LOTS TO SHERYL CROW ABOUT

By DAN AQUILANTE
....
"If the concert is called 'Sheryl Crow and Friends,'" she said, "I should know them all first." That's why the guest list includes such longtime Crow cronies as Eric Clapton, Stevie Nicks, Sarah McLachlan and Chrissie Hynde.

"In all, we're going to have six or seven special guests," she told The Post between rehearsals late last week. "A lot depends on if there are any last-minute scheduling conflicts." So far that problem has nixed David Bowie from Tuesday's lineup.

Crow admitted that making a concert with built-in commercial breaks for network TV was daunting. "I have to really create two shows, because only the second half of the two-hour concert will be on television." (The full concert will be shown on the Fox's cable division FX Wednesday evening.)

Still, Crow seemed even more concerned about how the concert would play to the crowd, fretting that "no one would come to the concert since it's such a hassle to get a pair of tickets."

Though the concert is free, you'll need a ticket to get past the gate Tuesday. The "hassle" includes first finding one of many American Express "Blue Crew" members who will be wandering the streets at undisclosed, but highly trafficked areas around the five boroughs. The Post passed a posse of them last week on the D train at the West Fourth stop and at Union Square.

They'll give you a bar-coded piece of cardboard that another member of the Blue Crew swipes through a scanner, after which a computerized voice tells you whether you're a winner. If you are, the card is redeemable for a pair of tickets at kiosks near the East Meadow. AmEx reps said the chances of winning are one in four.

Putting the concert together is Crow's concern. Getting a pair of free tickets is ours, and keeping happy all the hundreds of thousands of rock fans who didn't get a ticket, but still want to hear Sheryl Crow, Eric Clapton and their pals play, is New York City Parks Commissioner Henry Stern's problem.

At Wednesday's press conference the commissioner sternly warned the public, "Don't go to Central Park - you won't get within a mile of the concert." He suggested that those without tickets watch the show on TV or listen to it on the radio or over the 'Net.

And when asked why the relatively small East Meadow was picked instead of Sheep Meadow or the Great Lawn, Stern explained that those fields were being "re-greened."

In spite of all these obstacles, Crow sees this show as a huge opportunity that may lead to a live album, if all the participating artists and their management agree to it.

But even if Tuesday night's show is a one-night stand, Crow still is excited by the project:

"I recently moved to the city," she says, "so getting to play Central Park is a big honor."

Edited by Julie Taraska

Free Concert To Feature Crow, Clapton, Nicks

American Express (Amex) is sponsoring a free concert Sept. 14 in Central Park, headlined by Sheryl Crow and featuring Eric Clapton, Chrissie Hynde, Sarah McLachlan, and Stevie Nicks. The two-hour concert will be televised live for one hour at 9 p.m. ET on Fox TV and in its entirety on the syndicated SFX radio network and at an Amex Web site (www.blueconcerts.com).

Amex says the concert is the first of five it is sponsoring through the end of the year. Proceeds will benefit the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation.

A total of 25,000 tickets will be distributed throughout New York this week by Amex's street crew. The city's parks commissioner says that nobody without a ticket "will get within a mile of [the event]."

Amex also says it is introducing an "Internet digicard," a pocket-sized CD that can be played on a computer's CD-ROM drive and provide multimedia content. The cards will be placed in magazines like Entertainment Weekly and Rolling Stone.

-- Don Jeffrey, N.Y

Central Park concert free, but only via luck of draw

By DAVID BAUDER
NEW YORK -- Singer Sheryl Crow and friends such as Eric Clapton headline a free, televised Central Park concert next week with tickets distributed to fans through an unusual street-corner lottery.

The event is a massive advertisement for a credit-card company, which is giving New York City $1 million for use of the park.

The second half of the concert, which starts at 8 p.m. Tuesday, will be telecast live on Fox. The full show will be broadcast on the SFX Radio Network and on a special Web site that allows computer users to pick their camera angles.

"I felt like it was not only worthwhile, but also something that will be fun and exciting," said Crow, a six-time Grammy winner who recently moved to New York.

Sarah McLachlan, Chrissie Hynde, Stevie Nicks, and other guests are expected to join Crow and her band.

The concert, from the park's East Meadow, will be on a smaller scale than past Central Park shows by Simon and Garfunkel, Garth Brooks, and Diana Ross. Fans won't be allowed in without a ticket.

