New Orleans’ Voodoo Experience Festival will return once again this year, and Green Day and Neil Young & Crazy Horse will perform as headliners at the event.

As per usual, the festival will be held during Halloween weekend, from October 26-28. This year will be the 14^th annual incarnation of the festival.

Along with the two headliners mentioned above, a select list of other artists that will perform at the festival also was released. Among those include Skrillex, Gary Clark, Jr., Justice, Tomahawk, Bootsy Collins, Say Anything and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. The final lineup is expected to include around 150 artists and will be announced in the coming months.

Green Day’s appearance at the festival is set to be the group’s only U.S. concert date this year, and festival founder and organizer Stephen Rehage said that their set along with Neil Young’s will be one of the reasons this year’s festival will help him realize the dreams he had when he started the festival.

“I believe this year’s lineup is developing into something really special, Rehage said. “Green Day’s set in 2004 is one of the greatest performances in the festival’s 13-year history. Having them choose to do their only U.S. show of 2012 at Voodoo is pretty extraordinary. And the confirmation of Neil Young & Crazy Horse is epic. They are one of a handful of artists that you hope to have the privilege to work with at some point in your career. It’s what you dream of when you create something like Voodoo.”

A first this year will be that the festival will offer on-site camping. Festivalgoers can camp under 200-year-old oak trees in City Park, though camping passes have an additional price to the regular festival admission. A special VIP camping pass provides guests with a tent, complimentary breakfast and backstage passes.

This year’s Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival in San Francisco may be the festival’s greatest year yet. A large part of the reason for this are the recently announced headliners, which are Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Stevie Wonder, Metallica, Foo Fighters, Beck and Jack White.

If those names weren’t enough, the rest of the extensive and eclectic lineup contain many other notable names, as well. These include Norah Jones, Sigur Ros, The Walkmen, Alabama Shakes, Bloc Party, Justice, Die Antwood, Sharon Van Etten and White Demin, among others.

This year’s festival will be held August 10-12 at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. The festival, now in its fifth year, drew over 60,000 attendees last year.

In addition to the music, the festival also welcomes more than 100 food and wine vendors to the even grounds. Additionally, more than 50 restaurants will gather for “A Taste of the Bay Area,” which allows fans to sample food from many establishments from around the Bay Area.

The event uses part of its proceeds to give back to the San Francisco area, and has thus far raised around $4.3 million for the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department. A portion of every ticket sold this year will go to the same organization.

The Outside Lands Festival continues in the tradition of using Golden Gate Park as a gathering place for a large variety of guests. The park is the third most visited park in America, and hosts 13 million visitors every year.

Rock concerts were first held in the park in the 1960s. The Outside Lands Fest takes place mainly in the parks Polo Fields, Speedway Meadow and Lindley Meadow. Other festival attractions in the park include the Japanese Tea Garden, the De Young Museum and the Conservatory of Flowers, among others.

Neil Young has once again worked with his on-again-off-again backing band Crazy Horse to produce a new album, Americana. And June 5 has now been set as the official release date for the album.

Young hasn’t recorded an album with Crazy Horse since 2003’s Greendale, and this album is a collection of classic American folk songs like “Tom Dooley” and “Oh Susannah.” More modern folk songs including “This Land is Your Land” and “Get a Job” also are included in the set. A press release announcing the album comments on how the songs work together.

“What ties these songs together is the fact that while they may represent an America that may no longer exist, the emotions and scenarios behind these songs still resonate with what’s going on in the country today with equal, if not greater impact nearly 200 years later,” the press release states. “They lyrics reflect the same concerns and are still remarkably meaningful to a society going through economic and cultural upheaval, especially during an election year. They are just as poignant and powerful today as the day they were written.?”

Earlier this year at the Slamdance Film Festival, Young spoke about the album, according to Rolling Stone.

“A very young choir of children plays with Crazy Horse [on the album],” he said. “They’re songs we all know from kindergarten, but Crazy Horse has rearranged them, and they now belong to us.”

Last month, Crazy Horse made their first public live appearance since 2004 at the MusicCares tribute to Paul McCartney in Los Angeles. The band covered the Beatles’ classic “I Saw Her Standing There.” As of now, the band has not released any plans to tour for the album. Crazy Horse drummer Ralph Molina wrote on his Facebook page recently that he has ‘not heard a solitary thing about touring.”

Young announced in January, also during Slamdance, that the band also is working on a second album, though no further details on that project have been released.

