AC Entertainment GuideGo. See. Do.

ATLANTIC CITY CONCERTS

---

Social Distortion with Suedehead

November 19, 2011  |  7:00 PM  |  $25.00  |  House of Blues at Showboat Atlantic City  |  609.343.4000

Here's how you know you've made it in the music business: You've stayed strong for three decades on your own terms, on your own time, by your own rules, and over that time your influence has only grown. Each of your albums has been stronger than your last. You've been brought onstage by Bruce Springsteen, because he wanted to play one of your songs. You've seen high times and low ones, good days and tragic days, but every night you give 100%, and every morning you wake up still swinging.

This is the short version of the Social Distortion bio — the long version could be a 10-part mini-series. But over the past 30 years, the punk godfathers in the band have all but trademarked their sound, a brand of hard rockabilly/punk that's cut with the melodic, road-tested lyrics of frontman Mike Ness. Their searing guitars and a locomotive rhythm section sound as alive today as they did in '82, as do Ness' hard-luck tales of love, loss and lessons learned. "The most common thing I hear is, 'Man, your music got me through some hard times,'" Ness says. "And I just say, 'Me too.'"

Hard Times And Nursery Rhymes (produced, for the first time, by Ness himself) is the band's first record since 2004, but the break hasn't changed them much. It maintains Social Distortion's key components — an all-but-perfected mix of punk, bluesy rock n’ roll and outlaw country — but it also finds them stretching the boundaries of their signature sound. "I didn't want any one style of writing," Ness says. "I didn't want it to be all heavy, like "White Light, White Heat, White Trash." I wanted some heavy and some light. I wanted some fiction and some nonfiction. I wanted versatility."

That's evident right away. The record's first vocal track, "California (Hustle and Flow)," finds Ness and the band not roaring out of the gate so much as swaggering behind a chunky Stones-style locomotive groove. "This record has a lot of my influences," Ness says, "But how far you go with those influences is up to you. With this record I wanted to go a little farther. I wanted people to hear that second track and realize, 'Wow, this is not just another Social Distortion record.'" (For good measure the track has hints of "Ball and Chain" and the Stones' "All Down The Line" and, for the first time, female backing vocals. "I've been listening to records for years with (backing vocals), and I was like, "Hey, why don't I do that?" Ness laughs.)

Not that the band's punk foundations have eroded; the first single "Machine Gun Blues," a piece of gangland fiction set in 1934, could hail from "Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell." But the record is evidence of the band's ability to evolve. "Bakersfield," a setlist staple in recent years, is a waking-on-the-railroad-tracks story of wrecked love, forgiveness and Buck Owens; it closes with a spoken-word verse to make Merle Haggard smile. "Can't Take It With You" sports a Jerry Lee-style piano solo that scorches paint. And set closer "Still Alive" is a soaring carpe diem with an added emotional weight that can't be described or duplicated.

"The album is reminiscent to me of "Somewhere," but it also has some of the darkness that "White Light" had. It has some of the flavor of "Mommy's Little Monster," Ness said. "I think it's very signature. We've never been afraid to evolve and show people what we can do."

Now in their fourth decade, Ness and Social Distortion have officially done one of the most non-punk things possible: They've failed to burn out.

Mixing Springsteen’s factory-overalls ethic with Southern California punk energy and black leather, Social Distortion formed with Ness and high school buddy, the late Dennis Danell, in the late 1970s; the group broke in 1983 with the thrashing plate of punk and displeasure "Mommy's Little Monster." Their 1988 follow-up, "Prison Bound," hinted at a sonic change to come, and by the band's self-titled 1990 record and 1992's "Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell," their sound had solidified into the instantly recognizable brand of rock n’ roll that's defined them since.

For Hard Times, Social Distortion consists of Ness and longtime guitarist Jonny Wickersham, along with bassist Brent Harding and drummer David Hidalgo, Jr.

These days the band is rarely off the road for long, and continues to grip fans who have been around since "Mommy's Little Monster" while drawing new ones who discover the band through hand-shot YouTube clips. "I see people bringing their kids to shows," Ness says. "And I see kids bringing their parents."

