photo credit: BoMMel / Meksound

Troubled by the impact the bad economy is having on the regular folks who are their fans, Staind, Shinedown, Chevelle and Halestorm are kicking off a Stimulate This! Tour in Peoria, Illinois on Wednesday.

Staind frontman Aaron Lewis told Billboard.com that, “I kind of came up with the idea for this tour by seeing what was going on in this country,” including corporate bailouts that he feels “really didn’t do anything for the average American that really needed the help.” Lewis said he decided on having several bands tour together as a way to keep ticket prices affordable.

According to Billboard, tickets for the 30-date “Simulate This!” trek are generally $40 and under, with amphitheater lawn seats priced in the $10 range. Tour organizers and local promoters have also lined up a variety of discounts and perks for ticket holders, both on an off-site.

“I think all of us think the public in general deserves a break,” Shinedown’s Brent Smith contributed. “The people that work very hard for their paycheck every week deserve to have some rock ‘n’ roll.”

MORE: A classic Staind song and 2009 Stimulate This Tour Dates :

BELOW: Staind “It’s Been A While”

ABOVE: In a rare moment, Kevin Jonas shows off his vocal skills on the JB hit, “S.O.S.”

The eldest Jonas brother, Kevin, and his girlfriend Danielle Deleasa were engaged Wednesday, according to an Associated Press report. The news service reported that the engagement was confirmed by a Jonas’ spokesperson.

The 21-year-old Jonas is part of the hot pop/rock trio the Jonas Brothers, along with siblings Joe and Nick Jonas. In a statement, Kevin’s parents, Kevin Sr. and Denise Jonas, said they were “filled with joy.”

The young couple has not yet set a date. Their engagement was first reported by People magazine. People quoted Kevin Jonas as describing his girlfriend’s reaction as “yes, yes, yes like 500 times super fast in a row.”

Jonas met Deleasa, 22, in May of 2007 while vacationing with their families in the Bahamas. A former hairdresser, Deleasa didn’t even know who Jonas was at the time, according to People magazine.

ABOVE: The Afro-Punk Festival is just one of the great (Free!) concerts on our list for the 4th of July weekend. Complete details, below.

Each weekend in NYC there are so many concerts that it’s hard to decide which ones to attend–and this weekend’s even more jam-packed because it’s the 4th of July!

So, to help you decide how to work some music into your holiday plans, we’ve assembled a list of the weekend’s best concerts based on some interesting categories, including:

Best Place to See Free Live Music-Skateboards Encouraged:
Best Place to See 2 Dozen Bands in 2 Days for about $1.25 each:
Best Place to Wonder if John Lennon Would Prefer Waffles or Eggs:
Best Place to Sing “Mr. Roboto” without Totally Annoying Everyone Around You:
Best Place to See a Legendary Rock Band That Replaced its Dead Singer with an Actor:
And More!

So, which concerts are on our special 4^th of July Concert List for this week? Let’s find out…

Top 10 Concerts this Weekend: July 3, 4 and 5, 2009

1. Best Place to See 2 Dozen Bands in 2 Days for about $1.25 each:

Fri 7/03 @ 979 Broadway Backyard (Woodsist/Captured Tracks Festival) All Ages $15
Crystal Stilts, Blank Dogs, Psychedelic Horseshit, caUSE co-MOTION!, Mayfair Set, Gary War, Little Girls, Kid Romance, Beachniks, Gutsies

Sat 7/04 @ 979 Broadway Backyard (Woodsist/Captured Tracks Festival) All Ages $15
Thee Oh Sees, Vivian Girls, Kurt Vile, Woods, Tyvek, Dum Dum Girls, The Fresh & Onlys, Brilliant Colors, Ganglians, The Great Excape, The Beets, Real Estate, German Measles, Beach Fossils

Really, what can you get in NYC for $1? Not much. Honey-roasted almonds are $2, a ride on the subway is now over $2. Head over to 979 Broadway Backyard and spend a fistful of dollars on something worthwhile for a change, rock’n'roll.

