Free Tickets to XM Satellite Radio Show with Tommy Chong

XM Satellite Radio, America's no. 1 satellite radio service (featuring 68 commercial free music channels), is assembling a small audience of friends and fans of TOMMY CHONG for a taping session with the artists on the AFTERNOON of August 12, 2008 at a location in Manhattan -- New York City.

The seating for this special program is extremely limited and approximately 200 people will be chosen on a "first-come, first-served" basis determined by when their email is received at XM. If you are interested and are 100% confident that you can be in NEW YORK CITY the afternoon of August 12, 2008 please send an email complete with your full name and contact information to live@xmradio.com.

We Will be Providing Coverage of Tommy Chong's Book Tour This Tues and Wed

This Tuesday and Wednesday, we will be providing coverage (sometimes live coverage) of Tommy Chong's Cheech & Chong: The Unauthorized Autobiography book tour. We will be at all the signings and parties.

Coverage begins after Tommy Chong's appearance on the Howard Stern Show.

Review: Tommy Chong's New Book, Cheech & Chong: The Unauthorized Autobiography

Tuesday, August 12th, marks the release date of Tommy Chong's second book, Cheech & Chong: The Unauthorized Autobiography. It's called "Unauthorized" because Cheech Marin was not involved in it's writing. However, Tommy spoke to Cheech's ex-wives, Patti and Rikki, to learn stories and gain insight about Cheech.

This was actually supposed to be Tommy's first book, but he wrote The I Chong: Meditations from the Joint (released 2006) during the nine months he spent in prison in 2003 for "conspiracy to manufacture and distribute drug paraphernalia." Simon and Schuster decided The I Chong would be first, followed by the autobiography.

In the introduction, Chong writes "I know some of you will thumb through the book and go directly to the end to find out what happens. Well, don't waste your time. Because that is not the way I write. I write, as Cheech used to say, "Chinese style," which means all over the place."

The book has an excellent flow to it. You won't want to put the book down until you're finished because the stories Tommy tells are that good, that interesting.

The book discusses what Tommy and Cheech were doing before they met, how they met, drug usage, touring, their family life, lighting up with celebs, what it was like going from broke to wealthy and why they broke up (keep in mind this was written before they reunited).

There's one story about how broke ($$) they were in the beginning. Cheech was living at his girlfriend's house. He wrote to various product manufacturers saying he had problems with their products. The manufacturers would then send him coupons for free items. Cheech also pretended he was a record reviewer. Record labels would send him free albums which he'd turn around and sell because he needed the money.

There are stories about Tommy hanging out with Jack Nicholson, John Lennon (Lennon couldn't smoke up because of immigration issues), John Belushi, Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Sam Kinison wanting to tour with Tommy (Screech and Chong) . There's also a story about jamming with Hendrix.

In addition, the book discusses the origin of many of their sketches and songs. For instance, we learn how Earache My Eye, Ralph and Herbie, Blind Melon Chitlin' and others were written. You should pick up Rhino's double CD Where's There's Smoke, There's Cheech & Chong if you haven't heard them before.

We don't want to give away too many of the stories because that would be like telling someone the end of a good movie before they've had a chance to see it.

Cheech & Chong fans, as well as people not very familiar with Cheech & Chong will enjoy this book.

Tommy will be doing book signings and lots of TV and radio this week. See the schedule on the right.

Purchase the book today.

Cheech & Chong: 'Light Up America' and 'Light Up Canada' Tickets Go Onsale TODAY AT 4:20PM

Today at 4:20PM (time zone of your venue), the 'Cheech & Chong: Light Up America' and 'Cheech & Chong: Light Up Canada' public ticket sale begins. The 25+ date tour is being produced by Live Nation.

According to Cheech, the tour will be theatrical. For instance, there will be large video screens behind them. According to Tommy, there will be both music and comedy.



The Austin, TX show is being filmed for their Cheech & Chong DVD.

Keep checking the site daily for the latest tour and contest updates.

September 5 National Arts Center Ottawa, ON
September 6 Massey Hall Toronto, ON
September 12 Tower Theatre Upper Darby, PA
September 13 Warner Theatre Washington, DC
September 19 Murat Center Indianapolis, IN
September 20 Fillmore State Detroit, MI
September 26 Tabernacle Atlanta, GA
September 27 Fillmore Jackie Gleason Miami, FL
October 24 Westbury Theatre Westbury, NY
October 25 Orpheum Theatre Minneapolis, MN
October 31 Verizon Wireless Houston, TX
November 1 Majestic Theatre Dallas, TX
November 7 Chevrolet Theatre Wallingford, CT
November 8 Rosemont Theatre Rosemont, IL
November 14 Dodge Theatre Phoenix, AZ
November 15 Austin Music Hall Austin, TX
November 21 Memorial Auditorium Sacramento, CA
November 22 Berkeley Community Theatre Berkley, CA
November 28 Copley Symphony Hall San Diego, CA
November 29 Paramount Theatre Seattle, WA
November 30 San Jose PAC San Jose, CA
December 5 Queen Elizabeth Vancouver, BC
December 6 Gibson Amphitheater Los Angeles, CA
December 12 Orpheum Theatre Boston, MA
December 13 Borgata Music Box Atlantic City, NJ
December 19 Silver Legacy Casino Reno, NV
December 20 Paramount Theatre Denver, CO

Purchase Tickets Here

Tommy Chong Book Tour Dates Posted

Cheech & Chong: The Unauthorized Autobiography

Next week, Tommy Chong begins his book tour in the New York area. He has book signings in New York and New Jersey and is doing a load of television and radio appearances.

