Little Boots Returns to Studio for Second Album, 'Nocturnes'

Little Boots Returns to Studio for Second Album, 'Nocturnes'The British dance-pop singer gives a taste of her next phase $(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(); } ); }); OO.ready(function() { OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer', 'x0dms2YTrgCqvKxYlLS2PfhW3hpqFf1B', {'autoplay': true }); });By

Three years after announcing that she was beginning work on a new project, the British electro-pop songstress Little Boots (a/k/a Victoria Hesketh) is ready to release her second album, Nocturnes. The album is due out May 6th on Heskins' On Repeat Records and was produced by DFA Records cofounder Tim Goldsworthy.

In this exclusive video, Hesketh gives an inside look into her return to the studio, her love for songwriting and Goldsworthy's talent for mixing her signature sound of modern-day disco with progressive electronica. Hesketh explains that Nocturnes is "an album indebted to the night" and was inspired by her experiences as a DJ and her immersion in the club scene. "It's got that nighttime feel," she says.

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Little Boots Returns to Studio for Second Album, 'Nocturnes'

Little Boots Returns to Studio for Second Album, 'Nocturnes'The British dance-pop singer gives a taste of her next phase $(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(); } ); }); OO.ready(function() { OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer', 'x0dms2YTrgCqvKxYlLS2PfhW3hpqFf1B', {'autoplay': true }); });By

Three years after announcing that she was beginning work on a new project, the British electro-pop songstress Little Boots (a/k/a Victoria Hesketh) is ready to release her second album, Nocturnes. The album is due out May 6th on Heskins' On Repeat Records and was produced by DFA Records cofounder Tim Goldsworthy.

In this exclusive video, Hesketh gives an inside look into her return to the studio, her love for songwriting and Goldsworthy's talent for mixing her signature sound of modern-day disco with progressive electronica. Hesketh explains that Nocturnes is "an album indebted to the night" and was inspired by her experiences as a DJ and her immersion in the club scene. "It's got that nighttime feel," she says.

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Jimmy Kimmel Returns With 'Movie: The Movie' Sequel

Jimmy Kimmel Returns With 'Movie: The Movie' SequelBradley Cooper, Jessica Chastain help with all-star spoof $(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(); } ); });

After last year's Oscars, Jimmy Kimmel debuted Movie: The Movie, scoring a big hit with the spoof clip that packed in movie stars like Mars Attacks did. Of course, favorites typically get sequels, and Kimmel has unveiled Movie: The Movie 2V, featuring Bradley Cooper, Jessica Chastain, Samuel L. Jackson, Bryan Cranston, John Krasinski, Gerald Butler and more. Sexy leprechauns appear, Krasinski suffers excessive superhero tragedies and Bruno Mars stops the madness to preach for peace. And naturally, Kimmel's sworn enemy Matt Damon is here too. "When you have a big success in Hollywood, there's only one reasonable thing you can do," says Kimmel, "and that is cheapen it with a sequel."

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'The X Factor' Returns With Hollywood Premiere

Judges Britney Spears, Simon Cowell, Demi Lovato and L.A. Reid during the Season Two premiere event of 'The X Factor.' September 12, 2012 11:35 AM ET

When The X Factor launched last season with a Hollywood premiere, complete with red carpet, it felt grandiose and innovative. Last night, Simon Cowell's show again took over a Hollywood movie palace, the iconic Grauman's Chinese Theater, to celebrate the new season.

There was no shortage of pomp and circumstance, thanks in large part to the star power of new judges Britney Spears and Demi Lovato, who attracted legions of screaming fans on Hollywood Boulevard and inside the theater.

To underscore what a big event this was, the night started with a handprint ceremony, in which the four judges had their hands immortalized in cement alongside legends such as Marilyn Monroe and Frank Sinatra.

There was no shortage of hyperbole: the show was introduced as "the most powerful 84 minutes of television this season." Audience members sang Spears and Lovato songs to keep the crowd entertained while waiting for the judges.

Cowell was the only judge to speak prior to the screening of the premiere (which airs tonight on Fox), introducing some of the changes to this season. "We're so proud of this," Cowell said, calling Spears "the new Queen of Mean, as you're about to see."

Among the biggest changes are the lack of a host and voiceover, and contestants being recorded as they wait for their auditions. The second season starts with a "rivalry" between a 22-year-old singer named Kaci Newton and our heroine, 21-year-old mom Paige Thomas. Newton is so unlikable it gave the whole opening the effect of watching a Christopher Guest spoof of singing shows (and where is that, please?).

And then it was Britney time. The show remains Cowell's, but he's smart enough to know that it is Spears who can jump-start last year's disappointing ratings. After she ripped one horrible contestant, she was featured in a lengthy montage telling people "no" in various ways. "You sound like Alvin and the Chipmunks," she says to one contestant.

During the Q&A that followed, Spears pointed out that it wasn't just her being mean, but Lovato too. Lovato turned to Cowell and said she knew he would include footage of that in later episodes. The banter between Cowell and Lovato was played up continuously; at one point she joked that Reid told her, "Simon is so much uglier in person. Try not to laugh when you meet him." Cowell responded with a story about how when he first met Lovato she was drooling, and he had to point it out to her.

Cowell addressed the witty repartee, saying, "I'm obviously comfortable with both girls, because they can give as good as they get."

