Singer tells MTV News about gay fan inspired by her song 'Animal.'By Gil Kaufman
Ke$ha
Photo: MTV News
Ke$ha knows all about the perks of being a headliner. On her Get $leazy Tour, the singer gets to call all the shots, blast her fans in the face with tons of glitter and handpick which dudes she wants to party and share the stage with.
But it's not all backstage shenanigans and groupie love. When MTV News sat down with the "Blow" singer in New York earlier this week before her gig at Roseland Ballroom, Ke$ha said that amid the nightly onstage parties there have also been some poignant moments on her first headlining outing.
"Best moment? There are so many. Every night's amazing. I have kids outside right now chanting my name and it's awesome," she said of the first leg of the tour. "There was one night a fan came onstage, I invited him onstage, and he had a tattoo of the dollar sign. I was like, 'Oh, that's awesome! Badass. You're part of the cult, man.' "
And then, she said, he began to cry and explained that he was able to come out of the closet to his friends and family thanks to her song "Animal."
"And I'm standing onstage about to sing a song about growing back a pair of testicles ["Grow a Pear"] and I had tears rolling down my face and chills all over my body," she said. "Because that's really the reason I do music, to inspire people to be themselves."
Ke$ha has been a vocal supporter of the "It Gets Better" video project, which aims to help gay, bisexual and transgender youth find hope in the face of teasing and bullying.
The "Get $leazy" juggernaut continues on Saturday night with a show at Clarion University in Clarion, Pennsylvania.
Are you planning to see Ke$ha on her Get $leazy Tour? Tell us in the comments.
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Thursday, June 30, 2011
Johnny Knoxville Eulogizes His Late Friend Ryan Dunn
Last week, just days after Ryan Dunn was killed in a senseless drunk driving car accident, Johnny Knoxville and the rest of the Jackass family convened at a funeral home in West Chester, PA for a memorial service in honor of their late friend. At that memorial service, Knoxville tried to eulogize Dunn in front [...]
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Beyonce Set To Perform At 2011 BET Awards
Singer joins performers Chris Brown, Lil Wayne, Drake and others at the live June 26 show.By Jocelyn Vena
Beyonce
Photo: Jeff Kravitz/ FilmMagic
Two days after her album 4 is officially released, Beyoncé is set to perform at the 2011BET Awards, which air live from Los Angeles at the Shrine Auditorium on June 26.
The "Run the World (Girls)" singer, known for power--packed performances, hasn't announced what she'll sing yet, but as it turns out, she's also nominated for an award at the show. The singer is up against Rihanna, Jennifer Hudson, Keri Hilson and Marsha Ambrosius in the Best Female R&B Artist category.
According to EW.com, Mary J. Blige, Kelly Rowland and Trey Songz are also slated to perform on the awards show. And "The Voice" judge and "F--- You" singer Cee-Lo Green will make a special appearance on the show, the website reported. Previously announced performers include Jill Scott, Alicia Keys, Lil Wayne, Drake and Chris Brown, who's up for six awards.
Other big nominees for the night include Lil Wayne with 5 nods, as well as Kanye West, Drake and Rihanna, each with four noms. There's a surprising mix of contenders in the Video of the Year category, including Willow Smith for "Whip My Hair," Marsha Ambrosius' "Far Away," B.o.B's "Airplanes," Brown's "Look at Me Now," Hilson's "Pretty Girl Rock" and West's "Runaway."
Fans will have their say that night when they'll be asked to decide on the Coca-Cola Viewers' Choice Award. Competing in that category are Brown ("Look at Me Now," featuring Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes), Rihanna ("What's My Name?"), Lil Wayne ("6 Foot 7 Foot," featuring Cory Gunz), Mindless Behavior ("My Girl"), Nicki Minaj ("Moment 4 Life," featuring Drake) and Trey Songz ("Bottoms Up," featuring Nicki Minaj).
Are you excited to see Beyoncé perform at the BET Awards? Tell us in the comments!
Related Artists
Beyoncé
Beyonce
Photo: Jeff Kravitz/ FilmMagic
Two days after her album 4 is officially released, Beyoncé is set to perform at the 2011BET Awards, which air live from Los Angeles at the Shrine Auditorium on June 26.
The "Run the World (Girls)" singer, known for power--packed performances, hasn't announced what she'll sing yet, but as it turns out, she's also nominated for an award at the show. The singer is up against Rihanna, Jennifer Hudson, Keri Hilson and Marsha Ambrosius in the Best Female R&B Artist category.
According to EW.com, Mary J. Blige, Kelly Rowland and Trey Songz are also slated to perform on the awards show. And "The Voice" judge and "F--- You" singer Cee-Lo Green will make a special appearance on the show, the website reported. Previously announced performers include Jill Scott, Alicia Keys, Lil Wayne, Drake and Chris Brown, who's up for six awards.
Other big nominees for the night include Lil Wayne with 5 nods, as well as Kanye West, Drake and Rihanna, each with four noms. There's a surprising mix of contenders in the Video of the Year category, including Willow Smith for "Whip My Hair," Marsha Ambrosius' "Far Away," B.o.B's "Airplanes," Brown's "Look at Me Now," Hilson's "Pretty Girl Rock" and West's "Runaway."
Fans will have their say that night when they'll be asked to decide on the Coca-Cola Viewers' Choice Award. Competing in that category are Brown ("Look at Me Now," featuring Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes), Rihanna ("What's My Name?"), Lil Wayne ("6 Foot 7 Foot," featuring Cory Gunz), Mindless Behavior ("My Girl"), Nicki Minaj ("Moment 4 Life," featuring Drake) and Trey Songz ("Bottoms Up," featuring Nicki Minaj).
Are you excited to see Beyoncé perform at the BET Awards? Tell us in the comments!
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Cab Drivers Don't Like Brooklyn
1) This is me after three martinis.
2) The video is a bit too long, but hang on until the last two minutes or so.
3) I'm much cuter than this in real life.
And now... a video blog:
WARNING: NSFW
Big Poosay from Karyn Bosnak on Vimeo.
2) The video is a bit too long, but hang on until the last two minutes or so.
3) I'm much cuter than this in real life.
And now... a video blog:
WARNING: NSFW
Big Poosay from Karyn Bosnak on Vimeo.
Beyonc� - Video Phone (Extended Remix)
Video Phone (Extended Remix)
Artist: Beyoncé
Label: Columbia, Music World Music
Director: Hype Williams
Album: I Am...Sasha Fierce
Artist: Beyoncé
Label: Columbia, Music World Music
Director: Hype Williams
Album: I Am...Sasha Fierce
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Britney Spears Was 'Super Game' For 'I Wanna Go' Video
Director Chris Marrs Piliero talks about working with Brit and his favorite scene from the fun clip.By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Hugh Swingle
Britney Spears in her "I Wanna Go" music video
Photo: Jive
Britney Spears looks like she's having a blast in her new "I Wanna Go" video. It's full of fun pop-culture references and has Brit seeking vengeance against the paparazzi. Now, the director of the kitschy clip, Chris Marrs Piliero, has opened up about working with the pop megastar.
