With the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards taking place on Sunday, Land of Punt began to ruminate on shows that have never won an Emmy. Eventually, our musings yielded a list of the five best television shows that the Emmys have ignored. And by ignored we mean totally and completely abandoned. If a show won a single Emmy, even if it was for Outstanding Hat Design or Outstanding Performance by a Monkey. then it was disqualified from our list.

One show not included in LOP’s countdown is The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. The show aired for 14 years and never won an Emmy. We left it off because its run ended in 1966. That was such a long time ago that anyone who remembers the show is either dead or too old to have an opinion that matters.
The show most associated with “never won an Emmy” was Murder, She Wrote. The Tiffany Network’s mystery drama aired for 12 years. Every year Angela Lansbury was nominated for an Emmy and every year she lost (0-12). Despite being a ratings getter for a dozen seasons, MSW won just two Emmys, one for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series and another for Outstanding Costume Design for a Series.

Shows that not only didn’t win an Emmy but never even received a nomination: “The Adventures of Superman,” “Baywatch,” “The Brady Bunch,” “Dennis the Menace,” “Drew Carey,” “Gilligan’s Island,” “Gomer Pyle,” “Green Acres,” “The Munsters” and “My Favorite Martian.”

Star Trek
The show was nominated for several Emmys—including Outstanding Dramatic Series (1967, 1968) and Outstanding Supporting Actor (Leonard Nimoy)—but never beamed up a trophy. No one disputes that’s it’s one of the most influential shows of all-time, but what is lost in mounds and mounds of pop culture is the fact that Star Trek was a really good television show.

NCIS
This awesome show has received just two Emmy nominations—one for Outstanding Stunt Coordination and one for Outstanding Guest Actor in A Drama Series (Charles Durning). How Michael Weatherly has gone seven seasons without a nomination is an abomination and Cote de Pablo should get one for hotness alone. Of course the Emmys stay away from shows like NCIS because it does well in the ratings.

The Wire
The Wire was broadcasted on HBO for five seasons and despite being critically acclaimed never won an Emmy. Land of Punt has never seen the show nor do we have any desire to see it. However, the show comes universally lauded and since it’s never won an Emmy, we decided to put it on the list. LOP just wants you to know that we appreciate things even if we don’t necessarily like them.

Newhart
Newhart was nominated for 25 Emmy Awards and won exactly zero. How can a show with Bob Newhart, Tom Poston, Julia Duffy and Peter Scolari come up bupkis? “This is my brother Darryl and this is my other brother Darryl” should have been worth an Emmy all by itself. And let’s not forget Newhart had the best finale EVER in the history of sitcoms.

Married… With Children
Married… With Children was the first prime time television series to air on the Fox Network. It ran for 11 seasons. There are 262 episodes chronicling the Bundy family. Yes, it was crass and objectionable, but it was also frickin’ hilarious. Despite the lack of Emmy’s, Married… With Children is still the best television show of all-time with an ellipsis in its title.

In anticipation of those long Labor Day road trips, Land of Punt has compiled a list of questions passengers can ask one another to whittle away the time.

The 20 questions listed below have no right or wrong answers—unless of course you have diabolically bad taste. Hopefully our queries will spark interesting conversations, create uproarious laughter, and spawn intense debates.

1. What is your favorite movie that doesn’t contain the letters “R” ,”S” or “T” in the title?

2. If you had to pick one non-superhero movie character to be your proxy in a fight what character would you choose?

3. What is your favorite television show whose main character is a woman?

4. Name five popular songs that you’re completely indifferent about.

5. What famous fictional person’s life would you like to see turned into a Broadway musical?

6. If you could be given credit for creating any television show in the history of TV, what television show would you create (this assume you DON’T receive any financial gain)?

7. Name a song that you dislike its verse but enjoy its chorus and a song that you like its verse but dislike its chorus.

8. What’s your favorite looking television show?

9. Name a well-known band (current or otherwise) that you’d like to see in a concert where they perform none of their own music.

10. If you had to watch a movie with the sound off what movie would you watch?

11. What is your favorite riff not played on a guitar?

12. What’s the greatest movie of all-time if you only consider the first ten minutes?

13. Of all the Broadway musicals you’ve never seen which one do you think is best and which one do you think you’ll like the most?

