Daughtry Bores Fans at Arena Concert

According to Madison.com, Daughtry's first arena tour flopped hard! The fact that tickets are being cut in half for his tour (some being sold for as little as $13.99 and still not selling out) and his new album flopping at the record stores (and soundscan), I'd say Daughtry's 15 mins are just about up. Read on...

Fifty-two years ago, when Jerry Lee Lewis pounded out that dizzy rock 'n' roll classic "Great Balls of Fire," could he have even imagined a time when actual balls of fire would thunder forth onstage to a flaccid version of the genre he helped define?

Probably not. He probably couldn't have imagined "American Idol," either, or the relentless stream of carefully packaged singers it keeps shooting out.

Yet here we are. Saturday night at the Alliant Energy Center, massively successful "American Idol" finalist Chris Daughtry staged a spectacle with his band Daughtry that copped rock's power without much heart.

Yes, there were great balls of fire, torrents of sparkly firecrackers and booming canon shots. Daughtry (the man) can posture all he wants, hold his arms up to the heavens in actorly distress and flex his sculpted and tattooed biceps, but he never called forth anything like the feral shiver of Lewis yelping "I want to tell the world that you're mine, mine, mine, mine!"

But let's forget Jerry Lee Lewis for now. He's such a distant cousin to today's hard rock that it's a bit of an unfair comparison. Even in the context of the hard rock genre that Daughtry places itself in, however, Saturday night's show fell short. There were many times during the show when the band came close. Lead guitarist Josh Steely would pluck out a nasty opening hook, and I'd think "Alright! Rock 'n' roll!" But then Daughtry (the man) would neuter it with a plodding melody and brooding lyrics.

So he's a sap and doesn't do anything Creed or Nickelback hasn't already done. This should come as no surprise to anyone who's heard the band's self-titled 2006 debut or this year's follow-up, "Leave This Town." But what's most disappointing is that Daughtry can't muster the emotions of the songs any better live.

Even the fans, who filled about two-thirds of the Coliseum, looked bored during songs like "One Last Chance" and busied themselves with cell phones and texting. In general, though, the crowd gave the band an enthusiastic reception, sang along to the radio hits and pummeled the ground like a stampede of animals for the encore. It's amazing what being on television will do for a band.

Like openers Cavo and Theory of a Deadman, Chris Daughtry is a gracious presence on stage and seemed genuinely grateful to be performing. His energy never lagged during the 90-minute show, and whatever he lacks in songwriting and emoting, he makes up partially with his fine, arena-ready voice -- all the more impressive on Saturday evening since he said he'd spent the day before sick in his hotel room.

Mid-show the rest of the band left the stage, and he sat on a stool for a faithful acoustic cover of Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight." ("Put that song on the top of the list of songs I wish I wrote," he said afterward.)

Daughtry can belt out a ballad, but his voice sounded best in arena rock mode. Likewise, the band seemed most comfortable and at ease battering out larger-than-life rock like the grand finale "There and Back Again." In between Daughtry's megaphone-distorted vocals and bassist JP Paul's slapping solos, "There and Back Again" was the only time during the show when the music seemed worthy of fire balls.

New Tour Dates for Taylor Hicks Leads Up To His New Album's Release!

For those fans who are out of the loop, here's you chance to purchase tickets to Taylor's intimate club tour leading up to the new album's release on March 10, 2009. If you live in or around the Annapolis MD, Oakley OH or Chicago, IL area, break open that wallet and catch him sing his brand new music! It may be your only chance to catch him in such a small venue since he'll be touring larger venues after the album's release.

The three stops so far are:

Martyrs: Chicago, IL, $40, January 17, 2009
Tickets on Sale Now @ Ticketmaster, w/special guest TBA

20th Century Theater: Oakley, OH, $25, January 24, 2009
Tickets on Sale @ Ticketmaster on Dec. 20, 2008 @ 10:00am

Rams Head: Annapolis, MD, $35, Feb 7, 2009
Tickets On Sale Now @ Pollstar. Tickets going fast, so get yours while you can!

New Tour Dates for Taylor Hicks Leads Up To His New Album's Release!

For those fans who are out of the loop, here's you chance to purchase tickets to Taylor's intimate club tour leading up to the new album's release on February 10, 2009. If you live in or around the Annapolis MD or Chicago, IL area, break open that wallet and catch him sing his brand new music! It may be your only chance to catch him in such a small venue since he'll be touring larger venues after the album's release.

