Quick Hits: American Music Awards, Dave Matthews Band, Trent Reznor, Mariah Carey, The Killers
November 14, 2012
Stevie Wonder is set to perform a tribute to Dick Clark at the 40th Anniversary American Music Awards on Sunday. Wonder will take the stage in honor of the late TV and radio personality, who created the American Music Awards in 1973. Wonder joins a performance lineup that already includes Justin Bieber, Nicki Minaj, Taylor Swift, Linkin Park, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Ke$ha, Psy and Carly Rae Jepsen. The awards will be broadcast live on ABC on November 18 at 8 p.m. EST.
Dave Matthews Band is helping the victims of Hurricane Sandy by turning their tour-opening concert in New Jersey into a benefit show, pledging $1 million to regional recovery efforts. According to a statement, all proceeds from the November 30 show at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, NJ will be donated to Bama Works Sandy Relief Fund, including ticket sales and merchandise.
How To Destroy Angels
Trent Reznor did an "Ask Me Anything" session on Reddit on Tuesday in which he said he'll be guesting on the new Queens of the Stone Age album. When asked what projects he is working on currently, Reznor responded: "A number of things. Tweaking some things for the How To Destroy Angels full LP (coming in Spring), helping Josh [Homme] out on a new QOTSA track, working with [NIN tour producer] Roy [Bennett], starting rehearsals for two bands." When asked if some of those rehearsals could be for NIN, Reznor added, "I spend a lot of time and energy thinking about how music is presented live. Lights in the Sky was probably my favorite live show I've worked on so far. This was a real collaboration between myself, Rob, Roy Bennett, and Moment Factory. We set out to make an experience and I really felt proud to put that on every night. Cryptic additional comment: 2013."
Mariah Carey is set to perform as part of the famous Christmas Tree-lighting event in New York City. The pre-taping will be held at Rockefeller Center in New York on Tuesday, November 27 at 8 p.m.
The Killers had to cut short a concert in Manchester, U.K. on Tuesday night after four songs when it became clear that frontman Brandon Flowers wasn't really able to sing. "I'm sorry I've never had to do this before but we've gotta stop. I can't sing," he told the sold-out Manchester Arena. "I don't know what else to tell you. I'm sorry. It's frustrating for me, I'm sorry. I promise that we will come back." A spokesperson for the arena told the Manchester Evening News that Flowers was suffering from a sore throat, and the band also canceled tonight's show at the same venue. However, according to NME, the band's shows at London's O2 Arena on Friday and Saturday night are scheduled to go ahead as planned.