311 311 Thrill Fans During Epic Five-Hour Set

12 Mar 2010 14:01:00 EST

Mellow rockers play to sold-out Las Vegas crowd on 311 Day.
By Matt Elias, with additional reporting by Lauren Black and Dave Kosin

Photo: MTV News

"It's the most epic show in the world," declared die-hard fan Matthew Brill of 311 Day, a five-hour-plus marathon of music put on by veteran mellow rockers 311.

Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas served as the worship center for the most holy of holidays for 311 fans (March 11, of course). Fans lined up as early as 1 p.m. to secure spots close to the stage, which was tricked out with the most advanced stage displays that the band has ever used. 311 shirts plastered the arena as eager fans waited for the show to begin, shortly after 7:30 p.m. As the boys from Omaha hit the stage, the sold-out crowd rejoiced as loudly as the reverberating amplifiers that were blaring the opening notes of "Jackpot." Vocalists Nick Hexum and S.A. Martinez pogoed around the 360-degree stage, taking full advantage of the sprawling space. Above the band hung a multi-tier circular screen playing the simultaneous webcast of the show. The crowd kept up with the band, staying on its feet and dancing during the entire 60-song set. In addition to all of the hits ("Beautiful Disaster," "All Mixed Up" and "Down"), 311 sprinkled rare, older gems into the mix, "Brodels," "Slinky" and "Loco" to name a few. Fans especially responded to "Taiyed," which included an extended midsong jam session. 311 maintained their stamina by dividing the show into three sets, taking short breaks in between. They also officially announced the 2010 Summer Unity Tour, featuring the Offspring, bringing a huge roar of approval from the audience. 311 closed out the impressive event with "Unity" as an encore. Over the five hours of music, every bandmember got his time to shine, with Aaron "P-Nut" Wills lighting up his backlit bass, Tim Mahoney proving his acrobatics on the guitar, and drummer Chad Sexton performing impeccable drum solos. By the end of the night everyone was drenched in sweat — both the band and the crowd — suggesting that 311 Day is more than just a concert, it's a religious experience.

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311 Fans Get Hyped For '311 Day' Fan Party In Las Vegas

11 Mar 2010 12:45:00 EST

One fan threatened to quit his job in order to come.
By Matt Elias

Photo: MTV News

LAS VEGAS — It might have been the day before 311 Day, but the festivities were already in full swing Wednesday night at the Jet nightclub at the Mirage Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. The official 311 Fan Party at Jet served as the epicenter for die-hard fans from all over the country to converge — and converge they did. Fans packed the line in droves even before the doors opened at 9 p.m. Jet let its usual formal dress code slide for the night, allowing fans to show their true colors in 311 T-shirts, hats, and plenty of tattoos. By 11 p.m., the line of fans stretched all the way to the entrance of the Mirage. But you didn't have to see them to feel their presence — their chants of "311!" could be heard all the way to the blackjack tables. Inside the club, 311 music was blasting on the speakers — and that's where MTV News' guest correspondents Dave Kosin and Lauren Black, (winners of the 311 Day contest) were hard at work. The pair were meeting old friends and new ones from all over the country: ecstatic fans from Lauren's home state of Texas to a local Las Vegas couple who booked a hotel room to take part in the activities. But it was a fan from across the pond that proved just how die-hard 311 fans are. He told Dave, "I had to threaten to resign from my job to be allowed to come." For him, a week without pay ended up being a small penalty for his first-ever 311 Day. He could hardly contain his excitement. "In England they never play a 311 song, so even tonight, it's just wow! It's amazing — tomorrow is going to be the best day of my life," he said with a smile. MTV News will have much more from 311 Day for the rest of this week!

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11 Mar 2010 12:30:35 EST

Lauren and Dave sit down with 311 to talk collabos, twitter and grassroots following.
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Photo: MTV News

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311 Talk Plans For 'Ultimate' 311 Day Show In Las Vegas

11 Mar 2010 12:21:00 EST

Thursday's show in Las Vegas celebrating the band's legacy could last as long as five hours.
By James Montgomery

Photo: John Shearer/ WireImage

Are you at work today? You totally shouldn't be. After all, it's 311 Day, which is practically a national holiday at this point. Ever since March 11, 2000 — when 311 decided to perform an extended 46-song set at New Orleans' State Palace Theatre — celebrating 311 Day has become an annual tradition for the band's diehard fans. And every other year, the band gets in on the act as well, throwing an elaborate, certifiably epic concert that also doubles as a fan convention, party, and de facto rite of passage for 311 obsessives. This year, the band has taken over Las Vegas for a three-day extravaganza, the centerpiece of which is Thursday (March 11) night's performance at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. (MTV News has two fans on the ground in Sin City.) In anticipation of the show — which, rumor has it, will last five hours — we spoke to 311 bassist Aaron "P-Nut" Wills, who was already preparing himself for the looming marathon. "I don't think we'd be able to physically play a show like this, not even once a month. But I'm ready. I'm trying not to think of it as this huge thing, because, if you think about it, the people who attend most rock shows are on their feet for the same amount of time," Wills said. "It helps to see it from that side of things. We're the entertainment, but of course the fans are going to be there with us the whole time. Then again, [frontman] Nick [Hexum] does do marathons, so I know he's going to be ready. We all are, because we think of this as a huge opportunity to do something special, to play the ultimate show every two years for our most fanatic fans. It's perfect." And while Wills wouldn't reveal any of the surprises the band has in store for fans at Thursday's show, he did say that things are most certainly going to be epic. It's only fitting, after all. "It's just going be as big as it gets for us. It's going be nuts," he said. "I've only seen some of the sketches of what our set is going to look like, and it's amazing. Our front-of-house guy designed it, and he's kind of a nutcase, but we trust him." And while the idea of playing the ultimate show before their ultimate fans is inspiring, what really drives Wills, and the rest of the band, is what 311 Day represents. It's a gathering, a community, a chance for both the band and its fans to share the love. "It's a great experience for our fans and for us. It's a rite of passage. So we know we've got to bring it," he said. "I know we will, too. This will be the best of the best, both from our fans and from us. And I know that at the end of the set, we'll probably want to play even more. We're out to chop heads off. Unless we're playing reggae, then it's a different vibe."

