Sean Lennon, Yoko Ono Recruit Famous Friends for Anti-Fracking Clip

Sean Lennon, Yoko Ono Recruit Famous Friends for Anti-Fracking ClipJoseph Gordon-Levitt, Liv Tyler appear in 'Don't Frack My Mother' $(document).ready(function() { $('.socialActionsTop .pageActions .email-content').hover( function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.email').show(); }, function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.email').hide(); } ); $('.socialActionsTop .pageActions .print-page').hover( function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.print').show(); }, function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.print').hide(); } ); }); By

Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon have put up billboards, run a TV ad and presented petitions in opposition of fracking, now they've recruited celebrity friends including Liv Tyler, Susan Sarandon and Joseph Gordon-Levitt for the new video to their song "Don't Frack My Mother," which debuted last summer on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.

The song is the latest entry in their Artists Against Fracking campaign to persuade New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo not to allow gas companies to use hydraulic fracturing in New York state to extract natural gas trapped deep within underground rock.

Photos: Fracking's Real Life Victims

The video intersperses shots of Lennon, Ono and actors and musicians, also including Maggie Gyllenhaal, SNL's Fred Armisen and members of the Strokes, Wilco and the Black Keys, with statistics about fracking and drilling. As Lennon pleads, "Please, don't frack my mother," Ono interjects, "Don't frack me!"

Cuomo last fall postponed a decision on fracking until February, but the state missed a procedural deadline last month that will further delay efforts to finalize regulations on hydraulic fracturing. Missing the deadline required the New York Department of Environmental Conservation to re-propose the regulations, and allow 45 days for public comment.

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Sean Lennon, Yoko Ono Recruit Famous Friends for Anti-Fracking Clip

Sean Lennon, Yoko Ono Recruit Famous Friends for Anti-Fracking ClipJoseph Gordon-Levitt, Liv Tyler appear in 'Don't Frack My Mother' $(document).ready(function() { $('.socialActionsTop .pageActions .email-content').hover( function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.email').show(); }, function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.email').hide(); } ); $('.socialActionsTop .pageActions .print-page').hover( function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.print').show(); }, function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.print').hide(); } ); }); By

Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon have put up billboards, run a TV ad and presented petitions in opposition of fracking, now they've recruited celebrity friends including Liv Tyler, Susan Sarandon and Joseph Gordon-Levitt for the new video to their song "Don't Frack My Mother," which debuted last summer on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.

The song is the latest entry in their Artists Against Fracking campaign to persuade New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo not to allow gas companies to use hydraulic fracturing in New York state to extract natural gas trapped deep within underground rock.

Photos: Fracking's Real Life Victims

The video intersperses shots of Lennon, Ono and actors and musicians, also including Maggie Gyllenhaal, SNL's Fred Armisen and members of the Strokes, Wilco and the Black Keys, with statistics about fracking and drilling. As Lennon pleads, "Please, don't frack my mother," Ono interjects, "Don't frack me!"

Cuomo last fall postponed a decision on fracking until February, but the state missed a procedural deadline last month that will further delay efforts to finalize regulations on hydraulic fracturing. Missing the deadline required the New York Department of Environmental Conservation to re-propose the regulations, and allow 45 days for public comment.

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Green Day Getting Musical Episode of 'Angry Birds Friends'

Green Day are getting their own musical episode in Angry Birds Friends. The pop-punk titans have teamed with Rovio Entertainment to appear in 10 new levels and give their likenesses to new pig characters in the Facebook-based video game. The episode will also feature the band's latest single "Oh Love" and the exclusive song "Troublemaker."

"We're all fans of Angry Birds," said Billie Joe Armstrong in a press release. "It's such an addictive game that when we first started playing it we couldn't stop."

More updates and details will come this fall. No release date has been given. Green Day are readying their album trilogy ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, ¡Tré!, with ¡Uno! set for release September 25th.

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Kelly Clarkson Brings Out Famous Friends in Los Angeles

Kelly Clarkson performs during her Stronger Tour at the Nokia Theatre L.A. in Los Angeles.

