By Zachary Swickey

Pomona, California - Before Crosses took the stage at Pomona’s famous Glass House music venue – the air was already thick with anticipation and the crowd’s energy was wildly high well before the show even began. As the six band members slowly crept onstage with three illuminated Crosses as their backdrop, Chino Moreno, lead singer of the Deftones, grabbed the mic – rockin’ a black leather jacket with hood draped – the crowed went hysterical. (At this point, Moreno is essentially a legend in the California music scene and very well-respected by his musical peers).

The crowd certainly wasn't complaining when the band kicked things off with the subdued, dreamy “Thholyghost.” Fans hung on Moreno's every word – singing along with him (something that continued for the majority of the show). Next up was “This Is A Trick,” which is without a doubt one of Crosses strongest songs. Moreno showed signs of his Deftones alter-ego with his primal scream as he “sang” the song’s chorus. Lopez’s excellent production work and digital additions on the track were spot-on in a live setting, sounding like a maniacal emergency siren of the future.

When the band began playing a track off their second EP, Frontiers, Moreno hopped on the guard rail, which he is notoriously known for doing (and something fans adore him for). He draped his body over the clamoring fans as he sang, “I can take you even further,” as hands reached out – hoping to merely touch the icon. During “Telepathy” the three backdrop Crosses even began glowing a deep purple (eventually they covered every color in the spectrum). It was at this point that I realized how crazy talented bassist Chuck Doom is – his finger pluckin’ precision is right up there with RHCP’s Flea.

Performing “1987” allowed Lopez to showcase his fine work of subtle-but-beautiful digital manipulation with his trusty MacBook. Next was either a new track or a cover I’m unfamiliar with. Either way – holy hell was it good. Moreno's vocals soared (similar to his voice on Deftones’ “Passenger”). I jotted down several descriptions for Lopez’s unique guitar sound during the song: "echoing," "spacey," 'squeal" – the man was just going crazy with his axe. It was also the greatest moment for the drummers to show their insane skills, together sounding like thunder from Zeuss himself. (Campanella’s ferocity is simply matched by none – he’s like the Ivan Drago of the drum world.)

As they began performing their track “The Years” (off the soundtrack to the hit video game, "Batman: Arkham Asylum"), the three crosses morphed to a reptile green and Moreno hopped back on the rail moaning, “As the years go by,” while Lopez wailed his menacing guitar hook that scratches your ear drums in the best way possible (his guitar-work is easily the highlight of the song). Lopez showed-off his chops once again during “Option” when his guitar sounded like it was mixed through a garbage disposal – creating quite an awesome, unique sound.

For the encore, Giant Drag’s Annie Hardy came out to play her own track, “Pretty Little Neighbors,” with Crosses as her backing band and Moreno as one hell of a backup singer. The night ended with the ambient, dreamy “Trophy” before the group wished everyone goodnight – already appearing like they’ve been playing together for years.

Crosses set list:
1. Thholyghost
2. This Is A Trick
3. Bermuda Locket
4. Frontiers
5. Prurient
6. Telepathy
7. 1987
8. New [unreleased] Song
9. The Years
10. Option

Encore:
11. Pretty Little Neighbor [Giant Drag cover performed by Annie Hardy with the group]
12. Trophy

If you're a fan of nostalgia and classic rock, 2012 will bring with it an especially awesome treat: a reunion tour from the Beach Boys!

That's right, Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston and David Marks have finally puts years of lawsuits and bitter press spats behind them – "All that stuff is long forgotten," Love tells Rolling Stone – and are hitting the road for a 50-date 50th anniversary tour. The tour kickoff will officially go down at the New Orleans Jazz Fest in late April, but the group is planning something for the Grammys in February.

"There will be a surprise at the Grammys," Jardine tells RS. "We'll do something really exciting. There's a lot of interest in it, which is nice. It's going to be a very big operation."

(That means some sort of performance, right? Maybe with a contemporary artist, a la the recent – and regrettable – Stevie Wonder/Jonas Brothers medley of "Burnin' Up" and "Superstition" at the 2009 Grammys.)

Rumors were swirling that the Boys would announce the reunion at the recent Grammy Nominations Concert, which featured performances from Lady Gaga and Rihanna, but some behind-the-scenes turmoil forced the group to pull out of the special (which at the time seemed a little ominous for the tour moving forward).

