Cape Point

Table Mountain National Park stretches from Signal Hill and Table Mountain to Cape Point. This reserve offers a large variety of animals, including baboons, buck, the Cape Mountain Zebra, and over 250 bird species and indigenous flora. Many of these species are unique to the area and cannot be found anywhere else in the world!

Here you can also find Cape Point, at the tip of the Cape peninsula. This great expansive area encompasses a beautiful sea and coastline, great for scenic trips. Some of the highest points in the world can be found within Cape Point with its treacherous cliffs. This point marks the spot where cold Beguela currents from the West coast merge with the warm Agulhus currents of the East coast.

You’ll want to reserve at least an hour or two to take in all the sights and activities of this glorious park area. Breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea can be purchased at the Two Oceans Restaurant while you are there. Also stop by the curio shop, and a new visitors center.

Some of the animals in the park can be aggressive, such as the baboons, so you should take care not to feed or try to touch these animals. Find more information at the South African National Parks website. See more about this area

EILEEN CAREY: Award-Winning Country-Pop Artist

*See Eileen Carey Live: CAFE’ CORDIALE in Sherman Oaks – Wed., Sept. 29*

*Carey Interviewed On L.A. Talk Radio  – Sunday, October 17;  Interviewed*

*Performs Live On Actors Entertainment E Chat  – Thursday,. November 4th*

ONE BUSY LADY: Eileen Carey performs live as part of “Acoustic Cordiale” night

at the classy Cafe’ Cordiale, 14015 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, Wednesday, September 29. 9 p.m. No Cover. All ages. Info: (818) 789-1985 or www.myspace.com/cordiale.

Carey is interviewed  on Indie Mad MP3 , Wednesday, September 22 (www.indiemadmp3.com) and again on L.A.

Talk Radio (Question Reality Show hosted by Priscilla Leona), Sunday, October 17 , 5-6

p.m. (www.latalkradio.com to listen live).

On Thursday, November 4, at 10 a.m., Eileen visits the Hollywood-based studios of Actors Reporter for a performance and interview on their Actors Entertainer E Chat program. Log onto www.actorsentertainment.com to watch live.

Carey participates in the 20th Annual L.A. Music Awards Voting Party at the W

hisky A Go Go October 7, leading up to the Main Event at Paramount Studios on the Paramount Theater Lot November 18.

EILEEN CAREY – UPCOMING LIVE SHOWS & SPECIAL EVENTS ITINERARY
Sept. 27 (Mon.) INDIE MAD MP3 (Interview) World Wide Web Sept. 29 (Wed.) CAFE’ CORDIALE’  Sherman Oaks, CA
Oct. 7 (Thurs.) WHISKY A GO GO(LAMA Voting Party) W. Hollywood, CA
Oct. 17 (Sun.) L.A. TALK RADIO (Question Reality Show) World Wide Web
Nov. 4 (Thurs.) ACTORS ENTERTAINMENT E CHAT  Hollywood, CA
Nov. 18 (Thurs.) PARAMOUNT STUDIOS (LA Music Awards) Hollywood, CA

STRATOSPHERE -Fire Flight

Escape Music 2010 – ESM 217 / File under: Hardrock
Release: 22. October 2010
Specials: feature. Göran Edman [Yngwie Malmsteen, Brazen Abbot, John Norum, Street Talk, Signum Regis], Jim McCarty [The Yardbirds, Renaissance]

Track list:
01- Russian Summer / 02- The Battle Within / 03- Enemy Of my Soul
04- Street Of Moscow / 05- Rendezvous / 06- Shining Star
07- China Girl / 08- Princess Of The Night / 09- VIP / 10- Fire Flight

BiOgRaPhY
Make way for a new Scandinavian Band! Enter Stratosphere, a tight knit Quintet that mixes symphonic progressive and melodic rock in a manner that will leave you speechless.
The band is the brainchild of keyboard virtuoso Jeppe Lund, himself a huge fan of symphonic rock and he has dreamed of making a record such as “Fire Flight”. With Goran Edman on lead vocals; his clean, yet powerful voice is one of a kind. Goran blends perfectly in a loud music setting and excels on the neo-classical twist. Both his lead and backing vocal qualities are state of art. He has become a household name singing with bands such as Kharma, Vindictiv and, of course, with Yngwie Malmsteen. To complete the line up we have guitarist Jonas Larsen, whose nifty fretwork reminds us of Yngwie himself and Richie Blackmore. The solid rhythm section is provided by Jim McCarty on drums and Anders Borre Mathieson on bass, both of whom have had a seasoned career in the rock music industry.
Stratosphere is like a breath of fresh air and boasts a big sound with plenty of cat and mouse guitar / keyboard antics that roll along just effortlessly. They seem to capture the elements of symphonic progressive rock and mix them with melodic overtones with a sprinkle of originality just for good measure. Opener “Russian Summer” is a huge song with soaring melodies, whilst “The Battle Within” echoes the halcyon days of Rainbow. The band seem at home and play together so masterfully, one track that is worthy of extra attention is the instrumental “Rendezvous” which is one of
those songs that has loads of layered keyboards that intertwine with sumptuous guitar playing. The Haunting song “Shining Star” is a pleasure to listen to and gives a chance for Goran to show off his vocal prowess to maximum effect. The ballad “Princess of the night” is a beautifully executed piece; in fact the whole album is just a complete pleasure to listen to.
Stratosphere is a new beginning; this is Scandinavian rock music of the highest order.

www.Escape-Music.com
feature. Göran Edman [Yngwie Malmsteen, John Norum, Brazen Abbot], Jim McCarty [The Yardbirds, Renaissance]

Read more

DARKWATER -Press Release

Darkwater – Where Stories End

Label: Ulterium Records
Style: Heavy Metal
Release: 15. October 2010
Specials: Album mixed and mastered by Fredrik
Nordström and Henrik Udd [In Flames, Hammerfall, Dimmu Borgir] at Studio Fredman.

Darkwater was formed late 2003 in the western parts of Sweden. During the first years of existence they only did a few selected shows in Sweden while working on the material for their debut album. During summer and fall 2006, Darkwater recorded and mixed the album, and early 2007 a deal was inked with the Swedish label Ulterium Records.
"Calling the earth to witness" was released in May 2007 and received extremely good reviews from all around the world. Darkwater’s perfect blend of melodic and progressive metal was something the scene was craving for, and while taking inspiration from bands like Symphony X, Dream Theater and Evergrey, Darkwater have for sure created a sound of their own.
In May 2008 Darkwater recorded and released a music video for the track "The play II" and in June they went did their first show in the US, at the Bay Area Rock Fest together with Liquid Tension Experiment, Jeff Scott Soto among others.
During 2009 the band parted ways with their bass player Karl Wassholm, and stepping in as bass player for the band is Simon Andersson [ex. Pain of Salvation].
In April 2010 Darkwater started to record their new album "Where stories end". The famous Studio Fredman was chosen for the mix and mastering of the album, and during summer the album was completed. The band also recorded a music video for the opening track of the album "Breathe".
With all the great reviews and response for their debut album, Darkwater surely felt some pressure to produce a great follow-up album, which they managed to do without any doubts. "Where stories end" is a master piece of melodic progressive metal, and will not leave any fans of the band or the genre disappointed.

Now available for a promotional download at: www.connecting-music.eu

WARMING UP FOR THE BIGGEST CARNAVAL IN THE WEST COAST! SAVE THE DATE!

Get ready for the party of the year… Dig out your costumes! Come join us and dance to the high energy rhythms of the world’s most famous Carnaval celebration coming up!  BRAZILIAN CARNAVAL 2009!  Saturday, Februrary 21 – 8pm to 2am at the famous and newly re-opened Hollywood Palladium (a LiveNation venue)  BRINGING DYNAMIC RHYTHMS & NON-STOP FLOOR ENTERTAINMENT ON THE ACTUAL MARDI GRAS CELEBRATION WEEK-END
Experience the flavor of authentic Rio de Janeiro, Bahia & Recife Carnaval… featuring KATIA MORAES & Pure Samba – authentic carnaval energy!!! NATION BEAT directly from Brooklyn New York, with Maractu and Frevo Beats, Flavio Ribeiro and  Unidos of California Samba School, Batucada nota dez!!! Exhilirating rhythms!! Samba Enredo!!
TROPIDANZA SAMBA SHOW dancers – Beautiful brazilian sambistas In their feather-sequined-bikini outfits dancing to batucada rhythms all night long!  LA’s irrepressible Viver Brasil Dance Company, Mestre Amèn & Capoeira Batuque
OFFICIAL MASTER OF CEREMONIES: BAKARI & DIANE NICHOLSON (“The Samba Queen”)
The LARGEST Carnaval Extravaganza in the West Coast!
NON-STOP FLOOR ENTERTAINMENT! NON-STOP DANCING!  BRING YOUR CAMERA, TAKE PICTURES OF THIS STAGGERING NIGHT!
Big screens with Brazil‘s carnaval aired LIVE! Courtesy of Dish Network and TV Globo! ALL AGES WELCOME! AFTER ALL, CARNAVAL IS FOR EVERYONE!
“…at its splendid best, Saturday’s Brazilian Carnaval was a faithful replica of the real thing.”
-Ernesto Lechner, Los Angeles Times
”…Brazilian Carnaval  took over on Saturday night to celebrate with a wildly extravagant music party…Hot, hot samba on a chilly L.A. evening… … the sequined and feathered Made in Brazil dancers, vigorously demonstrating the correct way to do the samba… – Don Heckman, Los Angeles Times
“… Samba, batucada, percussion… the Brazilian energy is back to reaffirm the bonds of multiculturalism…espectacular, and colourful presentation of the musical Brazilian culture in the city of Los Angeles…” Jose Fuentes, Salinas, La Opinion
http://web.me.com/alexniella/Braziliannites/carnaval-08.html, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=co4c508Mmr8
TICKETS ON SALE NOW!!!  TICKETS: General Admission $38 ($48 at the door), Reserved Table seats $55 ($65 at the door) VIP Reserved Table seats $65 ($75 at the door), Ticket and Information: (818) 566-1111 www.BrazilianNites.com or e-mail at shows@braziliannites.com, Tickets on line at: Wantickets.com – http://www.wantickets.com/EventDetail.aspx?e_id=50996, www.BrazilianNites.com

Fleetwood Mac Unleashed: Hits Tour 2009

While most bands undergo a number of changes over the course of their careers, few groups experienced such radical stylistic changes as Fleetwood Mac. Initially conceived as a hard-edged British blues combo in the late ’60s, the band gradually evolved into a polished pop/rock act over the course of a decade. Throughout all of their incarnations, the only consistent members of Fleetwood Mac were drummer Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie — the rhythm section that provided the band with its name. Ironically, they had the least influence over the musical direction of the band. Originally, guitarists Peter Green and Jeremy Spencer provided the band with its gutsy, neo-psychedelic blues-rock sound, but as both guitarists descended into mental illness, the group began moving toward pop/rock with the songwriting of pianist Christine McVie. By the mid-’70s, Fleetwood Mac had relocated to California, where they added the soft rock duo of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks to their lineup. Obsessed with the meticulously arranged pop of the Beach Boys and the Beatles, Buckingham helped the band become one of the most popular groups of the late ’70s. Combining soft rock with the confessional introspection of singer/songwriters, Fleetwood Mac created a slick but emotional sound that helped 1977′s Rumours become one of the biggest-selling albums of all time. The band retained its popularity through the early ’80s, when Buckingham, Nicks, and Christine McVie all began pursuing solo careers. The band reunited for one album, 1987′s Tango in the Night, before splintering in the late ’80s. Buckingham left the group initially, but the band decided to soldier on, releasing one other album before Nicks and McVie left the band in the early ’90s, hastening the group’s commercial decline.

The roots of Fleetwood Mac lie in John Mayall‘s legendary British blues outfit, the Bluesbreakers. Bassist John McVie was one of the charter members of the Bluesbreakers, joining the group in 1963. In 1966 Peter Green replaced Eric Clapton, and a year later drummer Mick Fleetwood joined. Inspired by the success of Cream, the Yardbirds, and Jimi Hendrix, the trio decided to break away from Mayall in 1967. At their debut at the British Jazz and Blues Festival in August, Bob Brunning was playing bass in the group, since McVie was still under contract to Mayall. He joined the band a few weeks after their debut; by that time, slide guitarist Jeremy Spencer had joined the band. Fleetwood Mac soon signed with Blue Horizon, releasing their eponymous debut the following year. Fleetwood Mac was an enormous hit in the U.K., spending over a year in the Top Ten. Despite its British success, the album was virtually ignored in America. During 1968, the band added guitarist Danny Kirwan. The following year, they recorded Fleetwood Mac in Chicago with a variety of bluesmen, including Willie Dixon and Otis Spann. The set was released later that year, after the band had left Blue Horizon for a one-album deal with Immediate Records; in the U.S., they signed with Reprise/Warner Bros., and by 1970, Warner began releasing the band’s British records as well. Fleetwood Mac released English Rose and Then Play On during 1969, which both indicated that the band was expanding its music, moving away from its blues purist roots. That year, Green’s “Man of the World” and “Oh Well” were number two hits. Though his music was providing the backbone of the group, Peter Green was growing increasingly disturbed due to his large ingestion of hallucinogenic drugs. After announcing that he was planning to give all of his earnings away, Green suddenly left the band in the spring of 1970; he released two solo albums over the course of the ’70s, but he rarely performed after leaving Fleetwood Mac. The band replaced him with Christine Perfect, a vocalist/pianist who had earned a small but loyal following in the U.K. by singing with Spencer Davis and the Chicken Shack. She had already performed uncredited on Then Play On. Contractual difficulties prevented her from becoming a full-fledged member of Fleetwood Mac until 1971; by that time she had married John McVie.

Christine McVie didn’t appear on 1970′s Kiln House, the first album the band recorded without Peter Green. For that album, Jeremy Spencer dominated the band’s musical direction, but he had also been undergoing mental problems due to heavy drug use. During the band’s American tour in early 1971, Spencer disappeared; it was later discovered that he left the band to join the religious cult the Children of God. Fleetwood Mac had already been trying to determine the direction of their music, but Spencer’s departure sent the band into disarray. Christine McVie and Danny Kirwan began to move the band towards mainstream rock on 1971′s Future Games, but new guitarist Bob Welch exerted a heavy influence on 1972′s Bare Trees. Kirwan was fired after Bare Trees and was replaced by guitarists Bob Weston and Dave Walker, who appeared on 1973′s Penguin. Walker left after that album, and Weston departed after making its follow-up, Mystery to Me (1973). In 1974, the group’s manager, Clifford Davis, formed a bogus Fleetwood Mac and had the band tour the U.S. The real Fleetwood Mac filed and won a lawsuit against the imposters — after losing, they began performing under the name Stretch — but the lawsuit kept the band off the road for most of the year. In the interim, they released Heroes Are Hard to Find. Late in 1974, Fleetwood Mac moved to California, with hopes of restarting their career. Welch left the band shortly after the move to form Paris.

Early in 1975, Fleetwood and McVie were auditioning engineers for the band’s new album when they heard Buckingham-Nicks, an album recorded by the soft rock duo Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. The pair were asked to join the group and their addition revived the band’s musical and commercial fortunes. Not only did Buckingham and Nicks write songs, but they brought distinctive talents the band had been lacking. Buckingham was a skilled pop craftsman, capable of arranging a commercial song while keeping it musically adventurous. Nicks had a husky voice and a sexy, hippie gypsy stage persona that gave the band a charismatic frontwoman. The new lineup of Fleetwood Mac released their eponymous debut in 1975 and it slowly became a huge hit, reaching number one in 1976 on the strength of the singles “Over My Head,” “Rhiannon,” and “Say You Love Me.” The album would eventually sell over five million copies in the U.S. alone.  While Fleetwood Mac had finally attained their long-desired commercial success, the band was fraying apart behind the scenes. The McVies divorced in 1976, and Buckingham and Nicks’ romance ended shortly afterward. The internal tensions formed the basis for the songs on their next album, Rumours. Released in the spring of 1977, Rumours became a blockbuster success, topping the American and British charts and generating the Top Ten singles “Go Your Own Way,” “Dreams,” “Don’t Stop,” and “You Make Loving Fun.” It would eventually sell over 17 million copies in the U.S. alone, making it the second biggest-selling album of all time. Fleetwood Mac supported the album with an exhaustive, lucrative tour and then retired to the studio to record their follow-up to Rumours. A wildly experimental double album conceived largely by Buckingham, 1979′s Tusk didn’t duplicate the enormous success of Rumours, yet it did go multi-platinum and featured the Top Ten singles “Sara” and “Tusk.” In 1980, they released the double-album Live.

Following the Tusk tour, Fleetwood, Buckingham, and Nicks all recorded solo albums. Of the solo projects, Stevie Nicks’ Bella Donna (1981) was the most successful, peaking at number one and featuring the hit singles “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” “Leather and Lace,” and “Edge of Seventeen.” Buckingham’s Law and Order (1981) was a moderate success, spawning the Top Ten “Trouble.” Fleetwood, for his part, made a world music album called The Visitor. Fleetwood Mac reconvened in 1982 for Mirage. More conventional and accessible than Tusk, Mirage reached number one and featured the hit singles “Hold Me” and “Gypsy.”  After Mirage, Buckingham, Nicks, and Christine McVie all worked on solo albums. The hiatus was due to a variety of reasons. Each member had his or her own manager, Nicks was becoming the group’s breakaway star, Buckingham was obsessive in the studio, and each member was suffering from various substance addictions. Nicks was able to maintain her popularity, with The Wild Heart (1983) and Rock a Little (1985) both reaching the Top 15. Christine McVie also had a Top Ten hit with “Got a Hold on Me” in 1984. Buckingham received the strongest reviews of all, but his 1984 album Go Insane failed to generate a hit. Fleetwood Mac reunited to record a new album in 1985. Buckingham, who had grown increasingly frustrated with the musical limitations of the band, decided to make it his last Fleetwood Mac project. When the resulting album, Tango in the Night, was finally released in 1987, it was greeted with mixed reviews but strong sales, reaching the Top Ten and generating the Top 20 hits “Little Lies,” “Seven Wonders,” and “Everywhere.”

Buckingham decided to leave Fleetwood Mac after completing Tango in the Night, and the group replaced him with guitarists Billy Burnette and Rick Vito. The new lineup of the band recorded their first album, Behind the Mask, in 1990. It became the band’s first album since 1975 to not go gold. Following its supporting tour, Nicks and Christine McVie announced they would continue to record with the group, but not tour. Vito left the band in 1991, and the group released the box set 25 Years — The Chain the following year. The classic Fleetwood Mac lineup of Fleetwood, the McVies, Buckingham, and Nicks reunited to play President Bill Clinton’s inauguration in early 1993, but the concert did not lead to a full-fledged reunion. Later that year, Nicks left the band and was replaced by Bekka Bramlett and Dave Mason; Christine McVie left the group shortly afterward. The new lineup of Fleetwood Mac began touring in 1994, releasing Time the following year to little attention. While the new version of Fleetwood Mac wasn’t commercially successful, neither were the solo careers of Buckingham, Nicks, and McVie, prompting speculation of a full-fledged reunion in 1997. Say You Will, the first Fleetwood Mac studio album in 15 years, appeared in April 2003. It also marked the group’s first set without Christine McVie since 1997′s live effort, The Dance. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

WILLIE NELSON – Country Music Legend – Tour Tickets on sale now on your Dreamcatcher Online Event Calendars!

Tour Dates and Venues: Thu, 02/12/09 – 07:30 PM, F. M. Kirby Center, Wilkes-Barre, PA.  Sat, 02/14/09 – 08:00 PM, STANLEY CENTER FOR THE ARTS, Utica, NY.  Sun, 02/15/09 – 07:30 PM, Palace Theatre Albany, Albany, NY.  Fri, 02/20/09 – 07:30 PM, Durham Performing Arts Center, Durham, NC.  Sat, 02/21/09 – 08:00 PM, Greensboro Coliseum Complex, Greensboro, NC.  Wed, 03/11/09 – 08:00 PM, Lakeland Center Youkey Theatre, Lakeland, FL.  Thu, 03/12/09 – 08:00 PM, Hard Rock Live, Hollywood, FL.  Fri, 03/13/09 – 07:00 PM, House of Blues Orlando, Orlando, FL.  Sat, 03/14/09 – 07:30 PM, St Augustine Amphitheatre, St Augustine, FL.  Sun, 03/15/09 – 07:00 PM, House of Blues Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach, SC.  Tue, 03/17/09 – 08:00 PM, Ruth Eckerd Hall, earwater, FL.  Wed, 03/18/09 – 08:00 PM, King Center for the Performing Arts, Melbourne, FL.  Sat, 03/21/09 – 09:00 PM, Paragon Casino Resort, Marksville, LA

As a songwriter and a performer, Willie Nelson played a vital role in post-rock & roll country music. Although he didn’t become a star until the mid-’70s, Nelson spent the ’60s writing songs that became hits for stars like Ray Price (“Night Life“), Patsy Cline (“Crazy”), Faron Young (“Hello Walls”), and Billy Walker (“Funny How Time Slips Away”) as well as releasing a series of records on Liberty and RCA that earned him a small, but devoted, cult following. During the early ’70s, Willie aligned himself with Waylon Jennings and the burgeoning outlaw country movement that made him into a star in 1975. Following the crossover success of that year’s The Red Headed Stranger and “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain,” Nelson was a genuine star, as recognizable in pop circles as he was to the country audience; in addition to recording, he also launched an acting career in the early ’80s. Even when he was a star, Willie never played it safe musically. Instead, he borrowed from a wide variety of styles, including traditional pop, Western swing, jazz, traditional country, cowboy songs, honky tonk, rock & roll, folk, and the blues, creating a distinctive, elastic hybrid. Nelson remained at the top of the country charts until the mid-’80s, when his lifestyle — which had always been close to the outlaw clichés with which his music flirted — began to spiral out of control, culminating in an infamous battle with the IRS in the late ’80s. During the ’90s, Nelson’s sales never reached the heights that he had experienced a decade earlier, but he remained a vital icon in country music, having greatly influenced the new country, new traditionalist, and alternative country movements of the ’80s and ’90s as well as leaving behind a legacy of classic songs and recordings.

Nelson began performing music as a child growing up in Abbott, TX. After his father died and his mother ran away, Nelson and his sister Bobbie were raised by their grandparents, who encouraged both children to play instruments. Willie picked up the guitar, and by the time he was seven, he was already writing songs. Bobbie learned to play piano, eventually meeting — and later marrying — fiddler Bud Fletcher, who invited both of the siblings to join his band. Nelson had already played with Raychecks’ Polka Band, but with Fletcher, he acted as the group’s frontman. Willie stayed with Fletcher throughout high school. Upon his graduation, he joined the Air Force but had to leave shortly afterward, when he became plagued by back problems. Following his disenrollment from the service, he began looking for full-time work. After he worked several part-time jobs, he landed a job as a country DJ at Fort Worth’s KCNC in 1954. Nelso

n continued to sing in honky tonks as he worked as a DJ, deciding to make a stab at recording career by 1956. That year, he headed to Vancouver, WA, where he recorded Leon Payne’s “Lumberjack.” At that time, Payne was a DJ and he plugged “Lumberjack” on the air, which eventually resulted in sales of 3,000 — a respectable figure for an independent single, but not enough to gain much attention. For the next few years, Willie continued to DJ and sing in clubs. During this time, he sold “Family Bible” to a guitar instructor for 50 dollars, and when the song became a hit for Claude Gray in 1960, Nelson decided to move to Nashville the following year to try his luck. Though his nasal voice and jazzy, off-center phrasing didn’t win him many friends — several demos were made and then rejected by various labels — his songwriting ability didn’t go unnoticed, and soon Hank Cochran helped Willie land a publishing contract at Pamper Music. Ray Price, who co-owned Pamper Music, recorded Nelson’s “Night Life” and invited him to join his touring band, the Cherokee Cowboys, as a bassist.

Arriving at the beginning of 1961, Price’s invitation began a watershed year for Nelson. Not only did he play with Price — eventually taking members of the Cherokee Cowboys to form his own touring band — but his songs also provided major hits for several other artists. Faron Young took “Hello Walls” to number one for nine weeks, Billy Walker made “Funny How Time Slips Away” into a Top 40 country smash, and Patsy Cline made “Crazy” into a Top Ten pop crossover hit. Earlier in the year, he signed a contract with Liberty Records and began releasing a series of singles that were usually drenched in strings. “Willingly,” a duet with his then-wife Shirley Collie, became a Top Ten hit for Nelson early in 1962, and it was followed by another Top Ten single, “Touch Me,” later that year. Both singles made it seem like Nelson was primed to become a star, but his career stalled just as quickly as it had taken off, and he was soon charting in the lower regions of the Top 40. Liberty closed its country division in 1964, the same year Roy Orbison had a hit with “Pretty Paper.”

When the Monument recordings failed to become hits, Nelson moved to RCA Records in 1965, the same year he became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Over the next seven years, Willie had a steady stream of minor hits, highlighted by the number 13 hit “Bring Me Sunshine” in 1969. Toward the end of his stint with RCA, he had grown frustrated with the label, which had continually tried to shoehorn him into the heavily produced Nashville sound. By 1972, he wasn’t even able to reach the country Top 40. Discouraged by his lack of success, Nelson decided to retire from country music, moving back to Austin, TX, after a brief and disastrous sojourn into pig farming. Once he arrived in Austin, Nelson realized that many young rock fans were listening to country music along with the traditional honky tonk audience. Spotting an opportunity, Willie began performing again, scrapping his pop-oriented Nashville sound and image for a rock- and folk-influenced redneck outlaw image. Soon, he earned a contract with Atlantic Records.

Shotgun Willie (1973), Nelson’s first album for Atlantic, was evidence of the shift of his musical style, and although it initially didn’t sell well, it earned good reviews and cultivated a dedicated cult following. By the fall of 1973, his version of Bob Wills’ “Stay All Night (Stay a Little Longer)” had cracked the country Top 40. The following year, he delivered the concept album Phases and Stages, which increased his following even more with the hit singles “Bloody Mary Morning” and “After the Fire Is Gone.” But the real commercial breakthrough didn’t arrive until 1975, when he severed ties with Atlantic and signed to Columbia Records, which gave him complete creative control of his records. Willie’s first album for Columbia, The Red Headed Stranger, was a spare concept album about a preacher, featuring only his guitar and his sister’s piano. The label was reluctant to release with such stark arrangements, but they relented and it became a huge hit, thanks to Nelson’s understated cover of Roy Acuff’s “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain.”

Following the breakthrough success of The Red Headed Stranger as well as Waylon Jennings’ simultaneous success, outlaw country — so named because it worked outside of the confines of the Nashville industry — became a sensation, and RCA compiled the various-artists album Wanted: The Outlaws!, using material Nelson, Jennings, Tompall Glaser, and Jessi Colter had previously recorded for the label. The compilation boasted a number one single in the form of the newly recorded Jennings and Nelson duet “Good Hearted Woman,” which was also named the Country Music Association’s single of the year. For the next five years, Nelson consistently charted on both the country and pop charts, with “Remember Me,” “If You’ve Got the Money I’ve Got the Time,” and “Uncloudy Day” becoming Top Ten country singles in 1976; “I Love You a Thousand Ways” and the Mary Kay Place duet “Something to Brag About” were Top Ten country singles the following year.

Nelson enjoyed his most successful year to date in 1978, as he charted with two very dissimilar albums. Waylon and Willie, his first duet album with Jennings, was a major success early in the year, spawning the signature song “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys.” Later in the year, he released Stardust, a string-augmented collection of pop standards produced by Booker T. Jones. Most observers believed that the unconventional album would derail Nelson’s career, but it unexpectedly became one of the most successful records in his catalog, spending almost ten years in the country charts and eventually selling over four million copies. After the success of Stardust, Willie branched out into film, appearing in the Robert Redford movie The Electric Horseman in 1979 and starring in Honeysuckle Rose the following year. The latter spawned the hit “On the Road Again,” which became another one of Nelson’s signature songs.

Willie continued to have hits throughout the early ’80s, when he had a major crossover success in 1982 with a cover of Elvis Presley’s hit “Always on My Mind.” The single spent two weeks at number one and crossed over to number five on the pop charts, sending the album of the same name to number two on the pop charts as well as quadruple-platinum status. Over the next two years, he had hit duet albums with Merle Haggard (1983′s Poncho & Lefty) and Jennings (1982′s WWII and 1983′s Take It to the Limit), while “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before,” a duet with Latin pop star Julio Iglesias, became another major crossover success in 1984, peaking at number five on the pop charts and number one on the country singles chart.

Following a string of number one singles in early 1985, including “Highwayman,” the first single from the Highwaymen, a supergroup he formed with Jennings, Johnny Cash, and Kris Kristofferson, Nelson’s popularity gradually began to erode. A new generation of artists had captured the attention of the country audience, which began to drastically cut into his own audience. For the remainder of the decade, he recorded less frequently and remained on the road; he also continued to do charity work, most notably Farm Aid, an annual concert that he founded in 1985 designed to provide aid to ailing farmers. While he career was declining, an old demon began to creep up on Willie: the IRS. In November 1990, he was given a bill for $16.7 million in back taxes. During the following year, almost all of his assets — including several houses, studios, farms, and various properties — were taken away, and to help pay his bill, he released the double album The IRS Tapes: Who’ll Buy My Memories? Originally released as two separate albums, the records were marketed through television commercials, and all the profits were directed to the IRS. By 1993 — the year he turned 60 — his debts had been paid off, and he relaunched his recording career with Across the Borderline, an ambitious album produced by Don Was and featuring cameos by Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt, Paul Simon, Sinéad O’Connor, David Crosby, and Kris Kristofferson. The record received strong reviews and became his first solo album to appear in the pop charts since 1985.

After the release of Across the Borderline, Nelson continued to work steadily, releasing at least one album a year and touring constantly. In 1993, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, but by that time, he had already become a living legend for all country music fans across the world. Signing to Island for 1996′s Spirit, he resurfaced two years later with the critically acclaimed Teatro, produced by Daniel Lanois. Nelson followed up that success with the instrumental-oriented Night and Day a year later; Me and the Drummer and Milk Cow Blues followed in 2000. The Rainbow Connection, which featured an eclectic selection of old-time country favorites, appeared in spring 2001.

Amazingly prolific as a recording artist, Nelson released The Great Divide on Universal in 2002. A collection of his early-’60s publishing demos for Pamper Music called Crazy: The Demo Sessions came out on Sugar Hill in 2003. Later in 2003 Nelson released Run That by Me One More Time, which reunited him with Ray Price and kicked off a relationship with Lost Highway Records. It Always Will Be and Outlaws and Angels both appeared on Lost Highway in 2004, followed by the release of Nelson’s long-delayed attempt at a country-reggae fusion, Countryman, also on Lost Highway, in 2005. You Don’t Know Me: The Songs of Cindy Walker arrived the following year, along with Songbird, Nelson’s collaboration with alt-country singer/songwriter Ryan Adams and his band the Cardinals. The double-disc Last of the Breed, an ambitious project that paired Nelson with Merle Haggard, Ray Price, and Asleep at the Wheel, was released by Lost Highway in 2007, followed by the Kenny Chesney/Buddy Cannon-produced Moment of Forever a year later in 2008. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

40% Off Tickets to BLUE MAN GROUP – Las Vegas!

An international sensation featuring three bald and blue characters, Blue Man Group combines music, comedy and multimedia theatrics to create an explosive party atmosphere that infects people of all ages!
40% off Blue Man Group Las Vegas shows through Jan 4! Tickets as low as $62.50! Blue and Red Zone sections which regularly sell for $139.50 and $99.35 are now only $86.70 and $62.50.
Just choose the show you’d like to attend and the price. No password needed!
Hurry, this offer expires on Jan 4!

Don’t miss this wildly popular Vegas show: “an absolutely ecstatic experience” USA Today, 

“A perfect entertainment…so much fun it must be experienced to be believed” -Chicago Tribune
Get your tickets today!

Join Steele Luxury Travel at Aspen Gay Ski Week: January 11 – 18, 2009!

Steele Luxury Travel presents our favorite event in North America: Aspen Gay Ski Week. Each year, hundreds of gay and lesbian snow lovers flock to Aspen, Colorado for a full week of winter activities and exclusive parties! Founded over a decade ago to provide services for the Roaring Fork Valley community, the Roaring Fork Gay and Lesbian Community Fund (RFGLCF) hosts parties, educational forums and special events such as Aspen Gay Ski Week to provide tens of thousands of dollars to schools and various charities of gay and lesbian interest.

Aspen Gay Ski Week’s 2009 theme is Fire and Ice. Participants will be spoiled with chic apres-ski and hot tub parties, as well mountain side events including GSW’s famous Downhill Parade and the famous closing Pool Party. Steele Luxury Travelers will also be invited to exclusive cocktail parties around Aspen to celebrate the winter and the week’s festivities.

This year’s host hotel is the Limelight Hotel, where most GSW events are held. Steele Luxury Travel and guests will be staying at the 5-star St. Regis Resort, Aspen. This AAA Four Diamond hotel is constantly presented with top awards and accolades as one of North America’s leading resorts.

Steele Luxury Travel will also host an exclusive cocktail party in our 2-bedroom suite one evening during the week. Stay Tuned, invitations will be sent out soon! For more information on Aspen Gay Ski week, be sure to contact us at info@SteeleTravel.com.

Steele Luxury Travel Attends Sestriere Gay Ski Week: February 8 – 15, 2009!

Over President’s Day and Valentine’s Day 2009, Steele Luxury Travel will make a visit to Sestriere, Italy for their famous gay ski week. Located in Italy’s “Milky Way Ski Circuit” of the Alps, Sestriere is a famous Italian ski resort boasting over 600km of slopes as well as plenty of fantastic restaurants, bars, and nightclubs. Steele Luxury Travel will stay at the all-inclusive host hotel, Sestriere Club Med.
Although Steele Luxury Travel does not offer an official package to Aspen or Sestriere, it would be our pleasure to host you on our trip! Please contact us for more details.

By http://www.steeletravelblog.com

Thomas & Friends Live On Stage – Tour dates across the US in 2009!

The all-new 90-minute musical adventure Thomas & Friends™ Live! On Stage: A Circus Comes To Town is packed with audience sing-a-longs, high-energy dancing and thrilling adventures. When Thomas makes a big mistake, all the engines on the Island of Sodor must work together to prepare for the exciting event under the Big Top as Thomas proves he’s a really useful engine once again. Along the way, Percy, James, Gordon, and of course Thomas, join with Sir Topham Hatt™ and the townspeople from the Island of Sodor to welcome a colorful cast of circus performers in an engaging story that demonstrates the importance of friendship and cooperation.

Thomas & Friends™ Live! On Stage: A Circus Comes To Town – Following Thomas & Friends’ successful North American tour in 2007, AEG ThemeSTAR and HIT Entertainment are pleased to present an all new, live musical adventure: Thomas and Friends Live! On Stage: A Circus Comes to Town. When Thomas makes a big mistake, all the engines on the Island of Sodor must work together to prepare for the exciting event under the Big Top, and, Thomas must prove he’s a really useful engine once again. With thrilling adventures along the way, Percy, James, Gordon, and of course, Thomas, join with Sir Topham Hatt and the townspeople from the Island of Sodor, to welcome a colorful cast of circus performers in an engaging story that demonstrates the importance of friendship and cooperation.

Sir Topham Hatt™ tells Thomas the Tank Engine some exciting circus news as Percy the Small Engine and townspeople from Sodor look on, in Thomas & Friends™  Live! On Stage: A Circus Comes To Town.  Thomas & Friends Live! On Stage” invites preschoolers and their families to enter a world of imagination and adventure through engaging story-telling and fun filled musical performances that encourage discovery, friendship and cooperation.

Thomas and his friends live on the Island of Sodor, where adventure and lessons of friendship and teamwork await you at every turn. Don’t miss “Thomas & Friends Live! On Stage,” making tracks to your town!  Sir Topham Hatt™, the Controller of the Railway, tells Thomas the Tank Engine the exciting news about a circus coming to Sodor, in Thomas & Friends™ Live! On Stage: A Circus Comes To Town!

Schedule and Tickets – Tickets Now On Sale! JANUARY 2009: 22 Jan – Bob Hope Theatre, Stockton, CA.  24 – 25 Jan, Lawlor Event Center, Reno, NV.  30 Jan – 1 Feb, Nokia Theatre, Los Angeles, CA.  FEBRUARY 2009: 3 – 4 Feb, Citizen Business Bank Arena, Ontario, CA, 6 – 8 Feb, Segerstrom Hall, Costa Mesa, CA.  10 – 11 Feb, Rabobank Theatre, Bakersfield, CA.  13 – 15 Feb, COX Pavilion, Las Vegas, NV.  18 – 19 Feb, Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR.  21 – 22 Feb, Hult Center, Eugene, OR.  23 – 24 Feb, Comcast Arena, Everett, WA.  27 Feb – 1 Mar, Key Arena, Seattle, WA.  MARCH 2009: 3 – 4 Mar, Performing Arts Center, Spokane, WA.  6 – 8 Mar, Flint Center, Cupertino, CA.  9 – 10 Mar, Marin County Events Center, San Rafael, CA.  12 Mar, E Center, Salt Lake City, UT.  14 Mar, Pikes Peak Center, Colorado Springs, CO.  20 – 22 Mar, Ipayone.com, San Diego, CA.  24 – 25 Mar, Convention Center Arena, Tucson, AZ.  31 Mar – 1 Apr, Sandler Centera, Virginia Beach, VA.  APRIL 2009: 3 – 5 Apr, Susquehanna Bank Center, Camden, NJ.  7 – 8 Apr, XL Center, Hartford, CT.  17 – 19 Apr, Beacon Theatre, New York, NY.  21 – 22 Apr, Palace Theatre, Columbus, OH.  24 – 26 Apr, Chaifetz Arena, St. Louis, MO.  28 – 29 Apr, McLeod Center, Cedar Rapids, IA.  MAY 2009: 1 – 3 May, Target Center, Minneapolis, MN.  8 – 10 May, Sears Centre, Hoffman Estates, IL.  12 – 13 May, Benedum, Pittsburgh, PA.  15 – 17 May, Memorial Auditorium, Raleigh, NC.  19 – 20 May, Nutter Center, Dayton, OH.  21 May, War Memorial Coliseum, Ft. Wayne, IN.  23 May, Pershing Auditorium, Lincoln, NE.  26 – 27 May, Show Me Center, Cape Girardeau, MO.  29 – 31 May, BJCC Arena, Birmingham, AL.  JUNE 2009: 2 – 3 June, Nokia Theatre, Grand Prairie, TX.  5 – 7 June, Tulsa Conv Center Arena, Tulsa, OK.  12 – 14 June, Palace of Auburn Hills, Detroit, MI.  16 – 17 June, Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY.  19 – 21 June, Prudential Center, Newark, NJ.  22 – 23 June, Bobcats Arena, Charlotte, NC.  26 – 28 June, Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA.  JULY 2009: 7 July, Von Braun Center Theatre, Huntsville, AL.  8 – 9 July,
Tennessee Theatre, Knoxville, TN.  10 – 12 July, Sommet Center, Nashville, TN.  14 – 15 July, Keifer UNO Lakefront Arena, New Orleans, LA.  18 – 19 July, Broward Center, Ft. Lauderdale, FL.  21 – 22 July, Germain Arena, Ft. Myers, FL.  25 – 26 July, Tampa Bay PAC, Tampa, FL.  28 July, Clay Center, Charleston, WV.  31 July – 1 Aug.  State Theatre, New Brunswick, NJ.

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