This year’s Bridge School Benefit Concert lineup has been announced. The Neil Young annual event has a gigantic bill to celebrate the silver anniversary of the concert. It will take place on October 22 and 23 in Mountainview, CA at Shoreline Amphitheater.

Joining Neil Young for the weekend celebration will be Beck, Mumford and Sons, Dave Matthews, Eddie Vedder, Arcade Fire and Los Invisibles with Carlos Santana.

Other performers listed on the official site of the concert include Diana Krall, the jazz queen, who will be performing on Saturday and Sunday performers Foo Fighters and Tony Bennett. It appears all the stars are showing up to support the cause near to Young’s heart.

The benefit concert is a fundraiser for the special school that was started in 1986 by Neil Young and his wife Pegi to help Ben, their son. On hand to help launch the inaugural concert were heavy hitters like Crosby, Stills & Nash, Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen. The show has become a staple for music lovers, which has taken place every year except for 1987.

On September 16, tickets will be going on sale at Live Nation. The concert proceeds will help to assist children with communication needs and disabilities.

Following months of speculation, Buffalo Springfield will be going on a tour for the first time since the group broke up in 1968. Original members Stephen Stills, Richie Furay, and Neil Young will perform six concerts in California starting in the early part of June. The culmination of the tour will be their performance on June 11 at Bonnaroo. Rick Rosas, who has played bass for Young for many years, will replace the deceased original member Bruce Palmer. Joe Vitale, drummer for Crosby, Stills and Nash, will replace the deceased original drummer Dewey Martin.

Richie Furay released a statement in which he said, “It’s hard to believe 42 years have passed since we played together as the Buffalo Springfield. Over the years, music never stopped flowing from each of us, and it’s come ‘full circle,’ if you will. And now, we get to share our hearts with you again – yes, Buffalo Springfield again!”

In October, 2010, the group reunited for two concerts at Young’s yearly Bridge School Benefit. Right after these performances, Furay gave an interview to Rolling Stone and he stated, “Before I got the call about the reunion I always told people there wasn’t any chance we’d ever reunite. Now I’m never going to say never again. We left with the idea that we can do this if we want to. “As of right now, there are no more concerts scheduled after California and Bonnaroo. However, David Crosby indicated in an interview with Rolling Stone that the group will most likely perform additional concerts later in the year. Furay’s website states that the group will be going on a tour that is “slated for September.”

For the Bridge School Benefit, the band played songs from their time together in the 1960s. These songs were “Rock and Roll Woman,” “Bluebird,” “I Am a Child,” Nowadays Clancy Can’t Even Sing,” “Mr. Soul,” “On The Way Home,” and the song they are most well-known for “For What It’s Worth.”

Furay stated, “We wound up doing the songs that flowed best. I was thinking maybe about us doing Steven’s ‘Hot Dusty Roads’ from the first album or ‘Hung Upside Down’ [from 1967’s Buffalo Springfield Again]. The ones we wound up doing certainly covered the spectrum of our music.”

Gillian Welch has been booked as the opening act for all performances.

At the Induction Ceremony for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last night in New York City, Alice Cooper was inducted by Rob Zombie, Neil Diamond was welcomed by Paul Simon, Dr. John was inducted by John Legend, Tom Waits was inducted by Neil Young, Darlene Love was brought in by Bette Middler and Leon Russell was inducted by Elton John.

Waits, who is never without his snappy one linesr, was last night in rare form. He described his songs being very interesting things that could be done with air. He quipped, they say I’m hard to work with and have no hits. They say that as if that’s a bad thing. He performed “House Where Nobody Lives,” “Rain Dogs” and “Make It Rain.”

While inducting Waits Neil Young said, this man is indescribable. I am here to try to describe him for you. This man’s a great performer, singer, magician actor, changeling and spirit guide.

Paul Simon describing Neil Diamond said, he was called a Jewish Elvis Presley. In many synagogues in fact Elvis was considered to be a fake Neil Diamond.

“Sweet Caroline” was performed by Diamond. Robbie Robertson and Bruce Springsteen joined him and later on The Crystals song “Da Doo Ron Ron” was joined by Bette Middler, Dr. John, Leon Russell, Elton John, Darlene Love and Alice Cooper.

Fuse TV will be showing Tom Waits’ Induction ceremony performance at 9 pm EDT on March 20.