He'll also be in Philadephia, Chicago, Canada and California.

See the list of Current Events on the right.

Order his book now.

USA Today Interviews Tommy About His New Book

USA Today interviewed Tommy Chong about this new book, Cheech & Chong: The Unauthorized Autobiography. He was on his way to his rehearsal with Cheech.

Tommy says regarding he and Cheech "We've never gotten along better than now." When asked if he misses the hippie era, he replied "I'm still in the hippie era! It's like a comfortable pair of blue jeans. It's an attitude. It's still with me."

Read Here

Video: Cheech & Chong: Light Up America Press Conference

The following is video from the Cheech & Chong: Light Up America press conference from last Wednesday.

PART I


PART II

Video: Tommy and Shelby Chong's LiveVideo Chat

Here is last night's LiveVideo chat with Tommy and Shelby Chong. It was the best chat yet. They answered all sorts of questions, including questions about the Cheech & Chong: Light Up America comedy tour.

When asked if they'll be doing movies together, he said right now, they are filming the tour preparation and their Austin, Texas date will be filmed for the performance part of the film.

PART I


PART II


PART III

Talk to Tommy Chong Live Tonight on His LiveVideo Channel

Tommy Chong's next show on his LiveVideo channel will be tonight at 8PM PST. If you have a camera, Tommy will be able to see you and you can ask him questions. You can even post your questions for Tommy now via his LiveVideo page.

Tommy's bound to be talking about the Cheech & Chong: Light Up America comedy tour.

Access Here

New Shirt Sizes in Stock

We have added a slew of new Cheech and Chong t-shirt sizes.

Check them out.

Tickets Go Onsale In Less Than 1 Hour

Tickets are available at: http://www.musictoday.com/redirect/bounce.asp?cid=35259

Cheech & Chong Ticket Pre-Sale Begins Wednesday

Ticket Pre-Sale
In honor of the just announced cross-country tour, Cheech and Chong Dot Com list members are eligible to get tickets during the exclusive fan pre-sale.

The pre-sale begins Wednesday August 6th, and ends Friday August 8th.

Tickets are available at: www.cheechandchong.tickets.musictoday.com

Cheech and Chong Light Up America!
Successful beyond their wildest dreams, the iconic comedy duo Cheech & Chong defined an era with their hilariously irreverent, satirical, counter-culture, no-holds-barred comedy routines. Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong's phenomenal success began on the stand up comedy circuit which led to 9 hit comedy albums and 8 hit films, breaking box office records, shattering comedy album sales, garnering multiple Grammy nominations and mesmerizing fans for more than a decade. Today, from the world famous Troubadour where they were initially discovered, Cheech & Chong announced their first tour in over 25 years, an epic cross country U.S. trek with over 22 dates confirmed; additional dates to be announced in the coming weeks. Cheech & Chong: Light Up America... tickets go on sale nationally at 4:20 PM on August 8th and are available at www.livenation.com. You can get your tickets earlier via the fan pre-sale. Click here: cheechandchong.tickets.musictoday.com

The Live Nation produced tour will kick off on September 12th at the Tower Theatre in Philadelphia. Other highlights include Los Angeles, Washington DC, Detroit, Atlanta, Miami, Minneapolis, Houston, Dallas Phoenix, Austin, Seattle, Boston, San Diego and Denver to name a few. Chong's wife and comedy partner, Shelby Chong, will open all dates on the tour.

With nine albums released from 1972 through 1985, the duo was nominated for four Grammy Awards, winning the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album with their third album, Los Cochinos, released in 1973. Big Bambu, their second album, was the biggest selling comedy record of all time in 1972 and remained so for many years. Their stunningly successful comedy streak transitioned to film in 1978 with their first movie, "Up In Smoke," the highest grossing comedy of 1978, topping $100 million at the box office. Cheech and Chong co-wrote and starred in a total of eight feature films together, all directed by Chong. The comedy duo was initially discovered at the Troubadour in Los Angeles.


Contest
Visit cheechandchongfans.com now to enter to win tickets! 1 prize winner will receive tickets for themselves and a friend to any date on the tour! Enter now!

Questions?: tix@musictoday.com

ESPN Interviews Cheech Marin

ESPN interviewed Cheech Marin about his upcoming film The Perfect Game. They discuss sports, his childhood, etc.