A squadron of blue T-shirted American Express employees will distribute cards to people starting today at busy spots such as Union Square, Wall Street, and Central Park. The cards will be swiped through a hand held computer to see if the recipient gets a pair of tickets; each card has a 25 percent chance of being a winner.

Losers will be reminded they still can see the show on TV or computer, said John Hayes, an advertising executive at American Express. He conceded there's really no way for the company to guard against scalping of the free tickets.

New York City Parks Commissioner Henry Stern said two similar free, ticketed events were held in Central Park in 1995: a Mass celebrated by Pope John Paul II and the premiere of a Disney movie.

He cautioned fans against believing they will be able to talk their way in without a ticket.

"Do not go to Central Park," Stern said. "You will be sorely disappointed. You won't get within a mile of it. All you'll get is irritation."

Future big concerts in the park are becoming unlikely, Stern said. He doesn't want concerts on the Great Lawn, for instance, because the grass has been reseeded. The East Meadow lawn "is so bad, it wouldn't matter," he said.

American Express also is donating $50,000 and proceeds from the sale of Sheryl Crow merchandise to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

On September 14th, Eric Clapton, Chrissie Hynde, Sarah McLachlan and Stevie Nicks will join Sheryl Crow for "American Express Brings You Central Park in Blue" - a once in a lifetime event set in one of the world’s most famous sites - Central Park.

Beginning at 8pm (EDT) in Central Park’s East Meadow, this unprecedented concert will feature solo and duet performances by Crow and friends, and will be trimulcast on FOX, the WPLJ (and nationally) and the World Wide Web at http://www.blueconcerts.com as well as other partner web sites including Yahoo, Fox.com, Broadcast.com, Rollingstone/Tunes.com, Billboard, Ticketmaster, Eonline and Zdnet.

Beginning September 9^th, 25,000 free tickets will be distributed in an instant-win by members of American Express’ "Blue Crew." The "Blue Crew," a high-tech street team, will be canvassing all five boroughs of New York- such as Union Square, Prospect Park, Wall Street and Central Park - giving lucky fans the on-the-spot opportunity to win tickets to exciting event.

"Blue Crew" Ticket Distribution Facts

• The "Blue Crew" will blanket the five boroughs from Thursday, September 9 - Monday, September 13

• Consumers will be given a game piece to swipe through a special device to learn if they have won
• Consumers will instantly find out whether they have won two tickets to "American Express Brings You Central Park In Blue"
• Winners will be directed back to the "Blue Crew" Headquarters to redeem their tickets
• Winners receive a pair of general admission tickets

• People must have a ticket to be allowed into the event, people without tickets will not be allowed into the venue and are encouraged to watch the broadcast live on FOX, llisten to it on WPLJ or watch the simlucast on blueconcerts.com

How will you recognize the Blue Crew?

• They will be at outdoor locations including:

• Union Square, Virgin Megastore- Manhattan
• Columbus Circle
• Corona Park/US Open - Queens
• Van Cortland Park - Bronx
• Prospect Park - Brooklyn
• Clove Lakes Park - Staten Island

• The Blue Crew will be visible because of their Blue Crew uniform

Concert Information

• Concert will take place in the East Meadow, entrance at 90^th Street and fifth avenue
• Event will take place rain or shine
• All seating is general admission and will be on the ground, you may bring a blanket but no chairs of any kind will be permitted

No purchase necessary. Void Where Prohibited.

Sweepstakes runs from September 9 through September 13, 1999.

How to enter:

Get a game piece from one of the three American Express "Blue Crew" teams traveling throughout New York City from September 9-13, 1999. Or visit the "Blue Crew" location at the American Express Travel Service Location at 3 World Financial Center, Lobby Level, New York, NY from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday. One game piece per person. Game pieces limited. Approx. 50,000 printed game pieces are being distributed.

Who may enter: Open to legal U.S. residents age 18 and over. Employees, officers and directors (including their immediate family members and persons living in their households) of American Express and their member companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising, promotion and fulfillment agencies, are not eligible.

