Over the last couple of weeks, there has been a lot of news swirling in regards to the lineup for the ninth annual Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. All the “he said, she said” will finally come to a close today as Superfly and AC Entertainment will roll out their initial roster of talent via their MySpace page today at Noon with some artists jumping the gun by a few hours.

Stick with Hidden Track, as we find out just who is headed to Manchester this June. What we do know already is that The Flaming Lips will be covering Dark Side Of The Moon during their late-night set, and that comedian/banjo enthusiast Steve Martin will be there with his band the Steep Canyon Rangers.

Confirmed Bonnaroo 2010 Bands [last update - 12:37 PM EST]: Dave Matthews Band, Flaming Lips w/ Stardeath and White Dwarfs perform Dark Side of the Moon, Weezer, Phoenix, John Fogerty, Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, Blues Traveler, Jeff Beck, Avett Brothers, OK Go, Medeski Martin & Wood, Punch Brothers, Darryl Hall with Chromeo, Bassnectar, Monte Montgomery, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Neon Indian, Cross Canadian Ragweed, 311, Baroness, The Black Keys, Isis, The Asterisk, The Constellations, The Carolina Chocolate Drops, Ingrid Michaelson [via HT, CoS Twitter & Knoxville News]

The first batch of Bonnaroo tickets go on sale today at Noon EST.

Now that we’ve got our first batch of official confirmations, what do you thinks so far? Will this line up get you Manchester this year?? Leave your thoughts in the comments section…

Our latest and greatest contributor, Tom Daly, shot Trey Anastasio and Classic TAB’s tour opener last night in Charlottesville, VA.

• Trey Anastasio & Classic TAB: Charlottesville Setlist

READ ON for more of Tom Daly’s stunning TAB photos…

“You gotta remember that you and I are talking about two different “Dark Stars.” You’re talking about the “Dark Star” which you have heard formalized on a record, and I’m talking about the “Dark Star” which I have heard in each performance as a completely improvised piece over a long period of time. So I have a long continuum of “Dark Star” which range in character from each other to real different extremes. “Dark Star” has meant, while I’m playing it, almost as many things as I can sit here and imagine, so all I can do is talk about “Dark Star” as a playing experience. “ – Jerry Garcia

Welcome back to Dark Star stories. I’m excited about this month’s installment since it is one of my all-time favorites – February 18, 1971.

• CLICK HERE TO STREAM 2/18/1971

The February 1971 run at the Capitol Theater in Port Chester, New York is significant on many levels, first of all, the first night of the run, February 18th, was Mickey’s final performance with the band until the last of the retirement shows in October, 1974. Secondly, these were the first “Betty Boards” – recorded on 7” reels by Betty Cantor for possible inclusion on the 1971 Skull and Roses (aka Skullfuck) live album. Third, these shows featured the debuts of Bertha, Greatest Story Ever Told, Playing in the Band, Loser, Deal, Bird Song and Wharf Rat, the debut of which we’re talking about today. What an impressive break out of material! All of these songs were among the band’s best and brightest and stayed in the repertoire up until the end.

But there’s one other significant footnote to these shows. Dr. Stanley Krippner recruited the band and audiences’ help in what would become the largest ESP (that’s Extra-Sensory-Phenomenon folks) experiment of the age. While the band performed, a series of slides appeared on a screen over the stage. Deadheads would focus on the image and try to “beam” it to the test subject – a guy sleeping in a Brooklyn hospital. When the test subject awoke, he would report on his dreams and see if there was any sort of correlation between the images seen at the concert.

The results of the experiment were “inconclusive”, but you can read all about it here and here. READ ON for more of this month’s Dark Star Stories…

The Trey Anastasio and Classic TAB tour kicked off tonight at the Jefferson Theatre in Charlottesville, VA with the title track of 2005’s effort Shine. Let’s take a look at the setlist…

Trey Anastasio & Classic TAB
February 8, 2010
Jefferson Theatre
Charlottesville, VA

Set One: Shine, Cayman Review, Tuesday, Liquid Time*, Drifting, Let Me Lie, All That Almost Was*, Alaska, Mozambique, A Case of Ice and Snow, Last Tube

Set Two: Curlew’s Call, Sand, Valentine, Goodbye Head, Mr. Completely, Windora Bug, Night Speaks to a Woman, Push On Til The Day

Encore: Small Axe, Birdwatcher*, Show Of Life*,
Encore2: At The Gazebo, First Tube

* – First Time Played

[via @thebutterroom, commenter Dan Epstein, SCSlim and PT - FIRST SET UNCONFIRMED]

The first set saw the debut of All That Almost Was which was co-written by The Dude of Life using the iPhone’s multitrack app. Another tune co-written with the Dude, Show Of Life, also was performed for the first time in Charlottesville as was the Anastasio/Marshall tune The Birdwatcher off of Phish’s Party Time LP. An emotional moment came during the five song encore when Big Red dedicated At The Gazebo to his sister.

