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Drake Joins Lil Wayne For America's Most Wanted Rehearsals

Posted 7/27/09 2:19 am EST by in Behind The Scenes, Concerts, Music

By Rahman Dukes

The MTV News crew made our way to the Toyota Center to catch up with the million-dollar wunderkind Drake to chop it up on his first major tour alongside his Young Money captain Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy and Soulja Boy.

After sitting through Weezy's performance, rap's most-wanted man Drake finally arrived at the venue. Dressed in a dark colored hoodie and shades, Drake stood at the center of the empty venue staring at his boy Wayne tearing it down. One thing I noticed: Drizzy was walking freely without a cane — pretty good for a cat with a torn ACL. The way he was moving about, you'd never know he was injured.

You'll get much more on the entire rehearsals from my man S Dot when he files the full report later this evening. Drake pretty much consolidated his set into Wayne's, but I can tell you fans will not be disappointed. Drake and Nicki Minaj were in full form, performing a string of their individual hits.

Following his performance of "Best I Ever Had," we spoke with Drake for a few. He told us that despite his injury he was very excited to witness the tour. Shortly after our interview Drake went back to the stage for the Young Money performance "Every Girl."

The launch of "Americas Most Wanted" tour goes down on Monday, and your boys at MTV will provide you will complete access. Fasten your seat belts: This is sure to be one for the record books.

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Lil Wayne Practices On The Eve Of His Tour

Posted 7/26/09 8:34 pm EST by in Behind The Scenes, Concerts, Music

They had New Kids on the Block earlier this summer and Toby Keith and the Dave Matthews Band in a couple of months, but on Monday night (July 27), Lil Wayne will be the star attraction at the Toyota Pavilion in Scranton, PA (as the sign on the photo reads).

But on Sunday night, as the MTV News crew came to the venue, we received one surprising rule: "Look out for the snakes, dog!" advised the head of security on the "Young Money Presents: The America's Most Wanted Music Festival." Apparently some reptiles had slithered in the outdoor backstage area at the Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain.

Scranton is home of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (MLB's Bronx Bombers Triple A team) and not exactly the hip-hop capital of the globe, but one of the biggest MCs on the planet has been in town all week. Yes, Lil Wayne, Weezy F. Baby himself has been in Scranton all week rehearsing for his new tour with Young Jeezy, Soulja Boy, Jeremih and Drake.

The Toyota Pavilion is said to hold around 16,000 people — 6,000 seats under a canopy-like top (which also covers the stage) and 10,000 on the lawn that runs up a hill.

When MTV showed up earlier this afternoon, Weezy wasn't due to arrive until about 8:30 p.m., while Drake was said to be coming 30 minutes after that. The always sexy Nicki Minaj was already backstage getting ready to rehearse and Jeezy and Soulja Boy weren't due to rehearse their sets until Monday morning.

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Video: Blink-182 Roll Out 'Feeling This' In Las Vegas

Posted 7/24/09 1:07 pm EST by in Concerts, Music

Last night at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Blink-182 awoke from a four-year slumber to launch their big comeback tour. MTV News was on the ground all day yesterday, talking to fans, tweeting and taking it all in. Later today, MTV News' James Montgomery will be sitting down with the boys from the band to discuss the reunion, their plans for their new album and what it feels like to be back together after so long. Stay tuned to MTV News for more.

But last night's show featured an excellent set filled with old hits, fan favorites and plenty of potty-mouthed banter. MTV News had the cameras rolling and caught the band's explosive performance of "Feeling This," the lead single from their 2003 self-titled album. The performance saw the band sharp and in good voice (drummer Travis Barker's neck-snapping drum fills were particularly impressive).

"Feeling This" (and the self-titled album as a whole) represented a slight departure for the band, moving away from their bratty pop-punk sound into something that was deeper and more layered than anything they had produced in the past. Rumors are that their new album takes a lot of cues from that record, which means that "Feeling This" could be the road map that leads fans to the new songs. If fan reaction is an accurate barometer, the band's new record will be embraced immediately.

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Blink-182's Reunion Tour Kickoff: A Tweet-By-Tweet Recap, Plus The Full Setlist

Posted 7/24/09 7:33 am EST by in Concerts, Music

Thursday night in Las Vegas, Blink-182 finally emerged from a half-decade slumber, kicking off their reunion tour with a sold-out gig at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. It was a pretty amazing show (lots of boner jokes!), and you can read my review of it here.

But that review comes after hours of marinating, contextualizing and compartmentalizing — lots of rock-journo stuff. If you want my stream-of-consciousness take on the gig, you had to be following me on MTV News' Twitter account last night.

