GOT LIVE IF YOU WANT IT

Macy Gray, the critical favorite who just received two Brit Awards (Best International Newcomer and Best International Female), will join recent multiple-Grammy-winner Santana on his North American summer tour. The 22-city amphitheater tour kicks off July 20 in West Palm Beach, FL at Mars Music Amphitheatre and winds down Aug. 22 in Minneapolis at the Target Center. Gray, who was the industry favorite to win Best New Artist at the recent Grammy Awards, is still benefiting from the TV exposure, as her Epic debut album, “On How Life Is,” continues to smoke on the charts.

Nine Inch Nails, trying to prove that reports of alternative rock’s death are premature, have released the initial dates oftheir long-awaited U.S. tour to support “The Fragile”(Nothing/Interscope). Opening will be Perfect Circle (Virgin), the side project of Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan. NIN will kick off the tour April 12 in Cleveland at the CSU Convocation Center. Sources hope ticket sales will be stronger than NIN’s latest album tally: Sales on “The Fragile” have been in a downward spiral since its release in September. This U.S. tour is the first in five years for Trent Reznor and company.

Dr. Dre, Ice Cube and MC Ren, three original members of groundbreaking rap group N.W.A., performed live together for the first time in more than 10 years Saturday (3/11) for the weekly USA Network series “Jimmy And Doug's Farmclub.com.” The three original N.W.A. members were joined by Snoop Dogg for the installment, which is slated to air March 27. Dre, Cube, Ren and Snoop reunited in the studio on the cut “Chin Check” for the “Next Friday" soundtrack Snoop Dogg appears on the track in place of former N.W.A. member Eazy-E, who died of complications due to AIDS in 1995.

Also on Saturday, 25-year vets KISS, in full makeup and costumes, natch, opened their Farewell Tour at the Blockbuster Desert Sky Pavilion in Phoenix. In front of about 17,000 fans, the original band membersGene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss performed a two-hours-plus set that ranged from their self-titled debut to the most recent release, “Psycho Circus.” All of the KISS performance trademarks were in place, including Simmons’ fire-breathing, tongue-waggling and blood-spitting; Frehley’s smoking guitar; Stanley’s wiggling and guitar smashing; and Criss’ rising drum platform. Not to mention the group’s stage presentation, which included explosions, fire, sparks and confetti. Opening the show was fellow gonzo elder statesman Ted Nugent.