14. What television show has the best opening credit sequence?

15. Name your least favorite song from each of your five favorite artists?

16. What’s your favorite television show whose title contains a person’s first name?

17. You have to make a movie containing five characters from five different movies (movie franchises). What five characters do you choose?

18. You own a broadcast network. Name your Thursday night primetime lineup (8pm to 11pm) choosing from any television show every made.

19. Who are your top five musical solo artists and by solo artists we mean they were never in a famous band.

20. If you could have the effects of one television show, rock artist(s), or movie removed from the consciousness of humanity, what television show, rock artist(s), or movie would you choose?

On August 25, 2010, Bob Dylan held a concert at The Warfield Theatre in San Francisco. For this show tickets were not sold in-advance. To get in you had to wait in-line and pay an admission fee at the door.

In other words, Bob Dylan turned the experience of seeing a legend perform live in concert to that of going to your local zoo.

The so called “ticketless concert” was an attempt to… wait for it… wait for it… hinder the secondary ticket market.

“Oh. Mr. Robert Zimmerman please save us from the big bad secondary ticket market. I’m a hapless consumer. Wwwaahhh”

The only people who don’t like the secondary ticket market are Ticketmaster and the few fans to naive to realize that the greediest entity in the concert industry is the performer.

“We were happy with the way it turned out overall,” said Joan Rosenberg, director of marketing for The Warfield. “We think it was a worthy endeavor.”

Worthy endeavor? It was a complete waste of time—an absolute failure

The 2,250 theater didn’t sell out. Dylan isn’t the biggest draw in the world, but if you can’t draw 2300 Dylan fans in the hippie haven of San Francisco you shouldn’t be in the concert business.

Attendance figures weren’t released (that’s always a bad sign), but The San Francisco Chronicle said the theater was “visibly undersold.”

The people who did show up had the wonderful pleasure of waiting in line for hours. In fact, the line started forming at 5:30am.

Now, the concert organizers did do some favors for the poor saps in the queue. They hired street performers, sold bottle water, and set-up portable toilets.

All three of those things are the main reasons why Land of Punt buys tickets in advance or through a reputable ticket broker. Street performers, buying bottle water, and using a portable toilet are at the top of LOP’s list of things to avoid!

Tickets were $60. You had to pay cash. And even though you were given a commemorative ticket you couldn’t leave and come back. So all those Dylan fans that had to meet their dealer in the middle of the set they were out of luck.

The local ABC affiliate interviewed David Lefkowitz, vice president of the concert promotions company Goldenvoice. He actually said the following:

“Part of the reasoning behind this is to avoid ticketing fees and the kind of up-charges that consumers have to face. Obviously, you lose the convenience of sitting at home buying on your computer, but at the same time, it’s kind of a first come first serve thing,”

Dude, customers want more convenience not less convenience! That’s why we have computers and credit cards. Besides, LOP doesn’t get three-percent cash back for using cash.

No one that can afford to go to a concert—minus teenagers—has the time or the energy to waste standing in line. We want to buy a ticket whenever we want, walk right in, and sit down.

Much like Bob Dylan’s Christmas album, this was a colossally stupid idea. And the idea was his to begin with.

The Warfield is a Ticketmaster venue.

]]> http://landofpunt.com/index.php/2010/08/26/bob-dylans-ticketless-concert-is-a-disaster/feed/ 0 http://landofpunt.com/index.php/2010/08/25/trans-siberian-orchestra-launches-annual-holiday-tour-nov-3-in-omaha-youngstown/ http://landofpunt.com/index.php/2010/08/25/trans-siberian-orchestra-launches-annual-holiday-tour-nov-3-in-omaha-youngstown/#comments Thu, 26 Aug 2010 06:00:10 +0000 Ryan Hogan http://landofpunt.com/?p=4629 Trans-Siberian Orchestra Launches Holiday Tour Nov. 3 In Omaha & Youngstown

Some eager Santas start preparing for the holiday season on Nov. 1.

Those that are more traditional wait until the day after Thanksgiving to get in the mood.

The ones who say “Bah! Humbug!” more than they say “Ho, Ho, Ho,” usually wait until Christmas Eve to catch the Yuletide spirit.

No matter when you start gearing up for Christmas, there is one tradition that needs your attention before the end Summer. That tradition is of course the annual Trans-Siberian Orchestra holiday tour.