The two stops so far are:

Martyrs: Chicago, IL, $40, January 17, 2009
Tickets on Sale Now @ Ticketmaster, w/special guest TBA

Rams Head: Annapolis, MD, $35, Feb 7, 2009
Tickets On Sale Now @ Pollstar. Tickets going fast, so get yours while you can!

Taylor Hicks In Concert At 'Rams Head'! First Concert Date of 2009!

Our soulman will be a mighty busy boy come 2009 with a brand new CD coming out on February 10, a new DVD "Whomp At The Warfield" coming out on February 17, and a starring role in the touring company of the hit Broadway show "Grease" as the Teen Angel. We now find out that he is starting to book tour dates in the same cities "Grease" will be playing. On Saturday, February 7, 2009, Taylor will headline RAMS HEAD On Stage! in Annapolis, MD. Tickets are $35 and showtime is 11pm. Click here to order tickets.

Surely those in attendance will be treated to songs from Taylor's new album that will drop 3 days later on February 10th. This will be his first concert gig in quite some time, dating back to September 2007, so I'm sure this will be an awesome show for everyone!

The Touring Cast of Grease Announced, Starring Taylor Hicks!

Kate Morgan Chadwick will star as "Frenchy".

She will play the 'Beauty School Dropout' to which Taylor sings to!

According to Broadway.com, the producers of the Tony Award nominated new Broadway production of GREASE announced the full cast today for the national tour of the show, launching at the Providence Performing Arts Center in Providence, RI on December 2, 2008.

As was previously announced, "American Idol" Season Five winner Taylor Hicks will star as "Teen Angel." Taylor Hicks made his debut on Broadway in the role this past summer. He achieved widespread fame in 2006 as a contestant on the hugely successful FOX singing competition "American Idol."

Starring with Taylor Hicks will be Eric Schneider as "Danny" and Emily Padgett as "Sandy." Eric made his Broadway debut in Jersey Boys. His previous credits include Altar Boyz (Off-Broadway) and the national tours of Altar Boyz and The Full Monty. Emily made her Broadway debut in GREASE™, where she understudied the role of Sandy. Her other credits include the national tours of CATS and Thoroughly Modern Millie. Starring as "Rizzo" will be Allie Schulz, a contestant on NBC's "Grease: You're the One That I Want." Allie comes directly from the Broadway company of GREASE.

The tour also stars Scot Patrick Allan as "Eugene," Will Blum as "Roger," Bridie Carroll as "Jan," Kate Morgan Chadwick as "Frenchy," Brian Crum as "Doody," Kelly Felthous as "Marty," Dominic Fortuna as "Vince Fontaine," Erin Henry as "Patty Simcox," Roxie Lucas as "Miss Lynch," David Ruffin as "Kenickie," and Nick Verina as "Sonny."

The ensemble features Joseph Corella, Preston Ellis, Melissa Larsen, Ruby Lewis, Lisa Maietta, Dayla Perkins, Mark Raumaker, Mike Russo, Matthew William Schmidt and Brooke Stone.

This new production of GREASE, which opened on Broadway on Sunday, August 19, 2007, was born out of NBC's landmark talent competition TV series, "Grease: You're The One That I Want." The weekly talent competition drew 90 million viewers, and America voted for its favorite contestants to play the lead roles of Sandy and Danny on Broadway. Directed and choreographed by two-time Tony Award-winner Kathleen Marshall (The Pajama Game, Wonderful Town), GREASE features book, music and lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey.

After spending a hopelessly devoted summer with Sandy Dumbrowski, the new girl in town, Danny Zuko's world is thrown upside down when Sandy appears at Rydell High on the first day of school. What follows is a rock n' roll celebration of growin' up, cruisin' with friends and goin' steady. The new production of GREASE features songs from the smash hit 1978 motion picture for the first time ever in a Broadway production including "Sandy," the Academy Award nominated song "Hopelessly Devoted to You," "Grease" and "You're the One That I Want" - both of which were #1 hits on the Billboard Top 100 list. These songs will be heard in addition to the Jacobs/Casey songs made famous by the original stage production including "Summer Nights," "Greased Lightnin'" and "We Go Together."

GREASE features scenic design by Tony Award nominee Derek McLane (The Pajama Game), costume design by two-time Tony Award winner Martin Pakledinaz (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Kiss Me Kate), lighting design by Tony Award winner Kenneth Posner (The Coast of Utopia, Wicked) and sound design by Brian Ronan (Spring Awakening, Curtains).

GREASE is produced on tour by Paul Nicholas and David Ian, Nederlander Presentations, Inc. and Terry Allen Kramer by arrangement with Robert Stigwood.

The schedule for the national tour of GREASE is as follows:

- December 2 - 7, 2008 at the Providence Performing Arts Center, Providence, RI
- December 9 - 14, 2008 at the Wharton Center for the Performing Arts, East Lansing, MI
- December 16 - 21, 2008 at Palace Theatre, Columbus, OH
- December 30, 2008 - January 4, 2009 at the Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis, MN
- January 6 - 18, 2009 at the Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL
- January 20 - February 1, 2009 at the Aronoff Center for the Arts, Cincinnati, OH
- February 3 - 15, 2009 at the Hippodrome Theatre, Baltimore, MD
- February 18 - 22, 2009, Omaha Performing Arts Center, Omaha, NE
- February 24 - March 1, 2009 at the Music Hall, Tucson, AZ
- March 3 - 8, 2009 at the Civic Theatre, San Diego, CA
- March 10 - 22, 2009 at the Pantages Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
- March 24 - April 19, 2009 at the Golden Gate Theatre, San Francisco, CA
- April 21 - 26, 2009 at Keller Auditorium, Portland, OR
- April 28 - May 10, 2009 at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, Costa Mesa, CA
- May 12 - 30, 2009 at the 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle, WA
- June 2 - 7, 2009 at Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, Appleton, WI
- June 9 - 28, 2009, Fisher Theatre, Detroit, MI

Season 5 American Idol Tour Stills Reigns As Most Profitable

There cannot be any doubt left that the headliner for the 2006 Idol Tour, winner Taylor Hicks, had a major part in the most profitable and most successful tour thus far in all seven seasons of that cheesy show. This is no coincidence, my friends - just look how the gross receipts for Grease soared during this summer when Taylor starred in the production.

According to USA Today, "the 2008 American Idol tour, headlined by David Cook, was a substantially greater success than last year's, but failed to match the star-studded, Taylor Hicks-led 2006 edition. This summer's tour pulled in $29.3 million, according to Billboard Boxscore, compared with 2007's $20.9 million and 2006’s $35.2 million. Seats were filled at an 85.4% average rate; in 2007 that figure sagged to 68.4% after the 2006 tour ran at 96.1% capacity."

Taylor Hicks - The One That You Want - Info on Show Dates for "Grease"!!

I just want to alert you of a few dates Taylor will NOT be appearing in when Grease goes on tour across the country. If you see your city, please note the dates so you don't spend all kinds of money on a show he's not in. I'm getting totally excited about seeing Taylor in the flesh, I'll admit. I haven't seen him live since May of '07, so I'm ready to see him in America's finest city - San Diego, Ca!

Dates Taylor will NOT be performing:
Minneapolis - Dec 30, 31, Jan 1
Baltimore - Feb 10 through Feb 15
Los Angeles - Mar 18, 19
San Francisco - April 7, 8, 9

The Regular Schedule is as follows:
Dec. 2-7, 2008 at the Providence Performing Arts Center, Providence, RI
Dec. 9-14, 2008 at the Wharton Center for the Performing Arts, East Lansing, MI
Dec. 16-21, 2008 at Palace Theatre, Columbus, OH
Dec. 30, 2008-Jan. 4, 2009 at the Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis, MN
Jan. 6-18, 2009 at the Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL
Jan. 20-Feb. 1, 2009 at the Aronoff Center for the Arts, Cincinnati, OH
Feb. 3-15, 2009 at the Hippodrome Theatre, Baltimore, MD
Feb. 24-March 1, 2009 at the Music Hall, Tucson, AZ
March 3-8, 2009 at the Civic Theatre, San Diego, CA
March 10-22, 2009 at the Pantages Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
March 24-April 19, 2009 at the Golden Gate Theatre, San Francisco, CA
April 21-26, 2009 at Keller Auditorium, Portland, OR
April 28-May 10, 2009 at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, Costa Mesa, CA
May 12-30, 2009 at the 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle, WA

Grease will be produced on tour by Paul Nicholas and David Ian, Nederlander Presentations, Inc. and Terry Allen Kramer by arrangement with Robert Stigwood.