"I feel so popular right now!" said Kelly Clarkson last night at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles – and beyond the capacity crowd, it wasn't hard to see why. Playing one of the final dates of her current North American tour, Clarkson peppered the nearly two-hour show with surprise cameos by several high-wattage pals, including Reba McEntire and Blake Shelton, the latter of whom joined her for a rendition of Clarkson and Jason Aldean's pop-country power ballad, "Don't You Wanna Stay." Michelle Branch and fellow American Idol alum Tamyra Gray also appeared. "It's L.A., y'all," Clarkson explained at one point. "I got a lot of friends here."

The guest stars inspired big audience reactions, but Clarkson hardly needed the help as she ran through hit after hit from her five studio albums: "Since U Been Gone," remade as a sleek dance-punk jam; "Already Gone," with close-harmony backing vocals from her eight-piece band; a fiercely propulsive "My Life Would Suck Without You"; "Mr. Know It All," which she introduced by asking if anyone in the house had ever "dated a tool" before. ("I dated maybe the biggest douche in L.A.," she added.) After a stripped-down "Never Again," from 2007's gloomy My December, the singer offered a warning to all future boyfriends: "Never piss me off – I'll write some shit."  

In addition to "Mr. Know It All," Clarkson sang a handful of tunes from last year's Stronger, which she called her favorite of all her records. "Einstein" was a laidback folk-soul tune, while "You Love Me" had an appealing Eighties-R&B vibe; later, the album's chart-topping title track blasted the room with strobing disco synths. Clarkson did several covers as well, including "Heavy in Your Arms" by Florence and the Machine and a gospel-fired take on Britney Spears' "Till the World Ends." She and Gray revived "When You Believe," the 1998 Mariah Carey-Whitney Houston duet from The Prince of Egypt, and Clarkson summoned more dueling-divas energy with McEntire during "Because of You."  

Toward the end of the show she reached back to the Disney-princess pop of her first big solo smash, "Breakaway," telling the crowd the song was "where people started really getting behind me and supporting my career." Nearly a decade later, as last night's parade of stars demonstrated, that career has grown exponentially. But somehow Clarkson retains an essential one-of-us quality. She still can't believe she's the popular girl.

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Kelly Clarkson Brings Out Famous Friends in Los Angeles

Kelly Clarkson performs during her Stronger Tour at the Nokia Theatre L.A. in Los Angeles.

"I feel so popular right now!" said Kelly Clarkson last night at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles – and beyond the capacity crowd, it wasn't hard to see why. Playing one of the final dates of her current North American tour, Clarkson peppered the nearly two-hour show with surprise cameos by several high-wattage pals, including Reba McEntire and Blake Shelton, the latter of whom joined her for a rendition of Clarkson and Jason Aldean's pop-country power ballad, "Don't You Wanna Stay." Michelle Branch and fellow American Idol alum Tamyra Gray also appeared. "It's L.A., y'all," Clarkson explained at one point. "I got a lot of friends here."

The guest stars inspired big audience reactions, but Clarkson hardly needed the help as she ran through hit after hit from her five studio albums: "Since U Been Gone," remade as a sleek dance-punk jam; "Already Gone," with close-harmony backing vocals from her eight-piece band; a fiercely propulsive "My Life Would Suck Without You"; "Mr. Know It All," which she introduced by asking if anyone in the house had ever "dated a tool" before. ("I dated maybe the biggest douche in L.A.," she added.) After a stripped-down "Never Again," from 2007's gloomy My December, the singer offered a warning to all future boyfriends: "Never piss me off – I'll write some shit."  

In addition to "Mr. Know It All," Clarkson sang a handful of tunes from last year's Stronger, which she called her favorite of all her records. "Einstein" was a laidback folk-soul tune, while "You Love Me" had an appealing Eighties-R&B vibe; later, the album's chart-topping title track blasted the room with strobing disco synths. Clarkson did several covers as well, including "Heavy in Your Arms" by Florence and the Machine and a gospel-fired take on Britney Spears' "Till the World Ends." She and Gray revived "When You Believe," the 1998 Mariah Carey-Whitney Houston duet from The Prince of Egypt, and Clarkson summoned more dueling-divas energy with McEntire during "Because of You."  

Toward the end of the show she reached back to the Disney-princess pop of her first big solo smash, "Breakaway," telling the crowd the song was "where people started really getting behind me and supporting my career." Nearly a decade later, as last night's parade of stars demonstrated, that career has grown exponentially. But somehow Clarkson retains an essential one-of-us quality. She still can't believe she's the popular girl.

