Vancouver
Rocked Thursdays @ The Plaza Club
881 Granville St
Thursday May 17
9pm   


While we're on it - news from House of Blues!

STEVE VAI
with special guesTS
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16TH
COMMODORE BALLROOM
VANCOUVER, BC
DOORS 7:00 pm                    SHOW 8:00 pm 
**GENERAL ADMISSION**


While many musicians fit easily into a single category, Steve Vai's unique
musical vision remains unclassifiable. After more than 20 years and much
acclaim, Vai continues to use his unbridled guitar virtuosity and soulful
artistry to explore the spectrum of human emotion.

Growing up on Led Zeppelin and progressive rock, Vai has always had a
penchant for the conceptual side of rock. He first stepped into the spotlight
in 1980 as a guitarist in Frank Zappa's band. 2006 saw Vai return to the
state with several of his former band members on the Zappa Plays Zappa tour,
performed with Dwezill Zappa. But Vai's indelible contribution to music came
during his solo career, which includes combined sales of nearly six million
albums. His debut album Flex-Able in 1984 set the stage for Vai's most
influential and best-selling album, Passion and Warfare which was released in
1990. The album expanded the lexicon of rock guitar and ushered in an era of
guitar virtuosos in the early '90s.

From Flex-Able to his most recent release, Sound Theories, Vai creates a
sound all his own by striking a balance between technical ability and poetic
phrasing. "I make music to push my own buttons," explains Vai. "I've always
been driven by an addiction to create sounds that are unique - not better
than what other people do, just different." While many of his albums revolve
around a specific thematic axis, Vai considers Sound Theories the high point
of his conceptual efforts.

Don't miss guitar legend Steve Vai at the famous Commodore Ballroom on
Sunday, September 16th.

TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, MAY 18TH @ 10:00AM


Tickets: $42.50 (INCL. GST) + s/c + f.f.
Tickets available at all Ticketmaster outlets Charge By Phone 604-280-4444



ALL FOUR ORIGINAL MEMBERS
ASIA
HEAT OF THE MOMENT - 25TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR

MONDAY, AUGUST 20TH
COMMODORE BALLROOM
VANCOUVER, BC
DOORS 8:00 pm                    SHOW 9:30 pm 
**GENERAL ADMISSION**


"Heat of the Moment", "Only Time Will Tell", "Sole Survivor"-these and other
songs from Asia's 1982 self-titled debut live on today as staples on classic
rock radio. The first album by the supergroup, formed by members of Yes, King
Crimson, Emerson Lake and Palmer, and The Buggles, went platinum several
times over and was named Album of the Year by Billboard magazine. Asia's mix
of progressive rock with arena-size choruses captured the imaginations of
music fans with follow-up albums like Alpha (#6 on the Billboard album chart)
and Astra. Despite its many lineup changes, Asia remained active all through
the '90s, touring and releasing albums such as Aqua and Arena. A comeback
tour in 2006 featuring all original members-including John Wetton, Geoff
Downes, Steve Howe, and Carl Palmer--was hugely successful. An album of new
material, the first by the original lineup since 1983's Alpha, is expected in
2008. In the meantime, Eagle Rock Entertainment has just released
Fantasia-Live in Tokyo, a CD/DVD document of the band performing its classic
hits at a sold-out show in Tokyo.

North American fans will be able to enjoy Asia's powerful combination of
melody and instrumental prowess on a new tour. The set will include all the
Asia hits plus hits by each 4 members other groups including Yes, King
Crimson, The Buggles (Video Killed The Radio Star) and Emerson, Lake &
Palmer.

Don't miss the legendary Asia at the famous Commodore Ballroom on Monday,
August 20th.

TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, MAY 18TH @ 10:00AM


Tickets: $45.00 (INCL. GST) + s/c + f.f.
Tickets available at all Ticketmaster outlets Charge By Phone 604-280-4444



ROCK 101 PRESENTS
STEPHEN STILLS
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS



WEDNESDAY, JULY 4TH
COMMODORE BALLROOM
VANCOUVER, BC
DOORS 8:00 PM         SHOW 9:15 PM
**GENERAL ADMISSION**

Legendary guitarist/singer-songwriter Stephen Stills is one of the most
influential and enduring figures in rock and roll. The only artist ever to be
inducted twice in the same night into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-for The
Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash-Stills' work spans five
decades, four iconic groups (Manassas and CSNY in addition to the two already
mentioned), two bonafide anthems-"For What It's Worth" and "Love The One
You're With"--and a rich canon of solo material.

Forty-one years gone from his landmark 1966 Buffalo Springfield major label
recording debut, Stills' latest, the solo opus Man Alive!, finds this
resilient artist's playing as masterful as ever and his signature vocals
richly mellowed with time. Rolling Stone editor David Wild called the disc
"the sort of assured album that can stand alongside Stills' best early solo
albums and his work with Manassas. Tracks like the rousing opener, "Ain't It
Always," and the bluesy "Wounded World"...recall past classics." The latter
track speaks to Stills' lifelong passion for the blues.

Man Alive! continues the illustrious legacy of inspired solo work Stills
launched with 1970's Stephen Stills, of which allmusic.com's Bruce Eder
wrote, "listening to this album three decades on, it's still a jaw-dropping
experience, the musical equal to Crosby, Stills & Nash or Déjà Vu, and only a
shade less important than either of them." Featuring a little help from
all-star musical friends Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Rita Coolidge and
others, the disc delivered the stone-cold Stills classic "Love The One You're
With," one of the most important solo hits from any CSNY member.

Together with any number of fellow artists, or in the solo spotlight, Stephen
Stills has continued to break musical ground with an extraordinary career. Of
his latest, Man Alive!, Stills reflects on having saved up his songs for a
decade instead of giving them away to others, saying,  "I basically went
after making the best Stephen Stills record possible."  It's worth the wait.

Don't miss Stephen Stills with special guests at the famous Commodore
Ballroom on Wednesday, July 4th.

TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, MAY 18TH @ 10:00AM

Tickets: $39.50 (INCL. GST) + s/c + f.f.
Tickets available at all Ticketmaster Outlets or Charge-by-phone 604-280-4444
Order on-line www.ticketmaster.ca or www.hob.ca



THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT PRESENTS
RUFUS WAINWRIGHT



WITH SPECIAL GUEST SARAH SLEAN
SATURDAY, JULY 28TH
THE CENTRE IN VANCOUVER FOR PERFORMING ARTS
VANCOUVER, BC
DOORS 6:30 PM         SHOW 7:30 PM
**RESERVED SEATING**

Rolling Stone calls Rufus Wainwright's Want Two "the composer's least
commercial album. Filled with operatic vocals, symphonic arrangements,
iconoclastic religiosity and Latin, Want Two is unlikely to steal away any
Jessica Simpson fans. Instead, Wainwright's fanciful songs about love and
faith place him in the rarefied company of Bjork and Brian Wilson.

"Want One was a personal album," Wainwright explains, "and it dealt with my
triumphs in personal battles, Want Two is far more broader and doesn't dwell
on one subject."

Want Two features the same producer as Want One, Marius deVries , and
showcases Wainwright's love of opera and classical music which he synthesizes
with different types of pop music, "I'm an octopus using my many arms to grab
at a wide variety of styles."

Rufus has kept busy since the 2004 release of Want Two. He has contributed to
many movie and television soundtracks, including Meet The Robinsons, The Last
Kiss, The Aviator and The L Word. He has also appeared on compilations such
as Lifted: Songs of The Spirit and Plauge Songs.