The Q&A lasted 20-30 minutes, with many of the questions being directed at Cowell. Coming from a variety of sources – Twitter, Facebook, the crowd and Fox – the questions covered a wide range of topics, including which One Direction member would make the best judge.

Spears was asked what she looks for most as a judge. "Someone who genuinely enjoys what they do," she replied. "I can totally relate to contestants – I know what it's like to have a dream and a passion," she added.

More importantly for Cowell and Fox, judging by the continuous screams, it seemed that fans can still relate to her.

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Warped Tour Returns To Its Roots

Kevin Lyman (2nd from left) with members of The Used at the Vans Warped Tour kick off party.

The Warped Tour unveiled its 2012 roster and dates on Thursday night with a press conference and launch party, featuring Falling In Reverse, the Used, Dead Sara, Yellowcard and more at L.A.'s Club Nokia. The 2012 edition of the long-running festival will commence June 16 in Salt Lake City and run through August 5 in Portland, Oregon. In typical Warped fashion, the lineups will often vary city to city, with some acts, like Rise Against, who are doing four shows, only doing select dates.

Also true to Warped tradition, the bill will feature a mix of veteran acts, from the Used, Taking Back Sunday, Newfound Glory and Yellowcard to newbies Cherri Bomb, Dead Sara and Matt Toka.

Warped promoter Kevin Lyman told Rolling Stone that he turned to the tour's illustrious history to book this year's talent. "I looked at the 1995 tour, that was a pretty eclectic lineup – Sublime, No Doubt, L7, those are all different sounds," he said. "This year I put it all in there. I think we’ve entered a new time of music, it’s closer to 1995 than ever. You leave your iPod on shuffle and you can go from Taylor Swift to Mumford & Sons to Kanye West to Falling In Reverse."

Taking the festival back to its roots was important for Lyman, who admits he had grown weary of doing the tour a few years ago, to the point he thought it might be nearing its end. "Three years ago, I was actually getting kind of bored. I was probably listening to too many other people. So two years ago I just went back and listened to music again," he says. "I said, 'I’m gonna book an eclectic show and if kids don’t come, okay, it’s maybe time to end this thing.'”

While Warped is known as a punk tour, a vehicle for acts like Bad Religion, NOFX and Pennywise, as well as alternative bands such as My Chemical Romance, it's also been a launch pad for several pop successes, including Gym Class Heroes, Paramore and Katy Perry. Lyman holds a special place in his heart for Perry.

"When this is all over I’m gonna be really proud of hearing one song of Katy Perry and it wasn’t 'I Kissed A Girl.' It was 'Ur So Gay' on a tape and I went, 'I want her on Warped tour,'" he says. "And she came out there and learned how to be a live performer. I’m gonna be very proud that I was part of that start for her in some small way."

This year’s lineup features several returning acts, including the Used coming back a decade after their debut. Lyman would welcome Perry's return, and it wouldn't have to be as a performer. "’I'd love Katy to come back," he says. "I don’t know if it makes sense for her, but I’d love for her to come to a barbecue one night."

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Shooter Jennings Returns To Country With 'Family Man'

Shooter Jennings performs in New Orleans.

Shooter Jennings’ last album was the ambitious, critically acclaimed Black Ribbons, a bleak look at a futuristic world that found the son of country legend Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter teaming with horror-meister Stephen King.

"I meant to establish something my own that was different from my dad and the whole country thing," Jennings tells Rolling Stone.

Having successfully achieved that goal, Jennings is back with a new album, Family Man, that firmly embraces his dad’s heritage and "the whole country thing."

"I actually didn't know this record was going to be so country," he admits. "[But] after Black Ribbons, I kind of stripped it down to my roots as much as I possibly could. And I kind of went after something that was a little different. And it ended up being really rootsy kind of country sound, but it was something that I felt really comfortable doing. I’m really proud of this record."

The collection was inspired by Jennings' own life as a family man, being a father and husband (Jennings is married to actress Drea de Matteo of The Sopranos), but it also took him very much back to his own dad.

"A record like this can only naturally bring me back to him. It's like he's around a lot more when I'm doing a record like this," he says. "Taking on really the record as a whole by myself, producing it myself, writing everything, definitely causes me to think about him a lot more."

And as he’s gotten older, Jennings finds himself empathizing quite a bit with his own dad. "Having kids and understanding myself, and understanding life, love and all the battles that go with that definitely has made me think about him," he says. "It's weird because my dad was such an awesome dad [and] I have a boy now, whose real name is Waylon. And I really wish that they had gotten to know him, but at the same time, it's like, it's been 10 years since my dad has been gone."

Like other famous progeny in the musical world, Jennings has struggled to find his own identity and break away from the expectations of others. Between the artistic success of Black Ribbons and gaining more self confidence as he’s gotten older, Jennings doesn’t really care anymore what others think.

"I'm always influenced by my dad, you understand? [But] Black Ribbons is like the Jacob Dylan dance record or whatever," he says, laughing. "That freed me up to care less if what I was going to do next was similar to what he was doing. [And] the older I've gotten, the less I've cared. And the less I've cared, the better what I'm doing has gotten. With this record, I definitely feel that I did something that was really true to who I am. And I definitely don't feel pressure right now when it comes to my dad, and I don't feel pressure when it comes to anything. I kind of feel liberated. I'm proud of that."