Social Distortion is a mix of potent power, appeal across all age brackets and a genuine satisfaction at reaching as many people as they have. "I write songs for myself, and I hope that other people will like them too," Ness says. "I think every record you make is showing people what you've learned over the past few years. It's showing people, 'This is what I know.'"

Jay-Z & Kanye West 'Watch the Throne' Tour

November 19, 2011  |  7:30 PM  |  $59.50 - $250.00  |  Boardwalk Hall  |  609.348.7000

Due to overwhelming demand Jay-Z and Kanye West add a new tour stop in Atlantic City at Boardwalk Hall on Saturday, November 19th.

Tickets for the show, which is produced by Live Nation and presented by The Borgata, are on sale at the Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, at Ticketmaster.com and LiveNation.com. All fans who purchase their tickets online will receive a digital copy of the album.

 ‘THE THRONE’S’ extraordinary once-in-a-lifetime Roc-A-Fella / Def Jam Recordings / Roc Nation album collaboration, WATCH THE THRONE,  is available now at retailers everywhere.

Both JAY-Z and Kanye West have each appeared as guests on the other's stage, and now they come together for never-before-seen performances not only from their collaboration, WATCH THE THRONE but also songs from their classic catalogue.

Tower of Power with Average White Band

November 19, 2011  |  9:00 PM  |  $35.00, $40.00, $45.00  |  Harrah's Resort  |  609.441.5000

For over 40 years, Tower of Power has been creating their own kind of soul music. Since 1968, Tower of Power has delivered their unique brand of music to their fans, appearing before sold out crowds as they tour the world each year. Tower’s sound can be hard to categorize, but the band's leader and founding member, Emilio Castillo, has labeled their sound as "Urban Soul Music."

Tower's rhythm section lays down a groove like no other band. The band’s horn driven sound is unique, and the way they approach everything, from writing and arranging to mixing and performing, is totally their own. Combine all of that with an outstanding lead vocalist and you have one of the most dynamic groups of musicians to ever hit the stage.

AWB are widely regarded as one of the best soul and funk bands in the history of music. Though perhaps best known for their timeless instrumental mega-hit 'Pick Up the Pieces' the band's strength actually lay in their consistently accomplished song-writing, stretching across several gold selling albums and multi- grammy nominations for the legendary Atlantic Records. Somewhat incongruously, given their Scottish roots, the six piece took the influences of their R&B heroes - people like Marvin Gaye, James Brown, Donny Hathaway and others - and developed their own 'authentic' sound which was eagerly adopted by black audiences in the US and elsewhere.

Whilst a good number of cuts - 'Cut The Cake' and 'Let's Go 'Round Again' to name but two - attracted chart action as hit singles, many other album tracks, like 'Schoolboy Crush' and 'Person to Person' became much sampled and turn-tabled 'rare' grooves. Many more tunes, such as 'Cloudy', 'A Love Of Your Own' and 'Nothing You Can Do' - amongst many others- stand alongside some of the finest soul 'album tracks' ever recorded.

The current line-up of the band - this time with noted US recruits augmenting founding members Alan Gorrie and Onnie McIntyre - continues to record and tour around the world to ongoing critical and audience acclaim. All this and more is perfectly illustrated in the band's recordings and live performances.

Leon Redbone

November 20, 2011  |  2:00 PM  |  $35.00  |  Stockton Performing Arts Center  |   Website

“He’s just amazing. He’s probably the best combination singer guitarist I’ve heard in years. I spent an afternoon with him in a hotel room and Iwas wondering when he was going to become normal. He never did.” — Bonnie Raitt, quoted in Rolling Stone.

Leon Redbone is a master and an enigma. His musical style encompasses such diverse styles as American jazz, blues and pop music, delivered with the dray panache of the Marx Brothers and W.C. Fields -- a master guitarist, dry comedian, and a warm and witty singer who recreates the classic jazz, blues and pop music of the ’20s and ’30s -- remains one of the most mysterious figures in popular music.

$35 General Admission
Seniors - Take $5 Off

For more information call the Stockton Performing Arts Center Box Office at 609.652.9000.