Luckily for you, I've decided to recap that recap, too. What follows is my unfiltered take on the show, from my first Tweet to my last. If you're a fan of 140-characters or less (and of setlists), well, this is for you.

» FYI ... doors at the #blink182 reunion tour are now OFFICIALLY OPEN. kids are going NUTS here at the Hard Rock.

» just got word #blink182 are taking the stage 'round 10pm pst (that's late on the east coast).

» okay ... Motion City Soundtrack is finishing up ... #blink182 is next!

» btw, crowd is like 55% kids, 35% wasted dudes, 10% confused neil diamond fans (vegas joke!)
Read More...

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Blink-182 Fans Meet Mark Hoppus In Las Vegas

Posted 7/23/09 5:27 pm EST by in Concerts, Music

David Ruthven and his girlfriend had been sitting in the same spot at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino since 10 a.m.: Just outside the Starbucks, strategically located next to the parking garage, adjacent to the side doors of the Joint, the club where Blink-182 will kick off their reunion tour.

Their goal was to try and meet someone — anyone — from Blink, no matter how long they had to sit there. And then, at about 1:30 this afternoon, their patience paid off: They met Mark Hoppus.

"I kind of just looked and he was walking right there," Ruthven, who lives in Colorado but came to Las Vegas to see his girlfriend and check out tonight's Blink show, laughed. "It was kind of crazy, he just showed up, and then he started taking pictures with people."

So Ruthven, ever resourceful, leapt out of his seat and fought his way to the front of the crowd, where Hoppus (flanked by a burly bodyguard) was shaking hands and taking pics. After a minute of waiting, Ruthven and Karli Tanner (who, Ruthven pointed out, was not his girlfriend) got to shake hands with Hoppus and even got a picture.

"He was nice, just in a hurry," Ruthven said. "Still, it's cool he stopped to take pictures."

"I was super-excited! I've always wanted to meet him," Tanner added.

Of course, Ruthven's girlfriend missed out on the action — she was dropping off a handmade Blink-182 sign she and a friend had made. ("It says 'Give Us Your Drumsticks,'" her friend explained. "It always works. We have like 20 sticks.") But at least she'll have the picture to stare at. And they'll all be going to Blink's show tonight, too, after some scoring tickets off Craigslist (they paid $75 per ducat). So, all in all, a pretty great day … and proof that patience really is a virtue.

Oh, and for the record, I am told Hoppus smells "fresh and clean."

Follow tonight's Blink-182 tour kickoff show on Twitter! Follow the show live in Las Vegas at @mtvnews.

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Blink-182 Invade Las Vegas, Bring Smoothies

Posted 7/23/09 2:33 pm EST by in Concerts, Music

It's still plenty early here in Las Vegas (okay, so it's more like 10:30 am), and while the floor of the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino is pretty empty (a few haggard folks who probably didn't sleep, tired-eyed cocktail waitresses), there's still an energy in the place.

That's because tonight at the Joint (the club next door), Blink-182 kick off their massive summer tour. Which means that while the Hard Rock might not currently be packed with gamblers, it is being overrun by Blink fans. Kids in T-shirts and baggy shorts, girls in Blink tank tops, the occasional bemused father — they're all here, wandering the halls, waiting. It's T-minus 9 hours until doors open, and seriously, these kids look like they might explode. Right now, three of them are sitting across from me, talking about Travis Barker's Tweets.

Outside the Joint, a line of tour buses snakes around the building. One of them contains Mark, Tom and Travis. Security guards mill about, looking gruff. Merch guys are setting up tables. After years of hiatuses and side projects, this is really happening.

Oh, and even Starbucks is excited: They've prepared a special Blink-182 strawberry and banana shake ("+ eNergy," whatever that is) for the occasion. The kids are drinking it. It looks delicious.

T-minus 9 hours now. This is really happening. The kids are alright ... for now.

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Wale Brings A Bit Of D.C. To NYC At Svedka Show

Posted 7/23/09 11:11 am EST by in Concerts, Music

By Steven Roberts

With in the past year, I've been to four Wale shows. That's a lot, especially for a guy who still doesn't have a proper studio album out (though he'll rectify that on September 22 when Attention: Deficit hits the streets).

Granted, half of the shows I attended were for work, but I kind of know the show inside and out at this point. With that said, I seem to enjoy myself each time.

