I’m not huge on the holidays. Well, I take that back kinda… I’m huge into Thanksgiving because I LOVE to cook so Thanksgiving has been my marathon of perfectly executing several dishes over the course of six hours while my family drinks in front of the TV. It’s one of my favorite days of the year without a doubt. But Christmas has never been a big thing for me. Now that all the kids in my family are older, we have skipped the gift giving and gone straight to the wine drinking. I haven’t done any legitimate holiday shopping in over four years and don’t really intend to until I have kids of my own. That’s a good solid decade of spending my money on myself.

With that being said, it has recently come to my attention that Girl Talk will be coming to Columbus and so I decided to use the holidays as an excuse to treat some of my greatest friends to what will inevitably be an insane dance party.

Girl Talk has been around for a few years now, but has really gotten popular with club kids and music festivals since the release of his newest album, Feed the Animals. The one man DJ, Gregg Gillis of Pittsburgh, spins up some incredible combos with classic tunes that everyone recognizes and some newer underground tunes that will open you up to new artists. The mixes and mash-ups are quick to turnover making this music perfect for that A.D.D. music listener who has a hard time making it completely through even their favorite song. My current favorite is Play Your Part – Part I for its inclusion of Sinead O’Conner’s Nothing Compares To You. Click on the link and listen to it NOW… you will love it. I’m sure it will make it into the set list in January.

Girl Talk will be coming to the Newport Music Hall on the OSU Campus on Saturday, January 17, 2009. Doors open at 7PM. Tickets are currently only available through TicketMaster for $16 each or $18 at the door, but I would bank on this show selling out. Better get these fast.

Since I’ve come across Girl Talk this past summer, I’ve passed him along to a few of my friends which have now become obsessed with his beats and bumps. I picked up five tickets today, emailed my friends letting them know to clear their calendars, received praise touting me as the best friend ever (clearly), and now we wait to hit the dance floor. Nothing too bah humbug about that!

Editor’s Note: The following is written by Jackson at ShowSanctuary. ShowSanctuary is two brothers’ take on the live music scene, providing the lowdown on the concerts to catch and undiscovered artists to follow. The brothers are devoted contributors to the TicketStumbler Blog.

A one-day festival, in an awesome city, for an even greater cause? 12 hours, 16 bands, for only $31? That’s right folks. This great celebration benefiting the Chicago-based Saving Tiny Hearts Foundation, which aims to help eradicate congenital heart defects in children, features a plethora of homegrown talent. For a great price, intriguing talent, and a just cause, you can’t beat it! Click here for tickets!

Artists: The Avett Brothers, The David Grisman Quintet, Ha Ha Tonka, Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials, Majors Junction, Billy Childers, Dollar Store, Blackdog, Blue Mother Tupelo, How Far to Austin, Mike Mangione, Cobalt & the Hired Guns, Lindsey O’Brien & Friends, Jessica Lee, and Blue Room Hero.

Additional Chicago Bluegrass and Blues Festival Information

I was originally going to wait to release this list around New Years as a great way to kick off 2009, but I simply cannot wait nor help myself. Besides, what better holiday present than to surprise someone with tickets (or made up tickets until the actual ones are released) to their favorite band or festival? As more tours and festivals are announced, I will be sure to bring them to your attention, but for now, Happy Holidays from me to all of you.

TOURS:

• AC/DC: already kicked off their tour this past fall, but will be carrying it well into 2009.
• U2: I will be traveling for this one. U2 is one of my “must see’s”.
• The Eagles
• Billy Joel: Shows in Florida in February and additional Vegas dates
• Elton John & Billy Joel: tour starts in March and continues into May with a possible 20+ shows
• Kenny Chesney
• Phish: Reunion shows in Virginia in March with expected additional traveling shows to be announced soon
• The Jonas Brothers: a few spring dates to be released on top of a summer tour
• Il Divo: Full World Tour
• Rascal Flatts – Bob That Head Tour
• Nickleback: apparently people are willing to pay to see them…
• Andre Rieu
• Celine Dion: She came to Columbus and I would LOVE to see her. I saw her Vegas show on an HBO special and was completely captivated. Hopefully she comes around again.
• Michael Bublé
• Metallica
• Dave Matthews Band: I wouldn’t be summertime without Dave Matthews touring.
• Fleetwood Mac: Think I’ll be taking mom to this show for her birthday :)
• Cher in Las Vegas: My gay boys should be going out for this one!
• Bette Midler (Las Vegas)
• Neil Diamond
• John Mayer
• Motley Crue
• Neil Young
• Tim McGraw
• Tina Turner
• Toby Keith
• Widespread Panic: Sure to make an appearance at Bonnaroo to appease all their hippie followers.
• Wilco
• Brad Paisley
• Taylor Swift
• Aerosmith
• Tran-Siberian Orchestra Non-Holiday Tour
• Keith Urban
• American Idols: I can’t believe these shows sell out at $150+ a ticket. Insane.
• So You Think You Can Dance: See American Idols note
• Dancing With The Stars: See So You Think You Can Dance note
• George Strait
• Steve Winwood: BRING ME A HIGHER LOVE! Candice and I are going to this. She just doesn’t know it yet.
• Snow Patrol: Love, love, love them! Another one on my list! Think I will take the new roommate to see them.
• Eric Clapton: Touring the United Kingdom in early 2009
• Coldplay: Another UK tour, you know… just in case you happen to be over there
• Oasis
• The Pretenders: They’re still around?
• Bloc Party: Would love to see them team up with The Killers
• Kings of Leon
• Alan Jackson
• The Killers: Would love to see them team up with Bloc Party
• Def Leppard
• Foo Fighters
• Guns N’ Roses: About time they came out for another tour. They canceled a lot of dates with their last tour and pissed off a lot of fans including my good friend in Dallas who had been waiting forever to see them.

