Music Notes: Madonna Tour Dates
April 16, 2001 -- Madonna fans can start planning their strategy for scoring tickets to the singer's first tour in eight years.
The singer has announced some of her itinerary, for what is being billed as The Drowned World Tour. Those who keep track of her song titles will note "Drowned World" is the first song on her album Ray Of Light.
The tour will kick off in Cologne June 5. Here are her planned U.S. dates:
July 21 Philadelphia, First Union Center
July 25 New York, Madison Square Garden
Aug. 2 E. Rutherford, N.J., Continental Airlines Arena
Aug. 6 Boston, Fleet Center
Aug. 10 Washington, D.C., MCI Center
Aug. 14 Miami, National Car Rental Center
Aug. 19 Atlanta, Philips Arena
Aug. 25 Detroit, The Palace of Auburn Hills
Aug. 28 Chicago, United Center
Sept. 1 Las Vegas, MGM Grand
Sept. 5 Oakland, Calif., Oakland Arena
Sept. 9 Los Angeles, Staples Center
Santana, R.E.M.'s Political Statement
Members of Rage Against the Machine and R.E.M. as well as Sarah McLachlan and Carlos Santana are turning their attention to South Africa.
The performers have signed an Internet petition to provide low-cost AIDS medication in the African nation.
Former South African President Nelson Mandela signed a law in 1997 to drop the cost of the medication for impoverished people, and since then 39 pharmaceutical companies have struck back with a lawsuit to block Mandela's efforts.
The non-profit group Doctors Without Borders has launched an Internet petition urging the drug makers to back off. No word on the response from those companies, but the campaign has certainly drawn the attention of some of the more outspoken activist rockers.
Buena Vista and Blur Cartoon
Josie and the Pussycats are facing a battle of the bands from a new cartoon rock group, Gorillaz.
The cartoon from Tank Girl creator Jamie Hewlett is a side-project from Blur singer Damon Albarn.
Lending their voices to the group are musical veterans such as Buena Vista Social Club star Ibrahim Ferrer, ex-Talking Head Tina Weymouth and Miho Hatori of Cibo Matto.
The Gorillaz album is due out June 5 with a possible tour set for the summer.
Moreover
Janet Jackson's CD All For You is dedicated to a certain Puffy, before you start wondering about her relationship to the hip-hop star, the Puffy in question is actually her dog who died last year at age 19 … Beatles fans are sending hate mail to a clergyman in Liverpool. Canon John Roberts plans to sell the church stage where John Lennon met Paul McCartney to fund renovations and the news has apparently angered fans.
ABCNEWS Radio and ABCNEWS.com's Buck Wolf and Nancy Chandross contributed to this report.