Trance Night Club will close Jan. 12. The alternative club occasionally featured live bands; Mas Nova's Joe Newcomer put together a great series last summer.
Sad to see it go, considering it's been open only 3 1/2 years and still has a modern, big-city feel. With a dance club, cozy martini bar -- and for summer -- an outdoor deck, it also offered plenty of spaces to hang out.
Outgoing owner Tim Omniewski hopes whoever buys Trance will keep it as it is, a nightspot. The club is located at 1607 Raspberry.

Jr.'s Last Laugh has booked two frequent "Bob & Tom Show" guests for early 2008. Greg Warren will perform Jan 31-Feb. 2, while Greg Hahn stops by Feb. 28-March 1. The club has also changed the times for shows in 2008. Weekend shows are now at 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. Thursday shows will be at 6:30 p.m.
Bud Anderson was scheduled to perform at Jr.'s from Jan. 10-12 but had to cancel. Fortunately, the club secured Mark Reedy -- a Jr's regular -- to fill in.

Mulan called Showcase on Friday. Well, not Mulan exactly but Kim Ryan -- the skater who plays her in "Disney on Ice; Princess Classics." The show opens Wednesday at Tullio Arena with opening night tickets just $12 a pop. Look for her interview in Showcase on Thursday. The show continues Jan. 10-13.

The University of Buffalo's Center for the Arts has booked a great double bill: Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt on Feb. 22, a Friday night. Those tickets will go on sale Jan. 11 at 10 a.m. at Ticketmaster.
Also, tickets for the George Strait concert at Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena on March 1 will go on sale Jan. 12 at Ticketmaster.Little Big Town and Sarah Johns will open.

Ace Frehley has added a concert at Seneca Niagara Casino's Bears Den on Feb. 29. Tickets will go on sale Monday at noon at Ticketmaster. Seseca Niagara recently signed a deal with promoter Live Nation, which explains why it's suddenly hit the big time, landing shows with Kid Rock, Chris Rock, Matchbox Twenty, and more.

I had thought our Presque Isle & Downs Casino would book national shows more aggressively, but so far we've had just one -- Little Anthony and the Imperials. Mountaineer -- owned by the same group that operates Presque Isle Downs -- has several 2008 shows already lined up, including Regis Philbin & Don Rickles; Gary Lewis and the Playboys, Blake Shelton, and Gordon Lightfoot.
It'd be nice to see PI Downs start booking some high-profile entertainment like its sister casino in West Virginia.

Billboard magazine reported today that Rusted Root will hit the recording studio this month to start work on its first studio CD in five years. Only Liz Berlin, Michael Glabicki, and Patrick Warren remain from the original Rusted Root lineup.
Glabicki, by the way, has a solo show booked at Shawbuck's in Jamestown, N.Y. on Feb. 2.

Good news from Tinseltown. "The Kite Runner," one of the more acclaimed films of 2007, will open on Jan. 11. I'm still waiting for "There Will Be Blood," however there's no word yet on when that will open.

Radiohead has confirmed it will launch a two-prong North American tour, with dates sandwiched around its summer European tour.
The band will visit just 22 cities. No dates or venues have been announced, but Radiohead did list the cities it will visit. The only area cities on the itinerary will be Cleveland and Toronto.
"In Rainbows" will debut at No. 1 on Billboard's album chart, after selling more than 122,000 copies, the magazine reported Wednesday. That total is a far cry from the 300,000 for "Hail to the Chief," but remember -- Radiohead released it digitally in October, and plenty of fans already have a copy on their iPods.

Swedish garage-rockers the Hives are also touring the U.S. this spring. They'll visit Cleveland's Agora Theatre on March 2 with special guest the Donnas. Tickets will go on sale Friday, Jan. 11 at TIcketmaster. Better hurry. With their terrific live reputation, they're sure to sell out quickly.

In other late-arriving concert news, Carrie Underwood and Josh Turner will play Pittsburgh's Petersen Events Center (at Pitt) on Feb. 22. Those tickets go on sale Saturday, Jan. 12 at Ticketmaster.
Also, the English Beat visit Pittsburgh's Rex Theatre on Feb. 23. Those tickets go on sale Jan. 11.

Rolling Stone reports the Rolling Stones' concert film "Shine a Light," directed by Martin Scorcese, will be released on April 4.

