Motion City Soundtrack's Justin Pierre
Photo: MTV News

Last week, when MTV News was in Las Vegas for the kickoff of the Blink-182 reunion tour, Mark Hoppus volunteered to do our job for us: interviewing his friends in Motion City Soundtrack about their new record (which, conveniently, he produced).

Naturally, we said yes, and we were shocked when Hoppus donned the reporter's fedora (figuratively speaking) and got the guys in MCS to reveal the top-secret title of said record: My Dinosaur Life.

And since part one of Hoppus' interview went so well, we decided to roll out part two today: In it, MCS talk at length about how great it was working with the Blink bassist on not one, but two of their albums, his great (yet unorthodox) production techniques, and, really, just how great he is in general.

"You're pretty much awesome and, like, the best person that I've ever met," MCS guitarist Josh Cain told Hoppus. "Just being around you, I'm more creative and better at what I do."

Hoppus then asked Motion City frontman Justin Pierre how his "hands-on" approach to producing inspired the band to make My Dinosaur Life their best album yet.

"I think when you came in that one day, about a week into recording, and you were physically beating me and said, 'I'm going to beat this record into you, until you get it right,' " Pierre explained. "That really hit me."

These days, tapping Hoppus to produce your album is a no-brainer. But, back in 2004, MCS took a risk when they asked Hoppus to helm the sessions for their Commit This to Memory album. After all, he'd never produced a record in his life.

"We started having these conversations with you, I remember, in the dressing room in Italy [MCS opened for Blink on tours of Europe and Japan in 2004], and we were talking about different producers, like, possible people like Jerry Finn, who you'd think would be right for us," Cain told Hoppus. "Because you had come out and said you liked our band ... and in that conversation, you were talking about how you made your last record and you bought all that gear, [and] how much you were into recording. I was like, 'Why don't we just ask him to do it?' We were pretty confident in our band, [and] musically, we didn't feel like we needed someone to come in and change us. We wanted someone to come in that likes us."

"I think it was a combination of several things," Pierre added. "One thing we noticed was that before you guys went on to play, you were listening to bands like Ned's Atomic Dustbin, Dinosaur Jr., Fugazi, Get Up Kids ... bands we all liked and listened to. [We liked] your music, you know how to write songs. You worked with really good producers. And — we like to take crapshoots."

And the crapshoot paid off. Or, as Hoppus told the guys: "That's my production style. It's a little unorthodox, but it gets results. You can't argue with results."

• Blink-182's Mark Hoppus Presents Motion City Soundtrack's 'My Dinosaur Life'

• Motion City Soundtrack
• Mark Hoppus

Photo: MTV News

• Motion City Soundtrack
• blink-182

Motion City Soundtrack's Justin Pierre and Mark Hoppus
Photo: MTV News

To put it mildly, Blink-182 bassist Mark Hoppus is on a roll. He's taken part in the reunion of one of the hugest acts of the past decade; created a line of ultra-limited, mollusk-related hard-drives; launched a sure-to-be successful tour; and worked with a couple of the brightest up-and-coming acts in the business (All Time Low and Motion City Soundtrack).

Seriously, the guy can multitask.

So it came as no surprise that last week, when MTV News was in Las Vegas for the kickoff of Blink's reunion tour, he decided that he should interview Motion City Soundtrack — the night's opening act, and a band he's worked with in the past — because, you know, he can!

Of course, we let him do it — and it turned out that he was really good. So good, in fact, that he got the guys in MCS to reveal the top-secret title of their upcoming album (which Hoppus produced), by employing an old trick we professional journalists like to call "the bum rush."

"I just worked with them and produced their new record, which is titled My Dinosaur Life," Hoppus said right off the bat. "Is that what it's called?"

"I think so," MCS frontman Justin Pierre responded, a little bit dumbfounded. "Currently we're having inter-band discussions between This Dinosaur Life, My Dinosaur Life, This Is My Dinosaur Life, His Dinosaur Life, Her Dinosaur Life, Their Dinosaur Lives. But I'm partial to My."

"I think My is good," Hoppus shot back. "Can we firm it up right now? My Dinosaur Life."

And firmed up it was. So, having just shocked the band into revealing one closely guarded secret, Hoppus got right to work on prying another bit of information from the band: Perhaps getting them to say something shocking about the new record? (What we in the biz call the "pull quote.") And once again, he struck gold.

"I think it's an awesome record," guitarist Joshua Crain said. "It's definitely a step up. Not that Commit This to Memory [the band's breakthrough 2005 effort] is a bad record, I love that record. I just feel that we got a little more aggro on this one."

