Blondie at the Crossroads

According to Wikipedia, Deborah Harry, lead singer for the new wave band Blondie, which played last night at the Crossroads KC at Grinders, turned 64 this past July 1. Damnit, Wikipedia, where are your manners? If this is correct, and I have a feeling it is -- the great and powerful AllMusic.com backs it up -- then Harry was 30, or close to it, when she and guitarist Chris Stein founded their band in 1975.
Can you imagine a 30-year-old female American musician doing this today and having anywhere near the kind of success Harry did? I needn't go on about contemporary society's obsession with splaying out and dissecting youth and beauty, paparrazi-blog commenters taking apart female celebrities on computer screens like fetal pigs. And when Harry began, first as a Playboy Club cocktailing "Bunny" who played in bands, she came on fully sexual -- even more so with Blondie. Just watch the video for "Denis." Gee willakers!
Times have changed, and last night at the Crossroads, fans came more for nostalgia than for lust. And they were greeted by a classy, bouncy dame and her backing band, who, if not as nimble as they were 30 years ago, were still rarin' to have a good time.
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Green Day makes all the right moves in triumphant Bay Area homecoming

is our time. This is our moment right now," Green Day singer-guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong told a packed house at HP Pavilion early in the evening on Tuesday. "Are you with me, San Jose?"

San Jose was — most definitely. From the moment the group opened its show with the title track to "21st Century Breakdown," to the encores that came nearly three hours later, audience members acted like they were watching the world's greatest rock 'n' roll band.

And who's to argue with them?

In May, "Breakdown" debuted atop the charts in 14 countries. The album's lead single, "Know Your Enemy," hit No. 1 on both Billboard's alternative and rock charts. And there was the news that Berkeley Repertory Theatre Company will produce a stage adaptation of the band's 2004 multiplatinum rock opera, "American Idiot." The musical begins previews on Sept. 4.

And, oh yeah, there's the blockbuster concert drawing capacity crowds across the country.

It all adds up to one thing: 2009 is the year of Green Day.

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MAXWELL AT THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL

FRIDAY OCTOBER 16ON SALE SATURDAY AUGUST 22 AT 10AM!
After hearing from you, our customers, we have decided to try something different for this Maxwell concert. We will be running our charity auction simultaneously with the general on sale. So when you go to purchase tickets, if there are no more garden boxes available, and that is what you are looking for, try bidding on great box tickets in the auction. CLICK HERE FOR MOREINFORMATION
SPECIAL INTERNET PRESALEFriday August 21 10am - 10pm. Password is NIGHT