Now that she’s had to time regroup after abruptly cancelling previous arena-sized tour plans that were much too ambitious, Kelly Clarkson will launch a scaled-down nationwide outing on Oct. 14. The trek, in support of her more rock-heavy album My December, will make two SoCal stops - Nov. 16 at the San Diego Civic Auditorium and Nov. 18 at Gibson Amphitheatre at Universal CityWalk - before wrapping up Dec. 3 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. Stay tuned for on-sale information.
Aretha Franklin, whose last local performance was three years ago at the Greek, has been added to the new Nokia Theatre L.A. Live lineup. The Queen of Soul will appear there on Valentine’s Day. Tickets, $59.50-$89.50, go on sale at 10 a.m. Monday.
PJ Harvey - who will issue White Chalk, her first album in three years, on Sept. 25 - will play Oct. 15 at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Los Angeles. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday (Sept. 7. Also at the Orpheum: the John Butler Trio with buzzed-about singer-songwriter Brett Dennen, Dec. 1, on sale at noon Saturday.
The JBT and Dennen also will play Nov. 29 at the Grove of Anaheim, $20, on sale at the same time Saturday. But the venue has an even better double-header coming up: Rooney with the Polyphonic Spree, Oct. 30, $25, on sale Friday. Also headed to the hall: Say Anything with O.C.’s own Hellogoodbye, Nov. 21, $21, on sale Thursday.
Fresh from its stint on the Family Values Tour, which ended its run Sunday night in Irvine (read review here), Evanescence will embark on its own headlining run, stopping Nov. 10 at the Greek Theatre. Sick Puppies will open. Tickets, $44.50, go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday.
House of Blues in Anaheim has added some new gigs: Reggae-tinged outfit Pepper will play two nights, Nov. 29-30, with the Expendables and Whitestarr opening, $20, on sale Friday; and Jimmy Eat World stops by Oct. 18, $20, on sale now.
Finally, the Pogues have acquired an excellent opening act - Ted Leo + Pharmacists - for their coming tour, which stops Oct. 26 at 4th & B in San Diego, Oct. 28 at the Mouse House and Oct. 31-Nov. 1 at the Wiltern. Tickets are on sale.
… Ben
