Beyonce, Jay-Z, Christina Put The Rock in Fashion Rocks Concert
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NEW YORK — Fashion Rocks definitely lived up to its name Thursday night at Radio City Music Hall. As the kickoff event of New York's Fashion Week, the action in the high-couture audience was as eye-grabbing as the happenings onstage as Beyoncé, Christina Aguilera, the Black Eyed Peas, Elton John, Nelly Furtado and others served up brief but exciting performances.
While 30 Seconds to Mars performed a short set atop Radio City's marquee, the red carpet filled up with designers, "Devil Wears Prada"-type magazine editors, musicians and pop stars galore, including Eva Mendes, Drea de Matteo, Joshua Jackson, Seth Green, Carmen Electra, Eve, Scott Weiland and Rachel Bilson (who's chopped off her long locks and was sporting a new bob hairdo). Master of ceremonies Jimmy Fallon was a highlight of the evening, cracking jokes about Paris Hilton's DUI arrest and celebrity name-dropping in between performances.
The show kicked off with Fergie, who did a solid, sexy "London Bridge" in a glittery mini-dress that was much less revealing than her body-baring VMA ensemble. The booty-shaking dutchess was then joined by the rest of the Black Eyed Peas for "Pump It."
The Peas were followed by the First Couple of country music, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, who performed the ballad "I Need You." Their performance went smooth as silk, although their exit didn't: McGraw tripped while walking offstage, prompting many "oohs," "ahs" and "Is he OK?"s from the crowd.
The Pussycat Dolls switched from the vintage Herve Leger dresses they'd worn on the red carpet into much skimpier outfits for their performance of "Buttons" (something their onstage gear was notably lacking), for which they were joined by rapper Jibbs. Head Doll Nicole Scherzinger told MTV News earlier in the evening that hitmaker Scott Storch will be producing tracks on her forthcoming solo LP.
The main look for the evening's ladies, however, paid tribute to jazz singers and legendary musical icons. Beyoncé's performance of "Deja Vu" was billed as "a tribute to Josephine Baker," and both her stage set and outfit were in homage to the legendary early-20th-century singer/dancer. The set was designed like an old cabaret club, complete with male dancers bearing saxophones, and both B and her female dancers wore Baker's trademark mini-hula skirt embellished with fake bananas.
The crowd went wild as Jay-Z descended a black staircase, rapping his part of the song while looking sleek in a white tux with black lapels, although he and B didn't get as much time onstage as the audience evidently would have liked.
The dynamic duo were followed by fashion designer Donna Karan and Elton John, the event's curator, who introduced Bon Jovi. The singer delivered "Livin' on a Prayer" accompanied by a violinist before being joined by the rest of the band for "Who Says You Can't Go Home." Earlier in the evening, Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora walked the red carpet hand-in-hand with Denise Richards.
Jay wasn't the only star to break the "Don't wear white after Labor Day" rule: Christina Aguilera sang her new single, "Candyman," in a white sailor suit with cap, accompanied by dancers and a photo montage of jazz legends that appeared on the video screen behind the stage.
A brief interlude followed, wherein Scott Weiland and Drea de Matteo presented the winner of the Best Music Look contest. The pair had to re-do their dialogue four times, eliciting boos from the crowd. The nominees were the "schoolgirl look," the "grunge look," the "heavy metal look," "the 'Saturday Night Fever' white suit" and "heavy-metal hair," with schoolgirl taking the honors.
Denise Richards and designer Max Azria then introduced an exhilarating performance by Kanye West and Fonzworth Bentley, the latter of whom also wore all-white and dazzled the crowd with his dancing skills. Next, Kimora Lee and Russell Simmons presented Jamie Foxx, who sang "Can I Take U Home" as three "Dreamgirl"-like ladies stood beside the piano.
The crowd got on their feet for Nelly Furtado — rocking bangs, black pants and a tight mesh top — who was joined by Timbaland for "Maneater."
The evening was capped with a performance from Elton John, who launched his set with a song from his forthcoming album, The Captain and the Kid, accompanied by the Scissor Sisters. Rihanna then joined him for "The Bitch Is Back," dancing around his piano throughout the song. Finally, in a comically inappropriate moment, the Pussycat Dolls bumped and grinded around the openly gay (and married!) singer as he sang "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting."
