Overnight Sensation …

You gotta love our writers. They show up, write, go home and they rarely ask for a pay check. All they ask is that you read the following two items scheduled to post within the next 16 hours. Well, that and maybe a meal or two.

Rollins Starts The Countdown – Singer/songwriter and outspoken political critic Henry Rollins will celebrate the impending changing of the guard in Washington with a spoken-word tour.

Nas Takes It To The Clubs – NYC rapper Nas has announced a 21-date club tour that will take advantage of the empty spots on his Rock The Bells schedule.

Link-O-Rama …

stabbing victim described as “making progress” – The Herald U.K.

Related: Police stop thousands of festival-goers leaving in hopes of catching knifing suspect – Daily Mail U.K.

Music regionalism was alive and well at Sub Pop’s 20th anniversary celebration – Los Angeles Times (registration may be required)

Wanna see the entire track list for “Rock Band 2?” Of course you do – Wired News

Common sense still the best defense against music caused by loud personal players. In other words, if you think your iPod is too loud, then it probably is – Daily Camera

B.B. King to host radio show on XM Satellite Radio starting in September – Memphis Business Journal

John Mellencamp sits still long enough to do a short Q&A with Associated Press

Dates, Dates & More Dates …

Of Montreal puts on its collective travelin’ shoes and hits the road for a very extensive club / theatre tour for October and November. Newly posted shows include october 24 in St. Louis, October 26 in Milwaukee, October 31 in Philadelphia and November 22 in Los Angeles. Btw … Of Montreal is playing Montreal October 29.

Lots of new Nas dates for August and September as the rapper tours to support what may be the biggest CD release in his career. Today’s update shows the artist playing mostly clubs during the next two months and individual dates include August 14 in Sparks, NV at The New Oasis; August 26 in Dallas, TX at House Of Blues; August 30 in Champaign, IL at Canopy Club and September 4 in Milwaukee at The Rave Eagles Club.

Gomez plays the United Kingdom in August and September. New dates include Sheffield on August 28; Newcastle on August 31, London on September 2, Birmingham on September 3 and Manchester on September 4.

The Iguanas make today’s final deadline with a few new shows for August and October. Like August 22 in Berwyn, IL at FitzGerald’s; October 17 in Fall River, MA at Narrows Center For The Arts and October 19 in New Haven, CT at Cafe 9.

And last, but definitely not least we have new listings for Beck – September 22 in Phoenix, 23 in Albuquerque, 25 in El Paso, 30 in Saint Paul and October 2 & 3 in Chicago.

During the day we also updated the schedules for Billy Joel, Ani DiFranco, New Kids On The Block, Kathy Griffin, Enrique Iglesias, Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers, Peppino D’Agostino, Elton John, Chris Cain, The Rapture, Wayne “The Train” Hancock, Jimmie’s Chicken Shack, Tim Reynolds And TR3, Union Pulse, The Bad Plus, Randy Travis, Dear and the Headlights, Delbert McClinton, plus more bands and artists than your parents ever listened to when they were your age. Even if they are baby-boomers.

And that wraps up Monday, July 14, 2008. We hope you enjoyed today’s excursion into the dark and mysterious realm of concert data and we hope you’ll be up for another risk-taking adventure tomorrow. If not, we’ll just tell the others you wimped out. G’night!