In a statement, Brian Wilson said, "This anniversary is special to me because I miss the boys. It will be a thrill for me to make a new record and be on stage with them again."

YES! A new Beach Boys record. The group has studio space booked to continue work on a new record and plan to include a mix of the new material in with their classics when they hit the road.

We just kind of hope John Stamos, who has since the 1990s regularly performed and toured with the various incarnations of the Beach Boys that have hit the road (the upcoming reunion is the first tour in decades to get all of the original Boys back together, minus the late Carl Wilson), shows up for some guest appearances with the band. "Kokomo" forever!

By Zachary Swickey

We already knew that U2 was going to set a new record for highest grossing tour of all time, and of course they have now officially done so – pulling in $293 million more bones this year alone (which means they could pretty much recreate Scrooge McDuck’s swimming pool of money in the real world) from 44 shows as Billboard reports in their list of the top-grossing tours of 2011.

While vets like U2, Bon Jovi, Roger Waters and Take That (Take Who?) take the four top spots, the younger generation of artists aren’t far behind in the money race with birthday girl Taylor Swift rounding out the top five (blowing away several big name acts like the Eagles and Journey who have apparently not stopped believin’). The country charmer grossed a staggering $97 million on her 89-date tour behind Speak Now … 87 of which were impressively sold-out!

Plenty of other MTV favorites managed to make the list. Read on to find out who!

With the help of Akon and Tinie Tempah as opening acts, Usher comes in at number seven with just under $75 million. Katy Perry’s long 2011 trek of 98 stops helped land her at number 13 with almost $49 million in revenue and audience attendance of just over a million fans catching the show. Lil Wayne only managed to sell out 14 of his 69 dates this year, but he still came in at number 14 with $46 milli. Justin Bieber only had to perform 35 gigs (27 of which sold out) to take the 15 spot with $44 million (which should help fund his affinity for expensive dates like renting out the Staples Center).

There were still a few surprises (people still go to see Iron Maiden?) like Britney Spears barely breaking the top twenty – bowing at number 19 with $39 million in grosses from her 39 shows. To put that in perspective, Lady Gaga appears at number 8 with $72 million from 45 shows – only six more than Brit.

Check out the Top 20 Touring Acts of 2011 below:
1. U2
2. Bon Jovi
3. Take That
4. Roger Waters
5. Taylor Swift
6. Kenny Chesney
7. Usher
8. Lady Gaga
9. André Rieu
10. Sade
11. Michael Bublé
12. Eagles
13. Katy Perry
14. Lil Wayne
15. Justin Bieber
16. "Glee" Live!
17. NKOTBSB
18. Journey
19. Britney Spears
20. Iron Maiden

Did you check out any of the top 20 acts of 2011 on the road this year? Let us know how the show was in the comments below!

Photo by David Harrison

By David Harrison

LOS ANGELES – Any music fan who has visited Los Angeles over the holidays must be familiar with the ambiguously-titled “Almost Acoustic Christmas,” the annual two-night concert hosted by alternative rock station KROQ. Now in its 22nd installment, Almost Acoustic Christmas has become synonymous with the biggest bands gathering at the Gibson Amphitheater to celebrate the holidays in a very un-acoustic manner. Night one’s lineup this year, however, was particularly special – it featured seven (out of eight) artists who have previously played the festival, namely headliners Blink 182, 311, Sublime with Rome, Social Distortion, Bush, New Found Glory and Chevelle.

Night one started off with a little bit of nostalgia, as New Found Glory took a moment to reminisce about the last time they performed with Blink on the 2001 "Take of Your Pants and Jacket Tour." By music industry standards, ten years is ancient history. In that time, CDs have gone the way of the dinosaurs, YouTube has launched careers and the traditional sense of radio has completely evolved (my parents have been teaching me how to use podcasts… no, I’m not embarrassed). But the cheers from the sold-out crowd at the Gibson Amphitheater on Saturday night proved that some things in rock music haven’t changed since the 1990s. Here is a (partial) list:

1. Blink-182 rocked Almost Acoustic Christmas
2. Sublime with Rome rocked Almost Acoustic Christmas
3. Social Distortion rocked Almost Acoustic Christmas

You get the idea. In fact, take Social Distortion, for example. They headlined the first Almost Acoustic Christmas ever in 1990. Saturday night, frontman Mike Ness announced, “We’re gonna play a song off the [1996] album White Light, White Heat, White Trash. A squeaky voice behind me shouted “I f**king love that album!” and I turned to see a kid in a Social D shirt who was definitely not even born when the album was released, let alone should be using that kind of potty language.

