CHICAGO -- The fans in the front of the line at Lollapalooza's official start came from far and wide to land a choice spot for their favorite artists at one of North America's premiere music festivals. Oregon, Maine, London, Texas, Ontario, and France were just a few of the locales we saw represented up front, but the very front of the line was manned by two Depeche Mode superfans who came three hundred miles in order to stake out a spot right up front and they didn't plan on moving away from the main stage where DM was set to play all day long.
But they weren't the only pair brought to Grant Park by their love of the famous goth-rockers; just a little further back in line, a coed duo had just made acquaintances over their love of '80s legends Depeche Mode (and fellow '80s stalwarts Morrissey and The Cure), and they planned to buddy up in order to make it through their whole day parked in front of the main stage waiting for their faves to close out the night's festivities.
Kings of Leon proved to be the other crowd favorite in Friday's line-up, with every non-Depeche Mode fan in the crowd citing the now-superstar rockers as the band to see (DM and KOL play head to head against each other tonight on separate stages - should be interesting to see who draws the bigger crowd). Hipstery bands were also represented by the more fashionable types - with Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes and The Decemberists all getting call-outs from the crowd.
Unfortunately, as the fans rushed in, so did the bad weather. It got dreary right as the music got right underway, and has been raining steadily since - setting up for a cool and relaxing day in front of the Chicago skyline.
By Steven Roberts, Rich Sancho and Christopher "CJ" Smith
The doors just opened for Lollapalooza 2009, and the theme from Star Wars is blasting over the PA. Despite how lame that is, our team here at MTV News is still really excited for some of the acts that are going to the hit the stage over the next few days. We sat down to give you some of the acts we're really excited to see:
Steven Roberts, Production Assistant: This is my first time at Lollapalooza, and I'm really excited to see what it's all about - I'm hoping it's like that one episode of the Simpsons with the Smashing Pumpkins and Homer taking cannonballs to his gut. But I must say I'm looking forward to one act in particular, Snoop Dogg!
I've grown up on Snoop, but I've never seen him perform. I'm looking forward to just getting lost in the crowd and a cloud of smoke to sing-along to all the classic Snoop tracks with thousands of other people.
Rich Sancho, online producer: I've caught 2 previous Lollapalooza shows - one in the early 90s, and one in 2007. While Jane's addiction and Daft Punk were highlights in my previous Lolla experiences, I'm definitely looking forward to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Silversun Pickups this year.
Some smaller acts I would love to try and catch are A-Trak, Kanye West's former touring DJ, who is an incredible turntablist. Also The Glitch Mob, a glitch-hop conglomerate out of L.A. that features some next-level mashups and drum programming. Should be a great weekend full of great music!
Christopher Smith, Segment Producer: I'm most excited to see Los Angeles' No Age. They're not sitting on their laurels simply riding the success of last year's breakout album Nouns, they've already got a new EP about to drop and are already working on their new album. They've got a killer stage presence for a duo - and I'm excited to hear new material shine on stage. We're gonna be interviewing the guys tomorrow - so check back to hear more about the new stuff.
Just hours before they take the stage in front of 10,000 more fans across town on the first day of Lollapaloopza, the Decemberists got their feet wet Thursday night with a sweaty tune up show at Chicago's famed Metro rock club.
Veering from the current format of playing their latest concept album, Hazards of Love, in its entirety, the Portland band allowed the 1,000-plus die-hards to vote online for their favorites. The show opened with a 15-plus minute version of “The Tain,” from the EP of the same name from 2004, which swayed and swooped like a drunken, seasick sailor’s song.
As a testament to their fans’ devotion, every dip and swirl of the song was greeted with whoops of joy, which only increased when the band next served up some exuberant pop with "July, July" and the triumphant rock of "The Rake’s Song" from Hazards. After the wistful folk of another nugget, "Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect" – and a poke at people who refer to the festival as "Lolla" -- singer/songwriter Colin Meloy paused for a moment to pay homage to director John Hughes, a Chicago native who died earlier in the day in New York after suffering a heart attack.
It felt destined to be an uneventful, summer rain-drenched night this past Friday evening in the trendy Village section of Manhattan. But a few strokes before midnight, DJ Herbert Holler strongly advised the staff at Le Poisson Rouge to wrap up sound check, as a throng of Amanda Blank fans were waiting.
"People are outside getting wet, man" he gently prodded.
While the petite MC wrapped up interviews backstage, DJ Herbert quickly warmed up the crowd with his blend of '80s top 40, hip-hop, house, rock, Motown and soca rhythms. The turnout was notably eclectic: A middle-aged man in a black suit gyrated on a small stage without much notice, while a preppy couple in Converse pogo'd nearby. Across the club, a group of ladies in almost identical jean skirts and flip flops mouthed lyrics to Naughty by Nature.
Though Santigold has been appearing on this tour (in support of Blank's new album I Love You), this show belonged soley to Amanda, and the fans seemed eager to get a taste of her not as a supporting character or hype woman, but as the main act. Read more...
On Sunday evening, the Tony Awards, celebrating the best of Broadway, will be presented at Radio City Musical Hall. And while the shows on the Great White Way this season might not be the most MTV-friendly fare (another "Guys and Dolls" revival?), the Tony producers chose a host with a broad spectrum of fans: star of stage, screen and Internet, Neil Patrick Harris.