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311 Are The New Grateful Dead, Drummer Chad Sexton Says Before Tour With Snoop Dogg

07 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EDT

Funk-rockers will finish new LP soon, but they'd rather just stay on the road.
By Chris Harris

311's Nick Hexum
Photo: Getty Images/ Scott Gries

For a band that hasn't released a shred of new material in over three years, funk-rock outfit 311 are certainly busy. They'll be spending much of this summer crisscrossing the U.S. with Snoop Dogg, co-headlining a tour that runs through August 16 in Waikiki, Hawaii, and not surprisingly, tickets are selling fast. In a world where attention spans are rapidly shrinking, how does a band like 311 — who have successfully toured the states every summer since 2005's Don't Tread on Me — still pack arenas while staying musically dormant? Drummer Chad Sexton thinks he's got the answer. Sexton said that, over the course of 10 albums, they've managed to assemble a rabid fanbase who've supported the band through thick and thin. They're a loyal bunch, and their devotion rivals that of even the most die-hard Deadhead. "I think we have the same appeal as a band like the Grateful Dead," he explained. "We have some Deadheads in the band, and when they stopped touring, Phish kind of took over for them, and maybe Dave Matthews Band has some of that same appeal as well. We can jam on our [songs] like those bands, but I'd say we're kind of a band between — and I'm not comparing us to these bands, but just in the level of status and accomplishment, and that they're still together — U2 and Phish. It's somewhere in the middle of that, and we're hoping to define that a little better over the next couple of years. It's a weird phenomenon: We keep playing, and kids are having a great time every summer. "We've picked up a comparable following, I guess," Sexton continued. "We wanted to make sure we tour every summer, regardless of our records, because we're here to play live music. We don't want to spend a summer getting away from the people." But 311's fans will wait just so long for a new record, which Sexton said the boys have been working on for the last year, with former Metallica producer Bob Rock at their side. 311 are recording a number of new tunes and, following this tour, will return to their Hive Studios to finish tracking the rest of the LP — which they'd like to release early next year. "I don't know about other bands, but we get tunnel vision if we just sit around and keep writing and keep recording, so it's very healthy for us to get out and play in front of people," Sexton said. "So far, [the record is] sounding like 311, just with Bob Rock helping us get the roadmaps and the energy of the songs down, in how he's recording it. We've experimented a lot in recent years and shifted this way and that way, and with the current climate out there, with record sales, it could be a coincidence that [our sales] just went down, down, down because of the Internet, or maybe we've been too experimental. Maybe we should get back to the basics — the 311 basics." To that end, Sexton said the new material's got a Music and Grassroots feel. "I would think that the last three records were our growing pains," he added. "We figured, 'Why not get back to basics?' We can experiment further with our sound, but we've been doing that for a while now. We forgot to take a look back and say, 'Let's do that again,' because all of a sudden, going back to that original 311 sound is new to us again. Some characteristically 311 sounds come out when we do get back to basics, and we're probably putting our best foot forward with this album. Sometimes it's important to see where you came from. We went back and explored what we did [on those albums], and we're concentrating on that energy." Before 311 began writing this album, Sexton said they created a list of producers they wanted to work with, and the one name they could always all agree on was Rock. "We remembered how we felt when we first heard [Metallica's self-titled LP, a.k.a. The Black Album], and he's just so smart," Sexton said, adding that Rock has helped the band be a better band. "One of the things he's helped us improve, and it's hard to put a finger on how it will affect the music, is our communication as a band. And so I would say, if I were to pick — and I'm not being hard on us — but the last three records, maybe the communication wasn't as solid. ... Recording has been a lot easier this time. It's always challenging, but I'm loving what we're getting." Sexton said 311 hope this summer's trip with Snoop yields some kind of collaboration, either onstage or perhaps recording a cover in the studio. Teaming up with the D-O-double-G would work best on this summer's tour, Sexton said, because 311's forthcoming LP will be the band's most mature effort to date. "I think people will be surprised by how nice and solid it will sound," he said. "There's something you can't really vocalize or explain about the experience behind what's going on. But I'm thinking people will think it sounds really solid, which comes from being in a band for 18 years."

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For The Record: Quick News On Lil' Kim, 50 Cent, Timbaland, Ryan Cabrera, Rivers Cuomo, 311, Hoobstank & More

15 Mar 2006 18:16:00 EST

Kim's 'Countdown' premiere draws nearly 2 million; 50, Timbaland play charity golf; Cabrera plans Wal-Mart gig.
By MTV News staff report

