Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe , July 31 (UPI) -- SPRINGSTEEN PLAYS TODAY SHOW Bruce Springsteen celebrated the release of "The Rising" with a mini-concert at Asbury Park's Convention Hall Tuesday in front of 2,500 fans. A crowd of 10,000 more, including New Jersey Gov. James E. McGreevey, watched outside along the boardwalk and beach on giant monitor screens. Millions more saw the live televised broadcast of the show on NBC's "Today Show." Advertisement The show kicked off Springsteen's tour to promote "The Rising," his first studio recording with the E Street Band since 1984. Several of the songs were inspired by the Sept. 11 attacks, including the title track and "My City of Ruins," which Springsteen played last fall in the "America: A Tribute to Heroes" benefit concert. GRATEFUL DEAD SURVIVORS TO TOUR The surviving members of the Grateful Dead are following their "Terrapin Station" reunion concerts this weekend with a tour of 13 cities. Advertisement "The dates are conditional upon a safe and positive outcome of Alpine Valley," the band cautioned its fans in an e-mail message. "What this means is that the request for only people with tickets to come to the show has to be strictly adhered to. Failure to comply with this simple request will put this tour dates in serious jeopardy. As always your cooperation is appreciated." The scheduled tour begins Nov. 14 in Roanoke, Va., and concludes Dec. 2 in Chicago. Tour dates: Roanoke on Nov. 14, Washington, D.C., on Nov. 15, Albany, N.Y., on Nov. 16, Boston Nov. 18-19, East Rutherford, N.J., on Nov. 20, Hartford, Conn., on Nov. 22, Philadelphia Nov. 23-24, New York City Nov. 25, Cleveland, Ohio, on Nov. 27, Pittsburgh on Nov. 29, Detroit on Nov. 30, Indianapolis on Dec. 1 and Chicago again on Dec. 2. DYLAN REVISITS NEWPORT It has been 37 years since then-folkie Bob Dylan took the stage at the Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island and went electric, strapping on a Stratocaster guitar and changing the shape of the event ... and his own music. On Saturday, Aug. 3, Dylan returns to Newport for the first time since that historic appearance, with his current acoustic/electric band. Advertisement Thanks to Dylan, tickets for the 10,000-capacity venue have sold out for Saturday, selling faster than any day in the festival's 43-year history. BLUESIN' BLAST ADDS RADIATORS One of the biggest blues parties in history will kick off Feb. 4-8 as part of the "Bluesin' Blast" floating blues festival, the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise. Roger Naber, whose Grand Emporium in Kansas City is one of the world's best blues clubs, revived LR&BC earlier this year and already had booked a seven-day blues cruise Feb. 8-15 when he decided to add a four-day leg starring the Radiators along with Taj Mahal, Koko Taylor, Chubby Carrier, Lonnie Brooks, Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers, Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials, Bernard Allison, Curtis Salgado and Kelley Hunt. The cruise leaves from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and hits Port Lucaya in the Bahamas. After a day at sea, the next stop is Key West, Fla. "We're breaking new water here," Naber said. "The Radiators played on our 1998 cruise, but this is a bigger ship with a much better performance area. We were 95 percent booked on the seven-day cruise. We gave people the option of extending it to an 11-day cruise with a one-third discount on the four-day package. We've already gotten 260 people, which is about 100 more than I thought we'd have at this point." Advertisement ROCKIN' JAKE TAKES MANHATTAN They were hanging from the rafters at New York blues club Terra Blues for the Rockin' Jake band when he brought his New Orleans band to the Big Apple. "Maybe next time I can get a piece of the door," said Jake as he surveyed the wall-to-wall turnout. Jake opened with his harp instrumental take on "All Blues" and got a wild response to his cover of the Roy Head classic "Treat Her Right" and the stomping "Hot Tamale Baby." He went on to pay tribute to Jimmy Reed, referenced "Little Liza Jane," walked the crowd playing a harp solo and ripped through "Zydeco Boogaloo" in between playing tunes from his latest album, "Full Time Work." He topped it off with his crowd favorite, "Hot Sauce," and sold bottles of his custom condiment from the stage.
