New York City Deadheads exchanged their tie-dyed shirts and electric kool-aid for suits, ties and wine glasses on Wednesday night as the New York Historical Society hosted a benefit gala for an upcoming exhibit honoring the history and legacy of the Grateful Dead. Approximately 300 donors munched on hors d’oeuvres while enjoying a first [...]]]>

Photo: Todaro/FilmMagic

New York City Deadheads exchanged their tie-dyed shirts and electric kool-aid for suits, ties and wine glasses on Wednesday night as the New York Historical Society hosted a benefit gala for an upcoming exhibit honoring the history and legacy of the Grateful Dead. Approximately 300 donors munched on hors d’oeuvres while enjoying a first look at some of the items that will be featured in “The Grateful Dead: Now Playing at the New York Historical Society,” a one-of-a-kind tribute that opens March 5th, 2010, and runs through July 4th, 2010.

The exhibit features iconic memorabilia including original artwork, photographs, backstage passes, hand-decorated fan mail, and much more from the band’s career, which spans almost 50 years. Most of the items will be on loan from the recently opened Grateful Dead Archive, a special collection at the University of California Santa Cruz that houses thousands of pieces of memorabilia, each of which serves as what the Archive calls “evidence of the creative activity and integrity of the music of the Grateful Dead and the influence the band has had on contemporary social structure and music history.”

Guests of honor Phil Lesh and Bob Weir were in attendance on Wednesday, signing a few autographs and posing for pictures before taking the tiny stage and delivering brief remarks to the assembled crowd. “Who knew we would ever be historic?” Lesh said with a wry smile before introducing “his brother and best friend” Weir, who came to the stage with guitar in hand.

Although the historical society, with its stained-glass windows, shelves of books, and paintings hanging from the walls, may have seemed like an odd place for a rock concert, Lesh and Weir laughed off the odd situation with their usual laid-back aplomb. Framed by two gigantic Greek columns, Lesh picked up his bass as he and Weir led a backing band through a performance of Bob Dylan’s “When I Paint My Masterpiece” with Weir on lead vocals —an appropriate choice given the masterpieces hanging from the walls around them.

A driving “Going Down the Road Feeling Bad” with Lesh and Weir trading vocal lines closed the evening’s short performance — yet another stop on the band’s long, strange trip to legitimacy that has taken them from San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury hippie hotbed to their current status as a veritable American institution.

The Empire State Building even lent itself to the festivities, as its upper levels were lit with a multicolor tribute to the band’s psychedelic roots this past Monday. As the group nears its golden anniversary (the band formed in 1965), Lesh, 69, and Weir, 62, are showing no signs of letting the music ever stop, as the two have reunited as part of a new group, Furthur, that also features Jay Lane and Jeff Chimenti of Weir’s own Ratdog, Joe Russo of the Benevento/Russo Duo, and John Kadlecik of Grateful Dead tribute band Dark Star Orchestra and will play its first East Coast dates in December.

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Taylor Swift, Michael Jackson and Eminem received the most nominations for the 2009 American Music Awards, which will air live from Los Angeles’ Nokia Theatre on November 22nd. Swift leads the field with six nominations, followed by Jackson with five and Eminem with four. All three artists, plus Kings of Leon and [...]]]>

Photo: Kravitz/FilmMagic; Mazur/WireImage.com; Kravitz/FilmMagic

Taylor Swift, Michael Jackson and Eminem received the most nominations for the 2009 American Music Awards, which will air live from Los Angeles’ Nokia Theatre on November 22nd. Swift leads the field with six nominations, followed by Jackson with five and Eminem with four. All three artists, plus Kings of Leon and Lady Gaga, were nominated for the coveted Artist of the Year award. So far, Alicia Keys, the Black Eyed Peas, Jennifer Lopez and Adam Lambert have been named as performers at the ceremony, with Lambert reportedly set to unveil a new song from his upcoming post-Idol debut album.

