Loretta Lynn at Lilith Fair? I'm in

I'm really excited about the return of one of the best festivals of all-time, Lilith Fair. And I'm especially excited that Loretta Lynn will appear on some of the dates. I've been wanting to see her forever and this will be a great setting in which to do it.

The 2010 edition will feature a number of great female acts, including Sarah McLachlan, Tegan and Sara, Ke$ha, Mary J. Blige, Sheryl Crow, Heart, Norah Jones, The Gossip, Sugarland, and Cat Power.

Exact tour dates have not yet been announced but the cities that will play host to Lilith Fair have been revealed. Unfortunately, they haven't yet found room for a show at the First Niagara Pavilion, the newly-renamed Post-Gazette Pavilion, but more dates are expected to be announced soon.

Musician tweet of the week: Stephen Colbert

So, he's not a musician but he's a Grammy winner. Comedian Stephen Colbert was one of the stars of the Grammys, joking, "Justin Timberlake may have brought the sexy back, but Susan Boyle sent it away again!"

This week he was busy with Grammy-related tweets after his win. To wit:

my emmy is giving me the cold shoulder since i brought home the grammy. she won't even bathe with me anymore!

tweet slang update! rotflwcmg means "rolling on the floor laughing while clutching my grammy"

when do I get the tiny records to play on my grammy?

http://twitter.com/StephenAtHome

February Pittsburgh concerts

MUST-SEE SHOW:
2/13 Ben Folds & Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra @ Heinz Hall
I don't think we've ever featured a show at Heinz Hall on our list of featured concerts, but this one sounds fun. Tickets are quite expensive, but if you have the disposable funds, it would be worth it to hear Ben sing "Give me money back, you bitch!" with the orchestra behind him.

ALSO WORTH ATTENDING:
2/21 St. Vincent @ Diesel
The last time Annie Clark came to town, she delivered a memorable performance at the Andy Warhol Museum. The venue isn't as cool this time around, but she has some newer music to promote - she's touring behind Actor, her successful release from last summer.

Others to keep in mind:
2/4 Jeffree Star @ University of Pittsburgh
2/6 Anti-Flag @ Mr. Small's
2/12 Scary Kids Scaring Kids @ Diesel
2/16 Carbon Leaf @ Rex Theater
2/17 Green River Ordinance @ Club Cafe
2/17 Tortoise @ Mr. Small's
2/21 The Verve Pipe @ Club Cafe
2/25 Eric Clapton & Roger Daltry @ Mellon Arena
2/26 Sondre Lerche @ Club Cafe
2/26 New Found Glory, Saves the Day & Hellogoodbye @ Club Zoo
2/27 The Ataris @ Diesel
2/27 Martina McBride & Trace Adkins @ Petersen Events Center

Live blogging the 2010 Grammy Awards and Pre-Telecast

As I do every year, I'll be live blogging the Grammy Awards tonight - both the Grammys themselves and the non-televised three-hour pre-telecast in the afternoon.

The pre-telecast is fun because it's where 99 of the 109 Grammy Awards will be presented, including some of the big categories, plus all those obscure categories like Best Liner Notes.

Click the links below for my live blogs of both events.

Live Blogging the 2010 Grammy Awards Main Show

Live Blogging the 2010 Grammy Awards Pre-Show

Also see my Complete 2010 Grammy Awards coverage, with more than 40 feature articles, predictions, and artist profiles.

My prediction? Taylor Swift wins each of the big three awards and pockets five awards total, tying the record for most Grammys won by a female in one night. But the Dave Matthews Band and Kings of Leon have a good shot to be spoilers in the big categories.

Musician tweet of the week: Franz Nicolay

Franz Nicolay, the man with the moustache in the Hold Steady, has left the group after five years. After posting the news on his blog this week, he tweeted the following:

It's like I died, but still get to read the obituaries.

We love Franz. His dynamic keys and on-stage showmanship were some of the best things about the Hold Steady. He'll continue to release solo projects and will probably collaborate with other bands as he's done in the past.

We almost interviewed Franz a few years back but couldn't quite work it out. Perhaps we'll gave that another shot soon.

http://twitter.com/franznicolay

Another listen: Crushin' by the Fat Boys

I've been unearthing some good stuff on YouTube lately.

Here's a long-lost album track from The Fat Boys. It's the title track from their 1987 album Crushin', and I maintain it's one of the most overlooked rap tracks of the '80s.

Turn your volume ALL THE WAY UP and play it below.

Video clip: Fat Boys - Crushin'

Musician tweet of the week: John Mayer

John Mayer offered a thoughtful tweet on Friday night after the Haiti benefit program:

Don't judge the artists who played tonight with your American Idol brain. They all gave their talent and time.

http://twitter.com/johncmayer

Musician tweet of the week: Jesse Johnson

He's one of the members of Motion City Soundtrack. This week he retweeted someone else's post, which I find to be the most appropriate tweet anyone made all week:

Jay Leno is a piece of shit.

Who could disagree at this point?

http://twitter.com/JESSEMACKJ

Rodrigo y Gabriela coming to the Byham

I rarely post show announcements, but this one has me giddy: Rodrigo y Gabriela are coming to the Byham Theater on March 2. A presale begins at pgharts.org on January 12. Tickets are pricey - $42.50.

This could well end up being the best concert of 2010 in the city of Pittsburgh. If you don't know who they are, you best get yourself educated!

Video: Rodrigo y Gabriela on Letterman