Radiohead has confirmed it will launch a two-prong North American tour, with dates sandwiched around its summer European tour.
The band will visit just 22 cities. No dates or venues have been announced, but Radiohead did list the cities it will visit. The only area cities on the itinerary will be Cleveland and Toronto.
"In Rainbows" will debut at No. 1 on Billboard's album chart, after selling more than 122,000 copies, the magazine reported Wednesday. That total is a far cry from the 300,000 for "Hail to the Chief," but remember -- Radiohead released it digitally in October, and plenty of fans already have a copy on their iPods.

Swedish garage-rockers the Hives are also touring the U.S. this spring. They'll visit Cleveland's Agora Theatre on March 2 with special guest the Donnas. Tickets will go on sale Friday, Jan. 11 at TIcketmaster. Better hurry. With their terrific live reputation, they're sure to sell out quickly.

In other late-arriving concert news, Carrie Underwood and Josh Turner will play Pittsburgh's Petersen Events Center (at Pitt) on Feb. 22. Those tickets go on sale Saturday, Jan. 12 at Ticketmaster.
Also, the English Beat visit Pittsburgh's Rex Theatre on Feb. 23. Those tickets go on sale Jan. 11.

Rolling Stone reports the Rolling Stones' concert film "Shine a Light," directed by Martin Scorcese, will be released on April 4.

Looks like "American Idol" winner Ruben Studdard will perform in Erie but don't expect a solo concert.
Playbill reports that Studdard will headline an "Ain't Misbehavin'" revival that'll tour the U.S. beginning in November. Playbill lists several cities that will feature the tour, including Erie. Presumably that show would happen in early 2009.
Frenchie Davis, another former "American Idol" contestant, is also in the show. She also appeared on Broadway in "Rent." Richard Maltby Jr., who directed the original "Ain't Misbehavin'" show on Broadway in 1978, will return to mount this touring production.

Billboard reports that Slipknot and Disturbed will coheadline a Rockstar Mayhem tour in July and August. No venues have been announced yet. Disturbed releases its next CD, "Indestructable," in May. Slipknot has a new one due in August, according to Billboard.
The magazine also listed several artists who are booked for the Vans Warped Tour this summer. Gym Class Heroes, The Academy Is ..., Relient K, Every Time I Die, and the Bronx are on the bill so far.

Another corporate sponsored tour -- the Honda Civic Tour -- will feature Panic At the Disco, according to Billboard. Motion City Soundtrack and the Hush Sound are likely to join them, the magazine reports. No dates for the spring/summer tour have been announced yet.
"Pretty. Odd.," the next Panic At the Disco CD, is due out March 25, says Billboard.

Rolling Stone magazine reports that members of Led Zeppelin have scheduled a "band meeting" for this month -- presumably to talk about whether or not they'll do any more shows. The world has its fingers crossed.

Droid will open its Guerilla Carnival Tour on Jan. 31 at the Agora Theatre in Cleveland. Ill Nino, Soil, and Bobaflex are also on the bill.

Finally for movie buffs, we have the spring Guelcher Film Series lineup for Mercyhurst College.
It's exceptionally strong.
Jan. 30. "The 11th Hour" Environmental documentary, produced/narrated by Leonard DiCaprio.
Feb. 6. "Once." Acclaimed musical on many Top 10 lists.
Feb. 13. "In the Shadow of the Moon" Documentary on Apollo missions.
Feb. 20 "Into the Wild" Sean Penn masterwork about a guy who chucks it all to live in Alaska wildnerness.
Feb. 27 "The Rape of Europe." Documentary about how Nazis raided art collectioins during Word War II.
March 5. "No Country for Old Men." Coen brothers' latest, and 2007 Oscar favorite.
March 12. "Lake of Fire." In-depth documentary on "Roe vs. Wade."
March 19. "El Violin." Angel Tavira won Best Actor award at Cannes for this Mexican film about a musical patriarch who smuggles ammunition to help his struggling family.
March 26. "Atonement." Acclaimed adaptation of Ian McEwen novel, up for 7 Golden Globes.
April 2. "Control." Film about late Joy Division leader Ian Curtis.
April 9. "The DIving Bell and the Butterfly." Julian Schnabel earned a Directors Guild nomination for this film about an artist afflicted with locked-in syndrome.
April 16. "Sir! No Sir!" Documentary about soldiers who opposed the Vietnam War.
April 23 "There Will Be Blood" Paul Thomas Anderson's much-buzzed about film about a soulless oil tycoon, played by Daniel Day-Lewis.
May 7. "Starting Out in the Evening." Frank Langella stars as an aging writer, befriended by a graduate student who wants to help him get back on track.
May 14. "Lars and the Real Girl." (tentative). Ryan Gosling stars as a man with a different kind of girlfriend -- a blow-up doll.
May 21. "This Is England." Acclaimed film about a boy befriended by skinheads in 1983 England.
May 28. "I'm Not There" Todd Haynes' look at Bob Dylan's many faces -- with many actors playing Bob along the way, including Cate Blanchett.
June 4. "Persepolis" Unique animated film about an Iranian girl who comes of age during the Islamaic revolution. Up for a Golden Globe, along with "The SImpsons Movie" and "Ratatouille."
June 11. "Killer of Sheep" Acclailmed 1977 film about everyday life in Watts, made on a song by a UCLA grad student but not released nationally until last year after music rights for songs by Earth Wind & Fire, DInah Washington, and more were obtained. Critics went ga-ga..
June 18. "When the Road Bends" Documentary about gypsy life, and gypsy music in Eastern Europe.