RUMORED TOURS:

• Rolling Stones
• The Grateful Dead: Aren’t the rumored every year?
• Faces with Rod Stewart & Ronnie Wood
• Rod Stewart solo if the Faces reunion fails
• Jimmy Buffett: How is this even rumored? He tours every year.
• Shakira
• The Kinks
• Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
• Whitney Houston: If she’s not totally coked out, I would LOVE to see her!
• No Doubt: ugh… yuck.
• Pearl Jam: Count on this one.
• Peter Gabriel
• Beyonce
• Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band: One of my favorites. Bet mom would like to go to this one too.
• Roger Waters
• Zeppelin (Led Zeppelin without Plant): This has been the big Bonnaroo rumor year after year, but Robert Plant always makes an appearance at ‘Roo so we shall see if they all come together under the Tennessee stars for an epic show.
• Prince
• The Smiths: Add them to a line up with The Killers and Bloc Party and I’m in heaven

FESTIVALS:

• 10,000 Lakes Festival – Detroit Lakes, Minnesota: The biggest mid-west festival on the scene. If you’re up for a serious road trip, this would certainly be worth it.
• All Good Festival – Masontown, West Virginia: for the true potheads.
• All Points West – Jersey City, New Jersey
• All Tomorrow’s Parties – New York, New York: This is a Australian festival that comes over for a stint in the US every summer.
• Austin City Limits – Austin, Texas: Always a solid lineup proving that not all of Texas sucks.
• Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival – Manchester, Tennessee: This will be my third year going and we expect to have a big caravan coming down from Ohio equipped with both veteran and first time Roozles. This is my most favorite place in the whole world and I just can’t wait until June.
• Bumbershoot – Seattle, Washington
• The Burning Man Project – Black Rock City, Nevada: I’m still not really sure what this is but I’m sure there’s a lot of peyote involved.
• CMA Music Festival – Nashville, Tennessee
• Coachella Valley Art & Music Festival – Indio, California: California’s big one. Always an epic festival.
• Country Concert - Fort Loramie, Ohio: This is really big in Ohio, but I think I’ll skip it. I’ve lived here my entire life and have never even heard of Fort Loramie.
• Download Festival – San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia: Not to be confused with the much larger and heavier UK Download Festival.
• Essence Music Festival – New Orleans, Louisiana: Your R&B and Soul summer hot spot.
• Farm Aid – most likely in Vermont this year: For all you Willie Nelson lovers out there.
• Langerado Music Festival – Miami, Florida
• Lollapalooza – Chicago, Illinois: I’m determined to make it out to Chicago this summer for this. I’ve passed it up the last two years and have been kicking myself ever since.
• Monolith Festival – Boulder, Colorado
• Movement: Detroit Electronic Music Festival – Detroit, Michigan: For all you techno and club kids out there.
• New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival – New Orleans, Louisiana
• Pitchfork – Chicago, Illinois: Meg went last year and raved about it.
• Popped! Philadelphia Music Festival – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Rock the Bells Music Festival – Traveling: top notch hip-hop performers.
• Rothbury Music Festival – Rothbury, Michigan: The big new competitor to Bonnaroo. Had some friends that went last year and loved it.
• Sasquatch Music Festival – George, Washington
• South by Southwest – Austin, Texas
• Stagecoach Music Festival - Indio, California: Same place as Coachella, just for all those country fans.
• Summerfest – Milwaukee, Wisconsin: A Wisconsin tradition with popular but not necessarily main stream Midwest bands. My parents went to this when they were in college and my brother went last year. Maybe one of these years I’ll actually make it up there for it.
• Virgin Mobile Festival – Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Changes locations every year.
• Voodoo Music Experience – New Orleans, Louisiana: Why does the Crescent City get all the cool stuff?
• Wakarusa – Lawrence, Kansas: Known for a solid and diverse lineup year after year.

