MTV Newsroom › Festivals

The Awe Of A Day At The X Games (Pics)

Posted 7/2/12 11:18 am EST by in Festivals, Sports

Photo by Zachary Swickey

By Zachary Swickey

Growing up, watching ESPN’s X Games was a necessity at the cool kids' lunch table at school. It collectively blew our minds to see our skateboarding idols soar through the air or Moto X riders launching a 350-pound machine off a dirt ramp while trying to land a can-can. At the time, the "Tony Hawk Pro Skater" video game franchise further propelled skateboarding into the pop culture mainstream.

So, it was a pleasure and a dream come true to spend a day at this year’s X-Games in Los Angeles. As you walk up to the L.A. Live district – the headquarters of the Games, which includes the Staples Center, Nokia Theatre, Gilbert Lindsay Plaza and Chick Hearn Court – you can’t help but be overcome by the sights.

The amount of planning that must go into this event is mindboggling. Take for example, the gigantic “Double Loop Dare” set up by Hot Wheels (in the middle of downtown Los Angeles), which looked like your typical double car loop from the toy manufacturer, except that it was a life size six-story vertical loop that two insane drivers would attempt to successfully drive through.

Things kicked off for me at the Big Air Skate finals. As I watched the competitors take their practice runs, it appeared that landing any trick off the giant ramp was a success in and of itself. The legendary Bob Burnquist is still at it at 35 years old; however, an injury earlier in the week seemed to be giving him trouble (he had even been utilizing a wheelchair) as the Brazilian skating icon repeatedly limped off after his practice jumps.

Read More...

Tags , ,

Adele Turns Down Headlining Spot At Glastonbury As 21 Crosses The 9 Million Mark

Posted 5/18/12 12:35 pm EST by in Adele, Festivals

Adele

By Zachary Swickey

The head honcho of one of the world’s biggest music festivals – England's iconic Glastonbury Festival – has revealed that he offered the 2013 headlining to vocal powerhouse Adele, but the singer shockingly turned the dream gig down.

While the festival is currently on its traditional break (it does so every five years to maintain the grounds), festival organizer Michel Eavis revealed that when he offered Adele the coveted headlining spot (something unheard of for an artist with just two albums under her belt), she politely declined.

Talking to Britain’s Metro, Eavis explained Adele felt the challenge was “too daunting” of a task, which is understandable since she’s mentioned on many occasion that she prefers intimate theaters over arenas.

"She knows that we want her anyway, but she doesn't want to do a thing our size. Going on the Pyramid Stage [the main stage] is a bit daunting in front of 80,000 people; it's a bit much really,” said Eavis.

He mentioned she always attends the festival as a fan and that the door is always open, continuing, "She comes every year usually, and has her own little party."

While Eavis made no mention of other possible 2013 headliners, he did confirm earlier this year that the main headliners were "already sorted."

In other not-so-shocking Adele news, the diva has just reached the 9x platinum mark with her chart-smashing hit album 21 – which is still selling 100,000 plus copies a week on the regular. To put that into perspective, it’s only the 29th album in SoundScan history (’91-present) to pull off such a feat.

The achievement is all the more impressive when you consider that albums just aren’t selling as well these days (it’s all about singles), and the singer axed both of her planned US tours due to vocal problems. We can only imagine how much more she could sell if she properly hit the road.

It shouldn’t be too long before we celebrate 21 going diamond with 10 million copies sold – a feat last achieved by Usher’s ’04 effort Confessions.

Tags ,

The Top 5 Bonnaroo Scheduling Conflicts

Posted 5/16/12 1:21 pm EST by in Bonnaroo, Festivals

By Zachary Swickey

At long last, the official schedule for this year’s Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival – taking place from June 7-10 in Manchester, Tennessee – has been revealed, and in typical music-fest fashion, fans are going to be forced to make some heart-wrenching decisions.

Anyone that has hit up a major music festival, especially one of Bonnaroo’s magnitude, knows that they will inevitably have to choose between two of their favorite acts when scheduling conflicts arise, as they are known to do for even the most casual fans.

Considering the stellar lineup they’ve concocted for this year’s iteration – Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Phish, Bon Iver, the Beach Boys, Foster the People, Skrillex and many more. If you’re attending Bonnaroo, you might want to prepare yourself for some overlap between your favorite artists' sets.
Here are five of our biggest scheduling predicaments. Who would you hit up?