2. Best Place to Gawk at Bret Michaels’ Broken Nose and/or Count Mullets:
Friday 7/3 @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center (Saratoga Springs, NY)
Def Leppard, Poison and Cheap Trick

Even if you weren’t around in the ’80s, you know plenty of ’80s songs. Chances are pretty good that most of those songs were recorded by one of these three bands. Mullets optional, but encouraged.

BELOW: Bret Michaels’ Tony Awards mishap:

3. Best Place to be Relieved, or Disappointed, That There Isn’t Really any Magic Involved:
Fri 7/03 @ South Street Seaport FREE
Here We Go Magic, Bachelorette

4. Best place to pay $40 to See a Band that Played a Free Show Yesterday, Sucker:
Saturday 7/4 Bachelorette Chelsea Art Museum (Rooftop Films 4th of July Party) All Ages $40

New Zealand electronic pop band, Bachelorette, plays a free outdoor show Friday July 3 at South Street Seaport, but with visuals like this, it might be worth the price of admission on Saturday.

BELOW: Bachelorette’s psychedelic video, “Her Rotating Head.”

5. Best Place to Sing “Mr. Roboto” without Annoying Everyone Around You:
Saturday 7/4 @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center (Saratoga Springs, NY)
Styx , REO Speedwagon

BELOW: You might not like it, but odds are, you’ll sing along.

6. Best place to See How Indie Rockers Cope in the Sunlight:
Saturday 7/04 @ Battery Park FREE 3:30pm
Conor Oberst & the Mystic Valley Band, Jenny Lewis

7. Best Place to See a Legendary Rock Band That Replaced its Dead Singer with an Actor:
Friday 7/3@ Asbury Lanes (Asbury Park, NJ)
The Germs, the Krum Bums

Following the 1980 suicide of frontman Darby Crash, the Germs broke-up, and then reformed after recruiting the actor who portrayed Crash in the 2005 movie, What We Do is Secret.

8. Best Place to Wonder if John Lennon Would Prefer Waffles or Eggs:
Saturday 7/4 @ B.B. King Blues Club and Grill $40
Strawberry Fields: a Tribute To the Beatles, Plus: All You Can Eat Brunch
From the show’s website:

Enjoy A Saturday Afternoon With The Music of The BEATLES & A Delicious All-You-Can- Strawberry Fields is a look-a-like, sound-a-like Beatles tribute, dedicated to bringing you as close to a real Beatles concert as you can get. They take you on a Magical Mystery Tour beginning in 1964 complete with mop top hair, black suits with thin ties & the 1st four albums of music. Next stop, 1967, features the psychedelic era of Sergeant Pepper Lonely Hearts Club Band” album with all the costumes & jackets on the album cover. The last stop includes: “White Album”, “Abbey Road”, & “Let It Be”.

BELOW: Ok, but what we really want to know is: Would John Lennon eat waffles, pancakes, or scrambled eggs?

9. Best Place to See Free Live Music-Skateboards Encouraged:
Sat 7/04 @ Brooklyn Academy of Music FREE 3pm
Whole Wheat Bread, Pure Hell, Game Rebellion, American Fangs, The Objex, Funk Face, oOohh Baby Gimme, Jesse Nobody

Sun 7/05 Brooklyn Academy of Music FREE 1pm
Earl Greyhound, Tamar-Kali, The London Souls, Apollo Heights, Sabatta, Sweetie, Peekaboo Theory, The Echo Jinx, B L A C K I E

BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music) presents Afro-Punk Festival July 3-12, and this holiday weekend gets the festival off to a roaring start with two days of free live music in the BAM parking lot. The rest of the festival also includes a huge schedule full of films and documentaries. Plus, there’s a skate park in the parking lot.

BELOW: Afro-Punk Fest performers Earl Greyhound with “S.O.S.”

10. Best Place to See a Scary Death Metal Band Play for NYC Tourists at BB King’s Bar:

Sunday 7/5 @ B.B. King Blues Club and Grill
Deicide, Vital Remains

Florida is home to many scary/silly death metal bands, and Deicide is among the most well known. Singer/screamer Glen Benton has been making squeamish parents squirm for decades thanks to his absurdly evil lyrics and the upside down cross branded on his forehead. Adding to the Spinal Tap-ish feel of the evening, the evil festivities take place at BB King’s Bar and Grill-a blues-themed tourist trap near Times Square. Evil, indeed.

photo credit: beelover9481

The 2009 Essence Festival kicks off Friday night in New Orleans, and singer Lionel Richie says the celebration of black music and culture will be a comfort to a community still reeling from Michael Jackson’s death, according to an Associated Press report.