Emboldened, Hoppus then moved in for the kill.

"What was it like to have two gnarly, defining rock moment milestones in your career," he asked, clearly setting the trap. "Commit This to Memory and My Dinosaur Life — both that are almost as big as Nirvana?"

"Words can't really express it. I'm stumped," Pierre said. "You know what, though? It feels good. One day, with a little help, you guys can get there."

What can we say? Hoppus is a total pro. Is there nothing he can't do?

• Blink-182's Mark Hoppus Presents Motion City Soundtrack's 'My Dinosaur Life'

• blink-182
• Motion City Soundtrack

Paramore's Hayley Williams and Jeremy Davis at the 2008 Woodie Awards
Photo: Rob Loud/ Getty Images

Paramore, Jack's Mannequin and Motion City Soundtrack won big, and Vampire Weekend, Santogold and All Time Low rocked hard Wednesday night at the mtvU Woodie Awards, the channel's celebration of college music, campus life and erection punnery. Fittingly, there was also beer pong.

More than 5.2 million votes were cast by college students nationwide to determine just who would take home awards like Woodie of the Year and the Good Woodie, and just about that many folks packed New York's Roseland Ballroom for the fifth annual show, held by MTV's 24-hour college network. The vibe was raucous (which would explain the beer pong), the winners grateful and the performances unpredictable.

First, those who got wood. Paramore knocked off acts like Lil Wayne, MGMT and Santogold to win the night's biggest award, Woodie of the Year. Motion City Soundtrack's "It Had to Be You" took home the Best Video Woodie, besting clips by Gnarls Barkley, Erykah Badu and Vampire Weekend. Chromeo won the Left Field Woodie, given to the most original artist. Minneapolis hip-hop duo Atmosphere won the Performing Woodie for best tour. And Jack's Mannequin frontman Andrew McMahon won the Good Woodie for his Dear Jack Foundation, which raises money and awareness for cancer research.

Onstage, there were surprise collaborations aplenty. Up-and-coming MC Asher Roth kicked the show off with a performance of his song "I Love College," and was joined onstage by the Cool Kids for a version of "Delivery Man" that culminated in all three passing ice-cream sandwiches out to the crowd.

Swedish pop-tart Lykke Li brought legendary lyricist Q-Tip onstage for a version of A Tribe Called Quest's "Can I Kick It?" and a medley of Tip's own songs, including "Vivrant Thing." Santogold did a version of "L.E.S. Artistes," and then was joined by Spank Rock for a dirrrty take on "Shove It." Vampire Weekend teamed up with electro duo Chromeo for versions of "The Kids Don't Stand a Chance" and "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa." Oh, and All Time Low performed all by their lonesome, though the boozy sentiments of "Poppin' Champagne" were not lost on the Woodies crowd.

Presenters included Mark Hoppus, the All-American Rejects, Boys Like Girls, Kid Sister and Moby. Kanye's touring DJ, A-Trak, provided the backing beats throughout the night.

The 2008 mtvU Woodie Awards will premiere in full on mtvU, mtvU.com and the HD channel Palladia on November 19 at 8 p.m. ET. All Time Low will also host a half-hour "Best of the mtvU Woodie Awards" special — filmed at the Woodie afterparty — that will air November 21 at 7 p.m. ET on MTV2 and November 22 at 10 p.m. ET on MTV.

The full list of winners for the 2008 mtvU Woodie Awards:

» Woodie of the Year: Paramore

» The Breaking Woodie: There for Tomorrow

» The Left Field Woodie: Chromeo

» Best Video Woodie: Motion City Soundtrack, "It Had to Be You"

» The Good Woodie (Greatest Social Impact): Jack's Mannequin's Andrew McMahon

» Performing Woodie: Atmosphere

» College Radio Woodie (Best Campus Radio Station): 91.7 FM, WICB, Ithaca College

» Best Music on Campus Woodie (Best College Band): The Bride Wore Black

• Paramore, All-American Rejects, More Take Home Timber At The 2008 mtvU Woodie Awards

• Paramore
• Jack's Mannequin
• Vampire Weekend
• Motion City Soundtrack

Sean "Diddy" Combs
Photo: Amy Sussman/Getty Images

Despite widespread reports that Sean "Diddy" Combs had changed his name to Sean John, his rep clarified the situation to MTV News on Thursday (January 24). "Recent reports of a name change are totally false, he is still Diddy," the rep wrote. "He is currently in 'Sean John' mode as the upcoming Sean John fashion show is scheduled for February 8 in New York." ...