"Meeting Britney for the first time was really rad. She was really cool. I don't think anyone has the right to be a diva, but there are some artists out there, they've been in the game long enough [that] if any one of those artists ... might have the permission to be a diva, she definitely has earned it — and she wasn't whatsoever," he told the MTV Buzzworthy blog.
So what's Spears like? "She's super polite; she's ridiculously polite. She's soft-spoken," he said. "She's really cute. The way she talks and interacts, you want to hug her. She was super professional, super game. ... It was rad. It was awesome working with her. She's a rad chick."
Another highlight of the shoot for Piliero was working with "Weeds" star Guillermo Diaz on one of the final scenes. In the last part of the video, Spears and the actor are riding in a convertible in the desert as Brit dances around. Diaz displays his comedic chops by doing things like pouring milk all over himself.
"It was definitely a funny moment of the shoot. We let the cameras roll, and the reaction that you see from Britney is definitely a genuine reaction," the director recalled. "When I was going through the footage, I loved the way that she responded. It's so genuine and so funny. It's perfect [and] it definitely is a perfect description of how we all felt about that scene."
Let us know what you think of Britney's "I Wanna Go" video in the comments!
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Britney Spears in her "I Wanna Go" music video
Photo: Jive
Britney Spears looks like she's having a blast in her new "I Wanna Go" video. It's full of fun pop-culture references and has Brit seeking vengeance against the paparazzi. Now, the director of the kitschy clip, Chris Marrs Piliero, has opened up about working with the pop megastar.
"Meeting Britney for the first time was really rad. She was really cool. I don't think anyone has the right to be a diva, but there are some artists out there, they've been in the game long enough [that] if any one of those artists ... might have the permission to be a diva, she definitely has earned it — and she wasn't whatsoever," he told the MTV Buzzworthy blog.
So what's Spears like? "She's super polite; she's ridiculously polite. She's soft-spoken," he said. "She's really cute. The way she talks and interacts, you want to hug her. She was super professional, super game. ... It was rad. It was awesome working with her. She's a rad chick."
Another highlight of the shoot for Piliero was working with "Weeds" star Guillermo Diaz on one of the final scenes. In the last part of the video, Spears and the actor are riding in a convertible in the desert as Brit dances around. Diaz displays his comedic chops by doing things like pouring milk all over himself.
"It was definitely a funny moment of the shoot. We let the cameras roll, and the reaction that you see from Britney is definitely a genuine reaction," the director recalled. "When I was going through the footage, I loved the way that she responded. It's so genuine and so funny. It's perfect [and] it definitely is a perfect description of how we all felt about that scene."
Let us know what you think of Britney's "I Wanna Go" video in the comments!
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James Caan Signs with Paradigm (Exclusive)
Daniel Miller The Academy Award nominated actor was previously previously by ICM.read more
Monday, June 27, 2011
Taylor Swift, Rihanna Dress To Impress At Billboard Awards
Nicki Minaj, Ke$ha, Selena Gomez also make fashion splash on red carpet, as showgirl style rules at the Las Vegas event on Sunday night.By Jocelyn Vena
Taylor Swift at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards
Photo: Jordan Strauss/ Getty Images
On Sunday night, some of the biggest names in the music industry hit up the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas and decided that sparkles and sequins make for the perfect additions to any red carpet get-up. Well, it is Sin City after all.
Taylor Swift always seems to bring some of that Nashville sparkle to any red carpet. She arrived at the show in a pale-hued, sequined Elie Saab gown. Nicki Minaj showed off her signature sense of style in her baby-blue, body-hugging spandex Mark Fast catsuit.
Selena Gomez turned up the style dial in a sexy, cut-out black Dolce & Gabbana gown that she paired with red strappy sandals with sparkly bow detailing. Like Gomez, Ke$ha opted for some cut-out detailing in her sparkly, slate-gray dress with tulle skirt. Rihanna looked white hot in her men's tailored Max Azria suit, which she kept sexy and feminine by not buttoning her shirt all the way.
Fergie went S&M chic in her little black bandage-type dress by Hervé Léger. Nicole Kidman also wore black. She paired a casual braid hairstyle with a long black gown and Keith Urban. British pop cutie Kyle Minogue looked funky in her little black lacey dress. Inside the show, Britney Spears sat in the audience wearing a skimpy black dress of her own, her hair in loose curls, with little-to-no accessories.
While some stars kept the color scheme low-key, Keri Hilson decided to stand out in her billowy little yellow dress paired with a turquoise-colored belt. Kelly Rowland showed off some of her best assets in a body-hugging, bright pink bandage dress.
The fellas also looked tight on the carpet. Joe Jonas wore all black with white sneakers, Ne-Yo paired his periwinkle suit with a Yankees cap and Justin Bieber wore black tuxedo pants with a gold-lamé tuxedo jacket.
Which stars' styles caught your eye at the Billboard Music Awards? Tell us in the comments.
Related Photos
2011 Billboard Music Awards
2011 Billboard Music Awards Red Carpet
Related Artists
Taylor Swift
Nicki Minaj
Ke$ha
Selena Gomez
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Taylor Swift at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards
Photo: Jordan Strauss/ Getty Images
On Sunday night, some of the biggest names in the music industry hit up the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas and decided that sparkles and sequins make for the perfect additions to any red carpet get-up. Well, it is Sin City after all.
Taylor Swift always seems to bring some of that Nashville sparkle to any red carpet. She arrived at the show in a pale-hued, sequined Elie Saab gown. Nicki Minaj showed off her signature sense of style in her baby-blue, body-hugging spandex Mark Fast catsuit.
Selena Gomez turned up the style dial in a sexy, cut-out black Dolce & Gabbana gown that she paired with red strappy sandals with sparkly bow detailing. Like Gomez, Ke$ha opted for some cut-out detailing in her sparkly, slate-gray dress with tulle skirt. Rihanna looked white hot in her men's tailored Max Azria suit, which she kept sexy and feminine by not buttoning her shirt all the way.
Fergie went S&M chic in her little black bandage-type dress by Hervé Léger. Nicole Kidman also wore black. She paired a casual braid hairstyle with a long black gown and Keith Urban. British pop cutie Kyle Minogue looked funky in her little black lacey dress. Inside the show, Britney Spears sat in the audience wearing a skimpy black dress of her own, her hair in loose curls, with little-to-no accessories.
While some stars kept the color scheme low-key, Keri Hilson decided to stand out in her billowy little yellow dress paired with a turquoise-colored belt. Kelly Rowland showed off some of her best assets in a body-hugging, bright pink bandage dress.