Martin Nievera

November 20, 2011  |  3:00 PM  |  $38.00, $58.00, $78.00 & $98.00  |  Trump Taj Mahal  |   609.449.1000

Crooner Martin Nievera is often called the "Concert King" of the Philippines. The son of Filipino balladeer Bert Nievera, Nievera was born on February 5, 1962, in Manila, Philippines. Nievera spent most of his childhood in Hawaii as his father sang for the group S.O.S. (otherwise known as A Society of Seven). Inspired by his father's talent and success, Nievera returned to the Philippines to pursue his own musical career in 1982. Nievera released his first LP, Martin...Take One, in June 1982; the album went platinum in five months. Nievera also began co-hosting the TV variety show Penthouse Live! with future wife Pops Fernandez, the Philippines' "Concert Queen." Nievera's second LP, 1984's The Best Gift, was also certified platinum. In 1987, Penthouse Live! was changed to Martin and Pops Twogether, reflecting the duo's marriage. Although his cloyingly sentimental music usually lulled rock & roll critics into an early slumber, Nievera's affable on-stage personality had mass appeal, and throughout the '80s and '90s his albums and live performances were fanatically devoured. Nievera's 1997 album Journeys was a hit in Hawaii as well as the Philippines. The track "You Are My Song" earned Nievera Awit and Katha Awards for Best Performance by a Male Recording Artist. Nievera and Fernandez separated a year later. Nievera then recorded Forever to win back his wife. However, the attempt failed; Forever, originally intended to be only heard by Fernandez, was distributed to the public. Forever became the second best-selling album ever in the Philippines; in addition, the album spawned two sequels in 1999, Forever Forever and Return to Forever. Consisting mostly of covers, Forever Forever reflects Nievera's anguish over losing Fernandez while Return to Forever is about his acceptance over their breakup. Both albums went platinum. An international superstar, Nievera has toured the U.S., Canada, Guam, the Middle East, and Singapore. ~ Michael Sutton, All Music Guide

Also appearing will be special guests Mig Ayesa and Anthony Salazar.

Ekin Cheng

November 24, 2011  |  1:00 AM  |  $38.00, $68.00, $88.00, $118.00 & $138.00  |  Trump Taj Mahal  |   609.449.1000

Asian television, film, radio and music superstar Ekin Cheng will be live in concert on November 24 at 1:00AM at the Trump Taj Mahal as part of his "Beautiful Day 2011" Tour. The event is presented by the Golden Rock Entertainment Group in association with Trump Enterrtainment.

Cheng, who is from Hong Kong, is known in the music world for his Cantopop singing. Early in his career he used the name Dior (because that was what it sounded like when his younger sister tried to call him 第二哥) as a first name. He has also been referred to as Noodle Cheng, (鄭伊麵) after a popular noodle product with a similar name. Currently Ekin is the name used.

*Note: a $2.00 facility fee on all tickets $50 and above and $1.00 facility fee on all tickets.

Reel Big Fish with Streetlight Manifesto

November 25, 2011  |  8:00 PM  |  $20.00 - $25.00  |  House of Blues at Showboat Atlantic City  |  609.343.4000

Reel Big Fish was one of the legions of Southern California ska-punk bands to edge into the mainstream following the mid-’90s success of No Doubt and Sublime. Like most of their peers, the band was distinguished by their hyperkinetic stage shows, juvenile humor, ironic covers of new wave pop songs, and metallic shards of ska. The group cultivated an underground following that broke into the mainstream in summer 1997, when their single “Sell Out” became a modern rock radio and MTV favorite. Their appearance in the movie “Baseketball” as the halftime band also gained them more fans and helped the bands popularity to grow. Still fronted by original lead singer and song writer Aaron Barrett, they continue releasing albums and touring relentlessly, playing more and more countries and  bigger venues all over the world.

Reel Big Fish recorded its self-released debut album, “Everything Sucks”, in 1995. “Everything Sucks” became a word-of-mouth underground hit in ska-punk and college circles, which gave the band enough leverage to sign with the indie label Mojo Records. The label’s president, Jay Rifkin, and former Oingo Boingo bassist John Avila co-produced “Turn the Radio Off”, which marked Reel Big Fish’s first album for Mojo. “Turn the Radio Off” was unleashed in August 1996, and over the next year, the group continually toured in support of the album’s release, expanding their fan base all the while. In spring 1997, the single “Sell Out” began receiving heavy airplay from several influential modern rock stations in the U.S., which soon translated into MTV support for the song’s quirky video. By summer, the song had become a moderate modern rock hit, and the album had charted in the Top 100.