Born in Pickering, Ontario, Sarah Slean has made quiet a name for herself
since recording her first album at the age of 19. Her most recent release,
Orphan Music, came out in October 2006. The album features songs recorded
live performances at Toronto's Harbourfront Theatre as well as 2005's sold
out show at Vancouver's own East Cultural Centre.

Don't miss the opportunity to see Rufus Wainwright with special guest Sarah
Slean at The Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts on Saturday, July 28th.

TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, MAY 18TH @ 10:00AM

Tickets: $39.50 & $29.50 (INCL. GST) + s/c
Tickets available at all Ticketmaster Outlets or Charge-by-phone 604-280-4444



STATIC - X
with special guesTS
WEDNESDAY, JULY 11TH
RICHARD'S ON RICHARDS
VANCOUVER, BC
DOORS 8:00 pm                    SHOW 9:00 pm 
**GENERAL ADMISSION**


Calling Static-X the Terminator of contemporary rock music may seem like an
obvious comparison: The band's blunt-force-trauma melding of industrial rock,
thrash metal and futuristic disco is nothing if not cybernetic. But when you
look back at Static-X's 13-year legacy, the comparison goes well beyond the
musical: Since the 1999 release of their platinum-certified Warner debut,
Wisconsin Death Trip, the Los Angeles quartet have weathered musical trends,
survived lineup shifts, and even severed longtime creative partnerships to
emerge as the streamlined metallic machine they are today; and with their
fifth studio album, Cannibal, they sound positively indestructible.
While it may seem strange that such positive energy could lead to an album as
furious-sounding as Cannibal, as frontman Wayne Static explains it, the
newfound stability allowed him to go back to the process of writing music for
fun-although, granted, his idea of a good time may be a bit harsher and
louder than most people's.
Besides looking ahead to spending the next year on the road in support of
Cannibal, the terminally creative Static says he's already begun writing the
band's next album (one of the benefits of having your own studio); but
perhaps more importantly, he's looking forward to hanging onto the pure,
uninhibited energy that brought these current songs into focus.  "The simple
fact is that I love what I do," he says. "I love writing; I love touring-I
can't imagine doing anything else."

Don't miss Static-X with special guests at Richard's on Richards on July
11th.

TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, MAY 18TH @ 10:00AM


Tickets: $27.50 (INCL. GST) + s/c
Tickets available at all Ticketmaster outlets Charge By Phone 604-280-4444
Order on-line at www.ticketmaster.ca or www.hob.ca


THE SHOP ON 99.3 THE FOX PRESENTS
LAMB OF GOD
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS HATEBREED, BEHEMOTH AND THREE INCHES OF BLOOD




FRIDAY, JULY 13TH
CROATIAN CULTURAL CENTRE
VANCOUVER, BC
DOORS 6:00 PM         SHOW 6:30 PM
**EARLY SHOW / GENERAL ADMISSION**

Lamb of God have had great success since the release of their 2000 album New
American Gospel. Two years of extensive touring to support the album raised
Lamb of God's profile before the band released the critically acclaimed,
releasing As The Palaces Burn
<http://www.lamb-of-god.com/sacrament/info/cd_as_the_palaces_burn.php?PHPSESS
ID=071b87e027d964af47fbb9b0762a344b>  in 2003. ATPB won record of the year
honours in such notable magazines as Revolver and Metal Hammer while
garnering mainstream press in Rolling Stone and Entertainment Weekly.  The
continued touring and began headlining tours across the globe, including MTV
Head banger's Ball.

Gradually, Lamb of God's persistence paid off. As The Palaces Burn
<http://www.lamb-of-god.com/sacrament/info/cd_as_the_palaces_burn.php?PHPSESS
ID=071b87e027d964af47fbb9b0762a344b>  earned them a new level of respect and
admiration, but it was 2004's virulent major label debut, Ashes of the Wake
<http://www.lamb-of-god.com/sacrament/info/cd_ashes.php?PHPSESSID=071b87e027d
964af47fbb9b0762a344b>  that turned the band into true contenders for the
metal throne. By mid 2006, the record had sold over 275,000 copies. Revolver
magazine voted it the album of the year, a Guitar World readers poll deemed
it best metal album and awarded the band "most valuable players," "best
shredders" and "best riffs."