Lambert, along with former American Idol judge Paula Abdul and Snoop Dogg, were on hand this morning to announce the nominees. According to a press release, the nominees “were selected from data supplied by the Nielsen Company’s Broadcast Data Systems, which monitors radio airplay performance, and SoundScan, which tracks retail music sales.” This pretty much explains why Michael Jackson and his Number Ones are included on the nominees list: Even though the greatest-hits compilation was originally released in 2003, it’s sold almost two million copies since the King of Pop’s death on June 25th, making Jackson’s eligible for a posthumous Artist of the Year award.

Beyoncé, Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga, Kings of Leon and T.I. all locked up three nominations apiece. Fan voting will determine the winners (as it has for the past three years), so head over to the ABC Website to cast your vote. (Last year’s big winner was Chris Brown.) Check out the AMA nominees below:

POP or ROCK MUSIC
Favorite Male Artist
Eminem
Michael Jackson
T.I.

Favorite Female Artist
Beyoncé
Lady Gaga
Taylor Swift

Favorite Band, Duo or Group
Black Eyed Peas
Kings of Leon
Nickelback

Favorite Album
Lady Gaga – Fame
Michael Jackson – Number Ones
Taylor Swift – Fearless

COUNTRY MUSIC
Favorite Male Artist
Jason Aldean
Darius Rucker
Keith Urban

Favorite Female Artist
Reba McEntire
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood

Favorite Band, Duo or Group
Rascal Flatts
Sugarland
Zac Brown Band

Favorite Album
Rascal Flatts – Unstoppable
Taylor Swift – Fearless
Zac Brown Band – Foundation

RAP/HIP-HOP MUSIC
Favorite Male Artist
Eminem
Jay-Z
T. I.

Favorite Album
Eminem – Relapse
Jay-Z – Blueprint 3
T.I. – Paper Trail

SOUL/RHYTHM & BLUES MUSIC
Favorite Male Artist
Jamie Foxx
Michael Jackson
Maxwell

Favorite Female Artist
Beyoncé
Keyshia Cole
Keri Hilson

Favorite Band, Duo or Group
Black Eyed Peas
Day26
Mary Mary

Favorite Album
Beyoncé – I Am… Sasha Fierce
Black Eyed Peas – The E.N.D.
Michael Jackson – Number Ones

SOUNDTRACKS
Favorite Album
Hannah Montana: The Movie
Hannah Montana 3
Twilight Soundtrack

ALTERNATIVE ROCK MUSIC
Favorite Artist
Green Day
Kings of Leon
Shinedown

ADULT CONTEMPORARY MUSIC
Favorite Artist
Daughtry
Jason Mraz
Taylor Swift

ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Alternative – Kings of Leon
Country – Taylor Swift
Pop/Rock – Lady Gaga
Rap/Hip-Hop – Eminem
Soul/R&B – Michael Jackson

T-MOBILE BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST NOMINATIONS
Pop/Rock Breakthrough Artist – Kings of Leon, Lady Gaga
Country Breakthrough Artist – Gloriana, Zac Brown Band
Soul/R&B Breakthrough Artist – Keri Hilson, Jermiah
Rap/Hip-Hop Breakthrough Artist – Drake, Kid Cudi

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As Rock Daily previously reported, VH1 is resurrecting their tears-and-triumph documentary series Behind the Music, focusing now on more of a contemporary slate of artists. Rappers Lil Wayne and 50 Cent are among those who will get the BTM treatment, and clips of their episodes have surfaced.

Weezy’s episode marks the series’ official return on September [...]]]>

As Rock Daily previously reported, VH1 is resurrecting their tears-and-triumph documentary series Behind the Music, focusing now on more of a contemporary slate of artists. Rappers Lil Wayne and 50 Cent are among those who will get the BTM treatment, and clips of their episodes have surfaced.

Weezy’s episode marks the series’ official return on September 10th, and in his interviews Lil Wayne reveals what it was like growing up in New Orleans, from accidentally shooting himself to the Hot Boyz to his platinum-selling Tha Carter III, MTV reports. Lil Wayne will also tackle his previous marriage and recent legal woes. Essentially, it’s an hour-long version of his interview with “Miss Katie” Couric.

