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Concert update: Erotic ball, Kinky, Fuga, Gilkyson, femme DJs, Oberst, Thriving Ivory and more

So many new show developments to pass on, so little sleep, er, time.

Here's a rundown:

• Mistress of Reality, an all-female Black Sabbath tribute band focusing on the British metal pioneer's early years, headline the second annual KLAQ Exotic Erotic Ball (think Halloween meets Valentine's Day) at 8 p.m. Feb. 13 at Club 101. Wonder if singer Izzy Osbourne bites heads off bats. No wait, that was later. Tickets are $15, or $20 for two. Come on, it's Valentine's Day after all, you cheapskate — take a date! They're on sale at the club and ticketbully.com.

• As if that wasn't kinky enough, Mexican rockers Kinky will be here on the same date as originally announced — Feb. 28 — but at a different location. They'll play the Tork Bar, 3000 Lee Trevino, instead of the nearby Bandolero's. Tickets are $20 and $35 at the club and ticketbully.com.

• Promoter Marina Monsisvais Facebooked me a message that "El Paso looooves Fuga," the border folk-rock hybrid artists originally from El Paso. The group's 14-city U.S. tour ends in EP on Feb. 27 with a release party for their new album, "Relatos Rebeldes," at Take II. It's a 21-and-over show. Tickets are $10 at the club and ticketbully.com.

• Influential Austin (and former New Mexico) singer-songwriter Eliza Gilkyson will make two area stops for Valentine's Day weekend — a Feb. 13 stop at the Buckhorn Saloon and Opera House in Pinos Altos near Silver City, 505.538.9311, and an 8 p.m. Feb. 14 show at the Mastery in Life Center on the downtown mall in Las Cruces (what a treat to have someone that good in such an intimate place), 575.571.7435.

• There's some serious house DJ action coming our way, starting with half of SourJane, Colette the singing mixmaster and her Chicago bud DJ Heather, heading to Club 101 at 8 p.m. Feb. 18, part of their HouseFM tour. Tix are $15 at da club and ticketbully.com. Than the ever-extreme DJ Irene headlines a Mardi Gras party at the Cherry Creek Mining Co. at 7 p.m. Feb. 24. Tickets are $10 at the club and ticketbully.com.

• Update/clarification on that April 12 benefit for Juarez kids by Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band. It's not a ticketed event. Admission is a donation of canned food items, school supplies and other helpful contributions to orphaned kids of the Juarez dump. It's being organized by local improv-rockers Refried Ice Cream and a group called Hands of Love and Hope. Oberst's publicist issued a press release on Jan. 26 announcing the six-city tour, including the El Paso show, and stated pre-sales would begin Jan. 27. Not here! Sleepercar, Duck Domino and Refried Ice Cream also will play the show from 3-8 p.m at Barnett Harley-Davidson.

• Update on that Feb. 7 L.A. Guns show at Take II. It's the Steve Riley/Phil Lewis version.

• Much-hyped up-and-comers Thriving Ivory and Company of Thieves head to Take II at 8:30 p.m. March 14. Tickets are $13, on sale at the club and ticketbully.com.

• Texas country singer Mark Chesnutt, a survivor of the '90s hat act scare, returns to Whiskey Dicks on May 3. Tickets for the 8 p.m. show are $25, on sale at the club (where the Eli Young Band played to a full house on Jan. 16) and ticketbully.com.

• Ever hear of the Carolina Chocolate Drops? They're a very talented and knowledgeable trio of young black musicians who specialize in the early 20th century string music played by blacks in the hills of their native North Carolina. They're playing the Rio Grande Theater in Las Cruces on Feb. 26. Tickets are only $12.50, on sale at the Pan Am Center box and ticketmaster.com.

• UK DJ duo Audiojack spin the wheels of steal Jan. 30 at D'club, the club way out there on Montana that seems to get into trouble for its admission policies (thus the "yes, we are open" message on MySpace). Tickets are 15 bucks in advance, on sale at the Headstand, and $20 at the door. New York DJ Scumfrog, who's up for a Grammy for his work on Cyndi Lauper's dance album, has a Feb. 13 show at D'Club listed on his MySpace.