Still, it was all in good fun, as you can see for yourself when the show airs on CBS at 9 p.m. ET on Friday night (September 8).
50 Cent Arrested In New York For Traffic Violations
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50 Cent caused a big stir near New York's Madison Square Garden on Friday afternoon (September 8) when he was pulled over by police while driving his silver Lamborghini.
The situation soon became a spectacle as 50 calmly sat in his vehicle — even smiling — while police handled their investigation and a few dozen pedestrians looked on. The G-Unit leader was eventually led away in handcuffs, causing some onlookers to yell out, "Don't arrest him!" The chants were to no avail. He was hauled off in a police car, and his vehicle was towed away as well.
At the station, 50 was not booked but was given four summonses: one for driving with an expired permit, one for driving an unregistered vehicle, one for driving without insurance and one for an unsafe lane change. He was released and is due to appear in court at a unspecified later date.
Underdog Night At The VMAs: Panic, Gnarls, Blunt, Chamillionaire Win Big
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NEW YORK — The 2006 MTV Video Music Awards show was most certainly a lot of things. Predictable was not one of them.
There were plenty of "Did you see that?!"s and "I can't believe they said that!"s, from Beyoncé's manic performance of "Ring the Alarm" to Pink's jabs at Paris Hilton and President Bush. But the most common exclamation may well have been "I can't believe they won!"
Although the big names definitely represented, a host of underdogs stole the show — none more than Panic! at the Disco, who shocked pretty much everyone when their "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" took home the Moonman for Video of the Year.
And in true underdog fashion, the band was upstaged by a gate-crasher before its acceptance speech. "He stole our thunder," frontman Brendon Urie joked. "But thank you very, very much. This is amazing."
And Panic weren't the only flabbergasted ones. Chamillionaire seemed genuinely amazed when his clip for "Ridin' " was named Best Rap Video, AFI were nervous and gracious as they accepted the award for Best Rock Video, and the All-American Rejects (who sold more than a million copies of their Move Along album so stealthily that the CIA should take notes) were as wide-eyed and pumped as a bunch of pre-teens when they were announced as the winners of the Best Group Video award.
"We just won a Moonman!" lead singer Tyson Ritter screamed. "I am getting so trashed tonight!"
We believe you, man! All in all, 15 different artists took home awards — only Gnarls Barkley and James Blunt won more than one. And the two most nominated names, Shakira and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, managed wins only in technical categories ("Hips Don't Lie" won for Best Choreography and "Dani California" for Best Art Direction).
Kelly Clarkson bested Shakira for Best Female Video, the Black Eyed Peas' "My Humps" won Best Hip-Hop Video, and Pink took home the Moonman for Best Pop Video (and promptly dissed Paris Hilton with a mock-airheaded, gum-smacking acceptance speech). Meanwhile, Madonna, Kanye West and Christina Aguilera were left award-less, amplifying the loose, anything-can-happen vibe that percolated throughout the night.
From Panic's surprise win and Christina burning up the red carpet to MCR's supernatural performance and Nick talking Jessica, we didn't miss a beat. 
It was a vibe cultivated right out of the gate by host Jack Black — who, despite donning a gold lamé suit, still exuded a scrappy charm — and house band the Raconteurs, who snarled their way through duets with New York legend Lou Reed, Jim Jarmusch and ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons.
And it spilled into the night's other performers: Justin Timberlake kicked things off with a pumping, pimping take on "SexyBack," Beyoncé stripped and stalked during a wild "Ring the Alarm," and T.I. delivered a raw, rugged version of his hit "What You Know" — capped with him standing center stage, hoodie pulled tight over his head, fist held aloft.
During the "Red Carpet on the Rock" preshow, My Chemical Romance debuted "Welcome to the Black Parade," the first single from their forthcoming Black Parade album, with an over-the-top, ultra-goth performance from Rockefeller Center's Top of the Rock observation deck — some 70 stories up. And Fergie got the night off to a rollicking start by vamping through a rendition of "London Bridge," complete with a Cadillac-drawn carriage and breakdancers dressed as Buckingham Palace guards.