One of Britney Spears' friends was deposed Thursday by Kevin Federline's lawyer Mark Vincent Kaplan as he prepares for an April trial involving a request by Spears' ex for primary physical custody of their children. Sam Lufti had previously avoided a notice to appear by Federline's team of lawyers but was eventually served in November. ... Lionsgate said Thursday that it had reached an agreement with striking writers to work on its projects, according to Reuters. "Lionsgate signed an interim agreement with the Writers Guild of America today," the entertainment company reportedly said in a statement. "The writers' issue seems on its way to being solved, and Lionsgate felt it was an important time, particularly in view of our TV series, to have our writer partners get back to work. We look forward to a broad industry agreement soon." ...

John McCain is getting support from another Vietnam veteran, albeit a fictional one: Rambo. Sylvester Stallone recently voiced his support for the Arizona senator, who is in a tight race for the Republican presidential nomination, on TV's "Fox and Friends," according to a press release from his campaign. "I like McCain a lot," Stallone said. "A lot. And you know, things may change along the way, but there's something about matching the character with the script. And right now, the script that's being written — and reality — is pretty brutal and pretty hard-edged, like a rough action film. ... You need somebody who's been in that to deal with it." When host Brian Kilmeade informed McCain of the "Rocky Balboa" star's endorsement on Thursday morning (January 24), he reportedly replied, "I'm going to Philadelphia and running up the steps." ...

Bono swung by the Pentagon to talk about Africa and global poverty with U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Wednesday, according to Reuters. The two reportedly met for 20 minutes and discussed plans to construct a new U.S. military command for Africa. The U2 singer was reportedly in Washington, D.C., to meet with congressional budget committees, and his meeting with Gates was not publicized ahead of time. ... Trey Anastasio spent the weekend in the pokey for violating the conditions of his drug-treatment program last year, The Associated Press reports. The former Phish frontman was punished for an unspecified violation of a court contract that resulted after he pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a controlled substance in April. Anastasio, who lives in Richmond, Vermont, was in a jail in upstate New York for two days. ...

Scarlett Johansson has finally firmed up details surrounding her first music album, a collection of mostly Tom Waits covers. Anywhere I Lay My Head will drop May 20 and feature 10 Waits tribute tracks plus an original cut. The "Nanny Diaries" actress hammered out the effort in Maurice, Louisiana, during a five-week visit at Dockside Studio in spring 2007. She got some assists from Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nick Zinner, Sean Antanaitis from Celebration and TV on the Radio's David Sitek, who produced the LP. ... The 35th annual Village Voice Pazz & Jop Poll has named Sound of Silver by LCD Soundsystem as its top album of 2007. The rest of the top 10 albums in the poll, voted on by hundreds of rock critics, included In Rainbows (Radiohead), Kala (M.I.A.), Back to Black (Amy Winehouse), Neon Bible (Arcade Fire), Graduation (Kanye West), Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (Spoon), Raising Sand (Robert Plant and Alison Krauss) and Magic (Bruce Springsteen). Winehouse topped the singles list with her hit "Rehab," followed by "Umbrella" (Rihanna), "All My Friends" (LCD Soundsystem), "1234" (Feist), "D.A.N.C.E." (Justice), "Paper Planes" (M.I.A.), "Stronger" (Kanye West), "Int'l Players Anthem (I Choose You)" (UGK) and "Young Folks" (Peter Bjorn and John). ...

This year's New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Fest will take place April 25-27 and May 1-4 and feature sets from the Roots, Raconteurs, Keyshia Cole, Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, Santana, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Sheryl Crow, Galactic, Ozomatli with Chali 2na, Jimmy Buffett and dozens of other roots, blues, soul, Cajun and jazz artists. ... Motion City Soundtrack, Phantom Planet and the Hush Sound have slipped onto the bill for the Honda Civic Tour, which will be anchored by Panic at the Disco. The cities the trek will hit have also been announced: San Francisco (April 10); San Diego (April 12); Phoenix (April 13); Tulsa, Oklahoma (April 15); Ruston, Louisiana (April 17); Dallas (April 18); Austin, Texas (April 19); Houston (April 20); Clearwater, Florida (April 22); Miami Beach, Florida (April 23); Lake Buena Vista, Florida (April 24); Atlanta (April 26); North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (April 29); Washington, D.C. (April 30); Orono, Maine (May 2); Troy, New York (May 3); Rochester, New York (May 6); New York (May 7); Philadelphia (May 9); Wallingford, Connecticut (May 10); Boston (May 11); Montreal (May 13); Toronto (May 14); Cleveland (May 16); Columbus, Ohio (May 17); Indianapolis (May 18); Detroit (May 20); Chicago (May 23); Milwaukee (May 25); Minneapolis (May 27); St. Louis (May 30); Council Bluffs, Iowa (May 31); Kansas City, Missouri (June 1); Denver (June 3); Salt Lake City (June 4); Vancouver, British Columbia (June 6); Seattle (June 7); Portland, Oregon (June 8); Las Vegas (June 13); and Anaheim, California (June 14). ...

