With so many new records coming out all the time and so many new bands breaking through, it's sometimes hard to keep up. Two of the best pop/rock releases over the past year come from two very different bands — Kings of Leon and Death Cab for Cutie. And, as the fates would allow, both bands are also on tour this summer.

Kings of Leon issued Come around Sundown in October 2010 as a follow-up to 2008's Only By the Night which included huge hits like “Sex on Fire.” That release also won Grammy awards for Record of the Year, Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, and Best Rock Song for "Use Somebody," so Sundown had some big shoes to fill.

No worries. The first cut, “Radioactive,” grabbed a Grammy nod and the record has done pretty well for the Followill boys. Kings of Leon have also been on tour this summer supporting the set. However, the July 29 show in Dallas, Texas, was cut short when lead singer Caleb Followill abruptly departed the stage suffering from dehydration and heat exhaustion which caused his vocal chords to seize.

"My voice is completely 100 percent wrong. I'm sorry," the singer announced. "I'm gonna go backstage for a second. I'm gonna vomit. I'm gonna drink some beer ... and for the record, I'm not drunk ... I'm about to fall down here because I'm so goddamn hot. ... I'm gonna come back out here and I'm gonna play three more songs."

Except that he didn't make it back out. Many apologies followed. For the following night's show — tonight — in Houston, Kings of Leon postponed until September 22.

Also on tour this summer with a new collection are Death Cab for Cutie. Their latest, Codes and Keys, has been earning positive marks from critics and fans. NPR noted, “The heavy, churning emotions of youth have a way of dissipating into something more abstract and complex, and both albums reflect that understanding.

“While Narrow Stairs looks at what motivates wayward souls — whether in the faded stardom of 'Cath...' or the heartbreaking surrender reflected in 'Your New Twin-Sized Bed' — Codes and Keys feels a bit subtler in its intentions. ... Not only does Codes and Keys gain richness and depth with each exposure, but it also gets better as it rolls along.”

Reviews of their live shows have been just as kind. After catching a preview of Death Cab in Chicago this past spring, one critic wrote, “Death Cab made sure to touch on its generally celebrated past, from the catchy (though unremarkable) commercial stylings of 'Crooked Teeth' and 'I Will Possess Your Heart' through some of the indie world's most treasured morsels like 'The New Year' and 'The Sound of Settling.' Add in the sonically surging encore of 'Transatlanticism,' and this up close and personal evening served as more than just a warm up for the larger venues to come, but a reminder why Death Cab deserves to be there in the first place.”

All in all, despite the high-heat cancellation and the larger venues, both Kings of Leon and Death Cab for Cutie are pretty worthy tickets to ride.

Top Ten Comics Touring This Summer

Thanks to the internet, and video sharing sites, you can watch the comedy routines of just about any standup in the world.  However, there’s a huge difference between watching a comic perform on a video and watching a comic perform live on stage. 

Almost without fail, being in the audience to witness a top-notch standup is far better, and much more hilarious, than any recording.  That’s why ClickitTicket has compiled a list of the top ten comics out on tour this summer.  The ten comedians listed below are not your run of the mill jokesters: they are the best of the best.  If you want to laugh, just attend a show by anyone of the following ten comics. 

Bill Engvall
Everyman Bill Engvall is best known for selling tickets to the Blue Collar Comedy Tour.  He’s also the host of Country Fried Home Videos airing on CMT and GSN’s version of the game show Lingo.  This summer, fans can catch Bill Engvall all over the country including shows in Denver, Las Vegas, and San Antonio.  He’s out on the road with fellow Blue Collar Comedy alumni Jeff Foxworthy.

Bill Maher
Love him or hate him one thing is for sure, Bill Maher is hilarious.  The host of HBO’s Real Time is playing a string of dates this summer including sets in Chicago, San Francisco, and Toronto.  On Sept. 25, Bill Maher will be in Montreal for a show at the St. Denis Theatre.  Our favorite Maher line of all-time: “Curious people are interesting people, I wonder why that is?”

Chris Tucker
In 2012, you’ll be able to buy movie tickets to see Chris Tucker in Rush Hour 4 and Last Friday, his two most famous roles.  Until then you can catch Tucker behind the microphone.  In the next couple of months, the former Def Comedy Jam regular is set to perform in Phoenix, Chicago, and New Orleans.  Boston welcomes Chris Tucker to the Citi Wang Theatre on Sept. 10. 

David Sedaris
"All I do is lie, and that has made me immune to compliments."  That sagacious line comes from the demented genius of David Sedaris.  He’s not exactly a stand-up comedian, but he's still extremely funny.  In fact, David Sedaris tickets are some of the hardest to procure in the comedy world.  In 2011, fans can attend David Sedaris shows in cities like Orlando, Raleigh, Boston, and Columbus.