• Tierra (remember their 1980 hit "Together"?) headlines the Valentine's Dance Extravaganza at 8 p.m. Feb. 13 at the Convention Center. Tickets are $18 GA bleachers, $25 GA tables, on sale at Ticketmaster outlets and ticketmaster.com.

• Speaking of dance, they'll be doing a lot of that at the Convention Center next month. The Rhythm & Moves Dance Competition will be from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Feb. 22 there, followed by the Rhythm & Moves Dance Show at 7 that night. Tickets are being sold separately for each event. They're $5 GA, $50 VIP for the competition, $20 and $50 for the show. They're on sale at ticketmaster.com.

The following shows are listed on Pollstar and other sites, but so far I haven't received any other details:

• Tim "Ripper" Owens, the guy who filled Rob Halford's shoes during the years he was out of Judas Priest, and his band Beyond Fear are listed at Club 101 on Feb. 19.

• Toronto psychobilly cats Creepshow, Feb. 26, Zeppelin's Underground.

• Florida hard rockers 16 Second Stare, March 15, Zeppelin's Underground.

• Texas country man Johnny Cooper, March 26, Take II.

• Bluesman Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers (who played the long gone Senor Blues back in the early '80s), May 16, part of Jim Murphy's planned El Paso Blues and Jazz Festival May 16-17 at the Chamizal National Memorial.

• Christian rockers Superchick, Aug. 15, Revive 2009, Cohen Stadium.

Concert update special: Springsteen on-sales

They just released their new album "Working on a Dream" on Tuesday, they play the Super Bowl halftime show on Feb. 1, then Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band pick up where they left off last year — touring.

The band, known for its sweaty three-hour-plus shows, follows the Super Bowl gig with a 23-date U.S. tour opening April 1 in San Jose and includes regional dates April 3 at the Jobing.com Arena in Glendale AZ ($65-$95, on sale at 10 a.m. Feb. 2); April 5 at the Erwin Center in Austin (on sale Feb. 7); April 8 at the Toyota Center in Houston (on sale Feb. 7); and April 10 at the Pepsi Center in Denver (on sale Feb. 2, prices not announced yet).

Tickets will be available at the box offices and ticketmaster.com.

They'll follow the North American gigs with a summer tour of Europe ending Aug. 2. Expect another U.S. swing after that.

In the meantime, the blitz continues with the recent announcement of a special 30th anniversary edition of 1978's "Darkness on the Edge of Town" sometime this year. A special "Greatest Hits" package was released Jan. 13 exclusively at Walmart stores.

The half-hour, behind-the-scenes "Bruce Springsteen: The Making of 'Working on a Dream'" debuts at 11 p.m. Jan. 31 on VH1 and 11 p.m. Feb. 1 (Super Bowl Sunday) on VH1 Classic, with repeats 1:30 p.m. Feb. 2, 4 and 10:30 p.m. Feb. 3, 12:30 a.m. Feb. 4, 11 a.m. Feb. 5, 12:30 p.m. Feb. 6 and 1:30 p.m. Feb. 7.

Review: George Winston lets it flow at Cruces' Rio Grande Theater

LAS CRUCES — The audience that filled the Rio Grande Theater giggled a little bit when George Winston announced that he'd be doing his "Summer Concert" on Tuesday night. Obviously, many in the crowd of 400 didn't understand that the 59-year-old pianist lumps his concerts into one of two seasonal themes, the other being his "Winter Concert."

Why do a summer in winter? Easy, he played the winter concert last time he played a piano concert around here (his performance last year at the Harmony House in Cruces was a guitar concert).

The reason for such themes is simple. For more than 20 years, Winston's solo piano concerts draw from a repertoire of evocative originals and interpretations that invoke the seasons of the year. He's also a devotee of the Doors and "Peanuts" composer Vince Guarald, stride and New Orleans pianists Teddy Wilson, James Booker and Henry Butler, Hawaiian slack-key guitar and, more recently, he's added harmonica to his repertoire.

