I will say this upfront to avoid the inevitable flames from the Phish Nation: I am not a Phish fan. I don't have anything against the godhead jam rock quartet from the great Northeast. I just missed the train to Weekapaug Junction in college and dug deeper into old school punk when so many of my Madison, Wisconsin contemporaries were getting their spin on.

I've seen the group twice before: Once near the very beginning of their career explosion when they played a small theater in Madison around 1990 (complete with their old shtick of trampoline jumping and vacuum cleaner solos) and then again in 2000 at Radio City Music Hall in a gig I vaguely recall being way more intricate and massive than the Hoover days.

And then I saw them again on Saturday (November 21) night at U.S. Bank Arena in my hometown. See, I have an inordinate amount of good friends who live and die by Phish and who are constantly trying to convert me to their cause even as I try to lure them to the Muse/Decemberists side. With a sold-out two night stand in my own backyard, I couldn't resist giving it another shot.

After traversing the shockingly brazen open-air drug bazaar that sprouted on the concourse outside the venue, we made our way inside and the sights and smells (oh, the smells) of my brief late 1980s dalliance with the Grateful Dead nation came rushing back like ... well, you know how that one ends.

I'll dispense with the talk of the onion soup-thick haze that predictably choked the air the second the group took the stage and just say this: I totally get it. To a true outsider, and avowed music geek, watching Phish do their thing for more than three hours is like taking in a master class from a fellow "33 1/3" junkie.

I'm told this was a classic set, and from the opening strains of "Wilson," I could tell both why the band decided to get back together and why their fans were ecstatic at the news. Riding a Genesis-like funky groove, "Wilson" snapped like a new wave rubberband and lead singer/guitarist Trey Anastasio couldn't have looked happier to see his minions punching the air and shouting the song's title in unison.

"NICU" had a reggae vibe that poured in elements of Frank Zappa freakouts with some King Crimson prog, and over the course of the next few tunes I heard bits of Joe Walsh guitar, some Doobies white boy funk, a bit of Grateful Dead chooglin and, during the raver "Ocelot," a cheery Chicago blues that slammed into a nearly 10-minute cover of the Rolling Stones' classic Exile on Main St. country jam "Torn and Frayed." During that gem, the band showed off their almost telepathic powers and followed the groove through tips of the hat to Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, some Parliament-Funkadelic grind and a tease of Talking Heads geek punk/funk.

I smelled a whiff of Cat Stevens during "Strange Design," some Les Paul guitar prowess amidst the cowpunk newgrass of "Ginseng Sullivan," appreciated the pitstop at a cover of the Neil Young obscurity "Albuquerque" and was pleasantly impressed during the epic ramble through the appropriately titled "Split Open and Melt," which folded in some Miles Davis electric jazz, a bit of Santana guitar histrionics, a drums and space-style meandering jam midsection and a big finale with pinging laserbeam notes from Anastasio. Like a number of the songs, the tune built to a rapturous, rave-like peak that drove the pin-eyed kids nuts as they filled the air with flying glowsticks and balloons.

After a nearly 45 minute break, the second set opened with a surprisingly funky 15 minute ramble through the Velvet Underground's "Rock and Roll," including an endless interstellar jam near the end that helped shake off the cobwebs of the extended bathroom break. With blue and green lights beaming in all directions, "Ghost" felt and sounded like a space ship landing in the middle of a Traffic concert, and I had to conceal a bit of a snigger at what passed for a zen mantra during "If I Could," as the college aged kids in front of me put their arms up in religious fervor as they sang along, "If I could, I would/ But I don't know how."

There was some more Stones-y boogie ("Backwards Down the Number Line"), a bit of New Orleans piano magic ("Suzy Greenberg"), a glow-stick waving bombastic cover of Richard Strauss' "Also Sprach Zarathustra" (also known as the theme song to "2001: A Space Odyssey") and a set-ending "The Squirming Coil," which made me think of a piano duel between Born To Run-era Bruce Springsteen and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road-period Elton John.