Working on the new country album also allowed Jennings to be more involved in his dad’s legacy. "I'm immersed with a lot of things with my dad," he says. One of those is a reported bio-pic, which Jennings says is coming along behind the scenes. "I have found a producer and a writer that I really like. And so we're kind of in steps of trying to at least outline the script," he says.

Jennings has a very specific idea of the time period he wants to cover. "Trying to get his whole life in a movie doesn't really interest me. I'd rather it focus on really the heart of his life, which was that Nashville battle, and how he won that," he says. "That's kind of the important part of the story, so for me, I definitely don't want to take it places like Ray and Walk the Line and stuff, where it's just like him picking cotton all the way to the end in two hours."

No one has been cast yet, but there have been names bandied about. One possibility that Jennings likes is actor Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker), who Jennings says "would probably make a pretty good choice."

Don’t expect to see Jennings in the movie. Asked if he’ll have a part, he laughs and says, "I hope not. I'd like to be in a lot of the background stuff, the music and stuff like that. But I have no interest in actually being in it."

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

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Warped Tour Returns To Its Roots

Kevin Lyman (2nd from left) with members of The Used at the Vans Warped Tour kick off party.

The Warped Tour unveiled its 2012 roster and dates on Thursday night with a press conference and launch party, featuring Falling In Reverse, the Used, Dead Sara, Yellowcard and more at L.A.'s Club Nokia. The 2012 edition of the long-running festival will commence June 16 in Salt Lake City and run through August 5 in Portland, Oregon. In typical Warped fashion, the lineups will often vary city to city, with some acts, like Rise Against, who are doing four shows, only doing select dates.

Also true to Warped tradition, the bill will feature a mix of veteran acts, from the Used, Taking Back Sunday, Newfound Glory and Yellowcard to newbies Cherri Bomb, Dead Sara and Matt Toka.

Warped promoter Kevin Lyman told Rolling Stone that he turned to the tour's illustrious history to book this year's talent. "I looked at the 1995 tour, that was a pretty eclectic lineup – Sublime, No Doubt, L7, those are all different sounds," he said. "This year I put it all in there. I think we’ve entered a new time of music, it’s closer to 1995 than ever. You leave your iPod on shuffle and you can go from Taylor Swift to Mumford & Sons to Kanye West to Falling In Reverse."

Taking the festival back to its roots was important for Lyman, who admits he had grown weary of doing the tour a few years ago, to the point he thought it might be nearing its end. "Three years ago, I was actually getting kind of bored. I was probably listening to too many other people. So two years ago I just went back and listened to music again," he says. "I said, 'I’m gonna book an eclectic show and if kids don’t come, okay, it’s maybe time to end this thing.'”

While Warped is known as a punk tour, a vehicle for acts like Bad Religion, NOFX and Pennywise, as well as alternative bands such as My Chemical Romance, it's also been a launch pad for several pop successes, including Gym Class Heroes, Paramore and Katy Perry. Lyman holds a special place in his heart for Perry.

"When this is all over I’m gonna be really proud of hearing one song of Katy Perry and it wasn’t 'I Kissed A Girl.' It was 'Ur So Gay' on a tape and I went, 'I want her on Warped tour,'" he says. "And she came out there and learned how to be a live performer. I’m gonna be very proud that I was part of that start for her in some small way."

This year’s lineup features several returning acts, including the Used coming back a decade after their debut. Lyman would welcome Perry's return, and it wouldn't have to be as a performer. "’I'd love Katy to come back," he says. "I don’t know if it makes sense for her, but I’d love for her to come to a barbecue one night."

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

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Shooter Jennings Returns To Country With 'Family Man'

Shooter Jennings performs in New Orleans.

Shooter Jennings’ last album was the ambitious, critically acclaimed Black Ribbons, a bleak look at a futuristic world that found the son of country legend Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter teaming with horror-meister Stephen King.

"I meant to establish something my own that was different from my dad and the whole country thing," Jennings tells Rolling Stone.

Having successfully achieved that goal, Jennings is back with a new album, Family Man, that firmly embraces his dad’s heritage and "the whole country thing."

"I actually didn't know this record was going to be so country," he admits. "[But] after Black Ribbons, I kind of stripped it down to my roots as much as I possibly could. And I kind of went after something that was a little different. And it ended up being really rootsy kind of country sound, but it was something that I felt really comfortable doing. I’m really proud of this record."

The collection was inspired by Jennings' own life as a family man, being a father and husband (Jennings is married to actress Drea de Matteo of The Sopranos), but it also took him very much back to his own dad.

"A record like this can only naturally bring me back to him. It's like he's around a lot more when I'm doing a record like this," he says. "Taking on really the record as a whole by myself, producing it myself, writing everything, definitely causes me to think about him a lot more."

And as he’s gotten older, Jennings finds himself empathizing quite a bit with his own dad. "Having kids and understanding myself, and understanding life, love and all the battles that go with that definitely has made me think about him," he says. "It's weird because my dad was such an awesome dad [and] I have a boy now, whose real name is Waylon. And I really wish that they had gotten to know him, but at the same time, it's like, it's been 10 years since my dad has been gone."