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Gene Simmons Endorses Mitt Romney on 'Fox and Friends'

Gene Simmons endorses Mitt Romney on 'Fox and Friends.'Astrid Stawiarz/Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Appearing on the staunchly conservative talk show Fox and Friends this morning, KISS frontman Gene Simmons argued that America's next president should be Mitt Romney.

"Hindsight is 20/20. I have some real issues with the economy and how it's being done. America should be in business and it should be run by a businessman," said the musician, who voted for Barack Obama in 2008. "Americans, smartly, and I applaud them for doing so, vote on the issues and not the party," he said.

"America is a business. If you can’t afford to do something, no matter how much bellyaching everybody does – I’m so sorry, if you can’t afford it, you shouldn’t do it."

Simmons also plugged his new chain of restaurants, Rock and Brews, which launches internationally today. The franchise, he said, hires military veterans.

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Afrojack on His Debut Album, His Hair and Working With Friends

"I want to keep it really true to myself and to my roots," Nick van de Wall, better known as Afrojack, tells Rolling Stone of his vision for the debut album he hopes to release this September. The 24-year-old Dutch DJ and producer first introduced Americans to his dense, aggressive electro sound with the 2010 club smash "Take Over Control,"  before becoming a mainstream chart-topping presence when he teamed up with Pitbull, Ne-Yo and Nayer for last year's mega-single "Give Me Everything." Afrojack is now back at home in Holland, after spending the better part of this year holed up at Hollywood's Paramount Studio writing and producing tracks, many of which will find a home on his first full-length release.

Afrojack, whose name comes courtesy of his once-outsized hair and jacked-up beats, says the music for his still-untitled album is finished; he just hasn't yet decided which tracks will make the final cut. Afrojack spent a healthy portion of his time in L.A. recording tracks with other artists and friends like LMFAO, Flo Rida, and Natasha Bedingfield, so he’s still mulling over which of these he will use for his album and which will end up in their respective artists' own repertoire. "I have the advantage of choice," he says of the enviable point he’s reached in his career. "I can do what I want. It’s nice."

Whether he truly doesn’t know or is simply playing dumb, Afrojack is guarded about revealing which guests will appear on his album – at press time, he could only confirm an appearance by singer Omarion. But regarding what type of sound his fans can expect on his debut, he is quite direct. "Basically it's gonna be dance," he says emphatically. "I want to give it as much of a dance feel as possible." Aside from a few choice singles, Afrojack doesn't see pop songs having a place on an album bearing his name. He’s aware that this may be a bit off-putting to a large contingency of his newer fans, but he says he cannot betray the genre he's loved since he was 13. "It's my first passion," Afrojack says of dance music. "I like the storytelling of instrumental club tracks way more than doing pop songs."  It’s a balancing act for Afrojack, really – keep his hardcore dance fans happy and risk alienating his newfound pop fans, or vice versa. So the DJ makes sure to add that he also loves the pop tracks he’s helped create – specifically "Give Me Everything."

Many of Afrojoack’s poppier numbers have come about as the result of friendships. He says that his close bond with Pitbull was how he ended up on the rapper’s massive single. "The fact is he's a really nice guy and I like his music," Afrojack says of the Miami MC. "What kind of asshole would I be if I wouldn't work with my own friends?"

So while in L.A., the DJ made sure his friends were always near: He rented a gigantic house in the Hollywood Hills that he shared with his crew, whom he had flown out from Europe. The hours spent in the studio were long – Afrojack estimates logging 14-16 hour days, on average – but retreating to the seclusion of his home at night served as a respite from his otherwise chaotic, oftentimes manic schedule. He greatly enjoyed the contrast. "When you're in the house in the mountains it's like you're in the middle of nowhere," he says while explaining his affection for L.A. "And then when you go down to the city, it's crazy and everyone's working."

For the first month of his stay, Afrojack spent much of his time working with writers, largely focusing on tracks he had already produced. He then took two weeks to record tracks for other artists in various studios around town before returning to Paramount to write and produce a batch of entirely new songs. The one constant was his hands-on approach: Afrojack says he almost always insists on composing his own music and assisting with the writing and melodic process. "When you come up with good concepts for songs," he says, "you have to put a lot of time and effort into it."