Lil' Kim
Photo: Evan Agostini/Getty Images

Nearly 2 million viewers tuned in last week to catch the premiere episode of "Lil' Kim: Countdown to Lockdown," making it the most-watched series debut for BET. The six-episode show — which airs Thursday nights — captures Kim's final two weeks of freedom before entering prison to serve 12 months behind bars for perjury. ... 50 Cent, G-Unit, Mike Jones, Nick Cannon, RZA, Mobb Deep, Tony Yayo, DJ AM, Gabrielle Union, Jeremy Piven, Trina, Raekwon, Sleepy Brown and Timbaland are among the hip-hop elite slated to tee off for charity in a celebrity-golf tournament taking place in Arizona March 20-21. The event is part of the three-day Scion Release Invitational, a celebration to kick off the launch of Scion's new Release sportswear collection. All of the proceeds from the game will benefit the Boys & Girls Club of America. ... Wal-Mart's about to open its 2,000th Supercenter, and it'll celebrate the momentous occasion with a free concert featuring Ryan Cabrera. He'll perform March 18 in the parking lot of said store — located in Beaumont, California. The show is open to the public and starts at 4 p.m. ... Rivers Cuomo is engaged to Kyoko Ito, whom he met when he performed solo at the Middle East club in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1997. The Weezer singer's spokesperson told Boston magazine the two will wed in the summer after Cuomo graduates from Harvard. ... A week after performing a five-hour, 66-song set in Memphis, Tennessee, for 311 Day (March 11), Nick Hexum is taking on another marathon. The 311 singer is running in the Los Angeles Marathon XXI on Sunday for his pro-environmental cause, Liberal Hexum. ... Journalist, author, poet and activist Kevin Powell — whom you'll remember from the first season of MTV's "The Real World" — is running for higher office. Powell's seeking a seat in Brooklyn, New York's 10th Congressional District. Powell, who's running on a platform that includes education reform, better access to health care, economic development, financial literacy and "job training instead of jail sentencing in poorer neighborhoods," said the events of 9/11, as well as the war in Iraq and the government's shortsighted response to Hurricane Katrina, encouraged the move. "I want to use my voice, in Washington, D.C., on a national stage, in a way that affirms our humanity, not denies it," he said. "It is time for new leadership, a new generation, to push us forward, and I want to be a part of that wave of fresh ideas, of new visions, for these times, for the 21st century." For more on Powell's campaign, check out KevinPowell2006.com. ... Hoobastank's forthcoming Every Man for Himself will now hit stores May 16. The disc was originally slated for release April 18. The band's also booked a series of television appearances: "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" (May 12), "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" (May 16), "Jimmy Kimmel Live" (May 18) and "Last Call With Carson Daly" (May 25). ... It's going to be a busy May for Mogwai, who've just lined up 20 North American dates to chase the band's appearance April 30 at this year's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. The first is set for May 2 in Salt Lake City, and dates run through May 27 in San Francisco. The Scottish indie-rockers' most recent record, Mr. Beast, came out earlier this month. 03.14.2006 A dark-haired Lindsay Lohan graces the April cover of Cosmopolitan, and within its pages the singer/actress gets personal about family problems, body-image issues and guys. Lohan talks about her first onscreen love scene — with Elijah Wood in the upcoming "Bobby" — and says she hopes she'll have time for a real boyfriend when she's done shooting "Chapter 27" in New York. (Successful candidates need to be confident, loyal and have a good sense of humor, "because I come with a lot of baggage.") The 19-year-old, who says sleeping around doesn't appeal to her, admits she's harboring her fair share of crushes. And in a multiple-choice questionnaire, she skips over Orlando Bloom, Jude Law and Brad Pitt to write in votes for favorite heartthrobs Johnny Depp and scruffy indie-rocker Devendra Banhart. ... California authorities have granted Michael Jackson a 24-hour extension to settle an unpaid-wages dispute at his Neverland Valley Ranch. A spokesperson for the California Department of Industrial Relations said the singer's representatives have been in touch with the office and they are "trying to get the money together" to pay the more than $500,000 in fines Jackson was ordered to shell out by Tuesday (March 14). Authorities shut down Neverland March 9, alleging that Jackson failed to pay his employees and maintain workers'-compensation insurance. Jackson owes $69,000 for allowing his insurance policy to lapse two months ago, as well as $306,000 in back wages and $100,000 in fines. If he does not pay up by the end of Wednesday, department spokesperson Renee Bacchini said her office will file a civil action in court seeking the funds and the singer could face contempt charges. A spokesperson for Jackson did not return calls for comment. ... Banking on the massive appeal of "American Idol," the TV Guide Channel is launching a live pre-show called "Idol Tonight" that will take viewers behind the scenes of each week's competition until this season's winner is announced in May. The one-hour show premieres Tuesday at 7 p.m. and will be hosted by former-"Idol"-finalist-turned-entertainment-correspondent Kimberly Caldwell. ... Yellowcard, Simple Plan and "X-Men" Iceman Shawn Ashmore are just some of the celebrity gamers who have customized Xbox 360 faceplates for charity. Starting Friday fans will be able to bid on the faceplates over at eBay.ca/XboxCelebrityFaces, with all proceeds going to the Children's Miracle Network of Canada. ... Sorry ladies: Jack Black is reportedly off the market. The Tenacious D frontman and "Nacho Libre" actor eloped with his girlfriend, musician Tanya Haden, according to People magazine. The pair met at a private high school in Santa Monica, California, but only began dating recently. "They love each other very much. We're thrilled," the bride's father, noted jazz saxophonist Charlie Haden, told the mag of his daughter's recent nuptials. Black's publicist would neither confirm nor deny the story. ... The Dave Matthews Band will perform two nights at Boston's historic home of the Red Sox, Fenway Park, as part of their summer tour. Sheryl Crow will open up both gigs, scheduled for July 7 and 8. ... On Tuesday morning Superior Court Judge Francis J. Darigan Jr. set a trial date for one of the two owners of the Station — the Warwick, Rhode Island, nightclub where 100 people died in a 2003 blaze during a Great White concert. According to The Associated Press, Michael Derderian's case will begin July 31 in Rhode Island's Kent County. Derderian and his brother, Jeffrey, are facing 200 counts of involuntary manslaughter — two for each of the 100 lives lost in the fire, which was sparked when Great White's pyrotechnics ignited flammable soundproofing foam inside the venue. Jeffrey Derderian will be tried following the conclusion of his brother's trial. ... British rockers Hard-Fi are crashing the U.S. in style. To celebrate the Stateside release of their debut album, Stars of CCTV, the band will play a free show at Tower Records in Sherman Oaks, California, Tuesday at 7 p.m. for fans who buy the LP that same day. The gig marks the beginning of the quartet's North American headlining tour, which will include four more back-to-back in-store appearances in San Francisco, San Diego, Portland and Seattle. ... Seventeen years after their last tour, the members of pioneering new-wave band the Cars — well, a couple of them anyway — are gearing up for a major U.S. summer tour with fellow new wavers Blondie. The New Cars, featuring original members Elliot Easton (guitar) and Greg Hawkes (keyboards), will be joined on the Road Rage Tour 2006 by singer/guitarist Todd Rundgren and his old Utopia bandmate, bassist Kasim Sulton, as well as former Tubes drummer Prairie Prince. Each online ticket purchase for the tour will come with a free download of a disc with five songs each from the New Cars and Blondie. The tour kicks off May 12 at the Grand Casino Tunica Event Center in Robinsonville, Mississippi, and is slated to wrap July 1 at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, New York. ... OK Go frontman Damian Kulash was booked on resisting-arrest charges by police in Orlando, Florida, after ignoring an officer's orders to head inside the local House of Blues where the band was performing. Instead Kulash insisted on loitering outside with several of the group's fans. According to the band's Web site, Kulash was "locked up for about nine hours, during which time he ate corn flakes and made friends with a couple of guys." He was released Tuesday morning — which means OK Go's gig Tuesday night in Jacksonville, Florida, will go on as scheduled. ... Also in trouble is Less Than Jake frontman Chris Demakes, who was arrested last week while the Gainesville, Florida, ska band was filming a video in Los Angeles for the track "Overrated" — the first single off In With the Out Crowd, due May 23. According to a label spokesperson, the band was in the Topanga Plaza shopping mall, performing for people chowing down in the food court. Security guards asked the band to hit the bricks, and when