George Lopez
When the outrageous George Lopez isn’t hosting his highly successful TBS late-night talk show, Lopez Tonight, he’s out on the road performing his outrageous standup comedy.  Watch Lopez this summer in Las Vegas, San Diego, and Prior Lake, Minnesota.  He’s also part of the Divine Rascals Tour with rock legend Carlos Santana.

Kathy Griffin
You’ve probably seen Kathy Griffin on Bravo’s My Life on the D-List, but the plucky red-headed comedienne is really in her element when she’s on stage telling jokes.  Her generation's Joan Rivers is scheduled to perform all over North America this summer.  Laugh at Kathy Griffin in Seattle, Salt Lake City, and Toronto.  That's just a few of the cities on her schedule.

Lewis Black
One of the hardest working, and funniest, standup comedians working today is Lewis Black.  His angry rants and hysterical outbursts have been keeping audiences in stitches for more than 30 years.  Black is out and about this summer performing in Uncasville, Atlantic City, and Boston.  Lewis Black will be in Anaheim, California on Aug. 27.

Louis C.K.
You’ve seen Louis C.K. on his hit FX show Louie, but have you seen his standup act?  The Boston native is one of the most hilarious comedians to ever pick up a microphone.  This summer you can experience the great Louis C.K. in Hyannis, Newport, and Chicago.  Besides dates in North America, Louis C.K. is also selling tickets in Australia.

Jeff Foxworthy
Don’t make the mistake of thinking Jeff Foxworthy is a one-trick pony.  He’s far more than the “you might be a redneck” guy; he’s also one of the best standup comedians working today.  But don’t take our word for it, get yourself some Jeff Foxworthy tickets and see for yourself.  This summer Foxworthy is teaming with Bill Engvall for a series of dates.  They’ll be in San Antonio, New Orleans, and Charlotte as well as several other cities.

Jerry Seinfeld
If you can only see one comic on this list make sure it’s the "Frank Sinatra of Comedy."  Jerry Seinfeld tickets are being sold this summer to several venues including the North Charleston Performing Arts Center in North Charleston, the Borgata Event Center in Atlantic City, and the Colosseum in Caesars Palace.  On Sept. 30, Jerry Seinfeld will knock them dead in Portland, Oregon at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.

The Foo Fighters have a busy second half of 2011 to get through. Tour, tour, tour. As July starts to wind down and the boys look to August, they'll kick off the month in Chicago at Lollapalooza. A couple of shows in Canada follow that, then it's off to Europe for the rest of the month.

They'll be back stateside with dates starting in mid-September and running through mid-November as they support their April release, Wasting Light.

If you plan on attending a show, best mind your manners. At a recent gig in London, a guy started a row in the moshpit. Front man Dave Grohl stopped in the middle of a tune to admonish the fan, saying “You don’t fight at my show. Who’s fighting right now? Who’s fighting? Let me see him. It’s that fu**ing guy in the striped shirt right there. Look at you. Hey! Look at me. Hey! In the striped shirt! Look at me right here, motherfu**ker. Look at me. Look at me. Get the fu** out of my show right now.”

Addressing the rest of the audience, Grohl added, “You don't come to my show and fight. You come to my show and dance. I don't put up with that." The legions of the fans, then, danced and rocked for the remainder of the performance.

Reviews for the Foo Fighters' Wasting Light tour have proven to be as solid as the band itself. Joining Grohl in the Foo Fighters' ranks are guitarists Chris Shiflett and Pat Smear, bassist Nate Mendel, and drummer Taylor Hawkins. Together, it seems, they know how to rock a joint.

A Memphis critic wrote, “Whatever you want to say about the relative merits of the Foo Fighters' music, it can’t be denied that the band offers fans bang for their buck. On Friday night, the alt-rock giants took the stage of Downtown’s FedExForum performing an epic set – nearly 30 songs and three hours – with tickets topping out a relatively modest $49.”

That's quite the bargain in this day of high prices and low talent.

The reviewer continued, “Racing around the stage and running along a catwalk extending deep into the arena, Grohl slapped hands and struck poses; his outsized rock-and-roll persona is ideally built to play to the rafters, and he did that throughout the night.

“The songs and bonhomie continued, with the group dipping into generously into its seven-album back catalog, and even breaking out a couple classic rock covers. By the end of the marathon performance it was evident that everyone had gotten their money's worth.”

Part of the reason behind the so-called “bonhomie” is that Grohl, quite simply, loves his job and isn't afraid to show it: “How could you not want to do this? I get to sit around and talk about rock’n’roll all day, then go play music with my friends and laugh my ass off backstage, until it’s time to have a beer and get 80,000 people to sing with me. That’s not work!”

Foo Fighters 2011 Tour Dates:

August 2011
7 - Chicago, IL - Grant Park (Lollapalooza)
9 - Foo Fighters in Toronto, ON - Air Canada Center
10 - Foo Fighters in Montreal, QC - Bell center
18 - Hasselt, Belgium - Kempische Steenweg (Pukkelpop)
20 - St. Polten, Austria - Green Park (Frequency)
21 - Erfurt, Germany - Stausee Hohenfelden (Highfield)
23 - Cologne, Germany - Lanxess Arena
24 - Ubersee, Germany - Open Air Almfischer (Chiemsee Festival)
26 - Paris, France - Rock en Seine Festival

September 2011
14 - Foo Fighters in St. Paul, MN - Xcel Center (w/ Rise Against, Mariachi el Bronx)
16 - Foo Fighters in Kansas City, MO - Sprint Center (w/ Rise Against, Mariachi el Bronx)
17 - Foo Fighters in St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center (w/ Rise Against, Mariachi el Bronx)
19 - Foo Fighters in Auburn Hills, MI - The Palace of Auburn Hills (w/ Rise Against, Mariachi el Bronx)
20 - Foo Fighters in Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena (w/ Rise Against, Mariachi el Bronx)
22 - Foo Fighters in Columbus, OH - Nationwide Arena (w/ Rise Against, Mariachi el Bronx)
23 - Foo Fighters in Pittsburgh, PA - Consol Energy Center (w/ Rise Against, Mariachi el Bronx)
25 - Foo Fighters in Buffalo, NY - HSBC Center (w/ Rise Against, Mariachi el Bronx)
26 - Foo Fighters in East Rutherford, NJ - Izod Center (w/ Rise Against, Mariachi el Bronx)

October 2011
9 - Foo Fighters in Denver, CO - Pepsi Center (w/ Cage The Elephant, Mariachi el Bronx)
11 - Foo Fighters in Salt Lake City, UT - Maverick Center (w/ Cage The Elephant, Mariachi el Bronx)
13 - Foo Fighters in Inglewood, CA - The Forum (w/ Cage The Elephant, Mariachi el Bronx)
16 - Foo Fighters in Phoenix, AZ - US Airways Center (w/ Cage The Elephant, Mariachi el Bronx)
17 - Foo Fighters in San Diego, CA - Viejas Arena (w/ Cage The Elephant, Mariachi el Bronx)
19 - Foo Fighters in Oakland, CA - Oracle Arena (w/ Cage The Elephant, Mariachi el Bronx)
20 - Foo Fighters in Sacramento, CA - Power Balance Pavilion (w/ Cage The Elephant, Mariachi el Bronx)

25 - Foo Fighters in Vancouver, BC - Rogers Arena (w/ Cage The Elephant, Mariachi el Bronx)

27 - Foo Fighters in Calgary, AB - Scotiabank Saddledom (w/ Cage The Elephant, Mariachi el Bronx)

28 - Foo Fighters in Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place (w/ Cage The Elephant, Mariachi el Bronx)

November 2011
7 - Foo Fighters in Duluth, GA - Arena at Gwinnett Center (w/ Social Distortion, The Joy Formidable)
8 - Foo Fighters in Charlotte, NC - Time Warner Cable Arena (w/ Social Distortion, The Joy Formidable)
10 - Foo Fighters in Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center (w/ Social Distortion, The Joy Formidable)
14 - Foo Fighters in Newark, NJ - Prudential Center (w/ Social Distortion, The Joy Formidable)
16 - Foo Fighters in Bosto, MA - TD Garden (w/ Social Distortion, The Joy Formidable)

Million Dollar Quartet To Launch National Tour in Cleveland

The jam session.

The term conjures up images of wannabe rockers strumming guitars in dingy basements surrounded by cold beer and tramp-stamped chicks.  If you hang around long enough the hacks might actually play something that resembles a real song.

Yes, professional musicians jam (thus the term "jam band") but for the most part rock concerts are a highly choreographed, well-planned musical performances.

However, there's one jam session that's circumnavigated the passage of time, transcended the generations, and is far more significant than a bunch of hippies playing "Fire on the Mountain" for 48 minutes.  The immortal jam session I'm referring to has been dramatized in the highly acclaimed Broadway musical, Million Dollar Quartet.

Million Dollar Quartet tells the story of one of rock ‘n’ roll's most memorable nights, Dec. 4, 1956.  On that evening, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins gathered at Sun Records' storefront studio in Memphis, Tennessee for one of rock music’s most important jam  sessions.

That December night was the only time the four legends ever joined forces.  They played several rock ‘n’ roll standards including "Blue Suede Shoes," "Great Balls of Fire," and "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On." 

Those songs, and many more including "Fever," "Sixteen Tons," and "Folsom Prison Blues," are all featured in Million Dollar Quartet.  While the tunes are half-a-century old, the production is youthful and vivacious.  

This show, which was nominated for three Tony Awards including Best Musical, isn't about fat Elvis, creepy Lewis, or the Johnny Cash that played state fairs.  Million Dollar Quartet is all about rock ‘n’ roll.  It’s a captivating production that captures the spirit of those tumultuous times and showcases four of rock music’s most prominent pioneers in their prime.

The music of Million Dollar Quartet was arranged by Chuck Mead and the book was written by Floyd Mutrux and Colin Escott.  The show was directed by Eric Schaeffer.

Million Dollar Quartet began selling tickets to its Broadway run April 11, 2010.  It closed June 12, 2011 after 489 performances and 34 previews at the Nederlander Theatre.  The show has since moved off-Broadway to New World Stages.  There are also productions running in Chicago and London's West End.

Its first national tour launches Oct. 11 in Cleveland, Ohio.  Other cities on the touring company's route include Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, and Seattle.  Their schedule extends well into 2012.

It's appropriate that a Broadway musical about an historic rock 'n' roll moment that happened in Memphis should open in Cleveland.  The two cities have an on-going dispute over which town is the actual birthplace of rock 'n' roll.  

Cleveland believes they should be listed under hometown on rock’s birth certificate because in July of 1951 Cleveland DJ Alan Freed first played "black music" on a mainstream radio station, WJW.  

Both cities’ moments are seminal events in the history of the genre.

You can decide which city has the best claim to the title of the "birthplace of rock 'n' roll."  However, if the actual Sun Records jam session was even half as exciting as the musical it inspired you'll be hard pressed to give the epithet to a city other than Memphis.

Million Dollar Quartet Itinerary

2011
>>Oct. 11-23 - Million Dollar Quartet in Cleveland, OH @ Palace Theatre
>>Oct. 26-30 - Million Dollar Quartet in Rochester, NY @ Rochester Auditorium Theatre
>>Nov. 1-6 - Million Dollar Quartet in Pittsburgh, PA @ Benedum Center
>>Nov. 8-13 - Million Dollar Quartet in Buffalo, NY @ Sheas Performing Arts Center
>>Nov. 15-20 - Million Dollar Quartet in Milwaukee, WI @ Uihlein Hall 
>>Nov. 22 - Dec. 9 - Million Dollar Quartet in Charlotte, NC @ Knight Theatre
>>Dec. 14-18 - Million Dollar Quartet in Indianapolis, IN @ Murat Theatre at Old National Centre
>>Dec. 27 - Jan. 1 - Million Dollar Quartet in Miami, FL @ Ziff Opera House At The Adrienne Arsht Center

2012
>>Jan. 3-8 - Million Dollar Quartet in Tampa, FL @ Carol Morsani Hall
>>Jan. 10-15 - Million Dollar Quartet in East Lansing, MI @ Wharton Center
>>Jan. 17-22 - Million Dollar Quartet in Grand Rapids, MI @ Devos Hall
>>Jan. 24 - Feb. 5 - Million Dollar Quartet in Detroit, MI @ Fisher Theatre
>>Feb. 7-12 - Million Dollar Quartet in Appleton, WI @ Fox Cities Performing Arts Center
>>Feb. 14-19 - Million Dollar Quartet in Memphis, TN @ Orpheum Theatre
>>Feb. 28 - March 4 - Million Dollar Quartet in Houston, TX @ Sarofim Hall
>>March 20-25 - Million Dollar Quartet in Kansas City, MO @ Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
>>March 27 - April 1 - Million Dollar Quartet in Minneapolis, MN @ State Theatre
>>April 17-22 - Million Dollar Quartet in Sacramento, CA @ Sacramento Community Center Theater
>>April 24 - May 6 - Million Dollar Quartet in Costa Mesa, CA @ Segerstrom Center For The Arts
>>May 8-13 - Million Dollar Quartet in San Jose, CA @ San Jose Center For The Performing Arts
>>May 16-20 - Million Dollar Quartet in Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre
>>May 22-27 - Million Dollar Quartet in Portland, OR @ Keller Auditorium
>>May 29 - June 3 - Million Dollar Quartet in Salt Lake City, UT @ Capitol Theatre
>>June 6-9 - Million Dollar Quartet in Tempe, AZ @ Gammage Auditorium
>>June 19 - July 1 - Million Dollar Quartet in Los Angeles, CA @ Pantages Theatre