Uncle Murda was shot in the head late Tuesday night but the injury was not serious, according to New York's Daily News. The popular upstart rapper, who was signed to Roc-A-Fella Records by Jay-Z and backed by DJ Green Lantern, suffered a minor head wound after he was grazed by a bullet while sitting in a parked car in the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn. There is no word on whether the rapper has been released from the hospital. Calls made by MTV News to reps for Uncle Murda were not returned as of press time. ... Danny Glover was convicted for trespassing on Thursday (January 24) in Niagara Falls, Ontario, according to AP. Canadian Niagara Hotels had charged the actor and two other men after they protested at a Sheraton in September 2006. The protest was part of a larger effort to boost salaries and improve working conditions for hotel workers in North America. They will be sentenced February 8. ...

Los Angeles city officials have asked a judge to ban members of the Mob Piru street gang from congregating in a neighborhood of Compton, California, and included on their list of 200 gang members was former Death Row Records boss Marion "Suge" Knight. The Los Angeles Times reports that Knight's name was on the request, which would ban members of the gang from congregating, carrying guns, drinking alcohol in public or staying out past 10 p.m. Knight, who has struggled to get his label back online after a number of legal tangles and prison time, told the paper he thought the injunction was a "publicity stunt" and that it should not have included him. "This is crazy," he said. "I'm a 42-year-old businessman, not a gang member. I don't even live in Compton anymore." A hearing on the matter is slated for Thursday (January 24). ...

Perez Hilton won an $85,000 judgment on Wednesday in a defamation lawsuit brought by celebrity DJ Samantha Ronson. According to AP, a judge ordered Ronson to pay the blogger $85K, plus an additional $2,000 if Hilton (born Mario Lavandeira) requests it, in the suit over a report on Hilton's blog last year. The post repeated a claim from CelebrityBabylon.com that said Ronson planted cocaine found in friend Lindsay Lohan's car during a May car crash involving the actress. "Perez Hilton will take steps to make sure every dime is collected," his lawyer Bryan J. Freedman said. "This should make one careful before filing a lawsuit against him." The judge removed Hilton from the suit in November after the blogger's attorneys argued he was protected by free-speech rights. Ronson's attorney unsuccessfully argued that Hilton's lawyers' fees were excessive and that he should get no more than $13,400 to recover his legal costs. ...

And the hits just keep coming ... just not the ones the music industry is looking for. According to numbers released by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, global music sales fell by around 10 percent in 2007, falling at a faster rate than they did in 2006, despite a growth in digital-music sales of around 40 percent. The IFPI said illegal downloading continues to be a major problem, with the ratio of illegally downloaded tracks to legal tracks sold at around 20 to 1. Also included in the report was news that the first-ever global music-download sales chart was topped by Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend," which sold 7.3 million downloads across the world. ...

Gallows, a punk band from England, are the latest act to be banned from playing the House of Blues at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, according to The Onion's A.V. Club. The group was reportedly barred from playing its scheduled show there Tuesday night because Disney objects to the group's lyrical content. Machine Head and Cannibal Corpse suffered similar fates at venues located on Disney property last year.

1.23.08

Officers from Scotland Yard have confirmed that they will investigate the video footage of Amy Winehouse apparently smoking drugs from a glass pipe, according to BBC News. "We will assess the footage to ascertain whether any action needs to be taken," a police official said of the disturbing footage, which was reportedly shot recently. ...