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For The Record: Quick News On Kelly Clarkson, Chris Brown, Young Jeezy, Outkast, 311, Nickelback & More

30 Jan 2006 17:38:00 EST

Clarkson, Brown set for download rap session; 311 move 3-11 Day.
By MTV News staff report

Kelly Clarkson
Photo: Getty Images

Kelly Clarkson, Chris Brown, Common and MTV News' Sway will discuss the state of the music industry with high school students on February 6 as part of Grammy week. The What's the Download Rap Session, sponsored by the Recording Academy, will be held at Newman Hall on the University of Southern California campus. ... Eminem's Shady Records isn't throwing Detroit's only pre-Super Bowl bash. Lil Jon will host a party at hot spot Agave on Friday, and at the same venue the following night, Ludacris and actor Anthony Anderson will be the main attractions for a soiree dubbed Hustle & Flow: Detroit Style. Luda will also be performing at the Palace of Auburn Hills on Friday with Young Jeezy, Juvenile, Twista and Juelz Santana. R. Kelly, meanwhile, will perform on Sunday at the Glass House, and Diddy has three shindigs booked: his Diddy's Cashmere Luxe Party at the Elysium Lounge on Friday; the 5th Player's Ball on Saturday and the Diamonds and Furs party on Sunday — both being held at Captain's Bar & Grille in Detroit. Former Detroit Pistons player Derrick Coleman is hosting the Platinum Party, which will feature Nelly, Murphy Lee, Ali and Gipp; that party's happening on Saturday at the Detroit Opera House. Nelly will join Jamie Foxx, John Legend, the Four Tops and Martha Reeves and the Vandellas for the Motown Music Fest at the Masonic Temple on Saturday. And lastly, Kanye West, Nickelback, Train and the Goo Goo Dolls will perform during the Pepsi Smash Super Bowl Bash on Thursday inside the city's State Theatre. ... It may still be lacking a release date, but now at least there's a trailer available for "Idlewild," the much-delayed feature-film debut from Outkast. Currently streaming over at the movie's official site, IdlewildMovie.net, the trailer shows 'Kast's Andre 3000 and Big Boi as Percival and Rooster, two lifelong friends who open up a speakeasy called Church in the 1930s South. Several new Outkast songs are played throughout, and at the end of the trailer we're told that the soundtrack to the film is due in stores on February 14 — though Outkast's label says that information is no longer true, and that the album has no firm release date. ... Slip-N-Slide Records was awarded an injunction last week in its legal battle with TVT Records over the rights to an album's worth of material Pitbull recorded in 2001 — before he signed with TVT Records, which released his debut, M.I.A.M.I., in 2004. The injunction, granted by a U.S. District Court magistrate judge, bars TVT Records' efforts to thwart the release of the disc, Welcome to the 305. The record was slated for release last May but TVT obtained a cease-and-desist order, which scared off Slip-N-Slide's distributors. TVT's action, the judge determined, damaged Slip-N-Slide's business dealings with potential buyers. The injunction clears the way for the label to release the album, but there's no word yet on when Slip-N-Slide might do that. ... Jennifer Garner, Scarlett Johansson and Teri Hatcher are among the actors who sing on a new album of lullabies and ballads called Unexpected Dreams: Songs From the Stars. Due March 28 and benefiting Music Matters, the Los Angeles Philharmonic's music-education program, the album also includes Ewan McGregor, Eric McCormack, Nia Vardalos, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Lucy Lawless. ... Dinosaur Jr. seem to be getting along just fine. The reunited indie-rock heroes have announced dates for an upcoming spring tour that will take the band to a number of cities for the first time since the original trio joined forces again last year. The spate of 23 announced dates kicks off on March 29 in Dallas and includes stops in New Orleans, Nashville, Salt Lake City and a two-night stand in San Francisco April 19-20. Even better for hard-core fans, the bandmembers are in guitarist/singer J Mascis' home studio recording new material, but they're not saying what it's for just yet. In the meantime, look for the release of their first-ever live concert DVD this summer. ... Need more Joy Division in your Easter Mass? The BBC will air a live Passion parade from the streets of Northern England's musical mecca, Manchester, on Good Friday. While the BBC is keeping mum about who will play Jesus Christ, Judas Iscariot and Pontius Pilate, it has announced that Jesus will belt out tunes from some of your favorite Manchester bands, including Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart" during the Last Supper, and a duet with Pontius Pilate on the Oasis hit "Wonderwall." ... Manchester music fans witnessed an early resurrection on Saturday when former Smiths bassist Andy Rourke joined his ex-bandmate Johnny Marr onstage. The surprise reunion took place at a Manchester versus Cancer benefit with Morrissey-free renditions of "How Soon Is Now?" and "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out," according to the BBC. The duo have not played together in public since the Smiths broke up in 1987. ... Fans of Beenie Man put a new spin on the term "crowd participation" on Tuesday in London. A man made off with Beenie's $180,000 watch, but several fans who witnessed the crime, which took place at a record store, pursued the robber and got the toaster's watch back. ... Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson of the Roots will give a talk about the relationship between jazz and hip-hop Wednesday at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York. The event will be held at 7 p.m. in the Irene Diamond Education Center. ... 311 will move the 2006 edition of their 3-11 Day concert (held, of course, on March 11) from Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, which is still damaged from Hurricane Katrina, to the MidSouth Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee. At the 3-11 Day concert in 2004, 311 played a five-hour set of 68 songs. ... Manowar guitarist Karl Logan was injured last week in a motorcycle accident, from which he sustained severe injuries to his left arm. According to the band's Web site, the mishap "will prevent [Logan] from performing for an as-yet-unknown period of time," and will also delay the release of the band's forthcoming, still-untitled album. Bassist Joey DeMaio assured fans that the accident will not debilitate the 'War. "Nothing ever has, or ever will, stop Manowar," he wrote on the site. 1.27.2006 Missy Elliott is collaborating with Mike Simpson of the Dust Brothers to score the upcoming film "Stick It," which stars Missy Peregrym as a reluctant gymnast and Jeff Bridges as her coach. Elliott's third single from The Cookbook, "We Run This," will be the film's theme song. She shot a video for it with director Dave Meyers earlier this month in Los Angeles, with Olympic gold-medalist Dominique Dawes making a cameo as Elliott's gymnastics coach, making her do the balance beam, uneven bars and a floor routine. "Stick It" is due in theaters in April. ... (Click for photos from the set of "We Run This.") Dave Grohl is calling his unborn child "The Karate Kid" because of how much kicking she's already doing. "All I know is right now my baby is one of the most hyperactive children," the Foo Fighters frontman told MTV Europe. "I mean, she's not born, but I don't even have to feel my wife's stomach anymore. I just have to watch her shirt." The littlest Foo is due in March, but she's not the only Foo baby on the way — guitarist Chris Shiflett and his wife are expecting their second child, Shiflett revealed to MTV Europe before drummer Taylor Hawkins could break the news once again (Hawkins had let it slip to MTV about Grohl's baby earlier this month). "Thanks, Taylor," Grohl said. "We were trying to keep that private!" ... The recording academy announced earlier this week that a special tribute to legendary soul artists Sly and the Family Stone will take place during next month's Grammy Awards — but a report in Friday's (January 27) Washington Post said that the group's original lineup may be re-forming for the event as well. Notoriously reclusive bandleader Sly Stone has not made a major public appearance since 1993 and last performed publicly in 1987; the group's original lineup, which sources cited in the Post said is slated to begin rehearsals next week, has not performed together since 1971. The sources also warned that, owing to Stone's well-documented erratic behavior (he has been arrested on drug charges numerous times), the whole thing could fall apart at any moment. Grammy spokesperson Ron Roecker called the reports "rumor" in the Post but noted that Stone was expected to attend. A different spokesperson told MTV News that the group's contribution has not been confirmed "yet." ... Kristin Cavallari's tried cocaine, she reveals in the March issue of Teen People. "It was fun for, like, 20 minutes, but the next day, I just didn't feel good about myself," she told the mag. "It's a dirty drug. I find people who do coke to be very shady, that they're doing it makes them lie about things. I wouldn't want to date someone who's into it." Instead, she's dating drug-free Brody Jenner of "The Princes of Malibu," which she calls her "first mature relationship." "With Stephen [Colletti], it was like high school fun." That is, except for when he two-timed her with fellow "Laguna Beach" star Lauren "LC" Conrad. "I saw what happened when I watched the season-one DVD," Cavallari said. "I cried for days." This, of course, di

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For The Record: Quick News On Fall Out Boy, Ciara, LL Cool J, The Olsen Twins, Ginuwine, 311 & More

18 Jan 2006 17:28:00 EST

Fall Out Boy, LL set for pre-Grammy gigs; Ginuwine picks next single; 311 to tour.
By MTV News staff report