The fellas also looked tight on the carpet. Joe Jonas wore all black with white sneakers, Ne-Yo paired his periwinkle suit with a Yankees cap and Justin Bieber wore black tuxedo pants with a gold-lamé tuxedo jacket.
Which stars' styles caught your eye at the Billboard Music Awards? Tell us in the comments.
Related Photos
2011 Billboard Music Awards
2011 Billboard Music Awards Red Carpet
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Sunday, June 26, 2011
'Cars 2': The Reviews Are In!
Critics enjoy the visual ride but not much else about Pixar's latest.By Eric Ditzian
Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) and Mater (voiced by Larry the Cable Guy) in "Cars 2"
Photo: Disney
Animated films, much like the big-screen work of Adam Sandler, are so often review-proof. "Hop" didn't give a hoot that critics eviscerated the Easter Bunny tale, opening to $37.5 million domestically on its way to a $176.8 million worldwide total. And hey, "Grown Ups" and "Just Go With It" were two of the most savagely critiqued comedies in recent memory, yet each one deposited a couple hundred million dollars in Sandler's already astonishing box-office pot of gold.
So does it really matter that critics have flagged "Cars 2," Pixar's latest offering and its first sequel outside the "Toy Story" franchise, for a dizzying array of cinematic violations? Nope. The CGI flick is poised to race away with around $65 million this weekend. Kids, and the parents who hold their hands on the way t...
Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) and Mater (voiced by Larry the Cable Guy) in "Cars 2"
Photo: Disney
Animated films, much like the big-screen work of Adam Sandler, are so often review-proof. "Hop" didn't give a hoot that critics eviscerated the Easter Bunny tale, opening to $37.5 million domestically on its way to a $176.8 million worldwide total. And hey, "Grown Ups" and "Just Go With It" were two of the most savagely critiqued comedies in recent memory, yet each one deposited a couple hundred million dollars in Sandler's already astonishing box-office pot of gold.
So does it really matter that critics have flagged "Cars 2," Pixar's latest offering and its first sequel outside the "Toy Story" franchise, for a dizzying array of cinematic violations? Nope. The CGI flick is poised to race away with around $65 million this weekend. Kids, and the parents who hold their hands on the way t...
Photos | Justin Bieber's AMA Night
Justin Bieber's AMA Night
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Photos | Justin Bieber's 'Never Say Never' L.A. Premiere
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Saturday, June 25, 2011
Japan's quake refugees turn to sex toys
According to tabloid-translation site
Tokyo Reporter, Japan's top sex toy manufacturer has created a sensation in
recovery efforts by donating hundreds of its most popular product to Tohoku
shelters.Tenga's can-shaped, lubricant-filled "synthetic vaginas" have already
caused a (neatly contained) splash with teens and loners around the world.
Now, we're told, they're doing their part to ease
tensions in crowded shelters up north.
var OutbrainPermaLink = 'http://www.cnngo.com/tokyo/life/self-love-quake-shelters-752712';
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read more
Olivia Munn
Olivia Wilde
Padma Lakshmi
Paige Butcher
Tokyo Reporter, Japan's top sex toy manufacturer has created a sensation in
recovery efforts by donating hundreds of its most popular product to Tohoku
shelters.Tenga's can-shaped, lubricant-filled "synthetic vaginas" have already
caused a (neatly contained) splash with teens and loners around the world.
Now, we're told, they're doing their part to ease
tensions in crowded shelters up north.
var OutbrainPermaLink = 'http://www.cnngo.com/tokyo/life/self-love-quake-shelters-752712';
var OB_raterMode = 'none';
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read more
Olivia Munn
Olivia Wilde
Padma Lakshmi
Paige Butcher
Photos | Alicia Keys Brings Jay-Z, Beyonce To Her New York Show
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Justin Bieber - Eenie Meenie
Eenie Meenie
Artist: Justin Bieber
Label: Epic, Beluga Heights
Director: Ray Kay
Album: My World 2.0
Artist: Justin Bieber
Label: Epic, Beluga Heights
Director: Ray Kay
Album: My World 2.0
'Transformers: Dark Of The Moon' Invades Movie Posters Near You
Turns out we've been in the dark about all those awesome "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" posters we've been ogling over the past month.
Paramount Pictures announced today that there is a new app for the movie, TF3: Defend The Earth, that allows iPhone and iPod Touch users to scan the posters and convert them into [...]
Paramount Pictures announced today that there is a new app for the movie, TF3: Defend The Earth, that allows iPhone and iPod Touch users to scan the posters and convert them into [...]
Friday, June 24, 2011
Photos | 2010 American Music Awards Red Carpet
2010 American Music Awards Red Carpet
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Neil Gaiman Reflects On 'American Gods,' 10 Years Later
Author talks about his 2001 book as a 10th-anniversay edition is released and with a TV show on the way.By Rick Marshall
Neil Gaiman
Photo: MTV News
Neil Gaiman's award-winning novel "American Gods" first hit shelves back in 2001, sweeping up readers in a cross-country adventure that explored a world in which the gods of old struggled to remain relevant in modern American culture. Ten years later, "American Gods" is returning to shelves in a new form, celebrating its anniversary with an expanded, "author's preferred text" edition and the announcement of an upcoming television series based on the book.
"The truth is, as an author, all you are is grateful if you turn around 10 years after you wrote something and it's still in print," Gaiman told MTV News of all the fanfare surrounding the novel's 10th anniversary. "It makes me ridiculously happy as an author, but mostly it makes me ridiculously happy that my book is being read."
For Gaiman, "American Gods" offered a way to put words to his own experience in moving to America from England and the difference between how people view America from the outside and the eccentricities you discover from the inside of American culture.
"All of the things that I loved about America that just seemed weird went into 'American Gods,' " he laughed. "I was fascinated by the way people coming to America tried to become 'American.' The idea of using old gods as a way of talking about what people bring with them when they come to America was a really fun one."
Gaiman recalled one particular discovery he made upon moving to the Midwest that was a prime example of the sort of local norms that informed "American Gods."
"There were weird little things like people driving cars out onto the ice in the winter on frozen lakes and then taking bets on when they'd go through the ice when the snow melted," he explained. "Little things like that, where I would turn around and go, 'Does anyone else here think this is weird?' And everyone else would go, 'Nope, This is how it is.'
"[When] I moved to America, I thought that I knew what America was," he said. "I'd been writing stories set in America for seven to eight years, I'd been coming to America for visits, and more importantly, I grew up watching American television and reading American books. And then I moved to America and found it was really weird, in ways that nobody had told me."
Along with giving readers a chance to revisit — or encounter for the first time — all of that aforementioned weirdness, the 10th-anniversary edition of "American Gods" will also feature more than 10,000 words omitted from his initial draft of the novel. The extra material will consist of expanded chapters, essays and even a few interviews he chose to include.
