1) Will you publicly pledge your allegiance to the Seattle Sonics?
Are you excited about the possibility of the Sonics coming back to Seattle? REALLY excited? ‘Cause Chris Hansen, our big rich billionaire buddy who wants to bring Sonics basketball back to Seattle, is going to ask you if you want to get on the Priority Ticket Waitlist. KING5 says starting Thursday, you can go to sonicsarena.com and register your interest in season tickets – and if you were a season ticket holder way back in the 2007-2008 season, you’ll have a chance to sign up for your same seats in Key Arena, which would be the teams temporary home for a couple of years. I guess Hansen would like to demonstrate to the NBA that there is lots of fan interest in the return of the Sonics as he goes head to head against the group from Sacramento that wants to keep the team down there. I don't think you're actually commiting to anything, or being guaranteed anything, if you sign up -- but a demonstration of lots of fan interest has got to help our case here in Seattle.
2) Two Brithish legends of rock are putting out new music today
Eric Clapton’s 21st studio album comes out today. Old Sock contains 12 songs, but only two originals. Clapton admits he prefers doing other people’s songs. He says, "I've always considered myself as being an interpreter anyway. I could do albums of covers for the rest of my life. I don't have to write songs . . . .Normally, I would just happily play in a cover band. That would suit me fine." The new record has guest appearances by JJ Cale, Steve Winwood, Chaka Kahn of Rufus, and Paul McCartney; Slowhand’s tour starts Thursday in Phoenix, but unfortunately that’s as far west as he going -- it’s Phoenix, and then he heads East.
Then there's David Bowie. He's back today with his first new album in almost 10 years. The Next Day is Bowie’s 30th studio album, and he’s excited because he knows he’s done something good when he gets that special feeling. "There's a certain kind of excitement that I couldn't really explain that with the rest of the guys in the band you kind of know that what you're doing is really, really hot and it's really good. It has something unusual to say. It's an indefinable quality. That's one of the best things about music, is that there is a point where you can't articulate what's going on, and that's why it is music.." Sadly for us, Bowie doesn’t plan to tour except for a one-off appearance here and there. He’s excited, but not excited enough to get off his couch and actually tour.
3) These bands coming to the Northwest will let you relive their live show over and over
You know Bad Company and Lynyrd Skynyrd are hitting the road this summer, right? The first of their dates together will be at the White River Ampitheater on June 20 and if you go, you’ll be able to walk away from the concert with an individually numbered, high-quality recording of the show you just heard. For $30 you can reserve a CD, which comes with a bonus “rockumentary” CD that includes band interviews. They’ll burn it and have it ready for you to pick up as you leave the show. So don’t get too baked and forget about it until you’re back in Lake Forest park . . .. "Dude, my CD! Turn the car around -- we have to go back to Auburn!"