On Nov. 3, the largest symphonic rock production in the annuals of Christmas and popular music launches a 78-date tour of North America.

As has been the case since 2000 (the outfit started touring in 1999), TSO splits into two bands so they can play more shows and delight more fans. TSO West starts in Omaha, Nebraska while TSO East kicks things off in Youngstown, Ohio.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra Discography
Christmas Eve and Other Stories (1996)
The Christmas Attic (1998)
Beethoven’s Last Night (2000)
The Lost Christmas Eve (2004)
Night Castle (2009)

The tour is scheduled to conclude on Dec. 30 in St. Louis, Missouri and Auburn Hills, Michigan.

Some of the big time shows planned for the United States include the Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut on Nov. 17; the Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert at the Allstate Arena in Chicago, Illinois on Nov. 26; and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts on Dec. 15.

For the Great White North, Trans-Siberian Orchestra visits Vancouver, British Columbia on Nov. 12; Ottawa, Ontario on Dec. 22; and then on the following day Trans-Siberian Orchestra performs in Toronto.

For fan club members, Trans-Siberian Orchestra tickets go on pre-sale Sept. 1. For all others, tickets go on sale beginning Sept. 18.

By the way, the last full day of summer is Sept. 21.

Land of Punt mentioned earlier that TSO’s tour spans 78-dates but the number of shows they’ll be performing is far greater. Due to matinees in most major markets, TSO will actually be playing in excess of 125 shows.

Sadly, this year’s tour will be sans guitarist Alex Skolnick (former member of Testament). While singing the group’s praises, and recalling fond memories of past tours, the guitar virtuoso says

the strain of performing so many high energy shows in such a short period of time has become too much to endure.

Skolnick will be missed but the show must go on. TSO fans should still expect great Christmas music, lasers, pyrotechnics, visual theatrics, and state-of-the-art lighting effects.

Regardless of who’s on stage, Trans-Siberian Orchestra strives to make every performance a priceless holiday memory.

“When someone goes to a TSO concert, we don’t want them to walk away saying ‘That was a great show,’ or ‘That was worth it,’ or even ‘That was the best show I’ve seen in a long time,” explained TSO founder Paul O’Neill in a press release. “We want them to say, ‘Man, that was the best show ever; we just ripped that band off.”

NCIS: Los Angeles is set to return to CBS on Sept. 21 with a new cast member that’s a familiar face.

Eric Christian Olsen has signed on as a series regular. The hunky blond actor plays LAPD undercover detective Marty Deeks and will appear in the show’s two-hour season premiere.

Olsen played Deeks, and did so with aplomb, in two episodes in season one.

“We are thrilled to have Eric join the cast,” said executive producer Shane Brennan. “He has already proved himself to be a great asset and invaluable member of the team, and Eric’s fans will be delighted to see what we have in store for him.”

Also announced, dark-haired beauty Alicia Coppola will guest star sometime in October. She’ll play FBI agent Amy Rand, an expert in kidnapping.

Coppola has previously appeared in both JAG and NCIS.

According to insiders, her character may return later in the season.

NCIS: Los Angeles was one of television’s best new shows in 2009-10. It was also one of the most watched programs finishing the season in ninth place in the ratings.

The show excelled from the very beginning and only got better when it killed off its weakest character in mid-season.

If you haven’t seen NCIS: Los Angeles you must rectify that problem. It’s one television’s best dramas.

The Expendables was the number one movie in America for the second straight weekend.

Granted, Sylvester Stallone’s action masterpiece was the second lowest grossing ($16.5M) number one movie of the year and was 53% off of its opening weekend total, but it was still the number one movie for consecutive weeks.

In ten days, the pro-American, pro-military, good-guy flick has raked in $64.9M.

Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha.

Land of Punt laughs because The Expendables demonstrates what American audiences are yearning for nowadays and it’s the exact opposite of what Hollywood wants us to enjoy, namely namby-pamby, bleeding heart liberalism.

American audiences, who are currently enduring an awful economy and a nuclear Iran, want manly men fighting unambiguous evil. They want stories that celebrate America not bash it. They want tough and rough not whining and pathetic.

So while audiences flock to see The Expendables they eschewed liberal minded flicks like Eat Pray Love ($12M), The Switch ($8.1M), and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World ($5.03M).