Ardent animal activist Pink, along with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, is setting her sights on New York carriage horses. The singer has launched a new campaign that urges people to boycott the rides and that supports a recently introduced bill to ban the carriages in the city. "New York should follow the lead of London, Paris, Toronto, Beijing and progressive U.S. cities that have decided horse-drawn carriages and big city traffic don't mix," Pink recently told MTV News in exclusive comments about the campaign. "Manhattan's carriage horses suffer a miserable, solitary life shackled to a carriage and pulling load after heavy load of tourists, many of whom look like they could use the exercise themselves." ... Paris Hilton wants you to walk in her shoes — the heiress will debut her new line of footwear at Macy's in Costa Mesa, California, on February 8 from 3-6 p.m. The Paris Hilton Footwear Collection will also be available at Kitson, Lord & Taylor and other boutiques, with suggested retail prices ranging from around $60 to $200 per pair. ...

"American Idol" got its edge back on Tuesday night, but viewers probably weren't aware that one of the contestants has a criminal history, according to TMZ.com. Singer Perrie Cataldo — who shared some details about his gritty past with the judges on Tuesday — was reportedly arrested in 2006 for carrying a concealed weapon into a bar in Arizona. He pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of carrying a concealed weapon and was slapped with a $568 fine, TMZ says. ... Jermaine Dupri's father, Michael Mauldin, announced Wednesday (January 23) his plans to launch a label based on the popular Scream Tour, which was headed up by T.I. and Ciara last year under the banner "Screamfest '07." The Atlantic Records-distributed Scream Star Entertainment will also feature a revamped Web site, ScreamStar.com, which is set to include video highlights from each Scream tour, featuring the likes of Omarion, Ne-Yo and Bow Wow. Last year's monumental New York stop — which saw Jay-Z, Diddy and Kanye West join T.I. onstage — will also be included in the Scream Tour Anthology that's scheduled to go live on the site later this week. ...

Dr. Jan Adams, the plastic surgeon who operated on Kanye West's mother, Donda West, returned to CNN's "Larry King Live" on Tuesday to discuss the case more than two months after abruptly walking off the set of the show. According to The Associated Press, Adams said the fallout from West's death has impacted his medical practice "horribly ... it's almost destroyed [it]." West, 58, died at a Los Angeles-area hospital on November 10, a day after Adams performed plastic surgery on her, including a tummy tuck, breast reduction and liposuction. A coroner's autopsy report found that West most likely died of heart disease coupled with complications after plastic surgery, though an exact cause of death couldn't be confirmed. "The autopsy said what I expected," Adams told King, though he would not go into detail, citing patient-doctor privilege. ... The wife of Britney Spears' paparazzo pal Adnan Ghalib has reportedly filed for a legal separation from the photographer. People reports that Azlynn Elizabeth Berry cited irreconcilable differences in the papers filed on Friday and is asking for Ghalib to pay spousal support and her attorney's fees. According to documents, the pair were married on December 18, 2003. The couple have no children. Ghalib's photo agency, Finalpixx, has said Ghalib has been separated from his wife for more than a year. ...

Last.fm has some big news: On Wednesday, the site started offering free streams of full-length tracks and full albums. The site also announced that it will pay artists directly for music it streams. Last.fm claims it got the blessing of the four major labels and now has the biggest collection of music that can be played online for free — legally, of course. ... Murs is gathering the masses for the third installment in his underground hip-hop fest, Paid Dues, which will go down March 22 in San Bernardino, California. This year's roster includes Dilated Peoples, Boot Camp Clik, Living Legends, Sage Francis and Jedi Mind Tricks. ... Here's a blast from the past: Vince Clarke of Depeche Mode and Erasure note has ganged up again with Alison Moyet to perform the first shows by their long-dormant electro-pop group Yaz — or Yazoo, as they are known in the States — in 25 years. In Your Room, a box set with three CDs and one DVD, will drop in May. ...

Ex-Beatle Ringo Starr walked off the set of "Live With Regis and Kelly" on Tuesday after being informed he would have to cut in half a performance of the five-minute title track from his new album, Liverpool 8. AP reports that Starr was going to perform the song with friend and former Eurythmics member Dave Stewart. A spokesperson for the show claimed the booking had been made in November and that Starr's reps agreed at that time to the length of the segment. ... Just a week after the Mars Volta release their new album, The Bedlam in Goliath, on Tuesday, guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez will drop a solo album called Calibration. Among the guests on the record are fellow MV members Cedric Bixler-Zavala, Juan Alderete and Thomas Pridgen, as well as Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante and keyboardist Money Mark. The album is due out February 5 on N20 Records.

