Just got off the phone with Kellie Pickler...

...and she was just as sweet to speak with as I'd hoped, a very nice "Small Town Girl."

The former "American Idol" finalist and I spoke for about 15 minutes in anticipation of the Hudson Valley Country Fest on Sept. 14th, when she and Trace Adkins will be the headliners of the concert at Fishkill's Dutchess Stadium.

"In my shows, I do songs from my first album," Kellie told me, "and I’ve actually added songs from my new album, ones that people haven’t heard before."

We chatted about everything from touring with Trace ("He's so talented and he's so amazing") to that forthcoming sophomore CD ("It's got the whole nine yards") to even her support of the AARP ("I just love old people").

She was very charming and honest, and a pleasure to interview.

And along the way, I was able to ask Kellie a question submitted by a "Sean's Space" reader, which Kellie answered.

I'll be posting Kellie's answer to the reader's query — thanks, by the way, to all of you who e-mailed me questions for Kellie — over the weekend, so be sure to check back and see if yours was the one she answered!

YOU can ask Kellie Pickler a question!

It's that time again: I'm opening up one of my celebrity interviews to "Sean's Space" readers!

Tomorrow afternoon (Aug. 8th), I'll be talking with former "American Idol" finalist Kellie Pickler for a story I'll be writing about the upcoming Hudson Valley Country Fest coming to Dutchess Stadium on Sept. 14th.

Just as I did before when I interviewed Clay Aiken, Bret Michaels, Taylor Hicks, Blake Lewis and most recently, the Jonas Brothers, I'm giving you a chance to ask Kellie a question when I talk to her!

Now, all you've got to do is e-mail your first name, your hometown and your question for Kellie to me at journalsean@aol.com by 12 p.m. tomorrow

I'll pick the best one (and only one) out of all the questions I receive and ask it to Kellie I speak to her. Then, I'll post her answer to your question right here at "Sean's Space."

Be creative! Ask the Kellie a question that no one else has ever asked her. Then, check back here to see if she answered your question!

A New (Kids) day on "Today"

Just months after their record-breaking concert on the "Today" show, the New Kids On The Block are returning to Rockefeller Plaza!

That's right: Jon, Donnie, Jordan, Joe and Danny (seen here in their soggy May 16th "Today" appearance) will return to the show's stage on Labor Day, but they won't be alone.

No, for this Sept. 1st concert, the New Kids will bring along R&B singer Ne-Yo, with whom they've collaborated for their latest single, ironically enough titled "Single," part of which you can listen to by clicking here.

The New Kids' first studio album since 1994, entitled "The Block," will come out the next day (that's Sept. 2nd), but the good news doesn't end there.

Both "Single" and a new New Kids "Greatest Hits" CD (seen here at left) will be released on Aug. 12th both to online retailers like iTunes and Amazon.com, and in a store near me! And, there's just over a month 'til the guys' tour kicks off in Toronto.

As you can guess, I've already got my tickets for two of the guys' concert stops (with a possible third on the way), making their Labor Day "Today" gig an opening act, of sorts.

Coming soon: The JB in the PJ

Promise me you'll check out the Poughkeepsie Journal this weekend, as my story on the Jonas Brothers' upcoming show at Bethel Woods will be featured. Promise?
Thanks to all the JB fans, both far and near, who e-mailed me questions for the guys and who wrote in to be part of the actual newspaper story.

Just in case you live out of our coverage area (like all the JB fans in Brazil), I'll be sure to post my story here at "Sean's Space" when it runs in print.

Confused a little bit, I am

Don't get me wrong: I'm sure I'll be one of the first ones on Aug. 15 to go see "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" when it hits theaters.
Any loyal "Sean's Space" reader knows I'm a huge "Star Wars" geek and I've watched just about everything George Lucas has ever put his name on. (Ever seen "THX 1138?" I have ... and it's kinda weird. And did ya notice the Yoda-speak in the title of this entry? What's that tell ya about my fan-dom?)

With that said, and with my vast (if not nerdy) "Star Wars" background in mind, here's my question: How does this new flick differ from the 25 "Clones Wars" shorts that ran on the Cartoon Network from 2003 to 2005, and has subsequently been released as one movie on DVD?

Both releases document the years between when "Episode II: Attack of the Clones" ended and "Episode III: Revenge of the Sith" began, and they detail the Clone Wars, which have long been discussed on screen but never seen on the big screen.

But other than the new film being computer-generated, as opposed to the traditional animation of the Cartoon Network series, I've yet to learn exactly how this new movie is different from its predecessor.

If nothing else, I suppose that curiosity, in particular, will hasten my trip to the theater next week, as I'm sure it will for other fans like me.

Take a little Police action

Having seen Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland last Friday night in Saratoga, I found this posting on our Web site most timely.

My Poughkeepsie Journal colleague, John Barry, is looking for fans of The Police (seen here last month in Brazil) to submit their fondest memories of the band, as the guys play their final show on Thursday at Madison Square Garden.

As for Friday's show at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, The Police were just as impressive and energetic as they were the first time my GF and I saw them at MSG a year ago to the day.

But, please ... click here and share your Police memories with John. And, as always, tell him Sean sent ya!

A little help from her friends

When the Jonas Brothers bring their "Burning Up" tour to the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts on Aug. 14th, they'll bring someone familiar to Disney Channel viewers along.

Demi Lovato, who starred with the guys in this summer's Disney Channel flick "Camp Rock," will be the opening act with the JB come to the area.

Along with Selena Gomez who stars in the network's "Wizards of Waverly Place," Demi is being groomed to be the next 'tween face of the channel with "Hannah Montana" (starring Miley Cyrus) wraps up, likely at the end of the upcoming third season.

Kevin, Nick and Joe received a big boost to their career last year when they opened for Miley on her "Best of Both Worlds" tour, so it's nice to see the guys returning the favor and letting Demi open for them this time around.