You better hurry if you hope to catch Tragically Hip in Erie on May 18. Fewer than 100 tickets remain for the show, set for the Warner Theatre.

Cleveland's Jack Fords return to the Beer Mug on April 14. Since their last Erie appearance, they added a B3/organ player, Chris Hanna, and won Cleveland Free Times' award for Best Rock band. These guys rule; they play 4 straight hours of rootsy rock. If you like Faces or Who or Humble Pie, you'd probably love this band. They jokingly say they sound like 1972 ... and they're right.

Bililboard reports the Meat Puppets will tour this summer behind "Rise to Your Knees, the first CD with brothers Cris and Curt Kirkwood since 1995's "No Joke." The CD is due out in June. Cris had overdosed on heroin and spent time in prison but is now back in the fold.

Crawford County Fair officials plan to announce their final two concerts for the 2007 event on Thursday.

Docksider has some good stuff coming up: Stepanian, from Boston area, on April 14; Poogie Bell Band on April 21; the return of Carlos Jones and the Plus Band on May 12; The Recipe in June, and Jumpin' Jack Flash on July 7.

Jimmy Wayne will open for Jo Dee Messina's concert at Edinboro University's McComb Fieldhouse on April 29. Allman Brothers Band unveiled their summer schedule on Thursday. They'll play Post-Gazette Pavilion on Aug. 15 and Six Flags Darien Lake on Aug. 19. Ratdog will open both shows.
Nope, they're not playing Erie. They had a disappointing crowd at the Warner in summer 2006 after selling it out in 2005.

Crawford County Fair officials announced Thursday that Lynryd Skynyrd will perform at the fair on Aug. 22.

Tickets, priced at $35 for racetrack reserved and $30 grandstand, will go on sale April 30 at noon at www.crawfordcountyfair.net and by phone at (800) 585-3737.

Skynyrd's classic Southern-rock should be a good fit for Crawford Fair, which already has shows with Trace Adkins and Gary Allan (Aug. 21) and Sugarland with the Wreckers (Aug. 23). A Christian rock show will be announced later.

Skynryd was elected into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006.

Chicago's Lollapalooza, set for Aug. 3-5 in Grant Park, disclosed its lineup on Thursday. While not super-heavy on superstar talent, it sure features plenty of alternative heroes.

The lineup includes Pearl Jam as headliner, plus Iggy Pop and the Stooges, Modest Mouse, Daft Punk, Ben Harper, Snow Patrol, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Interpol, Muse, My Morning Jacket, the Roots, Patti Smith, Kings of Leon, Satellite Party, Black Keys, TV on the Radio, Regina Spektor, Pete Yorn, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Son Volt, G. Love and Special Sauce, Hold Steady, Amy Winehouse, Yo La Tengo, cult hero Roky Erickson, the Wailers, Silversun Pickups, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, and many more. The total amount of artists: 130.

Tickets are $195, flat, which includes all fees. Yeah, that sounds like a lot but when you figure many clubs shows for acts of this caliber are $15 to $30, it's really not bad. Lollapalooza features 9 stages, in all. See www.lollapalooza.com for details.

British song stylist Lily Allen, earning raves for her debut, "Alright, Still," will play Cleveland's House of Blues on June 4.

This just in: Godsmack has been confirmed to perform at the Warner Theatre on May 29 at 7:30 p.m.

The hard-rock band has twice before performed in Erie, both times at Tullio Arena. This time, it's on a smaller, more intimate theater tour behind "Godsmack IV," which was released in April 2006.

Tickets prices have not been announced but they will go on sale April 21 at Ticketmaster, the Tullio Arena box office, Ticketmaster outlets, and by phone at 452-4857.

The final lineup is nearly official for 8 Great Tuesdays. When completed, it'll feature a couple cool national names we can't divulge quite yet. Confirmed so far: Devon Allman's Honeytribe (July 24), fronted by Gregg's younger brother, Ana Popovic Band (July 17), and the great Louisiana-born blues and roots-rock stylist Tab Benoit (Aug. 21).

Some cool indie bands are teaming up for a Free Yr Radio Tour, reports Billboard magazine. Considering one of the sponsoring stations is Cleveland's WBWC, odds are strong the tour will touch down there. Acts include Dinosaur Jr., the Rapture, Long Winters, Tapes n' Tapes, Ponys, Rogue Wave, and Klaxons.

Look for a Sounds of the Underground tour stop at Cleveland's Tower City Amphitheatre on July 21, according to Livedaily.com. GWAR, Chimaira, and Every Time I Die are on the bill, as well as Acacia Strain and Devil Wears Prada.

Jamie Foxx will play Pittsburgh's Petersen Events Center on May 7. Tickes go on sale Saturday at Ticketmaster.

A few new shows rolled in after Dr. Rock's Showcase deadline.

Josh Groban, with special guest Angelique Kidjo, visits Pittsburgh's Mellon Arena on Aug. 4. Tickets will go sale April 30 at Ticketmaster.

Soul legend Aretha Franklin will play Pittsburg's Heinz Hall on Aug. 2. Tickets will go on sale Monday at www.pittsburghsymphony.org,
and by phone at 412-392-4900.

Country star Alan Jackson performs Sept. 30 at Post-Gazette Pavalion. Those tickets go on sale April 28.

Also, rap group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony plays Cleveland's House of Blues on May 8. It's a CD release party for the Cleveland group. Tickets go on sale April 27.

Lou Ann Graham, the younger sister of Vivian Vance, will join Lucie Arnaz as a special guest at the Lucy-Desi Days Celebration in Jamestown, N.Y. during Memorial Day weekend.

Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced it'll undergo a $3 million renovation soon. The goal: Enhance the narrative and visitor flow, making it more accessbile and relevant to international and intergenerational audiences.

Due to construction delays, Pittsburgh's Amphitheater at Sandcastle will not open until spring 2008, leaving the city without a mid-level outdoor amphitheater venue.

Live Nation was going to shift summer concerts from Chevrolet Amphitheater downtown to the new Sandcastle site but it's not ready to go yet. The Fray, which was announced for June 17 at the new amphitheater, has been canceled. Ticketholders anc see the band at Clevelan'd Time Warner Cable Amphitheater (formerly Tower City) on June 18.

A few new shows rolled in after Dr. Rock's Showcase deadline.

Josh Groban, with special guest Angelique Kidjo, visits Pittsburgh's Mellon Arena on Aug. 4. Tickets will go sale April 30 at Ticketmaster.

Soul legend Aretha Franklin will play Pittsburg's Heinz Hall on Aug. 2. Tickets will go on sale Monday at www.pittsburghsymphony.org,
and by phone at 412-392-4900.

Country star Alan Jackson performs Sept. 30 at Post-Gazette Pavalion. Those tickets go on sale April 28.

Also, rap group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony plays Cleveland's House of Blues on May 8. It's a CD release party for the Cleveland group. Tickets go on sale April 27.

Lou Ann Graham, the younger sister of Vivian Vance, will join Lucie Arnaz as a special guest at the Lucy-Desi Days Celebration in Jamestown, N.Y. during Memorial Day weekend.

Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced it'll undergo a $3 million renovation soon. The goal: Enhance the narrative and visitor flow, making it more accessbile and relevant to international and intergenerational audiences.

Due to construction delays, Pittsburgh's Amphitheater at Sandcastle will not open until spring 2008, leaving the city without a mid-level outdoor amphitheater venue.

Live Nation was going to shift summer concerts from Chevrolet Amphitheater downtown to the new Sandcastle site but it's not ready to go yet. The Fray, which was announced for June 17 at the new amphitheater, has been canceled. Ticketholders anc see the band at Clevelan'd Time Warner Cable Amphitheater (formerly Tower City) on June 18.

Thursday's Erie Idol finals proved two things: We are rich in talent in this city and, second, we don't always showcase it in the best possible light.

Hats off to Kayti Ostromecki, who won the competition, just edging out David Shaffer. All 5 finalists deserved to be there. It's a shame, though, what happened to Cathi "GG" Mitchell. She sang her heart out early -- even though she was sick. Afterward, she learned she had a fever of 103 and had to depart for the emergency room.
Fox 66 then announced Mitchell had made the final five. But because she was ill and departed, her spot was replaced.

The only problem with the whole evening was the timing. With Jr.'s having a comedy show, everything started late. The finals didn't wrap up until nearly 1 a.m. That's awfully late for a weekday event, plus it meant no footage of the winner could appear on the 11 p.m. newscasts. Erie Times-News just barely sneaked a photo into some editions of Friday's paper.
Next year, Fox 66 should make sure it finds an appropriate venue that can start the finals at 8 p.m.

Kelly Clarkson has announced she'll tour this summer; the only area date is Aug. 14 in Cleveland. The actual venue was not disclosed.

Gord Sinclair of Tragically Hip phoned Showcase on Friday. He said the Hip, for fun, are learning a new cover song for every night of the tour. So far, they've covered such unlikely songs as Smashing Pumpkins' "1979" and Gordon Lightfoot's "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald." He wasn't sure what they'll play when they visit Erie.
Look for that interview in the May 17 issue of Showcase.

Showcase also talked with Kenny Hawkins, a longtime member of Rick James' touring band. He'll be part of Cold Blooded, a tribute band to James, which plays the Docksider on May 4. Don't miss this one.