Bon Iver Vs. The Shins

It seems like Sunday’s dilemma between Bon Iver and the Shins is the toughest one to make bar-none as their music is somewhat similar. Bon Iver should be winding down his backing of his ’11 self-titled release, while the Shins just dropped a new album (Port of Morrow) after a five year hiatus. So if you’ve already caught Bon Iver, we recommend giving the Shins a go.

Feist Vs. Ludacris

While this may not seem like a dilemma for some fans, music connoisseurs like myself will have a decision to make. With Luda’s rising acting career, his performances are fewer and farther between, and few can argue the appeal of Feist’s newest offering, Metals. Basically, do you want to have your mind blown by a Canadian singer-songwriter or one of the best lyricists in the rap game? Your move; we're not touching this one.

Fitz & the Tantrums Vs. The Avett Brothers

This one’s a toughie. Both of these bands have broken in the last few years and they’re both known for their spectacular live shows. Fitz and his troupe don their throwback suits and swagger onstage even through the most menacing heat, while the Avett Brothers inherently manage to capture the nostalgia of rock’s glory days. Choose wisely!

The Beach Boys Vs. City & Colour

We’re not too sure if many of the younger folks are eager to catch the Beach Boys on their 50th anniversary reunion tour, but having them play during City & Colour’s set is a genuine predicament. Look, we’re not arguing about the Beach Boy’s legacy, but when your youngest member is 69 years old, you’re likely past your prime no matter who you are. And City & Colour totally rules, so there’s that.

The Roots Vs. Mogwai

This one will have the hipsters scratching their heads. Casual music fans will obviously gravitate toward the Roots thanks in part to their gig as Jimmy Fallon’s house band (not to mention they’re just flat-out incredible), but Scottish rockers Mogwai are one of the most treasured indie acts out there. Also, being from Scotland, they don’t make it to the states often, and occasionally their drummer’s pacemaker can throw a wrench in things. We'd go Mogwai, but only because it'll be easier to catch the Roots at another time – they're not going anywhere.

Tags ,

London's Free iTunes Festival Boasts Usher, Jack White, One Direction And Norah Jones

Posted 5/15/12 1:31 pm EST by in Festivals

Jack White

By Zachary Swickey

It appears that three of the most in-demand artists around will be congregating at the same music festival in the U.K. this fall with impalpable Jack White, tween heart-throbbers One Direction, and R&B megastar Usher all signing up to perform at this year’s iTunes Festival, taking place in London in September.

The festival runs as a series of absolutely free shows taking place throughout the month (in past years it's taken place in July), and all performances will be taking place at the same venue, London’s iconic Roundhouse.

Interestingly, all three acts have performed on this season of “Saturday Night Live” with Usher being the most recent. (He even helped out host Will Ferrell with a sketch and appeared in the all-star 100th digital short).

Usher will be the first artist to perform at the festival during night one on September 1 with Jack White (who just rocked our world here in LA) taking his turn on September 8.

One of the most beloved female voices on the current music scene, Norah Jones, will also appear at the festival. She hits the stage on September 10, promoting her newest masterpiece, Little Broken Hearts, which was produced by the one and only Danger Mouse.

One Direction will get their chance to make the audience swoon when they perform their set on September 20. Many more acts will be confirmed in the following weeks.

The 2011 iteration of the festival featured a bevy of heavy-hitting artists, including Coldplay, Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance and the Foo Fighters.

Tags

Win A Meet And Greet With Above & Beyond In Miami Courtesy Of MTV CLubland

Posted 3/20/12 3:34 pm EST by in dance, Festivals

Clubland

By Akshay Bhansali

Miami Music Week is a beautiful thing: rarely are dance music fans afforded as many choices of their favorite electronic dance music artists' sets all taking place a stone’s throw away from each other. And with so many amazing events – the pool parties, nightclub shows, Masquerade Motel Mini-fest and Ultra Music Festival, among them - MTV Clubland, MTV’s EDM music video block, will be bringing a few lucky fans even closer to one of MMW’s most popular acts.

Before Above & Beyond take the stage at their Group Therapy Miami mini-festival at Bayfront Park, MTV CLubland and Hous T-Shirts will be hosting a meet and greet for fans with Jono, Paavo, and Tony … and 3 lucky fans (with a +1 each) will have a chance to win VIP tickets to the show!

"We are so happy that MTV now has a block dedicated to EDM dance music videos, and have supported Above & Beyond and so we look forward to teaming up with them, and HOUS, to meet our fans in Miami," Jono told MTV News recently. "Can't wait to meet our giveaway winners and have them experience the Group Therapy Live show."