Eat Pray Love is the perfect example of the self-indulgent, have-to-be-happy-all-the-time, over-feminization that’s currently squeezing the masculinity out of our society.

The Switch is a morally depraved farce that validates the dismantling of the family unit as long as it makes someone happy (and by someone we don’t mean the kid).

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is yet another example of how today’s media values vapid, style-over-substance, storytelling rather than its antithesis.

SPVTW abject failure is especially sweet. Its pathetic $21 haul has caused fan boys to suck their thumbs while blaming the viewing public for the movie’s utter lack of success. In their eyes, we’re all too stupid to understand the film’s mis en scene. We are too thick to appreciate something as incredibly intellectual as a Michael Cera vehicle.

Ultimately, people like what they like. And as we can see, the people want more movies with Conservative values—like patriotism, family, and morally—and less movies that celebrate the failed ideas of liberalism.

Right now mega-superstar Justin Bieber and his hair are in the middle of a 76-date tour of North America.

The road trip, which began in Hartford, Connecticut in late June, is called “My World Tour” even though the 16-year old heartthrob doesn’t play a single venue outside of the United States or Canada.

Originally, the jaunt was supposed to end Sept. 4 at the Great Allentown Fair in Allentown, Pennsylvania. However, the “Bieber People” demanded more. So to appease the multitudes of fanatics, Justin added 33 more shows.

His new batch of dates starts Sept. 5 at the Maryland State Fair in Timonium, Maryland and end Dec. 23 in Atlanta, Georgia at the effervescent Phillips Arena.

You don’t have to be a tween to know that Justin Bieber is “THE” hot ticket of the summer. After all, the youthful crooner is set to play such venerated venues as Staples Center in Los Angeles on Oct. 25; the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas on Nov. 6; and TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts on Nov. 16.

Of course those venues pale in comparison to where Bieber will be performing on the final day of August. The “World’s Most Famous Teenager” plays the “World’s Most Famous Arena,” Madison Square Garden in New York City, on Aug 31.

The kid isn’t even old enough to vote and he’s already selling out MSG.

Apart from rocking… or hip-hopping… or popping… or whatever it is Bieber does in concert, the teen sensation has a few other events on the horizon.

Just announced, Bieber will perform at humanity’s most intelligent and sagacious television broadcast, the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards. In case you’ve lost count, as most people who watch this award show usually do, this is the 27th edition of MTV’s seminal awards show.

Also set to perform that night are Kanye West, Drake, Florence and the Machine, and B.o.B.

The meeting of the minds is scheduled for Sept. 12 at 6 p.m. PDT. As always, a recording of the VMA will be escorted by armed guards to a vault inside the Smithsonian shortly after conclusion of the telecast.

Bieber’s performance at the VMA won’t be his only television appearance in September.

On Sept. 23, Bieber will star in the season premiere of CBS’ CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

It will be the first time Bieber has ever acted and we’re hoping that after the episode airs we can finally say the same thing about George Eads.

Bieber will play a trouble teen with fabulous hair named Jason McCann.

This is far from the first time CSI has employed a red hot teen singer. If you recall, Taylor Swift was in an episode way back in 2009 (Season 9, episode 16, “Turn Turn Turn”).

Land of Punt predicts Bieber’s VMA performance will be talked about for days; he will make a splash. LOP also predicts he’ll look like a deer in the headlights on CSI—way over his head.

But, if the kid shines on CSI and it’s clear that he can act, watch out. The world is truly Bieber’s and we’re all just living in it.

If Bieber can act he’s likely to become the biggest star the world has ever known.

Don’t look now but there’s only four and half months left of 2010. Your resolution to write the great American novel and scale Mr. Everest may have to wait for next year, but there’s still plenty of time to see country music’s top concerts. Not only does the rest of 2010 see some big names out on tour, but it sees two legends team up and one fond farewell.

Below Land of Punt looks at ten great country music acts still on tour in the waning months of 2010. Hopefully, at least one of these artists is coming to a venue near you. LOP would be very disappointed if your cowboy boots and ten gallon hat weren’t used this year.