All of this comes to vivid yet subdued life at a George Winston concert, magnified by such a small (400-seats), intimate, lovely little theater like the Rio Grande. I've always seen Winston work his keyboard magic in much larger venues, usually about 2,000 seats. So the opportunity to sit up close (second row) and study his intense, expressionless face, watch his disembodied hands, reflected in the raised top of the Kawai keyboard he used, hammer, caress, tap and finesse the 88s. You could hear how the constant, hard tapping of his shoeless left foot (the better to mute it) added to the rhythm, and see how the piano rocked just a little bit as he pounded out one of his New Orleans-style numbers.

He comes out in jeans, a blue button-down, long sleeve shirt and socks, his bald head, glasses and beard suggesting a college professor or some other scholar. He sits fairly rigidly, his gaze fixed on the keyboard, his eyebrows rising and falling occasionally with a melodic line.

He opened with his own "New Orleans Will Rise Again," from 2006's "Gulf Coast Blues & Impressions — A Hurricane Relief Benefit," a Crescent City boogie tune that served as a warmup for his hands and a tough first assignment. Much as Winston reveres the work of the New Orleans piano legends — he credits them for inspiring his career — it's clear that he likes the challenge of trying to create the same kind of soulful sound they did. With this particular piece, he struggled to get there, never quite achieving the kind of fluidity that seems to come more naturally on the pretty "folk piano" pieces that made him the new face of instrumental music two decades ago.

Case in point was "Rain," the concert's second selection. It's a three-part piece he has said was inspired by the rains rolling across the plains in Montana where he grew up, with a mid-section inspired by minimalism pioneer Steve Reich. It's a pretty, cinematic piece. You can hear the storm rolling in, sticking around and slowly moving on, which Winston illustrates with slower, contemplative segments, a storm of bunched notes and random splashes, culminating with a series of percussive flurries muted by pressing his left hand on the strings.

It's beautiful and evocative, the kind of music for which Winston is best known, and, after playing and revising it over the years, something he makes look effortless compared to the New Orleans jazz and blues that have been lifelong inspirations. He followed it with a new Guaraldi medley, presumably from the second volume of Guaraldi music he plan to release this year, which stitched the lightheartedly romantic "There's Time for Love, Charlie Brown" and "Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown" with "Love Will Come" (the title of Winston's next tribute CD to the late jazz pianist).

Those first three tunes set the tone for the rest of his two-hour performance, which included his "Variations on the Kanon by Johann Pachelbel," an obvious crowd favorite, some fleet and fluid fingerwork on the stride piano classic "Cat and Mouse," and a jaunty harmonica version of an old, Civil War-sounding fiddle tune called "Lincoln."

He's got a ways to go before his guitar or harmonica playing catch up with his keyboard work, but considering how deeply he studies the music he loves so much, you get the impression it's only a matter of time before Winston's instrumental skills even out. The Rio Grande was a perfect place to watch his artistry at work — and Winston said after the show that the comfy theater was a "perfect" place to play — a work in progress that obviously impressed a sold-out crowd Tuesday night.

Oberst plans April 12 benefit at EP Harley dealership

Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band will headline an April 12 benefit concert at the Barnett-Harley Davidson dealership in El Paso.

It's from 3-8 p.m. and will includes performances by Sleepercar, Duck Domino and Refried Ice Cream.

Dubbed the "Hands of Love and Hope" concert, it's a benefit for "the orphans of the Juarez dump," according to post on the Bright Eyes frontman's site, conoroberst.com.

A pre-sale is planned for Jan. 27, according to a press release announcing Oberst's six-city tour.

Admission is free to anyone who donates "canned goods, dry rice and beans, bottled water, clothes, school supplies, toys," according to the announcement on his site.