• Diddy
• Britney Spears
• Motion City Soundtrack
• Panic at the Disco
• Phantom Planet

Lupe Fiasco
Photo: MTV News

• Lupe Fiasco
• Ben Harper
• Amy Winehouse
• Juliette & the Licks
• Kings Of Leon

Motion City Soundtrack's Tony Thaxton, Justin Pierre and Matthew Taylor
Photo: Brad Barket/Getty Images

Last year, Warped Tour organizers caved under the massive weight of Internet postings from anxious fans and announced the tour's full itinerary in early February. But this year, things were different: They managed to hold off until the beginning of March.

On Thursday (March 2), Warped founder Kevin Lyman confirmed an itinerary obtained by MTV News, which lists dates and venues for 45 of the 49 cities the tour will hit this summer; it used to be 48 cities, but Lyman let it be known that Warped will now kick off on June 15 in Columbia, Maryland — and not on June 16 in Columbus, Ohio, as had previously been reported (see "Warped Tour Founder Vows To Press On Despite Being Punk'd").

"Yeah, we've added another city. Make sure people know about that," Lyman laughed. "We wanted to sort of roll this itinerary out a little bit at a time, but why not do it all now? I think people's enthusiasm about Warped speaks to just how amazing and strong our fanbase is."

The dates and cities for Warped 2006 — which includes Motion City Soundtrack, Thursday, Rise Against and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts (see "Warped Tour Nabs Trailblazing Rocker Joan Jett For Trek") plus a host of others — had been announced last month, but with the addition of the venues, there's finally a proper itinerary for the tour.

Lyman (who's currently on the road with his other tour, Taste of Chaos), said that he's close to finalizing an on-sale date for Warped '06, and he'll be making that announcement in the coming weeks.

The dates for Warped Tour 2006, according to event organizers:

• 6/15 - Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
• 6/16 - Columbus, OH @ Germain Amphitheatre
• 6/17 - Milwaukee, WI @ Marcus Amphitheatre
• 6/18 - Minneapolis, MN @ Metrodome
• 6/19 - Kansas City, MO @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Lot
• 6/21 - Antioch, TN @ Starwood Amphitheatre
• 6/22 - Jacksonville, FL @ Jacksonville Fairgrounds
• 6/23 - St. Petersburg, FL @ Vinoy Park
• 6/24 - Miami, FL @ Bicentennial Park
• 6/25 - Orlando, FL @ Tinker Field
• 6/27 - Raleigh, NC @ Alltell Pavilion
• 6/28 - Atlanta, GA @ HiFi Buys Amphitheater Lot
• 6/30 - Houston, TX @ Reliant Center
• 7/1 - Dallas, TX @ TBA
• 7/2 - San Antonio, TX @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Lot
• 7/3 - Las Cruces, NM @ N.M.S.U Practice Field
• 7/5 - Phoenix, AZ @ TBA
• 7/6 - San Diego, CA @ Coors Amphitheatre
• 7/7 - Pomona, CA @ Fairplex Park
• 7/8 - San Francisco, CA @ Pier 30/32
• 7/9 - Ventura, CA @ TBA
• 7/11 - Fresno, CA @ SaveMart Center
• 7/12 - Los Angeles, CA @ Dodger Stadium Lot
• 7/13 - Sacramento, CA @ Sleep Train Amphitheatre Lot
• 7/14 - Boise, ID @ Idaho Center Amphitheatre
• 7/15 - Seattle, WA @ Gorge Amphitheatre
• 7/16 - Portland, OR @ Columbia Meadows
• 7/18 - Vancouver, BC @ Thunderbird Stadium
• 7/20 - Calgary, AB @ Race City Speedway
• 7/22 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Utah State Fairgrounds
• 7/23 - Denver, CO @ Invesco Field
• 7/25 - St. Louis, MO @ UMB Bank Pavilion
• 7/26 - Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
• 7/27 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Post-Gazette Pavilion
• 7/28 - Indianapolis, IN @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Lot
• 7/29 - Detroit, MI @ Comerica Park
• 7/30 - Chicago, IL @ Tweeter Center
• 8/1 - Buffalo, NY @ Darien Lakes Fields
• 8/2 - Brockton, MA @ TBA
• 8/3 - Scranton, PA @ Montage Mountain
• 8/4 - Philadelphia, PA @ Tweeter Center at the Waterfront
• 8/5 - New York, NY @ Randall's Island
• 8/6 - Old Bridge, NJ @ Englishtown Raceway
• 8/8 - Charlotte, NC @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Lot
• 8/9 - Virginia Beach, VA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Lot
• 8/10 - Washington, DC @ Nissan Pavilion Lot
• 8/11 - Cleveland, OH @ Tower City Amphitheatre
• 8/12 - Toronto, ON @ Park Place
• 8/13 - Montreal, QC @ Parc Jean-Drapeau

• Motion City Soundtrack
• Thursday
• Rise Against
• Joan Jett

Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump
Photo: Dan Higgins

Last year organizers of the Bamboozle Festival ran into a bit of trouble with one particularly zealous fire marshal in Asbury Park, New Jersey. So much so that they've decided to take Bamboozle 2006 from their beloved Asbury and move it some 60 miles north to the Meadowlands in East Rutherford. And they're bringing a bunch of today's biggest pop-and-emo punk acts with them.

Event organizers have confirmed to MTV News that Fall Out Boy, Taking Back Sunday and Motion City Soundtrack are booked for Bamboozle 2006, to be held May 6-7 at the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Organizers said the two-day fest will pack more than 100 bands into the lots surrounding Giants Stadium, and while they wouldn't officially confirm any more acts, they did say Yellowcard, Hawthorne Heights, Thursday, All-American Rejects, Panic! at the Disco and Brand New might be playing, along with an appearance by a special guest "that no one will expect."

Last year's Bamboozle packed well over 100 bands into three days (see "My Chemical Romance, Brand New, Thrice To Headline Bamboozle Fest On Jersey Shore") but was marred by the last-minute cancellation of headliners, unannounced changes of set times, expensive lodging for out-of-town fans and a general sense of chaos. Organizers promised that Bamboozle 2006 will run much smoother, thanks in no small part to the cooperation of the Meadowlands.

This year's Bamboozle will feature five stages, including a special indoor acoustic venue, and tickets will run $35 for a single day or $55 for a weekend pass. A special presale will begin on December 2 at the festival's site, TheBamboozle.com.

• Fall Out Boy
• Taking Back Sunday
• Motion City Soundtrack
• Yellowcard
• Hawthorne Heights

Thursday's Geoff Rickly
Photo: John Shearer

It's never too early to start planning for next summer. At least if you're Kevin Lyman it's not.

While most of the country begins to break out the winter wear, the founding father of the Warped Tour is already making plans for next year's summertime pop-punk extravaganza, having just announced the first slew of acts that'll be braving the heat and taking the stage at a venue near you.

Motion City Soundtrack, Thursday, Rise Against, From First to Last and venerable punks NOFX are the first confirmed bands for Warped '06, but Lyman said fans can expect more announcements in the very near future. So you can stop e-mailing him now.

"I get bombed with e-mails from kids wanting to know what bands are going to be on the tour, so [we'll] start letting it out now slowly. The only problem is it gets other bands' managers and agents calling relentlessly," he said. "I read a lot of the e-mails from fans, and if I had more time, I would answer them. Warped is always a community, and we're always trying to keep information going out, [but] it's actually fun to read the rumors kids start of who will be the next bands announced."

While the popular Internet rumors this year involve everyone from a reunited Operation Ivy to Marilyn Manson (!) taking the stage at Warped, Lyman said — for the moment at least — there have been no more acts booked for the tour. But that doesn't mean he wants fans to stop all the speculating. Just keep it reasonable.

"Fans would never see some of these bands on Warped because they want too much money and we would have to raise ticket prices," he said. "It never gets old to have fans e-mailing me with suggestions ... the only thing I don't like is when bands get their fan clubs to keep e-mailing me the same name over and over again. This year a band called Showbread is taking it way too far."

Fans (and anyone not in Showbread) can look forward to another round of Warped lineup announcements sometime around Thanksgiving, and soon after that Lyman and Co. will have the routing all mapped out too.

As if Lyman wasn't busy enough already, there's still the matter of the 2006 Taste of Chaos Tour, which gets under way February 15 and features Thrice, Deftones, Atreyu and Story of the Year, among others. Venues will be announced next week.

"Taste is going to be massive this year. We're thinking of ways to make it better all the time," Lyman said. "Like right now I'm in working in London, bringing double-decker buses around to promote British bands and some charities for the U.K. leg of the tour. I'm trying to just have to figure out how to make them go faster than 45 mph. And I'm sure there will big stuff like that going on for Taste in the States, too."

• Motion City Soundtrack
• Thursday
• NOFX
• Thrice
• Deftones

Death Cab For Cutie's Ben Gibbard performs during the mtvU Woodie Awards on Wednesday
Photo: Scott Gries/Getty Images

College life is full of difficult choices: Frisbee on the quad or nickel beer night down at Shooters? Sandals or Aquasocks in the dormitory shower? My Chemical Romance or the Arcade Fire for Woodie of the Year?

