Concert stages that look like regular concert stages are so 2008
Check out these photos of U2 (top) and Kanye West's (bottom) latest concert stages, both unveiled in Europe this week:
U2's is called "The Claw," and looks like it was based on something out of "Starship Troopers." Kanye's looks like his stage from last year's "Glow in the Dark" tour, but remixed by Lady GaGa and barfed on by Santigold.
Both tours hit the States in the fall; start readying your eyes now.
Photos from Getty (U2) and Kanye's Blog.
Vibe in covers
Sad news from the magazine world today: Vibe magazine is ceasing publication after 16 years.
I remember buying the first issue of Vibe, with Treach from Naughty by Nature on the cover, from my local Kroger when I was in 8th grade. Though I was never a subscriber, I kept up with the magazine through the years, and recently picked up the issue with Eminem on the cover, which will prove to be its last.
The magazine brought a smart edge to its coverage of urban music, though it wasn't without its flaws: I never liked their rating system for record reviews (did they even have one?) and they sometimes took stands I didn't fully understand (last year, they named "Swagga Like Us" Kanye West's worst-ever song, and never really explained their reasoning).
Nevertheless, Vibe will be missed, and it's sad to see an institution go. Here's a look back at some of the magazine's best covers through the years.
Treach: Issue One (Fall '92)
Snoop's first cover (Sept. '93)
Pac's first cover (Feb. '94): Yes, he is
The Beastie Boys (May '94): Back when they actually did have more rhymes than they had grey hairs
The Fab Four (Nov. '95): Quincy, Stevie, Babyface and... Coolio? Really?
Death Row (Feb. '96): As if these guys needed any further convinving they were gangsters
No Limit (May '98): Unnnnnhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
New World Order (Feb. 2000): One word for the next 1,000 years, guys: SISQO!
JT (Feb. '03): Guarantee you he can't name three MC5 songs, but OK
Chris Brown (Feb. '06): Would probably rethink that "I'm about to hit you" pose, if given the chance
Lil Wayne (May '06): Pink is so gangsta
50 (July '07): "Yo, who cut the cheese?"
Ciara (Oct. '08): Forget something?
Clothing: Less is more
Toni Braxton (June '97):
Foxy Brown (Jan. 99):
J. Lo (Aug. '99):
50 Cent (May '03):
Keyshia Cole (Dec. '07):
Mariah: Slowly undressing
April '96:
March '03:
June '08:
In Memoriam
2Pac (Nov. '96):
Biggie (May '97):
Aaliyah (Nov. '01):
Left Eye (July '02):
Luther (Oct. '05):
Vibe (June '09):
Michael Jackson rounds up every celebrity on the planet -- in 1989 -- for 'Liberian Girl' video
Why have I never seen this video before?
Even in all the outpouring of Michael Jackson tributes over the weekend and wall-to-wall Jacko videos on VH1 Classic -- did you know that "Bad" was originally like a 20-minute mini-movie, directed by Scorsese, no less, or that there was a video for some song called "Earth Song" off of "HIStory?" -- I still hadn't seen this video until Videogum posted it this morning.
If nothing else, this clip -- which features everyone from Steve Guttenberg to John Travolta to Malcolm Jamal Warner to Debbie Gibson to Bubbles to Steven Spielberg and on down the line -- proves that nobody had a more powerful black book than Michael Jackson.
Jimmy Fallon does a Head Swap
"Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" is at its best when it hammers a joke into the ground for so long that it eventually becomes funny. It's like the "Simpsons" sequence where Sideshow Bob continually steps on rakes: One time isn't funny, four times isn't funny, but 16 times is hilarious.
During Tuesday's show, Fallon revisited "Head Swap," a one-joke sketch that gets stretched out over three minutes. And, surprise, it's a winner:
Fallon's show is really growing on me. I'm still not a fan of his interview skills, and I really think he needs to stop gushing over everything his guests do (everything in Fallon's world is "so awesome"), but the show -- especially the first half-hour -- is usually just irreverent enough to work.
B. Manley is my new hero
We've all seen basketball trick shot videos on the YouTubes, but this video is the "Transformers 2" of basketball trick shot videos.
Honestly, this three minute video offers 10 times the thrills of "Transformers 2." Optimus Prime has got nothing on B. Manley!
Buckets!
Via Shaq's Twitter (where else?)
Triumph goes to Bonnaroo
Just like I did, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog visited Bonnaroo last weekend. Here is his report (which, consequently, is much funnier than mine):
(No idea why this is split into two videos, but I don't make the rules)
"You guys look pretty messed up. Give me a break, I'm the fourth talking dog you've seen today."
Triumph. Always true.
Phoenix takes Letterman to the turn of the century
Here's Phoenix performing "1901" -- the song of the summer! -- on David Letterman last night:
Letterman didn't seem too thrilled with the performance; maybe he was turned off when Thomas Mars slammed his microphone on the ground, or maybe he's just sweating his ratings war with CoCo. Either way, this is a stellar performance, and the latest step in Phoenix's plans of world domination. Next up, a Detroit date? Fingers crossed...
Via Gum.
Taylor Swift goes hard
"What, I knit sweaters, yo!"
Best rap since Natalie Portman?
Don't mess with the Prez
This fly never stood a chance.
Via Wells.
Shutter Island: Scorsese and Leo push their luck
Here's the trailer for the new Leonardo DiCaprio/ Martin Scorsese joint, "Bad Accent Theatre."
OK, it's not actually called "Bad Accent Theatre," but it might as well be, right?
Also, what's with those special effects? Were they done by a third grader with iMovie?
"The Departed" and "The Aviator" were both classics, but it looks like Leo and Scorsese's luck has run out with this one. It's time to see other people, guys.
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