And then, to be honest, I was exhausted. I skipped the encores ("Sleeping Monkey" and "Axilla" for those of you keeping score), but on the way home I realized that rather than making me think Phish were rock retreads, my game of "spot the influence" made me appreciate even more what a great service this band is providing to their fans. Aside from the bacchanalian party — which, don't get me wrong, is truly epic — Phish are opening the encyclopedia of their musical minds every night and inviting their followers to discover the universe of sounds that are at the touch of an iPhone app.

Assuming, that is, they can find their phone, or their car when the lights come back up.

During last night's American Music Awards, in the midst of the falls, trips and controversy, a little band we've paid little attention to won the AMA for Breakthrough Artist. Allow us to play a little catch-up with Gloriana, a group of down-to-earth guys and girls who take their music very seriously.

"We always knew. We've actually never had a normal job. We both looked at each other when we were kids and were like, 'You know, if we're gonna make it in music someday, we can never sidetrack ourselves,'" explained Tom Gossin, one half of the male quotient of Gloriana (the other half being his brother Mike). The pair set their sites on Nashville (and MySpace), where they happened upon singer Rachel Reinert. "We fell in love with her voice, so we sent her a message, and the three of us started playing in Nashville, and one night we were playing and Cheyenne heard us play."

The Cheyenne in question is Cheyanne Kimball, who had starred in an MTV reality show about the release of her first solo album. Upon seeing the band live, she "knew at that moment" that she'd join up with them. They've been together ever since, and between opening for Taylor Swift this past summer (they'll team up with her again for the second leg of her Fearless tour next March) and earning themselves an AMA, you can bet that we'll be writing about them a little more often.

From the first gyration of Elvis Presley's hips on "The Milton Berle Show" (way back in the summer of 1955) to the last grab of the crotch during Adam Lambert's Sunday (November 22) night performance at the American Music Awards, musicians and live television have shared a rather contentious relationship.

Throughout the years, in attempts to shock audiences, promote albums or share their political views (or, you know, just because they were inebriated), artists have given censors fits with performances that pushed the boundaries of good taste — everything from bare butts to obscenity and potshots at the Pope. Things like that are the reason they invented the seven-second delay, after all.

So now, with Lambert already feeling the heat following his racy AMA performance, we decided it was a good time to re-visit some of the most shocking musical moments from in TV history — the ones that earned public condemnations and half-hearted apologies. Censors, get your fingers on the button.

Click here for photos from the most controversial musical television moments of all time, featuring Adam Lambert, Marilyn Manson, Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake!

Sinéad O'Connor Rips The Pope On "Saturday Night Live," 1992: Sinéad O'Connor and "Saturday Night Live" already had a rather interesting relationship before she decided to rip up a photo of the Pope in her infamous 1992 performance. Back in 1990, she backed out of a scheduled appearance on the show because she didn't want to share the stage with host Andrew Dice Clay. Two years later, after performing a moody a capella version of Bob Marley's "War," she produced a photo of Pope John Paul II, tore it to shreds and shouted "Fight the real enemy!" The audience reacted with stunned silence, and the media vilified O'Connor as an enfant terrible, and while she would later apologize for the act, she remained unrepentant.

Prince Shows Off His Assets At The VMAs, 1991: The Purple One took the stage at the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards dressed in canary yellow, but it was his outfit didn't have that raised more than a few eyebrows: namely, a backside. During his performance of "Gett Off," Prince whirled around to reveal his butt, drawing the ire of several parent groups and paving the way for an entire wave of barely-there performances in years to come, including Britney Spears' famous striptease at the 2000 Awards, as well as ...

Marilyn Manson Bares His Butt At The VMAs, 1997: Manson stormed into the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards as one of the hottest acts on the planet, not to mention the most controversial. And his performance — part political protest, part S&M sex show — more than lived up to the hype. Beginning by delivering a speech behind a presidential podium ("My fellow Americans, we will no longer be oppressed by the fascism of beauty … Lemme ask you, do you wanna be in a place that's filled with a bunch of a--holes?"), Manson ripped through "The Beautiful People," shedding his feathered coat midway through to reveal a tiny leather corset and his very pasty buttocks. Audiences were shocked (especially Missy Elliott, whose reaction shot is absolutely priceless), but Manson (of course) never apologized, and went on to mock the performance along with Ben Stiller during promos for the 1998 VMAs.