This spring and summer, Afrojack will return to the States for a full-fledged U.S. tour. All signs point to it being a crowded affair: This past December, his first U.S. solo show at NYC's Roseland Ballroom sold out in a matter of hours. "It was the most amazing experience ever," he says.  He’ll also return as a headliner to Coachella, where last year he was joined on stage by Paul McCartney and Usher. ("Paul was super nice," he says. "I wasn’t expecting anything so that was dope. They’re both legends.") Given his rising celebrity, this go-round at Coachella promises to be a different affair. Nonetheless, Afrojack says he still plans to dedicate nearly 40 percent of his set to new material. And it’s his audience’s open-armed reception that keeps him excited about the future of the genre. "You have all these people that are on a hunt for new music and they all come together," he says proudly of the dance music community. "You just don’t see that [in other genres]."

Yet a looming question still remains: Will the Afro that spawned the DJ’s name ever make its grand return? "I think it's a thing of the past," Afrojack says, laughing and sporting a buzz-cut. "But you never know. When I don't do my hair, believe me, it looks like a gigantic tree."

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Afrojack on His Debut Album, His Hair and Working With Friends

"I want to keep it really true to myself and to my roots," Nick van de Wall, better known as Afrojack, tells Rolling Stone of his vision for the debut album he hopes to release this September. The 24-year-old Dutch DJ and producer first introduced Americans to his dense, aggressive electro sound with the 2010 club smash "Take Over Control,"  before becoming a mainstream chart-topping presence when he teamed up with Pitbull, Ne-Yo and Nayer for last year's mega-single "Give Me Everything." Afrojack is now back at home in Holland, after spending the better part of this year holed up at Hollywood's Paramount Studio writing and producing tracks, many of which will find a home on his first full-length release.

Afrojack, whose name comes courtesy of his once-outsized hair and jacked-up beats, says the music for his still-untitled album is finished; he just hasn't yet decided which tracks will make the final cut. Afrojack spent a healthy portion of his time in L.A. recording tracks with other artists and friends like LMFAO, Flo Rida, and Natasha Bedingfield, so he’s still mulling over which of these he will use for his album and which will end up in their respective artists' own repertoire. "I have the advantage of choice," he says of the enviable point he’s reached in his career. "I can do what I want. It’s nice."

Whether he truly doesn’t know or is simply playing dumb, Afrojack is guarded about revealing which guests will appear on his album – at press time, he could only confirm an appearance by singer Omarion. But regarding what type of sound his fans can expect on his debut, he is quite direct. "Basically it's gonna be dance," he says emphatically. "I want to give it as much of a dance feel as possible." Aside from a few choice singles, Afrojack doesn't see pop songs having a place on an album bearing his name. He’s aware that this may be a bit off-putting to a large contingency of his newer fans, but he says he cannot betray the genre he's loved since he was 13. "It's my first passion," Afrojack says of dance music. "I like the storytelling of instrumental club tracks way more than doing pop songs."  It’s a balancing act for Afrojack, really – keep his hardcore dance fans happy and risk alienating his newfound pop fans, or vice versa. So the DJ makes sure to add that he also loves the pop tracks he’s helped create – specifically "Give Me Everything."

Many of Afrojoack’s poppier numbers have come about as the result of friendships. He says that his close bond with Pitbull was how he ended up on the rapper’s massive single. "The fact is he's a really nice guy and I like his music," Afrojack says of the Miami MC. "What kind of asshole would I be if I wouldn't work with my own friends?"

So while in L.A., the DJ made sure his friends were always near: He rented a gigantic house in the Hollywood Hills that he shared with his crew, whom he had flown out from Europe. The hours spent in the studio were long – Afrojack estimates logging 14-16 hour days, on average – but retreating to the seclusion of his home at night served as a respite from his otherwise chaotic, oftentimes manic schedule. He greatly enjoyed the contrast. "When you're in the house in the mountains it's like you're in the middle of nowhere," he says while explaining his affection for L.A. "And then when you go down to the city, it's crazy and everyone's working."