Of course, there were some genuinely high-gloss moments, too. Christina Aguilera belted out a soulful version of her new single "Hurt," boosted by stabs of strings and bathed in a sea of smoke. Shakira shook her way through a belly-dance-enhanced "Hips Don't Lie." Panic served up a drama-club-heavy performance of "I Write Sins." A big-ticket presentation of the Video Vanguard Award to director Hype Williams came complete with performances by Busta Rhymes and Missy Elliott.
Axl Rose — looking, well, unbuttoned — introduced the evening's final performance (complete with a vintage GN'R scream) by the Killers, who dressed like high-fashion desperadoes and emoted like MySpace kids through "When You Were Young."
But none of the aforementioned acts could upstage unheralded OK Go, whose performance — re-enacting their tremendous, treadmill-enhanced clip for "Here It Goes Again" — was unquestionably a VMA first.
Clearly nervous (and who wouldn't be?), the group nonetheless delivered a perfect rendition of the video atop monogrammed treadmills, complete with lip-syncing, goofy smirks and sorta-tailored suits. And the crowd responded with an enthusiastic standing ovation.
"We were holding on for dear life!" frontman Damian Kulash laughed backstage (see "Pharrell Shows Off Dirty Mouth, Al Gore Chills With 'Jackass' Crew: VMAs Backstage") .
It was a throwback to the vaguely amateurish, who-knows-what'll-happen-next VMAs of old, an ultra-refreshing alternative to the pyro-powered performances that dot today's award-show landscape. And though it happened early in the telecast, it pretty much summed up the 2006 VMAs.
Because if we are to take anything from a wildly unpredictable night, perhaps it's that all you need to be successful is a nice suit, a smile — and a treadmill.
Britney Introduces K-Fed, Nick Lachey Scores 'Awkward' Award At Teen Choice 2006
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UNIVERSAL CITY, California — Kevin and Britney. Nick and Jessica. As if their lives have not been documented enough, each took center stage Sunday, making the 2006 Teen Choice Awards — well, must-see TV.
Let's start with Kevin Federline, who closed the show with the television debut of his new single, "Lose Control." With a dimly lit backward-facing pianist playing the intro to the track, the performance began with a pair of young Federline look-alikes (Caucasian dancers clad in white street wear) lip-synching the first verse. When the chorus hit, the pianist turned around and ... surprise! It was K-Fed himself.
Looking "gangster" — as "High School Musical" star Vanessa Anne Hudgens put it backstage — Kevin busted through the fast-paced tune with a vengeance, growling lines including "Don't hate 'cause I'm a superstar" and taking his fair share of bleeps from censors. He walked into the awestruck crowd at one point, but left the choreography mainly to his crew.
"I was expecting more dancing from the dude, you know," Sean Paul said backstage. "But he's OK. He's doing his thing."
Perhaps the highlight of the performance was the introduction from Mrs. Federline, Britney Spears — who in turn was introduced brilliantly by co-host Dane Cook as "the mother of all presenters."
"This show has been very good to me and my career over the years," Spears said, giggling and chomping on gum. "And I'm hoping that it will be as good to our next performer."
Good stuff, but the line of the night clearly belonged to Nick Lachey, who took the podium after winning Choice Love Song for "What's Left of Me": "I just want to start off by saying ... awkward?" Lachey said, smiling. "A little bit!"
Awkward, of course, because his ex-wife and the inspiration for the breakup song also happened to be the show's other co-host, Jessica Simpson — working alongside rumored romance interest (denied by both), Cook.
"Co-host," however, might be a strong word for Simpson, who mostly just laughed along to Cook, an instant crowd-pleaser with his nonstop jokes.
The comedian, who changed outfits as much as Simpson — switching from one classic-rock T-shirt to another — opened the show spoofing "Pirates of the Caribbean" and then stayed on the pop-culture topics, at one point comparing the mic stand to Nicole Richie. (On a similar note, he also did something he said he's "always wanted to do": Give Mischa Barton a sandwich.)
As well as being a tabloid editor's dream, Teen Choice 2006 was also an awards show — though several winners weren't revealed until after the ceremony — with the big winner being "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," which earned six awards, including Choice Action Adventure.
"It feels great," Orlando Bloom said backstage. "We make movies for people to enjoy, so when they do, it feels good."
Bloom also won the coveted Choice Male Hottie prize, while Jessica Alba took the female equivalent.
