music

U2 Named Top Tour Earners in 2009; Grossed $123 Million

Filed under: Wealth

We don't often talk about rock stars on Luxist unless they are in our Estate of the Day category or designing a fashion line. But I think it's worth noting that U2, long known for serious touring, was named the top-grossing North American touring act of 2009. According to concert tracker Pollstar, U2 grossed $123 million, selling more than 1.3 million tickets for its 360 Tour. The tour spanned across the United States in every major city last year, and is now gearing up to cross the ocean for Europe this year. (I saw them at Giants Stadium last fall, and it was worth every penny.)

Pollstar noted that the touring business boomed last year, despite the economy.

Below are the rest of the top 10. You also can read the full Pollstar article for more details, plus the other 40 acts in the top 50.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band - $94.5 million
Elton John and Billy Joel - $88 million
Britney Spears - $82.5 million
AC/DC - $77.9 million
Kenny Chesney - $71.1 million
Jonas Brothers - $69.8 million
Dave Matthews Band - $56.9 million
Fleetwood Mac - $54.4 million
Metallica - $53.4 million

Sidenote: U2.com has a new selection of lithographs from the 360 Tour. Each runs $100.

[Via Hollyscoop]

Tags: concerts, music, rock star, rock stars, RockStar, RockStars, tour, U2

Luxist Gift Guide 09: Best Stocking Stuffers for Music Lovers

by Ariston Anderson (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Holiday Guides

Audio Chi W Series

Definitely the most stylish set of headphones we've come across in a long while, the new W series from Audio Chi is sure to make any lady smile this holiday season. With a headband in gorgeous colors like gold, patent black and plum, Audio Chi headphones are super light and comfortable, and can accessorize any outfit. They're not only gorgeous, but the W series is some of the best sound quality available in headphones this compact. Listening to a standard mp3 track, Audio Chi brought forward some of the best bass I've ever heard through headphones, as well as multiple levels of tonality and intensity. It's studio quality coupled with street style.

$109.95 at Audio Chi

Tags: gift guide 2009, gift guides, GiftGuide2009, GiftGuides, music, stocking stuffers, StockingStuffers

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Luxist Gift Guide 09: Yo-Yo Ma 30 Years Outside the Box & Giveaway

by Ariston Anderson (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Holiday Guides

There's classical music and then there's Classical Music. Yo-Yo Ma defined the latter, carving out best-in-class recordings for the entire history of classical music. Now fans of this musical genius are given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own the definitive collection.

Yo-Yo Ma 30 Years Outside the Box, out now from Sony Music, features a mind-blowing 90 CDs, every original album Yo-Yo Ma has recorded to date (including 15 Grammy award winners) and two bonus discs featuring the first release of John Williams' Suite from Memoirs of a Geisha for Cello, all entirely re-mastered with DSD technology. The limited-edition, numbered set comes packaged in a velvet-lined cello box complete with a beautiful hard-bound book full of rare archival photos, essays and more.

Yo-Yo Ma created modern classical music, collaborating with artists from Bobby McFerrin to Mark O'Connor and Edgar Meyer, to recording his interpretations of an entire genre of music, with his groundbreaking Obrigado Brazil record. Throughout his career he has worked to bring classical music to young people. Such an extraordinary collection only befits such a legendary man. Give the music lover on your list this amazing collector's set, and trust us, they'll be set for life.

The entire collection retails for $789.98 and is available from Amazon.

We're giving away one lucky Luxist reader a selection of our top five favorites (total value $98.93):

Brahms: The Piano Quartets

Beethoven: Complete Sonatas for Cello and Piano, Vol. 1

Bolling: Suite for Cello and Jazz Piano Trio

Mozart: Divertimento, K. 563

Yo-Yo Ma Plays the Music of John Williams

To enter, leave a comment below on your favorite composer Yo-Yo Ma has recorded. Hint: It's basically all of them. Winners will be randomly selected. Contest ends Friday, December 18th at 7 PM EST. Good luck!

Some other important details:

* To enter, leave a confirmed comment below.
* The comment must be left and confirmed before December 18, 2009 at 7:00PM Eastern Time.
* You may only enter once.
* One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
* One winner will receive five albums from the collection, a total value of $98.93.
* Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia.

See complete contest rules here.

The contest is now closed.

Tags: box set, BoxSet, cds, giveaway, holiday gifts, HolidayGifts, music, yo yo ma, YoYoMa

The History of Rock & Roll Photography

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Books

Gail Buckland's new book Who Shot Rock & Roll is the first to truly explore the extraordinary work of the photographers who captured the "energy, intoxication, rebellion, and magic" of rock, with images of icons ranging from Elton John to Led Zeppelin, Bjork to Janis Joplin, and James Brown to John Lennon, that have become icons unto themselves. Featuring more than 250 photos, including many rare and never-before-seen images, Who Shot Rock & Roll is an unparalleled compendium of portraits, live concert shots, behind-the-scenes snaps, and studio work selected for their aesthetic quality and power. The extended captions tell stories from the photographers, including everyone from Bib Gruen to Richard Avedon and David LaChappelle, that reveal their role as both "creative collaborators and tireless journalists."

Covering 1955 to the present, "Who Shot Rock & Roll is a silent window into a world of sound," Buckland says. "There are photographs of crowds and fans reminiscent of the great historical paintings of battle scenes where bodies blend and bend and faces radiate with what can only be described as transcendence. Snapshots reveal the passion, ambition, and insecurity of aspiring young musicians. There are portraits of godheads, objects of mass adoration; the best could hang next to paintings of Renaissance princes, so similar are these royals with their finery, wealth, and power." An accompanying exhibit just opened at the Brooklyn Museum and will run through the end of January and before traveling across the country through 2011.

Tags: Brooklyn Museum, BrooklynMuseum, Gail Buckland, GailBuckland, music, musicians, photography, rock and roll, rock roll, rock star, RockAndRoll, RockRoll, RockStar

Sonos Zone Player S5 Plays Nice With Your iPhone

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets

Need a new buddy for your iPhone that takes advantage of your music library? The Sonos ZonePlayer S5 is an all-in-one wireless music system designed to work with the iPhone to bring all the music the internet has to offer to every corner of the home. Unlike traditional docks, you don't have to leave your iPhone connected and unavailable for use to enjoy music. With the S5, you can queue up whatever you'd like to hear from your own iTunes library collection or any of the major online music sources and slip your phone back in your pocket.

The S5 has a five-driver speaker system-- two tweeters, two mid-range drivers and a built-in single subwoofer – each individually powered by a dedicated digital amplifier and optimized to deliver room-filling sound with smooth tonal balance and deep bass. The free Sonos Controller for iPhone app lets you choose the music and control the volume. The S5 also includes free Sonos Controller software for your Mac or PC. It sells for $399 and will be available starting at the end of this month. Check out a video of the S5 in action after the jump.

Source

Tags: audio, gadget, internet, iphone, itunes, music, sonos, sound

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Woodstock Remembered In Photos

by Ann Brenoff (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events, Art

When some people tell war stories, it's worth listening. Baron Wolman, Rolling Stone's first photographer, will mark the 40th anniversary of Woodstock by signing posters and sharing rock n roll stories at the Tory Burch store in the recently opened Malibu Lumber Yard shopping center on Aug. 13 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. At 8 p.m., he will do a multimedia presentation that includes his Woodstock photos, the 1969 Summer of Love in San Francisco, and the
early days at Rolling Stone magazine.

Prints of his photos of Mick Jagger, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Cash, and others will be available for purchase with a percentage of sales donated to the Malibu Legacy Park.

Baron lived in Haight Ashbury during the 1960s with neighbors who included The Grateful Dead and Janis Joplin.

Tags: art, baron wolman, BaronWolman, music, photography

Most Expensive CD Isn't About the Music

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets

The latest random object to get plated in platinum and studded with diamonds is, of all things, a CD case. Displayed in Tokyo the CD is called simply "Woman, Sweet 10 Diamonds," and features a case of platinum with 10 2-carat diamonds embedded on the front. The CD case was created through a collaboration between Universal Music and Japanese jeweler Nagahori and is valued at $100,000.

And apparently the actual music on the CD is of little importance, since it's only ever referred to very generally as "18 songs by female vocalists." Wow.

Source

Tags: cd, most expensive, MostExpensive, music, music cd, MusicCd, platinum

Scott Storch Accused of Stealing a Bentley

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Wealth, Crimes and Misdemeanors

Formerly high-flying music producer Scott Storch (above with his Bugatti Veyron) has been charged with grand theft auto after failing to return his leased Bentley GT. Storch, who produced hits for the likes of 50 Cent and Beyoncé and partied with close pal Paris Hilton, has fallen on hard times recently and has seen his $10 million Miami mansion foreclosed on.

According to a copy of the a the police report obtained by MTV News, Storch began leasing a 2004 Bentley GT in February 2006 which was due to be returned last month. However, instead of handing over the pricey wheels Storch gave the Bentley to L'il Kim, TMZ reports. A repo company finally tracked the car down at Kim's place in New Jersey. Storch was released on bail after posting an undisclosed amount; according to some reports he is currently in rehab.

Tags: 50 Cent, 50Cent, Bentley, Bugatti, celebrity, Lil Kim, LilKim, Miami, music, Paris Hilton, ParisHilton, rap, Scott Storch, ScottStorch

Lenny Kravitz Lists His Rock Star Lair in Miami

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Estates

So-hip-it-hurts rock star Lenny Kravitz has just listed his waterfront Miami Beach mansion with an asking price of $2.85 million. The 5,717-sq.-ft. three-bed, three-bath built in 1954 was transformed into a rock star haven decorated in Kravitz's signature retro-futuristic style which has been termed "Bordello Modern". The louche pad (above), which features its own recording studio, was done up as a "sleek, throbbing James Bond-esque den of seduction" according to W magazine, complete with four-inch-thick red shag carpeting, black patent-leather walls, a metal-grill catwalk lit from below, a mirrored white-fur tunnel, red glass doors, red lacquered floors, and a white handstitched padded patent-leather bar. We hear that Kravitz may have revamped some of the more extreme features prior to listing the property for sale.

Kravitz's interior designer Michael Czysz originally spent over $1 million on the décor, and even picked out a silver Ferrari to match the house and designed a special chrome Flying V guitar for the recording studio. Located on guard gated Biscayne Point, the 12,000-sq.-ft. lot features unparalleled open bay vistas. A custom wall of glass opens the massive living area to incredible water views, while the "resort-like" backyard features a pool, spa and boat dock. Kravitz paid $725,000 for the house back in 1996. While Czysz's décor is undeniably over-the-top, hopefully it hasn't been completely dismembered. Meanwhile his lavish NYC apartment, which has been listed as high as $19.5 million, is still on the market, reduced to $14.995 million.

Tags: celebrity, Lenny Kravitz, LennyKravitz, Miami, Miami Beach, MiamiBeach, Michael Czysz, MichaelCzysz, music, rock star, RockStar

Orlando Opera Seeks To Avoid Being The Latest Opera Casualty

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art

As I mentioned last month, opera companies across the U.S. are facing hard times. The latest is the Orlando Opera in Orlando, Florida which is facing a huge deficit caused by the recession. The company has launched a $500,000 fundraising campaign and that outcome of that campaign may determine the future health of the organization.

The company has enough money to produce Suor Angelica and Cavalleria Rusticana, a double bill planned for April 3-7. The Orlando Sentinel reports that if the organization can't raise $500,000 by the end of May it may have to find other means of survival including partnering with another arts group or shifting focus to opera training. The decision could also have an impact on the Orlando Philharmonic, which plays for the opera's full-scale productions and the plans for Orlando's performing-arts center. Orlando Opera's 2009-2010 season promises a trio of audience favorites: La Bohème, Carmen and La Traviata.

At stake here is not just opera but the message that having an opera company represents, that a city is culturally rich and cosmopolitan. It is also about keeping opera alive as an art form across the U.S. As the recession bites into people's personal budgets supporting the arts can seem almost frivolous but this is a time when arts groups are fighting for their survival.

Source

Tags: arts, culture, music, opera, orlando, orlando florida, OrlandoFlorida

Famous Drummer Will Join Your Band For $75,000

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Drummer Josh Freese has a unique way to make money. He's not just selling his album,Since 1972, he's selling just about anything you'd want to buy from him. Freese, who has been part of Devo, Nine Inch Nails and Perfect Circle, is offering more than music. You can buy everything from a $7 download to a $75,000 deluxe package. What do you get for $75,000? Freese will take you on tour, write a five-song EP all about you, give you one of his drum sets, join your band for a month or be your personal assistant and take you on a couple of bacchanalian jaunts including a chance to take shrooms and cruise Hollywood in Danny from Tool's Lamborghini, head to Tijuana in a limo for an evening of decadence, and experience a flying trapeze lesson with Josh and Robin from Nine Inch Nails, go back to Robins 'place and eat lasagna.

Other items on Freese's expansive menu include a lunch date with Josh to PF Changs or The Cheesecake Factory, dinner with Josh aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California and the chance to get drunk and cut each other's hair in the parking lot of the Long Beach courthouse. Freese is giving a whole new meaning to the phrase"party like a rockstar."

Gallery: Celebrity Auctions

Source

Tags: drummer, josh freese, JoshFreese, music

Celebrity iPod Auction Series, Benefits Music Rising

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets, Auctions, Charity

Tonic, a Web site devoted to doing good, recently launched the Celebrity iPod Auction Series to benefit Music Rising, an organization that replaces lost or destroyed instruments in the hurricane-affected Gulf Coast region. Every week, from now through August, Tonic will launch between one and five autographed iPods loaded with celebrities' personal playlists and put them up for auction, with 100% of the revenue going directly to rescue the musical culture of the Central Gulf. More than 70 A-list celebrities are participating, from ex-Presidents, to rock stars, to models -- even Warren Buffett. Each celebrity is given a new iPod, which he or she autographs and Tonic pre-loads with 10 - 20 of his or her favorite songs.

Check out the gallery for some of the early participants.

Gallery: Celebrity iPod Auction Series, Benefits Music Rising

Tags: celebrities, charity, iPod, music, Music Rising, MusicRising, Tonic

Bose is Out, the iHome is In

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets

Bose is out, the iHome is in. The iHome is made specifically to house your various Apple devices and the sound it creates packs a punch!

The iHome devices are equipped to operate with iPods and iPhones as well as Zunes and most MP3 players with an audio cord - or even Bluetooth technology.

The range runs from $49.95 to $199.99 and any order over $99.00 comes with free earbuds. Our pick? The Rotating Alarm Clock, $79.99, at right. Check out the gallery to see what it does (it flips!), and for more cool products like the color-changing iPod player.

Shop the iHome store here (finally, a music site that doesn't crash your web browser).

Gallery: Our picks from the iHome store

Rotating Alarm Clock for iPod touch & iPod nano

Shower to Shore Water-Resistant Speaker for iPod

2.1 Stereo System with Clock Radio for iPod

Portable Speaker System For Your MP3 Player

Tags: apple, audio, bose, ihome, iphone, ipod, mac, mp3, music, speakers

Rare Recording of Inebriated John Lennon for Sale

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

A rare, never-publicly-heard recording of a drunk and high John Lennon improvising naughty song lyrics is on offer for an estimated $30,000 - $40,000 at Bonhams' Entertainment Sale in Los Angeles on Sunday.

The six minute audiocasette, recorded in the fall of 1973, features Lennon's off-the-cuff rendition of the Lloyd Price song "Just Because." The recording took place during what Lennon referred to as his "Lost Weekend" when he and Yoko Ono separated and he took up with mistress May Pang.

The cassette is an outtake from a recording session for the song, which was included on Lennon's 1975 album Rock 'n' Roll. At the time, while working on the album with Phil Spector in Los Angeles, Lennon was heavily into drink and drugs, as reflected in the recording.

Though some of Lennon's lyrics are garbled, he can be heard to sing, in part, "I wanna take all them new singers, Carol and the other one with the nipples, I wanna take 'em and hold 'em tight, all them people that James Taylor had...I wanna suck your nipples, baby... Just a little cocaine will set me right."

Tags: Beatles, John Lennon, JohnLennon, Music

$25,000 Bob Dylan Harmonicas

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art, Holiday Guides, Men's Style

$25,000 may sound like a hefty price for a couple of harmonicas, but not when those harmonicas have been touched by Bob Dylan himself!

In a way, this is your chance to sort-of-almost kiss Bob Dylan. In case you wanted to do that.

Hohner is the manufacturer of these luxury harmonicas. They've been making musical instruments for 151 years, so these harmonicas are definitely not just for show; they are top of the line "blues harps." Hohner claims to have had a "special relationship" with Dylan over the years.

$25,000 will get you a set of five harmonicas hand-signed by Bob Dylan, or you can purchase an individual one (still comes in a nice box) for $5,000. These are, naturally, limited edition, and may sell out before the holiday.

The Hohner Bob Dylan Marine Band Harmonicas are available only from Sam Ash.

[via Sam Ash Music - thanks, reader Ben, for the tip!]

Tags: bob dylan, BobDylan, gift ideas, GiftIdeas, harmonica, hohner, music, sam ash, sam ash music, SamAsh, SamAshMusic