George Strait and Reba McEntire

What could be better than seeing the king and queen of country music in concert? George Strait and Reba McEntire have been touring together for most of 2010 and it has been awesome. Also, look for the queen without her king. Reba plays some dates in August and late October without Strait.
Touring: Sept. 9 through Oct. 22
Opens: Columbus, Ohio at Nationwide Arena
Final Show: Fargo, ND at the Fargodome


Brooks & Dunn

You better hurry if you want to see Brooks & Dunn live in concert because their last show is scheduled for Sept. 2 in Nashville, TN (of course). The most successful duo of all-time in any genre is calling it quits after nearly 20 years. Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn are parting ways to focus on their solo careers.
Touring: Currently until Sept. 2
Final Show: Nashville, TN at the Bridgestone Arena


Tim McGraw

Tim McGraw has been on the road for most of 2010 supporting his 12th studio album, Southern Voice. The star of Blind Side has a few dates left in the States before he takes off for Australia. His final show before heading Down Under is a biggie—he plays at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas.
Touring: Aug. 21 until Sept. 10
Opens: Louisville, KY at the Kentucky State Fair
Final show: Dallas, TX at Cowboys Stadium


Garth Brooks

Garth Brooks isn’t touring he’s performing at the Encore Theatre at Wynn Las Vegas a few weekends out of the year. Brooks signed a five-year deal with the Las Vegas, Nevada resort back in 2009. Apparently the show is fantastic but don’t expect much Vegas glitz—it’s all about Brooks and his music.
Where: The Encore Theatre at Wynn Las Vegas
When: Sept. 10, 11, 12; Oct. 1, 2, 3; Oct. 22, 23, 24; Nov. 5, 6, 7; Nov. 19, 20, 21
Time: Fridays 8 p.m., Saturdays 8 p.m. & 10:30 p.m., Sundays 8 p.m.


Carrie Underwood

Record breaker, heart-breaker, and former American Idol winner Carrie Underwood launches the second leg of her “Play On Tour” Sept. 25 in Portland, Oregon. Underwood has already played over 50 shows in 2010—almost all of them sold out. She’ll be joined by Sons of Sylvia and Billy Currington.
Touring: Sept. 25 until Dec. 19
Opens: Portland, OR at the Rose Garden
Final Show: Calgary, Alberta at the Pengrowth Saddledome


Toby Keith

Even reading about this tour will give you a red neck. Just one ticket is all you need to see Toby Keith and Trace Adkins. Their tour is called the “2010 American Ride Tour.” Someone get me a helmet. Adkins won’t be at every show but he’ll be at most. Besides, if you drink enough you won’t even notice.
Touring: Currently until Sept. 25
Final Show: Mansfield, MA at the Comcast Center


Jason Aldean

Jason Alden wraps up the summer leg of his “Wide Open Tour” on Aug. 29 in Canandaigua, NY. He’ll begin the fall leg on Sept. 10 in Crobin, KY. Aldean and his band is scheduled to be on the road until Nov. 20. Uncle Kracker opens for a handful of dates otherwise the warm-up duties fall to Luke Bryan.
Touring: Currently until Nov. 20
Final Show: Duluth, GA at the Gwinnet Civic Center


Alan Jackson

Trivia question: besides Alan Jackson who else on this list is a member of the Grand Ole Opry? After playing a festival in Quebec, Jackson visits a slew of sleepy little towns. Then on Nov. 5 he’s returns to civilization with a show in La La Land. BTW, the answer is Brooks, Underwood, Atkins, and McEntire.
Touring: Sept 9. to Nov. 19
Opens: St. Tite, Quebec at the Western Festival
Final Show: Sioux City, IA at the Tyson Event Center


Rascal Flatts

Rascal Flatts has been the hot ticket since their “Nothing Like This Tour” launched June 25. They were supposed to wrap on Sept. 19 but the boys have extended their itinerary until Oct. 9. Oddly enough, the album doesn’t drop until November. Opening for the Nashville trio is Kellie Pickler and Chris Young.
Touring: Currently to Oct. 9
Final Show: Irvine, CA at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre


Sugarland

Half of the duo that comprises Sugarland is hot, sexy, and gorgeous. And then there’s Jennifer Nettles. Everyone’s favorite duo from Atlanta, GA has been on the road since April supporting their latest studio album, The Incredible Machine. That probably explains why their tour is called “The Incredible Machine Tour.”
Touring: Currently to Oct. 16
Final Show: West Palm Beach, FL at the Cruzan Amphitheatre


BONUS
Lady Antebellum

Besides opening for McGraw, Lady Antebellum will headline their own excursion later this year. The ‘Need You Now Tour” kicks off Sept. 20 and it set to wrap on Nov. 20. The trio will make about 35 stops and they are taking along singer-songwriter David Nail.
Touring: Sept. 20 to Nov. 20
Opens: Orlando, FL at Hard Rock Live
Final Show: Kansas City, MO at the Midland Theatre.