Janet Jackson's "Wardrobe Malfunction" At Super Bowl XXXVIII, 2004: The controversial performance against which all others have been measured, Janet Jackson's briefly exposed breast during the half time show of Super Bowl XXXVIII became the most hotly debated subject of the year. It earned CBS (CBS and MTV were both jointly owned by Viacom Inc. at the time) a $550,000 fine from the Federal Communications Commission (which was later overturned) and set off much public debate about the issue of indecency.

Ashlee Simpson's Impromptu "Saturday Night Live" Hoedown, 2004: While it didn't involve a single second of nudity, profanity or political stumping, Simpson's disastrous performance on "SNL" in the winter of '04 was just as shocking, and earned her just as much criticism as any other artist on this list. Taking the stage to perform "Autobiography" — her second song of the night — the vocals from her first song, "Pieces Of Me," began to play, making it clear that Simpson had been singing along to a vocal track (if she'd been singing at all). Panicked, Simpson broke into an impromptu (and much mocked) jig, then bolted off camera. At the end of the show, she explained that her band had "played the wrong song," then called into "TRL" the following Monday to say that due to "severe acid reflux disease," she had been singing along to a vocal guide track at the insistence of her father. It didn't help much, and Simpson was taken to task by The New York Times and MSNBC's Jeannette Walls, and footage of her dance became a YouTube sensation.

Click here for photos from the most controversial musical television moments of all time, featuring Adam Lambert, Marilyn Manson, Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake!

-Singer, dancer and hot Internet trend Jennifer Lopez, speaking to Ryan Seacrest on his daily radio show about the tumble she took during her performance of "Louboutins" on Sunday night's American Music Awards. Lopez was in the middle of an elaborate dance number, which featured her climbing all over a set of male dancers. When she jumped down from the shoulders of a dancer to the stage, Lopez lost her footing and landed on her backside. She took it in stride, chuckling her way through the interview with Seacrest. The AMA performance of "Louboutins" marked the first piece of promotion for Lopez's upcoming album, which does not currently have a title and is expected to be released some time in early 2010.

First it was set for early 2010, then it was bumped up to December 21, and now it's "TBD." The release of Usher's next album, Raymond vs. Raymond, has been delayed because "We believe that the album is so strong that we want to give it the opportunity to have the proper setup before coming out," a rep for the singer told MTV News.

Producer Bryan Michael Cox spoke with MTV News recently about his work on the upcoming album, promising a deeply personal project from Usher.

"I think Usher is in a place where he really wants to express what's going on in his life, as any artist would," Cox said, referring to Usher's divorce from Tameka Foster-Raymond. "All the greats did it. Marvin Gaye did Here, My Dear. All the greats express where they are personally."

Cox said the album will tell the stories everyone wants to hear, especially since Usher is back on the single scene.

"I think [the new album] is where we are going to see Usher as an artist. I'm very curious to hear what the rest of the album is going to sound like," Cox said about Raymond vs. Raymond. "Our records are definitely in that lane of touching on what's going on in his life, so we are going to see what's going to happen. I'm very excited about the album. I think he has a lot to say." It'll just be a little while before he know exactly what.

Yes, it's #MusicMonday, one of Twitter's most enduring trending topic. And since we're all big fans of the site — not to mention music — we decided it was time to get in on the act, too. So, for the first time, we'd like to present "MTV News' #MusicMonday," a weekly look at the songs we're obsessing about here in the Newsroom. And given that this is our big debut, we've recruited a big-name talent to help us out: "American Idol" champ Kris Allen.

So, here's what's on our playlists right now.

Kris Allen, "American Idol" Season Eight Champion: "I might be biased, but there's a couple of songs on the new Switchfoot album that I really like. [Ed. note: Switchfoot frontman Jon Foreman co-wrote a song on Allen's album.] 'The Sound' is really good. I think it's Jon Foreman's voice and the way he sings. He can sing nice, but he can also go up there and sing that rock voice, or he can scream and stuff. It's cool."

