Music Artists, Videos and News

By Daniel “Monty” Montalto

Shortly after DJ’s AM’s death, celebrity friends and fans took to Twitter to express their sorrow, and MTV News’ own Sway Calloway shared his thoughts on the passing of the 36-year-old DJ, whom he called “revolutionary,” “unselfish” and “a true music lover.”

Sway was not Adam Goldstein’s only fan at MTV News. Tim Kash recalled meeting DJ AM for the first time, live and on-air during the 2008 Video Music Awards post-show in Los Angeles. That night, DJ AM and Travis Barker had served as the show’s house band, and Kash recalled grabbing DJ AM for an unplanned appearance.

“We were live on-air and I had to fill for time, so I just rolled up on him — I didn’t know him”, Kash recalled. “And I remember thinking how unfazed he was that we’d just shoved a camera in his face, because he was kind, he was charismatic, he was funny. He was a good guy and I remember that meeting very well.”

“We spoke after that, and we would see each other out a lot and I would go and see him play,” Kash remembered. “He was always cool, like effortlessly cool.”

Upon hearing of DJ AM’s death, Kash said the news was “very surreal initially, because it was only last year that we went through that whole tragedy of the plane crash. And to hear that he had died, I didn’t believe it at first.” Several phone calls and messages from mutual friends soon confirmed the tragic news.

As for DJ AM’s legacy, Kash said that whenever he was behind the turntables, clubgoers always knew exactly what to expect, which was the unexpected: “You’re gonna get a set that’s very unique and very different, because he’s going to play you things that you would never hear in a club,” Kash said.

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In most instances, the tone of festivals is dictated as much (if not more so) by the setting as it is by the musical acts that make up the bill. Coachella is informed by the hallucinatory desert heat, Lollapalooza wears the hipness of urban Chicago on its sleeve, Bonnaroo gets everybody back to nature and All Points West represents the general unpleasantness of New Jersey. Outside Lands carries the same sort of vibe, as everybody is laid back, security is friendly and the clowns are able to walk freely.

Wait, what?

As MTV News has been floating around the festival grabbing interviews and taking in sets, we’ve run into no fewer than a dozen people dressed in full clown regalia. Originally we just thought that they were performers from the Barbary, a special stage focusing on local cabaret and burlesque acts. But upon further investigation, it turns out that those artists only represent a fraction of the actual greasepaint-clad denizens wandering the grounds. A lot of them are here to perform, but some of these people are just here. And even more unusual? Everybody seems to be fine with it. It speaks to the “live and let live” vibe of the city that I haven’t seen a single person angry (or even vaguely upset). Usually by the second afternoon, the sun and lack of hydration tends to make people a little bit punchy. But not here. The casual lineup helps, but even the Mastodon set going on right now is be pretty casual (well, relatively). So thanks to the clowns of San Francisco for helping to distill exactly what this weekend is all about.

(Check out photos from this year’s Outside Lands Festival, including Black Eyed Peas, Dave Matthews Band, Jason Mraz and more!)

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Last night at the Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco, Pearl Jam put on a memorable performance full of classic cuts like “Alive” and a boatload of new tunes from their forthcoming LP Backspacer. In the years since they first broke out with 1991’s Ten, the band has built themselves into a well-oiled live machine with constantly rotating setlists that draw from their catalog of over 200 songs. McCready told the story about his band’s first show in Seattle, which happened only ten days after they were formed and were still operating under the name Mookie Blaylock, something that always raised an eyebrow for the guitarist.

“I really wanted to change it,” he told us. “When it got to the point where we signed a record deal, the other guys didn’t really care about having to change it, but I was adamant about it. It was a guy’s name! Of course, then we ended up linking two words together that sounded cool and made up a bunch of stories about it later.”

(Check out photos from this year’s Outside Lands Festival, including Black Eyed Peas, Dave Matthews Band, Jason Mraz and more!)

McCready also issued something of an apology to MTV News producer Matt Elias, whose first concert was a 1995 Pearl Jam show on the same grounds where the band played last night. That night, the band had only gotten through a handful of songs when singer Eddie Vedder had to bow out because of a bout of food poisoning. The show continued with Neil Young taking the reins, but Elias still felt a little put out. “I’m sorry about that man,” McCready told Elias. “We won’t have anything like that tonight.” And while tiny microbes don’t care about anybody’s promises, McCready made good on his guarantee. Was it worth the 14-year wait for Elias?

“Definitely.”

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Just before they took the stage at the Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco yesterday, Incubus took some time out to lounge in their cabana and talk to MTV News about the dangers of putting together a greatest hits record, their various side projects and my T-Shirt.

“I’m excited about this dragon blowing out the birthday candles on your shirt,” guitarist Mike Einziger said even before I could ask a question. “I like his little party hat.” The shirt in question is a design from Threadless called “Wishless,” which depicts a fire-breathing dragon attempting to blow out the candles on a birthday cake. It’s a heartbreaking image because if you look close, there’s a single tear running down his face. The joke is on him — he’ll never blow those candles out. I bought it because it reflects my philosophy about birthdays: That no matter how hard you try (or many party hats you wear), something usually screws it up.

But the shirt became a sort of Rorschach test for the guys in the band, who quickly dreamed up other interpretations. “He’s sitting in a big puddle of blood. Or she!” frontman Brandon Boyd said. Was Boyd suggesting that the pool of blood might be … “Yes. That’s why she’s really crying,” he said.

The band — who wrapped up a two-month tour of the United States with their set last night — revealed that they have hours of new material that they’ve experimented with during soundchecks on the tour, though it’s unclear when they’ll get around to recording a new album. In the meantime, Einziger is at work on a second project with the Los Angeles Philharmoic, which will also involve the Kronos Quartet, composer Terry Riley and Matmos. “There may even be dragons,” Einziger said.

What do you see in my T-shirt?

(Check out more photos from the 2009 Outside Lands Festival, featuring Black Eyed Peas, Dave Matthews Band, Jason Mras and more!)

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We like to keep it lighthearted here in the MTV Newsroom, but this week seemed to run at all sorts of extremes. Even amidst the excitement of a handful of euphoric concert experiences, tragedy repeatedly crept up to remind us that there is always balance in life. As you pour a little liquor out for DJ AM, Ted Kennedy or anybody else you may have personally lost this week, take a look at the week that was.

» Superstar record spinner DJ AM was found dead in New York, and we have his final MTV interview.

» The country lost a great statesman this week in Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy, who always championed the rights of young people and taught MTV some interesting things about government back in 2000.

» In another flashback, we revisited the tragic anniversary of the death of Aaliyah, who left behind an amazing legacy of forward-thinking pop.

» There was time for joy this week, too. Nine Inch Nails began their farewell tour with four shows in New York City and even performed the classic album The Downward Spiral in its entirety one night.

» In another successful taking of the Big Apple, Britney Spears played three triumphant nights at Madison Square Garden that was full of acrobats, magic tricks and … professional wrestling?

» Taylor Swift, Cobra Starship, Katy Perry and Ne-Yo all dropped in to remind you that the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards are just around the corner.

» The music world got a new amateur sensation this week in Danyl Johnson, who is in fact not the same guy who sang “Funeral Home.”

» Remember when Heidi Montag performed at the Miss Universe pageant? It already seems so long ago.

» Our ongoing look at the life and career of Jay-Z soldiered on, reminding everybody that sometimes record executives are just wrong.

» And of course be sure to check back all weekend for our continuing coverage of the 2009 Outside Lands Festival.

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