"It's what's inside that really counts, except for this award," she joked, going on to thank her styling crew as well as "all the photographers who have airbrushed me over the years." "What I'm trying to say, kids, is it's all just an image," she added. "If you truly want to be hot, just be yourself."
Adam Sandler, who won Choice Comedian for the fifth time, also offered some advice (hard to dissect given that it was the "words" of his 3-month-old daughter), as did triple-winner Nelly Furtado, who scored prizes for "Promiscuous" and told viewers to "wear a condom."
The show did have a truly inspiring moment, however, when Ashton Kutcher presented the Courage Award to Jason McElwain, an autistic high school basketball team manager who made six consecutive three-pointers when his coach put him in at the end of a game. (To demonstrate how difficult that is, NBA star Lebron James tried and made only two in a video clip that was aired at the awards show.) "Dreams can come true," McElwain screamed as his team cheered behind him and his mother sobbed from the front row.
Other big winners included "High School Musical" and Fall Out Boy, both taking three prizes.
"We really like the awards that are voted on," bassist Pete Wentz told MTV News. (According to Fox, 14.7 millions votes were cast.) "I think those are the only ones we can actually win too. When it's older people, or like an academy, we don't fare so well."
Along with Federline, other performers included Furtado and Timbaland with "Promiscuous" and two-time winner Rihanna with "S.O.S."
"It was a big thing for me," Rihanna said. "But the highlight for me was Kevin Federline's performance. And seeing Britney. She's so cute!"
Tangled Web: 'Spider-Man 3' Re-Shoots Planned, James Franco Reveals
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LOS ANGELES — There are certain things that every good geek knows to be true, like the fact that Spider-Man's secret identity is Peter Parker, or that the "Spider-Man" movies have pulled in more dough than an army of overworked pizza makers, or that "Spider-Man 3" recently completed filming and is due to swing into theaters next summer.
Uh ... strike that last one.
"The next thing I'm shooting?" series star James Franco said over the weekend. "Re-shoots on 'Spider-Man.' "
Revealing that director Sam Raimi has put out the call for "more action," Franco said he's being called back to the set of the blockbuster. "Probably next month," he added.
Members of the flick's cast, including Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, along with franchise newcomers Thomas Haden Church (as beach-bashing baddie the Sandman), Topher Grace (as alien threat Venom) and Bryce Dallas Howard (as Parker paramour Gwen Stacy), recently arrived triumphant at San Diego's Comic-Con to screen footage for fans (see " 'Spider-Man 3' Cast Confirms Love Triangle, Death, Soul-Sucking Costume"). Franco said he regretted being unable to make the trip along with his co-stars, and seemed shocked by much of what was revealed there.
Despite the widely downloaded teaser trailer that shows a black-and-green-suited Franco riding a glider (see it for yourself right here), and Raimi's own admission that Franco's Harry Osbourn will be "somewhere between" the comic book characters of Green Goblin and Hobgoblin, the tight-lipped actor refused to admit that Harry's long-simmering angst turns him into a villain. "You saw me in a suit?" Franco asked, feigning incredulity. "I don't think that was me."
Franco also seemed surprised by Raimi's assertions that Harry's story line will conclude with the third film (the actor's contract expires after "Spider-Man 3"). "It's really news to me. It's actually breaking my heart to hear that my character is being rounded up in this movie," the 28-year-old Franco said, half-kidding. "God, I think I'm going to cry."
Insisting that Church and Grace "bring amazing acting and great talent" to the third installment of the franchise, Franco insisted that he's eager to see the finished product. "The journey is much different than the final product. So when we actually see the movies, it's so much different than how it felt making it. I'm sure I'll be very happy."
Revealing that he expects a new trailer to be on the way soon, Franco said the new flick will offer fans plenty of action, as well as an opportunity to see the young thespians stretch out their acting muscles. "It's not that there's less acting in [a 'Spider-Man'] movie. I mean, it has the same number of acting scenes as any other movie," Franco said. "It's just that the action takes so much longer, so it feels like it's all action. Really, in a way, it's two months worth of regular scenes, which is what a typical movie has, and then we had to do four months of action."
Now, like a superhero's tights after an all-you-can-eat buffet, it seems that Sam Raimi is going to stretch those four months into just a little more.