According to the AP, Richie, who had been friends with Jackson for many years, says going to New Orleans for Essence is a homecoming of sorts that will soothe him and the other performers and give them a chance to regroup.

The festival, held at the Louisiana Superdome and Morial Convention Center beginning tonight will include a tribute to Jackson, as well as performances by Richie, Beyonce, John Legend, Ne-Yo, Anita Baker and others.

The tribute is still in the planning stages, according to organizers, but it will be a focal point of the three-day event.

photo credit: SassyPanda!

It’s Official: Screaming teenage girls around the world have one less Jonas brother to chase after, because one of the boys has just become engaged. Given the boys’ very public vows to remain virgins until they’re married, this may be the first celebrity wedding that doesn’t inspire pregnancy rumors before the big day.

The oldest member of the Jonas trio, Kevin, 21, proposed to his 22-year-old girlfriend, Danielle, Wednesday morning at her New Jersey home. Jonas had just played a concert in Canada, and flew in just to pop the question.

For his part, Kevin has seemingly been the most low-key of the brothers, failing to make headlines and attain teen heartthrob status the way younger brothers/celebrity-daters Nick and Joe normally do.

The engagement was officially announced by Jonas’s parents, Kevin Sr. and Denise, via a blog post on the band’s official website. There is also a photo of the newly-engaged couple.

The Jonas Brothers’ latest album, Lines, Vines and Trying Times, was released in June.

MORE: Special LIVE performance of “Paranoid” and the complete statement from the Jonas parents:

Our hearts are filled with joy today and we are happy to share with you that our son Kevin has asked Danielle Deleasa for her hand in marriage. Her answer was yes and it is such a blessing that she will be joining our family. Kevin and Danielle have not yet set a date. Family is very dear to us and we hope we have raised Kevin to be a wonderful man and husband. Please join us in our families celebration and in congratulating Kevin and Danielle. Thank you for all of your support.

ABOVE: If seeing Michael Jackson dance with the undead wasn’t scary enough, fans may have the chance to see Jackson’s body paraded around in a glass coffin.
Is it a fitting farewell, or a ghoulish goodbye?

Details of Michael Jackson’s funeral and burial are still being confirmed at this time, but CNN reports that Jackson’s body will likely be returned to the embattled Neverland Ranch for a public memorial service, which may in time become a permanent monument to the star, like Graceland is for Elvis.

Tentative plans are being discussed  for a public showing of Jackson’s body at the estate in the coming days, although the details are uncertain, at best.

On a creepier note, CNN and Yahoo! report that Jackson’s family wants his body to be driven through the streets of Los Angeles and taken to the funeral service in a glass-sided horse-drawn carriage, complete with a matching glass coffin.

A public memorial would be acceptable, but isn’t this a little ghoulish?
Do fans really want to see Jackson’s dead body on display?
Should this be a private event for his family, friends?

Leave a comment and tell us what you think.

ABOVE: Enjoy the catchy rock noise of Jay Reatard for free in NYC, but, ladies, be warned: If you touch Jay’s guitar, he will pick you up and throw you off of the stage. Welcome back, punk. We missed you.

Is there a better way to get warmed up for the 4^th of July fireworks than with an explosive free show by Matador Records (Sonic Youth, Cat Power) wild man, Jay Reatard?

Goner Records ex-pat and ex-Lost Sounds leader Jay Lindsey, will tear through some  surprisingly poppy, retro-tinged Brit-punk-flavored tracks from his new Matador Records release, Watch Me Fall-and probably some old favorites, too-during tonight’s free show in NYC. The fun takes place at StuyTown’s  Stuyvesant Oval, which appears to be part of an, um, interesting looking housing complex in Manhattan (take the map, you’ll need it).

Show starts at 8pm, is open to all ages and, best of all, it’s free. Happy Wednesday.

