News …

Workers’ blowtorch blamed for Universal Studios fire – Los Angeles Times (registration may be required)

Tori Amos bails on Sony / Epic – ToriAmos.com

Sugababes skip T In The Park, choose to play car dealership instead – Glasgow Daily Record

The everlasting influence that was Bo Diddley – Boston Herald / The Edge

A few minutes with Starsailor’s James Walsh – Manchester Evening News U.K.

Paul Sills, one of the founders of Second City, dies at 80 – Associated Press

Views …

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss in Roanoke, VA – “This is an act that can become legendary.” – The Roanoke Times

Kanye West in Vancouver – ” … the show seemed to loosely follow West’s life, set in space, with a disembodied 2001-like computer voice acting as Virgil to Kanye’s Dante.” – The Vancouver Sun

R.E.M. in Berkeley, California – ” … added yet another chapter to the year’s most convincing comeback story during its thoroughly entertaining show on Saturday night.” – San Jose Mercury News (registration may be required)

The Cure at the Hollywood Bowl – “It was a tremendous performance: three hours, 35 songs, four encores …” Orange County Register

Van Halen in Grand Rapids, Mich. – ” … swooped in for the last show of its North American jaunt, appropriately opening the evening with that familiar cover of The Kinks’ “You Really Got Me” and ending with celebratory, confetti-splashed “Jump.” – The Grand Rapids Press

Death Cab For Cutie in Minneapolis – ” … swaps a bit of the cute for more intensity” – Minneapolis Star Tribune

They Say It’s Their Birthday … (Or so says Associated Press)

Ian Hunter is 69

Eddie Holman is 62

Too Slim (Riders in the Sky) is 60

Suzi Quatro is 58

Billy Powell (Lynyrd Skynyrd) is 56

Dan Hill is 54

Kerry King (Slayer) is 44

Jamie O’Neal is 40

Ariel and Gabriel Hernandez (No Mercy) are 37