Like other famous progeny in the musical world, Jennings has struggled to find his own identity and break away from the expectations of others. Between the artistic success of Black Ribbons and gaining more self confidence as he’s gotten older, Jennings doesn’t really care anymore what others think.

"I'm always influenced by my dad, you understand? [But] Black Ribbons is like the Jacob Dylan dance record or whatever," he says, laughing. "That freed me up to care less if what I was going to do next was similar to what he was doing. [And] the older I've gotten, the less I've cared. And the less I've cared, the better what I'm doing has gotten. With this record, I definitely feel that I did something that was really true to who I am. And I definitely don't feel pressure right now when it comes to my dad, and I don't feel pressure when it comes to anything. I kind of feel liberated. I'm proud of that."

Working on the new country album also allowed Jennings to be more involved in his dad’s legacy. "I'm immersed with a lot of things with my dad," he says. One of those is a reported bio-pic, which Jennings says is coming along behind the scenes. "I have found a producer and a writer that I really like. And so we're kind of in steps of trying to at least outline the script," he says.

Jennings has a very specific idea of the time period he wants to cover. "Trying to get his whole life in a movie doesn't really interest me. I'd rather it focus on really the heart of his life, which was that Nashville battle, and how he won that," he says. "That's kind of the important part of the story, so for me, I definitely don't want to take it places like Ray and Walk the Line and stuff, where it's just like him picking cotton all the way to the end in two hours."

No one has been cast yet, but there have been names bandied about. One possibility that Jennings likes is actor Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker), who Jennings says "would probably make a pretty good choice."

Don’t expect to see Jennings in the movie. Asked if he’ll have a part, he laughs and says, "I hope not. I'd like to be in a lot of the background stuff, the music and stuff like that. But I have no interest in actually being in it."

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

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John Mayer Cancels Tour After Throat Condition Returns

John Mayer performs in Mountain View, California.

John Mayer has been forced to take an indefinite break from live performance after learning that a granuloma on his vocal cords has grown back after doctors believed it had healed. The singer went to the doctor after noticing that something about his voice wasn't quite right in rehearsal on Tuesday. "This is bad news," Mayer wrote on his Tumblr this morning. "Though there will be a day when all of this will be behind me, it will sideline me for a longer period of time than I care to have you count down."

The singer says that his new album Born and Raised, which had been delayed by his throat ailment, will be released on May 22nd as scheduled, and in the meantime he will begin work on writing new songs. "I feel really vibrant as a writer at the moment and there’s no reason not to begin the next album project in the time I would have been touring," says Mayer. "Somewhere in all of this is another surgery and a very long chemically-imposed period of silence, so I hope you’ll understand that I have to really pick that date carefully.

"I’m pretty emotionally burnt out at the moment, but please know how hard I tried to resolve this and how disappointed I am that I can’t perform this record yet," Mayer added.

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John Mayer Cancels Tour After Throat Condition Returns

John Mayer performs in Mountain View, California.

John Mayer has been forced to take an indefinite break from live performance after learning that a granuloma on his vocal cords has grown back after doctors believed it had healed. The singer went to the doctor after noticing that something about his voice wasn't quite right in rehearsal on Tuesday. "This is bad news," Mayer wrote on his Tumblr this morning. "Though there will be a day when all of this will be behind me, it will sideline me for a longer period of time than I care to have you count down."

The singer says that his new album Born and Raised, which had been delayed by his throat ailment, will be released on May 22nd as scheduled, and in the meantime he will begin work on writing new songs. "I feel really vibrant as a writer at the moment and there’s no reason not to begin the next album project in the time I would have been touring," says Mayer. "Somewhere in all of this is another surgery and a very long chemically-imposed period of silence, so I hope you’ll understand that I have to really pick that date carefully.

"I’m pretty emotionally burnt out at the moment, but please know how hard I tried to resolve this and how disappointed I am that I can’t perform this record yet," Mayer added.

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Mariah Carey Returns to Stage in NYC

Mariah Carey performs during Escape To Total Rewards at Gotham Hall in New York City. Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Caesars Entertainment

Mariah Carey hid in front of 150 people, patting her face with a tissue, the spotlight turned off at her request. She said she was stalling for time, something "those who know her" would understand. She tossed the tissues aside; they fluttered in the air like her eyelashes, her long hair, her fingertips, her voice.

Mariah high-stepped back to the center of the stage, her black floor-length gown coming to life with every twist of her hips. "I didn't really know it was a big drama like that," she said, "like it was my first time coming to the stage since having them babies."

Everything about Carey's return to the stage last night screamed big and loud – the actual space, New York's Gotham Hall, with its gilded chandelier hanging beneath an ornately hand-crafted ceiling; the press releases; the burly man pushing himself above the crowd outside, opening and closing his otherwise-unused umbrella while leading a call-and-response of "Mariah! Carey!" It was a capital-e Extravaganza where Mariah's opening act was no smaller than Diddy; where she underwent not one but two consultations with her makeup team between songs. It was a half-hour set.