Download audio file (Youre_Gonna_Lose.mp3)
FREE Mp3: Jay Reatard-”You’re Gonna Lose” mp3
FREE Mp3: Jay Reatard-”It Ain’t Gonna Save Me” mp3

ABOVE: U2 dedicated a performance of “Angel of Harlem” to Michael Jackson…we’re not entirely sure why.

More than 90,000 fans piled into Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium last night for the kick off of U2’s 360° Tour, the Irish rockers’ first trek in three years, according to a report on RollingStone.com.

According to the Web site, the concert took place on a massive stage, lovingly called the “Claw” by crew members, and boasted a giant 360 video screen, flowing silk screens and a light show that would have made Pink Floyd jealous.

“We have here a huge production, there’s no denying that. It’s likely the largest rock & roll touring stage production that’s ever been put together,” design architect Mark Fisher was quoted as saying.

U2, one of the world’s most successful acts, opened the show with “Breathe” from their acclaimed new album “No Line on the Horizon,” and went on to play a mix of new and classic songs, including “Angel of Harlem,” which they dedicated to Michael Jackson.

The quartet’s 360° Tour will visit 31 cities across Europe and North America and entertain an estimated three million people.

It’ll probably never stop bumming us out that bands like the Donnas are unfailingly introduced as “all-girl band, the Donnas,” (seriously, nobody ever says “all-boy band, the Rolling Stones”), but these California girls are tough enough to handle it.

Friends since elementary school, the band is celebrating 16 years of catchy rock tunes with equal doses of Ramones-inspired bop and Motley Crue-style swagger, the Donnas have just released their first greatest hits collection. Jokingly titled Greatest Hits Vol. 16, the album is packed with b-sides, rarities and live takes of old favorites.

Oddly, the few hits included in this collection almost seem to be afterthoughts.

We’re only guessing, but perhaps the exclusion of early tracks comes due to potential legal issues arising from having switched labels a few times throughout the years. Notably signed to Atlantic Records for a number of years, some of the band’s earliest material was released by Lookout! Records, former home to Green Day. However, the group’s roots run all the way back to their days as the Electrocutes, issuing tracks through gold-standard garage-rock imprint, Sympathy for the Recording Industry.

The band recently split from Atlantic, and now issues music through its own Purple Feather Records imprint.

Fans expecting this disc to simply herd up their favorite Donnas tracks into one convenient package may be disappointed to find that the original versions of hits such as “Take it Off” and “Fall Behind Me” have been tossed aside in favor of live versions. However, there is no need to be disappointed, as the live takes actually give the band a chance to show what they can do without the super-slick production that took some of the group’s rock edge off on Spend the Night and Turn 21.

Left to their own devices, the Donnas seem to favor fuzzy stompboxes, hair metal attitudes and ’80s arena-rock choruses, and while this kind of  Spandex-y Camaro rock is sometimes cheesy, it’s always fun (the band has even been featured in Guitar Hero). It may be silly party rock, but it’s a breath of fresh air.

In an era dominated by soulless pop tarts and wussed-out emo boys crying through their eyeliner, it is nice to see someone having fun for a change.

In short, while this may not be a greatest hits collection in the usual sense, the inclusion of a handful of hits may be enough to get listeners’ attention long enough to give them a taste of the band’s new material (unfortunately, mostly b-sides, which are respectable, but b-sides for a reason)-and simply remind listeners that the Donnas are still around-and we’re glad to have ‘em at the party.

We’re more interested to hear what they come up with next time around, now that all of the b-sides and remixes have been cleared out of the closet.

LISTEN: Songs from Greatest Hits Vol. 16 are currently streaming on the Donnas official website and Spinner.

BELOW: The Donnas explain the origins of the band and perform the hit “Take it Off” on Swedish TV in 2003.