In 1998 the song “Take on Me” from the “Baseketball” motion picture soundtrack was released as the promotional single for the movie and once again found the band in regular rotation on rock radio and MTV in the USA.

The Album “Why Do They Rock So Hard” followed a year later, once again enlisting Oingo Boingo Bassist John Avila as producer. The album was not as commercially successful but is still regarded by many fans as the bands finest work. The band filmed a music video for “the Set up (You Need This)”, the only single released from this album.

The guys wound up on Jive Records in fall 2001 when their current label, Mojo, was bought by Jive’s parent label, Zomba. Reel Big Fish’s first release for Jive, a more rock-oriented record entitled “Cheer Up!”, appeared in mid-2002. This album was very successful in Europe with the video for the single “Where Have You Been”  receiving heavy airplay on many music video channels.

The band’s next album, the cynical yet catchy “We’re Not Happy ‘Til You’re Not Happy”, was issued in April 2005. Touring continued for the rest of the year, and Reel Big Fish happily parted ways with Jive in January 2006, having wished to be dropped from the label since the “Cheer Up!” release.

In August 2006, the group self-released a double-disc live CD (along with an accompanying DVD) titled “Our Live Album Is Better Than Your Live Album”. A few months later — and much to the annoyance of the band — Jive issued its own Reel Big Fish album, a best-of compilation entitled “Greatest Hit…and More”. Reel Big Fish received no money from the album’s sales, as Jive Records now owned the rights to the bulk of their songs.  The band has urged fans not to buy this album because it was not approved by them and the sound quality is inferior.

Nevertheless, the band returned with some new material in February 2007, splitting an EP “Duet All Night Long” with their friends in Zolof the Rock & Roll Destroyer. “Monkeys for Nothin’ and the Chimps for Free” followed several months later, marking Reel Big Fish’s first full-length studio release since leaving Jive’s roster, and 2009′s “Fame, Fortune and Fornication” found the band covering songs by the likes of Poison, the Eagles, and Tom Petty.

The band’s latest release is called “A Best of Us for the Rest of Us”. It includes a 22 song disc of re-recorded hits and classic fan favorites as well as a bonus disc of 14 Acoustic or “SKAcoustic” versions.

Reel Big Fish continues to tour non-stop, playing over 250 shows a year to thousands of loyal fans all over the world, gaining more and more underground popularity as the Ska scene continues to flourish.

Freestyle Flashback

November 25, 2011  |  8:00 PM  |  $30.00+  |  Landis Theater  |  856.691.1121

NOEL PAGAN
Noel Pagan, a Cuban-American born New Yorker, hit the ground running with the release of his knockdown dragout smash dance single, "Silent Morning," released in the first half of 1987. We had to wait until September of 1988 for his first album to be released in its entirety. Another hit to come off was "Like A Child," while songs like "Change," and "City Streets," among others, further demonstrated Noel's writing skills and vocal talent.

In 1990, Noel cameo'd on "How Could You Have The Heart," by fellow Freestyle artists Girls Club, as well as releasing the maxisingle "The Question," a collaboration with Tony Moran, which proved to be another powerful megahit for him. One of those songs that as soon as you hear it, you've got no choice but to hit the dance floor. If one puts it together, this 1990 tune could almost be a continuation of the story told in "Silent Morning."

When 1993 rolled around, "The Questionm" was re-released on a project which included several artists, the end result being the album "Concept Of One." However, Noel found his musical heart in a different place at this point, and decided to experiment with "pop-rock. ' The album entitled "Hearts On Fire," continued to showcase his maturing writing ability, and proved further vocal range for the deep-voiced artist. One of the songs was even featured in an episode of "Baywatch." Despite the quality of this album, it wasn't accepted very well by the general public, as many of them couldn't get the "freestyle artist," label out of their head when it came to Noel.

