Pop-opera star Sarah Brightman will perform Dec. 2 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. TIckets, ranging from $49.50 to $127 (!) go on sale June 16 at Ticketmaster.

Van Morrison will play Toronto's Massey Hall on July 7. That opens his 5-city North American tour -- maybe his longest, ever.

With Jon Anderson suffering respiratory problems, Yes has canceled its entire 26-city summer reunion tour. Doctors have advised him to rest a minimum of 6 months, according to press reports. There's a chance the band will re-book the tour when he's healthy but nothing's certain, yet.

When the Grass Roots play Presque Isle Downs & Casino on June 13, lead singer Rob Grill won't be with them. He's out with knee surgery. No word yet on who will handle vocals. You can't ask for a refund, though. This show is free , if you have a Roaring 20s Players Club membership. Memberships are free.

Like everyone else, we're mourning the death of Bo Diddley, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer who was a force of nature. Remember when he played two shows at the Kings Rook, backed by Jake's Blues, back in 1994? He played new songs, classics, and some mildly risque ones. He even did a rap song.
Bo was scheduled to return to Erie for First Night Erie in 1995, backed by the BluesBeaters but never made it here.

Moraine State Park near Pittsburgh will host a Christian music fest from June 13-15 that includes Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, Steven Curtis Chapman, as well as a late addition -- the Oak Ridge Boys.
The event was put together by the Steve Wingfield Evangelical Association. For times and a list of other performers, call the festival office at (724) 431-2397 or visit www.stevewingfield.org.

A whopping 12 galleries will participate in the next Gallery Night, set for June 13 from 7 to 10 p.m. Urraro Gallery will host host an opening reception for Thirty Days of Drawings by Thomas Gamble and Ashley Robyn Reitz. Urraro will also debut its new second-floor gallery. Steve Troshoke Funk Fotet will play upstairs, while Eastave performs downstairs.

Other participating galleries include Erie Art Museum, Accents by the Bay, Bayfront Gallery, Allen Stoneware Gallerly, Artworks Gallery & Clayspace Studio; Kada Gallery, Glass Growers Gallery, Gearu's Studio 7, Kuhn's Framing & Gift Gallery, Ralph Miller Jewelers & Gallery, and Relish Inct. Studio.

Per usual, the EMTA will shuttle guests on a Bayliner to and from galleries throughout the night.

Billboard magazine reports the Police will play their last show together on Aug. 7 at New York City's Madison Square Garden as a fund-raiser for two New York public TV stations. You can only get tickets through donating; the lowest price is $150 for a pair. The B-52s will open. Tickets become available on June 14.

This is shaping up as the slowest concert season in Erie in recent years, not counting the usual plethora of free shows.
Except for Gordon LIghtoot on June 22 and comedian Lewis Black in July, nothing is on the books as far as concerts at the Tullio Arena or Warner. Don't look for a concert this summer at Jerry Uht Park, either.
Theories abound on why we'll be so dry. Recent Erie shows with John Mellencamp and Clay Aiken did less-than-expected business. When promoters lose money on a show, they lose faith in Erie, though the Three Days Grace/Breaking Benjamin/Seether show hit a home run by selling out.
Two, acts generally perfer playing outdoors in summer, which makes it harder for the Warner and Tullio Arena to compete.
But the biggest factor may be escalating fuel prices. That's raising the cost of shows, putting them beyond our reach. Promoters get leery if they practically need a sellout just to make a few bucks; the risk simply isn't worth it.
So, we'll have to be content with a good 8 Great Tuesdays lineup, a mysterious Summer Festival of the Arts, which still has no headliner at this point, and CelebrateErie.
The latter event figures to draw a massive crowd for Foreigner on Aug. 16 even though Lou Gramm is no longer their lead singer. The rest? Well, country singer Neal McCoy (Aug. 17) had a few hits, way back, and Souled Out solves the diversity problem that CE has lacked in recent years. A night of Motown and soul classics figures to be a giant dance party, though I'd prefer to see an actual name band to another tribute.
Each night has a distinctly different feel. Good to see some Erie bands on the mainstage, as well, such as Jake's Blues, Super No. 7, M-80s, and Cruisin.
If you don't like the lineup, though, you're pretty much faced with driving to Buffalo, Cleveland, or Pittsburgh for top-name concerts. We're sitting this summer out.

Attention Duke Sherman Blues Band fans. They will play at the Conneaut Cellars Winery Jazz and Blues Festival on June 21 at 3 p.m., not June 14 as was indicated in a paid advertisement. But you can catch them this weekend. They play tonight at Billies inside the Avalon Hotel, and on Saturday at Plummer's in Ripley, N.Y.

Even if you think you don't like bluegrass, you should investigate the Mayville Bluegrass Festival on Saturday or Sunday at Lakeside Park in Mayville, N.Y.. The setting is pristine, right on Chautauqua Lake, and the musicianship is always first-rate.
These groups kick up a bigger ruckus than you might expect. And Saturday features Chris Hillman, a former member of the Byrds. He played a killer verison of "Eight Miles High" at the event four years ago, and also did a nice set of Flying Burrito Brothers' songs.
Tickets are only $15 per day.

This weekend is extremely music heavy. Sounds of Summer features eight performers, starting at 1 p.m. at Liberty Park on Saturday. Don't miss Matty B and the Dirty Pickles, who'll debuta couple new songs at 7 p.m. That event is free. One Under blew away fans atDocksider a few months ago; they return on Saturday. And Coffin Bangers reunite for their first show in ages tonight at Scully's with Sound City Saints, the Trashed, and Lucky Cats also on the bill.