Jocelyn Vena, MTV News Pop Music Writer: "I am listening to Lady Gaga's 'Bad Romance.' I just think it's really catchy. She's got that battle cry in there and it shows her growth as a pop star. It's her, but taken to a new level."

James Montgomery, MTV News Rock Editor: "I'm listening to the Flaming Lips' song 'Watching The Planets.' The video just premiered a couple of weeks ago, and it's got a bunch of naked hippies in it. It's the last song on their Embryonic album, which is one of my favorite records of the year. I really dig the harsh, lo-fi thing — it sort of reminds me of the Folk Implosion's 'Natural One.' And it's a really good ending to a really confounding and deep record. And it's got Karen O screaming on it."

Adam Lambert exploded onto the music scene at last night's American Music Awards with a rough-and-tumble performance of "For Your Entertainment." Unfortunately — and it pains me to say this — the results were mixed at best.

If Adam Lambert's goal was to simply rile America, then he succeeded. The in-your-face sexuality was bold, brave and totally groundbreaking. (Whether it was "appropriate" for a major network awards show is another discussion entirely.) I applaud Adam and his team for not pulling any punches or watering down his or his single's rawness.

The problem I had with the performance is that Adam Lambert is better than just being a lightning rod for controversy. With his Mariah-esque range, his effortless-yet-controlled wail and emotional delivery, Lambert has the potential to go down in history as one of the most technically-gifted rock vocalists of all time. Adam had a gigantic platform to show the non-"American Idol" viewing public what us Idol Freaks have known since February: He can sing his face off!

But that talent was barely on display last night. Lambert hit more bad notes than spot-on ones. His rock yelps, used so precisely and carefully on the "Idol" stage, seemed like manic grandstanding. His phrasing, so masterful in front of Simon, Paula and Randy, felt uneven — especially after Kelly, Carrie and Daughtry's solid offerings.

So what happened? "Idol" blogger extraordinaire MJ Santilli thinks he was given too much to do too soon. Last night she wrote on her blog, "There was too much hype and too much expectation around this performance — a lot of pressure to place on the shoulders of a young, new artist, I think." Echoed Entertainment Weekly's "Idol" Obi-Wan, Michael Slezak, "Lest we forget (and it certainly is easy to do so), he is not a seasoned headliner, so nerves certainly could've played a factor, too."

It's a shame that the success of this risqué performance hinged entirely on this strength of his voice. If Lambert had delivered the knock-out vocals we know he's capable of, all the crotch-grabbing, sex-act-simulating and sloppy kissing could have been argued as being part of a bigger artistic statement. But because Lambert had an off night, only shocking antics are grabbing headlines.

Do I think his career is over, as some "Idol" conspiracy theorists are implying? (Hi Rickey!) Hell to the no! Do I think it's going to hurt his album sales? Not particularly, although the wider, non-"Idol" viewing public might have been more inspired to snag a copy had he hit a few more notes. Will it keep Adam Lambert in the headlines for the next week? Sure, but in a negative light. And given Lambert's post-show "It was supposed to be ridiculous!" rhetoric, it seems that buzz — good or bad — is all he was after anyway.

What did you think of Adam Lambert's post-"Idol" debut on the AMAs? Did it make you more or less of a fan? Do you think Adam's shock-for-shock's-sake plan of attack was a smart one? Leave a comment below!

Every day a multitude of stars wanders through the halls of MTV News to talk about their latest projects and goof around with our intrepid correspondents. But sometimes we catch stars elsewhere, and that's why we put together Spotted!, a daily compendium of stars in the wild.