For the first month of his stay, Afrojack spent much of his time working with writers, largely focusing on tracks he had already produced. He then took two weeks to record tracks for other artists in various studios around town before returning to Paramount to write and produce a batch of entirely new songs. The one constant was his hands-on approach: Afrojack says he almost always insists on composing his own music and assisting with the writing and melodic process. "When you come up with good concepts for songs," he says, "you have to put a lot of time and effort into it."

This spring and summer, Afrojack will return to the States for a full-fledged U.S. tour. All signs point to it being a crowded affair: This past December, his first U.S. solo show at NYC's Roseland Ballroom sold out in a matter of hours. "It was the most amazing experience ever," he says.  He’ll also return as a headliner to Coachella, where last year he was joined on stage by Paul McCartney and Usher. ("Paul was super nice," he says. "I wasn’t expecting anything so that was dope. They’re both legends.") Given his rising celebrity, this go-round at Coachella promises to be a different affair. Nonetheless, Afrojack says he still plans to dedicate nearly 40 percent of his set to new material. And it’s his audience’s open-armed reception that keeps him excited about the future of the genre. "You have all these people that are on a hunt for new music and they all come together," he says proudly of the dance music community. "You just don’t see that [in other genres]."

Yet a looming question still remains: Will the Afro that spawned the DJ’s name ever make its grand return? "I think it's a thing of the past," Afrojack says, laughing and sporting a buzz-cut. "But you never know. When I don't do my hair, believe me, it looks like a gigantic tree."

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Friends and Family Gather in Newark for Whitney Houston's Funeral

The New Hope Baptist Church surrounded by memorials to Whitney Houston.

Whitney Houston was laid to rest today in her hometown of Newark, New Jersey, a week after her death at the age of 48.

The funeral was held at the New Hope Baptist Church, where Houston had made her start singing as a child. The service, which lasted more than four hours, drew a crowd of famous names, from gospel greats and R&B icons to Hollywood actors. Houston’s cousin Dionne Warwick introduced an all-star group of speakers and performers that included Houston’s Bodyguard co-star Kevin Costner, Stevie Wonder, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, Tyler Perry and Alicia Keys. Aretha Franklin had been scheduled to perform, but had to withdraw due to illness.

In a service that balanced heartbroken mourning with a palpable sense of joy in gospel music, many of the guests spoke of Houston’s faith and her roots in the church.

Tyler Perry was visibly emotional and breaking into tears as he spoke to the crowd. "She had a grace that kept on carrying her all the way through her life. It was the same grace that carried her home," he said.

Kevin Costner, who described himself as Houston’s "pretend bodyguard," spoke of his and Houston’s shared upbringing in the Baptist Church as well as the "unexplainable burden that comes with fame."

"It was the burden that made her great, and the part that caused her to stumble in the end," Costner said. "And now you’re gone, leaving us with memories of a little girl who stepped bravely in front of this church, in front of people who loved her…. You stepped into the white hot light of the world’s stage. You set the bar so high that professional singers, your own colleagues, they don’t want to sing that little country song. Now the only ones who sing your song are little girls like you, who dream of being you one day."

Clive Davis, the music mogul who served as Houston’s mentor and earliest champion in the music business, described his reaction at hearing a teenaged Houston perform for the first time in 1983.

"You wait for a voice like that for a lifetime," he said. "You wait for a face like that, a smile like that, a presence like that for a lifetime. And when one person embodies it all, it takes your breath away."

Davis revealed that Houston had visited him in his hotel the week before she died and played for him tracks from her forthcoming movie, Sparkle.

"She looked at me and quietly said, ‘I want you to know I’m getting in shape. I’m swimming two hours a day. I’m committed to getting my high notes back, no cigarettes. Clive, I’ll be ready by August.’ Well Whitney, I’m gonna hold you to it. Everyone in heaven, including god, is waiting, and I just know you’re gonna raise the roof like no one else has done before."

 In addition to further speeches from Houston’s manager and sister-in-law, Kim Houston, and her real bodyguard, the service was full of music, from the gospel choir that started the service off, to powerful performances from members of the Winans family, Rev. Kim Burrell, and R. Kelly.

"I wanted to stop and give out praise to god for just allowing me to be in life at the same time as Whitney," Stevie Wonder said, before admitting "in my fantasy world, I had a little crush on Whitney." He performed his song "Ribbon in the Sky" with the words reworked to honor Houston.

