Courtesy Big Machine Records

Taylor Swift announced Friday night that she’ll kick off her “Red” tour March 13 in Omaha, Neb.

The country-pop princess unveiled her plans during the ABC special, “All Access Nashville with Katie Couric – A Special Edition of 20/20.”

The 58-date tour of stadiums and arenas includes April 18-19 penciled in for Atlanta at Philips Arena. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Nov. 16.

British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, who duets with Swift on her perky new album, “Red,” on the song “Everything Has Changed,” will open all dates on the tour. Her itinerary includes nine stadiums – with venues in Detroit, Pittsburgh, Philly and Boston among them.

Here is a complete list of dates.

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By Melissa Ruggieri, Atlanta Music Scene

Continue reading Taylor Swift announces 2013 tour »

Hopson at work. Photo: Courtesy

Ed Hopson isn’t a name the average concertgoer might know, but without realizing it, you knew his handiwork.

Hopson was a fixture on the Atlanta concert scene, a 25-year veteran sound engineer for almost every venue in town, including the Tabernacle, the Omni, the Fox Theatre, Philips Arena and Center Stage.

Hopson, 56, died of cancer in August, and on Sunday at Center Stage, a benefit concert and silent auction will be held in his honor, with acts including Ed Roland of Collective Soul and members of the Freddy Jones Band, Georgia Satellites, Kansas, The Producers slated to perform.

“Ed was a gentleman, but also a gentle man,” said Kaedy Kiely of 97.1 The River. Kiely was Hopson’s friend for almost 30 years, first meeting him when she worked at the onetime 96 Rock. “I never met a person who had a bad word to say about him.”

Kiely will host “A Celebration of the Life and Spirit of Ed Hopson,” an all-ages benefit that runs from …

Continue reading Center Stage concert to honor Ed Hopson »

I’m not really one for horror films and haunted houses. I see no reason to intentionally scare myself – also why I stay away from roller coasters – when there are so many other things in the world I’m already afraid of but can’t escape (let’s start with flying!).

So when Halloween rolls around, I tend to go the cat route or the Peter-Criss-as-cat route rather than anything ghoulish or zombie-like.

Where am I going with this? Well, while I don’t like creepy STUFF, I can get into the occasional creepy song. So, with Halloween a few days away, here are a few tunes that give me chills for one reason or another.

What would you add to the list?

Marilyn Manson, “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This”) – Such a brilliant choice of cover for the one-time shock rocker (surely he played it last night at Lakewood?), but it’s also the Manson (cover) song most likely to pop up in a nightmare.

Nine Inch Nails, “Closer” (warning: this is the uncensored version so …

Continue reading Friday Riffs: What’s your favorite creepy song? »

Alanis can't ever be accused of lacking passion. Photos: Melissa Ruggieri

Alanis Morissette doesn’t talk much onstage. Instead, she flashes peace signs, introduces band members and spends a lot of time hydrating between songs.

But never do you feel as if she isn’t 100 percent invested in being there. It’s evident in the wide smile plastered on her face, the involuntary rocking and pacing around the stage like a caged panther and sometimes, when she really gets into it, the crazy thrashing of her trademark mane.

At Thursday’s packed show at The Tabernacle, Morissette spent her 100 minutes on stage ripping through a well-balanced set list, one stocked with the highlights from her exceptional new album, “Havoc and Bright Lights,” and with plenty of nods to the girl who only used to be angry, but now, married and with a baby son, appears content at last.

Among the six new tracks Morissette, 38, and her five-piece band rolled out – the sweetly soaring “Guardian,” …

Continue reading Alanis Morissette quietly commands Tabernacle stage »

Sibling gospel duo Mary Mary, shown here at last year’s Macy’s Great Tree Lighting at Lenox Square, will take the stage at Atlanta Symphony Hall Friday evening. Photo: Hyosub Shin, hshin@ajc.com

FRIDAY
Mary Mary
The Grammy-winning, gospel-singing sisters Erica and Tina Campbell bring some inspiration to Symphony Hall, touring behind latest album “Go Get It.”
The siblings also will be back on television in December with the second season of their reality show on the WE TV network.
8 p.m. Oct. 26. $29-$100. Atlanta Symphony Hall, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta. 404-733-5000.