Winning: Swipe your game piece through the "Blue Crew" game piece reader to find out if you are a winner. Odds of winning prize: 250 in 1000. Game pieces void if reproduced, mutilated, forged, altered, or obtained outside authorized, legitimate channels, or if they contain printing, production, typographical, mechanical or other errors. Liability for game pieces containing printing, technical or other errors is limited to replacement with another game piece, while supplies last. One prize per household, family, or person. Game pieces not transferable, not redeemable for cash and not for sale.

Prizes: (12,500) Grand Prizes: Two tickets to the Central Park in Blue Concert on Tuesday, September 14, 1999 at 7:30 p.m. Approximate Retail Value of Grand Prize: $50.00. Total value of all prizes: $625,000. Prizes are non-transferable, with no substitutions except at sponsor's sole discretion. Taxes are winners' responsibility.

Claiming prizes: If you are one of the grand prize winners, a "Blue Crew" representative will verify your winning game piece and direct you to the location where you may claim your tickets. All prizes must be claimed by 5:00 p.m. on Monday September 13, 1999. Unclaimed prizes will not be awarded.

For a winner's list, please send a self-addressed, stamped business size envelope by October 1, 1999, to Blue Crew Winners List, P.O. Box 1658, Maryland Heights, MO 63043.

Sponsor: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc., World Financial Center, 200 Vesey Street, New York, NY 10285.

By Cathe England/Staff Writer
"Right now, I am doing the concert here, then I will be going to New York to do a free concert in Central Park that will be aired live on the Fox network," she said. "There will be several special guests such as Eric Clapton and Stevie Nicks and Jerry Seinfield is hosting it.

"Life on the road is very interested," said Sheryl. "We do a concert, get on the bus, travel to the next place, perform, then start the process all over again. But there is a down side to being on the road. You lose track of time, people in your life and sometimes it can be very boring, but for two hours every night I get to do what I love best."

Sheryl said she would like to be able to continue to do the benefit concerts annually.

"I think that it would be really great to be able to come here every year and help raise money for education," Sheryl said.

 "I'll go into the studio and work for the two weeks and then I'll get back on the road," explains Crow. "So it's been frustrating for the two of us, 'cause we really want to go in and just, like, get it going. But when we are together, it's a blast, and it's really effortless. We both have a really great understanding of what we're doing, and what we want it to sound like and feel like. And we're extremely good friends."

 The Southern-born Crow, who met Nicks at a Grammys party a few years ago, says she actually grew up in Missouri wanting to look like the former Fleetwood Mac frontwoman.

 "I didn't wear the boots," she insists. "I was from Missouri, and there would have been no boots like that to be found. But I did have my hair cut in a long shag like hers."

 Crow -- composed but with a keen sense of humour both offstage and on -- seems to be getting used to the fact that her own success has led to her becoming friends with some of her music heroes.

Sheryl Crow To Host Free Concert In Central Park
By Rob Evans

Concert will reportedly feature one of the year's only formal U.S. performances by Eric Clapton.

The East Meadow at New York City's Central Park -- which most recently played host to the Dali Lama -- will be the site of an concert dubbed ''Sheryl Crow and Friends'' on Sept. 14. So far the only announced ''friend'' is Eric Clapton, but additional big names are promised.

According to an Associated Press report, concert sponsor American Express will distribute about 12,500 pairs of free tickets to the show via an instant lottery-style game, which will be unveiled at a later date. The tickets will be doled out in New York during the week before the show. The concert reportedly will be broadcast live on the Fox television network, radio and the Internet.

Crow closes her stint on the Lilith Fair on Tuesday (8/31) at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton. She'll also part of the NetAid bill on Oct. 9. Clapton has a tour of Japan scheduled for November.

Central Park has a tradition of hosting high-profile concerts. Among the artists that have drawn huge crowds to the park in the past are Garth Brooks, Simon and Garfunkel, Barbra Streisand, Elton John, and Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti.

Sheryl Crow and Eric Clapton are the first two acts confirmed for an all-star free concert to be held Sept. 14 in New York's Central Park. The concert will be broadcast live on FOX-TV, radio and the Web. The concert will be held at Central Parks' East Meadow from 8-10 p.m. (EDT), and will be underwritten by American Express. "It's not really a concert," said Parks Department spokesperson Robert Lawson. "It's more of a broadcast on the radio and the Internet." Billed as the cumbersome "American Express Brings You Central Park In Blue: Sheryl Crow and Friends," Lawson did allow that one of Crow's "friends" would be Clapton.