A year ago, Susan Boyle was a simple woman living in Scotland with her cat and volunteering at her local church. Back in April, her appearance on "Britain's Got Talent" changed her life completely. Boyle walked onto the stage to chuckles and derision from the live crowd, but then delivered a stunning vocal rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" from Broadway musical Les Miserables that nearly brought professionally snippy talent judge Simon Cowell to tears. She immediately attracted the attention of record companies, who were not only interested in Boyle's impressive instrument but also in the buzz she created on the Internet (clips of her singing "I Dreamed a Dream" have been watched over 100 million times on YouTube alone). Today marks the incredible culmination of her journey, as her debut album I Dreamed a Dream is out in stores, and she celebrated with a performance on "Today." Once again, Boyle was in fine voice as she churned out "I Dreamed a Dream," her cover of the Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses" and the torch song "Cry Me a River" (made popular by Ella Fitzgerald).

Boyle wasn't the only star taking care of business in the last few days, as Spencer Pratt was spotted signing copies of his new book "How to Be Famous" at a bookstore in Los Angeles. Elsewhere in L.A., it was all about leisure, as Jay-Z, Polow Da Don and members of the Black Eyed Peas all took in yesterday's Lakers game (Kobe Bryant and friends scored another victory, this time against the Oklahoma City Thunder). Click here for these pictures as well as the entire "Spotted!" archive, which features over 350 candid shots of stars like Britney Spears, Madonna, Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, the Jonas Brothers, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Shakira, Adam Lambert and Mariah Carey!

Last week, we checked in on Hayley Williams while she enjoys her down time before Paramore heads to Europe to rock their way through the continent as they continue their tour for Brand New Eyes. In a series of tweets, she plugged video game "Left 4 Dead 2," the spooky sci-fi flick "The Fourth Kind" and the holiday stage production "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," among other cultural things that she indulged in during her period of rest.

Over the weekend, she jumped into another series entertainment treats that she weighed in on via her increasingly excellent Twitter. On Saturday night (November 21), her evening was taken up by UFC 106, which saw Tito Ortiz make his return to the Octagon to take on former light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin. "UFC 106. I must say Forrest Griffin almost won me over with his walk out music," she tweeted (Griffin, as good-natured a fighter as there is in UFC, walked to the cage to Chumbawamba's "Tubthumping"). "But I'm pulling for Tito." Griffin ended up beating out Ortiz in a split decision (though many would argue that he dominated the fight outright). "I ain't crying," she wrote later. "Forrest fought really well."

Following the end of the fight, Williams and her companions headed back to playing video games, including more "Left 4 Dead 2" and a run through "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2." In fact, the next day she took a picture of the screen while playing "Modern Warfare 2" and simply titled it "My life."

Finally, she made another sojourn to the cinema over the weekend, catching "The Blind Side" and posing with promotional statues of Alvin and the Chipmunks. "Sandra Bullock, you have outdone your hot self," Williams tweeted after the movie. "'The Blind Side' was awesome!" Much in the same way that Miley Cyrus' Twitter made her infinitely more real, Williams' feed really puts her on the same level as her audience. She's never been that distant from real life, but it's refreshing to know that her version of the rock and roll lifestyle involves watching fights with some friends and shooting digital terrorists. Rock stars — they're just like us.

The Dirty Projectors' four-night run in the New York City area ended Sunday evening with some help from their Dark Was the Night compatriot David Byrne and new pals the Roots, who both joined the Brooklyn fivesome on-stage to help kick out some jams.

The Roots complemented the Projectors' sound nicely, lending hard grooves to the band's already large tendency to groove hard, adding some funk to DP's already-dense tracks. "No Intentions" included a long guitar solo by the Roots' "Captain" Kirk Douglas and ?uestlove added some awesome thump to crowd favorite "Stillness Is the Move."

But it was David Byrne's appearance on "Knotty Pine" that drew the largest chorus of praise (just like at Bonnaroo this past summer). The Dirty Projectors have always drawn some comparisons to the Talking Heads' appropriation of Afro-centric influences, and as such, Byrne's support of the Brooklyn natives has always seemed destined. The rusty "Knotty Pine" was a short and sweet way to finish the set which had the crowd losing their minds in the end. Their serendipitous show at the Bowery Ballroom put yet another feather in the cap of the Brooklyn up-and-comers who are already having one heck of a year.