Pearl Jam, Boston cancel North Carolina concerts over new LGBT law

RALEIGH, N.C. — Two rock bands have become the latest to cancel concerts in North Carolina because of the state’s new law on LGBT rights.

In a statement issued Monday on the band’s website, Pearl Jam called the law “a despicable piece of legislation that encourages discrimination against an entire group of American citizens.”

The statement says the band has communicated with local groups and will give them money to oppose the law.

Pearl Jam was scheduled to perform April 20 at PNC Arena in Raleigh.

Earlier Monday, the rock group Boston also announced plans to cancel concerts because of North Carolina’s new law regarding the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

Guitarist Tom Scholz announced the group’s decision on its Facebook page. Concerts were scheduled for Charlotte, Greensboro and Raleigh early next month. TVJ

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Plan to Tax Coachella Suspended

The Indio City councilman who proposed a ticket tax on the Coachella festival relented yesterday after threats of relocation, reports NBC Los Angeles. Council member Sam Torres had suggested a 5-10 percent admission tax on the festival, which was met with severe opposition from Goldenvoice, the concert promoters behind Coachella. Paul Tollett, president of Goldenvoice, threatened to cancel the 2014 festival and move the event away from the city in 2015.

Tollett claims the tax would cost Goldenvoice $4 to $6 million, with Coachella grossing $47 million this year, while a city press release called the company a "major regional employer" that has brought "millions of dollars of revenue to support the local community." Indio Mayor Glenn Miller, who previously opposed Torres' proposal, affirmed his commitment to keeping Coachella in Indio. Coachella began in Indio in 1999 and attracted over 158,000 attendees this year.

source: rollingstone.com

Google Brings the Noise: Adds Upcoming Concerts to Search Results

Google’s never ending quest to sort and categorize everything on the planet continues as the search engine will now inform you of upcoming concerts in the area. The venerable search engine already brings you movie showings, tell you the weather, perform calculations, and even give you currency exchange rates. Pretty soon it’s going to be faster to just say what Google’s can’t do.

Finding concerts on Google is excrutiatingly easy. Simply type the name of a band into Google, and nearby concert dates will appear below the official website of the band. According to Google’s blog post, the results come from various sources including the official website of the band. It’s also pretty smart about the search results, returning only upcoming shows that are near to your current location. So if you don’t see any results for your favorite band, it probably just means they’re not coming close anytime soon. The results will also include links to where you can buy tickets, if online purchase options are available.


source: http://www.geekosystem.com/google-concert-search/