Photo: Dan Higgins

Fall Out Boy, LL Cool J, the Goo Goo Dolls and Bonnie Raitt are doing a series of pre-Grammy shows at the House of Blues in Hollywood called "Signature Sounds Live on the Sunset Strip." The Goo Goo Dolls kick off the series February 4, Raitt follows on February 5, Fall Out Boy perform February 6 and LL Cool J with special guests Ciara and Ne-Yo finishes things off on February 7. Both Fall Out Boy and Ciara are up for Best New Artist. ... Ginuwine's dropping his second single from Back II Da Basics, called "I'm in Love," just in time for Valentine's Day and his Ladies Night Out Tour with Jagged Edge, Donell Jones, Case and Ne-Yo. The trek begins February 8 in Norfolk, Virginia, and wraps March 5 in Miami. Ginuwine is also gearing up to launch a clothing line (Genuine Clothes and Genuine Jeans) and start shooting his next movie, "Rhythm Night," co-starring Whoopi Goldberg. ... Jagged Edge's new, self-titled album is due March 28, and features tracks produced by Jermaine Dupri and a guest spot from John Legend (on "Season's Change"). ... Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have hired a teen expert who herself has recovered from an eating disorder to write an advice column for their Web site, mary-kateandashley.com. Jessica Weiner, the author of "A Very Hungry Girl" as well as the new book "Do I Look Fat in This? Life Doesn't Begin Five Pounds From Now," will write a column called "Real Girls, Real Advice," which will address the many queries the twins' fans have sent to the site regarding such issues as self-esteem, boys, popularity, friendship, family, and body image. ... 311 have unveiled dates for their upcoming spring tour, which kicks off February 26 in Santa Cruz, California. Dates run through March 26 in Kahului, Hawaii. An opening act for the trek has not yet been announced. ... Saves the Day and Circa Survive will be hitting the road together starting March 8 in Santa Cruz. The 24-date trek winds down April 6 in Cleveland. ... OK Go are hitting the road on Monday for a few months' worth of headlining dates and supporting slots with Motion City Soundtrack. The outing, which includes a "Jimmy Kimmel Live" stop on March 1, ends March 12 in Orlando, Florida. ... Sparta, the band that features the members of At the Drive-In who didn't go on to form Mars Volta, have signed a deal with Hollywood Records. The band's third album, the follow-up to 2004's Porcelain, will be released this summer. ... The Sugarcubes are putting out their first DVD collection in the form of two discs, "The Sugarcubes Live Zabor DVD," featuring 15 live performances from 1988 and 1989, and "Sugarcubes the DVD," which compiles the band's biggest videos. The live disc also includes commentary and the band's hit singles "Birthday," "Motorcrash" and "Delicious Demon," while the video comp has three bonus clips, for "Hit," "Walkabout" and "Vitamin." Both discs are due February 7. ... Live will release their Jim Wirt-produced seventh album, Songs From Black Mountain, on April 11. The first single, "The River," is available online now. ... UB40 get political once again on their new album, Who You Fighting For?, which includes such state-of-the-world tracks as "Plenty More" and "Sins of the Fathers." "You can't help but be influenced by what's going on around you," guitarist/vocalist Robin Campbell said. "We have some very strong topics to fire us up but we are not trying to provide answers. We would never presume to offer solutions. There's a propaganda machine that swings into action during a war. Young recruits are told they are fighting for freedom, so Who You Fighting For? is our small attempt to counteract that." The album is due Tuesday. ... 01.17.2006 Axl Rose made a rare appearance Friday at a party at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery to announce Korn's upcoming See You on the Other Side tour. The reclusive Guns N' Roses frontman mingled with Korn as well as fellow musicians from Good Charlotte, Linkin Park, the Black Eyed Peas, Avenged Sevenfold, the Used, Puddle of Mudd, Papa Roach, Alkaline Trio and 10 Years. Jessica Alba, Rachel Bilson and Adam Brody were also in attendance. ... Avril Lavigne has been tapped to perform during the closing ceremonies of the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy. She's part of an eight-minute production that's previewing the next Olympic Winter Games, taking place in her native Canada in 2010. This year's games start February 10 and wrap February 26. ... Paris Hilton didn't have to show up in court on Tuesday (January 17) after all — one case against her, for harassment, was continued until February 7, when a judge will consider an event promoter's request for a restraining order against the heiress/actress. The other case against Hilton, for slander, had a little bit more movement, since the judge in that case granted four of her motions for more information as part of the discovery process. The slander case will resume in Santa Monica, California, on February 24. ... Juvenile was arrested in Ocala, Florida, on Friday hours before he was to perform at a local nightclub. He was released on his own recognizance that same evening, and made it just in time for the gig. According to The Associated Press, the New Orleans rapper was picked up on a warrant relating to an active child-support case. Juvenile's new disc, Reality Check, drops March 7. ... Ashanti performed Friday night at what's commonly referred to as Detroit's prom — an annual black-tie charity gala that counted Aretha Franklin and Steve Harvey among its 17,000 guests (most of whom paid $400 per ticket for the privilege of mingling amid the latest concept cars). The North American International Auto Show raised $6.8 million for 11 Detroit-based nonprofit organizations, including children's charities, education funds and police athletic leagues. ... Nick Lachey isn't an underwear model (yet), but he'll play one on TV, when he guests on the sitcom "Twins." Lachey's episode, called "Himbo," finds Jessica Simpson's ex playing Charlie Solik, an underwear-model-turned-underwear-mogul. The episode airs February 24 at 9:30 p.m. on the WB. ... Just weeks after fellow "American Idol" third-season finalist Jennifer Hudson was cast in an upcoming movie adaptation of the musical "Dreamgirls," runner-up Diana DeGarmo is going straight to Broadway. The singer has signed on to play Penny Pingleton in "Hairspray," and will begin her run on February 7. ... Lil Jon and Lil Scrappy will appear in E-40's video for his new single, "Tell Me When," which showcases the Bay Area's "hyphy" movement. Jon executive produced E's new album, My Ghetto Report Card, due in March and featuring production from Jon and Kanye West and guest appearances from Mike Jones, Juelz Santana, 8Ball and UGK. E-40 is also releasing a book called "E-40's Dictionary Book of Slang, Vol. 1" and a liquor called Cloud 9 this spring. ... Chamillionaire is shooting a video in Dallas on Thursday for his next single, "Ridin," which features Krayzie Bone. Life Garland, who helmed Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz's "Get Low" clip, is directing. ... Michael Jackson's been busy in Bahrain — he's in talks to help develop entertainment projects in that country — but he's allegedly been neglecting Neverland in the process. PETA accuses the singer of animal cruelty for abandoning the animals in residence at his Neverland Ranch, keeping them in "little more than holding cells" while he's away, instead of relocating them to zoos or sanctuaries where they can be taken care of properly. The animal-rights group is asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture to investigate. ... Beatmaker Scott Storch — who owned the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for half of 2005 with hits from Mario ("Let Me Love You"), 50 Cent ("Candy Shop") and Chris Brown ("Run It!") — is crabby that he's getting no love from the Grammy committee, which snubbed the 32-year-old for Producer of the Year. "I was extremely disappointed to find I was not nominated ... and even more so when I saw the list of nominees," Storch said in a statement, claiming that the shutout was a result of politics within the committee. Instead, nods went to Danger Mouse, Nigel Godrich, Steve Lillywhite, and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. ... Andrew W.K., David Lee Roth and Ace Frehley, as well as members of Queens of the Stone Age, Guns N' Roses, Warrant, Tiger Army, Dio and many more metal bands, will take the stage Thursday at the second annual Raven's Heart Benefit at the Fais Do-Do in Los Angeles. The all-star jam is a benefit for the Raven's Heart Foundation, launched last year for Raven Nicole Robinson, who is still living with a large hole in her heart. ...

