This being the first night of Chanukah and all, we figured we’d close out the news day with a reminder that you can still make your move before a single candle is lit. The Relix Holiday Subscription Special (https://www.subscription-dept.com/cgi-shl/ifsi12a.exe?RELIX&IHXSN9) is now underway, which will allow you pick up two one-year subscriptions for $33 (one as a gift and one for yourself) . The number 33 incidentally was on Larry Bird’s jersey, represents the highest Masonic degree (thanks, Dan Brown) and is where Miles Davis’ show at the Plugged Nickel on 12/22/65 appeared in our 50 Greatest Concerts of All Time issue. So make your move before sundown (or give the gift of Relix on day two, day three or some other holiday altogether). A number of other options can be found at www.relix.com/holiday (holiday).

And the award for most ambitious New Year’s Eve plans goes to…MSTRKRFT. While many bands have been known to play two sets or even two shows on New Year’s Eve, the electronic duo will end the year with two performances in two different states. As previously reported, MSTRKRFT (http://www.myspace.com/mstrkrft) will perform at Philadelphia’s Electric Factory with Lotus on New Year’s Eve. After MSTRKRFT’s 11 PM set, the group will move through New Jersey back to New York for a 3 AM performance at Webster Hall (technically early the morning of January 1). The Webster Hall show will also include the largest New Year’s balloon drop in “the free world,” featuring 100,000 balloons.

Brett Dennen (http://brettdennen.net/) will perform at Los Angeles’ The Wiltern this Saturday, December 12. The singer/songwriter has dubbed the event a “White Elephant” holiday concert and is asking fans to bring a small present to the show as part of a gift exchange. During the show, Dennen will ask fans to trade gifts with their neighbors (Dennen and his band will participate in the exchange too). Dennen and his band will perform at Phoenix, AZ’s Marquee Theater tonight. Looking ahead, he will spend New Year’s Eve with ALO at the Fox Theater. Dennen has also contributed the song “The Holidays are Here (We’re Still at War)” to a new Vanguard holiday collection.

Phil Lesh will host an acoustic show on December 20 in San Francisco. Philharmonia 2009 (http://www.phillesh.net/ubc/index.html) is being produced by the Unbroken Chain Foundation and will be support of Bay Area Women’s & Children’s Center. Joining Lesh will be Bob Weir, Jackie Greene and other for what will be “an intimate holiday sing-along party.” Tickets, which go on sale today cost $125 plus a new, unwrapped book or game from this Unbroken Chain Wishlist. Venue details will be provided after attendees make their purchase. Tonight Lesh and Weir will be in Wallingford, CT appearing with Furthur (http://www.furthur.net/).

The annual Caribbean Holidaze festival (http://www.caribbeanholidaze.com/09/home.php) is currently underway. The event will run from December 10-14, featuring performances by Umphrey’s McGee, the Disco Biscuits, The New Deal, Yacht Rock. Omega Moos, Easy Star’s Michael G, ALO’s Dan “Lebo” Lebowitz and many others. In addition, several activities will take place throughout the event, including a beer pong tournament led by former Disco Biscuits drummer Sammy Altman. This year readers can get a glimpse into the event’s happenings via the Caribbean Holidaze’s official blog (http://iriereport.tumblr.com/). Highlights will include artist interviews, video clips, real time setlists, photo essays and a close look at Marc Brownstein’s tour of the Bob Marley Museum.

Drive-By Truckers will release the new studio album (http://drivebytruckers.com/bio.html) The Big To-Do on March 16, 2010 via ATO Records. The album will feature thirteen new tracks from the Drive-By Truckers and was produced by their long time producer, David Barbe (Sugar, Bettye LaVette). “It’s very much a rock album,” frontman Patterson Hood said in a statement. “Very melodic and more rocking than anything we’ve done since disc 2 of Southern Rock Opera.” The Drive-By Truckers will also appear on the cover of Relix’s February/March issue. Noted rock scribe Mark Kemp spent time on the road with the band, discussing its new studio project and future plans. The issue also features profiles of a reunited Pavement, Vampire Weekend, ALO, God Street Wine and David Rawlings & Gillian Welch, “We’ve often set our songs and albums in different periods of time, but this one finds us directly in our present. Riding all through the highways of America (and Europe) trying to make sense of a very different world than the one we grew up in,” Hood continues. “I don’t write a lot of songs on the road, but I did more than usual on this album and many more were inspired by or set there, either in a literal sense or something I witnessed or heard about while I was out there.” The album’s track listing is as follows: 1. Daddy Learned to Fly 2. The Fourth Night of My Drinking 3. Birthday Boy 4. Drag the Lake Charlie 5. The Wig He Made Her Wear 6. You Got Another 7. This Fucking Job 8. Get Downtown 9. After the Scene Dies 10. (It’s Gonna Be) I Told You So 11. Santa Fe 12. The Flying Wallendas 13. Eyes Like Glue 14. Girls Who Smoke (Bonus track – vinyl only) Drive-By Truckers upcoming dates include: 1/28 Huntsville, AL—Crossroads Music Hall 1/29 Mobile, AL—Soul Kitchen 1/30 Tuscaloosa, AL—Jupiter Bar & Grill 2/11 Greenville, SC –Handlebar 2/12-13 Raleigh, NC—Lincoln Theatre 2/14 Knoxville, TN—Bijou Theatre 2/25 Charlotte, NC—Neighborhood Theatre 2/26-7 Charlottesville, VA—Jefferson Theatre

Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings will perform at Washington, DC’s 9:30 Club on New Years’ Eve. In advance of that gig, the band will play two shows in Virginia: December 11 at Richmond’s The National and December 12 at Charlottesville’s Jefferson Theatre. In addition, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings have also released a new holiday-themed song, “There Ain’t No Chimneys In The Projects.” The song is the first Dap-Kings number written by Jones and tells of her childhood in the projects of Brooklyn. A 7” of the song is available for purchase and a mp3 of the track is now available for free. (http://tinyurl.com/161) Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings will release a new studio album in 2010. Please click here for our recent site interview (http://www.jambands.com/features/2009/11/16/sharon-jones-the-dap-kings-phish-and-other-daptone-gold) with the singer. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings’ upcoming shows: December 11 Richmond, VA—The National, December 12 Charlottesville, VA—Jefferson Theatre, December 31 Washington DC—9:30 Club, January 22 State College PA—State Theatre, January 23 Pittsburgh, PA—Diesel Club

Above: Kevin Griffin and Rob Salzer, Mulcahy’s Pub, Wantagh, NY, 11-29-07. Photo by Jeremy Gordon U-Melt guitarist Rob Salzer has left the band he co-founded (http://umelt.com/) to attend to some minor medical problems and pursue other personal endeavors. Salzer helped form U-Melt out of a440 in 2003 and has grown into one of the band’s most visible members and prolific songwriters. Longtime band friend Kevin Griffin has been named the band’s new guitarist and will begin touring with the band this February. Griffin has shared the stage with U-Melt a number of times and is familiar with the band’s catalogue. According to the band, “Rob is always a member of the U-Melt family and we look forward to collaborating with him in both the studio and on the stage in the future.” “Kevin’s sense of timing and space are fantastic, and he can make some great sounds with his guitar rig,” U-Melt keyboardist Zac Lasher said in a statement. “When we were playing together the other day, he was doing some textural stuff that absolutely blew my mind. He brought a new sound and energy to the music that had Bendy, G, and I looking up and laughing because it sounded so damn good.” Griffin, a veteran of bands like The Point or Reckoning, studied jazz woodwinds in collage and will likely bring some new instrumentations and a diverse catalogue of covers to the band, which has been affectionately dubbed (N)U-Melt. The group’s upcoming tour is as follows: February 12 Ithaca, NY—Castaway’s February 13 Buffalo, NY—Nietzsche’s February 18 Narragansett, RI—The Wheelhouse February 19 Philadelphia, PA— The North Star Philadelphia, PA February 20 New York, NY—Bowery Ballroom (official album release party) February 25 Baltimore, MD—8×10 Club February 26 Stroudsburg, PA—Sherman Theater February 27 Allston, MA—Harpers Ferry March 4 Burlington, VT— Nectar’s March 5 Troy, NY—Revolution Hall March 24 Raleigh, NC— The Pour House Music Hall March 25 Charleston, SC— The Pour House March 26 Charlotte, NC— The Double Door March 27 Atlanta, GA—Smith’s Olde Bar

Warren Haynes & Govt. Mule, Living Colour, The Pixies’ Frank Black, Bobby McFerrin, Husker Du’s Bob Mould and Gaslight Anthem are among the artists scheduled to pay tribute (http://www.carnegiewho.com/) to The Who this March. The all-star concert will take place at New York’s Carnegie Hall on March 2, 2010 and will benefit music education programs for underprivileged youth. Other acts scheduled to appear include: Matt Nathanson, Sondre Lerche, The Postelles, , Robyn Hitchcock, The Smithereens and Mose Allison (author of The Who hit “Young Man Blues”). The concert is organized by Knitting Factory and City Winery founder Michael Dorf, the man behind similar events honoring Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John and R.E.M.. “I grew up listening to The Who,” Dorf said in a statement, “and while the artists we’re bringing together to honor them are incredibly diverse, they share a certain authenticity that has also defined music of The Who. This series has produced some unforgettable moments – including seeing Bruce Springsteen and REM make surprise appearances at their own tributes – and I expect the Who night to be one of the most memorable shows yet.” Approximately ten acts will join the event’s lineup in the coming weeks. An after party will also take place at City Winery.

A new contest (http://www.bonnaroo.com/) will allow fans to book a band at Bonnaroo 2010. The contest centers around a new interactive video (which can be seen on the festival's homepage). Fans are required to submit a short testimonial as to why they should book a band at Bonnaroo and answer the following questions: How many bobbleheads appear in the video? What is the meaning of “Bonnaroo”? (hint: it’s written in the clouds) How many times does Gary Chardonnay say “Bonnaroo”? What recent (ridiculous!) news scandal is touched upon in the video? Why Me? Testimonial (25 words or less) The contest’s grand prize winner will get to book an artist at the 2010 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. Other contestants will receive the Bonnaroo 2010 calendar as seen in the video. The Grand Prize winner will be announced on Wednesday, January 6th, 2010. Here is how the contest will work: The winner will be contacted by one or more of the Bonnaroo booking team and will take part in a “booking call” about the festival. The winner will then work with the Bonnaroo booking team to select an act to play the festival. The winner will be expected to focus on either a favorite local/regional act from their area or a relatively new artist just achieving major recognition. The act selected will have to meet the following criteria: The band/artist has to have been together for at least one year with a track record of regular live performances to audiences of at least 200-300 regularly. The band/artist has to have at least one CD that has been released for at least 6 months prior to selection. The band/artist must not have more than one CD released on a nationally recognized recording label. The winner may not be a member or manager of the band, nor can the winner be a music industry professional.

Sam Bush Band, Leftover Salmon, Del McCoury Band and Yonder Mountain String Band (http://www.bluegrass.com/telluride/) are among the acts scheduled to appear at the 37th Telluride Bluegrass Festival. The multi-day event will return to Telluride, CO’s Town Park from June 17-20. In addition to festival regulars like Tim O’Brien Band, Jerry Douglas, Punch Brothers featuring Chris Thile and Peter Rowan, this year’s event will feature the likes of Josh Ritter Band and Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros. Festival veteran Bela Fleck will also return to perform with both Zakir Hussain and Edgar Meyer and Telluride House Band. The latter group will also feature Bush, Douglas, Meyer and others. Other acts scheduled to appear include: Hot Rize, Carolina Chocolate Drops, John Cowan Band, Imelda May, Cadillac Sky, Mumford & Sons, The Drepung Monks, Sarah Jarosz and The Hillbenders. Four-day passes are now available.

The 20th annual Tibet House Benefit Concert (http://www.tibethouse.org/Programs/Annual_Concerts.html) will take place at New York’s Carnegie Hall on February 26, 2010. Philip Glass will once again curate the event, which commemorates the Monlam Prayer Festival traditionally held at the time of the Tibetan New Year. In addition to Glass and event mainstay Patti Smith, the event will feature Jesse Smith & Michael Campbell, Baaba Maal and Pierce Turner. The evening will likely conclude with an all-star version of Smith’s “People Have the Power.” Numerous additional musicians are expected to join the lineup. Past events have featured: David Bowie, Dave Matthews, Paul Simon, David Byrne, Trey Anastasio, David Byrne, Black Keys, Ben Harper, The National, Vampire Weekend, Antibalas, Sigur Ros, Bright Eyes, R.E.M., Ray Davies and Damien Rice, among many others.

Furthur kicked off its first tour last night at New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom. (http://www.furthur.net/) Like the group’s California shows earlier this month, in addition to Bob Weir and Phil Lesh the group features Duo drummer Joe Russo, RatDog percussionist Jay Lane, Dark Star Orchestra guitarist John Kadlecik and RatDog/Dead keyboardist Jeff Chimenti. The band’s setlist mixed iconic Grateful Dead standards like a show-opening “Truckin’” and the show-closing “Touch of Grey” with less obvious songs: the complex “King Solomon’s Marbles,” the early Dead jam “New Potato Caboose” and Jerry Garcia Band’s “Reuben and Cerise.” (Weir and Lesh seem to be enjoying “King Solomon’s Marbles” since The Dead revived the song earlier this year). The band also jammed on a run from “Scarlet Begonias” into “Fire on the Mountain,” a segue from “Doin’ That Rag” into “Ramble On Rose” and a take on “The Other One” that bled into the latter day Dead song “Days Between.” Both sets consisted on continuous suites of music. The band will return to the Hammerstein tonight.

The second season of Elvis Costello’s talk show series Spectacle: Elvis Costello with… will premiere at 10 PM EST this evening, December 9. Each episode finds Costello interviewing and performing with a range of musicians. Tonight’s season premiere will feature U2’s Bono and The Edge, while the two-part season finale will focus on Bruce Springsteen. Other guests confirmed to appear this season include: Sheryl Crow, Levon Helm, Nick Lowe, Richard Thompson, Larry Campbell, Allen Toussaint, Lyle lovett, Ray LaMontagne, John Price Neko Case, Ron Sexsmith and Jesse Wincester, among others. The program’s second season schedule is as follows: December—Bono and The Edge December 16—Sheryl Crow, Neko Case, Ron Sexsmith and Jesse Wincester December 23—Levon Helm, Nick Lowe, Richard Thompson and Allen Toussaint January 6—Elvis Costello January 13—Lyle lovett, Ray LaMontagne and John Price January 20—Bruce Springsteen (Part 1) January 27—Bruce Springsteen (Part 2)

Tickets are now on sale for the 20th annual installment of the High Sierra Music Festival (http://www.highsierramusic.com/). This year’s event will take place from July 1-4 at the Plumas-Sierra County Fairgrounds in Quincy, CA. No artists have been announced as yet but since this is the big 2-0, one can expect that plenty of past festival favorites will participate. What’s more, anyone who purchases a 4-day pass over the next few weeks will see $10 directed to the Conscious Alliance. The High Sierra Foundation will make the donation to the non-profit on all ticket sales through January 1. These funds will go towards community food banks, including Indian reservations.

Railroad Earth (http://railroadearth.com/) will perform at Brooklyn, NY’s Music Hall of Williamsburg this Thursday, December 10. The show is part of the band’s last tour with bass player Johnny Grub. Grubb joined Railroad Earth in 2003 at the age of 24 and has grown into one of the more visible members of the band. He appears on 2004’s The Good Life, 2006’s Elko and 2008’s Amen’s Corner. Relix and Jambands.com have partnered with the band to give away a pair of tickets to the intimate Brooklyn gig. Please click here to enter (wrapper/Railroad_Earth_Ticket_Giveaway.html). Railroad Earth’s upcoming dates include: December 11 Washington, DC—9:30 Club December 12 Philadelphia, PA—Theater of the Living Arts December 27-28 San Francisco, Fillmore December 30 Portland, OR—Crystal Ballroom December 31 Portland, OR—Aladdin Theater

The Hullabaloo Music Festival (http://hullabaloufest.com/) is set to take place at Louisville, KY’s Churchill Downs Racetrack from July 23-25, 2010. Sixty-five acts will participate in the Hullabaloo on 5 stages, with many of the artists already confirmed. Dave Matthews Band, Bon Jovi, Loretta Lynn, Al Green, Gov’t Mule, Zac Brown Band, Joan Osborne, Doobie Brothers, B-52s, Sam Bush and Colbie Caillat are among the performers set to appear. Ticketing for Hullabaloo is now underway with reserved seating, general admission and VIP packages all available.

From Ericclapton.com – photo by Jun Sato Earlier this month we reported that Eric Clapton and his band will perform 4 February shows with Jeff Beck and his group. Now Clapton has confirmed that his band will remain on the road after these dates. Clapton has just announced eleven additional U.S. dates (http://www.ericclapton.com/tour) that will carry him to the South through mid-March. Opening these shows will be Roger Daltrey, who may very well join Clapton’s band for a song or two over the course of the tour. Eric Clapton U.S. Dates February 18 New York, NY Madison Square Garden *with Jeff Beck February 19 New York, NY Madison Square Garden *with Jeff Beck February 21 Toronto, Canada Air Canada Center *with Jeff Beck February 22 Montreal, Canada Bell Center *with Jeff Beck February 25 Pittsburgh, PA – Mellon Arena *with Roger Daltrey February 27 Nashville, TN – Sommett Center *with Roger Daltrey February 28 Birmingham, AL – Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center *with Roger Daltrey March 2 Tulsa, OK – BOK Center *with Roger Daltrey March 3 Kansas City, MO – Sprint Center *with Roger Daltrey March 5 Memphis, TN – FedEx Forum *with Roger Daltrey March 6 New Orleans, LA – New Orleans Arena *with Roger Daltrey March 8 Raleigh, NC – RBC Center *with Roger Daltrey March 9 Atlanta, GA – Gwinnett Center *with Roger Daltrey March 11 Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Bank Atlantic Center *with Roger Daltrey March 13 Orlando, FL – Amway Arena *with Roger Daltrey

On July 16, 2009, The New Deal (http://www.thenewdeal.ca/) performed at the Mod Club in its native Toronto. The band was so satisfied with the performance that it is issuing it as its latest release, LIVE: TORONTO 7.16.2009. It is also quite fitting that the trio will return to the venue next Thursday, December 17, to celebrate the new disc. In an effort to promote the recording, The New Deal also has put together a video, which can be viewed below. Beyond that the group will appear in New York City for a late night show at B.B. King’s on New Year’s Eve, before an eight date U.S. tour later this month. The New Deal 2009 Dates December 17 Toronto, ON The Mod Club December 31 New York, NY BB King’s January 20 Portland, ME Port City Music Hall January 21 Boston, MA Paradise January 22 Burlington, VT Higher Ground January 23 Hartford, CT Webster Theater January 27 Ann Arbor, MI Blind Pig January 28 Bloomington, IN The Bluebird January 29 Chicago, IL Park West January 30 Madison, WI Majestic Theatre

As previously reported, Pretty Lights will ring in 2010 with a sold-out show at Chicago’s Vic Theater. (#/tour) The livetronica star will now also bring the year to a close with a headlining performance at Atlanta’s King Plow Art Center on December 30. The performance is scheduled to start at 10 PM and Pretty Lights will likely still be playing after Widespread Panic’s previously confirmed performance at Atlanta’s Phillips Arena comes to a close. Pretty Lights will also perform on the traveling Jam Cruise in early 2010.