Alicia Keys was crying as she sat down at the piano, wiping away her tears. She recalled how Whitney nurtured so many younger artists. "She just made us feel strong and capable and loved," Keys said, before launching into "Send Me an Angel."

As the service drew to its close and the pallbearers gathered around the gleaming golden casket, the opening a capella notes from Houston’s recording of "I Will Always Love You" filled the hall. 

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Friends and Family Gather in Newark for Whitney Houston's Funeral

The New Hope Baptist Church surrounded by memorials to Whitney Houston.

Whitney Houston was laid to rest today in her hometown of Newark, New Jersey, a week after her death at the age of 48.

The funeral was held at the New Hope Baptist Church, where Houston had made her start singing as a child. The service, which lasted more than four hours, drew a crowd of famous names, from gospel greats and R&B icons to Hollywood actors. Houston’s cousin Dionne Warwick introduced an all-star group of speakers and performers that included Houston’s Bodyguard co-star Kevin Costner, Stevie Wonder, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, Tyler Perry and Alicia Keys. Aretha Franklin had been scheduled to perform, but had to withdraw due to illness.

In a service that balanced heartbroken mourning with a palpable sense of joy in gospel music, many of the guests spoke of Houston’s faith and her roots in the church.

Tyler Perry was visibly emotional and breaking into tears as he spoke to the crowd. "She had a grace that kept on carrying her all the way through her life. It was the same grace that carried her home," he said.

Kevin Costner, who described himself as Houston’s "pretend bodyguard," spoke of his and Houston’s shared upbringing in the Baptist Church as well as the "unexplainable burden that comes with fame."

"It was the burden that made her great, and the part that caused her to stumble in the end," Costner said. "And now you’re gone, leaving us with memories of a little girl who stepped bravely in front of this church, in front of people who loved her…. You stepped into the white hot light of the world’s stage. You set the bar so high that professional singers, your own colleagues, they don’t want to sing that little country song. Now the only ones who sing your song are little girls like you, who dream of being you one day."

Clive Davis, the music mogul who served as Houston’s mentor and earliest champion in the music business, described his reaction at hearing a teenaged Houston perform for the first time in 1983.

"You wait for a voice like that for a lifetime," he said. "You wait for a face like that, a smile like that, a presence like that for a lifetime. And when one person embodies it all, it takes your breath away."

Davis revealed that Houston had visited him in his hotel the week before she died and played for him tracks from her forthcoming movie, Sparkle.

"She looked at me and quietly said, ‘I want you to know I’m getting in shape. I’m swimming two hours a day. I’m committed to getting my high notes back, no cigarettes. Clive, I’ll be ready by August.’ Well Whitney, I’m gonna hold you to it. Everyone in heaven, including god, is waiting, and I just know you’re gonna raise the roof like no one else has done before."

 In addition to further speeches from Houston’s manager and sister-in-law, Kim Houston, and her real bodyguard, the service was full of music, from the gospel choir that started the service off, to powerful performances from members of the Winans family, Rev. Kim Burrell, and R. Kelly.

"I wanted to stop and give out praise to god for just allowing me to be in life at the same time as Whitney," Stevie Wonder said, before admitting "in my fantasy world, I had a little crush on Whitney." He performed his song "Ribbon in the Sky" with the words reworked to honor Houston.

Alicia Keys was crying as she sat down at the piano, wiping away her tears. She recalled how Whitney nurtured so many younger artists. "She just made us feel strong and capable and loved," Keys said, before launching into "Send Me an Angel."

As the service drew to its close and the pallbearers gathered around the gleaming golden casket, the opening a capella notes from Houston’s recording of "I Will Always Love You" filled the hall. 

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Van Halen Rocks the L.A. Forum for Thousands of 'Friends and Family'

Alex Van Halen, Eddie Van Halen, Wolfgang Van Halen and David Lee Roth of Van Halen perform at their dress rehearsal for family and friends at the Forum in Inglewood, California.