Random Notes: Hottest Rock Pictures

That set started off with some more recent hits – "Shake It Off," "Touch My Body," "Obsessed" – a light workout for a voice that could do much heavier lifting. Freed, the singer minced around, turning "Obsessed" into a melodramatic mini-opera with the help of her backup dancers. (Between spins and kicks, they played fans and paparazzi.) Five songs in, there was a clear shift from flirty and fun to steel-voiced and iron-lunged, as Carey sang to the rafters. "Always Be My Baby" and "We Belong Together" turned the volume knob to fortissimo, with the crowd singing just as loud. During "I'll Be There," a duet with Trey Lorenz, she whispered, "We miss you, Michael." A girl near the bar wiped her eyes.

Leaving the stage, Carey returned for "Hero," saying, "I thought they said I didn't have any time left, I thought I couldn't close with the song I always close with." The performance of her 1993 mega-hit was the saving grace of a very bloated, often slow-paced night.

Mariah was funny, unhinged as only Mariah can be, letting her sentences run on until they got tired. She play-fought with the lighting guys, with the sound techs, with the woman who came out to fix her shoes. During one particularly long break, as someone touched up her lips and someone else changed her jewelry, she said, "Pretend like the band is playing right now!" She mentioned that she'd almost brought her twins to the concert, but she didn't want to be late; besides, "Monroe takes a minute to warm up." Like mother, like daughter. (More serious, but no less joyful, she announced that husband Nick Cannon was somewhere in the room, though still recovering from his recent kidney failure.)

It was almost easy to forget that Diddy performed as well, hours earlier. Acting as hype man to his own material, he let the crowd finish most of the lyrics. (He also stood back for a medley of Rihanna, LMFAO and the Rapture, briefly turning New York's Midtown into Las Vegas – appropriate, for a night sponsored by Caesar's.) Sprinting through his hits, he careened into "I Need a Girl Pt. 2" after barely two bars of "Pt. 1." He shouted out Big Ang from "Mob Wives" and then went straight into a set honoring the Notorious B.I.G., dancing to "Mo' Money, Mo' Problems," taking his glasses off for "I'll Be Missing U." Somehow, Diddy did not return to join Mariah for his remix of "Honey," a classic of the shiny-suit era.

Across the country, other concerts were taking place simultaneously, an all-out promotion for Caesar's Entertainment. Selections from each performance streamed online; hosts Melanie B. from the Spice Girls and E! host Giuliana Rancic provided transitions as if plugged into a wall. Between songs, Mariah complained about cameras, how nothing could escape the watchful eyes of The Internet: "I hate this filming . . . bleep. Nothing's live anymore." Possibly unbeknownst to her, online audiences weren't able to see anything after "It's Like That," her first song of the night. They'd sat through Gavin DeGraw in New Orleans, Sara Bareilles in Chicago, a highlight reel of Celine Dion and a particularly grating performance by Lil' Wayne in Los Angeles, whose band shifted from too soft to too loud, and back. In the middle of the night, Giuliana Rancic threw to Sara Bareilles with her arms crossed. "We could not be more excited," she said.

After Carey performed, the in-house video showed Cee Lo Green swishing around in pink pants for an L.A. audience. Mary J. Blige hit the New Orleans stage even later. Though the night continued, no one in New York stuck around.

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Mariah Carey Returns to Stage in NYC

Mariah Carey performs during Escape To Total Rewards at Gotham Hall in New York City. Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Caesars Entertainment

Mariah Carey hid in front of 150 people, patting her face with a tissue, the spotlight turned off at her request. She said she was stalling for time, something "those who know her" would understand. She tossed the tissues aside; they fluttered in the air like her eyelashes, her long hair, her fingertips, her voice.

Mariah high-stepped back to the center of the stage, her black floor-length gown coming to life with every twist of her hips. "I didn't really know it was a big drama like that," she said, "like it was my first time coming to the stage since having them babies."

Everything about Carey's return to the stage last night screamed big and loud – the actual space, New York's Gotham Hall, with its gilded chandelier hanging beneath an ornately hand-crafted ceiling; the press releases; the burly man pushing himself above the crowd outside, opening and closing his otherwise-unused umbrella while leading a call-and-response of "Mariah! Carey!" It was a capital-e Extravaganza where Mariah's opening act was no smaller than Diddy; where she underwent not one but two consultations with her makeup team between songs. It was a half-hour set.

Random Notes: Hottest Rock Pictures

That set started off with some more recent hits – "Shake It Off," "Touch My Body," "Obsessed" – a light workout for a voice that could do much heavier lifting. Freed, the singer minced around, turning "Obsessed" into a melodramatic mini-opera with the help of her backup dancers. (Between spins and kicks, they played fans and paparazzi.) Five songs in, there was a clear shift from flirty and fun to steel-voiced and iron-lunged, as Carey sang to the rafters. "Always Be My Baby" and "We Belong Together" turned the volume knob to fortissimo, with the crowd singing just as loud. During "I'll Be There," a duet with Trey Lorenz, she whispered, "We miss you, Michael." A girl near the bar wiped her eyes.

Leaving the stage, Carey returned for "Hero," saying, "I thought they said I didn't have any time left, I thought I couldn't close with the song I always close with." The performance of her 1993 mega-hit was the saving grace of a very bloated, often slow-paced night.