So how do you win? Very simple. Follow @MTVClubland on Twitter and details on how to win tickets will be coming at you shortly. And be sure to use the hashtag #beyondclubland! You might be a lucky recipient in the Hous T-Shirt giveaway!

Tags ,

Interview: Mariachi El Bronx At Austin City Limits

Posted 9/20/11 10:45 am EST by in Festivals, Interview

Mariachi El Bronx

By Zachary Swickey

Despite their jet lag and still donning their Mariachi outfits from their set at Austin City Limits, Ray Suen and Jorma Vik sat down with MTV News to discuss Mariachi El Bronx, the Spanish-flavored side project of LA’s finest punk rock bands, The Bronx. Their ACL appearance was a one-off break from their much-coveted opening slot on the Foo Fighters fall tour. El Bronx’s new, niche sound is winning the hearts of many, and the guys were kind enough to shed some light on the project for us.

First off, your name and all of the instruments that you played on the album?
Jorma: I’m Jorma and I play the drums and handle percussion for Mariachi El Bronx.
Ray: I’m Ray and I play violin … and some other stuff. (Editor’s note: I’ll throw Ray a bone here: He plays violin, guitar, harp, requinto jarocho, vihuela, jarana as well providing backing vocals.)

What is the technical term for the Mariachi outfits?
Jorma: They’re called Charro suits. C-H-A-R-R-O.
Ray: We had ours made out in East LA by a guy named Alyas. How did you find Alyas [asking Jorma]?
Jorma: There’s a really f**king cool part of LA and it’s like maybe a half mile square and it’s all these taco shops, mariachi shops and all these places that make the suits or instruments. There’s this one little corner called “Mariachi Plaza” where a bunch of Mariachi dues will be all dressed up and they stand there waiting for people to pick them up to play parties or whatever.

Why no Mariachi hats?
Jorma: We thought it was a little campy. You know people would think, like, the "Three Amigos" or whatever.
Ray: Well, we’re already combating some kind of prejudice and we don’t want to make a mockery of anything, so yeah, it’s exactly that. When people think of Mariachi, especially in the UK, people will say, “Oh like 'Three Amigos'?” It’s like, “Nooo, not so much like 'Three Amigos.'” Read More...

Tags , ,

Austin City Limits Festival Recap: Day Three

Posted 9/19/11 2:30 pm EST by in Festivals

Mariachi El Bronx

By Zachary Swickey

The weather gods no longer had pity for the crowd on day three of the Austin City Limits Music Festival. The sun began shining bright and early for us festival-goers, but thankfully, all eight members of Mariachi El Bronx hit the stage promptly at 12:30 in the afternoon and soon made us all forget about the sweltering heat beating down on us. (How could we complain when they were in full-blown mariachi garb sweating like a Spanish Slipknot?)

Appropriately, they snapped right into the opening track of their recently-released second album, 48 Roses. Frontman Matt Caughthran's vocals were spot-on as he serenaded, "So please save some forgiveness for me / a man blinded by love can't think clearly." When the song was over, he couldn't help but be taken with the scenery. "I really wish you guys could see the view from here. It's beautiful," he marveled. Caughthran joked that he wished he had brought some psychedelic substances to enjoy the setting even more, but noted he would've looked like an a**hole if they had missed the show because he tried to sneak drugs onto the plane from St. Louis.

"Cell Mates" was everything I hoped it'd be. The vibrant horns were alive and showed no signs of jetlag despite the show being an off-date that was squeezed in since El Bronx are currently the opening act for the Foo Fighters. Caughthran had no problem sharing the background of a few songs as he interestingly proclaimed "Silver or Lead" was about the similarities between Jesus Christ and Pablo Escobar (admittedly, it's hard to tell if he's joking sometimes, but that's part of his charm). Caughthran then urged us all to ignore the BS in life and embrace the good, noting there was plenty to go around at ACL before breaking into another stellar, mellower track from their new album. "This song's called 'Poverty's King,'" he said, "and it's about being poor but happy." Read More...

Tags

Austin City Limits Festival Recap: Day Two

Posted 9/19/11 1:45 pm EST by in Festivals

By Zachary Swickey

There were some interesting sights on day one of Austin City Limits, but day two was no slouch on the “weird” either. I witnessed a full-grown man wearing only women’s underwear, several tween girls attempt crowd surfing for the first time, and an elderly woman with Skrillex clearly circled on her schedule. Just another typical day at ACL, where the weirder you are, the more welcome you seem to be.

