country-pop star Carrie Underwood was in the stands at the Air Canada Centre cheering on her hockey player husband, Mike Fisher of the Ottawa Senators, as he scored a goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
On Wednesday night, Underwood returned to the ACC but this time some 11, 500 fans were cheering her on stage, as she brought her Play On Tour – named after her 2009 album of the same name – for its first visit to the hockey hanger.
Such is the life of one-half of a celebrity couple.
Read more at the Toronto Sun
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Sneak Peek video of Justin Guarini and cast in Broadway’s new Musical “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown”
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Sneak Peek: Fantasia’s “Rube’s Cafe” [PHOTOS]
Fantasia Barrino and her adorable daughter Zion were spotted on the set of Tasia’s new exciting short film, Rube’s Cafe, which recently wrapped filming in Atlanta, Georgia.
In addition to playing producer, the amazing vocalist stars in the flick herself, along with fellow soulful R&B artists/actors Ray Lavender and Terrell Carter as well as the equally gorgeous and talented; Terri J Vaughn and Chrystale Wilson, and more!
Shot at the historic Tree Sound Studio’s in the Atlanta area, “Rube’s Cafe” will be a special treat for thousands of Barrino fans during every show of her “Back to Me Tour” kicking off THIS week!
Read more at Straight From the A
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Tony-nominated ‘Rock of Ages’ storms the Fisher
Nostalgic while he was in between pitching movie projects, 42-year-old producer Matt Weaver strung together songs by Whitesnake, Bon Jovi, Journey, Pat Benatar, Poison and Styx for his own amusement. The common thread was that they were all 1980s power ballads, “the kind of music I used to make out with girls to at camp, ” he says.
That mixtape gave him an idea for a musical theater production, and that idea eventually exploded into “Rock of Ages, ” the Tony-nominated Broadway hit that arrives Tuesday at the Fisher Theatre as part of a national tour that launched earlier this fall in Chicago. For New York-based Weaver, the show is noticeably different not only from “Cats” but also from rock-influenced musicals like “Rent.”
Read more at the Detroit Free Press
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Maroulis leaps from ‘Idol’ finalist to Broadway star
“Charlie Sheen’s room, ” Constantine Maroulis says as he answers the phone. The 35-year-old former “American Idol” finalist, currently touring with the musical “Rock of Ages, ” is referencing the latest tabloid-worthy behavior of the troubled Hollywood actor. But he’s also riffing on the kind of rock star high jinks you might expect Maroulis himself to engage in.
Soon enough, he lets you know he’s only kidding.
“When you’re doing what I do, eight shows a week, traveling and flying, taking care of my parents, there’s none of that anymore. A lot of Xbox, a lot of ‘SportsCenter, ‘ maybe a beverage or two with friends after a show. … We have a blast, but it’s also a lot of work.”
Read more at the Detroit Free Press
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Janell Wheeler Covers “Ironic/Breakeven”