The audio counterpart to the new edition will also receive a full cast recording as opposed to a solo narrator — something he decided to do after participating in a podcast with filmmaker Kevin Smith.
"About six months ago, my wife Amanda Palmer and I were being interviewed by Kevin Smith for his Smodcast, and Amanda did some songs, and I thought I should do something that's fun too," he said. "So I printed out a scene from 'American Gods,' and I narrated it and made Kevin and Amanda act. At the end of it, I walked away going, 'That was really good!' It was just meant to be this mad, goofy thing we did, but it was really good."
And just in case the best-selling original version of the book, the new 10th-anniversary edition or both audio versions don't put "American Gods" back on the mainstream radar, there's also the upcoming HBO television series based on the novel. Gaiman is attached to write and executive-produce the series with Tom Hanks' Playtone production studio developing the adaptation. Renowned cinematographer Robert Richardson is attached to co-write the pilot with Gaiman.
"The overall plan right now is that the first season would essentially be the first book, with a few interesting divergences," Gaiman said of the television series. "You don't want people who've read the book to be able to go, 'I know everything that's going to be happening here.' [They will] know a lot more than anybody who's starting from here, but we will do things that will surprise [them] too."
With Gaiman indicating that the first season of the television series will encompass "the first book," it was only natural to ask about his plans for an "American Gods" sequel.
"I've been [planning] to do a second 'American Gods' book since the first 'American Gods' book," he laughed. "What I basically have right now is a boxful of stuff. Things go into it. I always knew there was going to be more story.
"The first book was very much about the grifters and the lowlifes, and you don't really get to see much of the new gods and you don't really get a sense of those gods who are doing incredibly well in America," he said. "In the second book, I definitely want to go into both of those things."
Neil Gaiman
Photo: MTV News
Neil Gaiman's award-winning novel "American Gods" first hit shelves back in 2001, sweeping up readers in a cross-country adventure that explored a world in which the gods of old struggled to remain relevant in modern American culture. Ten years later, "American Gods" is returning to shelves in a new form, celebrating its anniversary with an expanded, "author's preferred text" edition and the announcement of an upcoming television series based on the book.
"The truth is, as an author, all you are is grateful if you turn around 10 years after you wrote something and it's still in print," Gaiman told MTV News of all the fanfare surrounding the novel's 10th anniversary. "It makes me ridiculously happy as an author, but mostly it makes me ridiculously happy that my book is being read."
For Gaiman, "American Gods" offered a way to put words to his own experience in moving to America from England and the difference between how people view America from the outside and the eccentricities you discover from the inside of American culture.
"All of the things that I loved about America that just seemed weird went into 'American Gods,' " he laughed. "I was fascinated by the way people coming to America tried to become 'American.' The idea of using old gods as a way of talking about what people bring with them when they come to America was a really fun one."
Gaiman recalled one particular discovery he made upon moving to the Midwest that was a prime example of the sort of local norms that informed "American Gods."
"There were weird little things like people driving cars out onto the ice in the winter on frozen lakes and then taking bets on when they'd go through the ice when the snow melted," he explained. "Little things like that, where I would turn around and go, 'Does anyone else here think this is weird?' And everyone else would go, 'Nope, This is how it is.'
"[When] I moved to America, I thought that I knew what America was," he said. "I'd been writing stories set in America for seven to eight years, I'd been coming to America for visits, and more importantly, I grew up watching American television and reading American books. And then I moved to America and found it was really weird, in ways that nobody had told me."
Along with giving readers a chance to revisit — or encounter for the first time — all of that aforementioned weirdness, the 10th-anniversary edition of "American Gods" will also feature more than 10,000 words omitted from his initial draft of the novel. The extra material will consist of expanded chapters, essays and even a few interviews he chose to include.
The audio counterpart to the new edition will also receive a full cast recording as opposed to a solo narrator — something he decided to do after participating in a podcast with filmmaker Kevin Smith.
"About six months ago, my wife Amanda Palmer and I were being interviewed by Kevin Smith for his Smodcast, and Amanda did some songs, and I thought I should do something that's fun too," he said. "So I printed out a scene from 'American Gods,' and I narrated it and made Kevin and Amanda act. At the end of it, I walked away going, 'That was really good!' It was just meant to be this mad, goofy thing we did, but it was really good."
And just in case the best-selling original version of the book, the new 10th-anniversary edition or both audio versions don't put "American Gods" back on the mainstream radar, there's also the upcoming HBO television series based on the novel. Gaiman is attached to write and executive-produce the series with Tom Hanks' Playtone production studio developing the adaptation. Renowned cinematographer Robert Richardson is attached to co-write the pilot with Gaiman.
"The overall plan right now is that the first season would essentially be the first book, with a few interesting divergences," Gaiman said of the television series. "You don't want people who've read the book to be able to go, 'I know everything that's going to be happening here.' [They will] know a lot more than anybody who's starting from here, but we will do things that will surprise [them] too."
With Gaiman indicating that the first season of the television series will encompass "the first book," it was only natural to ask about his plans for an "American Gods" sequel.
"I've been [planning] to do a second 'American Gods' book since the first 'American Gods' book," he laughed. "What I basically have right now is a boxful of stuff. Things go into it. I always knew there was going to be more story.
"The first book was very much about the grifters and the lowlifes, and you don't really get to see much of the new gods and you don't really get a sense of those gods who are doing incredibly well in America," he said. "In the second book, I definitely want to go into both of those things."
Michelle Behennah Michelle Branch Michelle Malkin Michelle Obama
Photos | Britney Spears Hosts An Evening Of 'Southern Style'
Britney Spears Hosts An Evening Of 'Southern Style'
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Thursday, June 23, 2011
Usher - Fed Up (featuring Usher, Young Jeezy, Drake, Rick Ross)
Fed Up (featuring Usher, Young Jeezy, Drake, Rick Ross)
Artist: Usher
Label: We The Best, E1 Music
Director: Gil Green
Artist: Usher
Label: We The Best, E1 Music
Director: Gil Green
Delicious, decadent and discounted: Hong Kong Restaurant Week
Hong Kong Restaurant Week on July 11-17 will let foodies indulge at Hong Kong's popular restaurants with special promotional prices.More than 30 Hong Kong restaurants will offer three-course set menus priced at HK$158 for lunch and HK$298 for dinner. Michelin-starred restaurants add HK$100 for each star, which means dinner at a one-star restaurant is just HK$398 (plus service charges).
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Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Gym Class Heroes Get Shady In 'Stereo Hearts' Video
First single from the group's The Papercut Chronicles II album features vocals by Maroon 5's Adam Levine.By James Montgomery, with reporting by Matt Elias
Gym Class Heroes' Travie McCoy and Matt McGinley on the set of the "Stereo Hearts" music video
Photo: MTV News
Gym Class Heroes don't exactly have a lot to do in the video for "Stereo Hearts," the first single from their upcoming The Papercut Chronicles II. Instead, it's their shadows that handle most of the heavy lifting.