TODAY-SATURDAY
Sound Tribe Sector 9
Formerly Atlanta-based, and now working out of Northern California, STS9 mixes the electronic thump of club music and hip-hop, the experimental explorations of jazz and the elasticity of a jam band.
The group has been one of the top-grossing touring acts in the country, and they’re still a huge draw here in Georgia.
7:30 p.m. Oct. 26-27. $29.50-$54.50. Fox Theatre, …

Continue reading Concerts: Mary Mary, STS9, Rush, Cassandra Wilson »

Barry Manilow performing in Germany earlier this year. Wednesday night, he was just a spectator. Photo: Getty Images

It wasn’t only an Atlanta theater-loving crowd at Wednesday night’s opening of “Next to Normal” at the Alliance Theatre – Barry Manilow dropped by to check out the show as well.

The iconic singer-songwriter-musician was spotted an hour before the show seated on a high-backed stool inside Table 1280, the chic restaurant adjoining the Alliance, addressing a group of well-heeled folks that included theater board members and top donors.

Manilow, looking healthy and tanned in a dark suit, later headed into the theater and took a seat in the center orchestra section, about 10 rows from the stage. His longtime collaborator, Bruce Sussman, was also in attendance, according to Alliance Artistic Director Susan Booth, who mentioned the pair’s attendance during her pre-show remarks.

Manilow half-rose from his seat and briefly addressed the audience with some …

Continue reading Barry Manilow attends Alliance premiere of ‘Next to Normal’ »

Photo: Courtesy Scoop Marketing

Bon Jovi is again proving its durability by heading back to the road next year for a worldwide spin.

The band just announced its cheekily titled “Because We Can” tour, which will kick off Feb. 13 in Montreal. Only Canadian dates have been announced so far, but in coming weeks, dates will be unveiled for a full-fledged U.S. stadium and arena tour which will also travel the globe.

Bon Jovi will also release a new album, “What About Now,” this spring (guitarist Richie Sambora dropped his third solo album last month). The guys last played Atlanta in May 2011, a high-octane sold-out show at Philips Arena. Though they are one of the few remaining acts that can fill stadiums, it would be surprising if they didn’t play Philips again.

Stay tuned for U.S. ticket info.

Continue reading Bon Jovi announces new world tour, album »

Jason Aldean continues to steamroll the competition.

The latest album from the Macon-born country star, “Night Train,” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart today, selling a robust 409,000-plus copies. It’s a notable amount for two reasons – it’s the second-highest debut in all genres this year and the highest for country music since 2010.

Aldean’s reign will likely be short-lived, as Taylor Swift’s “Red,” released on Monday, is expected to surpass the 1 million in sales mark its first week. But Aldean can boast that the showing for “Night Train” is more than twice that of his last album, “My Kinda Party.”

Last week, Aldean announced a series of stadium shows, including Sanford Stadium in Athens on April 13.

Continue reading Jason Aldean hits No. 1 with new album »

Courtesy photo

The Alanis Morissette of 2012 looks a bit different emotionally than the Morissette of 1995.

 She’s now a mom and a wife, and while her propensity for deep thoughts hasn’t dissipated, the emotional rage and heart-on-sleeve outpourings that helped make her a superstar behind hits such as “You Oughta Know,” “Ironic” and “Hands Clean” manifests themselves differently. It’s evident in the mama bear protectiveness of “Guardian,” the first single from her eighth studio album, “Havoc and Bright Lights,” released in August and in the spiritual overtones of the release.

 “Havoc” spotlights some of Morissette’s best songwriting in years and debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 album chart– it also made an impressive showing internationally – and she’s taking those songs to the stage, including The Tabnernacle’s on Thursday.

Joining her for the U.S. run is husband Souleye, who is opening the shows, and, unseen by fans, the …

Continue reading Alanis Morissette ditches the havoc in her life »

Photo: Lindsay Usich

[Updated: 12:27 p.m.: Ashley Durmire has been randomly chosen as our winner! Thanks, everyone, for playing.]

OK, beautiful people – want to win a pair of tickets to Thursday’s Marilyn Manson/Rob Zombie frightfest at Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood?

I’ve got a pair to give away, courtesy of Manson’s team, and will randomly choose a winner at noon on Wednesday.

All you have to do is leave a comment below about why you’re yearning to see the onetime spooky kid and his “twin of evil” on this tour. (BTW, this is also the last show of the season at Lakewood.)

The winner can pick up tickets at the venue Thursday night.

Good luck!

Continue reading Free Marilyn Manson tickets! »