There were still kinks to be worked out last night at what David Lee Roth called "the final dress rehearsal" for Van Halen's upcoming North American tour. Onstage at the Forum in Los Angeles, Roth happily admitted, "I forgot the fucking words!" halfway through "China Town," one of several songs the legendary hard-rock outfit played from their brand-new studio album, A Different Kind of Truth. ("Get to the chorus," the singer urged his bandmates. "I know those words.") But with just over a week before the tour kicks off next Saturday in Louisville, Kentucky, Van Halen seemed concerned with making a bigger-picture point last night: They were proving they're ready to entertain arenas packed with hardcore fans.
Billed as a "Friends and Family" event, the 70-minute performance followed two earlier invite-only gigs, one in January at New York's tiny Cafe Wha? and the other last week at L.A.'s Henson Studios. But this show was the reunited Van Halen's first inside a venue as big as those they'll be playing over the next four months, and they definitely took advantage of the Forum's roomy dimensions – think confetti cannons, loads of high-def video and an enormous checkered flag like the one Roth waves in the clip for "Tattoo." Clad in a succession of sparkly jackets and what appeared to be a pair of pleather yoga pants, the frontman shimmied across the stage in full Diamond Dave mode; during "Everybody Wants Some!!" he even revived his old samurai-sword act. And though Alex and Wolfgang Van Halen declined to take solos last night, Eddie Van Halen offered up a typically virtuosic mini-concerto that reminded you of all the astonishing things he can still do on the guitar.
So what'd they play? Hits, of course: "You Really Got Me," "Runnin' with the Devil," "Panama," "Ice Cream Man." They all sounded great, especially "Dance the Night Away," with pitch-perfect vocal harmonies from Eddie and Wolfgang, and "Hot for Teacher," which Roth introduced by tossing handfuls of Hanukkah gelt into the crowd. (Speaking of the crowd, last night's included Duff McKagan and Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains, not to mention Tone Loc and the blonde surfer dude from TMZ.) Even the new stuff worked, though not as well as "Jump," which closed the show on a note of mock-heroic grandiosity that is, was and evidently always will be Van Halen's signature stance. Get your tickets now, folks.

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Exclusive Download: Now, Now's New Single 'School Friends'

Click to listen to Now, Now's 'School Friends'

Minneapolis-based Now, Now will release their second full-length album, Threads, on March 6th on Death Cab For Cutie producer/guitarist Chris Walla's Trans-Records. After becoming a fan of Now, Now, Walla acted as an impromptu roadie for the band at last year's SXSW, and ultimately signed them to his label.

"John Vanderslice introduced me to Now, Now's Cars a few years ago, and I was kind of an instant fan," Walla says. "Their new record totally kills me . . . So much heart, delicacy, strength and economy all in one place."

Random Notes

Now, Now's drummer Brad Hale says that  he didn't think the gentle and rhythmic "School Friends" would ever resurface. "The song is actually relatively old, and it was something that I never really expected would make it on a record. I wrote it while I was in college as a reaction to how my expectations of college were not met," he says. "The lyrics are intentionally simple because I felt it was the only way to get my point across to the people I needed to reach."

Now, Now will be hitting the road on March 23rd with The Naked And Famous in Austin. Now, Now's Threads won't be released until March 6th, but you can download "School Friends" for free here.

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Exclusive Download: Now, Now's New Single 'School Friends'

Click to listen to Now, Now's 'School Friends'

Minneapolis-based Now, Now will release their second full-length album, Threads, on March 6th on Death Cab For Cutie producer/guitarist Chris Walla's Trans-Records. After becoming a fan of Now, Now, Walla acted as an impromptu roadie for the band at last year's SXSW, and ultimately signed them to his label.

"John Vanderslice introduced me to Now, Now's Cars a few years ago, and I was kind of an instant fan," Walla says. "Their new record totally kills me . . . So much heart, delicacy, strength and economy all in one place."

Random Notes

Now, Now's drummer Brad Hale says that  he didn't think the gentle and rhythmic "School Friends" would ever resurface. "The song is actually relatively old, and it was something that I never really expected would make it on a record. I wrote it while I was in college as a reaction to how my expectations of college were not met," he says. "The lyrics are intentionally simple because I felt it was the only way to get my point across to the people I needed to reach."

Now, Now will be hitting the road on March 23rd with The Naked And Famous in Austin. Now, Now's Threads won't be released until March 6th, but you can download "School Friends" for free here.

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

Find music selection in Amazon here

Read more »