For more information about a particular tour please visit the artist’s website.

Blame it on Eyjafjallajokull.

Of course we mean Eyjafjallajokull the Icelandic volcano not the Marty Eyjafjallajokull that plays minor league hockey in Poughkeepsie.

Last spring, the Icelandic volcano spewed ash all over the European continent. It inconvenienced thousands of travelers and cost the airline industry millions of Euros, but by far the most serious damage it wreaked was screwing up the Gorillaz’s appearance at the Coachella Music Festival.

“We lost loads of people to the volcano—we didn’t lose them; they couldn’t get on their flight—we were missing Kano and Bashy, Mos Def was in London. The Hypnotic Brass couldn’t get there,” explained Jamie Hewlett.

Hopefully Eyjafjallajokull will cooperate and not affect the Gorillaz upcoming plans to tour North America. The recently announced 17-date excursion across the U.S. and Canada are part of the band’s first ever world tour.

Artists That Have Appeared With Gorillaz in 2010
Bashy
Bootie Brown
De La Soul
Snoop Dogg
Gruff Rhys
Hypnotic Brass Ensemble
Mick Jones (of The Clash)
Kano
Little Dragon
Mos Def
Lou Reed
Shaun Ryder
Mark E Smith
Paul Simonon (of The Clash)
Bobby Womack

Their North American leg kicks off Oct. 3 in Montreal, Quebec and concludes exactly one month later when the virtual band plays the actual Vancouver, British Columbia on Nov. 3.

Highlights of the band’s itinerary include Boston, Massachusetts on Oct. 6; Chicago, Illinois on Oct. 16; and Los Angeles, California on Oct. 27.

Gorillaz tickets go on sale starting Aug. 8.

After wrapping up in America and Canada, the Gorillaz play 10 more dates in Europe. Among the cities they’ll be visiting in the Old World are Dublin, London, Paris, and Berlin.

In December, the band travels down under for half a dozen concerts in Australia.

Before coming to America and Canada, the Gorillaz will spend September playing a string of dates in the U.K. and Ireland. Recently the band rocked Byblos, Lebanon and the Citadel of Damascus in Syria.

Gorillaz Live Band
Damon Albarn – Vocals
MIke Smith – Keyboards
Cass Browne – Drums
Gabriel Wallace – Drums
Jeff Wotton – Lead Guitar
Paul Simonon – Bass
Mick Jones – Guitar
Jesse Hackett – Sampling

The aforementioned Coachella gig—in front of 70,000 fans all of whom were going ape— wasn’t the only Gorillaz show of the spring it was just the one most affected by Eyjafjallajokull. The band also appeared at Denmark’s Roskilde Festival, at Spain’s Benicassim Festival, and they headlined the Glastonbury Festival after Bono’s bad back forced U2 to cancel.

Fans can expect a show similar to one at Coachella. However, expect more human interaction as Damon Albarn complained about the lack of it after playing Glastonbury. Forget about seeing any of the 3-D elements the band used in the past. This time around they’re sticking to their usual 2-D multi-media elements.

The Gorillaz consist of front man Damon Albarn (formerly of Blur) and cartoonist Jamie Hewlett (Tank Girl). They created the world’s most successful virtual band in 1998. Albarn sings and creates all the music while Hewlett handles all the visuals.

The band is currently touring to support its third studio album, Plastic Beach. The 16-track opus dropped in March and debuted at number two on the Billboard 200.

Gorillaz Discography
Gorillaz (2001)
G-Sides (2002)
Laika Come Home (2002)
Demon Days (2005)
D-Sides (2007)
Plastic Beach (2010)

Recently, Land of Punt read an article about legendary punk rock band Social Distortion.

LOP aren’t huge Social Distortion fans but even before perusing the tome we had heard of the band and were familiar with a couple of their songs.

