Entertainment News

If you aren't a member of the esteemed Ten Fan Club, or if you haven't been willing to shell out hundreds of dollars for scalped tickets, then you probably haven't had the opportunity to see Pearl Jam play live. But that might change before too long, as the band has announced details of an expansive U.S. tour beginning June 20 in Missoula, Mont. Playing at mostly outdoor amphitheatres and coliseums, the 33-date "Yield" tour will see the band traveling to virtually all areas of the country as well as two cities in Canada, making it Pearl Jam's lar

Courtesy of Epic Records and Addicted to Noise Pearl Jam will rock East Lansing's Breslin Center on Aug. 18.

gest U.S. excursion since 1992's tour in support of the band's debut album, "Ten." The band still intends to avoid dealing with Ticketmaster at all possible venues, but it will have to acquiesce in certain larger cities to better accomodate the massive demand for tickets.

That demand has only showed signs of increasing. After months of waiting and speculation for the release of its fifth album, "Yield" was finally released Feb. 3. Soundscan reported that it sold more than 350,000 copies in its first week.

The "Yield" tour will first move into the Midwest, stopping in the Pacific Northwest and California during July. Then, it's back to the Midwest in August, hitting Montreal and Toronto before finishing up on the East Coast in mid-September. The first official shows for the tour will be in Maui, Hawaii on Feb. 20 and 21, followed by a tour of Australia and New Zealand that will last until the end of March. Pearl Jam will play the Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing, Mich. on Aug.18.

The Verve and All Saints were the big winners at this year's Brit Awards, held last week at the Docklands Arena in London. The Verve took home awards for best group, best album ("Urban Hymns"), and best producer Chris Potter.

Film

Wedding bells were ringing this past weekend, albeit very quietly, for "Basic Instinct" femme fatale Sharon Stone. The Valentine's weekend brought not only the release of her latest film, "Sphere," but also the hush-hush affair at which Stone wed newspaper editor Phil Bronstein.

Also in the nuptial news, Oscar nominee Jack Nicholson is looking to settle down after 60 years as a bachelor. It is rumored that the golf-club-wielding star of such crazy classics as "The Shining" and "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" will marry Rebecca Broussard, the mother of Nicholson's two children. A tip for Broussard: Any trips to Colorado hideaways in the winter might be ill-advised ideas.

As if one Leonardo DiCaprio wasn't enough! "The Man in the Iron Mask," the film version of Alexandre Dumas' sequel to "The Three Musketeers," is scheduled for release in March. DiCaprio, fresh off his newfound "Titanic" stardom, will play both the youthful king of France and his twin brother, Philippe. DiCaprio dons frighteningly flowing hair for his role as Louis XIV, asking the audience to once again question not only his sexuality, but his sex. Gerard Depardieu, John Malkovich and Jeremy Irons will co-star.

Kevin Smith, the director of the low-budget hit "Clerks," is testing other waters. Like the heroes of "Chasing Amy," which he also directed, Smith is the creator of two comic books. "Jay and Silent Bob" chronicles the adventures of the snide loiterer and his close-mouthed companion. "Clerks" continues the exploits of the main characters of the aforementioned film. Smith has also done a stint with Marvel's "Daredevil" series and plans to assist in the production of DC's "Green Arrow" later in the year.

- Compiled by Daily Music Editor Brian Cohen and Daily Film Editor Joshua Pederson. The Associated Press and Entertainment Weekly contributed to this report.

02-19-98