But, like I said before, a lot has changed in the music business and each of the bands performing on Saturday night proved exactly why their fans have stayed loyal over the course of decades. Mark, Tom and Travis stormed the stage to deafening cheers, made a few vulgar jokes (that part hasn’t changed) and then performed their newly released single, “Heart’s all Gone,” back-to-back with the 1997 hit “Dammit,” both of which are in consistent rotation at radio stations across the country. The security guard next to me sang along to every word. Among all the veteran acts of Almost Acoustic Christmas night number one, there are countless new songs and albums for your ears’ consumption, and if their enduring popularity has proven anything, we have a lot more to look forward to.

Almost Acoustic Christmas proceeds benefit the Para los Ninos charity, more info can be found at www.paralosninos.org

By Rya Backer

NEW YORK – It's hard to know what to make of Lana Del Rey at first glance. Is she as Jools Holland once dubbed her an "Internet phenomenon" worth no more than a few salacious blog posts? Or is she a legitimate chanteuse wrapped in the hyper feminine, yet innately American (and admittedly well-curated) image she's projected in videos for such tracks as "Video Games" and "Blue Jeans"?

Regardless of where one stands on the issue, last night at her sold-out show at Bowery Ballroom, Del Rey offered skeptics and fans alike a recital in the most literal sense: she played all the songs she'd practiced, hoping to show both the crowd how much she's improved since she first appeared – seemingly out of nowhere – less than six months ago.

Arriving on stage shortly after 9:15, looking like a Real Housewife (perfect makeup and blow-out? Check) dressed up for a night downtown, pairing her low-top Chuck Taylors with a tailored, white pleated dress, Del Rey sauntered onto a stage aglow with white balloons projecting the stock footage and vintage-treated videos that would look familiar to those privy to her YouTube account.

She timidly opened with "Without You," a tune about tortured love, a through-line of sorts in her songbook, and toyed with the microphone cord as she strolled the stage. From there, she flirted with the fans up front and continued her nearly hour-long set with the known (the aforementioned "Blue Jeans," "Video Games" and her latest single, "Born To Die," received rousing responses) and the new (from her Born to Die album, which is due out January 31, 2012). Standouts included "Million Dollar Man" – a track so over-the-top dramatic and sexy that it wouldn't be out of place being covered by Jessica Rabbit – and the pop rock-tinged "Summertime Sadness," which Del Rey sheepishly assured, "You're gonna f**king like it when it's on the record."

That statement was a theme of the evening. As Del Rey sang with her inimitable voice – modulating between a high, breathy pitch and deep, sultry tone – she, like that sound, wavered between the confident and the vulnerable. She concluded some songs with a nod, a shoulder shrug or a sheepish grin, as if to admit that she's read all the blogs about her as well and she's trying her very best to make it right. By the evening's last song, "Off to the Races," another innocent-yet-sultry track with a vocal delivery that can only be described as viscous, Del Rey had found her footing as she wandered the stage. At the song's end, she placed the mic in its stand and declared, "Thank you! I hope you like it!" It was a genuine plea, and from the crowd's response, Del Rey would be happy to know that the fans – and maybe even the skeptics – liked it just fine.

By Zachary Swickey

Country star Keith Urban is the latest in a long list of musicians to require throat surgery to remove a polyp from his vocal cords. The singer made the announcement on his website, stating the surgery will be minor, although it is undetermined how much vocal rest he will actually need.

This has forced Urban to postpone his "All for the Hall" benefit concert for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, which was scheduled for Jan. 18 in Nashville. It was to include performances from Rascal Flatts, Vince Gill and Allison Krauss with Urban acting as emcee for the evening. Urban will still honor any one-song performances leading up to his surgery later this month.

There seems to be some sort of throat epidemic going around considering the growing list of musicians facing serious vocal ailments. Adele, the best selling artist in the U.S. this year, has nixed her tour of the states twice (which had been selling tickets like hotcakes) due to her persisting vocal problems that now require the amazing British songbird to undergo surgery. (Word of advice: lay off the cigs my dear). But trust us; she’s just as bummed as we are about it.

Who else is on doctor-ordered vocal rest? Read on for more.

It seems like a long time since we’ve heard from lady-killer John Mayer, considering he's been keeping a low profile in recent years, which is not what we’re used to from the singer. He was finally going to come out of hiding and give us a new album; however, he’s been forced to postpone it entirely after announcing on his Tumblr last month that he’d quietly undergone throat surgery to remove a throat lesion – a granuloma resting above his vocal cord.

“I am now on complete vocal rest for a month or more,” Mayer wrote candidly. “I stay in at night, picking guitar parts off of records and dreaming of playing on the big stage. The only difference between now and when I was 18 is that now I have this beautiful, meaningful record waiting for me when I can sing it. Until then, I’m taking off. Going to travel the country, look and listen.”

And yet there are two more artists whose throats have gone under the knife lately: R. Kelly and KISS singer-guitarist Paul Stanley. Kelly had emergency throat surgery to drain an abscess on one of his tonsils in July this year. Stanley is currently recovering from his throat procedure. He commented to CNN on his issues, saying, “I hold myself to a higher standard than others do. With that in mind, I wanted to remedy a few minor issues that come with 40 years of preaching rock and roll.”

She's taken the stage with her kids, but it's the guys that Britney Spears brings on stage to perform lap dances on that really make headlines. On Monday night, Joe Jonas ended his run opening for Spears in Europe and she rewarded the singer for all his hard work with a private lap dance during her song "Lace and Leather."

"What a great night! LONDON! you rule! what a way to end the @britneyspears tour," he tweeted, before this shout out for his Femme Fatale, "And.. @britneyspears thanks for the strip tease.. "

Joe is, of course, only the latest recipient of Spears' sexy dances. Over the course of her last two tours, the singer has given some of her high-profile pals – and pals with benefits – a lap dance.

Back in July, Brit Brit gave Titans receiver Kenny Britt one of her special lap dances when her tour stopped by Nashville. The footballer, decked out in a pink feather boa, had the pleasure of having Spears' legs wrapped around his neck.

But weeks before Brit got to shimmy all over him, her real-life beau, Jason Trawick, received a lap dance from his lady love. He not only got one during a June dress rehearsal, but also during an August tour stop at New York's Nassau Coliseum.

That same month, former tour mate DJ Pauly D had Spears all up on his business during a tour stop in Montreal. Spears wasn't the only one giving out lap dances on the FF tour either. Nicki Minaj also had some fun giving a lap dance to fellow Young Money rapper Drake.

Iit's a tradition that Spears started a while ago. Lance Bass received some special treatment from Spears during a stop on her Circus tour. When she closed out the over-the-top shows back in September 2009, she gave her old pal a little surprise. We're sure it brought back some old memories.

Speaking of boy bands, Howie D is set to join the Femme Fatale tour next. We hope that he's into the idea of some private entertainment from Spears herself. Brace yourself, buddy.

Beyonce is set to drop her live DVD special "Live At Roseland" on November 21. Filmed over four nights in August, the special will take fans right inside the venue for B's intimate string of sold out shows in New York City. Not many had the chance to see it for themselves, so this is a nice holiday treat from the expectant singer.

We got the chance to be there (you're so jealous, aren't you?) and since the night remains ingrained on our memories forever, we decided to share the few moments you should be most excited to see once it drops.

That swirling cabaret-like monologue!
The first half of the show is Beyonce doing her best drag queen impersonation, performing many of her greatest hits while running through a sassy monologue revealing the back story to the songs and giving fans insight into her career highs and lows.

Her baby bump!
We intend to pause the concert frame by frame (yes, we have that kind of time) and figure out how she pulled one over on us and we didn't notice she was expecting. You pulled a fast one on us, B, and it probably had something to do with that loose-fitting sparkly dress.

Beyonce being fierce!
She never sweats. She never misses a beat or a note or a step. In fact, she's basically flawless. Wait, was B even there or did she send some pop star robot to ensure that these performances went off without a hitch? Hmm, we're on to you gurl.

Want a taste of Beyonce live? Check out her performance of "Love On Top" from this year's VMAs:

What are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments!

By Steven Roberts

Way back in 20 aught 7 when I started interning at MTV News, CMJ Week was one of the things that got me noticed and helped me stick around. The annual music showcase sees dozens of artists descend – well, some just take the L from Brooklyn – on New York City to try and prove themselves. As an intern, I loved the chance to run around my hometown to cover music. I was doing that already, but this time it was free and I could tell girls I was working for MTV News.