"Sheryl performed at Eric's Crossroads concert this spring, so of course he wanted to return the favor," said Clapton's spokeswoman. "The two remain very good friends, despite their former relationship."

Other acts rumored to have been asked to participate include Sarah McLachlan, Chrissie Hynde, the Dixie Chicks and Stevie Nicks, whose record Crow is co-producing. None have been confirmed, however.

American Express representatives will distribute some 25,000 tickets at selected sites in all five of New York's boroughs after Labor Day through a lottery system. The Parks Department says you don't have to be an American Express cardholder to be eligible -- anyone interested will have the opportunity to play an instant game, and winners will receive two tickets each.

.c The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) - Sheryl Crow and Eric Clapton will perform a free concert in Central Park next month that will be broadcast live on TV, radio and the Internet.

The Sept. 14 concert will take place in the park's East Meadow, where the Dalai Lama spoke earlier this month. Concert sponsor American Express will distribute some 25,000 tickets in New York in the week preceding the concert, Parks Department spokesman Robert Lawson said.

Those interested in attending would have to play a free lottery-like instant game, with winners receiving two tickets each.

The concert is billed as ``Sheryl Crow and friends, including Eric Clapton.'' Lawson did not know who the additional ``friends'' would be.

AP-NY-08-27-99 0132EDT

FYI - The concert is called "Sheryl Crow and Friends" and will be broadcast Sept. 24 on Fox.

"some of her musician friends - among them David Bowie, Eric Clapton, Stevie Nicks and Lilith colleagues Sarah McLachlan, Chrissie Hynde and the Dixie Chicks"

MTV Radio reports that the show will be aired live on Fox TV September 14. A quick look at the Interscope Records web site reveals that they have announced the Fox show will occur September 24, titled "Sheryl Crow and Friends". Crow is confirmed to appear on the David Letterman show September 7, which might make the earlier date more likely as it would be the immediate following week.

The MTV Radio report also indicates that Crow has been added to the NetAid ticket, so the free concert could serve as a warmup for both she and Bowie. As those who attended the VH-1 Storytellers taping will attest, Bowie and band already seem ready to go.

At least not immediately.

Despite appearing at all but one of the 40 shows on Sarah McLachlan's female-only festival of music, the 37-year-old singer-songwriter still has several major projects to come.

First and foremost is Crow's upcoming televised free concert in Central Park, set for Sept. 14.

"It's on FOX-TV, a live, two-hour concert, and I'm having a bunch of people come and sit in -- a bunch of surprise guests," says Crow during a rare, in-person interview last weekend while she was in town for Lilith's two sold-out shows at the Molson Amphitheatre.

"So I'm going to be working on that, and then I'm going to be taking a break."

Crow recorded her latest album, an incredibly personal offering about failed relationships -- 1998's The Globe Sessions -- in the "nurturing environment" of a studio in New York City's meat-packing district, just five blocks from her apartment. But she says, ultimately, it was corporate sponsorship that led to the Central Park gig, as opposed to any deep-seated desire to play the setting that has seen memorable concerts by Garth Brooks, Diana Ross and Paul Simon.

"Actually, American Express approached me about doing this, and I never thought I'd actually get the opportunity," says the casually dressed and makeup-free Crow, seated in the Amphitheatre's outdoor, backstage lounge area.

"It's a huge, huge undertaking, and I'm extremely grateful I'm getting to do it. It's just such a rare opportunity to actually play for that many people and have it be free. And the money that's made from advertisements is going to the Pediatric AIDS Organization. It's just a really cool, cool happening."

In addition to the Central Park concert, Crow is producing some tracks on friend-and-mentor Stevie Nicks' upcoming solo album, under a strict timetable.

"I'll go into the studio and work for the two weeks and then I'll get back on the road," explains Crow. "So it's been frustrating for the two of us, 'cause we really want to go in and just, like, get it going. But when we are together, it's a blast, and it's really effortless. We both have a really great understanding of what we're doing, and what we want it to sound like and feel like. And we're extremely good friends."

The Southern-born Crow, who met Nicks at a Grammys party a few years ago, says she actually grew up in Missouri wanting to look like the former Fleetwood Mac frontwoman.

"I didn't wear the boots," she insists. "I was from Missouri, and there would have been no boots like that to be found. But I did have my hair cut in a long shag like hers."