Needless to say, Land of Punt was shocked to learn that a band as popular and influential as Social Distortion had released just six studio albums (the seventh due out later this year) in their 30-plus-year career.

In a string of events that can only be blamed on serendipity, LOP learned just a few hours later about American rock band O.A.R.—they had just announced plans to add a string of 15-dates to their 2010 touring itinerary.

Now, Land of Punt had heard the name “O.A.R.” maybe once or twice in passing, but we hadn’t the foggiest idea what they sounded like or what the acronym stood for (Of a Revolution).

As LOP researched their sound, as well as their history, we came across a rather fascinating discovery. This band that we had barely even heard of—a band that’s less than 15-years-old—had released six albums as well with a seventh on the way.

In the course of a single afternoon, we confronted a well-known punk band that achieved legendary status while releasing music at glacial speed and a rather obscure alternative jam band that released the same amount of albums in half the time.

Land of Punt is not trying to besmirch either band. All LOP is trying to do is enumerate the music business’s mind boggling peculiarities. We’re trying to dissect the fickle phenomenon of success.

Social Distortion is a well known band, a house hold name in the punk genre, but there’s a lot about them that would turn music fans off (like Mike Ness’ rampant drug use). Meanwhile, O.A.R. has a sound your grandmother would appreciate and they’ve sold nary two million records.

Social Distortion Discography Mommy’s Little Monster (1983) Prison Bound (1988) Social Distortion (1990) Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell (1992) White Light, White Heat, White Trash (1996) Sex, Love and Rock ‘n’ Roll (2004) Untitled Studio Album (Early 2011)

O.A.R. Discography The Wanderer (1997) Soul’s Aflame (2000) Risen (2001) In Between Now and Then (2003) Stories of a Stranger (2005) All Sides (2008) Untitled Studio Album (Early 2011)

One would think that Social Distortion’s pace would make remaining relevant after three decades nearly impossible. Meanwhile, one would think that O.A.R.’s prolificacy in releasing six albums (soon to be seven) in less than a decade-and-a-half meant the public had an insatiable appetite for their music.

The reverse seems to be true.

Music is perhaps the only arena where such odd perceptions and bizarre hierarchies can exist. It’s utterly fascinating how two such diverse bands can have such disparate legacies that equally defy assumptions (and logic).

Oddly enough both bands are touring extensively this summer and fall.

Social Distortion’s summer tour gets underway July 27 in Poughkeepsie, New York. The leg’s final show is Aug. 14 in Medford, Oregon. However, the band plays the Outside Lands Festival the next night in San Francisco, California.

O.A.R. kicks off their summer jaunt on July 22 in Cleveland, Ohio. It wraps Aug. 15 in Alpharetta, Georgia with a show at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater at Encore Park. Their summer schedule is highlighted by a two-night O.A.R. stand in Boston, Massachusetts. The band is set to rock the Bank of America Pavilion on July 29 and 30.

Social Distortion’s fall leg commences Oct. 14 in Salt Lake City, Utah at The Complex. Ness and the boys will be on the road until Nov. 23. That’s when the band plays the tour’s final show set for the Marquee Theatre in Tempe, Arizona.

O.A.R. has exactly one month off between summer and fall legs. Their string of autumn concerts gets underway Sept. 15 in Tampa, Florida at the Ruth Eckerd Hall.

The band from Rockville, Maryland will sell O.A.R. tickets for shows in such cities as Orlando, New Orleans, Dallas, and Seattle. Their fall fun ends Oct. 9 at the Fox Theater in Oakland, California.

In yet another similarity, both bands are expected to release albums in the near future. Social Distortion’s seventh studio album will probably be out later this year. O.A.R.’s septenary offering is more than likely to drop in early 2011.

Neither band has yet to name their forthcoming albums.

O.A.R.’s Fall Dates
September 15 – Clearwater, FL @ Ruth Eckerd Hall
September 16 – Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House of Blues
September 18 – St. Augustine, FL @ St. Augustine Amphitheatre
September 20 – New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues
September 21 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues
September 22 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
September 23 – Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom
September 25 – Pittsburgh, PA @ PNC Park at North Shore
September 30 – Anaheim, CA @ Grove of Anaheim

October 2 – Hollywood, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
October 3 – Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst
October 6 – Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre
October 7 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
October 8 – Eugene, OR @ McDonald Theatre
October 9 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater