Nelly (file)
Photo: Getty Images

Chart toppers Nelly and Destiny's Child will be staying up late Saturday night as they will serve as the musical guests on FOX's "Mad TV" and NBC's "Saturday Night Live," respectively. Nelly will perform "Na-Nana-Na." Meanwhile, Beyoncé, Kelly and Michelle will take the "SNL" stage for "Cater 2 U" and "Soldier," which will also feature an appearance by Lil' Wayne. ...

U2's Bono has been getting the opera bug lately. After shooting a video for the song "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own" with an opera theme, the singer collaborated with opera icon Luciano Pavarotti on a cover of "Ave Maria," which will be featured on the B-side of "Sometimes You Can't." The DVD single will feature a remix of earlier single "Vertigo" remixed by Trent Reznor. ... The frame and the famed rusted tin roof that was shouted out in the B-52's track "Love Shack" are all that is left after a recent fire. The Athens, Georgia, cabin believed to be the inspiration for the track was once inhabited by B-52's singer Kate Pierson but was unoccupied at the time of the blaze, according to The Associated Press. A local fire inspector told the AP that an electric problem or gas leak could not be blamed, as the cabin was not hooked up for utilities, adding that building supplies being used to renovate the place were stolen. ...

Montreal buzz band the Arcade Fire are taking their act Stateside for a full-scale tour. The trek begins January 12 with a three-night stand in San Francisco and winds its way through most of the West and South before wrapping up February 3 in Boston. ... Johnny Ramone's unfinished book may see the light of day. On the Ramones' Web site, Marky Ramone posted a note saying that Johnny's "writer called me for an interview about four months ago, and was very professional. I just hope that there isn't going to be someone else completing Johnny's book, it wouldn't be accurate, and we definitely don't need another book of quotes. He did tell me that he was going to make a book that included posters, backstage passes, old photos and other interesting things to look at." ...

Xbox gamers, start planning for summer. "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas," which has previously only been available for the PlayStation 2 platform, is coming to the Xbox and PCs on June 7. ... Stereolab singer Laetitia Sadier plans on dropping her second album under the Monade moniker in March. The as-yet-untitled LP follows 2003's Socialisme Ou Barbarie. ... Some Cities, the third album by ambient rock trio Doves, is set for release March 1. The disc follows up their 2002 breakthrough, The Last Broadcast. ...

12.16.2004

Ashlee Simpson has a high-profile gig lined up to help her warm up for her upcoming tour — she's going to perform at the Orange Bowl halftime show on January 4 in Miami. Her sister, Jessica, and brother-in-law, Nick Lachey, did the gig in 2004. ... Hoobastank have postponed their final shows of the year (in Florida, Minnesota and Wisconsin) to allow singer Doug Robb to recover from bronchial pneumonia. Robb was hospitalized earlier in the week and ordered to rest. ...

While she's supposed to be taking a break from her career, Britney Spears has just wrapped another video — for "Do Somethin'," one of the new songs on her greatest-hits collection. Fans might not have a chance to see the clip, though, as it's only being serviced overseas. ... The Broadcast Film Critics Association named Lindsay Lohan a Best Young Actress nominee for its Critics' Choice Awards on Wednesday, and also nominated "Metallica: Some Kind of Monster" for Best Documentary. "Sideways" earned the most nominations (eight). The winners will be announced during a January 10 ceremony at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles. Eric McCormack will host the show, which the WB will broadcast live. ...

Mötley Crüe frontman Vince Neil has landed in hot water again. On Wednesday, Dallas police issued a warrant for his arrest, stemming from an incident that allegedly occurred during a Neil solo show in October. Neil faces a misdemeanor assault charge for allegedly punching a soundman at the Dallas-area club Gilleys. If convicted, Neil faces up to a year in jail and a fine of $4,000. ... P. Diddy has made CNN and Time magazine's 2004 list of "Global Business Influentials." Diddy was honored for his "combined celebrity and smart branding" for his record label, restaurants and marketing company, Blue Flame. MTV Networks Chairman and CEO Judy McGrath also made the list, for her work running MTV, MTV2, VH1, CMT, Nickelodeon, TV Land and Comedy Central. ...

Christina Aguilera will be the host for the 2005 MTV Asia Awards, to be held in early February in Bangkok, Thailand. Maroon 5 are slated to perform at the event. ... Sony's PSP is still a few months away from U.S. stores and already the handheld wars have begun. To compete with the PSP's ability to play digital music files as well as games, Nintendo announced plans for an adaptor for its Game Boy Advance SP and Nintendo Advance that allows the same multimedia feature. The Nintendo's peripheral is expected to be available in mid-February, around the same time the PSP, which is already available in Japan, drops. ...

Seminal post-punkers Gang of Four have re-formed for a few dates in the U.K., with a U.S. tour to follow. The original lineup, whose funky punk and dance-rock influence can be heard in bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Franz Ferdinand, will play their first show together since 1995 on January 23 in Manchester, England. ... Fatboy Slim, Beth Orton, Billy Idol and Aimee Mann are among the first performers announced for South by Southwest 2005 in Austin, Texas, from March 11-20. Mavis Staples and Erykah Badu will speak at the conference, joining keynote speaker Robert Plant. ...

British DJ Paul Oakenfold has relocated to Los Angeles to focus more on scoring movies. The DJ, who has written music for "Swordfish," "Collateral" and other flicks, is currently working on "The Pink Panther." ... These are good times for Ludacris. His new album, The Red Light District, just made its debut atop the Billboard albums chart, and now Cris has signed an exclusive worldwide publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group. He was previously signed to EMI Music. ...

CiWYW, a star-studded album Los Angeles hip-hop group L.A. Symphony recorded in 2001 but were never able to release due to the folding of their record label, is finally available on the group's Web site (www.lasymphony.com), through December 31. Black Eyed Peas and Pharcyde's Fat Lip contributed raps, while Will.I.Am, Prince Paul and Mario C (of Beastie Boys fame) co-produced. ... Bombastic '70s/'80s rockers Journey will be given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on January 21. The band, which has sold 75 million albums since 1973, will perform that night at the House of Blues in West Hollywood. Tickets for the show go on sale December 18. ...

• Nelly
• Destiny's Child
• U2
• The B-52's
• Arcade Fire

B-52's Cindy Wilson, Fred Schneider & Kate Pierson
Photo: Denise Truscello/WireImage.com

NEW YORK — "This is our 25th anniversary — that makes us 30," the B-52's' Fred Schneider joked from the Irving Plaza stage Monday night. Thirty they're not, but their minimalist lunatic art-dance music remains joyously unstoppable a quarter of a century after they exploded on the downtown New York club scene in 1979.

The B's are playing a smattering of dates in support of their anthology Nude on the Moon, and performed to a packed house filled with both Cosmic Thing-era fans and folks who were old enough to have seen the original band in its heyday. (Click for photos from the event.)

Old-school aficionados were treated to guest appearances by members of B-52's contemporaries and art rock scene-masters Talking Heads, as well as by Yoko Ono, widow of the late Beatle John Lennon, but more significantly here as an artist whose vocal experimentation in the '70s was an influence on the B's sound.

The band was the "Love Shack" configuration, with original members Fred Schneider (vocals, percussion, walkie talkies), Kate Pierson (vocals and keyboards), Cindy Wilson (vocals and percussion) and Keith Strickland (guitar) supported by Sterling Campbell on drums, Pat Irwin on keyboards and Sara Lee on bass, formerly of Gang of Four (founding member Ricky Wilson died in 1985). The group put down a 90-minute, balcony-shaking, 16-song set of its classics, with enough updated arrangements to keep it fresh for the audience and apparently fun for the band. Yet the Immortal Truths of the B-52's live ritual remained. Every soul drawing breath in the room sang the "Why don't you dance with me?" portion of "Dance This Mess Around." Anyone who thought that the subject of "Planet Claire" may be from Mars or one of the stars had that misconception cleared up. And the band still gets the audience to crouch down onto the ground when commanded during "Rock Lobster."

It was at that precise moment in "Rock Lobster" that 68-year-old Yoko Ono hit the stage, to warble and screech with the rest of the band for the show's finale. Coming immediately after "Planet Claire," when Talking Heads (and Tom Tom Club-ers) Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz joined the band to punctuate the Peter Gunn bass and drum line, it was an appropriately bizarre ending for the band that made bizarre fun so many years ago.

B-52's set list:

• "Dance This Mess Around"
• "Good Stuff"
• "Lava"
• "Roam"
• "Hero Worship"
• "Quiche Lorraine"
• "Private Idaho"
• "Revolution Earth"
• "Deadbeat Club"
• "Hallucinating Pluto"
• "Strobe Light"
• "Love Shack"
• "Whammy Kiss"
• "Planet Claire" (with Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth)
• "Rock Lobster" (with Yoko Ono)

Read about all of the shows we've recently covered in Tour Reports.

• The B-52's
• Yoko Ono
• Talking Heads
• Tom Tom Club

Beastie Boy Mike D performs at the New Yorkers Against Violence Benefit on 10.29.01 in New York.  
Photo: MTV News

The Beastie Boys have proven they still have "the skills to pay the bills," raising more than $125,000 for New York victims of September's terrorist attacks with a pair of benefit concerts they spearheaded in October.

The money will benefit the New York Women's Foundation's Disaster Relief Fund and the New York Association for New Americans Inc.'s September 11 Fund For New Americans, according to the Beastie Boys' publicist. The recipients were chosen because of their commitment to help those least likely to receive aid from other major fund-raising sources.

The Milarepa Fund, a nonprofit organization supporting the Tibetan people's nonviolent struggle to regain independence, will oversee the disbursement of funds.

The New Yorkers Against Violence concerts, organized by Milarepa and the Beastie Boys, took place October 28 and 29 at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom. The first show featured performances by the Strokes, Rival Schools, the B-52's and Cibo Matto (see "Beastie Boys Kick Off Benefits With Peaceful Sonic Assault").

The following night was highlighted by a surprise appearance by Moby, Michael Stipe and Bono, among sets by N*E*R*D, Mos Def, the Roots and the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion (see "Beasties, Bono Can't Upstage The Roots At Second NY Benefit"). The Beastie Boys and Pakistani Qawwali singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan performed at both concerts.

For more information on and audience reaction to the attacks, including tips on how you can help, see "9.11.01: Moving Forward."

Share your thoughts on the attacks in Afghanistan in You Tell Us.

• Beastie Boys
• The Strokes
• Rival Schools
• The B-52's
• Mos Def

Beastie Boy Ad-Rock
Photo: MTV

NEW YORK — The Beastie Boys passed the mic on Sunday for the first time in two years while also passing along a message of worldwide peace and justice to their fans.

Before a sold-out Hammerstein Ballroom crowd that had been jonesing for a B-Boys fix since 1999's Tibetan Freedom Concert, their last public performance, MCA, Ad-Rock and Mike D performed tunes mostly from their last two albums — Hello Nasty (1998) and Ill Communication (1994) — at the first of two benefit shows raising money for those affected by September's World Trade Center disaster.

The aim of the New Yorkers Against Violence concerts — a second is scheduled for Monday (October 29) — is to kindle support for peaceful resolutions to conflicts in the Middle East, some of which have spurred the terrorist attacks. Without coming off as preachy, the Boys, chiefly MCA, and guest speaker Benjamin R. Barber — a University of Maryland professor and author of Jihad Vs. McWorld — encouraged discussion of global justice and urged personal awareness and involvement, while leaving the audience members to make their own decisions on the conflict so long as they were informed.

"[Although we're taking military action], this is also a civic and democratic struggle," Barber said. "Besides bringing the terrorists to justice, we need to take on [and examine] the climate that creates terrorism." Economic globalization, he said, benefits the privileged few while imposing suffering on others, which results in injustices that have triggered ill will toward the U.S. and other Western nations. Barber also contended that, for the long-term good of all, other nations should share in the prosperity of the West.

The crowd took in Barber's words politely with sporadic showings of support, much the same way as they patiently waited through performances by MC/poet Saul Williams, post-hardcore amalgam Rival Schools, downtown hipster-hoppers Cibo Matto, Pakistani Qawwali singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and the B-52's, whose kitsch-crammed performance was awkwardly out of place and went mostly ignored.

The Beastie Boys' closing set was the only act that sparked more than a courteous smattering of cheers from the audience. Fans were all fists in the air during favorites "So What'cha Want" and "Pass the Mic," both from 1992's Check Your Head, and "Root Down" and "Sure Shot," from Ill Communication. Mix Master Mike, who accompanied the trio on the turntables (positioned, of course, "up on the drum risers"), dazzled with nimble steel-wheel stunts. While the lyrics were familiar to most, evidenced by the venue-wide sing-along, the jagged beats and scratching flourishes Mike used as backing music were so disorienting — starting on the beat then breaking free from it with a frenzy, only to somehow return in place without missing a step — that he even lost the Boys, forcing them to start the song again from the beginning.

New York punks the Strokes, in their first hometown performance since March, played a handful of songs, including "Last Nite," "Barely Legal" and the title track of their debut album, Is This It (2001). Backlit by black lights, the group pulled off near-perfect renditions of its studio work while barely moving about the stage. Instead, the Strokes relied on Julian Casablancas' Lou Reed-like vocal melodies to drive the songs through their brilliant simplicity.

Between sets, MCA and Ad-Rock introduced speakers from the charities benefiting from concert proceeds: the New York Women's Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping low-income women, and the New York Association for New Americans Inc., a group that helps refugees and immigrants rebuild their lives, families and communities. Both nonprofits have established September 11 funds (see "Beastie Boys, Strokes, B-52's To Play NYC Benefit").

Monday night's concert will have a decidedly more hip-hop slant, with scheduled performances from Afrika Bambaataa, Mos Def and the Roots as well as the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and Beastie Boys. For a complete two-day concert report, check out mtvnews.com on Tuesday.

For more information on and audience reaction to the attacks, including tips on how you can help, see "9.11.01: Moving Forward."

Share your thoughts on the attacks in Afghanistan in You Tell Us.

• Beastie Boys
• The B-52's

Beastie Boys Ad-Rock and MCA
Photo: MTV News

The Beastie Boys, making their first onstage appearance in more than two years, will headline a benefit concert October 28 in New York for charities helping those affected by the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.

The show, titled New Yorkers Against Violence, will take place at the Hammerstein Ballroom and will also feature the Strokes, Cibo Matto, poet Saul Williams and DJ Stretch Armstrong, Beastie Boys MCA and Ad-Rock told MTV News on Tuesday (October 16). The B-52's, whose singer Fred Schneider was born in New Jersey, round out the primarily New York-area lineup.

The inspiration for the show hit the Boys almost instantly. "[The idea came to us] at about 11:00 on the 11th," Ad-Rock said. "We all watched it happen, and it was like, 'Man, we've got to do something.' The immediate reaction was, we've got to go down there — we could dig — what can we do to help? We're musicians. We know musicians. This is what we're going to do. This is how we can help out."

A second show is being discussed, possibly with post-hardcore vets Rival Schools, MCA and Ad-Rock said.

Tickets for the concert, priced at $50 each, go on sale Wednesday. Proceeds will be donated to a disaster relief fund established by the New York Women's Foundation, a nonprofit group that aids low-income women, and the New York Association for New Americans Inc., a group dedicated to helping refugees and immigrants rebuild their lives, families and communities.

"We're trying to do this in two parts," Ad-Rock explained. "First off, we're doing our part to raise money for the people who need help. While we're doing that, there's a lot going on right now. There's a lot of violence going on right now, and we feel like we need to talk about that."

The last time MCA, Ad-Rock and Mike D passed the mic publicly was for 1999's Tibetan Freedom Concert in East Troy, Wisconsin, alongside Rage Against the Machine, Run-D.M.C., the Roots and Eddie Vedder. Plans for a 2001 TFC in London fell through earlier this year (see "Tibetan Freedom Concert In London Postponed").

Ad-Rock, however, embarked on a brief tour this spring in support of Simply Mortified, the second album by his BS2000 side project, released in February (see "Mike D Producing Spiritualist's Album While Ad-Rock Tours").

For more information on and audience reaction to the attacks, including tips on how you can help, see "9.11.01: Moving Forward."

• Beastie Boys
• The Strokes
• Cibo Matto
• Stretch Arm Strong
• The B-52's

With an impressive list of credits spanning nearly twenty years, veteran bassist Sara Lee will make her debut as a solo artist with "Make It Beautiful," an album due from Ani DiFranco's Righteous Babe Records on September 1.

Lee, whose resume includes work with DiFranco, The B-52's, Gang Of Four, Robert Fripp, Robyn Hitchcock, Fiona Apple, and Indigo Girls, recently spoke with MTV News about her leap into life as a solo artist.

"I'm having now to say that I'm a singer, I suppose," Lee said with a laugh, "because I'm now singing my songs on the record. This is so thrilling for me -- the fact that it's happened the way it has, after having been a bass player for so many years -- to look at myself and think, 'I think I'm a singer now, too,' 'cause I have to go out and front a band."

According to Lee, her years of experience will be apparent on "Make It Beautiful" in a new way, as her songwriting was done with bass in hand.

"My record is very funky -- I like to think it's very funky," Lee offered. "It's very groove, rhythm-orientated. Some of the songs came from basslines that I came up with in sound checks. I very often take my little Walkman to sound checks and record basslines while playing with artists that I work with.

"I came up with a huge amount of one song in my head while I was driving," Lee recalled. "The feel of it, the bassline, the melody, how the drum would go. I just came home and put them all down, and there it was."

That song turned out to be the title track, which wound up with lyrics penned by a friend (and one-time boss).

"Ani DiFranco wrote the lyrics for me for that song, which was a very thrilling moment for me," Lee said of "Make It Beautiful." "I don't write lyrics for my songs, particularly. I sent my songs, the music, to different people to ask them if they would be interested in writing some lyrics. I sent that one to Ani, and she liked it."

Some other well-known names contributed lyrics to Lee's songs, some of whom she had previously played bass for.

"[Indigo Girl] Emily Saliers wrote one," Lee said. "Ani did two, actually. Pal Shazar did four songs, Barbara Gogan from The Passions wrote a song for me. Kristen Hall contributed; she wrote a big hit song worldwide called 'Let It Rain' for Amanda Marshall.

"I was so grateful to the people who did work with me [because] I was somebody that had never written a song before in my life," Lee said, laughing. "It's not as though I had any experience to back me up."

According to Lee, "Make It Beautiful" started as a self-financed project done mostly for the sake of creative satisfaction.

"I knew very strongly at this point that I wanted to make a record," she explained. "But it really didn't matter to me where it went. If it hadn't come out on Righteous Babe, I was prepared to release it myself, not least of all inspired by Ani herself."

To produce the album, Lee enlisted Peter Scherer, a musician she had long admired.

"I was a huge fan of a band that he was a partner in, The Ambitious Lovers. I used to go to every single show," Lee recalled. "I didn't see him again for ten or more years. I was writing these songs, and I didn't know where to begin in terms of making a record. My manager suggested that I take it to Peter and see if he liked the songs, and he did. I was thrilled, because I hold him in very high regard from a musical point of view."

Among the musicians who joined Lee in the studio are Andy Gill (Gang Of Four), Ivan Neville, Charlie Drayton (B-52's), Zack Alfred (David Bowie), Eric Schermerhorn (The The, They Might Be Giants), Eran Tabib (Spin Doctors), and James Brown sax player Pee Wee Ellis, who contributed a horn arrangement. Once "Make It Beautiful" was finished, Lee brought the record to DiFranco.

"[Ani] had heard my music all along while I was writing it," she explained. "She had expressed the notion that she may be interested in it. I sent it to her, and Ani loved it, so she asked me -- in her own way, which was so endearing -- she asked me if I would consider being on Righteous Babe, because she would love me to. I was thrilled, of course."

With her solo album ready for release, Lee told MTV News that she plans to begin some promotional work while completing her upcoming touring commitment with The B-52's (see "Kate Pierson Talks B-52's Tour, New Projects, More").

"The record will be available on my Web site (www.basiclee.com) from the 7th of July," Lee revealed, "even though the official release date isn't until the 1st of September. I do want people to be able to get it, obviously, when I'm out on the road. I'm hoping to visit a few stores or radio stations while I'm out there as well."

As for lining up a road trip of her own, the idea is still in the early stages.

"I'm planning on just getting the band together and doing some local gigs to warm up and get used to being on stage and singing," she said. "Ani mentioned she would like me to open for her on tour. I'm not sure when [that would happen], but that would be wonderful."

• The B-52's
• Ani DiFranco

Pop culture superstars The B-52's will be spending their summer enjoying one of their favorite pastimes: hitting the road and touring the United States.

The band's upcoming tour with the Go-Go's and the Psychedelic Furs promises to be the good-time event of the summer concert season, especially for fans of the classic new wave era of the late '70s and early '80s. MTV News recently spoke with singer Kate Pierson about the tour and other new developments in B-52's-land.

"It's going to be the ultimate summer tour," Pierson enthused. "So many people have danced to us and associate us with summer. So many people come up to me and say, 'You got me through school or a hard time.' And I think the combination with the Go-Go's and the Psychedelic Furs is going to be so much fun."

Although The B-52's are without a new album, Pierson assured MTV News that the band is well oiled and ready to play.

"We've been gigging regularly," said Pierson. "People think that we haven't been playing, but we've been doing a lot of benefits and corporate kind of dates. We just did the AIDS Foundation of Chicago benefit, and we are playing the Atlanta Gay Pride parade. We've been playing a lot, so it's not like we're rusty. We are going to rearrange some old songs and do some songs that we haven't done in a while.

"We still have fun onstage together," she added. "I can't believe we still romp around and have so much fun."

For the heat of big summer tour, the B-52's plan to adapt their characteristic flamboyant stagewear.

"[We'll be] naked, probably, for shock value," Pierson said when asked what outfits the band will be wearing. "We will probably try to wear, since it's summer, something cool, but wild. I can't say we've toned it down at all. Our outfits will be just as colorful and wild as they used to be. Our hairdos might not be as big.

"Now Cindy has two kids that she is going to bring on the road with her, so she's not going to fuss with her hair a lot. I'm not sure if I will go to great lengths for the hairdos, because my hair is... tired," she said, laughing.

"We might do some soundtrack things or some songs for movies [as the B-52's]," the singer said. "But we don't have any immediate plans [to record together] until we finish with our solo stuff. Fred is doing a solo album. Keith is working on a solo record. Cindy just had her second child, so she's working on that, which is quite an undertaking.

"I'm actively working on a solo record," Pierson continued. "I've been working with Roger from 2 In A Room, [the group] that had that hit song 'Wiggle It.' We've been working together. I thought it was going to be a dance record when we started out, but now it's turning into more of an eclectic sound."

Solo projects will be put aside soon as the B-52's prepare for the road trip this summer -- a time of year that Pierson said is special to the band.

"We didn't want it to be an '80's tour," Pierson concluded. "Cyndi Lauper was going to do it at one point, but I ran into her, and she said she didn't want go out without new material; and that's totally how we felt, but at the same time so many people associate us with summer and fun. It's going to be a great summer tour, something that is going to make people feel good and have a really great time."

To catch The B-52's on the road with the Go-Go's and the Psychedelic Furs, here's the groups' itinerary:

• 7/7 - Clarkston, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theatre
• 7/8 - Burgettstown, PA @ Star Lake Amphitheater
• 7/10 - Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
• 7/11 - Tinley Park, IL @ New World Music Theatre
• 7/12 - Milwaukee, WI @ Marcus Amphitheatre
• 7/13 - Cuyahoga Falls, OH @ Blossom Music Center
• 7/15 - Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
• 7/16 - Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
• 7/17 - Camden, NJ @ Blockbuster - Sony Center
• 7/19 - Atlanta, GA @ Lakewood Amphitheatre
• 7/21 - Wantaugh, NY @ Jones Beach Amphitheater
• 7/25 - Dallas, TX @ Starplex Amphitheatre
• 7/26 - The Woodlands, TX @ C.W. Mitchell Pavilion
• 7/28 - Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
• 7/30 - Reno, NV @ Reno Hilton Amphitheatre
• 7/31 - San Francisco, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
• 8/2 - Concord, CA @ Chronicle Pavilion @ Concord
• 8/3 - Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre
• 8/4 - Irvine, CA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
• 8/5 - Las Vegas, NV @ Hard Rock Hotel - The Joint (B-52's only)

• The B-52's

The B-52's have signed on to perform on Showtime Networks' Main Stage on June 25, as part of the 30th Annual Atlanta Pride festival, a three day celebration which is expected to draw an estimated 300,000 people.

The B-52's have signed on to perform on Showtime Networks' Main Stage on June 25, as part of the 30th Annual Atlanta Pride festival, a three-day celebration which is expected to draw an estimated 300,000 people.

The Festival event is being held by The Atlanta Pride Committee, a non-profit organization dedicated to developing awareness of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GBLT) community and celebrating the right to enjoy an alternative lifestyle.

Fred Schneider, Keith Strickland, Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson will perform their memorable party songs "Love Shack," "Rock Lobster," "Roam," and more to cap off a weekend of performances by local and national musicians.

"We are delighted to be involved with such a significant organization as Pride," said group member Cindy Wilson. "The B-52's have always been regarded as being out of the main stream and we embrace Pride's mission to show that every member of the community contributes to the good of the whole. We hope that our playing for Atlanta Pride will promote unity and self respect and will allow us all to have a great party!"

The Atlanta Pride Festival will be held from June 23-25 in the city's Piedmont Park.

• The B-52's

The Go-Go's will spend this summer touring with The B-52's and the Psychedelic Furs, introducing a new audience to the sound that made them legends.

During the 1980s, the sexy quintet were known for fusing punk's energy with pop chops and scoring Top 20 hits with pop anthems like "We Got The Beat" and "Our Lips Are Sealed."

Before the tour, the group's music will be showcased on the album "VH1 Music First: Behind The Music Go-Go's Collection," hitting stores on May 23, 2000.

Their "Summer Road Trip" tour will reunite the original line-up and set the stage for their first studio recording in fifteen years, set for release next spring on the Beyond Music label (see "Jane Wiedlin Talks New Go-Go's Projects").

Dates for the Go-Go's tour with the B-52's and Psychedelic Furs:

8/6 - San Diego, CA @TBA

Related Artists

• The B-52's
• The Go-Go's
• The Psychedelic Furs

]]> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1425082/20000518/b52s.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1425082/20000518/b52s.jhtml 18 May 2000 07:55:00 EDT
B-52 Fred Schneider

Lampoonish rockers the B-52's may be headed for a Saturday morning timeslot in the near future, as the band has just signed a production deal to create an animated series built around the group and its songs.

A publicist for the Athens, Georgia-based group confirms that the B-52's and Stone Stanley Productions (who also handles MTV's "Loveline" program) will develop a series that "Variety" describes as a cross between the '60s TV series "Batman" and the '70s cartoon "Josie and the Pussycats."

While the B-52's cartoon project is still in the preliminary stages, the band's rep indicated that members of the group had agreed to lend their voices and songs to their animated counterparts for the series, which he expected would probably end up on a cable outlet such as Comedy Central.

The spokesperson also said that the band was currently writing material for a new album, the first since 1992's "Good Stuff" -- and the first as a four-piece since 1989's platinum-selling "Cosmic Thing."

Vocalist Cindy Wilson left the group prior to the recording of "Good Stuff" but rejoined the B-52's for last year's reunion tour and helped record the two new songs that appeared on the band's 1998 greatest hits compilation, "Time Capsule: Songs for a Future Generation."

The B-52's are planning to head into a studio later this year and hope to have the new record out by mid-2000. But before that, the B-52's will head out on the road in July to play a series of one-off concerts and festivals.

Dates you can catch the real life B-52's in concert this summer:

• 7/1 - Clarkston, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theater
• 7/2 - Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest
• 7/24 - Las Vegas, NV @ the Joint
• 7/26 - San Diego, CA @ Humphrey's
• 7/27 - Santa Ana, CA @ Galaxy Theater
• 7/28 - Manteca, CA @ Oakwood Lake Resort
• 7/30 - Lake Tahoe, NV @ Caesars Tahoe Hotel
• 7/31 - Lake Tahoe, NV @ Caesars Tahoe Hotel
• 8/1 - Saratoga, CA @ Mountain Winery
• 8/2 - Saratoga, CA @ Mountain Winery

Related Artists

• The B-52's

]]> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1425083/19990604/b52s.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1425083/19990604/b52s.jhtml 4 Jun 1999 09:45:00 EDT The B-52's - Funplex

Funplex

• Artist: The B-52's
• Label: Astralwerks
• Director: Robert Schober
• Album: Funplex

]]> Videos http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=2227&vid=220257 http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=2227&vid=220257 1 Apr 2008 12:00:00 EDT The B-52's - Legal Tender

Legal Tender

• Artist: The B-52's
• Label: Warner Bros. Records
• Album: Whammy!

]]> Videos http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=2227&vid=58394 http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=2227&vid=58394 23 Aug 2005 12:00:00 EDT The B-52's - Debbie

Debbie

• Artist: The B-52's
• Label: Reprise Records
• Director: Ramaa Mosley
• Album: Time Capsule

]]> Videos http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=2227&vid=46263 http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=2227&vid=46263 2 May 2005 12:00:00 EDT The B-52's - Revolution Earth

Revolution Earth

• Artist: The B-52's
• Label: Reprise Records
• Album: Good Stuff

]]> Videos http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=2227&vid=46262 http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=2227&vid=46262 2 May 2005 12:00:00 EDT

B-52's 25th Anniversary Show 02.04.02

Related Artists

• The B-52's
• Talking Heads
• Yoko Ono

]]> Photos http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1452153 http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1452153 5 Feb 2002 01:23:25 EST