Motorcycle dealerships are becoming the hip place to stage a concert around here. Classical violinist Rachael Barton Pine brought her "Mozart to Metallica" program to the Sunland Park Yamaha dealership on Jan. 10 as part of the 19th El Paso Chamber Music Festival.

Concert update: Moz, Flute, Faux Queen, Carmen and more

Well, I was too sick to go to the Eric Johnson/Dan Lambert show last night and I'm just kicking myself. I missed the Eli Young Band last week and now this. Arrggghh!!

Hopefully I can talk someone who did go to guest blog about it for me. Until then, here's some concert and show news:

• Just a reminder that tickets for Morrissey's April 14 show at the Chavez Theatre go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 24. They're $35 each and will be available at the Plaza Theatre box office, Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com and 544.8444 or 800.745.3000.

• Tickets are on sale for El Paso Opera's 15th-season ending production of Mozart's "The Magic Flute" (including El Paso native Barbara Divis in the cast). EPO boss William Dickinson promises a lavish, Floydian light design by Barry Steele. Tickets range from $15-$90 at the Plaza box office, Ticketmasters, ticketmaster.com, 544.8444, 800.745.3000 or from the company, 581.5534 or epopera.org.

• It ain't Queen. It's not even Queen and Paul Rodgers. But One Night of Queen is probably the most lavish Queen tribute band around, with Freddie Mercury soundalike Gary Mullen on vox. It's coming to NMSU's Pan Am Center at 7 p.m. Feb. 28. Tickets are $19, $24 and $34, on sale at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 24 at the box office, Ticketmasters, ticketmaster.com and 544.8444 or 800.745.3000.

• UTEP's theater and dance department will stage "Carmen: The Ballet" at 8 p.m. Feb. 19-21 and 2:30 p.m. Feb. 22 in the Wise Family Theatre on the second floor of the Fox Fine Arts Building. The performance also will include "Rhapsody in Blue," a piece created by UTEP dance faculty. Tickets are $9 for UTEP students and kids 4-12, $10 for non-students (and groups of 10 or more), $12 for faculty, staff, seniors and military, on sale at the UTEP Ticket Center, Ticketmasters, ticketmaster.com, 544.8444, 800.745.3000 and 747.5118.

• The Atticus Metal tour — with such cheerfully named bands as Winds of Plague, Emmure, Terror, All Shall Perish and The Ghost Inside — should bring a little April Fool's Day revelry to Club 101 at 6 p.m. April 1. Tickets are $15 in advance, $17 day of show, on sale at the club and ticketbully.com.

• Positive El Paso rap collective Visions of the Sun will team up with Fort Nox, DJ Metronix, DJ Ntox and DJ Systemaddict for a show at 9 p.m. Jan. 30 at Zeppelin's Underground. Mad Visual Poetz will create live art during the performance. Admission's $3 for 21 and over, $5 for 18-20 at the door.

• Tickets for David Allan Coe's Feb. 15 show at Whiskey Dicks are $20, on sale now at the club and ticketbully.com.

• Hot newcomers Thriving Ivory stop on their way to SXSW in Austin for a March 14 show at Take II. Tickets will be $13 in advance, $15 day of show, though an on-sale date has not been announced yet.

Springsteen "Dream" works on first listen

The first time I ever heard Bruce Springsteen was early my freshman year at Texas Tech in 1975. I was a know-nothing kid who thought he knew it all. But I learned real fast. When my new entertainment editor, and eventual mentor, Bill Kerns handed me a copy of an album called "Born to Run" and asked me to review it for the college paper, it was the first time I'd ever attempted to review something by an artist I didn't know and love.

I thought it was awful. But I had a few days to write it, so I kept listening. Within those few days I had fallen in love. Here was that symphony of rock 'n' roll's history, brought up to date (circa mid-70s) by a scruffy New Jersey guy singing about girls and cars.

This is a long way of telling you that what follows is my first attempt to review a Springsteen album after only one listen. I'm talking about his new album, his 24th album, "Working on a Dream," which was mostly written and recorded during the 2007-08 "Magic" tour and comes out Jan. 27, one week after the politician he championed, Barack Obama, is sworn into office as president No. 44, and just six days before the Boss plays the halftime show at Super Bowl No. 43.