Next week's Showcase will feature interviews with Gordon Lightoot, New York hard-rock band (and future TV stars) Z02, and the Nick Zuber Band, who sound remarkably like John Mayer and Dave Matthews Band. They will play Coconut Joe's on June 20.

This may be a light summer for big-name Erie concerts, so you've got to either (A) drive and shell out big bucks for gas or (B) take advantage of the good stuff going on around here.
I choose (A).
This weekend, that good stuff includes the Americana/bar-band rock of Jack Fords, who play Docksider on Friday, as well as Nick Zuber Band, which comes from a John Mayer pop/rock jam place, also on Friday at Coconut Joe's.
Friday also features Von Klovenhoof , which plays lots of new-wave and oldie classics, at the Beer Mug. The band includes Jimmy Cuneo -- always a killer on keyboards -- so you know it'll be fun and good. And to make Friday even more complicated, Pittsburgh's electrifying Jill West and the Blues Attack will play Billies at the Avalon Hotel. This woman has a voice that'll reach your inner being.

Next weekend, try to catch the Ultrasonic Rock Orchestra, fronted by Boston musician and former Erie native Sal Clemente. They play blown-up versions of your favorite classic rock songs by Queen, Beatles, David Bowie, and more. It's an elaborate extravaganza, and it'll settle into Erie Playhouse for four shows -- June 26-28 (at 7:30 p.m.) and June 29 (2 p.m.)

A line from David Bowie's "Suffragette City" came to mind during the Ultrasonic Rock Orchestra's opening night of "A Night at the Rock Opera" on Thursday at Erie Playhouse.
"Wham bam, thank you, ma'am!"
Never mind the "opera" part of the title. This is heavy-duty, powerful rock and roll performed by a killer six-piece Boston band and 15 -- yes, 15! -- vocalists. All that vocal power helps the band tackle iconic songs in the rock canon -- some so intricately woven and harmonically challenging that they're all but impossible for your regular rock combo to perform.
URO takes those songs and extracts the most out of them, turning in pulverizing, thunderous renditions without making your ears bleed. It is audacious, to say the least, to try pulling off fare like Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" and the entire Side 2 of "Abbey Road." But URO not only grandly came through, it gave me goosebumps at time because these are songs you rarely get to experience live, let alone in such thrilling fashion. And by keeping the emphasis on the music -- not the light show, not the choreography, not whiz-bang special effects -- URO makes sure it rocks out.
Part of the genius of this show -- co-founded by Erie native Sal Clemente -- is all that vocal power is shared equally by men and women. Hearing girls belt Queen's "Killer Queen" (amazing) or Who songs was refreshing -- especially when the guys and girls traded verses. Nearly every singer took a turn in the spotlight, demonstrating there's not a weak vocal link to be found. And Clemente took his share, too, including on "Bohemian Rhapsody."
Meanwhile, drummer Alan Ware -- who started URO with Clemente -- thundered on drums, even nailing Ringo's drum solo in "The End." Ware also played with a happy grin on his face the entire show, which sent a clear message: This band does this because it loves these songs and wants to present them in the biggest, boldest way possible.
URO also played a few songs from its own forthcoming rock opera, and they were rather amazing in their own way. Not surprisingly those songs were heavily Queen and Who influenced but also had -- ironically -- a touch of Andrew Lloyd Webber in them. Remember, it was Webber's refusal to let URO record "Jesus Christ Superstar" for a documentary that led them down the path of performing glam and classic-rock favorites.
So, thanks, Andrew, because you inadvertently unleashed a monster of a show that should please not only classic-rock fans but anyone who's loved these songs and lamented they might never get to experience them live.
I can see why some folks catch multiple shows: It's that engaging.
That said, however, not everything works. The band doesn't need choreography on the order of a Motown revue or anything but members do need to coordinate their moves a little more smoothly. A few times, singers bumped into each other while going from mic to mic.A stage director might help.
The look of the show is fine, with most everyone in black -- guys in leather, the girls in corsets and short skirts. And the music, thankfully, lifted off in a more rock-and-roll way than purely theatrical or toned-down fashion. I also liked how they mixed in some lesser-known songs -- like Queen's "Love of My Life" and Bowie's "Starman" -- with the more famous ones. That prevented the show from unfolding like some greatest-hits pastaiche. All the song choices are dictated by how much they'd benefit from megawatt vocal power.
Don't miss it. URO plays again tonight and Saturday at 7:30, and also Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Playhouse.

Sad to see Awakened Cafe is closed already. An email late Wednesday indicated the club was shutting down effective immediately. It featured local art, comedy, and music but lasted barely two months.

Summer Festival of the Arts lifts off tonight. The must-see show is Gregg Rolie Band tonight (Friday) at 9 p.m. Apparently people don't believe what they read but, yes, it's true: Role did sing the big Santana hits of the early 1970s; he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Santana, though he left in 1972. But he'll sing the Santana songs he helped make famous, including "Black Magic Woman," "Oye Como Va," and "Evil Ways." He co-produced the first four Santana albums, and put together an amazing, veteran band, as well, that also includes Santana's original percussionist.

Get there early, lawn space might be tight. Plus, you don't want to miss One World Tribe, who are amazing in their own right.