We don’t learn much from the 50 Cent Behind the Music trailer (via Nah Right), but it’s safe to assume it’ll just be a retelling of Get Rich or Die Trying with archival footage, Fiddy interviews, lots of tears and narrator Jim Forbes’ voiceover. “I’m an addict, I’m addicted to success. Thankfully, there’s no rehab for success,” 50 says in Behind the Music, an episode that will likely feature 50 recounting how many times he’s been shot, the whole Long Island house fire incident and his countless beefs. 50’s episode will air on October 13th, leading into the VH1 Hip Hop Honors tribute to Def Jam that Rock Daily reported on earlier today.

Other artists who will have their careers put under the microscope on the resurrected Behind the Music this season include Pink (who’s episode will air before Divas Live), the incarcerated T.I., Bobby Brown and a favorite here at Rock Daily, Bret Michaels. While it was previously reported that Scott Weiland will also be the focus of a Behind the Music episode when the show’s return was first announced, his episode has not yet been scheduled.

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• VH1 to Bring Back “Behind The Music” with Lil Wayne, Scott Weiland and Others
• Lil Wayne Laughs For Letterman, Cries For Couric As Grammys Near

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A pair of guys with some excellent genes are ready to release fresh music this fall. Check out the news on Paul Simon’s son Harper and Carlos Santana’s son Salvador below. And peruse more famous rock offspring here.

If Elliott Smith fronted an alt-country group, it’d sound a lot like Harper Simon, the son of Paul [...]]]>

A pair of guys with some excellent genes are ready to release fresh music this fall. Check out the news on Paul Simon’s son Harper and Carlos Santana’s son Salvador below. And peruse more famous rock offspring here.

If Elliott Smith fronted an alt-country group, it’d sound a lot like Harper Simon, the son of Paul Simon. On his self-titled debut album (out October 13th), 36-year-old Simon surrounds himself with an ace team of backing musicians (including Charlie McCoy, Gene Chrisman, and Lloyd Green) and contemporary songwriters (including Elliott Smith’s pal Aaron Espinoza from Earlimart) for an easy-going, wistful set of alt-country pop, full of sweet country-twang guitars and Simon’s bright, clear tenor. Your move, Ryan Adams. Hear “Shooting Star” here:

Carlos Santana’s son Salvador cites Bob Marley, Thelonious Monk and McCoy Tyner as influences, but on debut cut “Keyboard City,” he’s in a mellow, baby-makin’ mood. The 26-year-old Bay Area dude (who got into music playing drums with his dad as a three year old) cut this track with Beastie Boys’ Money Mark. (Salvador has also recorded tracks with Del the Funky Homosapien.) On “Keyboard City,” Sal and Mark layer reedy, synth atmospherics, icy-cool electronic keys and a smooth-as-butter beat underneath Sal’s awesomely zonked-out Vocoder-heavy vocals. Hear it here:

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One of the most memorable routines from Season Five of So You Think You Can Dance was the sensual, passionate contemporary routine set to Jason Mraz’s “If It Kills Me” (check out the clip above). The number was choreographed by former contestant Travis Wall and featured this season’s champ Jeanine Mason and Top Eight finisher [...]]]>

One of the most memorable routines from Season Five of So You Think You Can Dance was the sensual, passionate contemporary routine set to Jason Mraz’s “If It Kills Me” (check out the clip above). The number was choreographed by former contestant Travis Wall and featured this season’s champ Jeanine Mason and Top Eight finisher Jason Glover.

Mraz tells Rolling Stone he was “absolutely moved” by the clip, which his parents alerted him about after they caught it on TV — so much so that he’s trying to get the pair to perform during the Chicago stop of his tour next week, where he’ll be filming a live DVD. “I woke up in bed the other night going, ‘I have to get that couple to dance!’ ” Mraz says, revealing dance is “another little guilty pleasure” of his. “I really long to be a great dancer. Whoever I choose to be my one true love has to be a great dancer. What a great way to build a relationship with someone — going to dance classes every so often and really improve your partnership.”

No word yet on if scheduling will allow the performance, but Mraz’s DVD is slated to hit stores this November. In the meantime, his Cafe Gratitude Tour will continue across the U.S. through October, and his hit “I’m Yours” is on the verge of making chart history. If the track stays on Billboard’s Hot 100 through August 19th, it will officially beat LeAnn Rimes’ “How Do I Live” as the longest-running single on the chart.

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