TRACKLISTING: The Donnas-Greatest Hits Vol.16

1. “Get Off”
2. “Perfect Stranger”
3. “We Own The Night” (Unreleased Bitchin’ B-side)
4. “She’s Out of Control” (Unreleased Bitchin’ B-side)
5. “Take It Off” (Live)
6. “Fall Behind Me” (Live)
7. “Get You Alone” (2009 Version)
8. “Play My Game” (Remix)
9. “You Make Me Hot” (2009 Version)
10. “Get Rid of That Girl” (2009 Version)
11. “Hey I’m Gonna Be Your Girl” (Alternate Version)
12. “I Wanna be With a Girl Like You” (Alternate Version)
13. “I Don’t Want to Go to School” (2009 Version)
14. “Teenage Rules” (Previously Unreleased)
15. “Don’t Wanna Break Your Head” (Previously Unreleased)
16. “High School Yum Yum” (2009 Version)

ABOVE: One of Michael Jackson’s earliest hits, The Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” topped the Billboard chart in 1969, when Michael was just 11 years old.

From the ’60s through the ’90s, Michael Jackson was no stranger to the top of the charts. Today, we’re taking a look at some of the King of Pop’s top hits that reached #1 on the Billboard charts.

Surprisingly, “Thriller” never made it to #1, but it did reach #4 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart.

Do you know all of Michael Jackson’s top hits?
Do you remember Michael Jackson’s 1987 duet with Siedah Garrett?
Countdown Michael Jackson’s Top #1 Hits below, then tell us which MJ song is your favorite!

Michael Jackson’s Top 10 Hits

10. Michael Jackson-”Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” (1979)
Not quite the fashion icon he would become in later years, in the video to this 1979 hit, Jackson is wearing a prom-ready tux and a bowtie nearly as big as his head.

9.Michael Jackson-”Rock with You” (1980)
Still rockin’ a ’70s disco vibe, the “Rock with You” video features Jackson wearing a outfit so sparkly, he looks like a disco ball. A few years later, he would keep the sparkles to a minimum, with the introduction of his signature sequined glove.

8.Michael Jackson-”Billie Jean” (1983)
BELOW: Jackson helped Motown Records celebrate 25 years of hits with a performance of “Billie Jean.” The lip-synching is bad, but the dance moves are classic.

7. Michael Jackson-”Beat It” (1983)
With a music video featuring some of the best dance fighting since West Side Story, “Beat It” quickly became a smash hit.

6. Michael Jackson-”Bad” (1987)
More dancing gangs in the video helped make this Jackson’s next chart-topper following “Beat it.”

5. Michael Jackson-”The Way You Make Me Feel” (1988)

4. Michael Jackson-”Man in the Mirror” (1988)
BELOW: Jackson performs this #1 hit live on the Grammy Awards.

3. Michael Jackson-”Dirty Diana” (1988)
Featuring a surprising hard-rock sound for the King of Pop, this was the 5^th number one hit from his album, Thriller.

2. Michael Jackson-”Black or White” (1991)
BELOW : One of Jackson’s biggest hits of the ’90s, this 1991 hit features the guitar playing of Slash (Guns’n'Roses).

1. Michael Jackson-”You Are Not Alone” (1995)
One of Jackson’s few number one hits that he didn’t write, this chart-topper was written by controversial music star, R. Kelly. The video features Jackson’s then-wife, Lisa Marie Presley.

Bonus Hits:
NOTE: Jackson hit #1 with these hits, too, but since they were group performances or duets, we’re keeping them separate from his solo hits.

“I Want You Back“ by the Jackson 5 (1969)
One of Jackson’s earliest hits, this Jackson 5 number hit the top of the chart in 1969, when Michael was just 11 years old.

“Say Say Say“ by Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson (1983)
Before Jackson ruined his friendship with McCartney by buying the rights to the Beatles’ catalog, the superstars found success with duets on “Say Say Say” and “The Girl is Mine.”

“I Just Can’t Stop Loving You“ by Michael Jackson with Siedah Garrett (1987)
Jackson’s duet partner Siedah Garrett never became a household name, but the singer/songwriter/dancer found continued success, even writing lyrics for a pair of songs for the film version of Dreamgirls.

“We are the World“ (1985)
Co-written with Lionel Richie, this song truly proved Jackson’s superstardom was a global hit, “We Are the World” featured an all-star cast of singers united to aid famine relief efforts in Africa. Singers included Jackson, Billy Joel, Tina Turner, Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder and more.