Dave Matthews Band [ tickets ] has announced plans for a free, Sept. 12 benefit concert at the Polo Fields in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco.

Tickets, which are general admission only and free of charge, are available starting Tuesday (7/20) to members of the band's official fan club, dubbed Warehouse. Any remaining tickets will be distributed via the band's official website beginning on Saturday (7/24).

Donations are not required, but the group is encouraging fans to make a donation of $25, $50 or $100 when they request tickets. Proceeds will benefit Bay Area community charities that address "issues of homelessness among single adults, youth and families, pediatric AIDS and other terminal childhood maladies, Bay Area park improvement and music education resources," according to a press release.

More information is available at the event's webpage.

Auditions for the fourth season of Fox's popular "American Idol" television series are due to take place in August and September, according to organizers. Cities where the auditions will take place include Cleveland; Washington, DC; Orlando, FL; St. Louis, MO; New Orleans; Las Vegas; Anchorage, AK; and San Francisco.

More information is available at Fox's "American Idol" website.

Sean "P. Diddy [ tickets ]" Combs has launched a voter-awareness campaign dubbed Citizen Change. The organization bills itself as "a non-partizan, non-profit organization with a mission to educate, motivate and empower millions of young American to access their power and vote on November 2," according to the Citizen Change website.

Asia plans to release a new studio album titled "Silent Nation" on Aug. 31, which is its first release for InsideOut Records. The label describes the 10-song set as "a conscious return to the melody-rich, hard-rock style of Asia's early albums, particularly 1982's self-titled blockbuster and the 1983 follow-up 'Alpha.'"