Odds & Ends: Cyndi Lauper, Say Anything and Sweet

True Colors Benefit

Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors Fund has put together an all-star lineup for a benefit to raise awareness about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered youth homelessness. Joining Lauper for her “Home For The Holidays” show at New York City’s Beacon Theatre Dec. 4 will be Norah Jones, Amy Lee, Rosie O’Donnell, Wanda Sykes, Carson Kressley, Chely Wright, Skylar Grey, Vanessa Carlton, Angelique Kidjo, Harvey Fierstein, Deluka, Deborah Harry, Alan Cumming and Clay Aiken.

Tickets go on sale Friday. For more information, click here for the True Colors Fund website.

A Sweet CD Party

Sweet, the 1970s Brit glam band known for such power pop gems as “Love Is Like Oxygen,” “Fox On The Run” and “Ballroom Blitz” will celebrate its latest CD with a special gig in Los Angeles.

No, it’s not exactly the same lineup that drove the band more than three decades ago. Original vocalist Brian Connolly passed away in 1997 and drummer Mick Tucker died in 2002. These days Sweet is headed up by founding member Steve Priest and includes guitarist Stuart Smith, drummer Richie Onori, Stevie Stewart on keyboards and singer Joe Retta.

All of us here at Pollstar have a special place in our hearts for the band. Sweet played our annual Concert Industry Awards show in 2009.

The special CD release party featuring Sweet performing live will only cost you $9.55 to get through the door. That’s because the shindig is hosted by L.A. radio station KLOS located at 95.5 on your FM dial. The place is West Hollywood’s Key Club and the date is Wednesday.

The new CD – Are You Ready? Sweet Live – is already in stores, but the first 95 people walking through the Key Club’s doors the night of the party will get a copy for free. Visit TheSweetBand.com for more information.

Say Anything Says Bassist Job Is Filled

After playing with a temporary bassist, Say Anything says it has locked down the position permanently with the addition of former The Academy Is… thumper Adam T. Siska.

Siska fills the shoes once worn by Alex Kent who left the band in 2010. Since then, Kenny Vasoli of The Starting Line and Person L has been doing the honors for the band’s live shows.

“This is a guy who is in a band for all the right reasons: a love for playing his instrument and a passion for music,” Say Anything frontman Max Bemis said in a statement. “We’re fortunate that Adam happens to deem our music worthy of being the focus of that passion and are so excited to have such an awesome new member of Say Anything.”

Meanwhile, Bemis has his own dates to do, climbing aboard the ol’ tour bus along with his wife, Eisley’s Sherri DuPree-Bemis, for a journey beginning at Boston’s Brighton Music Hall Nov. 30. Visit SayAnythingMusic.com for more info.