Amidst an ongoing “World Magnetic Tour,” Metallica played back-to-back nights to sold out crowds at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

For nearly twenty years fans were left scratching their heads – their once beloved thrash-metal pioneers were going soft, or so it seemed. Fast-forward a decade to the release of “Some Kind of Monster,” internal conflict and clashing artistic visions threatened to separate one of musics all-time largest acts once and for all.
Just when things were looking irreparable and utterly bleak, redemption came in the shape of a roughly 5 in. x 5 in. case: Death Magnetic was released to a combination of critical acclaim and a resounding sigh of relief from one enormous fan base. Following the release of the album, Metallica went on an extensive tour that began in early 2008 and will go well into 2010, stopping to play New York’s famous Madison Square Garden two nights in a row to sold out crowds.
Opening Acts
All the way from Copenhagen, Denmark, Volbeat joined Metallica on tour to play a fusion of rockabilly, hard-rock, and heavy metal. Next up were Lamb of God, the face of a new wave of heavy metal that came with the early 90’s. Both bands sounded great, and were a good fit for the many different types of music Metallica have experimented with throughout their career.
Metallica Fights Fire with Pyrotechnics
If you have ever been to a Metallica show, you know the drill by now. Loud music, enormous fires, a dazzling laser show – everything bigger, louder, and faster. The band took the stage to their signature intro, “Ecstasy of Gold” from the 1966 film “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” a tribute to the ethos of the stoic anti-hero portrayed by Clint Eastwood.
Dressed mostly in black, James, Krik, Lars, and Robert took the stage under the cover of dark, meanwhile the palpitating heart intro of Death Magnetic’s opening track “That Was Just Your Life” permeated the arena. Then the guitars came crashing in with laser-like speed and intensity accompanied by an explosive light show. During their fan-favorite “One” band members navigated between enormous explosions of fire that shot up from the stage.
Metallica November 14th Madison Square Garden Setlist
1. That Was Just Your Life
2. The End of the Line
3. For Whom the Bell Tolls
4. Holier Than Thou
5. One
6. Broken, Beat and Scarred
7. Cyanide
8. Sad But True
9. Turn the Page (Bob Seger cover)
10. All Nightmare Long
11. The Day That Never Comes
12. Master of Puppets
13. Fight Fire With Fire
14. Nothing Else Matters
15. Enter Sandman
Encore
1. Helpless (Diamond Head cover)
2. Whiplash
3. Seek and Destroy
Madison Square Garden Review
The band sounded fantastic, and they always put on an energetic and lengthy show. During their final track enormous black beach balls with the words “Metallica Death Magnetic” printed on them are released into the audience, giving the moment a true rock show feeling.
However, for fans who have seen the band before there has been very little variation between setlists and antics during this tour. Kirk and Trujilo did interlude solos at the same moments, Hetfield said nearly all the same things. The set list for this particular show was even a little weaker than others; the band neglected many of the fan-favorites like “Fade to Black,” “Creeping Death,” and “Battery.”
The highlight of the night was the often unsung gem from their second album, “Fight Fire With Fire” which had Hetfield barking like it was 1984 again. Otherwise, Metallica puts on one of the biggest and most professional and competent live shows out there.

Finding a well-made, quality instrument for a new band student can be intimidating for parents, but it doesn’t have to be. With a few tips, it can become simple.

For most parents, starting a child in a school band program can be a confusing time. Parents are exposed to a whole new world of instrument and musical terms that many times are totally unfamiliar. Parents want the best for their child, but don’t want to pay a huge amount of money for an instrument in case their child doesn’t stay with the band program.
There are ways to buy good instruments at reasonable prices. With a few tips, unmusical parents can buy a quality instrument for a good price.
Become Familiar with Good Brands
Before shopping, look up some well-known local or online music instrument stores to become familiar with good brands. Woodwind Brasswind and Musician’s Friend are both very large and respected instrument stores that sell student models.
Most stores will have a section for the student model of the instrument that the child needs. Write down those brands and model numbers to become a more informed consumer.
Look Locally…
After looking around and writing down recognizable brands and models, start looking locally and online. Check area music stores for used instruments first. Most music stores will only stock well-made working instruments, so they are pretty free of junk instruments. Craigslist also can have some quality used instruments, but be cautious, because some people will be trying to get rid of off-brand copies.

…Then Try Online Musical Instrument Stores
If searching locally isn’t working, try looking online. There are some better deals online, but the shipping costs can sometimes negate those savings. Make sure to add everything up before clicking “buy.”
There are many more scams online on large-scale second-hand sales sites like ebay. Make sure to come armed with that list of what is good so that it’s easier to sift through the junk. Don’t be tempted by the other brands. If an unfamiliar instrument breaks, repair services usually can’t fix them because the parts aren’t available. Also, many of these off-brands brass instruments are made from sub-standard metals that can warp soon after purchase.
While shopping online look for these warning signs:
· No brand name on the instrument description
· Bids starting at 99 cents or an unusually low price
· Sellers based in India or China marketing almost exclusively to Americans
Check with Someone Before Buying
The school band director has seen it all when it comes to instrument purchasing mistakes. Before buying an instrument, check with him or her. Most band directors will be happy to help a parent approve an instrument. However, band directors do have many students, so don’t expect him or her to help with shopping.
Selecting a band instrument for a beginner can seem like a big, confusing task. With a few tips and some common sense, it can be easy and rewarding to start a child off on a new music-learning experience.

Duke Ellington is considered to be one of the greatest figures in the history of American music. Edward Kennedy ‘Duke’ Ellington was born in Washington D.C. on April 29, 1899.
His parents were James Edward and Daisy Kennedy Ellington. They raised Duke as an only child, until his sister, Ruth, was born when Duke was sixteen years old.
Duke, even as a teenager had a great talent for music. In the beginning of his musical life, Duke began to take a promising interest in a new type of music that would later be called jazz. Choosing to base his career on a new idea may not have been smart, but Duke did take this chance and in turn became one of the most famous musicians in America.
Duke’s first job was at a government office. He was a clerk who received the minimum wage and was barely getting by. He would arrange dance bands for weddings and parties for extra money. His mother taught him how to play the piano. Sometimes he put this knowledge to use and played at a few of the dance parties and weddings.
After Duke’s first job, he became more interested in painting and the arts. For a few years he painted public posters. Duke then decided to put together his own band. At this point in his life things started to change for the better for Duke, but not for long. In those days, this new music was just beginning to develop and would later be given the name of jazz. In that time it was considered to be low and vulgar because it was music that grew directly out of the Black culture. In those early years, segregation was at one of its all time worst points in history. I think that is why Duke Ellington was one of the most important individuals to the growth and development of jazz.
During Duke’s long career, the new music slowly spread out of bars and saloons, to dance and night clubs and then eventually onto the concert stage.
In time, jazz became a universally recognized form of art and has been said that it is the only real form that has originated from the American soul.
By the 1960’s Duke traveled the globe so many times that he became known as the unofficial ambassador to the United States. Duke’s band had played in Russia, Japan, Latin America, the Far East, the Middle East, and Africa.
Duke, himself, was an elegant man. When the white people looked down on the black man and his music, Duke managed to bring dignity to every one of his performances. Once, the jazz historian Leonard Feather described Duke as, ‘an inch over six feet tall, sturdily built, he had an innate grandeur that would have enabled him to step with unquenched dignity out of a mud puddle.’
Duke’s private life was something of an enigma. Although he had many friends he never really told them everything about himself. He would often guard his privacy probably because he had so little of it. When he was alone though, he would almost always be arranging the next tune for the band to play, and was always thinking or preparing something for the band to do in the next performance.
Duke attracted some of the greatest musicians to join his band. Because of this it has been said that many of Duke’s pieces are almost impossible to exactly duplicate without the personal style of the original musicians. One of the strange things that was known about Duke was that his school music teacher, Mrs. Clinkscales, who played the piano, was always the inspiration for him to just sit down and start tinkering around with a few notes that usually became big hits.
In his band the two, probably most famous musicians were the trumpeter Whetsol and the saxophonist Hodges. As the band became more and more popular, saxophonist Hodges became the highest paid performer in the United States.
The 1920’s became known as ‘the Jazz Age’ because jazz had hit its first great burst of popularity. At that time Duke then added a young drummer named Sonny Greer. A few years after Greer was hired, Duke’s band hit a very rough spot. They were often stuck in the street with no money and nowhere to go. Duke and his band often were stuck doing crude recordings just for a few dollars to buy a meal.
In the autumn of 1927, luck had crossed paths with Duke again. The manager of Duke’s band, Irving Mills, had heard that the prestigious cotton club was looking for a new band and immediately Irving began campaigning for Duke. Duke and his band opened on December 4, 1927 to meet a mad rush of spectators who eagerly awaited to hear Dukes newest pieces. Duke’s band became very prosperous and they had their own spot on the Cotton Club floor with special lighting and accommodations.
At the year of 1928 the band consisted of Bubber Miley, Freddy Jenkins, and Arthur Whetsol on trumpet, joined with Tricky Sam Nanton, and Juan Tizol on trombone. Johnny Hodges, now on alto sax, with Barney Bigard doubled on tenor sax and clarinet, and finally Harry Carney at seventeen years old joined on bari sax. Carney was known as one of the first people in a band ever to use the bari sax as a solo instrument.
While Duke’s band was performing at the Cotton Club, his band participated in more than sixty-four recording sessions.
In 1931 Duke grew so tired of the show-business routines that he decided to try his luck again on his own. When he arrived in New York his band grew to almost three times what it originally had been at the Cotton Club. Duke feared that this would become a very serious problem considering how the stock market crashed in late 1929 and millions of people across the United States were out of work.
Somehow, though, most of the entertainment business survived the economic hardships. Ellington’s band had appeared on Broadway and had even gone to Hollywood to make a movie. Duke’s band was having a hard time performing in the south because of the segregation laws not allowing blacks to eat in white restaurants or finding accommodations that would allow blacks and whites to stay together in a half-decent room.
In 1932 Duke added a trombonist named Lawrence Brown. In the same year, most of the other big bands were adding vocalists to their ensemble and thus Duke felt pressured to do so too. Duke then hired a woman named Ivie Anderson and quickly proved that he had done the right thing.
Then in 1933 his band got a chance to play in Europe. At first Duke was very skeptical of how his music would be reacted to just because jazz had its roots in America and the Europeans had a very contrasting style of music. The band managed to talk Duke into believing the idea was a good one. The band’s first stop was England. The band was amazed at how well informed they were about their entire past. Even the Prince of Wales came to hear the band play. At the time the prince was an amateur drummer and Sonny Greer Showed the prince how to work the drum set and they played together and in the end were calling each other ‘Sonny’ and ‘The Wale’. All the concerts held in England were sellouts. The band then moved on to Scotland, and then Paris, France where their music was greeted with open arms.
When Duke’s band returned to America the band really began feeling the hardship and sorrow of traveling on the road, being separated from loved ones. Also, many of the band members, including Duke, began developing drinking problems and started making some of the musicians lives miserable. What made things worse was the fact that Duke’s mother, Daisy, died in May of 1935 that set Duke into a deep depression and he used to sit and stare into space while he talked to himself. Fortunately though, those long pep-talks with himself seem to snap Duke out of his depression.
But despite everything the band survived and in 1946 a saxophonist/clarinetist named Russell Procope joined the band and brought everyone up to a new point of view about traveling on the road. Around the time that Procope joined the band Duke invented a new song called ‘Reminiscing in Tempo’ and was not looked upon favorably by critics but it did seem to sum everything up that was written by Ellington from 1931 to 1939 in a combination of gladness, sadness, triumph, and tragedy. But then Duke’s friend Arthur Whetsol became and had to leave the band.
Then the future of the band seemed uncertain as the depression continued and millions of people were still out of work. Until around 1935 when the ‘Swing Era’ hit the U.S. Irving Mills had then formed his own record company in 1936 that boomed with popularity as the demand for big bands playing this new swing music was in intense demand.
Later on Duke hired a lyrical writer named Billy Strayhorn that led a premature death in 1967. But when Strayhorn was with the band he wrote many compositions that often went into the band’s book of music. Then in 1942 Duke hired one of the best tenor saxophonists ever and let him play the first tenor sax solo ever arranged by Duke Ellington.
In 1951 Saxophonist Johnny Hodges, trombonist Lawrence Brown, and Sonny Greer left the band together and formed their own band but then in 1955 Sonny Greer returned to the band and stayed with Duke until his death in 1970. And then by the 1950’s the Ellington band was carrying on almost alone.
By 1972 the times and styles of the world no longer fit the old time style of Duke’s band. The band was not known like it used to be and that could be the point in time I suppose you could say that the band broke up.
Duke Ellington’s career spanned the whole history of the birth of the music called jazz. And nowhere in that glorious history is there a man who had more love for music, more respect for his art, than the man they called the Duke.

David Kunstek writes for Http://www.ShotGlassShelf.com – Display Cases for the Shot Glass Collector, and Http://www.Secret-Deals.com – Every day discounts on Brand Name Merchandise

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About the Author
David Kunstek writes for Http://www.ShotGlassShelf.com – Display Cases for the Shot Glass Collector, and Http://www.Secret-Deals.com – Every day discounts on Brand Name Merchandise

“There was never a tour booked this summer!” says Billy Joel, responding to Internet claims that he pulled the plug on a summer tour with Elton John. He continues, “Obviously, this has the smell of a really juicy story: ‘Why did they cancel? Did Billy and Elton have a fight? What’s going on?’ The truth is, there’s nothing going on. I had made up my mind a long time ago that I wasn’t going to work this year.”
Though the duo are currently performing together on their recurring Face to Face tour, these shows — which swept up the West Coast, and continue until March 11th in Buffalo — are make-up shows, rescheduled from canceled 2009 dates. Joel insists that rumors about 2010 summer tour were leaked by insiders at certain venues around the country. He explains, “There were a couple stories that came out that we were supposed to play Wrigley Field and Fenway Park, and I think Pittsburgh was mentioned. Booking agents hold real estate. They like to research what’s available when, to see if they can put together a series of dates. Then they’ll come back to the artist and say, ‘Look, if you wanted to, you could play such and such and such.’ These rumors probably came from somebody at one of those venues who had to be a big shot and call the local newspaper and say, ‘Hey, Billy and Elton are going to play here this summer.’ ”
Elton John even perpetuated the story himself. In a recent interview, he was quoted saying, “Billy just wants to take a year off. I’m so disappointed because when we came to Wrigley Field last year, it was like playing in the church of baseball.” Joel responds, “Elton and I don’t really sit down and discuss our future plans with each other. We see each other backstage and we hang out and kibitz and talk about music and life. When Elton did that interview, he’d just found out from his booking agent that I wasn’t going to be working this summer, and therefore Elton’s quote puts a spin on it that I’d changed my mind all of a sudden, or suddenly decided to cancel the tour, which is nonsense. There was never a tour booked!”
Before their February 22nd show in Denver, Joel approached John about his comments to the press. “When I saw him backstage, I said, ‘Elton, what were you told about this supposed summer tour?’ He goes, ‘Well, I just found out you weren’t going to be working this year, and I was heartbroken because I was looking forward to doing it.’ ” In his statement to the press, John also seemed to convey that their hugely successful Face to Face tour — which has brought in big crowds since 2004 — would be ending for good in Albany. “We’ll probably pick it up again,” says Joel. “It’s always fun playing with him.” He insists there is no bad blood. In Denver, their conversation ended thusly: “Elton said, ‘Are you mad at me?’ I said, ‘No, I’m not mad, I just want to clarify what’s going on here.’ Everything’s fine.”
Joel says the thought of retirement looms in his mind, but he’s always drawn back to the stage. “I see pictures of myself onstage, and I look at them and say, ‘There has to be some kind of mandatory retirement age for doing this gig,’ and then I watched the Super Bowl and saw the Who and I figure, ‘Well, I guess there is no mandatory retirement age.’ ‘I hope I die before I get old,’ — that went out the window. It’s always possible that I’ll tour again, whether it’s with Elton or on my own. I love my job. For now I’m going to stop, but I won’t sit around for the rest of my life and rot.”
Joel claims last year was a rough one. “There was an incident with my daughter that was very shocking,” he says of daughter Alexa’s suicide attempt. “I got divorced. I worked a lot. I promised myself more personal time this year. I’m going to Italy, and I’ll probably go to Paris. I’ll probably take my boat to New England and hang out on the coast. I’ll ride my motorcycle. I’ll just be a bum.”