First on the agenda were MTV VMA performers Young the Giant. Mere seconds before YTG took the stage, the sky dropped a sudden downpour of rain (two days in a row now after three months of zilch). The rain was coming down rather hard and was a bit chilly as everyone was expecting dry, 100-plus degree weather throughout the weekend, but the many hippies I saw doing “rain dances” must’ve worked their magic.

Frontman Sameer Gadhia embraced the rain, saying, “It’s finally raining Austin! Now let’s have us a good time!” The band wound through the various hits off their debut album, with “My Body” and “Cough Syrup” being the obvious favorites. Gadhia swooned the ladies with his onstage charm as he crooned into his vintage microphone and frequently displayed his tambourine skills. Their catchy track “Strings” had to be my favorite electric, spine-tingling moment.

Read More...

Tags

Austin City Limits Festival Recap: Day One

Posted 9/19/11 1:00 pm EST by in Festivals

By Zachary Swickey

Austin City Limits was back celebrating its 10th anniversary this weekend, a little earlier than its typical October slot, which helps explain the temperatures being a solid ten degrees higher than I recall from year's past. It's the last of the music festival season's "big four" fests – Coachella, Bonnaroo and Lollapallooza obviously being the other three – and with Austin, Texas being rain-free for three months, I was a bit weary of how I'd handle the blistering sun.

Luckily for me, Theophilus London was ready to make me forget about the weather. Donning a jet-black tank top and equally dark cowboy hat with a flat bill all the way around, London rocked some tunes from his righteous Lover’s Holiday EP and some select tracks from his recent full-length debut Timez Are Weird These Days. He cut one of his tracks short when he was inspired by a sudden downpour of rain that came out of nowhere, all while the sun was still peeking through the clouds. “Hold up, hold up," he said. "We gots to play a different song.” Unexpectedly, London broke into rhyming over a sample of Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” from The Bodyguard soundtrack. The crowd erupted, ate up every moment, and the climax was London’s impressive freestyling over a funky warbling beat as he closed his set.

I made the trek across Zilker Park in time to finally see UK-import - and a favorite of the ladies – James Blake. While I had not fallen for the singer as much as some of my music-elitist friends, he won me over with his funky, experimental set. Blake’s affinity for sampling his own voice on the spot in a live setting was pretty rad to see. Expectedly, “Limit to Your Love” was the crowd’s favorite as the bass was visibly shaking the ACL banners draping both sides of the stage. He did look a little disgruntled at one moment when a raucous band was playing nearby and their sound was frequently bleeding into some of his mellower moments. (I could have sworn his sound guy began turning his bass up even louder.) Read More...

Tags

EDM Elite Take Randall's Island By Storm At 3rd Annual Electric Zoo

Posted 9/6/11 4:30 pm EST by in Concerts, dance, Festivals, Music

<em>Photo Credit: BSKphoto.com for Electric Zoo</em>

Photo Credit: BSKphoto.com for Electric Zoo

By Nick Philippou

This past weekend, Randall’s Island again played host to an eclectic fusion of electronic dance music at one of New York’s fastest growing music festivals – Electric Zoo. Headlined by the likes of Tiësto, David Guetta and Armin van Buuren, dance music’s elite conducted their own brand of symphony to a melting pot of an estimated 85,000 fans over three days and nights at summer’s last official hoorah. With international artists spanning multiple stages across the massive concert grounds, killer sets were by no means hard to come by, but we have narrowed it down to five of the most noteworthy acts that graced the main stage and put their mark on NYC’s dance music monster.

Armin van Buuren
Sunday’s finale featured Armin van Buuren, the reigning king of trance, directing a triumphant, crowd-pleasing closing set to the weekend. AVB fired off a barrage of his international smash-hit tracks like ”Full Focus” and ”Silent Hearts,” featuring BT mixed against Simon Patterson’s “Latika” before powering through Eric Prydz’s remix of Dépêche Mode’s “Personal Jesus.”

He teased an early ending at 10:50 PM, leaving the stage after “In and Out of Love” seemingly closed his set. Then moments later, an echoing chant of “we want more” was answered by a red and white firework-filled spectacle, choreographed to the beats of AVB’s “This Light Between Us,” to close the weekend.

<em>Photo Credit: BSKphoto.com for Electric Zoo</em>

Photo Credit: BSKphoto.com for Electric Zoo

Read More...

Tags , , , , ,

123456
SPONSORS
AD:
©2013 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved. MTV and all related titles and logos are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.