This past summer brought Sacrament
<http://www.lamb-of-god.com/sacrament/info/cd_sacrament.php?PHPSESSID=071b87e
027d964af47fbb9b0762a344b> , a stunning example of how diverse, articulate
and pummelling metal can be. It's a record that emphasizes just how far the
band members have come as players, writers and people and stands as a true
testament of triumph over adversity. With Sacrament
<http://www.lamb-of-god.com/sacrament/info/cd_sacrament.php?PHPSESSID=071b87e
027d964af47fbb9b0762a344b> , Lamb of God has stoked the flames by stripping
the flesh to the bone and examining the carnage.

On their latest record, Supremacy, Hatebreed, who've toured with everyone
from Slayer to Slipknot, impeccably illustrate all the things that have made
them one of the underground heavy metal scene's most beloved and most
important bands of the past decade. It also presents a new and improved
Hatebreed, who took some time, celebrated their ten-year anniversary with a
sold-out tour, reconnected with their fans, navigated some personal issues,
and then recorded an album that is as hulking as it is tight, as tough as it
positive.

Lamb Of God takes over the Croatian Cultural Centre on Friday, July 13th with
special guests Hatebreed, Behemoth and Three Inches of Blood.

TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, MAY 18TH @ 10:00AM

Tickets: $39.50 (INCL. GST) + s/c
Tickets available at all Ticketmaster Outlets or Charge-by-phone 604-280-4444
Order on-line www.ticketmaster.ca or www.hob.ca



THE POLYPHONIC SPREE
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS



FRIDAY, JULY 13TH
COMMODORE BALLROOM
VANCOUVER, BC
DOORS 8:00 PM         SHOW 9:30 PM
**GENERAL ADMISSION**

What do you do when you feel like you're surrounded by darkness and demons?
Some pull up the covers and hide, but not The Polyphonic Spree. Their
exciting new album, The Fragile Army, is an exuberant and passionate
explosion that finds the Dallas-based symphonic rock group joyfully raging
against the dying of the light with newfound zeal.

The new tunes incorporate the trademark Spree sound - an extraordinary fusion
of strings, brass, epic rock and, of course, the choir - while thematically
exploring life, love, loss and the modern experience. "Running Away" is an
instant classic, a soaring, jubilant declaration that pushes the choir to new
heights, while "Mental Cabaret" is a jaunty bit of lunacy. The title track is
like Ziggy Stardust hanging out with the Flaming Lips, a slow-building
protest anthem that serves as a centerpiece and thematic maypole for the
album to circle around.

The follow-up to 2004's critically acclaimed Together We're Heavy, The
Fragile Army finds The Polyphonic Spree on a creative high. Rough cuts of the
songs were taken into the studio, where the Spree's 16 instrumentalists and
eight choir members were asked to react to music and work on arrangements
with each other.

For over half a decade now, The Polyphonic Spree have been cutting a singular
swath through the pop culture landscape, spreading a positive energy that
makes people scratch their heads and ask questions while presenting music
that's colorful to the ears. Get ready to enlist in The Fragile Army.

The Polyphonic Spree brings their famous live show to the Commodore Ballroom
on Friday, July 13th.

TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, MAY 18TH @ 10:00AM

Tickets: $25.00 (INCL. GST) + s/c + f.f.
Tickets available at all Ticketmaster Outlets or Charge-by-phone 604-280-4444
Order on-line www.ticketmaster.ca or www.hob.ca



99.3 THE FOX PRESENTS
TRAINWRECK
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS



MONDAY, JULY 2nd
RICHARD'S ON RICHARDS
VANCOUVER, BC
DOORS: 8:00pm                           SHOW: 9:30pm
**GENERAL ADMISSION/LICENSED 19+**

In December <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/December>  2001
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001> , Tenacious D played a concert with
Weezer <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weezer>  and Jimmy Eat World
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Eat_World>  in Value City Arena
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Value_City_Arena> , where Kyle Gass befriended
Erin Robinson, who described herself as a "huge D fan." In 2002, Gass asked
her to recruit musicians for the "Trainwreck sideproject" so she found
bandmates and friends John Spiker <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Spiker>
and John Konesky <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Konesky> . 

The band started playing live in 2003 and recorded Trainwreck Live
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trainwreck_Live> , a live album in Los Angeles
in 2004. Gass produced the album alongside John King
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_King_%28producer%29>  of the Dust Brothers
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dust_Brothers> . Trainwreck Live released
through Sony Music <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_Music>  in December
20047. Reverend Horton Heat and the Supersuckers are only a few of the bands
that have invited Trainwreck to tour with them. The band is now recording its
first studio album with King and Gass coproducing. Trainwreck has also been
in talks with television networks to record a pilot TV show.

Don't miss Trainwreck live with special guests at Richard's on Richards on
Monday, July 2.

TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, MAY 18TH @ 10:00AM

Tickets: $15.00 (INCL. GST) + s/c
Tickets available at all Ticketmaster Outlets or Charge-by-phone 604-280-4444

Order on-line www.ticketmaster.ca or www.hob.ca



Z95-3 PRESENTS
WIL



WITH SPECIAL GUEST LEEROY STAGGER
TUESDAY, JUNE 19TH
VANCOUVER EAST CULTURAL CENTRE
VANCOUVER, BC
DOORS 7:00 PM         SHOW 7:30 PM
**GENERAL ADMISSION**

Wil's working-class upbringing conditioned him to view making music as a
respectable profession little different from, say, fixing cars like his
father. There's no question he's an "artist" but part of what Wil loves about
being a non-stop touring musician is that it's a "get your hands dirty job."
And when he's not performing or touring, the former Calgarian retreats to his
home in a Vancouver Island forest.
Wil's sophomore album embodies all of its charismatic creator's inherent
dichotomies-an artistic triumph from a down-to-earth working man; a record
purpose-built for the road by a guy who lives in the woods; a solo effort
made with a massive cast; complex production resulting in straightforward
songs; and archetypal love stories tinged with fear and doubt and, above all,
yearning hope.

In 1998, Leeroy Stagger hit Canada's independent music scene like a
hurricane. With a voice of ferocious intensity, Stagger howled and screamed
his way through several bands but it wasn't until Hot Hot Heat took Stagger
out with them on a 'cross-Canada tour that he started to mellow out a bit.
2006 saw Stagger return with Depression River, his fourth release in as many
years. Produced by John Ellis (Be Good Tanyas, Barney Bentall, Long John
Baldry), the album highlights Leeroy's ability to find drama in the banality
of everyday life. From full out broken beer bottle rock to the aching ballad
of a broken hearted dreamer, Stagger's latest album is a whiskey-soaked,
full-bodied recording of a powerful singer-songwriter that is only just
starting to come into his own.

Don't miss the opportunity to see Wil with special guest Leeroy Stagger on
June 19th at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre.

TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, MAY 18TH @ 10:00AM

Tickets: $20.00 (INCL. GST) + s/c
Tickets available at all Ticketmaster Outlets or Charge-by-phone 608-280-4444
Order on-line www.ticketmaster.ca or www.hob.ca
Tickets also at Zulu and Scratch
Tickets also at Zulu, Scratch and Red Cat
Tickets also at ScrapeTickets also available at Scrape
Order on-line www.ticketmaster.ca or www.hob.ca
Tickets also at Highlife
Order on-line at www.ticketmaster.ca or www.hob.ca
Order on-line at www.ticketmaster.ca or www.hob.ca