U.S. tour dates for Plant, Krauss extend through July

Tickets to a newly announced batch of Robert Plant and Alison Krauss shows throughout the United States are soon going on sale.

The performers are scheduled to appear at six shows in the South this April, before returning to the States in June fresh off a European tour including dates in England.

The newly announced shows are to take place this June and continue through July 1.

Newly announced tour dates consist of 18 shows in 17 cities mostly throughout the Mid-Atlantic and California.

Among previously announced dates are a pair of nights in Louisville, Ky., to open the tour. Tickets to both shows have sold out. Also previously announced is a performance at the Bonnaroo Festival in Tennessee, to take place June 15.

Their complete U.S. concert itinerary as now announced is as follows:

• Saturday, April 19 – Louisville, Ky. – The Palace Theatre
• Sunday, April 20 – Louisville, Ky. - The Palace Theatre
• Tuesday, April 22 – Knoxville, Tenn. – Knoxville Civic Coliseum
• Wednesday, April 23 – Chattanooga, Tenn. – Memorial Auditorium
• Friday, April 25 – New Orleans, La. – Jazz & Heritage Festival
• Saturday, April 26 – Birmingham, Ala. – BJCC Arena
• Monday, June 2 – Roanoke, Va. – Roanoke Civic Center
• Wednesday, June 4 – Uncasville, Conn. – Mohegan Sun
• Thursday, June 5 – Boston, Mass. – Bank Of America Pavilion
• Saturday, June 7 – Canandaigua, N.Y. – CMAC
• Sunday, June 8 – Atlantic City, N.J. – Borgata
• Tuesday, June 10 – New York, N.Y. – Madison Square Garden Theatre
• Friday, June 13 – Columbia, Md. – Merriweather Pavilion
• Saturday, June 14 – Asheville, N.C. – Asheville Civic Center
• Sunday, June 15 – Manchester, Tenn. – Bonnaroo
• Tuesday, June 17 – Detroit, Mich. – Fox Theatre
• Thursday, June 19 – St. Louis, Mo. – Fox Theatre
• Saturday, June 21 – Denver, Colo. – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
• Monday, June 23 - Los Angeles, Calif. - Greek Theatre
• Tuesday, June 24 - Los Angeles, Calif. - Greek Theatre
• Wednesday, June 25 – Santa Barbara, Calif. – Santa Barbara Bowl
• Friday, June 27 – Berkeley, Calif. – Greek Theatre
• Saturday, June 28 – Stateline, Nev. – Harvey's
• Monday, June 30 – San Diego, Calif. – Humphrey's
• Tuesday, July 1 – Phoenix, Ariz. – Dodge Theatre

Rounder Records, their label, expects to announce more tour dates soon. Jimmy Page has said Plant's current touring commitments with Krauss are likely to run until September.

Is anybody who reads this going to Knoxville or Chattanooga? Let me know. I will be there myself!

Zep members and the Grammys

The Los Angeles award ceremony for the recorded music industry hands out its annual trophies tonight, and Robert Plant and Alison Krauss stand to gain another statue for "Gone, Gone, Gone (Done Moved On)," in the category Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals.

John Paul Jones will be present to conduct an orchestra playing along with the Foo Fighters at the ceremony, which will be broadcast live in the United States on CBS television.

The orchestra is to be made up of winners from a Youtube contest called "My Grammy Moment." One of three finalists will perform a solo, and votes will be online before and during the broadcast to determine which one will play the solo.

Um, can I vote for Jonesy?

They'll be playing the Foos' summer 2007 single "The Pretender." Jones guested on two Foo songs on the band's 2005 album, In Your Honor.

Monday marks the TV premiere of Plant and Krauss appearing on "CMT Crossroads"; check your local listings for time and channel. The entire show is already streaming online.

OK, am I out of it or what? The Plant-Krauss song is the only one in that category I've even heard. Here are the nominees:

• "Steppin' Out," Tony Bennett & Christina Aguilera
• "Beautiful Liar," Beyoncé & Shakira
• "Gone, Gone, Gone (Done Moved On)," Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
• "The Sweet Escape," Gwen Stefani & Akon
• "Give It To Me," Timbaland Featuring Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake

Know what? I might have heard that last one, but I'm not sure.

Right now, I'm watching the Grammy pre-show on E! Something just crawled across the bottom of the screen saying: "Zeppelin fans have something to cheer about. Guitarist Jimmy Page says he's ready to get back on the road. The Led Zeppelin reunion tour could happen as early as September." Is that really Led Zeppelin news? Stay tuned to LedZeppelinNews.com.

Plant, Krauss to play at June's Bonnaroo Festival

As a lineup of acts performing at this June's Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Tennessee is being unveiled, it is confirmed that Robert Plant will perform with his current touring partner, Alison Krauss, in a lineup featuring T-Bone Burnett.

While the past months' rumors of a Led Zeppelin appearance at the festival are being quashed, media sources including the Associated Press and the United Kingdom's Telegraph have mistakenly reported Led Zeppelin was reuniting for Bonnaroo. The Chicago Sun-Times and Telegraph ran corrections after their mistaken pronouncements of a Led Zeppelin set at the festival.

Plant and Krauss, who are listed fifth on the bill currently featured on the front page of Bonnaroo's Web site, are scheduled to perform on June 15, the last day of the four-day festival set to take place in Manchester, Tenn.

Headlining acts topping the bill are rock groups Pearl Jam and Metallica and solo performers Jack Johnson and Kanye West. The all-female tribute act Lez Zeppelin is also scheduled to perform at the annual festival, a fact that seems to be the source of some media outlets' confusion.

Last year's lineup included a one-off onstage collaboration that teamed John Paul Jones with Ben Harper and ?uestlove to play a set of Led Zeppelin numbers. Jones also sat in with various bluegrass acts, including the female string band Uncle Earl, on multiple stages.

One member of Uncle Earl, Abigail Washburn, is slated to appear with her side project, the Sparrow Quartet. This musical project features the highly regarded performer Bela Fleck.

In turn, Fleck is listed among performers taking part in a collaborative act billed as the Bluegrass Allstars. In this act, Fleck is to be joined by such performers as Luke Bulla, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Edgar Meyer and Bryan Sutton. Also listed on the bill is "a very special acoustic performance by Larry Campbell, Jackie Greene, Phil Lesh & Teresa Williams."

Theoretically, the presence of such renowned performers, including Plant and Krauss, could be a draw for Jones, who has not been announced as a performer.

Plant and Krauss are scheduled to embark on a transcontinental tour of the United States, opening April 19 with the first of two shows in Louisville, Ky., and continuing with previously announced dates and also an April 25 performance at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.

A leg of their tour is to take place throughout mainland Europe and the United Kingdom, followed by the Bonnaroo Festival and other June and July U.S. shows yet to be announced.