While I anxiously await an advance copy of the new album so I can do a proper review by Jan. 27, I, of course, eagerly clicked on the streaming version that NPR.org started offering at 9:59 p.m. our time on Monday, Jan. 19.

I'm not going to make any sweeping, please-quote-me rock critic remarks here, but I will say that there's an urgency to the record, a sense of timelessness and a sense of time passing on the record, as if the season of hope that has finally dawned and the loss of youth (the Boss turns 60 on Sept. 23), innocence and, of course, longtime E Street Band member Danny Federici, who died last April 17, all decided to look over his shoulder as he scribbled these songs. 

There are echoes of America's agrarian past, its wild West and, in a continuation of the classic pop stylings that marked 2007's wonderful "Magic," a collective sound not unlike a wistful sequel to "Born to Run."

For the record, there are 13 songs on the new record, including recent Golden Globe winner "The Wrestler," which he wrote for the highly acclaimed new Mickey Rourke film of the same name. It clocks in at 51 minutes and 38 seconds.

Here's a song-by-song rundown (and, yes, I'm listening to the stream again as I write this):

1. "Outlaw Pete" — A grinding rocker about an Appalachian "outlaw, a killer and a thief" who leaves a "trail of tears across the country side" but meets his own demise at the hands of the next outlaw, suggesting that all of our archetypes keep being recycled. The haunting Morricone harmonica blasts adds to the '60s retro Western feel. Good stuff.

2. "My Lucky Day" — One of several sunny love songs, done in the style of one of those '60s-drenched "Born to Run" rockers, only this time he's not pulling Wendy out on the highway with  him, he's finally settling down with the woman who is "my lucky day."

3. "Working on a Dream" — Max Weinberg's metronomic smack propels this rocker which evokes Springsteen's Guthrie-esque populist folk roots but layers its with lots of '60s pop-rock embellishments, whistles and some Beatles-meet-Brian Wilson harmonies.

4. "Queen of the Supermarket" — Teenage lust grows up, well, a little in this earnest account of a guy whose all atwitter about the girl who bags groceries with "her eyes so bored," propelled again by Weinberg's heartbeat drums, layers of Brendan O'Brien's nostalgic production and the sweet reveal at the end when he looks at her as he puts the groceries in his car and she flashes "a smile that blows this whole f------ place apart."

5. "What Love Can Do" — Sort of Bruce's update of the Beatle's "Love Me Do," fueled by a driving acoustic guitar line, a slightly Irish-feeling motif in the middle and a lyric, perhaps inspired by the nastiness of the last eight years, that simply asks "let me show you what love can do." 

6. "This Life" — It starts out with Brian Wilson-styled harmonies and deteriorates from there. Probably the weakest, sketchiest song on the album, a testimonial to a lover that's buried in production, perhaps to cover up the fact that the song sounds unfinished, the consequence of trying to make a record quickly and during tour breaks to strike while the iron, well, the band was hot. Even Bruce sounds bored. You watch. Over time I'll think it's brilliant.

7. "Good Eye" — A deliciously swampy blues full of distorted harmonica and voice, some banjo, a rhythm right out of the Stones' "Turd on the Run" and a great story about faith and redemption told from the point of view of a man who had everything and lost it. "I gave my good eye to the dog and my blind eye to the sun," he wails. I think that's how the line goes. An early favorite.

8. "Tomorrow Never Knows" — Sounds like it could have been written during the "Seeger Sessions" when Bruce put the E Streeters on hold, gathered a bunch of fine acoustic musicians and mined the songbook Pete Seeger made famous. This one has finger-picked acoustic and an old hillbilly country feel, fiddle, trumpet, some willowy background voices, brushed drums, a hushed, husky vocal that evoke another time, maybe to make the message that we never know what life will bring sound all the more ancient and wise. It's also pretty short.