"The video basically plays on the idea that we're sort of just being casual, hanging out, being ourselves and our shadows get wild and get loose," drummer Matt McGinley told MTV News on the video set. "It's kind of fun. I've always felt like my shadow has been trying to kill me for 28 years."
"That's just me," frontman Travie McCoy laughed, "creeping up on your ass."
So while the GCH guys were content to crack jokes and let their shadows have the spotlight on the "Stereo" set, they're taking the opposite approach when it comes to their new album. Because not only is it a sequel to their beloved 2005 album, it's their return to prominence after McCoy's Lazarus solo trek and a break that was, by all accounts, too long.
"We just played a show at the Nokia in L.A., and just to see how elated kids were that we were back together again, I almost cried, I'm not going to lie," McCoy said. "We've been away too long, and anyone who thought me putting out Lazarus was the end of Gym Class Heroes was definitely proven wrong with that show."
And with "Stereo Hearts," they're officially getting back to business. Produced by Bennie Blanco and featuring Maroon 5's Adam Levine on the hook, it's a prime-time slab of genre-mashing, sweat-inducing pop, the kind of song that may very well push GCH to summertime superstardom. And, in working with Levine, they've learned about taking the next step too.
"It's a fun love song at the end of the day, and it's definitely got a summertime vibe ... and having Adam bless us with his vocal stylings doesn't hurt much," McCoy said. "He just destroyed it. Watching that dude do [vocal] runs, and first he belts out the hook, and I'm like, 'OK!' then he does overdubs and he's like, 'Nah, I don't like that, I can do better.' Everything's just flawless and dude's so talented. Just getting into a song and pushing it, it was inspiring."
Are you happy to have Gym Class Heroes back? Let us know in the comments!
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Gym Class Heroes' Travie McCoy and Matt McGinley on the set of the "Stereo Hearts" music video
Photo: MTV News
Gym Class Heroes don't exactly have a lot to do in the video for "Stereo Hearts," the first single from their upcoming The Papercut Chronicles II. Instead, it's their shadows that handle most of the heavy lifting.
"The video basically plays on the idea that we're sort of just being casual, hanging out, being ourselves and our shadows get wild and get loose," drummer Matt McGinley told MTV News on the video set. "It's kind of fun. I've always felt like my shadow has been trying to kill me for 28 years."
"That's just me," frontman Travie McCoy laughed, "creeping up on your ass."
So while the GCH guys were content to crack jokes and let their shadows have the spotlight on the "Stereo" set, they're taking the opposite approach when it comes to their new album. Because not only is it a sequel to their beloved 2005 album, it's their return to prominence after McCoy's Lazarus solo trek and a break that was, by all accounts, too long.
"We just played a show at the Nokia in L.A., and just to see how elated kids were that we were back together again, I almost cried, I'm not going to lie," McCoy said. "We've been away too long, and anyone who thought me putting out Lazarus was the end of Gym Class Heroes was definitely proven wrong with that show."
And with "Stereo Hearts," they're officially getting back to business. Produced by Bennie Blanco and featuring Maroon 5's Adam Levine on the hook, it's a prime-time slab of genre-mashing, sweat-inducing pop, the kind of song that may very well push GCH to summertime superstardom. And, in working with Levine, they've learned about taking the next step too.
"It's a fun love song at the end of the day, and it's definitely got a summertime vibe ... and having Adam bless us with his vocal stylings doesn't hurt much," McCoy said. "He just destroyed it. Watching that dude do [vocal] runs, and first he belts out the hook, and I'm like, 'OK!' then he does overdubs and he's like, 'Nah, I don't like that, I can do better.' Everything's just flawless and dude's so talented. Just getting into a song and pushing it, it was inspiring."
Are you happy to have Gym Class Heroes back? Let us know in the comments!
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Photos | Candid Moments From 'Britney Spears: I Am The Femme Fatale'
Candid Moments From 'Britney Spears: I Am The Femme Fatale'
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Michelle Behennah Michelle Branch Michelle Malkin Michelle Obama
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Photos | 2011 Billboard Music Awards
2011 Billboard Music Awards
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'Harry Potter' World Cup: Help Decide The Best Character!
Voting opens Monday on the MTV Movies Blog to finally put this debate to rest.By Eric Ditzian
Emma Watson, Rupert Grint and Daniel Radcliffe in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"
Photo: Warner Bros.
Are you a Dumbledore guy or gal? Perhaps you're keen on Hermione and Harry? Or maybe you shun the high-profile faces and hold a special place in your heart for Moaning Myrtle or Nearly Headless Nick? Who truly is the greatest "Harry Potter" character of all time?
That's a debate fans have been having since J.K. Rowling published her first novel about a boy wizard in 1997 and one that continues to rage as the final film, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2," nears its July 15 debut. And you know what? It's time to finally put this fantastical argument to rest!
Get ready for MTV News' "Harry Potter" World Cup, a monthlong tournament pitting 64 "Potter" characters against one another to see which will be decided solely by online fan voting. Check out the full bracket with all the supernatural matchups, then study up and get ready to vote when the first round kicks off Monday, June 20, at MoviesBlog.MTV.com.
Check out photos of all 60 of the "Harry Potter" World Cup players.
The single-elimination tournament will proceed from round to round with the intensity of the fiercest of Quidditch matches, with some characters falling by the wayside and others continuing to fight the good fight. It's all leading up to the epic championship round. The two finalists will be announced Monday, July 11. Voting will continue through MTV News' live-stream coverage of the "Deathly Hallows, Part 2" red-carpet premiere in New York City, with the winner crowned at the end of the event.
The full Harry Potter World Cup is as follows:
» Round 1: Monday, June 20, through Sunday, June 26
» Round 2: Monday, June 27, through Thursday, June 30
» Sweet 16: Friday, July 1, through Tuesday, July 5
» Elite Eight: Wednesday, July 6, through Thursday, July 7
» Final Four: Friday, July 8, through Sunday, July 10
» Championship Round: Top two announced Monday, July 11, with voting continuing through the New York premiere of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2"
So get ready to vote at MoviesBlog.MTV.com on June 20, and be sure to utilize the Twitter hashtag #mtvpottercup to spread the word. Don't let your favorite character lose out on being named the greatest "Harry Potter" character ever. Sixty-four will compete, but only one will emerge as the Wizarding World's Champion — and it's up to you!
Check out everything we've got on "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
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The 'Harry Potter' World Cup Players
Emma Watson, Rupert Grint and Daniel Radcliffe in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"
Photo: Warner Bros.
Are you a Dumbledore guy or gal? Perhaps you're keen on Hermione and Harry? Or maybe you shun the high-profile faces and hold a special place in your heart for Moaning Myrtle or Nearly Headless Nick? Who truly is the greatest "Harry Potter" character of all time?