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'Out Of Control' Scott Stapp Incites Melee With 311 At Baltimore Hotel

01 Dec 2005 16:07:00 EST

Former Creed singer brawled in lounge with three members of 311 on Thanksgiving.
By James Montgomery

Photo: Paul Hawthorne/Getty Images

When Scott Stapp and members of 311 got together in a Baltimore hotel on Thanksgiving, it wasn't exactly a cordial holiday celebration. In fact, according to 311's Doug "SA" Martinez, it was quite the opposite. On Thursday night, Martinez, bassist P-Nut and drummer Chad Sexton were sitting in the lounge of the Harbor Court Hotel with their wives, watching a Los Angeles Lakers basketball game. Suddenly an "out of his mind" Stapp entered the lounge, and from there things got ugly. "He was acting out of control, looking for attention and being loud and obnoxious. He walked up to the bar, took a shot of whiskey and then slammed the shot glass down on the bar, and it shattered everywhere," Martinez told MTV News. "Then he got into it with some patrons and all of a sudden he's walking up to us and telling us how much of an inspiration we were to him. And it was nice, but we had all just eaten our Thanksgiving dinner, and he was drunk, so it got really annoying really quickly. "After a while he went back to the bar and was looking for attention. And then a few minutes later, he came back to the table where my wife was, sat down across from us and wanted attention," Martinez continued. "So eventually, since [no one] was forthcoming, he said some disrespectful things towards my wife and I set my glass down and asked him what he said, and then Chad came over and said, 'Don't talk to her that way,' and Scott got up and Chad followed him." Martinez said things quickly escalated from there, as Stapp turned and "sucker-punched" Sexton in the face — inadvertently hitting Martinez's wife in the process. "And all of a sudden it was on. I threw a punch and hit Scott. He went down. Then Chad came over and hit Scott too," Martinez said. "At that point we held Scott down until hotel security came to break it up. Then the police arrived, escorted Scott to his room and then told him to get out of the hotel." A spokesperson for Stapp did not return MTV News' requests for comment on the altercation, and according to the Baltimore police department, no charges have been filed. The melee left Martinez with a fractured knuckle on his right hand, which he fitted with a soft cast the following day. P-Nut reopened a surgery scar in the fight, though Martinez isn't exactly sure how that happened. "Everything happened so quickly, man. Like stuff was getting knocked over, and that's maybe how P-Nut got hurt," he said. "I mean, I haven't been in a fight since probably third grade, so the whole thing was pretty surreal. It was out of control. Scott was enraged. And as we were holding him down, I felt really bad for him. I was concerned for him ... But at least the Lakers won."

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For The Record: Quick News On Eve, Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, Kristin Cavalleri, Omarion, 311 & More

20 Oct 2005 17:35:00 EDT

Eve four songs away from done; Nicole on reconciliation with Paris; 311 add more tour dates.
By MTV News staff report