The national touring production of "Go Diego Go, Live! The Great Jaquar Rescue" will visit the Warner Theatre for two shows on Feb. 19. The live-action stage show follows Diego, his sister Alicia, and cousin Dora on a special mission to get Baby Jaquar's growl back from the Bobos. Every child gets a jaquar mask to help on the interactive adventure.
Shows are scheduled at 4 and 7 p.m. for Feb. 19. Tickets, priced at $26.50 and $17.50, will go on sale Jan. 17 at the Tullio Arena box office, Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at 452-4857 or 456-7070, and online at www.ticketmaster.com. A limited number of premium seats ($38.50) will also be available.

Billboard reports that Marilyn Manson and bassist Twiggy Ramirez have reconciled. Ramirez will join Manson's upcoming tour, which includes a sold-out Feb. 1 show at Cleveland's House of Blues. Erie native Chris Vrenna will play keyboards on the tour, according to Livedaily.com. Vrenna has previously toured with Nine Inch Nails and Gnarls Barkley.

From the unlikely band reunion department comes this: the classic Triumph line-up with Rik Emmett, Mike Levine, and Gil Moore will reunite in 2008.
The band has agreed to play the Sweden Rock Festival, set for June 4-7. They'll join a pretty strong lineup with Judas Priest, Def Leppard, Blue Oyster Cult, and Whitenake, among others.
There's no word yet if the prog-rock -- and later -- arena-rock band will stay together for more shows, or a longer tour. But it's hard to imagine them reuniting for just one gig.

If you're looking for something fun on Saturday, check out Jason Ricci & New Blood over at Docksider. Ricci plays harp like no one else, with a thick aggressive style that can make it sound like other instruments. His band -- which includes Erie's Ron Sutton on drums --
plays scorching rocking blues. Ricci has been known to play 3 to 4 hour shows; he's got one of those skinny, Steven Tyler/ Mick Jagger rock-star builds and an endless amount of energy. He's a showman, as as fans of Erie's 8 Great Tuesdays may recall. A few years ago Ricci opened for Rick Derringer.

If you're off work on Monday, you can get into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland for free. The hall celebrates Martin Luther King by not only offering free admission but several events, including a performance by the Persuasions and an appearance by actress Angela Bassett.

Jimmy Eat World and fast-rising stars Paramore will co-headline a U.S. tour starting in March. Dates have yet to be announced but wouldn't this be a good one for the Warner?

Rush released its 2008 tour itinerary on Friday. The only area date: July 2 at Post-Gazette Pavilion in Burgettstown, near Pittsburgh.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss will tour together to support their surprise hit, "Raising Sand." Only four April dates have been released so far. They head to Europe after that, but will return for a more extensive U.S. tour in June and July.. How all this might affect a possible Led Zeppelin tour remains to be seen.

With their big halftime Super Bowl show fast approaching, Tom Petty and the Hearbreakers have announced the full schedule for their summer tour.
Former Traffic leader Steve Winwood will open all dates, making this a pretty cool double bill. Good news: You'll have your pick of area places to see them. The Petty/Winwood tour will touch down at Pittsburgh's Post Gazette Pavilion on Tuesday, June 10; at Darien Lake Theme Park in Darien Center, N.Y. on Saturday, June 21; and at Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, on June 22.
For more details, visit www.tompetty.com.

Country star Vince Gill will play Chautauqua Institution on Aug. 22. Gill is up for a Best Album Grammy (and Best County Album) for his ambitious and prodigious four-CD set, "These Days." Grammy Awards will be televised on Feb. 10. Looks like they'll go on unscathed, now that the Writers Guild has said it will not picket the awards. That means top stars -- movie and musical ones -- can appear without antagonizing anyone.

