PIR Teams with Rock and Roll Artist Wes Freed to Promote NASCAR's Semi-Final Showdown Album artist creates piece for Checker Auto Parts 500 Three divergent and wildly popular American pastimes have come together under the umbrella of Phoenix International Raceway to help promote the November 9 Checker Auto Parts 500 Presented by Pennzoil at PIR - NASCAR, art and rock and roll. Richmond-based artist/musician Wes Freed – best known for his album cover art for alt-country rockers The Drive-By Truckers (including 2008's Brighter Than Creation’s Dark, which peaked in the Billboard Top 40) – was commissioned by PIR President Bryan R. Sperber and has produced a limited edition promotional poster for Phoenix’s upcoming race in NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup. To read the entire article click here.

It's never been done live until this tour. A couple shots from the front row in Raleigh: Peter Buck, Mike Mills, Mitch Easter and Don Dixon

THE RECORD STORE A GOOD THING Writer: Paste Staff Feature, Issue 44, Published online on 19 Jun 2008 [Above: Jerry's Records, Pittsburgh] People are no longer leaving their houses. They are content to wirelessly import digital music straight into nano-engineered storage devices implanted in their grey matter, and the digital revolution is killing brick-and-mortar retail. But, to paraphrase Mark Twain, rumors of the record store’s death have been greatly exaggerated. Just as people of faith need houses of worship in which to commune, music zealots are no less dependent on shrines dedicated to their own decibel-cranked passion. For that reason, Paste hereby celebrates the record store, bestowing superlatives on a few of America’s finest. May they live long and loud! Click here to read the list.

Like I said, Staring Down the Barrel of the Middle Distance was debuted in Dublin last summer as part of the working rehearsals but didn't make the cut for Accelerate (same for On the Fly, which also got cut from Around the Sun). There's been some talk of a second U.S. leg following the European tour. Hopefully some official will be announced shortly.

I'm not much of a Petty fan but Rolling Stone gives his recent MSG show a pretty good review here.

Are you referring to the folks in the photo above? If so, I thought they were Big Brother and the Holding Company and that Cheap Thrills was the name of one of their records.

Here's a review from the Philadelphia Inquirer, Not sure where they get some of these reviewers from. This was not the first time they played Ignoreland on the tour but this tour is the first time they've played it live.

When I was growing up they pulled the same shit with Brooke Shields. It's nothing new.

Who even uses the term "squares" anymore? Well, besides Huey Lewis and Dragster. As for the Miley Virus thing it was nothing more than a publicity stunt to drum up interest in her post Hannah Montana image. It was just as orchestrated as Janet Jackson's so-called "wardrobe malfunction" at the Super Bore several years ago.

The "new" song was Staring Down the Barrel of the Middle Distance which they debuted during the working rehearsals in Dublin last summer. This is the first time it's been played on this tour. As for End of the World, after playing it for most every show since the mid-80s they dropped it from the setlist for the Around the Sun tour in 2004. They've only played it twice since: the night it was announced Bush had won the election for President in '04 and again on this tour when they played Jones Beach. It was done as a special treat for the fans because of the abbreviated setlist due to a rain delay. Thanks for the report. I've already got one show under my belt for this tour and am looking forward to AthFest in Athens this weekend along with the tour finale (at least for the U.S.) in Atlanta on Saturday night. It's not been made official yet but word is, they may swing back through the U.S. in the fall. There's some photos from last night's show on REMHQ's tour page here. Here's the setlist from last night (which should show up on the Setlists section of REMHQ later today): These Days Living Well is the Best Revenge What's the Frequency, Kenneth? Wolves, Lower Man-Sized Wreath Turn You Inside-Out Imitation of Life Staring Down the Barrel of the Middle Distance Ignoreland Bad Day Hollow Man The Great Beyond Houston Electrolite Walk Unafraid The One I love Find the River Let Me In Departure Life and How to Live it Orange Crush I'm Gonna DJ Encore Supernatural Superserious Losing My Religion Begin the Begin (with Eddie Vedder) Fall on Me (with Johnny Marr) Man on the Moon (with Johnny Marr)

A couple of my favorite episodes: R.E.M.

Various Artists AthFest 2008 Friday, June 20th - Sunday, June 22nd Athens, GA R.E.M. w/ The National & Modest Mouse Saturday, June 21st Lakewood Amphitheatre Atlanta, GA

I don't think it's all that "disturbing" but if someone plans to go see one of these nostalgia acts and that aspect of it concerns them that much it probably is best to do a little research beforehand. Molly Hatchet toured for years with no original members. While it may be somewhat off putting it's only natural that lineups are going to change over time. However, when artists such as Boston and Styx are touring purely behind the nostalgia aspect, I doubt many fans even care or even notice since they just wanna hear the hits they're accustomed to from classic rock radio. They could give a shit about who's in the band, they just want to hold up their lighters (or these days, cellphones) when they break out Come Sail Away or any of their other hits that have been worn into the ground over the years. Styx' current line up is listed on their official website here. I haven't seen him in concert since 2000 but then he was very good. His concerts have always been hit or miss (I understand they're more "miss" these days) but if you want to see him I suggest doing it while you still have a chance.

Can't say I'm really a fan of Petty's but I am a fan of Winwood's so that should be a good show. I've also seen Plant solo (Now and Zen tour) but there's absolutely no similarity between that or his work with Led Zeppelin with what he's doing now so I don't think it's really fair to compare. Raising Sand is one of my absolute favorite albums in recent memory so I'm looking very forward to that concert. I own the first couple of Boston records and saw them in concert in 1979 on a bill with Van Halen, Poco and the Outlaws (Van Halen were billed as the headliners even though the Outlaws played last). Boston were subject to boos before they even took the stage since it took at least a couple of hours for a crane to place a huge pipe organ onstage for their set. Plus, everyone was there for Van Halen and chanted for them throughout the majority of Boston's set. While their records have crystal clear production, their live show suffered greatly. Probably because fans were expecting them to somehow replicate that sound in concert. I like Styx ok but was never a huge fan, nor do I own any of their records. The pairing with Boston strikes me as a retro/nostalgia type tour. Something (other than seeing Van Halen earlier this spring) that simply doesn't interest me at all. Not to mention neither band features hardly any original members. In the case of Boston, I believe they are touring with two vocalists; the former lead singer of Stryper and a Brad Delp soundalike. I'll pass on that.

"State Fair" and "Boston/Styx" pretty much says it all for me. With all due respect, I'm simply not much for nostalgia tours. Plus, I was never a huge fan of either of those bands. I'm also not much on the big "shed" tours. I'm not totally opposed to them but tend to catch local, regional and upcoming artists at the local clubs. I definitely prefer that setting over the sheds, stadiums and arenas but every so often someone comes along that I'd like to see. For years it seems there's been hardly anyone passing through the area on that level that I've cared about seeing. All of sudden this year there's several concerts I'd like to attend. Too bad it had to happen when gas prices are at an all time high. So far I've seen Van Halen (my one exception to "nostalgia", it was a trip back in time for me since I hadn't seen them since 1979) and R.E.M. The rest of my summer tour schedule looks something like this: Various Artists AthFest Friday, June 20th - Sunday, June 22nd Athens, GA R.E.M. w/ The National & Modest Mouse Saturday, June 21st Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek Raleigh, NC Robert Plant / Allison Krauss Friday, July 11th RBC Center Raleigh, NC Steve Winwood / Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers Saturday, July 12th Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek Raleigh, NC Old 97s Saturday, July 26th Downtown Live Raleigh, NC Wilco Friday, August 8th Koka Booth Amphitheatre Cary, NC That's just a list of shows I plan on seeing and/or already have tickets for. There are many others I may decide to attend at the last minute such as Emmylou Harris, John Hiatt, Tift Merritt and several others. You might also find this link handy: 2008's Most Anticipated Shows & Festivals

Strange as it may seem the little tolerance I've developed for Springsteen over the years seems to come from nostalgia from when those early songs were first forced upon me by the local radio station. I also have liked a song or two along the way (particularly some of the stuff from his Tunnel of Love album) but not enough to compel me to fork over the big bucks to see him in concert or buy any of his records. The biggest obstacle remains his voice. I recall an article in the year end issue of Life magazine back in '85 (when Born In the U.S.A. was inescapable) from his high school vocal coach who likened his voice to that of a "dying buffalo in heat". I'd say that's about right.

Shout!, Country Hall of Fame to produce series By PHIL GALLO Documentarians David Leaf and Morgan Neville will chronicle the history of country music in a series exec produced by Shout! Factory and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The two entities will seek worldwide broadcast distribution. Shout! Factory, which has music and homevideo divisions, and the Hall of Fame will retain homevid and digital rights. The individual segments will be thematically divided. On the slate are "The Roots of Country and Bluegrass," "The Honky Tonk Tradition," "Outlaw Country," "The Nashville Sound," "The Politics of Country," "Country Songs and Songwriters," "California Country" and "No Depression," a look at the alternative country music movement. "Each self-contained original film will examine a crucial aspect of the heritage and the history of country in a way that presents this American music in a contextual framework that shows how what was once called 'hillbilly music' remains a dominant form of expression in American popular music," Neville and Leaf said in a joint statement. To read the rest of the article click here.

A thread on Springsteen? If so, I imagine there's been several. I'm also not a fan but I do understand why he's so popular. Along with the Beatles, Zep, Dylan, R.E.M., the Grateful Dead and a handful of others, he's among the most bootlegged artists out there. There's a reason for that. I'd have to say first and foremost, it's the strength of his live show. Then there's the lyrics that speak to most working class Americans. I've come around to Springsteen some over the years but I've yet to see him in concert or buy any of his records. Early on, he was championed by some local (NC) radio announcers but I just didn't get it. Nor could I get past his voice (even though I'm a Dylan fan so it's not like I'm opposed to "gruff" sounding singers).

High gas prices force slow touring bands to get creative Members of Portland's Blind Pilot will ride bikes on their an upcoming tour; national touring act Apollo Sunshine will convert its van to run on vegetable oil LUCIANA LOPEZ The Oregonian Staff Tune up the bikes and scrape up the french fry grease: It's summer touring season for bands. As gas prices climb ever upward, musicians have had to get creative at something more than their music. Portland band Blind Pilot, for example, is traveling under pedal power, and nationally touring psych-rockers Apollo Sunshine are converting their van to run on vegetable oil. There's an easier way to save gas money, though: Portland rocker Michael Dean Damron is just flat-out canceling dates. Click here to read the remainder of the article.

I still have my original copy of In Through the Out Door on vinyl complete with the brown paper bag. I forget how I learned of the various covers but I did know about them at the time of the album's release. I have always wanted to own all of the covers but have never actively gone in search of them. As for the inner sleeve thing, I never knew about that until I joined this board around 5 years ago. As for vinyl in general, I still have a pretty extensive collection (over 1,000 records) that I worked very hard to build since I was just a kid so I have no plans to part with it. I know of people that have not only gotten rid of their vinyl but their CDs as well. Of course they burned all of their CDs before doing away with them but they still got rid of them. I've even read of some folks that just threw them away after saving the music to their hard drives. I have no such plans. For me, vinyl isn't some sort of nostalgia trip or an attempt to be "cool". I have a lot of time and money invested in my collection so it's not something I would ever part with (same for my cassette collection which is largely made up of homemade mixtapes). Unfortunately I have been separated from my vinyl collection since Hurricane Floyd hit the NC coast in 1999. We got pounded by hurricanes between '96 - '99 and I simply got tired of having to haul my collection out every time there was a threat of a storm so they went into storage. Even more unfortunate was having to sell our home on the Intracoastal Waterway after continuing to be hit by hurricanes into the 00s. Hopefully, in the not too distant future I'll be reunited with my vinyl. Back to the subject at hand, I enjoy sitting down listening to my records with the jacket in hand. I also enjoy the record shopping experience whether it's in an actual record store or a yard sale, a used record store, where ever. No download will ever replace that experience. Or, like musician Shelby Lynne has said, "you can't roll a joint on an iPod!"

Thanks for the reports on the Asheville show. I'm in for the concert in Raleigh next month but right now I'm on a R.E.M. binge and am about to hit the road to Athens for AthFest this weekend and the final show of the U.S. tour in Atlanta on Saturday night.

Not surprising especially considering what method he used to warm him up, that definitely could have led to the booing.

Are you referring to the guitar player for Sharon Little or Buddy Miller, the guitarist / pedal steel player in the Plant/Krauss band? Is so, he is considered nothing short of a legend in some circles.

It's spelled "McLachlan", at least according to her website. I haven't followed her that closely in recent years but I became a fan with her Solace record back in '91. What's bothersome is her I Will Remember You song that plays nearly constantly on TV but I'm not put off by her voice itself. I don't really listen to that much commercial radio anymore but I have no problem with McLachlan's voice or the majority of newer artists I listen to (Ryan Adams, Tift Merritt, Rhett Miller, Patterson Hood, Patti Griffin, etc. Then again, most of the folks I just listed aren't exactly "household" names but they've all been around for a good ten years or more. If you're referring to artists that regularly make the Top Ten (or even Top 40), I'm pretty much completely out of touch with those lists these days. I actively began to lose interest in commercial radio circa the mid to late 90s when I retreated to a regular diet of CDs and NPR. This gave way in the mid 00s to satellite radio as commercial radio has pretty much gone down the tubes (with the very notable exceptions of progressive and college radio stations).