Barenaked Ladies [ tickets ], Brian Adams, The Tragically Hip, Jann Arden and Gordon Lightfoot are among the acts scheduled to appear at the Toronto-area edition of Live 8 [ tickets ], a series of concerts aiming to raise awareness of poverty in Africa.

The Canadian show, which takes place at the Toronto-area's Park Place (formerly Molson Park), is one of eight scheduled around the world for July 2.

According to promoters, free tickets for the Canadian show will be available via Ticketmaster Canada's website beginning Thursday (6/23) at 10 a.m. ET. (Ticketmaster is liveDaily's parent company.) Fans can earn the free tickets by answering a quiz question.

Bob Jones, who served as Michael Jackson [ tickets ]'s publicist for more than three decades, will appear on ABC-TV's "Good Morning America" on Wednesday (6/22). Diane Sawyer will interview Jones, who is promoting his book "Michael Jackson: The Man Behind the Mask."

Blues Traveler [ tickets ] has set a Sept. 12 release date for its eighth studio album, "Bastardos!"

In a letter to fans posted on her official website, Natalie Merchant [ tickets ] writes that she has "been designing the package for the upcoming 'hits & rarities' package and recording a few additional tracks for inclusion in the same." It's expected in stores this fall.