Mariah was funny, unhinged as only Mariah can be, letting her sentences run on until they got tired. She play-fought with the lighting guys, with the sound techs, with the woman who came out to fix her shoes. During one particularly long break, as someone touched up her lips and someone else changed her jewelry, she said, "Pretend like the band is playing right now!" She mentioned that she'd almost brought her twins to the concert, but she didn't want to be late; besides, "Monroe takes a minute to warm up." Like mother, like daughter. (More serious, but no less joyful, she announced that husband Nick Cannon was somewhere in the room, though still recovering from his recent kidney failure.)

It was almost easy to forget that Diddy performed as well, hours earlier. Acting as hype man to his own material, he let the crowd finish most of the lyrics. (He also stood back for a medley of Rihanna, LMFAO and the Rapture, briefly turning New York's Midtown into Las Vegas – appropriate, for a night sponsored by Caesar's.) Sprinting through his hits, he careened into "I Need a Girl Pt. 2" after barely two bars of "Pt. 1." He shouted out Big Ang from "Mob Wives" and then went straight into a set honoring the Notorious B.I.G., dancing to "Mo' Money, Mo' Problems," taking his glasses off for "I'll Be Missing U." Somehow, Diddy did not return to join Mariah for his remix of "Honey," a classic of the shiny-suit era.

Across the country, other concerts were taking place simultaneously, an all-out promotion for Caesar's Entertainment. Selections from each performance streamed online; hosts Melanie B. from the Spice Girls and E! host Giuliana Rancic provided transitions as if plugged into a wall. Between songs, Mariah complained about cameras, how nothing could escape the watchful eyes of The Internet: "I hate this filming . . . bleep. Nothing's live anymore." Possibly unbeknownst to her, online audiences weren't able to see anything after "It's Like That," her first song of the night. They'd sat through Gavin DeGraw in New Orleans, Sara Bareilles in Chicago, a highlight reel of Celine Dion and a particularly grating performance by Lil' Wayne in Los Angeles, whose band shifted from too soft to too loud, and back. In the middle of the night, Giuliana Rancic threw to Sara Bareilles with her arms crossed. "We could not be more excited," she said.

After Carey performed, the in-house video showed Cee Lo Green swishing around in pink pants for an L.A. audience. Mary J. Blige hit the New Orleans stage even later. Though the night continued, no one in New York stuck around.

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Tour Alert: John Mayer Returns to the Road

John Mayer returns to the road.

John Mayer
In April, John Mayer will kick off his first U.S. tour in about two years. The tour is in celebration of his forthcoming album, Born and Raised. The first single, "Shadow Days," is to be released to radio today.

3/15 Thackerville, OK - Global Events Center
3/16 Thackerville, OK - Global Events Center
3/17 Austin, TX - Stubb's BBQ
4/9 Bloomington, IN - Indiana University Auditorium
4/10 East Lansing, MI - Wharton Center for the Performing Arts
4/12 Grand Rapids, MI - DeVos Performance Hall
4/13 West Lafayette, IN - Elliot Hall of Music
4/14 Detroit, MI - Fox Theatre
4/17 Orono, ME - Collins Center for the Arts
4/18 Providence, RI - Providence Performing Arts Center
4/19 West Point, NY - Eisenhower Hall Theatre
4/21 Buffalo, NY - Shea's Performing Arts Center
4/22 Wallingford, CT - Toyota Presents the Oakdale Theatre
4/24 Richmond, VA - Landmark Theater
4/26 Tuscaloosa, AL - Tuscaloosa Amphitheatre
4/29 New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
4/30 Memphis, TN - Orpheum Theatre
5/2 Kansas City, MO - Starlight Theatre
5/4 Albuquerque, NM - Sandia Casino Amphitheater
5/5 Las Vegas, NV - The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
5/6 Phoenix, AZ - Comerica Theatre

Slash
In anticipation of his forthcoming album, Apocalyptic Love (due May 22nd), former Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash has announced a string of headlining U.S. tour dates. "You're A Lie," the first single from his new album, was released on the radio today. Slash will kick off his tour in May in Baltimore, MD.

5/3 Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live
5/5 Rockingham, NC - Carolina Rebellion, Rockingham Speedway
5/7 Orlando, FL - Hard Rock Live
5/10 Biloxi, MS - Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
5/13 Boone, IA - Lazerfest, Central Iowa Expo
5/14 Minneapolis, MN - The Brick
5/16 Madison, WI - Orpheum Theater
5/17 Grand Rapids, MI - Orbit Room
5/19 Columbus, OH - Rock on the Range, Columbus Crew Stadium
5/20 Camden, NJ - MMRBQ, Susquehanna Bank Center
5/26 Albuquerque, NM - Route 66 Casino

Girls
Following the far-reaching success of their 2011 album Father, Son, Holy Ghost, Girls have announced several spring tour dates. The tour will kick off on the West Coast and conclude with two performances at Coachella.

3/1 Santa Cruz, CA - Coconut Grove
3/2 San Diego, CA - Birch North Park Theatre
3/3 Phoenix, AZ - Crescent Ballroom
3/5 Albuquerque, NM - Launchpad
3/7 San Antonio, TX - White Rabbit
3/8 Austin, TX - La Zona Rosa
3/9 Dallas, TX - Granada Theatre
3/12 New Orleans, LA - One Eyed Jacks
3/13 Houston, TX - Fitzgerald's Upstairs
3/16 Englewood, CO - Gothic Theatre
3/17 Salt Lake City, UT - In the Venue
3/18 Reno, NV - Cargo at CommRow
4/13 Indio, CA - Coachella Music & Arts Festival
4/20 Indio, CA - Coachella Music & Arts Festival

Cymbals Eat Guitars
Cymbals Eat Guitars are back on the road to promote their 2011 sophomore album, Lenses Alien. The tour begins in March in Iowa City, IA, and the band will be accompanied by Cursive in every city.