That's a debate fans have been having since J.K. Rowling published her first novel about a boy wizard in 1997 and one that continues to rage as the final film, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2," nears its July 15 debut. And you know what? It's time to finally put this fantastical argument to rest!
Get ready for MTV News' "Harry Potter" World Cup, a monthlong tournament pitting 64 "Potter" characters against one another to see which will be decided solely by online fan voting. Check out the full bracket with all the supernatural matchups, then study up and get ready to vote when the first round kicks off Monday, June 20, at MoviesBlog.MTV.com.
Check out photos of all 60 of the "Harry Potter" World Cup players.
The single-elimination tournament will proceed from round to round with the intensity of the fiercest of Quidditch matches, with some characters falling by the wayside and others continuing to fight the good fight. It's all leading up to the epic championship round. The two finalists will be announced Monday, July 11. Voting will continue through MTV News' live-stream coverage of the "Deathly Hallows, Part 2" red-carpet premiere in New York City, with the winner crowned at the end of the event.
The full Harry Potter World Cup is as follows:
» Round 1: Monday, June 20, through Sunday, June 26
» Round 2: Monday, June 27, through Thursday, June 30
» Sweet 16: Friday, July 1, through Tuesday, July 5
» Elite Eight: Wednesday, July 6, through Thursday, July 7
» Final Four: Friday, July 8, through Sunday, July 10
» Championship Round: Top two announced Monday, July 11, with voting continuing through the New York premiere of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2"
So get ready to vote at MoviesBlog.MTV.com on June 20, and be sure to utilize the Twitter hashtag #mtvpottercup to spread the word. Don't let your favorite character lose out on being named the greatest "Harry Potter" character ever. Sixty-four will compete, but only one will emerge as the Wizarding World's Champion — and it's up to you!
Check out everything we've got on "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
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The 'Harry Potter' World Cup Players
Britney Spears - Womanizer
Womanizer
Artist: Britney Spears
Label: Zomba Label Group/Jive
Director: Joseph Kahn
Album: Circus
Artist: Britney Spears
Label: Zomba Label Group/Jive
Director: Joseph Kahn
Album: Circus
Shanna Moakler Shannon Elizabeth Shannyn Sossamon Shiri Appleby
Monday, June 20, 2011
Acquisitions: 7th Art and New Video Take Rights to 'The Swell Season,' More
Jay A. Fernandez New Video and 7th Art Releasing have acquired the documentary "The Swell Season." Paladin also snags "A Bird in the Air," and Entertainment One grabs "The Family Tree."read more
What Will Britney Spears Wear On Her Femme Fatale Tour?
Costume designer Zaldy Goco gave fans a sneak peek at the sparkles and studs she'll wear when tour kicks of Thursday.By Jocelyn Vena
Britney Spears
Photo: C Flanigan/FilmMagic
It's almost here! Britney Spears launches her Femme Fatale tour on Thursday, and her team has given fans a sneak peek of the looks she'll be showing off onstage.
Costume designer Zaldy Goco spoke to "Extra" about Spears' glittering, sexy outfits for the tour, which kicks off in Sacramento, California, with equally sexy opening act Nicki Minaj. "Well, I mean the real inspiration, of course, is Britney herself. But there's a creative script done by the director, Jamie King, and it's a whole thing about the femme fatale and femme fatales throughout the ages, so we have all kinds of costumes where she's changing personas throughout the show," he shared. "Everything is very sexy; Britney's a very sexy girl."
The looks he shared include lots of sparkles and body-hugging designs, that include a pink latex jacket paired with a nude bodysuit to be featured in the second act of the show, a Marilyn Monroe-inspired white flowing dress, a few gladiator-inspired gold-mirrored options, pink-chrome-studded leather and denim, as well as a "Toxic"-inspired catsuit.
For the finale, she wears a kimono, with an anime version of herself silkscreened on one sleeve, over a sparkling, black bodysuit that has LED lights built into it. Previously teased was a giant pair of angel wings that Spears will also wear at some point during the show.
For those wondering what Spears looks like in the costumes, fansite BreatheHeavy.com got sent some snaps of the singer rocking some of the looks, including the kimono, the studded denim and a gold-mirrored bikini.
Are you excited to see these costumes in action? Tell us where you're catching Britney on tour in the comments below!
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Photo: C Flanigan/FilmMagic
It's almost here! Britney Spears launches her Femme Fatale tour on Thursday, and her team has given fans a sneak peek of the looks she'll be showing off onstage.
Costume designer Zaldy Goco spoke to "Extra" about Spears' glittering, sexy outfits for the tour, which kicks off in Sacramento, California, with equally sexy opening act Nicki Minaj. "Well, I mean the real inspiration, of course, is Britney herself. But there's a creative script done by the director, Jamie King, and it's a whole thing about the femme fatale and femme fatales throughout the ages, so we have all kinds of costumes where she's changing personas throughout the show," he shared. "Everything is very sexy; Britney's a very sexy girl."
The looks he shared include lots of sparkles and body-hugging designs, that include a pink latex jacket paired with a nude bodysuit to be featured in the second act of the show, a Marilyn Monroe-inspired white flowing dress, a few gladiator-inspired gold-mirrored options, pink-chrome-studded leather and denim, as well as a "Toxic"-inspired catsuit.
For the finale, she wears a kimono, with an anime version of herself silkscreened on one sleeve, over a sparkling, black bodysuit that has LED lights built into it. Previously teased was a giant pair of angel wings that Spears will also wear at some point during the show.
For those wondering what Spears looks like in the costumes, fansite BreatheHeavy.com got sent some snaps of the singer rocking some of the looks, including the kimono, the studded denim and a gold-mirrored bikini.
Are you excited to see these costumes in action? Tell us where you're catching Britney on tour in the comments below!
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Janet Jackson Thrills Fans With Greatest Hits, Michael Tribute At Radio City
Singer covered songs ranging from classic 'Pleasure Principle' to 2008's 'Feedback' at New York show.By Vaughn Schoonmaker
Janet Jackson (file)
Photo: Christopher Polk/ Getty Images
NEW YORK — Often imitated, never duplicated, Janet Jackson's outbursts of meticulous choreography, sassy exclamations and smoldering gazes into the audience kept them on their feet for the entire two-hour set of her greatest hits at Radio City Music Hall. Monday night marked the last of three sold-out shows at the historic venue on her monumental Number Ones: Up Close and Personal Tour.
Up-and-coming boy band Mindless Behavior opened the show with songs including "#1 Girl," "Future" and their debut single, "My Girl." With their Usher-esque dance moves and shouts like "Where the ladies at?" the boys brought the tween girls out of hiding, judging by the shrill screams escaping various corner of the music hall.
