Weekly music agenda: The Met, OK Go, Sade’s 'Soldier of Love'

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This week, the Metropolitan Opera broadcasts live in high definition at cinemas around the world, and OK Go releases its second studio album, Of the Blue Colour of the Sky. Coming up: ABBAWORLD opens in London, the Grammys air live from LA, and Sade's long-awaited album Soldier of Love goes on sale internationally. [correcting album sales in ABBAWORLD]

Metropolitan Opera in cinemas worldwide
January 9, 16
Worldwide

In January, the Metropolitan Opera will transmit live performances of Richard Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier and Bizet's Carmen in high definition to theaters around the world. Der Rosenkavalier is scheduled for January 9 at 1:00 pm EST; Carmen follows on January 16 at the same time. Both productions will be broadcast via satellite to more than 1,000 movie theaters, performing arts centers, universities, and museums in more than 40 countries. For a full list of theaters, visit The Met online.
http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/broadcast/hd_events_current.aspx

OK Go tour and 'Of the Blue Colour of the Sky' release
January 11, 12
International

OK Go, the band that became a YouTube hit with its 2006 treadmill-choreographed video "Here It Goes Again," has an album release and tour dates scheduled for this month. The album, Of the Blue Colour of the Sky, includes the track "Shooting the Moon" from the Twilight: New Moon soundtrack. The follow-up to 2005's Oh No, Of the Blue Colour of the Sky will be released January 12 in the US on Capitol Records and January 11 in UK on Parlophone. On January 11, the band begins a European tour on January 11, starting with nine UK shows and moving on to Brussels, Amsterdam, Cologne, Paris, and Copenhagen.
http://www.okgo.net/

Black Eyed Peas 'The E.N.D.' World Tour
January 19 - April 11
North America

The Black Eyed Peas have more than 30 shows in the US and Canada booked between January 19 and April 11, beginning in Atlanta and finishing up in Vancouver. In May the act is expected to head to Europe; those dates and venues have yet to be announced. The band will be touring in support of the album The E.N.D, which includes the international chart-topping singles "Boom Boom Pow" and "I Gotta Feeling."
http://www.blackeyedpeas.com/

MIDEM reduced registration
January 24-27
Cannes, France

The next MIDEM (Marché International du Disque et de l'Edition Musicale) is scheduled for January 24-27. The world's largest music industry trade fair, MIDEM has been held in the South of France each year since 1967. Musicians, administrators, recording engineers, policy makers, journalists, and other professionals from across the music industry gather at the event to discuss musical trends and products. MidemNet, a separate conference that opens a day before MIDEM, focuses on multimedia outlets and the online marketplace. Cost for advance registration is €1,025.
http://www.midem.com

Arctic Monkeys' 'Humbug' Tour
January 26 - February 10
Europe

The British indie rock band Arctic Monkeys will tour Europe in January and February, beginning in Italy on January 26, then heading to France, Portugal, Spain, and Germany. The band will tour in support of its album Humbug, which was released in August and debuted at number one on UK and European album charts. The Humbug tour began in January 2009 and is expected to extend well into 2010. British indie band Mystery Jets will be a supporting act for the European dates. Tickets for some shows are already on sale.
http://www.arcticmonkeys.com

ABBAWORLD
January 27
London, UK

An interactive exhibition devoted to the Swedish pop group ABBA and backed by the band opens at Earls Court in London on January 27. ABBAWORLD includes 25 rooms of music, footage, images, and memorabilia from the personal collections of the band members. Among interactive activities: fans can get up on stage with 3D holograms of the band, take an ABBA quiz, join a sing-and-dance-along, and see themselves in an ABBA video. ABBAWORLD organizers say the exhibit will visit other major cities following its London residency. Founded in 1970, ABBA has sold nearly 370 million albums worldwide. Exhibit ends March 26.
http://www.abbaworld.com
For tickets: http://www.livenation.co.uk

Grammy Awards celebration
January 31
Los Angeles, USA

On January 31, the Recording Academy will award the best of music at the 52nd annual Grammy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles. Awards are given in 31 fields, including pop, rock, and classical, as well as in four "general" categories unrestricted by genre: Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist. This year's nominees include Beyoncé, The Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga, Dave Matthews Band, ACDC, Taylor Swift, and newcomers MGMT and The Ting Tings. For updates and breaking news from the nominations concert and awards show, visit the Recording Academy's social networks on Twitter and Facebook.
http://www.grammy.com


Sade's 'Soldier of Love'
February 8
International

Soldier of Love is Sade's first album since 2000's Lover's Rock. The band, featuring soul-jazz singer Sade Adu and bandmates Stuart Matthewman, Paul Spencer Denmann, and Andrew Hale, is best known for songs such as "Smooth Operator" and "No Ordinary Love." To date, Sade has released five studio albums that have sold more than 50 million albums worldwide. The band has won three Grammy Awards - in 1986 for Best New Artist, in 1994 for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group for "No Ordinary Love," and in 2002 for Best Pop Vocal Album with Lovers Rock, the band's most recent album. Listen to "Soldier of Love," the album's first single, and pre-order the album, at Sade's website.
http://www.sade.com


SXSW reduced registration
Through February 12
Austin, Texas, USA

The annual South by Southwest Music and Media Conference & Festival gathers members of the international music, film, and interactive media industries for a weeklong convergence of ideas and talent. The music conference attracts nearly 12,000 attendees, and the city of Austin swells with music lovers who travel to hear the nearly 2,000 top-notch bands who play on 80 stages around the city during conference week. The SXSW Music Conference is scheduled for March 17-21. Through February 12, music badges are $700; a platinum badge, which grants access to SXSW music, film, and interactive conferences from March 12-21, is $1,125.
http://www.sxsw.com