Eve at the Playstation2 party
Photo: MTV News

Eve is four songs away from finishing her as-yet-untitled fourth album, due in February. "Swizz Beatz did a lot of stuff," Eve said Wednesday. "I'm now with Aftermath again, but Swizz is like my brother. Dre hasn't come in yet, but he will, he's the captain of the ship. It's definitely gonna sound different than anything anybody's ever heard [from me], but not in a scary way. It's just in a more mature way." ... Eve was one of the many celebrities who hit Rock & Republic's fashion show as part of Los Angeles Fashion Week. Paris Hilton, Katie Holmes and Victoria Beckham also caught the sultry show, which featured a Madonna/ Britney Spears-inspired kiss between two models. DJ AM spun at the afterparty. Also in attendance were several castmembers from "Laguna Beach," including Kristin Cavalleri, who revealed she's taking acting classes. "I like both comedy and drama, so we'll see," she said. "I've had a lot of meetings trying to decide my next career move. There's things we're talking about, but I don't want to jinx it." ... Nicole Richie doesn't think there's much hope for her and Paris Hilton to ever become friends again. Richie, who's on the cover of the November issue of Jane, told the magazine that the rift has been going on for much longer than has been reported. "We really haven't been friends in probably about two years," she said. Could there ever be a reconciliation? "No, not at this point. I know that Paris loves to talk about it and that stuff, but that's just not my style." ... Madonna's done surprise club gigs in the past to promote her new albums, and Confessions on a Dance Floor will be no different, she promised during a recent sitdown with MTV News. She's already lining up gigs in London at G-A-Y and Camden Palace, where she played "a hundred years ago" (actually 1983, but who's counting?). But what about hitting a club in, say, New York or Los Angeles? "There could be, but I'm not going to say anything," she teased. "Shh!" ... Meanwhile, Madonna will presumably be more open when she celebrates the 60th anniversary of the United Nations on Saturday in Pasadena, California. Morgan Freeman is the honorary chairman of the event (for which Madonna sits on the committee), which is being billed as "supporting the U.N. vision" including "keeping peace throughout the world" and "encouraging respect for each other's rights and freedoms." ... Bono rubbed elbows with President Bush during lunch at the White House on Wednesday. The U2 frontman was in town for a concert at Washington, D.C.'s MCI Center, and Bush invited the philanthropic rocker over for lunch to further discuss debt relief, AIDS, malaria and world trade, Bush's spokesperson, Scott McClellan, said. The two-hour meeting was a follow-up to the talks the duo had during the G8 Summit in Scotland this summer before the Live 8 shows. Bono and Bush ate in a private dining area off the Oval Office and the rocker received a tour of the grounds before he left. ... Michael Jackson, who was acquitted of child-molestation charges in June, has been called in for jury duty in Santa Barbara, California. A request for deferment has been filed on the superstar's behalf, his attorney Thomas Mesereau told The Associated Press, and he will most likely be let off from serving jury duty since he no longer lives in the United States. "All he has to do is show he has legal residency somewhere else and he will be exempted," Jury Commissioner Gary Blair told the AP. The singer has been keeping a low profile since his trial concluded this summer, spending most of his time out of the spotlight in the Persian Gulf country of Bahrain. ... Shooting began on the outskirts of Los Angeles this week on "Somebody Help Me," the teen horror flick starring Omarion and Marques Houston. Chris Stokes, who manages the singers and directed them in "You Got Served," is directing from his own script. ... Back in the days when he was still known as John Gillis, White Stripes frontman Jack White landed himself an apprenticeship at Detroit's Muldoon Studio, an upholstery shop run by family friend — and amateur drummer — Brian Muldoon. In addition to reupholstering couches, the two began jamming out as a guitar/drums combination (sound familiar?). Fast-forward more than a decade, and White is a platinum rock star. And to say thanks for all the upholstering advice, he produced a single for Muldoon's band, a three-piece (along with his sons Hunter and Shane) called, well, the Muldoons. White then pressed the single as a limited-edition 7-inch and sold it at the Stripes' recent homecoming gig earlier this month. Oh, and he let the Muldoons open the show, too. ... Ryan Dallas Cook, who played trombone for Orange County ska-punk outfit Suburban Legends, was killed in a hit-and-run accident Wednesday morning. According to the Orange County Register, the 23-year-old was riding a motorcycle along the Costa Mesa Freeway in Santa Ana, California, when he hit a dark-colored Hyundai. Cook was thrown from the motorcycle and struck multiple times by oncoming cars. He was dead by the time emergency-response crews arrived at the scene; the Hyundai fled the area. ... 311 have added 14 more dates to their current fall trek, extending the run — which features the Exit and Alien Ant Farm as openers for its bulk, with Pepper, Zack Hexum, Blackalicious, Grasshopper Takeover, Shootyz Groove and Agents of the Sun on select dates — through December 14 in Los Angeles. Before this week, the tour's dates ran up through November 23 in Lowell, Massachusetts. ... "So You Think You Can Dance" is coming back for a second season, starting next summer, FOX announced this week. ... A federal court in Los Angeles temporarily stopped a Web site from advertising that it can teach people how to legally trade music, video games and movies that are still in theaters. The site, MP3DownloadCity.com, was ordered to stop promoting its service after the Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint against its operator alleging that the site fooled customers into believing that for $24.95 they could legally engage in peer-to-peer file-swapping, according to the Motion Picture Association of America. The FTC has warned customers who used the service to download copyrighted material that they are engaging in copyright infringement and has asked the court to have the site's operator turn over his profits and issue a permanent ban on the ads. The MPAA filed suit against six similar Web sites that "facilitate online movie piracy" last week. ... 10.19.2005 MTV Latin America announced on Wednesday (October 19) that it has postponed its fourth annual Video Music Awards until further notice due to the increased intensity of Hurricane Wilma, currently a Category 5 storm brewing off the Gulf of Mexico. The Latin VMAs were slated to be held on Thursday in Mexico's Playa Del Carmen resort in the Caribbean, which MTV felt was a bit too close to Wilma's projected path. "While the eye of the storm is not expected to hit the Mexican Caribbean, we feel its effect is close enough to greatly impact our production," MTV said in a statement. "Unfortunately, given the magnitude of this event, we could not wait for further developments to make this decision without jeopardizing the creative integrity of the show. Furthermore, the safety and security of our staff, audience, talent and clients is our top priority." There is no word yet on when the show will be rescheduled. ... A charity auction to help victims of Hurricane Katrina will go online at noon PT on Monday with items donated by Blink-182, Good Charlotte, Green Day, Jimmy Eat World, New Found Glory, Nirvana, No Doubt, Ozzy Osbourne, the Ramones, Rob Zombie, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Used, 311 and dozens of other bands as well as music and extreme-sports companies. The Unite the United charity organization was founded by the organizers of the Vans Warped Tour and Taste of Chaos Tour; for more information or to bid, go to www.UniteTheUnited.com. ... A Bright Eyes live album, Motion Sickness, will surface November 15 through Conor Oberst's Team Love Records — but only in independent record stores. The album will contain 15 tracks that were recorded last winter. Look for the disc to include "Land Locked Blues," "Old Soul Song" and a cover of Elliott Smith's "The Biggest Lie." ... Cuban Link is getting himself in trouble with the law, at least on television. He guest stars in an upcoming episode of "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," in which he plays Enrique, a pimp who works with child prostitutes that a nun is trying to get off the street. When that nun turns up dead in her inner-city church, Vincent D'Onofrio's detective character questions Link, who leads him to some not-so-usual suspects. The episode, called "The Acts of Contrition," airs Sunday at 9 p.m. on NBC. ... Clay Aiken won't be home for the holidays — he's going on what he calls the second installment of his Joyful Noise Tour, a follow-up to the holiday trek he did last year. This time, he'll sing songs that he recorded for the platinum Merry Christmas With Love that didn't appear on the album, as well as new arrangements for some traditional tunes. The tour will also feature a new element, a series of vignettes with a running storyline that Aiken wrote, featuring two main characters and supporting roles which will be cast in each city with local actors. The 40-date tour kicks off November 2 in Vancouver, British Columbia, and concludes December 3