At 9:00 sharp, the lights went down and Janet's fans were on the edge of their seats, watching music videos for "The Best Things in Life Are Free" and "Rhythm Nation" projected on big screens across the venue. A small shadow drifted toward center stage, and when the colorful lights came up, Jackson, wrapped in a shoulder-padded catsuit, complete with slick short hair, blasted into "The Pleasure Principle," dancing as hard and intensely choreographed as she did when the song first came out in the 1980s.
With barely a spare second between songs, Janet dazzled her way through her biggest hits, including "Miss You Much," "All for You" and "Nasty," and more recent hits like 2008's "Feedback."
Videos displayed during Jackson's costume changes included vintage clips from "Diff'rent Strokes," a funny scene from "Poetic Justice" where Jackson slyly rejects the advances of Tupac Shakur's character, and a rather heavy scene, as Jackson's character in "Why Did I Get Married" destroys her husband's house with a golf club, screaming hysterically.
Considering the tough couple of years the Jackson family has faced, the dark moments in the video seemed fitting, and everyone was beside themselves with bittersweet joy when Michael Jackson's face popped up on the big screen and she performed their hit single "Scream."
Janet emerged for her encore in a tight white one-piece disco suit, and performed "Diamonds," "Make Me" and "Together Again," which appeared to be the biggest hit of the evening. As Jackson graciously bowed out, her straight face transitioned into a smirk, suggesting that despite the hard times she has experienced recently, we can expect to see this singing and dancing pop legend shine far into the future.
"Its amazing!" Janet fan Elena Mercantini gleamed afterward. "It's like she's still 20 years old!"
"She's hot, she's amazing and she's still got it after all these years" added Alison Klinger of Long Island. "Best concert I've ever been to!"
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Michael Jackson
Janet Jackson (file)
Photo: Christopher Polk/ Getty Images
NEW YORK — Often imitated, never duplicated, Janet Jackson's outbursts of meticulous choreography, sassy exclamations and smoldering gazes into the audience kept them on their feet for the entire two-hour set of her greatest hits at Radio City Music Hall. Monday night marked the last of three sold-out shows at the historic venue on her monumental Number Ones: Up Close and Personal Tour.
Up-and-coming boy band Mindless Behavior opened the show with songs including "#1 Girl," "Future" and their debut single, "My Girl." With their Usher-esque dance moves and shouts like "Where the ladies at?" the boys brought the tween girls out of hiding, judging by the shrill screams escaping various corner of the music hall.
At 9:00 sharp, the lights went down and Janet's fans were on the edge of their seats, watching music videos for "The Best Things in Life Are Free" and "Rhythm Nation" projected on big screens across the venue. A small shadow drifted toward center stage, and when the colorful lights came up, Jackson, wrapped in a shoulder-padded catsuit, complete with slick short hair, blasted into "The Pleasure Principle," dancing as hard and intensely choreographed as she did when the song first came out in the 1980s.
With barely a spare second between songs, Janet dazzled her way through her biggest hits, including "Miss You Much," "All for You" and "Nasty," and more recent hits like 2008's "Feedback."
Videos displayed during Jackson's costume changes included vintage clips from "Diff'rent Strokes," a funny scene from "Poetic Justice" where Jackson slyly rejects the advances of Tupac Shakur's character, and a rather heavy scene, as Jackson's character in "Why Did I Get Married" destroys her husband's house with a golf club, screaming hysterically.
Considering the tough couple of years the Jackson family has faced, the dark moments in the video seemed fitting, and everyone was beside themselves with bittersweet joy when Michael Jackson's face popped up on the big screen and she performed their hit single "Scream."
Janet emerged for her encore in a tight white one-piece disco suit, and performed "Diamonds," "Make Me" and "Together Again," which appeared to be the biggest hit of the evening. As Jackson graciously bowed out, her straight face transitioned into a smirk, suggesting that despite the hard times she has experienced recently, we can expect to see this singing and dancing pop legend shine far into the future.
"Its amazing!" Janet fan Elena Mercantini gleamed afterward. "It's like she's still 20 years old!"
"She's hot, she's amazing and she's still got it after all these years" added Alison Klinger of Long Island. "Best concert I've ever been to!"
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'30 Minutes or Less': Jesse Eisenberg, Aziz Ansari in New Red-Band Trailer (Video)
Philiana Ng The comedy, from Columbia, is out Aug. 12.read more
Sunday, June 19, 2011
To Japan from Iran, with love
In the months since Japan was hit by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, Afshin Valinejad has been running a one-man relief operation that would leave even the most earnest of volunteers in awe.His mission has taken him on a 14,000-kilometer odyssey through clouds of radiation-laden air, over blizzard-stricken mountains and along deserted highways.His goal: to bring supplies, and a smile, to people in Japan's devastated northeast. In both cases, he has succeeded admirably.Taste of New YearIt all started in mid-March, a few days before the Persian New Year. Valinejad had just finished leading several overseas TV crews through the tsunami-whacked areas when an idea hit him.
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Mariah Marika Dominczyk Marisa Coughlan Marisa Miller Marisa Tomei
Katy Perry Satisfies New York Fans' Sweet Tooth
Pop star matches theatrics with strong vocal performance for the Nassau Coliseum stop of her California Dreams Tour.By John Mitchell
Katy Perry performs in Uniondale, New York on Friday
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage
UNIONDALE, New York — Teenage girls and the parents who support them turned out in droves for Katy Perry's California Dreams Tour at the Nassau Coliseum on Friday night. There were plenty of "sexy boys" there too (more on them in a minute). Indeed, the pop star proved just how well she knows her audience when she asked the packed arena if there were any graduates in the house. As she listed off the possibilities (high school, college, etc.) she marveled, "We have more junior high graduates than college graduates. That's crazy!"
Following a "Wizard of Oz"-meets-Candy Land video intro, which mirrored the set design of the stage, Perry got the party started with a surefire crowd-pleaser, "Teenage Dream," while wearing a dress that came complete with spinning pinwheels. "Welcome to the California Dreams Tour, where everything is so sweet," she cooed to the legions of screaming fans hanging on her every word. And there were plenty of words for them to latch onto: The singer stopped to talk to the audience at length many times during her near two-hour set.
But that was just one of the many charms Perry had in store. From a running gag about the woozy effects of a strange brownie she nibbled on before launching into a robust take on "Peacock" to her admission that when she is feeling low she turns to YouTube for "mama cat hugging baby cat" videos, Perry was all charm and nonstop energy.
The show stuck so impressively to its storyline about Perry's travels through Candy Land in pursuit of "the baker's boy" that it could almost be a jukebox Broadway musical in the vein of "Rock of Ages" or "Mama Mia." A human slot machine, an Elvis impersonator and headdress-wearing showgirls joined her onstage for "Waking Up in Vegas." She floated across the arena on a pink cotton-candy cloud while strumming a bedazzled guitar to "Thinking of You." But despite the theatrics, Perry was still at her best when playing with the audience.