While the first two dilemmas remain eternally unsolvable, the third was thankfully answered Wednesday night at New York City's Roseland Ballroom, where MCR took home the top prize at the second-annual mtvU Woodie Awards, voted on by college students across America.

Other big-name artists taking home Woodies included Death Cab for Cutie (for the year's best live-action video), the Gorillaz (best animated clip), Fall Out Boy (best tour) and Motion City Soundtrack (best emerging artist). A host of more obscure acts, including grandiose Brit-rockers Muse, pretty indie angst-poppers the Afters and Christian post-punks mewithoutYou also got some Wood.

But the awards took a backseat on a night filled with surprise guests and killer live sets. Legendary rocker Lou Reed kicked off the show, and then passed the mic to the king of character actors, Philip Seymour Hoffman, who introduced the evening's first performers: spazzy British noisemakers the Go! Team (see "England's Go! Team To Bring Their Sample-Crazy Sound Stateside In October"). Much-buzzed Hasidic reggae performer Matisyahu premiered "Youth," the first single from his upcoming major-label debut (see "My Chemical Matisyahu? Reggae Rapper Hooks Up With Rock Director Webb") and performed a duet with rapper/actor Saul Williams. Roots-approved hip-hop trio Little Brother busted through a tongue-twisting set, and Death Cab closed the evening with a medley of hits both old ("Title and Registration") and new ("Soul Meets Body.")

	Watch this sneak peak of the mtvU 2005 Woodie Awards before it premieres on mtvU Uber on Nov. 9, only on Overdrive.

Other artists making appearances at the Woodie Awards included Aesop Rock, mewithoutYou, the Like, Wu-Tang Clan's RZA and members of the Arcade Fire, Fall Out Boy and Green Day. Voting took place on mtvU.com.

Voting for the 2005 mtvU Woodie Awards took place on mtvU.com. The Woodies will make their debut November 9 on mtvU Über at mtvU.com, and the show will be broadcast the following night to college campuses across the U.S. on mtvU.

The complete list of winners at the 2005 mtvU Woodie Awards:

• Woodie of the Year (Artist of the Year): My Chemical Romance
• The Breaking Woodie (Best Emerging Artist): Motion City Soundtrack
• Left Field Woodie (Most Original Artist): mewithoutYou
• Best Video Woodie -- Live Action (Best Live Action Video): Death Cab for Cutie - "Title & Registration"
• Best Video Woodie -- Animated (Best Animated Video): Gorillaz - "Feel Good Inc."
• The Good Woodie (Greatest Social Impact): U2's DATA: Debt AIDS Trade Africa
• Road Woodie (Best Tour): Fall Out Boy
• International Woodie (Favorite International Artist Award): Muse
• Alumni Woodie (a.k.a. The You're Still OK in Our Book Award): Green Day
• Streaming Woodie (Most Downloaded): The Afters - "Beautiful Love"

• My Chemical Romance
• Death Cab For Cutie
• Fall Out Boy
• Motion City Soundtrack
• Muse

Woodie Awards 2007 Winners and Presenters

• Annie Lennox
• Q-Tip
• Fall Out Boy
• Talib Kweli
• Motion City Soundtrack

Woodie Awards 2005 Winners and Presenters

• Lou Reed
• Death Cab For Cutie
• Muse
• Coheed and Cambria
• Mewithoutyou

MTV.com Exclusive: Motion City Soundtrack

• Motion City Soundtrack

Fall Out Boy, Lupe Fiasco, Boys Like Girls, More At 2007 mtvU Woodie Awards

• Fall Out Boy
• Lupe Fiasco
• Gym Class Heroes
• Angels & Airwaves
• Talib Kweli

Lollapalooza 2007

• Amy Winehouse
• Ben Harper
• Cold War Kids
• Motion City Soundtrack
• Muse

2006: The Best of Studio Photos

• Lil Jon
• Yeah Yeah Yeahs
• Kelis
• Beck
• Nelly Furtado

Warped Tour 2006 Photos

• Bouncing Souls
• The Academy Is...
• Armor For Sleep
• The Buzzcocks
• Cartel

MTV.com Exclusive: Motion City Soundtrack Photos 03.21.2006

• Motion City Soundtrack

MTV.com LIVE: Motion City Soundtrack Photos 10.10.2005

• Motion City Soundtrack

Buzzfest Photo Gallery

• Fall Out Boy
• Audioslave
• Nickelback
• Seether
• Cold