SYNOPSIS
In 1957, a barefooted, rag-tag team of boys from poverty-stricken Monterrey, Mexico defy extraordinary odds to become the first foreign team to win Little League World Series - doing so in a perfect game, the only one in championship history. Based on a true story, THE PERFECT GAME tells the tale of how their miracle changed not only their lives, but an entire city's destiny.

The film is set to open in October.

Read Here

Cheech & Chong Ticket Pre-sale Begins Wednesday at 10AM

Tickets for the Cheech & Chong: Light Up America and Light Up Canada tour go onsale to the public on Friday (4:20PM EST).

However, the special pre-sale begins tomorrow, Wednesday, August 6th at 10AM EST).
More dates are being added to the pre-sale list so please check back later.

Purchase Cheech & Chong: Light Up America Tickets Here
Purchase Cheech & Chong: Light Up Canada Tickets Here

Video: Interview with Stoner Dude

Stoner Dude was interviewed by Jsin Diablo at Super Con in San Jose, CA. It was filmed by Wolf.

Stoner Dude was a major player in the Free Tommy Chong movement. He designed the infamous Free Tommy shirts which was featured in the film a/k/a Tommy Chong.

You may also recognize him from the Howard Stern Show and the Superfan Round Table on Howard 101. Stonerdude is also in a great rock-n-roll band called Bong.

Video: Cheech Marin Performing at Tia Chuchas Fundraiser

UPGROUND posted video of them performing with Cheech Marin at the Tia Chuchas fundraiser last night. They performed "Mexican American", "Me and My Old Lady" and "Born in East LA."



Born In East LA


Rehearsal Video

Cheech & Chong Ticket Pre-sale Details to be Announced Tuesday

Tickets for the Cheech & Chong: Light Up America and Light Up Canada tour go onsale to the public on Friday (4:20PM EST). However, we will be announcing special pre-sale details Tuesday. It will be posted here in the news and we will be sending a newsletter. Sign up for the newsletter to be sure you receive the details immediately (click on the link above).

There will be special vip packages available with extra goodies.

Pre-Order Cheech & Chong: The Unauthorized Autobiography

Pre-order Tommy Chong's new book, Cheech & Chong: The Unauthorized Autobiography.

The book will be released by Simon and Schuster on August 12, followed by a big press tour. Tommy will be having book signings around the country.

It contains photos from Tommy's personal stash and has lots of juicy Cheech and Chong and celebrity stories. One of our favorite stories is about Tommy meeting Jack Nicholson and John Lennon.

Then, there's the story about how broke ($$) they were in the beginning. Cheech was living at his girlfriend's house. He wrote to manufacturers saying he had problems with their products. The manufacturers would then send him coupons for free items. Cheech also pretended he was a record reviewer. Record labels would send him free albums which he'd turn around and sell because he needed the money.

The book is fantastic. Full review coming soon.

Order it here.

Cheech & Chong: Light Up Canada Dates Announced

Live Nation announced dates for Cheech & Chong: Light Up Canada. We've added the dates below.

The pre-sale for America begins Wednesday. We will send an email with more details later this week.

The public sale for all tickets begins Friday, August 8th at 4:20PM EDT.

We'll also be giving away a pair of tickets. The winner will get to choose which show he'd like to attend. The contest will be posted later this week.

Keep checking the site daily for the latest tour and contest updates.

September 5 National Arts Center Ottawa, ON
September 6 Massey Hall Toronto, ON
September 12 Tower Theatre Upper Darby, PA
September 13 Warner Theatre Washington, DC
September 19 Murat Center Indianapolis, IN
September 20 Fillmore State Detroit, MI
September 26 Tabernacle Atlanta, GA
September 27 Fillmore Jackie Gleason Miami, FL
October 24 Westbury Theatre Westbury, NY
October 25 Orpheum Theatre Minneapolis, MN
October 31 Verizon Wireless Houston, TX
November 1 Majestic Theatre Dallas, TX
November 7 Chevrolet Theatre Wallingford, CT
November 8 Rosemont Theatre Rosemont, IL
November 14 Dodge Theatre Phoenix, AZ
November 15 Austin Music Hall Austin, TX
November 21 Memorial Auditorium Sacramento, CA
November 22 Berkeley Community Theatre Berkley, CA
November 28 Copley Symphony Hall San Diego, CA
November 29 Paramount Theatre Seattle, WA
November 30 San Jose PAC San Jose, CA
December 5 Queen Elizabeth Vancouver, BC
December 6 Gibson Amphitheater Los Angeles, CA
December 12 Orpheum Theatre Boston, MA
December 13 Borgata Music Box Atlantic City, NJ
December 19 Silver Legacy Casino Reno, NV
December 20 Paramount Theatre Denver, CO

Cheech Marin with Tommy Chong at the Comedy Store

The "special guest" performing with Tommy Chong this week at the La Jolla Comedy Store is none other than Cheech Marin. This is a warm-up gig for their Light Up America tour which kicks off in September.

Cheech and Tommy performed much of their old material at the show.

We're not certain if Cheech will be there each night. Tommy will be performing at the Comedy Store until August 3rd.

If anyone has any photos, please email us.