Neil Young will be touring in 11 United States venues beginning on April 15 and going through the early part of May. The first concert will be in Durham, NC.
There will be two concerts each in Chicago, Baltimore, Boston and New York.

Based on information from an official statement, Young will be singing songs off of his 2010 album, “Le Noise.” The musician, who is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, will also perform several of his “classic tracks” both acoustically and electronically.

At the Grammys in February, Young’s songs “Angry World” off the “Le Noise” album, won the award for Best Rock Song. This was Young’s second Grammy win, and his first win for his music. His first Grammy was for album packaging.

The eight songs on the “Le Noise” album were produced by Daniel Lanois who has also produced music for U2 and Bob Dylan. The tracks were recorded in Lanois’ house, which is located in the Los Angles neighborhood of Silver Lake.

Neil Young’s annual Bridge School Benefit, which is on its 24th year, will feature a reunion performance from Young’s former rock country band, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Buffalo Springfield.  Young will be teaming up with the original and only living band mates Richie Furay and Stephen Stills for the two-day headlining charity gig.

Joining the trio for the two day event are fellow rock country icons Merle Haggard, Kris Kristofferson, Pearl Jam who will be celebrating their 20th year in the biz with their appearance in the benefit, Grizzly Bear, Elvis Costello and Modest Mouse.  Other artists such as Elton John, Lucinda Williams, Leon Russell, Billy Idol and Jackson Browne with David Lindley will also be performing in the said event but only in one of the two scheduled shows.

The Bridge School Benefit show has always been known to feature unplugged performances from all of its guests so expect Buffalo Springfield to belt out an all acoustic set.

The Bridge School charity concert will be held at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, Northern California on October 23 and 24.  The event is primarily organized by Neil Young to raise funds for Bridge School’s specialized programs for its physically disabled students.   It also aims to disseminate more information and awareness on how students with such disabilities and their families can cope with their present situation.

Tickets for the event will be available starting on Sunday, September 19 via Ticketmaster.

In September Neil Young, the rock legend, will be heading for the Gulf Coast to perform four benefit shows which aim at helping fight hunger.  The region is still trying to recover from the recent tragic oil spill.

Tyson Foods, in conjunction with these concerts, will be donating 100,000 pounds worth of chicken products for the area’s needy.  Young is asking that concert attendees bring food items that are non-perishable to the shows.  Bay Area Food Bank will be distributing donated items to communities that have been hard hit in Mississippi, Florida and Alabama.

Neil Young limited edition shirts are being made available at Gulf Coast shows exclusively.  All the proceeds will go towards relief efforts.

The benefit shows, according to a recent press release, were forged from the long friendship between John Tyson, Tyson Foods Chairman, and Neil Young.

During a recent press release Young said, millions of people living at the Gulf Coat have been struggling with hunger.  The oil spill’s economic impact had made things worse.  I appreciate John Tyson, along with his company, being willing to get involved and help the region’s food bank in helping to feed the needy.  Both of us encourage concert attendees to support local business and spend money locally.

“The Gulf Coast Tour” is visiting theaters in Pensacola, FL; Mobile, AL; Biloxi, MS and Panama City, FL.  In addition two non-benefit shows have been announced by Young for Florida.  On September 22 he will be performing in Clearwater and will be in Hollywood, FL on September 23.

2010 Neil Young Concert Tour
September 2010
20 – Panama City, FL – Marina Civic Center (Gulf Coast Tour)
25 – Biloxi, MS – IP Showroom (Gulf Coast Tour)
26 – Mobile, AL – Saenger Theatre (Gulf Coast Tour)
28 – Pensacola, FL – Saenger Theatre (Gulf Coast Tour)
22 – Clearwater, FL – Ruth Eckerd Hall
23 – Hollywood, FL – Seminole Hard Rock Casino

This year’s lineup for the benefit show Farm Aid, which will include mainstays Dave Matthews, John Mellencamp, Neil Young and Willie Nelson, recently got much bigger.

Organizers announced today that Band of Horses, Jeff Tweedy, Jason Mraz, Norah Jones and Kenny Chesney have been added for this year’s concert.  The 35th anniversary show for the benefit is  scheduled to take place in Milwaukee, WI at Miller Park on October 2.

On Saturday August 14 tickets will be going on sale at tickets.com.  Advanced tickets can be ordered by Farm Aid members.  More information is posted on Farm Aid’s website.

According  to Farm Aid, over its history, has raised almost $37 million for supporting family farms.