Portishead will play California's mammoth Coachella Valleyl Music & Arts festival in April. "Third," their first CD in 11 years will arrive April 14.
The massive alternative festival features one surprising rock star from the past -- Roger Waters -- but also Kraftwerk, who seldom tour, along with Jack Johnson, Death Cab for Cutie, the Raconteurs, My Morning Jacket, and Rilo Kiley, among others.
A few other reunited acts at Coachella are also scheduled to appear, including the Verve, Love & Rockets, and the Breeders.

Reminder: Erie Broadway Series presents "Chicago" tonight at 7:30 at the Warner Theatre. Early deadlines will prevent a review from appearing in Friday's Times-News but we will post one online. Look for it Friday in the Showcase Theatre section.

Figures. Just an hour or so after Dr. Rock updated his blog, the Grammy Awards finally released their first list of performers.
This being the 50th anniversary of the Grammys, you had to figure they'd load up with big names for the Feb. 10 telecast. Recent shows aimed for attention-grabbing, you-gotta-see-it moments, like the Police reunion and Prince with Beyonce.
So far, though, there's no iconic opening -- at least not yet.
What you will see is Rihanna perform with a reunited Time, as well as Foo Fighters and Carrie Underwood. A special gospel segment will feature Aretha Franklin, Mary J. Blige, the Clark Sisters, Israel and New Breed, among others.
Also, Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones will serve as the guest conductor for the Foo Fighters' radical reworking of their smash, "The Pretender."
I had figured the Eagles would perform: Their double CD of a year ago became one of the year's biggest sellers, and they surely would draw in viewers. Maybe they'll be announced later; the Grammy folks say more performers and special segments will be announced soon.

Great Blue Heron released the lineup for its 17th annual festival, set for July 4-6 in Sherman, N.Y.
Donna the Buffalo will headline, as usual. They've headlined every one of them.
Good news: the Avett Brothers will return, too. They blew away everyone at last year's show.
Also performing will be area favorites Big Leg Emma, Tiger Maple String Band, and a reunited Yankee Zydeco Company.
Also on the bill: Kevin Kinsella & Band, Entrain, Town Pants, Slo-Mo, Sim Redmond Band, Preston Frank & Buffalo Zydeco, Five2, Jim Donovan and Drum the Ecstatic, the Believers, the Talk-to-Me's, Professor Louie & the Crowmatix, Fisher, Smackdab, Dirty Mountain Band, Old Dawg Bluegrass, the Bogarts, Pine Ridge, and Chicken Fried String Band.

Billboard reported today that after Velvet Revolver wraps up its spring tour that lead singer Scott Weiland will rejoin Stone Temple Pilots for a few reunion shows this summer. No dates were announced.

The Honda Civic Tour with Panic at the Disco, Motion City Soundtrack, Hush Sound, and Phantom Planet will include just one area stop -- Cleveland's Tower City Amphitheater on May 16. Pre-sales begin Jan. 30 on the tour's web site, http://civictour.honda.com.

First, Peter, Paul & Mary. Then, Vince Gill. Now Chautauqua Institution has added Switchfoot to its summer amphitheater lineup.
Switchfoot will perform on June 27. Tickets for show -- and all Chautauqua amphitheater specials -- will go on sale April 1 at www.ciweb.org. More shows will be announced in coming weeks.

Crawford County Fair officials expect to divulge their next act for summer around Valentine's Day. Gretchen Wilson and Blake Shelton are already booked at the fair on Aug. 20.

Pollstar reports a country act is booked as a CelebrateErie headliner. That'd be Neal McCoy on Aug. 17.

Kanye West will tour this summer with some high-powered help, according to Billboard. Rihanna, N.E.R.D., and Lupe Fiasco will join him. Dates have not yet been announced.

Post-Gazette Pavilion has pushed back the on-sale date for Rush from Feb. 2 to Feb. 8 -- presumably because of the Tom Petty tour, which goes on sale Feb. 4. It's not wise to have blockbuster shows competing with each other. Rush plays PG Pavilion on July 2.

Thursday's Showcase featured an extraneous extra word which really messed up a good story. We were writing about all the contests going on in February, including Sherlock's annual Battle of the Bands. The word "not" appeared in a sentence with Super No. 7, making it sound like winning the contest was not a help to their career. Obviously, the opposite is true. They began headlining shows outside of Erie, and even secured dates on the Rolling Rock Town Fair after winning the Battle of the Bands. A victory does nothing but boost a band. Sorry, Super No. 7-- this was truly an inadvertent mistake but a mistake nonetheless.