JUDY TORRES
Judy Torres, dubbed the "Queen of Freestyle" was and remains one of the most acclaimed and enduring freestyle music artists of all time, she is also a dance-pop singer who has survived many of his colleagues to grow up in the Bronx and attending an all-girls Catholic high school she was the oldest of five siblings, she scored major club hits with songs like "Please Stay Tonight" "Come Into My Arms" "Love Story" "I love you Will You Love Me" and "No Reason To Cry" a love-themed freestyle classic Her debut album, Love Story was released in 1989 in the profile of Records is a freestyle collection essential Her second album My Soul was released in 1992 and received good to glowing reviews by critics and fans alike the enlbum enjoy such hits as attitudized song "Every Little Lie "astells the story of an unfaithful man who instead of being close relationship amicablely decides to lead her on when she confronts him about it as the only "I love you for All Seasons" became another favorite.

Her music lives on in clubs throughout the country and she still performs frequently at present, she has a Sunday-evening Freestyle show at New York's most popular radio station WKTU in 1035, it is one of the radio stations highest rated and most respected shows.

In 2001, Judy has reached a huge club hit with sentimental Love Song "Back In Your Arms Again ", it reached # 7 on the Hot Dance Music / Club Play chart her highest placed on the singles chart but it was also an excellent remix version of the popular compilation series White Party 2004, she gave ut his debut single on the hugely successful label Robbins Entertainment on "The Air I Breathe" featuring Freestyle artist Collage "The Air I Breathe" is a Hi-NRG song produced by the famous A - List of producer Tony Moran, the only proformed modest in lists to make Top 40 of the Hot Dance Music / Club Play At the end of 2005, Judy released the single "faithfully" The song immediately began to receive heavy airplay on dance stations across the nation The song is a cover of a 1983 version of the group Journey single soon reached # 1 as one of the most requested songs on WKTU it reached # 1 on the station's Top 8 kl 8:00 show for more than 5 weeks in whole other rhythmic / Dance format radio stations in the U.S. soon be popular singles from New York to their playlists CD Singles to 'faithfully "reached 8 on the Hot Dance Singles Sales Chart.

The Landis Theater is located at 830 East Landis Avenue in Vineland.

Jill Scott

November 25, 2012  |  9:00 PM  |  $60.00, $70.00, $85.00  |  Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa  |  609.317.1000

The question - Who Is Jill Scott? - has been posed. Take your time: The significance of the answer is considerable.

After all, what do you make of a Philadelphia-born woman whose mother, upon placing first eyes on her daughter, envisioned an exclamation point behind her chosen name, thus: Jill! What do you make of a woman who years ago recognized and named her altar ego Ami, without knowing it was I Am spelled backwards? A decisive woman who respects talent but favors soul. What we do know of Jill Scott is that she carries her spine straight; confidence, high; spirit, risen and pure. Simply, Jill Scott-not to be confused with Gil Scott (Heron)-is lifted.

Ah, but this answers more what than Who Is Jill Scott? It is an honestly erotic and animatedly sweet album, enigmatic unto the question itself. Speaking in the tongues of both poetry and song, Jill Scott's timbre is refreshingly controlled yet exploring, restless and free! Her articulation is clear and patient, toying with space and time. Featuring production talents DJ Jazzy Jeff, James Poyser and A Touch of Jazz Productions, as well as the writing of hers truly, Who Is Jill Scott? seeks to establish a multifaceted artist with real, feeling stories to tell-not just words on paper. Jill clarifies: "These words have soul, conviction and woman behind them."

Because she can, Jill is releasing two singles: blessing the streets with "Love Rain," featuring standout rapper Mos Def; while radio receives the real Philadelphia soul single "Gettin' In The Way." Jill describes the latter as a mature woman's point of view when it comes to telling another woman to let her man go. "You know, like, look, please don't make me cut you," Jill pleads low. "I am praying here."

There is a subtle beauty to Who Is Jill Scott? -Especially when she acts out her stories. "A Long Walk" tells how Jill and her fiancee Lyzel fell in love. It's a slow, effortless swing, and one of Jill's most range-revealing tracks. But it's on the interlude, "I Think It's Better," that Jill deals with the difficult, trying to tell a seasonal lover that she's found her lifetime lover: "It's so hard for me to say this/I'm strugglin' to find the right words/that I fell is past tense/What I felt, you just haven't heard..."