At one point she sought out the "sexy boys" in the arena, and when she found a volunteer that struck her fancy, she called him to the stage — but not before making a diva demand: "If you come on stage, you leave that T-shirt right there." He did as she asked, and after giving her audience a few minutes to ogle the strapping young man (and not just the screaming girls; more than once, Perry gave her gay male fans a shout-out too), she rewarded him with a kiss on the cheek. When he requested more, she joked, "My husband [Russell Brand] just told me in my ear he's gonna come out here and kick your ass."
She then launched into a slowed-down, jazzy take on "I Kissed a Girl" that quickly shifted into the party jam we all know and love.
Unlike many of her dance-pop contemporaries (think Lady Gaga or Britney Spears), Perry left most of the dancing to her talented backup troupe, who were introduced individually during solos to popular candy-related songs like "Tootsie Roll" and "How Many Licks," while she prowled the stage. But her lack of heavy choreography might have been in the best interest of the show's biggest surprise: her voice. She sounded fantastic from start to finish. Not even the green, pink and purple laser show that accompanied "E.T." could obscure that fact that she sounds better than ever.
Her vocals were again showcased when she stripped down the pop bombast for a fun medley of covers — "The playlist for my life right now." So what is Perry listening to? "Only Girl in the World" by "My girl Ri-Ri"; "Big Pimpin' " by Jay-Z, during which she played a jewel-encrusted recorder; "Whip My Hair" by Willow Smith and, since it was the final day of the work week, Rebecca Black's "Friday." The audience ate it up.
Terrific show-opener Robyn, who had Perry's fans mimicking her freestyle dance moves despite the thankless task of opening for one of pop's biggest names, set the tone for the concert's final act, a dance-heavy medley of Perry's biggest hits (and one fantastic cover).
The songstress put on her signature blue wig to rile up the audience with the one-two punch of "Hot n Cold" and a take on Whitney Houston's classic "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)." During "Dance," Perry pulled no less than 20 fans onstage for an impromptu dance party. Before the final two fans would leave the stage, they asked for a picture and the pop star obliged, saying, "New Facebook picture!"
She encored with "California Gurls," but the show's banner moment came at its official end with "Firework." With every person in the arena on their feet, Perry said, "I wrote this song for anyone who ever needed a song. To help them, to lift them up." And then she did exactly that. The Coliseum shook as the near-capacity crowd sang the ubiquitous hit along with her as pyro lit up the stage, raining down like a wall of sparklers.
It was colorful, triumphant and the perfect way to end a near-perfect pop show.
Have you been to a Katy Perry show recently? Share your experiences in the comments below.
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Katy Perry performs in Uniondale, New York on Friday
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage
UNIONDALE, New York — Teenage girls and the parents who support them turned out in droves for Katy Perry's California Dreams Tour at the Nassau Coliseum on Friday night. There were plenty of "sexy boys" there too (more on them in a minute). Indeed, the pop star proved just how well she knows her audience when she asked the packed arena if there were any graduates in the house. As she listed off the possibilities (high school, college, etc.) she marveled, "We have more junior high graduates than college graduates. That's crazy!"
Following a "Wizard of Oz"-meets-Candy Land video intro, which mirrored the set design of the stage, Perry got the party started with a surefire crowd-pleaser, "Teenage Dream," while wearing a dress that came complete with spinning pinwheels. "Welcome to the California Dreams Tour, where everything is so sweet," she cooed to the legions of screaming fans hanging on her every word. And there were plenty of words for them to latch onto: The singer stopped to talk to the audience at length many times during her near two-hour set.
But that was just one of the many charms Perry had in store. From a running gag about the woozy effects of a strange brownie she nibbled on before launching into a robust take on "Peacock" to her admission that when she is feeling low she turns to YouTube for "mama cat hugging baby cat" videos, Perry was all charm and nonstop energy.
The show stuck so impressively to its storyline about Perry's travels through Candy Land in pursuit of "the baker's boy" that it could almost be a jukebox Broadway musical in the vein of "Rock of Ages" or "Mama Mia." A human slot machine, an Elvis impersonator and headdress-wearing showgirls joined her onstage for "Waking Up in Vegas." She floated across the arena on a pink cotton-candy cloud while strumming a bedazzled guitar to "Thinking of You." But despite the theatrics, Perry was still at her best when playing with the audience.
At one point she sought out the "sexy boys" in the arena, and when she found a volunteer that struck her fancy, she called him to the stage — but not before making a diva demand: "If you come on stage, you leave that T-shirt right there." He did as she asked, and after giving her audience a few minutes to ogle the strapping young man (and not just the screaming girls; more than once, Perry gave her gay male fans a shout-out too), she rewarded him with a kiss on the cheek. When he requested more, she joked, "My husband [Russell Brand] just told me in my ear he's gonna come out here and kick your ass."
She then launched into a slowed-down, jazzy take on "I Kissed a Girl" that quickly shifted into the party jam we all know and love.
Unlike many of her dance-pop contemporaries (think Lady Gaga or Britney Spears), Perry left most of the dancing to her talented backup troupe, who were introduced individually during solos to popular candy-related songs like "Tootsie Roll" and "How Many Licks," while she prowled the stage. But her lack of heavy choreography might have been in the best interest of the show's biggest surprise: her voice. She sounded fantastic from start to finish. Not even the green, pink and purple laser show that accompanied "E.T." could obscure that fact that she sounds better than ever.
Her vocals were again showcased when she stripped down the pop bombast for a fun medley of covers — "The playlist for my life right now." So what is Perry listening to? "Only Girl in the World" by "My girl Ri-Ri"; "Big Pimpin' " by Jay-Z, during which she played a jewel-encrusted recorder; "Whip My Hair" by Willow Smith and, since it was the final day of the work week, Rebecca Black's "Friday." The audience ate it up.
Terrific show-opener Robyn, who had Perry's fans mimicking her freestyle dance moves despite the thankless task of opening for one of pop's biggest names, set the tone for the concert's final act, a dance-heavy medley of Perry's biggest hits (and one fantastic cover).
The songstress put on her signature blue wig to rile up the audience with the one-two punch of "Hot n Cold" and a take on Whitney Houston's classic "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)." During "Dance," Perry pulled no less than 20 fans onstage for an impromptu dance party. Before the final two fans would leave the stage, they asked for a picture and the pop star obliged, saying, "New Facebook picture!"
She encored with "California Gurls," but the show's banner moment came at its official end with "Firework." With every person in the arena on their feet, Perry said, "I wrote this song for anyone who ever needed a song. To help them, to lift them up." And then she did exactly that. The Coliseum shook as the near-capacity crowd sang the ubiquitous hit along with her as pyro lit up the stage, raining down like a wall of sparklers.
It was colorful, triumphant and the perfect way to end a near-perfect pop show.
Have you been to a Katy Perry show recently? Share your experiences in the comments below.
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