Hall of Fame: Elvis, yay.
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And you thought Canadians were so well mannered. Vancouver fans showed a major appetite for destruction Nov. 7 when Guns N' Roses' North American tour kickoff was canceled by venue management at General Motors Place—hundreds demonstrated their unhappiness by throwing bottles, rocks, and metal security barricades through the arena's glass entry doors before police showed up with attack dogs and put a stop to them with what some attendees have deemed excessive use of batons and pepper spray. Much luckier were showgoers at the following night's Tacoma Dome GN'R appearance, who were treated to classics like "Paradise City," "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," "Sweet Child o' Mine," and what one traumatized eyewitness tells us was the telltale sign of a girdle beneath Axl's sports jersey. . . . A handful of locals made their way from the Dome straight to Graceland on Friday night for a decidedly support-garment-free show: the second night of a sold-out bill featuring D.C.'s Dismemberment Plan and freshly minted major-labelers Hot Hot Heat. We finally looked beyond the hairdos long enough to enjoy HHH's super-referential yet stimulating set—and were duly impressed by lead singer Steve Bays' ability to mind-over-matter his very serious flu and perform like a pro. The D Plan's inspired closeout medley—complete with Temple of the Dog and Jay Z riffs—also added some extra fun to what could have been a too-earnest set. . . . Hark, what fresh lameness is this? Why, it's The Washington Post, whose Sunday paper offered this bit of wisdom: "In Seattle, where [Kurt] Cobain lived his last years, Nirvana has never really gone away, particularly for the many tourists who have treated the city like a grunge Liverpool since his suicide"—all as a lead-in to a tour of what they call Kurt Cobain's Seattle, which involves a stop at his Madrona mansion and nearby Viretta Park ("the closest thing there is to a Cobain grave site"), the Crocodile Cafe ("the CBGB of grunge"), Sub Pop Records, EMP, and venues like Central Tavern, Re-bar, the now-shuttered OK Hotel, and the original Vogue, in whose parking lot Cobain reportedly vomited from nervousness before one long-ago gig. What, no mention of the Taco Bell bathroom on Broadway, where he used to shoot up (and most likely find a moment of goddamn peace)? For shame. . . . Following his Showbox appearance last Wednesday—at which loyal celebrity girlfriend Claire Danes dutifully shook her itty-bitty groove thing—Aussie rocker Ben Lee told DOON of his in-the-works plans to put together a road show with fellow Bens Folds and Kweller, which sounds like a much better matchup than his current opening slot for piano-riding Tori Amos stepchild Vanessa Carlton. . . . While you may have already heard the list of this year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees—AC/DC, Elvis Costello and the Attractions, the Righteous Brothers, the Clash, and the Police—you most likely have not heard much of those who didn't make the cut. The mere fact that first-time contenders ABBA, Steve Winwood, and Chic (?!) were even considered seems downright ridiculous when coupled with the knowledge that repeat nominees Black Sabbath, the Sex Pistols, Patti Smith, MC5, Kraftwerk, and Lynyrd Skynyrd were all once again rejected. Embarrassing, we say. . . . Speaking of oldsters, Lou Reed's upcoming album, The Raven—his musical interpretation of Edgar Allen Poe's work—will feature all kinds of special guest stars, from actors Willem Dafoe (reading the title poem) and Steve Buscemi to David Bowie, Laurie Anderson, and the Five Blind Boys of Alabama. You can wait until its release in January or download some sneak previews at www.loureed.org. . . . Maybe you think Morrissey's gotten a little cartoonish in his middle age (still with the vinyl pants!), but did you know he'll be made into an actual cartoon alongside his old bandmates? It's for an upcoming documentary titled These Things Take Time: The Story of the Smiths, which will use animation to re-enact key scenes in the band's history. Though former members Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke agreed to appear, reclusive Mozzer unsurprisingly gave the big N-O. Story is set to air on TV sometime this month in England, with an international broadcast hopefully to follow. . . . No more freebies at Tower Records, sucker: A sad little goodbye is due to Pulse! magazine, which announced it is closing its doors after 19 years. The forthcoming December issue will be the publication's last.
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