R.I.P. Lux Interior
This week saw the passing of Erick Purkhiser, aka Lux Interior, frontman and founding member of The Cramps. Lux started the Cramps in 1973 with his future wife, Poison Ivy, and the band was a fixture of the then emerging CBGB punk scene, despite playing more of a bluesy surf-rockabilly sound that differed from many of their contemporaries at the club. The band had a long and well-respected career, with quite a hardcore following. Lux and his wife had been touring with the band as recently as Fall 2006. That final tour had them play the MotherF**ker party at Avalon that Labor Day, which was an appropriately outrageous venue for what turned out to be their final New York show. Lux had a pre-existing heart condition, which ultimately led to his death. He was 62.
Ticketmaster Boss Scam
It may be no surprise to regular concertgoers that Ticketmaster can make for a pretty miserable ticket-buying experience at times, but the expectation is that, at the very least, the misery is spread equally between all that attempt to buy a ticket. With sites like Stubhub and Ticketsnow gaining legitimacy, some have seen the best tickets for shows go directly into the premium market. Now, a handful of Animal Collective fans can only make so much of a stink, but combine Bruce Springsteen with a scorned New Jersey, and government intervention will follow. NJ Rep. Bill Pascrell contacted the FTC and the Justice department about possible antitrust violations by the company, claiming that a number of his constituents inadvertently purchased tickets from scalpers when Ticketmaster automatically directed them to Ticketsnow seconds after tickets went on sale. Springsteen's people have come out to say that they were in no way involved in this mess, and Ticketmaster seems apologetic, while in the process appearing to admit that what they did was potentially illegal. For the full statements from all parties involved, check here.
Langerado is Canceled
This may not be a shock to those paying close attention to the current music festival recession, but this week saw the cancellation of the Langerado Festival in Miami. The fest, which would have been on its 7th year in Southern Florida, was to relocate to downtown Miami this year from the Big Cypress Reservation. While this turned off some of the regulars who preferred a more sprawling, outdoorsy weekend, the real issue was the lineup. While it had some solid parts in the middle, it lacked any real headliner, throwing together Death Cab, Snoop Dogg and Thievery Corporation to top off each day. Sluggish ticket sales forced the promoters to call it off and cut their losses. So while this is is bad news for those who already made travel plans, the fest is already back on for Spring 2010. It will be back at Big Cypress.
Also this Week:
