This just in: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominee and heartland rocker du jour John Mellencamp will make his first Erie appearance in 22 years on Nov. 29 at Tullio Arena.

Los Lobos -- who rocked a huge throng at CelebrateErie two years ago -- will open for Mellencamp. According to a press release, members of Los Lobos will also jam with Mellencamp and band during the show.

"These shows are all about the music and the songs, that's the essence of what we'll be bringing," Mellencamp said, in a press release. The bands and I are really looking forward to getting out there and performing some new songs and, of course, a lot that are familiar to everybody. It'll be a fantastic experience for the audience and all of us."

No ticket prices have been announced yet but tickets will go on sale Oct. 13 at Tullio Arena box office, Ticketmaster outletls, and by phone at 456-7070 and 452-4857, as well as online.

Mellencamp last played Erie in November 1985 on the "Scarecrow" tour, and drew a sellout crowd. He's expected to release a new CD later this year.

On the heels of Thursday's cool announcement that John Mellencamp and Los Lobos will play Erie on Nov. 29, more good concert news has arrived.

Forward Hall has booked Donna the Buffalo for Nov. 9. And Cellblock has confirmed a date with Drowning Pool for Nov. 11.

Sim Redmond Band will open for Donna, which makes its first Forward Hall appearance since November 2005.

Drowning Pool will be a relatively low-dough show -- tentatively $7 advance, and $12 at the door.
Tickets will be available through ticketweb.com, possibly as early as Monday.

Jr.'s Last Laugh has penciled in Lavell Crawford, the recent runner-up on "Last Comic Standing's fifth season. He'll appear at the club in early January. Winner Jon Reep may also appear; Jr.'s is working hard on securing a date with him, as well.
Fourth-season "Last Comic Standing" winner Josh Blue will return to Jr.'s in December.

Erie hip-hop band 814 Mean Cliq made it through the first round of the bodog.com Battle of the Bands contest. They were the only hip-hop band entered but impressed the judges and listeners so much they have advanced in the contest that will eventually yield $1 million to the winner.
The next round for them is Nov. 28 at Mr. Smalls Theatre in Millvale. But you can listen and vote for them now -- winners advance through a combination of online voting and judges -- by logging onto battle.bodoglife.net.

814 Mean Cliq members include Danny Cash, Blak Jizz, and Dreamz.

Also, Inspiral has been kicking, well you know what -- in Spin Magazine's Hot Pursuit contest for the next great indie band. The soul/alternative band led the early voting, then dropped to fourth is now in the Top 20 out of thousands of bands.
Inspiral includes singer Timm Swift, guitarists Mike Hammer and Dustin Clark, plus bassist Josh Monacella and drummer Lino Sistu.

Capitol Records checked out Inspiral at a recent gig in Kent, Ohio, and is extremely interested in the band. Inspiral is also shooting a couple videos, soon. However the contest goes, the future looks bright as the sun for this group.

Meanwhile, four other Erie bands -- Waiting For Never, Misery Bay, Deny the Sun, and Shag Nazty -- are competing in the MTV 2 On the Rise Contest.

You can greatly help all the above bands by visiting www.rockerie.com. Follow the supplied links to check out their tunes, to vote and to support Erie bands.

Pollstar lists Adema for a Nov. 13 show at Cellblock. We have no confirmation on that yet, but that'd be cool.

Are you a Replacements' fan? They're not re-uniting, unfortunately, but noted rock author Jim Walsh is publishing an oral history of the band. "All Over But the Shouting" will be published Nov. 15 Walsh covered the band extensively; he's from Minneapolis, just like Replacements.

Clay Aiken, one of "Ameican Idol's" bigger success stories, will bring his Christmas show to Erie next month.
Aiken's "Christmas in the Heartland" tour plays Tullio Arena on Dec. 16. Tickets priced at $57.75, $47.50, and $37.25 will go on sale Saturday at Tullio Arena box office, Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at 452-4857 or 456-7070, and online at www.ticketmaster.com.

The Erie Philharmonic Orchestra will accompany Aiken for the show -- just as it will also back Christian music icon Michael W. Smith during his performance on Dec. 2 at the Tullio.

Erie area filmmakers will team up for a very cool event on Nov. 9 -- Films for Food. For 24 continuous hours, you can see works by local directors at the Roadhouse Theatre. Admission is free but all moviegoers are asked to bring a non-perishable item -- or cash, if you like -- for the Second Harvest Food Bank.

Len Kabasinski will show his latest horror film, "Fist of the Vampire." Paul Gorman's "Virgin Pockets," Jason Hull's Chasing Darkness," Dustin Austin's "Grindhouse Massacre," and the world premiere of Ryan Cavalline's "Aspiring Psychopath" will also screen.
The films start Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m. the last one -- "Chasing Darkness" -- shows Nov. 10 at 8 p.m. At about 9:30 p.m. on Nov. 9, filmmakers and actors will be on hand to meet fans at a wine and cheese reception that's open to the public.

For the complete schedule of films, visit www.greatlakesfilm.org or www.myspace.com/filmsforfood.

Nice to see Coral Reefer Band guitarist Peter Mayer will bring his Stars and Promises Alive holiday concert back to Erie. Mayer will perform Dec. 10 at 7 p.m. at Saint Jude the Apostle Church. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students 18 and under (and those with college ID).
They go on sale Monday at the St. Jude Rectoroy, Our Lady's Christian School office, and the Saint Mark Center.

Eagles' "Long Road out of Eden," released Tuesday, is earning good reviews. But to find their first studio CD in 28 years, you must visit Wal-Mart or Sam's Club -- the only retailers who are authorized to sell it. The good news: Though it's a double CD, you can find it in the $10 to $12 range.

Pollstar is listing an August concert date for Gretchen Wilson at Crawford County Fair. That wouldn't surprise me. Country artists book their shows much further ahead than anyone else. Wilson's star has cooled considerably since she splashed on the scene with big hit, "Redneck Woman." But she's a fiery performer and would probably do well -- especially if the Fair continues its tradition of booking strong opening acts.

Don't forget that Forward Hall has a good show set for Tuesday: the return of Rookie of the Year, plus Permanent Me, the Fireworks Effect, and 4 Under Par, among others.
Emo band Permanent Me is touring behind "After the Room Clears," released in January, which includes catchy tracks like "Allison" and "Until You Leave." The New York band recently toured with Starting Line -- a band that would be a good fit for Erie.
Tickets are $10.