The Carolina Hurricanes this week announced a 66-game television package for the upcoming season. One game will be in HD on Versus, while the others will appear on FSN. (Last season Time Warner Cable showed HD hockey from FSN on channel 291, normally MOJO-HD)

Accordingly, the downloadable and Google calendars for the Hurricanes’ upcoming season have been updated (version 8/29/08) the TV information. Additionally, I’ve created a home-only version of the schedule. Follow the link below for the updated schedules. If you already have implemented the old schedule, simply delete all of the events in that schedule, but not the folder, then import the new schedule to the empty folder.

Link to updated downloadable Hurricanes schedules

The North Carolina Symphony takes the stage at 7:00 for tonight’s free Pops In The Park performance. The event takes place at Cary’s Booth Amphitheatre, and features the Legends of Beach, an 8-member all-star beach music lineup. The group consists of:

• Jackie Gore (lead singer, former Ember) – writer and original lead voice on the beach music classic, “I Love Beach Music”.
• Gerald Davis (former Ember)
• Jeff Grimes (former Ember)
• Mark Black (former Ember)
• Johnny Barker – wrote the beach music classic, “Summertime’s Calling Me”.
• Tony Davis (drums)
• Rusty Smith (trumpet)
• Jason Moore (sax)
• Steve Davis – former sound technician with the Embers for 20 years.

Gates open at 4:30 for the event and local performers will take the stage at 5pm. WRAL, a chief sponsor, will broadcast their coverage of the concert on Monday at 7pm and on 9/18 at 10:00p. Booth Amphitheatre has a varying policy on items allowed, but for this event, lawn chairs, blankets, small umbrellas, food, and beverages are allowed.

Weather may be a factor. Follow the latest reports at WRAL’s weather site. Here is a link to the Wake County doppler radar.

The Raleigh Wide Open III celebration begins Friday, and contains a schedule of incredibly diverse events for almost every type of person in Raleigh. Not only will with the outdoor festivities begin at Noon on Friday, the new convention center’s first event, the International Festival and Raleigh World Wide Expo will begin then, too.

Schedule subject to change

Friday, Sept. 5, 2008

• Noon Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony
• 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Naturalization Ceremony (Cabarrus St. Lobby of Convention Center)
• 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. Raleigh Wide Open III (Fayetteville St. and downtown)
• 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. Music and Entertainment — Three stages, more than 30 local and national acts.
• Noon – 10:00 p.m. International Festival and Raleigh World Wide Expo (Convention Center)
• 5:00 – 9:00 p.m. Kids’ Zone and Carnival (Wilmington St. and Lenoir St.)
• 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Arrested Development on WRAL/MIX Fireworks Stage, Alternative music on Cherry Bounce Stage
• 8:30 – 10:00 p.m. Chuck Berry on WRAL/MIX Fireworks Stage, Annuals on Cherry Bounce Stage
• 8:30 – 10:00 p.m. Movie in Moore Square: Shrek the Third
• 10:00 p.m. Fireworks

Saturday, Sept. 6, 2008

• 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. Raleigh Wide Open III (Fayetteville St. and downtown)
• 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. Music and Entertainment — Three stages, more than 30 local and national acts
• 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. International Festival and Raleigh World Wide Expo (Convention Center)
• 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. Kids’ Zone and Carnival
• 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. Parade (Starts on Hillsborough St. near the Capitol and travels down Fayetteville St. to the new Convention Center.)
• 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Soul Asylum on WRAL/MIX Fireworks Stage, Alternative music on Cherry Bounce Stage
• 8:30 – 10:00 p.m. Lou Gramm on WRAL/MIX Fireworks Stage, Islands on Cherry Bounce Stage
• 8:30 – 10:00 p.m. Movie in Moore Square: Transformers
• 10:00 p.m. Fireworks

Cherry Bounce Stage

As the schedule states, there are two performance stages, the Fireworks stage (sponsored by WRAL), and the Alternative Music stage (Cherry Bounce). The exact schedule for Cherry Bounce is not set, however some bands have been set. On Friday, Raleigh’s Annuals will headline. Bleeding Hearts, Dawn Chorus, Solos Unit, and others will precede them. On Saturday, Montreal’s Islands will headline and Freebase 808, Red Collar, The T’s, Urban Sophisticate, and others will precede.

…if only for a day.

The News & Observer ran a terrific architectural review of the new convention center by former Urban Image columnist Chuck Twardy. Chuck is now doing freelance writing, and also recently published a nice, short article in metropolis magazine.

I enjoyed reading Twardy’s Sunday column, and his absence stands as one of the many examples of why the N&O is now a shell of what it used to be.

Going to spend some time in Kenan Stadium on Saturday night? Let gogoraleigh’s printable depth chart be your guide to the ‘08-’09 Heels. Based on the depth chart in The Daily Tar Heel’s “DTH Saturday” publication, this straightforward depth chart highlights the Heels’ Seniors, inexperienced players, and recruiting studs. There is also a rundown on each Freshman, just in case they see action.

Tar Heel Depth Chart (.PDF)

The Lincoln Theatre will be hosting Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band on Halloween night.

On October 11, the RBC Center will host the MMA Fighting Carolina Crown. Tickets went on sale Thursday through Ticketmaster outlets.

Billy Ray that is. On November 8th, Billy Ray Cyrus will play Cary’s Booth Amphitheatre. Tickets range from $43-$63 and go on sale Tuesday. Note: Miley will not be there.

On September 30, Lucinda Williams will play Memorial Auditorium in downtown Raleigh. Tickets go on sale this morning at 10am thru Ticketmaster outlets.