Odds & Ends: Trace Adkins, Shania Twain, Lynyrd Skynyrd, San Sebastian Festival

While it’s not unusual to hear about music artists entering rehab, it’s not every day that a music cruise headliner jumps ship in order to receive medical attention for substance abuse.  But that’s pretty much what Trace Adkins did Jan. 15 when the country star cut short his headlining gig on the “Country Cruising”  voyage of the Caribbean.

Now celeb-gossip monger TMZ is reporting that Adkins’ tipping point came when he got into a fight with an Adkins impersonator.  Apparently the real deal ran into the faux Adkins in a bar singing Karakoke and fisticuffs ensued. 

Evidently it was a different story in 2007.  From TMZ, here’s video showing Adkins and the impersonator acting as if they were friends.

Adkins, who had reportedly been sober for 12 years, left the Norwegian Cruise Lines ship after it docked in Jamaica.

There’s nothing like leading off with a big name when announcing your concert series.  That’s what the folks behind the Virgin Mobile Stampede Concert Series did today when they announced they had booked Shania Twain for July 9 at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Twain, who hasn’t toured extensively since 2004, began a residency at The Colosseum At Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in late 2012.

Twain is the only act announced so far for the Calgary Stampede, which runs July 4-13.

“The opportunity to have Canadian icon Shania Twain perform at the Calgary Stampede is incredible,” Stampede Concerts managing director Adam Oppenheim said.  “She is beloved by so many and we couldn’t be happier that Stampede fans and visitors will be able to see her first concert outside of Vegas in more than 10 years.”

Tickets for Twain’s concert go on sale Jan. 24 at 10 a.m. Mountain Standard Time.  Click here for more information.

The Free Bird will soar when Lynyrd Skynyrd rolls into South Dakota Aug. 3 to play the Sturgis Buffalo Chip during the venue’s nine-day concert series and motorcycle rally.

Buffalo Chip president Rod Woodruff is very excited about nabbing one of Southern Rock’s most famous pioneers.

“Lynyrd Skynyrd’s patriotic hits have now served as the anthem to multiple generations of freedom-loving campers who have stayed at the Chip over the past 33 years,” Woodruff said.  “It will be an amazing night as they continue to celebrate 40 years of performing the world’s most loved rock ’n’ roll on the Chip’s stage.”

Florida Georgia Line will make its Buffalo Chip debut during the Aug. 1-9 rally and the venue expects to announce more bookings shortly.  Click here for more information.

If you’re going to Puerto Rico’s San Sebastian festival in historic Old San Juan this week, expect to be searched.

Word is Mayor Carmen Yulin has ordered police to search everyone attending the festival.  Officials say they’ll use metal detectors and search people’s bags and purses.

That may not sound too drastic to anyone who’s attended events in the states where metal detectors and purse-searches are often standard operating procedures.

But will officials be able to search up to 500,000 people?  That’s the number of folks who attended last year’s San Sebastian festival.

Meanwhile, the American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit against Puerto Rico, calling the search plans unreasonable because they are not preceded by a judicial order or prompted by probable cause.

Local residents aren’t too crazy about other security measures being taken at the festival.  ABC News reports locals are upset about fences being installed and access to some streets being blocked.

But maybe you can’t blame officials for being security conscious.  A 32-year-old man was fatally shot at last year’s festival, according to ABC News.