Editor’s Note: The following is written by Jackson at ShowSanctuary. ShowSanctuary is two brothers’ take on the live music scene, providing the lowdown on the concerts to catch and undiscovered artists to follow. The brothers are devoted contributors to the TicketStumbler Blog.

Here’s some of the shows I’m liking this weekend. Click on the links for tickets!

The Eagles @ The Verizon Center Washington, DC 11/20

Tickets aren’t cheap ($91+), but the Eagles are sure to please with their classic tunes and laid-back vibes. Even as they age (and apparently move into the adult contemporary category for the AMA’s) they have enough classic jams to please concert goers.

Additional Eagles Dates

Umphreys McGee @ the 9:30 Club Washington, DC 11/21

Umphreys McGee is sure to entertain those who make it to the 930 club for either (or both) night(s) with the their always changing set list and crowd-pleasing improvisational, jam-band style.

Additional Umphreys McGee Dates

Willie Nelson in Enid, OK 11/22

It’s Willie Nelson. Come on, go see him.

Additional Willie Nelson Dates

Slightly Stoopid @ the Catalyst Santa Cruz, CA 11/21

I love these guys’ fusion of reggae, acoustic rock, and blues. Check them out!

Additional Slightly Stoopid Dates

Well I suppose the title just about sums it up. For those of you in Columbus, or alive and conscious for that matter, you already know that this weekend is the Ohio State vs. Michigan Game. ESPN is in full force and will be covering this historic match up in their Rivalry Week spotlight. No surprise here that corporations are quick to maximize on the hype.

Samsung is sponsoring the “Rock ‘N Rally” this Friday at the LC Pavilion in Columbus’ Arena District. While this venue may be one of quality, it is not one of great size. Doors open at 7:30PM, but seeing that this is a free concert, people will be lined up by 10AM at the very latest. Don’t believe me? I’d like to reference the recent sale of 23 cent pizzas by Papa John’s and Free Chipotle Burrito Day which both brought out hoards cheap and apparently unemployed people who were willing to wait in line for eight-plus hours.

Unlike 7.2% of Ohio, I am lucky enough to have a job and will not be attending this concert, but stay tuned for my review of the OSU tailgate which my ladies and I will kick off at 5AM with “kegs and eggs” at Four Kegs Bar & Grille. And who knows… with tickets now going for as little as $60 each, we may even decide to scalp and head into the Shoe. Sure glad I wasn’t that sucker who paid $400 per ticket at the beginning of the season.

TO THE BUCKS… MICHIGAN SUCKS! (Even though this is technically a post about The All-American Rejects or whatever)

Q: How many batteries does it take to beat Michigan?
A: Just one AA.

Nine Inch Nails has been touring quite a bit over the past year including a headliner position at Chicago’s Lollapalooza (along with Radiohead and Rage Against the Machine… epic lineup). They will be making their stop in Columbus and as of this morning tickets on TicketStumbler were as low as $43 each.

The show is Monday night at Value City Arena and you can expect a packed house. I would absolutely be there if I didn’t already have a business trip scheduled. However, given the option I would gladly pass up my trip to Miami to see Trent Reznor in full affect. If you are into Nails or simply want to revisit your tense teenage years, definitely go check them out. Besides, I have a sneaking suspicion that they might be showing up at Bonnaroo this year.

Just keep in mind that Reznor has come out with at least five new albums in the last few years (although I’ve honestly began to lose track), all of which are incredibly industrial sounding so if you are looking to fully revisit the days of Pretty Hate Machine or The Downward Spiral, you may be a little disappointed. Festival sidekick, Meg, who attended their show at Lollapalooza said set list was one that few recognized. Regardless, I’m sure they will touch on some of the classics so grab some tickets, pound a few beers, and take in their ridiculous energy!

And speaking of the Value City Arena, can anyone explain to me why the cheapest tickets to see Duran Duran are going for $98? What is the deal with that? I understand people love them some Rio, but holy hell that’s steep!

Editor’s Note: The following is written by ROSCO at ShowSanctuary. ShowSanctuary is two brothers’ take on the live music scene, providing the lowdown on the concerts to catch and undiscovered artists to follow. The brothers are devoted contributors to the TicketStumbler Blog.