3/22 Iowa City, IA - The Mill
3/23 Minneapolis, MN - The 400 Bar
3/24 Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon
3/25 Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall
3/26 Champaign, IL - High Dive
3/27 Ann Arbor, MI - Blind Pig
3/28 Pittsburgh, PA - Mr. Smalls Theatre
3/29 Cleveland Heights, OH - Grog Shop
3/30 Buffalo, NY - Mohawk Place
4/02 Cambridge, MA - Middle East (Downstairs)
4/03 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
4/04 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
4/05 Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer
4/06 Washington, DC - Black Cat
4/07 Raleigh, NC - Kings Barcade
4/08 Atlanta, GA - The Earl
4/09 St. Augustine, FL - Cafe Eleven
4/10 Orlando, FL - The Social
4/11 Tallahassee, FL - Club Downunder
4/13 Houston, TX - Fitzgerald's Upstairs
4/14 Austin, TX - The Mohawk
4/15 Dallas, TX - Trees
4/17 Memphis, TN - Hi-Tone Cafe
4/18 Lexington, KY - Cosmic Charlies
4/20 St. Louis, MO - Off Broadway Nightclub
4/21 Columbia, MO - Mojo's

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

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Tour Alert: John Mayer Returns to the Road

John Mayer returns to the road.

John Mayer
In April, John Mayer will kick off his first U.S. tour in about two years. The tour is in celebration of his forthcoming album, Born and Raised. The first single, "Shadow Days," is to be released to radio today.

3/15 Thackerville, OK - Global Events Center
3/16 Thackerville, OK - Global Events Center
3/17 Austin, TX - Stubb's BBQ
4/9 Bloomington, IN - Indiana University Auditorium
4/10 East Lansing, MI - Wharton Center for the Performing Arts
4/12 Grand Rapids, MI - DeVos Performance Hall
4/13 West Lafayette, IN - Elliot Hall of Music
4/14 Detroit, MI - Fox Theatre
4/17 Orono, ME - Collins Center for the Arts
4/18 Providence, RI - Providence Performing Arts Center
4/19 West Point, NY - Eisenhower Hall Theatre
4/21 Buffalo, NY - Shea's Performing Arts Center
4/22 Wallingford, CT - Toyota Presents the Oakdale Theatre
4/24 Richmond, VA - Landmark Theater
4/26 Tuscaloosa, AL - Tuscaloosa Amphitheatre
4/29 New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
4/30 Memphis, TN - Orpheum Theatre
5/2 Kansas City, MO - Starlight Theatre
5/4 Albuquerque, NM - Sandia Casino Amphitheater
5/5 Las Vegas, NV - The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
5/6 Phoenix, AZ - Comerica Theatre

Slash
In anticipation of his forthcoming album, Apocalyptic Love (due May 22nd), former Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash has announced a string of headlining U.S. tour dates. "You're A Lie," the first single from his new album, was released on the radio today. Slash will kick off his tour in May in Baltimore, MD.

5/3 Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live
5/5 Rockingham, NC - Carolina Rebellion, Rockingham Speedway
5/7 Orlando, FL - Hard Rock Live
5/10 Biloxi, MS - Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
5/13 Boone, IA - Lazerfest, Central Iowa Expo
5/14 Minneapolis, MN - The Brick
5/16 Madison, WI - Orpheum Theater
5/17 Grand Rapids, MI - Orbit Room
5/19 Columbus, OH - Rock on the Range, Columbus Crew Stadium
5/20 Camden, NJ - MMRBQ, Susquehanna Bank Center
5/26 Albuquerque, NM - Route 66 Casino

Girls
Following the far-reaching success of their 2011 album Father, Son, Holy Ghost, Girls have announced several spring tour dates. The tour will kick off on the West Coast and conclude with two performances at Coachella.

3/1 Santa Cruz, CA - Coconut Grove
3/2 San Diego, CA - Birch North Park Theatre
3/3 Phoenix, AZ - Crescent Ballroom
3/5 Albuquerque, NM - Launchpad
3/7 San Antonio, TX - White Rabbit
3/8 Austin, TX - La Zona Rosa
3/9 Dallas, TX - Granada Theatre
3/12 New Orleans, LA - One Eyed Jacks
3/13 Houston, TX - Fitzgerald's Upstairs
3/16 Englewood, CO - Gothic Theatre
3/17 Salt Lake City, UT - In the Venue
3/18 Reno, NV - Cargo at CommRow
4/13 Indio, CA - Coachella Music & Arts Festival
4/20 Indio, CA - Coachella Music & Arts Festival

Cymbals Eat Guitars
Cymbals Eat Guitars are back on the road to promote their 2011 sophomore album, Lenses Alien. The tour begins in March in Iowa City, IA, and the band will be accompanied by Cursive in every city.