• AUDIO: Taped By Craig Davis

Trey Anastasio and his Classic TAB ensemble take the stage at the Jefferson Theatre in Charlottesville, VA shortly for the first of 16 shows on this tour. Tonight’s show is a benefit for the Kristine Anastasio Manning Memorial Fund on what have been Trey’s sister’s 47th birthday.

This afternoon,  Jambands.com posted a great interview by Randy Ray of Classic TAB trumpet wiz and vocalist Jennifer Hartswick. Keep your eyes on Hidden Track for setlists, recaps and photos all tour long and be sure to enter YEMblog’s Trifecta Contest for a chance to win a Big Red bobblehead.

Here’s six other links to keep you busy this afternoon…

• The New York Times enjoyed The Who’s performance
• Beck and Feist will guest on Jamie Lidell’s brand-new LP
• Snooki from MTV’s Jersey Shore interviews Phoenix
• Band and Horses and Robert Randolph will open for WSP
• Check out this collection of 50 The Decemberists covers
• Outformation announces a four-show “Farewell Tour”

While the String Cheese Incident may be getting back together, that doesn’t mean the Kyle Hollingsworth Band won’t continue to tour. The Kyle Band’s 2010 touring slate begins with three shows in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains – March 12 at The Eldo in Crested Butte,  March 13 at Agave in Avon and March 14 at three20south Breckenridge, CO. Speaking of Kyle and String Cheese, Relix has posted a video of Kyle’s impromptu performance with SCI bandmate Keith Moseley from Jam Cruise 8.

Phil Lesh and Bob Weir’s Furthur project kicked off their first lengthy tour on Friday night in Miami and continued on to Orlando on Saturday reaching deep into the Dead’s repertoire to fill the setlists. For this tour, Weir and Lesh are joined by Furthur regulars Jay Lane (percussion), Joe Russo (drums), Jeff Chimenti (keys) and John Kadlecik (guitar). The vocals have been bolstered by the addition of vocalists Zoe Becker and Sunshine Garcia Becker.

Audio of both the Miami show and the Orlando show is already available on the Live Music Archive. Here are the setlists from the Furthur Florida shows. We’ve hyperlinked to videos where available…

February 5 – Miami, FL

Set 1: Jam> Born Cross-Eyed> The Music Never Stopped> Ramble On Rose> The Golden Road To Unlimited Devotion> Dear Mr. Fantasy> On The Road Again> Franklin’s Tower

Set 2: Throwing Stones> Viola Lee Blues> Mason’s Children> Viola Lee Blues, Good Lovin’, Lady With A Fan> Terrapin Station, Shakedown Street, China Cat Sunflower> I Know You Rider, Donor Rap
Encore: Ripple

February 6 – Orlando, FL

Set 1: One More Saturday Night> Bertha, The Race Is On, It Must Have Been The Roses, When I Paint My Masterpiece, Reuben And Cherise> Deep Elem Blues> Deal

Set 2: After Midnight> Next Time You See Me, Althea, Cryptical Envelopment, Wharf Rat, The Other One, The Wheel, Going Down The Road Feeling Bad, And We Bid You Good Night, Donor Rap
Encore: US Blues> Touch Of Grey [via Philzone.com]

Furthur Tour continues tonight at The Tabernacle in Atlanta.

As we head deeper into 2010, one of the records that we here at HT are most looking forward to is The Winter of Mixed Drinks, the awesomely- titled third studio album from Scottish rockers Frightened Rabbit which drops on March 9 via Fat Cat Records. Back in fall, Scott Hutchison & Co. gave fans a taste of what was to come when they released the album’s first single, Swim Until You Can’t See Land, as a digital download and 7″.

