TOTO'S 35 ANNIVERSARY TOUR "LIVE IN POLAND"

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THE GLORIOUS CORNER

Story By: G. H. HARDING
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Toto Live In Poland



HUMAN CANCELLED --- According to Deadline Hollywood, “Fox has opted not to pick up a second season of Almost Human. The futuristic drama starring Karl Urban and Michael Ealy got off to a dodgy start in November but held enough ground to at least earn renewal consideration, often finishing on par with its Monday companion (the already-renewed drama The Following).”



Almost Human‘s chances started to slip once Fox’s drama pilots started to come in. All three of them — Gotham, The Red Band Society and Empire – are considered strong contenders for a series pickup. That didn't bode well for Almost Human.



Almost Human, about a cop (Urban) paired with a lifelike combat-model android (Ealy), comes from the Fringe -team of JJ Abrams and J.H. Wyman and while the first few episodes were a bit hard to process, once it got up and running, it was great. Urban’s sardonic-nature and Ealy’s android-ness worked rather well together. The writing got markedly better and a developing romance between the urban character and Minka Kelly was very nicely conveyed. It's too bad.



I was a huge fan of Fringe and while I went into this show not wanting to like it, it grew on me.



TV these days is a tough nut to crack. Years back, a show would have a full season of 22 episodes, to build a proper following. Now, you're lucky if you get 7 episodes.

 


TOTO TOO ---Toto and Eagle Rock Entertainment have released the band's 35th Anniversary Tour – Live In Poland in configurations that include 2CDs, DVD, Blu-ray, and a deluxe edition featuring all formats with a 60-page book.



Filmed on June 25, 2013 in Lodz, Poland, the offering captures the band in the midst of a standing-room-only European tour. The two-hour plus performance features Toto's greatest hits (“Africa,” “Hold The Line,” and “Rosanna”) alongside other favorites.



The set also includes behind-the-scenes bonus content. Eagle Rock has premiered the band's performance of "Hold The Line" which can be viewed HERE:




Toto World Tour 2013 featured Steve Lukather, David Paich, Steve Porcaro on keyboards, and singer Joseph Williams, who sang the hits "Pamela" and "Stop Loving You" on their worldwide platinum release The Seventh One (1988).



The group has also revealed further plans that will deliver what fans have been waiting years for. The band will record a new studio album planned for release in 2015, their first since Falling In Between (2006). Keyboardist and founding member David Paich said recently, "The repertoire is coming together so naturally it is as though we never took a break from creating as Toto in the studio. For the fans who have been waiting patiently and continually showing the band support and love over the last decade or so, this one's for you. "



In April, they return to Japan for a seven show headlining sold-out arena tour and in August and September, Toto will hit the road as co-headliners with Michael McDonald, for their most comprehensive North American tour in years.



Few ensembles in the history of recorded music have individually or collectively had a larger imprint on pop culture than the members of Toto. As individuals, the band members can be heard on an astonishing 5000 albums that together amass a sales history of a half a billion albums. Amongst these recordings, NARAS applauded the performances with more than 200 Grammy nominations.




With over 35 years together and thousands of credits and accolades to their names, Toto remains one of the top selling tour and recording acts in the world.



BTW: Steve Lukather is producing the new album from Ringo Starr!



PET SHOP DISH ---The Pet Shop Boys will premiere a new work based on the life of code breaker Alan Turing.



A Man From the Future is an "evocation of the life and work of the computer pioneer and code-breaker" written for orchestra, choir, electronics and a narrator with text based on the book Alan Turing: The Enigma by Andrew Hodges. Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe collaborated with Hodges on the work.



The piece will be premiered on July 23 at the Late Night Proms in Royal Albert Hall, a part of the BBC Proms series, and will be performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Dominic Wheeler.



Neil and Chris said "It is an honor for us to be invited to present some new music at The Proms and to celebrate Alan Turing 60 years after his death."



This is not the Pet Shop Boys' first foray into serious music. In 2001, the wrote the musical Closer to Heaven and, ten years later, they presented the ballet The Most Incredible Thing based on a tale by Hans Christian Andersen.




CLOSING NOTES --- Monkee-Micky Dolenz headlines at B. B. King’s here in NYC on July 30; the last time he was there, he recorded the live CD, Micky Dolenz Live At B. B. King’s …



Jersey Boy-Donnie Kehr with Cori Gardner (and, PR-pasha David Salidor) at NYC’s Hourglass Tavern talking about their next Rockers On Broadway-event, scheduled for November. Be sure to check out this new hotspot from Beth Sheinis and Josh Toth. We loved it …



Interesting Tony nominees announced yesterday: very glad Idina Menzel was properly recognized for her If/Then; but, best score? I came out of there not remembering one single song! Kudos to Neil Patrick Harris who is stellar in Hedwig and the Angry Inch. The 68th edition of the show (hosted by Hugh Jackman) is on Sunday, June 8th on CBS. Also, do yourself a favor and stop by the pop up Tony-store at The Paramount Hotel on West 46th street in NYC ...



NBC's Today Show announced their summer-concert series yesterday: Maroon 5, Usher, Pharrel Williams, Neon Trees, Mariah Carey, Araian Grande ... exciting? Not really ...



Writer Lisa Robinson, who I've known for decades, releases her first book, There Goes Gravity: A Life in Rock and Roll (Riverhead/Penguin), about her ride in the rock scene with such names as Led Zeppelin, Elton John and The Rolling Stones, looks good. I just started reading it, but the real reason for her success, in my humble estimation, is her sister Deanne Zimmerman, who's done so much work for her, behind the scenes, I can't even begin to write about it. Details to follow ...



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