Though comparisons ranging from Betty Carter to Erykah Badu are inevitable-and flattering-they may at times result from lazy listening. "Comparisons? I laugh at them," Jill Scott says, and does-a light, free laugh. "A really important part of my work is that everybody have their own power. We don't follow like sheep. Every child has their own." (Ami rising.)

Jill Scott was raised and lives in north Philadelphia, the big city that feels like a town. She remembers her grandmother "taking a bath at five o'clock every morning, and you would hear this real back-porch hum? From some deep, throaty place, Jill recollects: "Mmmm-hmmm. HmmMMM"-the sound of cross-armed deacons and Mahalia Jackson. "We would gather at the door and listen," Jill continues. "My mother would cry."

While Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince rocked Central High School parties and The Roots were street performers, Jill was reading poetry at a local art spot, October Gallery. The crowds were growing and Jill was starting to hear things. "Sounds," she says. "Sounds in the words. Eventually some parts would be spoken, some sung."

Roots drummer Amir caught Jill's performance and told producer Scott Storch. The band invited Jill into the studio one night; she came and wrote in five minutes what would be the lyrics to "You Got Me." Amir called Jill the next day to say the song would be The Roots' first single. Sung by Erykah Badu, the track went on to garner The Roots a 1999 Grammy award for Best Rap Performance (Duo or Group).

Since then, Jill Scott has toured with the Canadian cast of Rent. She's collaborated with The Roots, Eric Benet (on a remix of his song "When You Think Of Me"), Will Smith ("The Rain" from Willennium) and Common (on his album Like Water for Chocolate and the single "8 Minutes to Sunrise" from the Wild, Wild West soundtrack). In conjunction with Eastman Kodak, Jill sent junior high school students nationwide out on a simple, profound mission: Take pictures of what it is to try. (The students were inspired by the lyrics of her song with the same title).

As for the answer to the question, Who Is Jill Scott?, well, ask Jill. "I don't know how to call it. I can't really put me in any parameters," she says. "I didn't want to be in anybody's box. My hair's not permed, I'm not skinny, I ain't got a big ass?What we gone do with her?'"

"Well," she says with bright, discerning eyes, "we can do this, this, this, this, this, this and this. How you like that?"

Celtic Thunder

November 25, 2011  |  9:00 PM  |  $35.00, $70.00  |  Harrah's Resort  |  609.441.5000

Get ready for all the fun, excitement and entertainment of Celtic Thunder LIVE, coming this Fall! Celtic Thunder is hitting the road again and embarking on a North American Tour, beginning September 8, 2011. Be sure to clear your schedule for the concert event of the year, and secure your tickets to their stop in Atlantic City on Friday, November 25 at Harrah's Resort!

The Fall Tour theme will consist of "Heritage" & "Christmas", with different Staging. The songs will consist of Fan Favorites from each release, as well as some Newly Recorded Tracks for "Heritage" and "Christmas". A "Heritage" only show will be performed up until Thanksgiving, then the show will have "Heritage" in ACT I with the "Heritage" Staging , and "Christmas" in ACT II, with the "Christmas" Staging.

CELTIC THUNDER, a show created and produced by Sharon Browne, made its debut in the U.S. with a public television special airing on local stations nationwide in March 2008. Filmed in the Helix in Dublin last August, the show features five male vocalists (Damian McGinty, Keith Harkin, Ryan Kelly, Paul Byrom, and George Donaldson) performing an eclectic mix of songs, ranging from the traditional “Mountains of Mourne” and “Come By the Hills” to international hits such as “Brothers in Arms” and “Desperado,” as well as original compositions by CELTIC THUNDER’s musical director and composer Phil Coulter and one track Lauren & I penned by Keith himself. The ensemble songs reflect the power of the soloists, who range in age from 14 to 40 and share a common Celtic heritage.

Since the group's formation, Celtic Thunder has released six albums: Celtic Thunder, Act Two, Take Me Home, It's Entertainment, Christmas, Heritage as well as five live performances on DVD entitled Celtic Thunder: The Show , Take Me Home, It's Entertainment!, Christmas, and Heritage. In December 2009, Billboard magazine named Celtic Thunder Top World Album Artist. Their first three albums also placed in the Top 10 for World Albums.

Chris Cornell

November 25 & 26, 2012  |  9:00 PM  |  $51.50  |  Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa  |  609.317.1000

PLEASE NOTE: The November 26 show is sold out.

Chris Cornell is a rock icon who thrives on contradictions. An innovator who resists genre labels, he was nonetheless the chief architect of the 90s grunge movement. Frequently ranked as one of the best voices in music history, he has successfully maintained his own unique identity over more than two decades as a multi-Grammy award winning musician and universally acclaimed singer, songwriter and lyricist.

Seattle trailblazers Soundgarden were a law to themselves, edgy, dark and deeply individual. Their savage soundscapes, coupled with Cornell’s incisive lyrics and predatory roar, seduced audiences hungry for musical depth and complexity while leading trends in street fashion and iconic design. In 1989, they became the first Seattle band to sign to a major label. Their sound continued to change and evolve over the course of five pioneering albums.

Celebrated side project Temple of the Dog had already shown Cornell’s more soulful side and introduced future Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder to the world. Later, Cornell shocked the business once again with richly melodic, critically acclaimed solo album “Euphoria Morning”, swiftly recognized for its alienation and despair. And as the millennium turned, he joined with three other musical pioneers from rap-rock’s Rage Against The Machine to create Audioslave - a multi-platinum supergroup which lived to deny its detractors, producing three top-selling albums, touring the world and becoming the first American band to bring rock to Castro’s Cuba.

Since then, Cornell has redefined his sound and vision to encompass new music, new collaborations and new activities. Having contributed solo songs to movie soundtracks from “Great Expectations” to “Mission Impossible II”, he became the first American male singer to write the theme song for the James Bond franchise in “Casino Royale.” His bold and bluesy reinvention of Michael Jackson dance classic “Billie Jean” courted controversy and attracted imitators. And his triumphant world tour brought together songs from every stage of his career, reinterpreting them for new audiences and blending their original fire with the shock of the new. Cornell fronted fashion designer John Varvatos’s Spring 2006 collection, helped revive a historic Parisian restaurant/nightclub, the stylish Black Calavados, and forged the first-ever multimedia partnership between an artist and a commercial airline, Virgin America.

2008 culminated in an appearance at the Kennedy Center Honors Gala in Washington DC in front of the President. Cornell paid tribute to Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of the Who with a triumphant performance of their classic "Won't Get Fooled Again", which, according to the Washington Times, "brought down the house." 2009 saw the release of his latest solo album "Scream" while Chris continued to tour worldwide, co-headlining a European tour with Lenny Kravitz and playing his first-ever live solo show in Israel.

Only the most confident would claim to predict exactly what comes next for Chris Cornell. Always eclectic, always experimental, his collaboration "Scream" with super-producer Timbaland – who called the album “the best work I’ve done in my career” – took him into fresh territory, establishing a new sound and marking the creation of a masterpiece that breaks all musical boundaries. More recently, Cornell's studio collaborations with artists as diverse as Slash, Santana and Italian nu-jazz outfit Gabin have stood alongside intimate live shows showcasing songs from throughout his career.

In August 2010, Soundgarden made a historic return to the live stage as headliners for Chicago's Lollapalooza festival, and have released retrospective album "Telephantasm" and "Live on I5", taken from recordings of their 1996 US tour. In Spring 2011 Cornell embarked on a sold-out solo acoustic US ‘Songbook’ tour, followed by an acclaimed North American tour with Soundgarden in the summer.

Chris’s latest work is “The Keeper”, an original song written for the Marc Forster directed film Machine Gun Preacher, to be released by Relativity in September 2011. The song will also be the lead track on the film’s soundtrack album.

Only one thing’s for sure – Chris Cornell will continue to break rules, make history and challenge everyone’s expectations.

Paul Simon

November 26, 2011  |  8:00 PM  |  $49.00 & $76.00  |  Trump Taj Mahal  |   609.449.1000

During his distinguished career Paul Simon has been the recipient of many honors and awards including 12 Grammy Awards, three of which ("Bridge Over Troubled Water", "Still Crazy After All These Years" and "Graceland") were albums of the year. In 2003 he was given a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for his work as half of the duo Simon and Garfunkel. He is a member of The Songwriters Hall of Fame, a recipient of their Johnny Mercer Award and is in the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Simon and Garfunkel and as a solo artist. His song "Mrs. Robinson" from the motion picture "The Graduate" was named in the top ten of The American Film Institute's 100 Years 100 Songs. He was a recipient of The Kennedy Center Honors in 2002 and was named as one of Time Magazine's "100 People Who Shape Our World" in 2006. In 2007, Mr. Simon was awarded the first annual Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. Named in honor of the legendary George and Ira Gershwin, this newly created award recognizes the profound and positive effect of popular music on the world’s culture, and is given annually to a composer or performer whose lifetime contributions exemplify the standard of excellence associated with the Gershwin’s.

Of Mr. Simon's many concert appearances he is most fond of the two concerts in Central Park in New York (with his partner and childhood friend Art Garfunkel in 1981 and as a solo artist in 1991) and the series of shows he did at the invitation of Nelson Mandela in South Africa: the first American artist to perform in post-apartheid South Africa. In 1998, his performance on center field at Yankee Stadium celebrating the unveiling of Joe DiMaggio’s monument is a treasured memory for this lifelong Yankee’s fan.

Paul Simon's philanthropic work includes the co-founding of The Children's Health Fund with Dr. Irwin Redlener. The CHF donates and staffs mobile medical vans that bring health care to poor and indigent children in urban and rural locations around the United States. Since it’s inception in 1986 it has provided over 2 million doctor/patient visits. In the wake of Hurricanes Andrew and Katrina it was the primary health care source for those communities decimated by the storms. Mr. Simon has also raised millions of dollars for worthy causes as varied as AMFAR, The Nature Conservancy, The Fund for Imprisoned Children in South Africa and Autism Speaks and The Joe Torre Safe At Home Foundation.

Brand New

November 26, 2011  |  9:00 PM  |  $28.50  |  House of Blues at Showboat Atlantic City  |  609.343.4000

Although the members of Brand New cut their teeth in various hardcore bands, the group took a more melodic approach to its own work, embracing punk-pop on the debut album Your Favorite Weapon and incorporating aspects of indie rock during future projects. Formed in Long Island, NY, the band took shape in 2000 around the talents of drummer Brian Lane, vocalist/guitarist Jesse Lacey, bassist Garrett Tierney, and guitarist Vin Accardi. Brand New wasted little time attracting local attention with a self-released demo, and shows alongside Midtown and Glassjaw helped spread the band's buzz outside of New York. In 2001, the musicians issued their first record, Your Favorite Weapon, which featured production from friend Mike Sapone. Lacey's clever and cutting lyrics sprinkled the album, which produced the semi-hit "Jude Law and a Semester Abroad," and more touring with the likes of Taking Back Sunday and Finch followed.

Proving to be more than just another punk-pop outfit, the group made something of a stylistic leap with Deja Entendu, a decidedly matured follow-up that was recorded with Steve Haigler (Pixies, Blake Babies) and released in summer 2003 to warm reviews. Music videos for "The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows" and "Sic Transit Gloria...Glory Fades" found significant airplay on MTV, and Brand New graduated to larger venues by playing with New Found Glory, Good Charlotte, Dashboard Confessional, and blink-182. By that fall, as the band's underground following continued growing into a mainstream audience, Brand New inked a deal with Dreamworks, which later led to a partnership with Interscope following the former label's buyout.

Touring eventually slowed to a halt as Brand New holed themselves up to work on their third album and major-label debut. After an extended quiet spell - little to no interviews or updates came from the band's camp for quite some time - Brand New finally emerged in summer 2006 for several headlining dates in America, their first nationwide tour in three years. The highly anticipated The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me appeared in November 2006. Though significantly darker and less immediate than past efforts, the album was commended for its depth and maturity, and the band supported it with a sold-out spring 2007 tour. Meanwhile, sales for Deja Entendu continued to trickle in, and the album went gold that May. Brand New set to work on another album one year later, once again working with producer Mike Sapone on the new material. The resulting record, Daisy, was issued in 2009, and the band took a different approach by focusing nearly all of its promotional abilities on European audiences instead of American fans.

Page 1 of 3     1 2 3 »