With their new album less than a month away, the band has recently revealed a full schedule of tour dates in support that kicks off with a pair of high profile appearances at SXSW and Coachella, before they hit the road for a 24-date cross-country run. Prior to all that, Frightened Rabbit has released the video for the album’s second single – Nothing Like You. Give it a listen…

If the first two singles are any indication of what the rest of the album will sound like, we should be in store for another batch of emotionally laden songs with Hutchison’s powerfully wise ruminations on relationships and life.

Gov’t Mule brought their By A Thread tour to Milwaukee on February 3rd and played a concert that showcased the band’s current sound. Warren and his bandmates squeezed in a few new tunes from By A Thread along with some classic Mule jams. Chicago’s Steepwater Band warmed up the crowd inside the rather cold Rave venue with their fun Americana style of hard rock.

Mule came out swinging with Brand New Angel, and really hit one out of the park with their new tune Brokedown On The Brazos – a testament to just how well the new material blends with the old. I’ve heard Warren say recently that Mule is taking a step forward and back at the same time with their new songs and bassist. Having now heard the album, By A Thread, a few times and having seen bassist Jorgen Carlsson tackle Mule songs old and new, there is something uncanny about the style and tone of his bass that is indeed warm and familiar. It should be exciting to see this lineup mature and evolve as new material is released in the future. Other highlights of the evening for me included a Beatles medley of She Said, She Said that evolved into Tomorrow Never Knows, Any Open Window and Mule standards Blind Man In The Dark & Soulshine.

As everyone knows, Warren is one of the hardest working musicians out there, lending his efforts mostly to The Allman Brothers Band and The Dead when he’s not playing with Mule. As good as Warren is fronting those bands, it’s great to see him in his natural environment doing his own thing. He was all smiles from the time he walked out onstage to the last bars of Soulshine, played shortly after midnight. You can clearly see the passion and joy he has for the music.

Set 1: Brand New Angel, Broke Down On The Brazos, Lay Your Burden Down, Endless Parade, Birth Of The Mule, She Said, She Said > Tomorrow Never Knows, Time To Confess, Driving Rain

Set 2: Far Away, Inside Outside Woman Blues, Any Open Window, Left Coast Groovies > Drums, Brighter Days > Like Flies, Blind Man In The Dark with Ain’t No Sunshine Intro

Encore: Frozen Fear, Soulshine with Gospel Intro

READ ON for a gallery of John’s Gov’t Mule photos…

As a teaser between albums, Cold War Kids released Behave Yourself – a digital-only EP late last year. The soul-rock band, who recently wrapped up a mini-tour, head into the studio this month to record the follow-up to their 2008 release Loyalty to Loyalty. Here’s the band’s Wes Anderson-inspired Audience Of One video directed by their friend Vern Moen…

Cold War Kids – Audience Of One

Shot during his first-ever tour of Europe, Marvin Gaye’s Greatest Hits Live in ‘76 (Wednesday, 11PM – Ovation) features some of the R&B legend’s greatest songs including Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, I Heard It Through The Grapevine and What’s Going On, performed in Amsterdam.

Monday, February 8 (All times ET)

• Eric Clapton: Standing at the Crossroads [Ovation Noon]
• Johnny Cash: Half Mile a Day [Ovation 1PM]
• Metallica: Behind the Music [VH1 Classic 1:30PM]
• Classic Albums: Bob Marley, Catch a Fire [VH1 Classic 5:30PM]
• Chelsea Lately: Ozzy Osbourne [E! 11PM]

Tuesday, February 9

• Snoop Dogg: Storytellers [Palladia 11AM]
• The Doors: No One Here Gets Out Alive [VH1 Classic 5PM]
• Jeff Beck: Live at Ronnie Scott’s [Palladia 5PM]
• Alice Cooper: Prime Cuts [VH1 Classic 6PM]
• Lady GaGa: London Live [Palladia 12:30AM]

Wednesday, February 10

• Katy Perry: Unplugged [Palladia 7PM]
• Tina Turner: Wildest Dreams [Ovation 9PM]
• Spectacle w/Elvis Costello: Sheryl Crow [Sundance 10PM]
• Documentary: Soul Train, The Hippest Trip in America [VH1 Classic 10PM]
• Marvin Gaye: Greatest Hits Live in ‘76 [Ovation 11PM]

Thursday, February 11

• Pete Townshend: Biography [BIO 8AM]
• Tina Turner: Live  in Holland [Palladia 10AM]
• Quincy Jones: Listen Up! [Palladia Noon]
• Led Zeppelin: Biography [BIO 8PM]
• Miles Davis: A Different Kind of Blue [Ovation 9PM]