Last night I caught his "world famous" (as he likes to call it) show at the Private Park atop the Hudson Hotel in New York City for the first installment of the Svedka Vodka Sessions. This wasn't the typical crowd of people I normally see at a Wale show. Generally the audience consists of a bunch of kids from the New York downtown scene, and while that contingent was represented, there were many more folks I don't often see: Women. Classy women, dressed in heels, some who loved Wale and some who just wanted to have a good time. But no matter what their motive, everybody got the same thing I get every time I catch the show, which is a thorough taste of just who this D.C. MC is.

D.C. is known for two things musically: Marvin Gaye and go-go music. Wale has said that he was raised on go-go, and that he wants to bring a little piece if D.C. with him everywhere. That is a tall task, especially given how specific go-go is to the nation's capital and is invisible everywhere else, but I'm always amazed to see New Yorkers clapping along to the percussion.

Tonight was no different. This was probably the most intimate show I've attended, but the place was still packed with people — fans and first timers alike — clapping, dancing, singing and rapping along. It's hard enough snapping photos for the blog with a cup of vodka in one hand, so imagine how difficult it is with people dancing around as well.

All in all, it's great to hear and see Wale grow as an artist. His audience has become more diverse, and people are starting to embrace his city's sound. I guess the show is really starting to become world famous.

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Paolo Nutini Praises Shoes At New York Show

Posted 7/22/09 11:47 am EST by in Concerts, Music

By Ben Hockin

It's hard to describe Paolo Nutini. He's from Scotland but his name has Italian and Spanish roots, and he's ostensibly a singer-songwriter who oscillates between dour heartbreak folk and jittery soul. But he (and his eight man band the Vipers) clearly knows how to have fun, which was on display during his loose, freewheeling performance last night at New York City's Terminal 5.

Right from the opener "New Shoes," Nutini proved that no matter what the vibe of the song, his youthful energy would not be denied. It was contagious, as the crowd hung with him throughout the set, as did his gray-haired harmonica player.

"Everyone loves shoes," Nutini said following his opener. "They are vehicles for your feet." It was the first of the singer's many laugh lines in between songs.

The band mined their wide range of influences, from bluegrass ("Funky Cigarette") to the lighter-waving arena blast "Last Request," which had everyone in the audience swaying and longing to be with that special someone (including me).

To wrap up the night, Paolo and the band came out for a few encores and ended the show with a balls-out performance of the stomping "Jenny Don't Be Hasty." Nutini then bounded off the stage, knowing full well that he had conquered another crowd.

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Ryan Leslie Channels Michael Jackson, Prince At Free Show

Posted 7/21/09 1:25 pm EST by in Concerts, Music

By Selina Kaye

Last night I went to a special secret show — announced via Twitter — for R&B singer/songwriter/producer Ryan Leslie at the Diesel store on 5th Avenue in New York City. The makeshift venue was filled with mostly female fans buzzing about Leslie's gratis concert, which was designed to showcase his two new singles from his new album Transition, which drops in September.

Before his performance he talked about three artists that influence his career the most: Prince, Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson. "Prince is the total package," he told me. "Stevie as well. Their full talent really ranges across the spectrum of singing, songwriting and producing."

He would have made his idols proud, as he gave electrifying performances of "You're Not My Girl" and "Something That I Like." His manic stage presence made it difficult for the adoring audience members to snap pictures, but they hung on to his every kick, twitch and flex regardless. Leslie — best known for writing and producing for the likes of Beyoncé, Danity Kane, Cassie and JoJo — did his heroes proud.

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Tiny Masters Of Today, Japandroids Overcome Heat At Siren Music Festival

Posted 7/20/09 12:26 pm EST by in Concerts, Music

By Jett Wells

Saturday's Siren Music Festival at New York City's Coney Island easily could have been a downer. The heat, the inevitable closure of the neighborhood's iconic theme park and the smaller-than-usual lineup should've derailed what is normally one of the premiere free music events of the summer. But if there was any malaise, you would never have known it thanks to inspired sets from bands like Japandroids and Tiny Masters of Today.

At 1 p.m., the long day of indie rock started with the pint-sized-garage group Tiny Masters of Today. At the ages of 13, 15 and 19, the band pounded through a solid set filled with mean power chords, wicked drum solos and bratty lyrics. The crowd was just dumbfounded how small and young these kids were but better yet, how well they could thrash a guitar.

"We're pretty careful to only play on school holidays," Ada told MTV News later. "Some of my friends [know about the band], but the rest don’t really care. It's not like a big deal." She said that despite the fact that two-thirds of the band are way underage, they still enjoy parts of the rock star lifestyle. "I like the travel," she said. "I don't like the actually traveling part, but I like being there."

Next up were Micachu and the Shapes, a British trio who continued to fascinate and confuse people. Read More...

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