If you type in ‘Sean Hayes‘ on Google, your search will bring up two different people. One is the actor most famously known for his role as Will’s gay partner on Will and Grace. The other is a musician. It’s no surprise which Sean Hayes we refer to here. But, you still may not know he is.

It was only with his last album that I first took notice. Flowering Spade, released in 2007, is his fifth album. And, although I would have never known it, Hayes is in his mid-thirties and a veteran of the music scene.

He’s not exactly an up-and-comer, but experimentation is evident, and most of the tunes are both funky and fresh. It sounds somewhat like an artist still finding their way. However, if that were the case, it would be a breakthrough artist.

Once considered to be part of the ‘freak-folk’ movement, Hayes has touched back down to earth in recent years. He’s joined the likes of Jack Johnson, Amos Lee, and Ben Harper with the modern folk movement. Among them, Hayes is no less of an artist.

UPCOMING TOUR DATES:
Dec 13, 2008 9:00P
Schubas Chicago, Illinois
Jan 7, 2009 8:00P
Rickshaw Stop San Francisco, California

Editor’s Note: The following is written by ROSCO at ShowSanctuary. ShowSanctuary is two brothers’ take on the live music scene, providing the lowdown on the concerts to catch and undiscovered artists to follow. The brothers are devoted contributors to the TicketStumbler Blog.

Album:GOSSIP IN THE GRAIN

Release Date: OCTOBER 14, 2008

It’s a quality rarely heard.  It’s the kind which is remembered. Painful, but reassuringly warm- a heartbreaking, weathered sound.  An instantly catching sound, brought forth from deep in the gut and slowly released- morphing into music as it meets the air. The exceptional voice of a musician that’s reached the pinnacle. As good as…

His sound resembles someone we’ve heard, but who?

He’s been compared to almost all of the old greats.  According to Rolling Stone, “Ray LaMontagne’s voice, full of the warm yearning of a young Van Morrison, is his calling card.”  But, the list goes on – from Nick Drake and Tim Buckley, to Stephen Stills and Ray Charles – his name is continuously referred to alongside a plethora of bestselling artists.

With so much comparison, it’s easy to forget that LaMontagne is his own artist. With every album, however, we are reminded again. On each track, he lays down the same rough, gritty vocals which have become his trademark. With each album, though, he breathes with a distinct voice– one which cuts through the folk/blues patterns of the past and extends into a new realm. We take a trip to another of LaMontagne’s exclusive, alien worlds and, each time we go, it looks like some place we’ve seen before.

Listening to his newest release, I was caught off guard at first.  Following the release of Til the Sun Turns Black (2006), I expected an album comprised of dark-but-beautiful, all-acoustic tracks, accompanied by string sections and poignant lyrics. Or, maybe an album like Trouble, his first release in 2004, in which Ray sung the working man’s blues with a hardy, strong willed, down to earth feeling.

With Gossip in the Grain, Ray’s voice remained the only thing unchanged.  So, after first listening, I didn’t quite know how I felt about the album. I kept listening to figure it out…  The CD has yet to be taken out of the player.

Others seem to share my appreciation. The album is his highest achievement yet, debuting at #3 on the Billboard charts. Moreover, it’s the debut of a new era for LaMontagne- who has proved to be a dynamic, ever-growing artist. Creativity is evident in his song selections. Once a mix of mostly blues and folk creations, they now sometimes seep into unknown genres.

LaMontagne seems to have found his unique sound. He is less serious, but just as dedicated. More grateful and less loathing. Content, but still overflowing with blues. Finally, it seems, he might have broken free from comparison.

He is an exceptional talent, whose voice evokes powerful feeling, and whose artistry continues to evolve.  One day, almost inevitably, he will join the names of those he was once compared to. He has become, in this writer’s opinion, today’s greatest artist.

Forgive me father for I have sinned. It has been over a week since my last blog post. But really, I’ve been a busy girl these days so I think listing all the December shows in the Columbus area will serve as a fair penance.

So here you have it folks. Sadly, unless you are into the holiday performances, December leaves much to be desired. BUT Duran Duran is coming to town and you bet your sweet bippy that I will be going with one lucky friend who will get my extra ticket. Moses didn’t get anything down about not taking bribes, right?

The Ekoostik Hookah show will bring in their usual hippie following. I’ve seen them at a couple of local music festivals and they’re decent. I’m not particularly into them, but if jam bands are your thing you should definitely check them out.

Anyway, it’s still early November so check back for updates to this list and as always, be sure to check out TicketStumbler for the very best price on tickets: