What’s Going On – ‘Dr. Horrible,’ Bond, ‘Umbrella Academy’

Ugh, it really feels like a Monday today, eh? I’m listening to Jeff Buckley today hoping he’ll chase away my Monday blues..

• The new James Bond trailer is up.

• Joss Whedon’s “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” will hit the Internet in the middle of July. After that, it’ll be available to download, and after that, it’ll be released on DVD. Whee!

• Gerard Way’s “Umbrella Academy” could be turned into a movie. (Also exciting MCR-related news: “The Black Parade is Dead” set drops tomorrow!)

• And if there’s anyone else in the world who adores Joss Whedon and Gerard Way as much as I do (and if such a person exists, please let me know — the Whedon-Way temple is lonely with just me in it), you’ll be happy to hear about the new Dark Horse Presents. It’ll include some extra Umbrella Academy and Dr. Horrible stuff. Woot!

• Billboard has an exclusive story on Miley Cyrus’ new CD, due out in July.

• They’re making a “300” sequel, but dude, if Gerard Butler’s not involved, I’m not sure I will be, either.

• Speaking of sequels, “Rock Band 2” drops in September.

• This is pretty rad – members of Waylon Jennings’ band have formed a tribute band.

In the Arena, 6/27

BY TODD HUNT
I have decided to save my onsale/press release/official show announcement rant for another blog. Procrastination has reared its’ ugly head and I just don’t have enough time to go into the detail I would like on the subject. So instead, I plan to recap recent events and mention upcoming shows.

Last weekend the circus was in town. I know, every weekend it looks like a circus around here, but this was the real circus with clowns, elephants, tigers, and more. We had a sold out crowd Thursday night and smaller crowds for the rest of the weekend engagement. For now it looks like the next time Ringling Bros. will be in the area is 2010. Maybe by then we will have gotten rid of all the flies that the show left behind!

We have several shows going on sale this weekend. Today (Friday) our comedy and rock shows are onsale beginning at 10 a.m. The “Dream Team of Comedy” featuring Sommore and Don “DC” Curry will be performing in our theatre setup on Friday, August 8. Staind, Hinder, and Theory of a Deadman will be in concert on Saturday, August 16. Finally, Carrie Underwood with special guests Little Big Town will be performing Tuesday, December 9. Tickets for that show go on sale Saturday morning at 10AM. For more ticket information or to purchase online, visit our Web site.

Our next event will be the Mudcats playoff game scheduled for July 5. This could be their last game of the season, so if you’ve been intending to check out arena football but haven’t made a game yet, this may be your final chance. Tickets are on sale now through the arena box office and our usual ticket outlets.

That’s all for this week’s blog. Have a great week!

Until next time,

Todd

What’s Going On – Idol, new CDs

Good afternoon, loves. Sorry I’m late on my daily news updates but I spent the morning in the lovely city of Oxford.

Been a little worried, too – my horoscope said today that I’m a “leaf on the wind.” Seeing as how those are the last words of one of my favorite characters on “Firefly”/”Serenity,” I’ve been a smidge worried…eek!

Speaking of Whedon-related things, here’s the teaser for Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, Whedon’s new project. Whee!

• The “American Idol” audition cities have been announced. Click here to find out where you can try out for the show.

• Whee, the first reviews of “The Dark Knight” are out. This is my favorite, from Peter Travers (check it: “I can only speak superlatives of Ledger, who is mad-crazy-blazing brilliant as the Joker.”) And, yes, that Oscar buzz for the late Heath Ledger is getting louder.

• A Jesus and Mary Chain box set will drop in September.

• Here’s some scoopage on the new Kings of Leon disc.

• In case you’re wondering – and I know you are – Soulja Boy Tell’em is working on a new CD.

Scene Picks

Here are some events for this weekend!

• Mooreville singer-songwriter Weston Smith will release his debut CD, “Awake to Dream,” and perform live at Boondocks Grill in Tupelo tonight. He’s our cover story, so read Scene for more.

• Christian metal band Order of Opinion is performing this weekend at Musician’s Playground. Scene can tell you more.

• There are two huge Fourth of July celebrations this weekend: one in New Albany, one in Corinth. Scene can tell you everything you need to know about both of them.

• “Get Smart” wasn’t a new favorite for our own M. Scott Morris or Wizard 106’s Paul Stone. See if you like it – it’s playing in theaters across NeMiss.

• Crossin Dixon is making a return trip to Rick’s in Starkville on Friday.

• Night Lights and Boy Scout Knife are playing Two Stick in Oxford this weekend.

Neko Case in Oxford

Geez, The Lyric Oxford is on a ball getting these huge indie rock shows.

The newly-renovated theater is hosting Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst on Sept. 24.

The next night, Neko Case is performing there.

I’ve been in contact with the guys that own The Lyric, and hopefully in the coming months we can feature The Lyric in Scene.

Of course, Proud Larry’s also has its chip in the indie rock game – The Hold Steady will perform at Larry’s Aug. 8.

Just so you know…

Conor Oberst, Jenny Lewis
Sept. 24 at The Lyric
$25 plus convenience fee

Neko Case, Giant Sand
Sept. 25 at The Lyric
$20 plus convenience fee

What’s Going On – BET Awards, SNL, Oasis, ‘Idol’

Hey loves.

Anyone catch the BET Awards last night? I think my mom called me a million times – basically anytime Al Green was on the screen. “They’re honoring Al Green! Turn it over!” and “There’s no telling what that suit cost!” and then later: “He brought the house down!!” lol.

If you missed the party, you can read about it here.

• This is pretty rad – in honor of George Carlin, Saturday Night Live will air its premiere episode, which Carlin hosted, this Saturday.

• Oasis is prepping a new album. Yay!

• CMT lists 10 new albums you should hear.

• You can hear new Beck tracks by clicking here.

• “Idol” runner-up David Archuleta is working on his first CD.

• So Amy Winehouse doesn’t have early stages of emphysema…she has scarred lungs that could lead to emphysema. Either way, it ain’t good news.

What’s Going On – ‘New Millennium,’ Pumpkins, new CDs

Happy Tuesday, loves

• Last night VH1 aired the first two episodes of “I Love the New Millennium.” Did you watch? 2000 was kinda boring, so I skipped 2001 for “Psychic Kids” on A&E. What did you think? Are you watching either show? I think these talking heads shows are starting to get a tiny bit grating.

• The Smashing Pumpkins are planning a “Gish” box set. Whee!

• Disney’s already planning a “Camp Rock” sequel. Um, duh much?

• The Verve will soon release its first album since 1997. Yay!

• Travis Tritt and Marty Stuart will tour together this fall.

• “American Idol” alum Blake Lewis has been dropped from his label.

• If you’re a super-big My Morning Jacket fan, you might want to download their three hour-plus set from Bonnaroo.

• A George Jones duets CD is scheduled to be released in August. Jones duets with Keith Richards, Mark Knopfler and Leon Russell.

• Click here to hear new CDs by Vanessa Hudgens and Motley Crue, as well as classic material by Blondie, Liz Phair and D’Angelo.

Local Band of the Week: Killjay

This week’s Local Band of the Week has been a good friend of Scene’s since the beginning. They’ve showed Scene some love, so show this band some love.

BAND MEMBERS:
Mark Clingan – Lead Vocals
Jeremy Griffin (Jerm) – Bass
Joe Redbeard – Guitar
Crizzy Long – Guitar
(Currently auditioning drummers)

HOMETOWN: North Mississippi
WHEN DID YOU FORM: The Summer of 2001
STYLE OF MUSIC: Hard Rock
EXPLAIN THE BAND’S NAME: Misuderstood Lyrics from a Slipknot song
BAND WEB SITE: Killjay’s MySpace

Q&A

What inspires your original music?
Life, emotions, beer, etc.

There are plenty of rock bands in the Northeast Mississippi area. What makes your band different?
Killjay has been described by some as the Black Sabbath of North Mississippi. We’ve been around for almost a decade and we were one of the first to bring our style of music to this area. We enjoy doing what we do. We don’t necessarily have an agenda or some unrealistec goal that we are trying to reach. We don’t try to be something we’re not. We just want to play good music and have a good time.

What’s your live show like?
A huge party that you wont forget.

What are you currently working on?
We are currenlty auditioning drummers. We have a good friend who is filling in for us on drums for our shows, but our main focus is finding a permanent member to put behind the kit. We’re always writing new material. We released an EP with five songs a few months back to tide everyone over and give them a taste of the new stuff but we’re looking forward to finishing up our next full blown album.

Where do you see the band in 10 years?
Well the last ten years (or close to it) have been pretty fun. A lot of ups and downs but a lot of good times and great memories. I guess another ten years of the same would be fine with us.

Parting shot – We have several shows in the works but no dates have been nailed down at this time. On that note I encourage everyone to check our MySpace site frequently as shows tend to pop up sporadically.

Another item worth mentioning is that Killjay is currently one of the six finalists in MTV’s “Addicted to Noise” and were featured on www.mtv.com.

What’s Going On – Springsteen, ‘Guitar Hero,’ Motley Crue

Hey loves.

Hope you all had a good weekend.

• Bruce Springsteen has extended his tour with the E Street Band to include a date in Nashville.

• Could there be a Beatles version of “Guitar Hero” on the horizon?

• Motley Crue is making a movie based on “The Dirt,” but they don’t want MTV to be a part of it anymore.

• I was excited to hear that Robert Downey Jr. is in talks to star as Sherlock Holmes…til I heard Guy Ritchie is directing.

• Eek – Amy Winehouse has emphysema.

• The Shins’ next record will be released through the lead singer’s own label.

• Britney Spears is going back into the studio.

Check back later to see the Local Band of the Week!!!

George Carlin mourned as counterculture hero

By KEITH ST. CLAIR
Associated Press Writer

LOS ANGELES – Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television. Some People Are Stupid. Stuff. People I Can Do Without.

George Carlin, who died of heart failure Sunday at 71, leaves behind not only a series of memorable routines, but a legal legacy: His most celebrated monologue, a frantic, informed riff on those infamous seven words, led to a Supreme Court decision on broadcasting offensive language.

The counterculture hero’s jokes also targeted things such as misplaced shame, religious hypocrisy and linguistic quirks — why, he once asked, do we drive on a parkway and park on a driveway?

Carlin, who had a history of heart trouble, went into St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica on Sunday afternoon complaining of chest pain and died later that evening, said his publicist, Jeff Abraham. He had performed as recently as last weekend at the Orleans Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas.