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AP Tour 2009 comes to a close in Cleveland

Tim Karan on 5/10/09 @ 3:37 PM

The 2009 AP Tour came to a close last night in AP's hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, and in keeping with the tradition of AP Tours past, the finale was epically grand. Surprise guest appearances, pranks and otherwise general chaos was the norm for every set of the night. Let's see if we can recap some of what went down:

During A ROCKET TO THE MOON's opening set, the Maine vocalist John O'Callaghan lent some metalcore vocals to "Just Another One" and later nearly everyone on the tour came onstage and laid down around the band during a song, and in the case of Family Force 5 drummer, Jacob Olds: over the bass drum.

When HIT THE LIGHTS were announced, astute fans quickly realized that it wasn't HTL at all, but instead, imposters made up of members of Kennedy Brock (of the Maine) on vocals, Derek Mount (of FF5) on guitar and assorted members and crew for 3OH!3 and Hit The Lights. After one surprisingly impressive number, the real Hit The Lights took the stage. During their final song, "Drop The Girl," drummer Nate Van Dame's cymbal stands were raised to their tallest height and were repeatedly knocked over by band members and repeatedly replaced by pretty hilarious FF5 frontman Solomon Olds.

When THE MAINE took the stage, drummer Pat Kirch was surprised to find out that his entire drum set was covered in baby powder that exploded into the air (and all over him) with every hit. His ride and crash cymbals were also taped, rendering them silent. Later, O'Callaghan decided to climb from the stage onto the ledge of AP's opera box where he sang their cover of Akon's "I Wanna Love You." And just before their final song, "Everything I Ask For," O'Callaghan announced he would end the set with a stage dive, but was instead duct taped to A Rocket To The Moon bassist, Eric Halvorsen. After the video screen descended over the stage after the song, O'Callaghan ripped off his shirt and dove into the crowd anyway.

Hit The Lights guitarist, Omar Zehery, played bass during FAMILY FORCE 5's "Dance Or Die" and AP Tour manager (and ex-Braid, ex-Hey Mercedes drummer) Damon Atkinson played the kit during "Supersonic." Later, several members from other bands, including Sean Foreman and Nathaniel Motte from 3OH!3, were dressed in matching FF5-esque outfits and performed an elaborate, choreographed dance.

3OH!3's closing set doubled as the closing of the tour, and they were frequently joined onstage by a dashing Solomon Olds, and then the entire tour--especially for the encore of "Don't Trust Me," which turned into a mass of humanity with A Rocket To The Moon's Loren Brinton on a second drumset and more than a few exposed posteriors adorned with "33" written in Sharpie (one 3 per cheek).

It's nearly impossible to describe all of the insanity, but luckily our fearless AP Tour videographer Brandon Sloter will be showing it all to you in the last episode of AP TOUR: ALT ACCESS later this week. If you haven't seen all of the other episodes, now's the time to catch up.

This year's tour was unquestionably a massive success, leading to sold-out shows at nearly every date. AP wants to thank you, along with all the bands and crew, who made it a difficult tour to top.

The Briggs and Left Alone announce tour

Laila Hanson on 5/10/09 @ 2:22 PM

Old school LA punk rockers The Briggs are ready to hit the road in support of their newest album, Come All You Madmen. They'll be headlining with direct support from ska punks Left Alone. Check out the confirmed tour dates below.

Come All You Madmen Tour featuring The Briggs/Left Alone
July 10, 2009 Dive Bar Las Vegas, Nevada
July 12, 2009 The Gothic Theater Denver, Colorado
July 13, 2009 Sokol Underground Omaha, Nebraska
July 16, 2009 Reggie's Chicago, Illinois
July 18, 2009 Pirate's Cove Cleveland, Ohio
July 21, 2009 Asbury Lanes Asbury Park, New Jersey

There For Tomorrow the teasers

Laila Hanson on 5/10/09 @ 2:12 PM

There For Tomorrow know that you're eager to get your hands on their new album after hearing the first single, "A Little Faster." To keep fans wondering until the release of their debut album of the same title on June 9, the band has posted a teaser video. Check it out below.

Here, Here and Hot Topic

Laila Hanson on 5/10/09 @ 2:02 PM

Musical sisters Meg and Dia are ready to break out their pens and acoustic guitars for their most eager fans. In select Hot Topic stores across the country, the first 30 fans who purchase the band's new album, Here, Here and Here or a Meg and Dia shirt will be granted a wristband that will allow them to attend a special acoustic show. Never fear if you're not one of the first 30, though. Anyone who buys Meg and Dia merch at the below dates, places and times will be able to attend an autograph signing session with the girls. Get your sharpies ready!

5/8/09 - Santa Anita Mall
400 S. Baldwin Ave.
Arcadia, CA 91007
Purchase date starts: 4/23/09
Start time: 5pm

5/9/09 - Irvine Spectrum
71 Fortune Dr.
Irvine, CA 92618
Purchase date starts: 4/24/09
Start time: 3pm

5/10/09 - Mission Valley Center
1640 Camino Del Rio North
San Diego, CA 92108
Purchase date starts: 4/26/09
Start time: 3pm

5/11/09 - Village at Desert Ridge
21001 N. Tatum Blvd.
Phoenix, AZ. 85050
Purchase date starts: 4/26/09
Start time: 5pm

5/12/09 - Tucson Mall
4500 N. Oracle Road
Tucson, AZ 85705
Purchase date starts: 4/27/09
Start time: 5pm

5/13/09 - Galleria at Sunset
1300 W. Sunset Road
Henderson, NV 89014
Purchase date starts: 4/29
Start time: 5pm

5/15/09 - Arden Fair Mall
1689 Arden Way
Sacramento, CA 95815
Purchase date starts: 4/30/09
Start time: 5pm

Regina Spektor track listing

Laila Hanson on 5/10/09 @ 1:48 PM

Regina Spektor recently unveiled the track listing on her upcoming album, Far, shown below. The first single from the Sire release to hit the sound waves, via the singer/songwriter's MySpace, is entitled, "Laughing With."

Regina Spektor, Far
1. The Calculation
2. Eet
3. Blue Lips
4. Folding Chair
5. Machine
6. Laughing With
7. Human of the Year
8. Two Birds
9. Dance Anthem
10. Genius next door
11. Wallet
12. One more time with feeling
13. Man of a Thousand Faces

Killswitch Engage in interview

Leah Preble on 5/10/09 @ 1:14 PM

Killswitch Engage is touring heavily in anticipation of the release of their new album, and are eager to talk about it. Guitarist Joel Stroetzel sat down with the Mike Trejo's Access Unlimitedshow back in March to chat about upcoming events for the band, and the video has just been posted today. Check it out below.