"This is certainly a different way to go than a rock concert," Harris told MTV today, "but it's story-based, and I think a lot of the music is really great.
"A lot of people attribute, I think, Broadway and musicals with, like, jazz hands and razzmatazz, but there's a show this season called 'Next to Normal' about a woman that's going through mental issues. 'Rock of Ages' is a jukebox musical full of '80s hits with Constantine Maroulis, which is really a pretty kick-ass show.
"If people think Broadway's not for them, this demographic, there's a lot of cool shows to see."
One thing you won't see? A barely clad Brüno landing on someone's face, though Harris jokingly claims that the Tonys had the idea first.
"It's a shame," Harris said, "because we were really looking forward to that bit. But you guys copped it before we were able to get to it. Maybe next year.
"We couldn't get Eminem here," he continued. "Liza Minnelli isn't going to face-plant anywhere."
By Daniela Capistrano, with additional reporting by Rob Fields
KRS-One once said, "Rap is something you do. Hip-hop is something you live."
Since founding Boogie Down Productions in the mid-1980s and incorporating Jamaican melodies that continue to influence rhyming styles today, the artist has embodied hip-hop expression in all forms. Influencing artists from Rage Against the Machine to Sublime, KRS has supported the culture for more than 20 years, including founding the Stop the Violence Movement and lecturing at more than 500 colleges, universities and other venues.
Once a homeless teen who witnessed hip-hop's birth in the projects of the South Bronx, the young MC drew from this life-altering experience to form his philosophy of self-creation. The 818-page book will be the first in a series from the I Am Hip Hop imprint with PowerHouse Books, set for launch in September.
In the introduction for "The First Instrument," KRS answers the question of why "it's important to know hip-hop." Encouraging readers to explore what they can do without technological assistance, the artist challenges: "How human do you remain in a society where we can't even live without technology? Hip-hop reminds us of our humanity." Read more...
Kim Stolz just got punk'd! And if I'd known earlier how she'd react, believe me, I would have done it a long time ago.
When two of our interns, Talia and Kathleen, came over and asked me if I wanted to pull a prank on someone in the office, it didn't take that much to convince me. In fact, all it took was a snake-in-a-can and Kim in the wrong place at the wrong time.
We secretly hid the flip-cam behind some tapes, and as we were planning on how to get Kim to come over, she literally walked by. Perfect timing!
President Barack Obama had an online town-hall meeting today, during which a wealth of causes and dilemmas alike were discussed, namely many of the issues that had been discussed during Tuesday’s televised press conference. However, what made the event unique was that anyone was welcome to ask a question — a liberty that prompted over 100,000 submissions. It was an accomplishment that didn't go unnoticed by the commander in chief, as he stated, "When I was running for president, I promised to open the White House for the American people. This is an important step toward achieving that goal."
We tuned in and, honestly, it seems like a good amount of our fellow Americans would rather, uh, tune out. Regarding people's suggestions to bolster our terrible economy, Obama explained:
"We took votes about which questions were gonna be asked, and I think 3.5 million people voted. I have to say that there was one question that was voted on that ranked fairly high, and that was whether legalizing marijuana would improve the economy and job creation ... and I don't know what this says about the online audience, but ... this was a fairly popular question. We wanted to make sure it was answered. The answer is no, I don't think that's a good strategy to grow our economy."
Sorry, guys. Guess you'll have to wait around for President Snoop Dogg for that sort of economic improvement and job-creation strategy. Until then, keep buying Funyuns and playing Wii!
Have you ever gone to church after not being there for a while, and you hear a really illuminating, all-knowing sermon, and you feel cleansed? You walk away from the church feeling 10 pounds lighter and like a giant weight has been lifted from your consciousness. Anyway, that's how I felt after interviewing U2. Interviewing them made me feel how I used to feel when I first got into the game.
They were excited about music culture. As big as they've become, they have more humility and hunger than rappers I've interviewed who've only had one hit in the past year. Music to them is not just plucking their strings; it's spiritual. Them boys live to play, and they love to create and they love to make an impact on those who listen, and they want to be as good as they can be. They care immensely about their fans.
From classic tuxes to bouffants and questionable facial hair, this year's Grammy red carpet was full of hits and misses. The stunning variety of ladies' fashion at this year's Grammys was particularly up for debate.
Who do you think rocked the best gown at this year's Grammys? Let us know in our poll!
Was it Carrie Underwood?
Taylor Swift?
Audrina Patridge?
Katy Perry?
Jordin Sparks?
Don't see your favorite? Let us know in the comments!
CHICAGO -- The fans in the front of the line at Lollapalooza's official start came from far and wide to land a choice spot for their favorite artists at one of North America's premiere music festivals. Oregon, Maine, London, Texas, Ontario, and France were just a few of the locales we saw represented up front, but the very front of the line was manned by two Depeche Mode superfans who came three hundred miles in order to stake out a spot right up front and they didn't plan on moving away from the main stage where DM was set to play all day long.
By Steven Roberts, Rich Sancho and Christopher "CJ" Smith
By Garth Bardsley
Kim Stolz just got punk'd! And if I'd known earlier how she'd react, believe me, I would have done it a long time ago.
By Rya Backer
Have you ever gone to church after not being there for a while, and you hear a really illuminating, all-knowing sermon, and you feel cleansed? You walk away from the church feeling 10 pounds lighter and like a giant weight has been lifted from your consciousness. Anyway, 