9. "Life Itself" — A dramatic reflection on the darkness "where the flowers of temptations grow" and the fulfillment of a love that is "like life itself, in your heart and in your eyes, I can't be without you." Sort of like life beyond the darkness on the edge of town. Neat backward tracked guitar solo by Nils Lofgren.

10. "Kingdom of Days" — A love song about growing older together, a song Springsteen couldn't have written back in the "Born to Run" days. He was too young to talk convincingly about feeling the autumn breeze and not noticing "the subtle change of light" on his love's face. A lovely song. Well-orchestrated.

11. "Surprise, Surprise" — Bruce's attempt at a birthday song? Kind of a companion piece to "Kingdom," with jangly Byrds-style guitars and an organ line that suggests that the spirit of renewal that comes with marking the annual milestone is a chance to "let your love shine down."

12. "The Last Carnival" — Its calliope intro, countryish finger-picked acoustic and Springsteen's throaty vocal suggest an end of an era. "We'll be riding the train without you tonight," Bruce sings, and you can't help but think he's singing that to Federici, the "Handsome Billy" of the song. There's a stark, almost gospel-like fadeout vocal over more calliope that's so fitting.

13. "The Wrestler" — The song was written spontaneously after a call from Rourke and offered free gratis for use in his new movie. Its references to one-trick ponies, one-legged dogs and one-armed men, sung over spare acoustic guitar and splashes of piano and percussion, certainly evoke the bruised and battered actor whose portrayal as an aging wrestler is certainly a metaphor for his own life and career.

Adams flying the coup?

Boy, that lengthy blog Ryan Adams posted on "Cardinal Cave" blog area of cardinology.com sure wasn't up long.

Adams wrote Jan. 14 that he would take a break from his band the Cardinals, formed in 2004, after their current tour ends March 20 — which means the March 2 show at the Chavez is safe unless they don't make it that far.

Seems like they will. The prolific (11 albums in eight years) Adams' post said he was taking some time off after the tour, in part because of his battle with Menieres disease, which can affect hearing and balance.

"I am grateful for the time we have had and maybe someday we will have more stories to tell together. I am however ready for quieter times as i thik it is very evident I am struggling with some balance and hearing issues," he wrote.

The post was removed a few hours after it went up on Wednesday.

He also plans to work on three books, including a novel, "Infinity Blues," due April 1.

While he later stressed he was just taking some time off, some of the post suggested he wasn't sure he would reform the group at a later date. ""Maybe we will play again sometime and maybe I will work my way back into some kind of music situation, but this is the time for me to step bak now, to reel it in," he wrote.

Concert update: Bellydance Superstars

This must be a good bellydance market. San Diego's Shimmy Sisters started here, and a local dance studio just had a belly dance concert at the Chamizal.

Now comes word that Bellydance Superstars — entrepreneur Miles Copeland's answer to "Riverdance" and Celtic Woman — will bring their "The Art of Bellydance" tour to UTEP's Magoffin Auditorium at 8 p.m. Feb. 21.

The American-based troupe is part of the American tribal style belly dance movement, which brings some new touches, including improvisation, to the ancient form of Middle Eastern dance. The group, founded by former record executive and Police manager MCopeland (brother of Police drummer Stewart Copeland), has released CDs and DVDs and will be followed around by a camera crew on this tour for a planned October DVD release.

Some of the group's bigger names will not be part of the show, but among those expected to perform are Petite Jamilla, Sonia, Sabah, Moria and Kami Liddle.

Tickets are $20, $25 and $32, on sale at the UTEP Ticket Center, Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com and 747.5234 or 544.8444.

Concert update: Grupo Fantasma, Tejano Legends, David Alan Coe, Brave Citizens

Austin Latin rock fusionists Grupo Fantasma return for a March 10 show at Take II, 6315 N. Mesa. EP's own Radio La Chusma again will open, with doors at 8 and the show at 9 p.m.

The group's percolator of a new album, "Sonidos Gold," is up for a Grammy in the Latin rock/alternative album category. They'll know if they win Feb. 8, when the awards are dished out.