Fast-forward four years, I'm old and jaded, and CMJ isn't that big of a deal. Well, that isn't entirely true. It still provides kids an opportunity to see plenty of up-and-coming acts and it gives those acts a chance to broaden their fanbase. And I wasn't mad at all of those invites in my inbox either.

My co-worker CJ and I decided to compile a list of some of our favorite shows this weekend, read on for more.

The Knitting Factory
CJ said the best band he saw (Fidlar) was at Brooklyn's Knitting Factory on Friday. Hailing from LA, their band name is an acronym for "F*** it dog, life's a risk." They play tight multi-layered garage songs (think Black Lips or Davila 666) with incendiary break-downs that take that sound to the next level. Killer.

The Fader Fort
Although CMJ Week kicked off Thursday, I didn't get out to my first show until Saturday at The Fader Fort by Fiat – that's alliteration, homes. The main act I wanted to see was Atlanta's Future. My family recently moved to A-T-L and whenever I go visit, the second generation Dungeon Family member’s music is playing on the radio. I've interviewed him twice, but I had yet to see him live. I may have to wait until I go back to Atlanta, because Future's set was pushed up and I missed the Astronaut Kid.

I did get to check out really good sets from Polica and Purity Ring – and I really wish they had a better website, so I could hear more of their stuff. Kendrick Lamar took to the Fader Fort stage next for a surprise performance. It was the first time most of the crowd packed in front of the stage. The Compton emcee’s set was brief, but thankfully I was on the list for his headlining show at Gramercy, and after catching some of DC’s Fat Trel, I headed there.

The Gramercy
While the bill was titled “Kendrick Lamar and Friends,” I didn’t get to catch many of his friends (Rich Hill, Troy Ave and The AIRPLANE BOYS) because I was down by the bar in VIP. However, I flocked upstairs with everyone else to catch a full set from Lamar. It was amazing to hear the usually tough New York crowd rap along to his every word from his three projects, The Kendrick Lamar EP, The OD and his Section.80 (which is my pick for hip-hop’s album of the year). Lamar separated himself from the rest of the emcees I would see that evening and looked to be every much the star that he’s been touted.

The Spin Party
While I was at Kendrick, CJ was over at Spin's secret CMJ show checking out the Rapture. He could not believe how well the staple of NYC's early 2000's post-punk revivalism had aged. Their new record sounded mature and refined but still paired nicely with their nearly decade-old hit "House of Jealous Lovers." They still sounded current, considering 2011 is the year of the saxophone after all.

Fool’s Gold 4th Anniversary Party
I think I was at Fool’s Gold’s first CMJ party four years ago, which featured The Cool Kids and Kid Sister, so it was cool to bring this full circle to cap off the night. After a late night diner stop, I headed to the TriBeca Grand Hotel to catch sets from hip-hop acts Mr. Motherf**kin’ eXquire, Danny Brown (dressed as a Tigger) and Noreaga. The room was smoked out and a bit of a cluster f**k, but I highly doubt any of them would’ve had it any other way.

By Zachary Swickey

Florence Welch, the fiery frontwoman of Florence + the Machine, has admitted to adopting sober living while on tour. The group was an opening act on U2’s record-shattering roadshow this summer, and the demanding schedule required a lot from the singer, which led her to choose sobriety on the road.

Welch explained to UK’s The Sun, saying, “I have stopped drinking on tour. I feel a bit more responsibility for my body and for fans who come to see us. When we toured with U2 it was such a grueling schedule and I had shows every day and I can’t do that with a hangover.”

We’ve seen firsthand how delicate a voice can be with Adele axing two U.S. tours this year due to her crazy schedule, and Welch doesn’t seem keen on running into the same problem as she elaborated, stating, “This is the best job in the world and I don’t want to spoil it. Stopping drinking has made a huge difference in my vocal range too.”

The singer even got a pep talk about performing in high heels from Bono himself: “Bono was great. He gave me advice on how to perform even when I’m wearing huge high-heeled shoes. He told me how to keep my feet on the spot and use my arms.” (Sidenote: Bono is actually known to wear shoes with heels several inches thick due to his short stature, but he’s kind of sensitive about it so don’t tease him).

Check out our recent interview with Welch after the jump for more details about life on the road with the Machine, as well as her culinary skills (or lack thereof).