3/22 Iowa City, IA - The Mill
3/23 Minneapolis, MN - The 400 Bar
3/24 Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon
3/25 Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall
3/26 Champaign, IL - High Dive
3/27 Ann Arbor, MI - Blind Pig
3/28 Pittsburgh, PA - Mr. Smalls Theatre
3/29 Cleveland Heights, OH - Grog Shop
3/30 Buffalo, NY - Mohawk Place
4/02 Cambridge, MA - Middle East (Downstairs)
4/03 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
4/04 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
4/05 Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer
4/06 Washington, DC - Black Cat
4/07 Raleigh, NC - Kings Barcade
4/08 Atlanta, GA - The Earl
4/09 St. Augustine, FL - Cafe Eleven
4/10 Orlando, FL - The Social
4/11 Tallahassee, FL - Club Downunder
4/13 Houston, TX - Fitzgerald's Upstairs
4/14 Austin, TX - The Mohawk
4/15 Dallas, TX - Trees
4/17 Memphis, TN - Hi-Tone Cafe
4/18 Lexington, KY - Cosmic Charlies
4/20 St. Louis, MO - Off Broadway Nightclub
4/21 Columbia, MO - Mojo's

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

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Artie Lange Returns to Stand Up

Artie Lange arrives at DirecTV's Sixth Annual Celebrity Beach Bowl Game at Victory Field in Indianapolis.Theo Wargo/Getty Images for DirecTV

"It's good to be alive," Artie Lange said early in his set Sunday Night at New York's Caroline's Comedy Club. It was good to see him back; it was one of Lange's first high-profile stand-up sets after a nearly two-year hiatus that occurred following his suicide attempt in January 2010. He later spent two stints in rehab and three in psychiatric wards. 

Lange left the spotlight at his peak – he was a longtime sidekick on the Howard Stern Show, his memoir Too Fat to Fish was a national bestseller and he regularly performed sold-out theater gigs around the country. Since returning, Lange has done a handful of stand-up shows and begun hosting a Direct TV sports talk show with comic Nick Dipaolo. He never mentioned the tragic incident in the set, but after someone shouted, "What's up with Howard?" Lange said, "Listen man, shit happens. One day you're on top. The next day, you're on top of a ledge."

Lange took the stage to a standing ovation as AC/DC's "Hell's Bells" blared. It was striking to see him in person; his hair and beard have gone greyer, and his onstage demeanor is mellower than it used to be. When the material wasn't razor-sharp, the crowd was there to rally for him, regularly erupting with shouts of "We love you, Artie!"

Lange recalled several anecdotes from his recovery. He remembered gaining "83 pounds in nine days" while in rehab in Chicago. "If you have a cheeseburger with pastrami, they call you a pussy for not dunking it in something," he said. He recalled hiring a personal trainer who suggested running could substitute a heroin high. "I said 'Have you done heroin?' He said 'No.' Then you're not really qualified to be in this fucking argument." He also remembered one facility where a therapist asked patients to Google themselves to prove their significance in the world. "I had 4.2 million hits," Lange said. "The first Web site that came up was called ArtiesBloatedLiver.com"

Lange didn't stay away from his past vices, either. "After I stopped gambling I realized I'm not that big a sports fan," he said. "You know you have a gambling problem when it's 4 a.m. at the Mirage Sports Book and you're walking around going, 'Hey you get the lacrosse scores?'"

He continued, "People who don't have the disease say, 'Artie, you can have one drink, one beer, one five-dollar bet. If I put down a five-dollar bet on roulette in a casino, half an hour later, it's beer, vodka, weed. By 11:30, I'm doing blow off a stripper's ass. By 12:15, I'm doing blow off a stripper's ass who's of legal age. By 8 a.m. I'm running guns to Cuba."

Too often, the show veered into sports jokes and inside humor from his new Direct TV show. There was a slightly funny parody of "Empire State of Mind" that Lange set to lyrics about Boston, and a bit about traveling to the Super Bowl and playing in a celebrity football game that never quite took off.

Still, it was moving to see Lange back onstage. "Thank you for coming. It's very sweet of you," he said late in his set. "I was gone for a couple of years. I want to thank you for not forgetting me."

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Adele Returns to Singing at Grammys

Adele performs at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards.

Having already collected an armload of Grammys on a night that was destined to be hers, Adele capped one of the biggest individual years in pop in ages by returning to the stage at the awards show. Fully recovered from the vocal cord surgery that sidelined her at the end of last year, the singer performed her blockbuster hit "Rolling in the Deep," allowing herself a little giggle when she finished. The star-studded audience gave the powerful singer an extended ovation, with Rihanna and Paul McCartney, among others, leading the cheers.   

Later in the show, she accepted the Grammy for Record of the Year for "Rolling in the Deep." She thanked the radio programmers who made the song ubiquitous across several formats: "People just seem to really, really enjoy it," she said, in a wee bit of understatement.

Moments later, she walked on stage yet again, this time to collect the award for Album of the Year. "Mom, girl did good!" she blurted, dabbing at tears.

Adele's 21 has sold more than 6 million copies to date and is certain for another big boost following her big night at the Grammys. The album has spent a total of 19 (nonconsecutive) weeks at number one. One more week, coincidentally, would tie the soundtrack to The Bodyguard, which featured the late Whitney Houston, as one of the all-time leaders in the category.

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

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