Sundance 2008

Ol' MJ has been going through major depression after the end of the music festival season, but he is back. That's right, your festival czar has returned to his favorite non-music festival in the world -- Sundance. I've already lost my photographer (damn you, Collin Ferrel's entourage), though I will upload my photos just as soon as possible. We are into Day 3 and I will have reviews from Akon's party at Tao (Night 1) and the infamous Seattle Party at the Star Bar (last night). I just ran into Method Man at Albertson's, I was picking up a freezer pizza (like you care) and The Wackness star was maneuvering a grocery cart JUST LIKE A NORMAL PERRSON. Keep checking in and MJ will keep you abreast of all pertinent music information... Tonight is Adrian Grenier's performance with his band, the Honey Brothers, and E! is reporting that Lindsay Lohan is on her way to meet him for the show. The concert is a benefit for a wonderful organization called imawake.com, their mission is to plant 100 Million trees by 2020...Oh ya, and Paris will be there...I'll have photos and info for you ASAP! . And here is the rest of it. Gander On!

MTV News: VMAs Announced

So...let me get this right, people still make music videos? And MTV shows these videos? Where? I have seen JT rocking the small screen lately...on HBO promos. Oh, the VMAs are in Vegas? I'm on board.

MTV will air a two-hour Video Music Awards program on September 9th, not live from The Palms in Las Vegas. Even before TiVo we would have no problem missing the initial broadcast, as a re-air would appear routinely. However, this year Music TeleVision will "remix" the show and broadcast these episodes on-air and online.

The nominations were announced today. Justin Timberlake and Beyonce each scored seven nods. Hopefully this exposure will get their careers moving. A new category was also announced: Most Earth-Shattering Collaboration. This humdinger of a category could turn into the "Survivor Series" of the music world. I'd love to hear who our readers think were left off the list. Also, post your picks in the comments sections...

Below are MJs picks for the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards:

Best New Artist
Amy Winehouse

Female Artist of the Year
Beyonce

Male Artist of the Year
Justin Timberlake

Best Group
The White Stripes

Quadruple Threat of the Year
Jay-Z (Sleeper pick: Bono)

Video of the Year
Justin Timberlake - "What Goes Around...Comes Around"
Gander On!

Chromeo @ The War Room

Chromeo owned the War Room. The electro-clash, disco-punk, buckets-of-fun duo brought their A-game on a busy Friday Night, and I think they were surprised by the crowd's reaction...

The War Room was packed. Really packed. I showed up at about 8:00 pm with my man Johnny Bones from Reno. We figured we would pick up a couple extra tix for some friends interested in the evening's entertainment. What we found was a line-up of about 100 kids hoping extra tickets would be released. Within thirty minutes, the line was around the block and it was obvious a great deal of these indi-punk music fans would be turned away. Of course, the War Room, a venue devoid of any customer service skills, made us wait about 45 minutes longer than the time posted (box office open at 9pm, yeah right!). They were obviously milking the line to show the neighbors their venue had booked a hot act.

And hot it was. Temperature hot and spicy hot. (The overpriced drinks are easier to swallow with such a selection of beautiful women swarming) The War Room was as tightly packed as I have ever seen. No one cared, Chromeo made it rain like Adam Jones. Ok, so it was raining sweat and the band had to stop and calm the dense, over-heating crowd early in the set. However, once everyone made peace with their spot on the dance floor, the music took over and sent the club on a musical trip to a time when raves and techno-clubs ruled. Rocking tunes from She's in Control and Fancy Footwork, the crowd was singing (and jumping) along to every beat of each song. With hundreds of kids waiting outside, everyone inside knew they were at the hottest show in Seattle. Gander On!