No Longer Estranged
Great news (at least potentially) for New York Guns N Roses fans... they are scheduled to play 2 nights at Hammerstein to prepare for their summer playing European Festivals. Yes, it's not the true GnR... only Axl (and Tommy Stinson and Dizzy and whoever else is in the group these days). And yes, I would not be surprised at all to find that the shows are cancelled*. But since I never got to see them in their prime, I am still excited at the prospect at finally seeing Axl perform live, especially at a smaller venue.
While we're on the subject of GnR, for those who missed it, here's a great April Fool's fake review of "Chinese Democracy" written by Chuck Klosterman.

*Note: The last time GnR toured (back in 2002), some friends and I bought tickets for a Friday night show in Philly. I took the train down from NYC after work that day, and my friends and I got to the arena about 9:30. Mixmaster Mike (the opening act) had just hit the stage. 90 minutes later, he was still playing, and the crowd was getting anxious. They started to boo, curse, and throw things (including a full cup of soda, launched from the balcony, that hit one of my friends and exploded all over him). As the crowd got more rowdy, people started filing out. I, however, remained filled with hope, assuring everyone that Axl was simply being Axl and he'd come out eventually. My hopes were dashed when they announced over the P.A. system that Axl had never left NY from the previous night's show at the Garden. And that's when the real rioting began. People threw chairs, smashed the soundboard, got into fights, set fires to the merch booths. Just as my friends and I got outside, the riot police stormed past us, batons and shields ready for action. The following morning, the label cancelled the remainder of the tour.
Should I have learned a lesson from this? Yes. Should I be pissed at Axl and not want to give him any more of my money? Yes. Yet I will. I can't help it.