Tickets for the 18-and-older show are $10 in advance, $13 day of show. Details: 832.0997, myspace.com/take2ep or 269.8968, myspace.com/greenscreenprod.

In other concert news:

• Ruban Ramos, aka El Gato Negro, and his band the Mexican Revolution will team up with longtime local favorite Sonny Ozuna co-headline the third annual Tejano Legends concert at 7:30 p.m. March 14 at the Plaza Theatre.

Tickets are $15, $30 and $45 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 16 at the box office, Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com and by phone, 544.8444.

• President's Day should be interesting at Whiskey Dick's when gnarly, outspoken country-rock outlaw David Allan Coe plays there on Feb. 15. Tickets will be $20 and $25.

• California power-pop quartet Brave Citizens play Zeppelin's Underground, 111 E. Robinson, on Jan. 31. El Paso's Jayden's Playground will open. It's an 8 p.m. show. Details: myspace.com/zeppelinsep.

Show update: Los Rieleros, L.A. Guns, Laser Floyd, Chippendales and more

Not a lot of concert news to report, though there is a big Mexican Regional show coming to the Coliseum next month, but I do have some updates on a variety of shows coming to area venues.

First, the concerts:

• Pecos-formed,El Paso-based norteno vets Los Rieleros del Norte team up with Durango's Patrulla 81 for a radio show at 8 p.m. Feb. 27 at the Coliseum. Tickets are $27.50, on sale now at the box and Ticketmaster locations and ticketmaster.com.

• L.A. Guns is coming to Take 2, but it's not clear which version of the band will be there. The show is Feb. 7. Neither the Tracii Guns-led version (he's a founding member of the group, which preceded Guns N' Roses) nor the other L.A. Guns, led by singer Phil Lewis, has an El Paso show listed on their itineraries on their various Web sites. But the show's posted on Ticketbully, which is listing tickets at $10, with tickets on sale at the club and ticketbully.com.

• The "Pink Floyd Laser Spectacular," basically a laser show set to Floyd classics, comes to the Chavez Theater at 8:30 p.m. Feb. 14. Tickets are $23 and $27 (for a laser show?), on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 16 at the Plaza Theatre box office and Ticketmaster outlets and ticketmaster.com.

• L.A. dark wavers The Start play Take 2 at 7 p.m. March 21. Tickets are $8, on sale at the club and ticketbully.com.

Also, I hear my buddy Dan Lambert will open for Eric Johnson's Jan. 21 show at Take 2.

In other shows news:

• Tickets are on sale for the Chippendales male revue, performing at 8:30 p.m. Feb. 11 at the new Club 101. Tickets are $20, $100 and $150 VIP (wonder what that includes, eh ladies?), on sale at the club and ticketbully.com.

• Don't know if you knew the World Famous Lipizzaner Stallions will be at the Don Haskins Center for a single show at 7:0 p.m. March 5. Tickets are $19.50, $22.50 and $27.50 ($2 less for kids and seniors), on sale at the UTEP Ticket Center, Ticketmaster outlets and ticketmaster.com.

• The Tuff Hederman Bull Riding Championship comes to the Coliseum at 8 p.m. Feb. 7. Tickets are $15, $25, $35, $50 and $75, on sale now at the box office, Ticketmaster outlets and ticketmaster.com.

• Tickets for the touring production of "Bye Bye Birdie," coming to the Plaza at 7:30 p.m. March 17, are $29 and $49 and will go on sale Feb. 6 at the box and Ticketmasters.

• Turns out the latest "Sesame Street Live" show, "Elmo's Green Thumb" will be at the Chavez Theatre for eight shows over four days, not the one I originally reported (after it was posted on ticketmaster.com). Show times are 7 p.m. April 9, 2 and 7 p.m. April 10, 10:30 a.m. and 2 and 5:30 p.m. April 11 and 2 and 5:30 p.m. April 12. Tickets are $10.50 and $27 and will go on sale March 2.