Super Bowl XLIII: The Second Half

And that's all, folks! Turned into quite a damn game there at the end - and the digital versions of Springsteen's new album are currently lodged at No. 2 and No. 5 on the iTunes album charts, so all is well in the world. See you next year, when we'll be rooting for the San Diego Chargers to win their first Super Bowl championship. (Yes, I say that every year. Hope springs eternal.)

6:22 p.m. - Hey there MC Hammer! Nice Cash4Gold ad. (Let's pause for a moment and consider the fact that Cash4Gold can afford a Super Bowl ad. Makes you think twice about yanking out that filling, doesn't it?) Speaking of MC Hammer, let's perpetuate an urban legend: is the father in this McDonald's ad MC Hammer or not?

5:40 p.m. - The Bridgestone ad with the jacked moon buggy has got to be the commercial with the best use of music so far. "Jump Around" is a classic stadium tune, and you have to love booty-shaking astronauts.

Super Bowl XLIII: Halftime!

5:27 p.m. - James Harrison as "Born to Run"? That, Bob Costas, is why they pay you the big bucks.

5:24 p.m. - I'm not quite sure what just happened there. He got the obligatory song from the new album in, he ended with his most sporty song, he played the crowd favorite with "Born to Run," and for some reason I'm kind of underwhelmed. Maybe Bruce in concert doesn't work in 12 minutes? Maybe that's why he always plays for three hours?

5:23 p.m. - And with an "I'm going to Disneyland," Bruce is done. That was deeply, deeply weird. Or at least it exists on some level of product placement irony that I'm just not understanding.

5:22 p.m. - WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON WITH THE REF ON THE STAGE?

5:21 p.m. - I miss "The Sopranos."

5:20 p.m. - "Glory Days." He changes the lyrics from baseball-related to football-related. Or to make it more Wal-Mart palatable, who knows? (Rim shot, sorry.)

5:18 p.m. - Not to get all "American Idol," but that was a little pitchy, Bruce. At least it means he's not lip-syncing. And here's the title track from the new album, "Working On A Dream," complete with choir.

5:14 p.m. - "Born To Run" with more drunken in-crowd camerawork. A great song made greater by fireworks. Who knew?

5:13 p.m. - After telling people to put their chicken fingers down, Bruce & the E Street Band launch into "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out." There's a very, very unchoreographed moment where he destroys the camera dude, and elicits a painful groan from all at the JI Super Bowl party.

5:12 p.m. - He's kind of Bono-ing himself here.

5:11 p.m. - OK, Bruce, when you're on the piano before the first song - what do you do for an ending?

Now is the time for this Jaded Insider to confess that she dressed up as Bruce Springsteen for Halloween in the "Born in the U.S.A." era. She was nine. To say I'm a little excited about the halftime show is an understatement. (And yeah, that Steelers touchdown was off the hook.)

Super Bowl XLIII: The First Half

3:53 p.m. - OK, have people gone Dylan mad? There seems to be some sort of intense harmonicas playing near the NBC mics. Or maybe I need to lay off the PBR.

3:47 p.m. - Dylan and Will.i.am on a "Forever Young" mashup. Oh Pepsi, you make America great.

3:34 p.m. - Hey, there's the new Smashing Pumpkins song, "FOL," in an ad for the Hyundai Genesis. It seems a little, uh, mainstream that they made the choice to be in an ad, considering that when this Jaded Insider saw the Pumpkins in concert about two months ago they refused to play anything that anyone had ever heard of. (I believe Billy Corgan's actual line was "we forgot how to play that" when someone requested "Cherub Rock.") Here's the ad:

3:23 p.m. - Oh boy, Jennifer Hudson back on the appearance circuit to do the National Anthem. I'm cheering for her far more than for either team. She handles it well, doing a soulful take on the already impossible-to-sing standard. And it looked like it even made some football players a little teary.

3:20 p.m. - Faith Hill sings "America The Beautiful" - what did you think she was only going to sing that same ol' intro song she does every week? They've kinda made her up to look like Kathie Lee Gifford in some bizarro world football homage, maybe.

Welcome to the Jaded Insider take on Super Bowl XLIII!  We lost interest in the actual football aspect of the game when the Chargers made the fascinating decision to not play the 3rd quarter of their playoff game against Pittsburgh, so now we're here and ready to focus on all the music content that's going to unfurl in the next couple hours. Bruuuuuce!

Idol Worship: 'Idol' 8.3 Redux

Whew! It's over. All told, the Season 8 auditions were fairly painless and went by relatively quickly, and for that, we can't complain. But the talent pool certainly seems to be shrinking, considering the Idol producers jammed four audition cities into three one-hour shows. And so we wrap up this third and final pre-Hollywood week with a bunch of so-so's from Jacksonville, good manners and sunshine smiles from Salt Lake City, plenty of groveling from New York City and a couple of bright spots out of Puerto Rico. Here's hoping Hollywood kicks things up a notch, but for now, our recap of week 3's most memorable performances...

1. Megan Crokrey (Salt Lake City)
The judges unanimously declared their love for 23-year-old Megan, a recently divorced single mom from Big Love territory of Sandy, Utah, and we second that emotion. From the scat to her tats, Megan has an edge that Idol desperately needs, and an old soul voice that's all too welcome. We predict she'll go far.

2. Jasmine Murray (Jacksonville)
Sometimes unassuming is the way to go, and adorable little Jasmine Murray had it down. Her hushed version of Fergie's "Big Girls don't Cry" captivated the judges, prompting Simon to say the two magic words: "cute" and "commercial." With that, off she went to Hollywood, and we have a good feeling about this one.

3. Frankie Jordan (Salt Lake City)
Like a breath of fresh air, 23-year-old waitress/stay-at-home mom Frankie Jordan not only sounds like Amy Winehouse, she kind of looks like her, too (minus the ink, scars and wig). There's no doubt the sparkle in her eye got Simon's attention, and her confidence clinched that golden ticket. So Frankie goes to Hollywood, but imitation will only get you so far.

4. Anne Marie Boskovich (Jacksonville)
The blogosphere had already been buzzing about Anne Marie, who got a do-over so she could sharpen her look. As for her voice? Impressive and controlled. We found it somewhat ironic that she chose to sing Colbie Callait's "Bubbly," the same song Colbie herself auditioned with and was rejected(!) Well, what do the judges know anyway?

5. David Osmond (Salt Lake City)
No one seemed the least bit surprised that a member of the Osmond clan would show up in Utah, but we'll admit, we were a little thrown by David's story. The son of the eldest Osmond, he and his father have both been battling MS, a condition that often confines him to a wheelchair. But standing tall dark and handsome in front of the judges, you'd never know it. Still, David got a panel full of criticism (even Paula had something constructive to say) and there's no guarantee his family name will carry him through Hollywood (though the Dancing With The Stars door is always open, and happens to be right next door).

Continue reading "Idol Worship: 'Idol' 8.3 Redux"

Broooce Is Comin' To Halftime

Some folks watch the Super Bowl just for the ads, and we'll be doing that too (keeping our eyes on the music and music stars involved) on Feb. 1. But the sonic highlight is always the halftime show -- for better or worse. In a special section on Billboard.com, we counted down the 10 Best Halftime Moments Ever and by best we meant most spectacular (Diana Ross being airlifted off the field in a helicopter in 1996!), but this year we've got Bruce Springsteen bringing his show to the gridiron for the first time. His shows always fully rock the stadiums he plays, and it's hard to imagine this one won't do the same come Sunday.

Idol Worship: Catching Up With David Archuleta

David Archuleta within driving distance? We're there! Since Archie was back in Hollywood last weekend to shoot a performance for the Nickeleodeon hit show iCarly, we decided to pop by the set and catch up with last season's American Idol runner-up. We arrived to to find David and iCarly star Miranda Cosgrove knee-deep in taping promos for his guest-starring role (airing Feb. 7), which can only be described as moments of acute awkwardness. But he got the hang of it soon enough, and even hinted later that there could be more acting gigs in his future. After performing two songs for the network's "Crush Night" (his first hit, "Crush," and second single, "A Little Too Not Over You"), David sat down to talk to us about this new phase in his life, and what may come next (a duet with Miranda?!). Read on for our exclusive (and classic Archie) Q&A... 

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Idol Worship: Battle Of The Book Deals

"Move over, David Cook! Since Season Six of American Idol, pop culture has been lacking a certain something…and his name is Sanjaya Malakar!"

So reads the opening line to a press release announcing American Idol also-ran Sanjaya Malakar's memoir, Dancing To The Music In My Head, which officially came out last week. A tad ostentatious? Maybe not in the eyes of the so-called Fanjayas, but what about the rest of the Idol-loving community? Do we care enough about a guy eliminated two years ago in the bottom half of the Top 12 to buy his book? Is out-there hair reason enough for a memoir?

Granted, we haven't read the thing (yet), but it got us wondering: how much are publishers shelling out for these Idol memoirs? After all, Sanjaya's not the first Idol cast-off to try the author route. Season 5's Mandisa put out a book last year that was part-life story, part-self-help guide, and at least one runner-up, Clay Aiken, has found massive success with his publishing debut, 2005's Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music in Your Life, which was a New York Times best-seller.

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Idol Worship: Joanna Pacitti By The Numbers

The heat is on Joanna Pacitti. The American Idol hopeful wowed the judges in Louisville, and in the two days since we learned her name, has ignited a flurry of Web chatter about her pro past, reality TV history, who she's dating and whether she should even be eligible to compete.

It's nothing we haven't heard before. Just last year, the artist formerly known as Carly Hennessy, season 7's Carly Smithson, was criticized for having a previous major label release. Were it not for a Wall Street Journal article detailing the astronomical cost of promoting a new artist ($2.2 million for Hennessy's Ultimate High album, which sold 378 copies in its first months out), it may have taken a lot longer to make the connection. But once Smithson reached the Top 12, she quickly came clean, no doubt at the urging of the producers.

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Idol Worship: Week 2 News Recap

Elliott Yamin readying new album... Season 5 finalist Elliott Yamin has more than 35 songs in the can for his second album, due out May 5 on SONY/ATV Publishing's Hickory Records. The as-yet-untitled effort boasts heavy-hitters in the production world (among them: Jermaine Dupri, JR Rotem, Stargate and Harvey Mason, Jr.) and promises "numerous guest appearances." No doubt he's dreading having to decide which tracks to axe. [USA Today]

Justin Guarini tries country living... Season 1 runner-up Justin Guarini joins The Monkees' Mickey Dolenz, George Clinton, Sheila E., Taylor Dayne, 21 Jump Street alum Richard Grieco and scandalicious former Miss USA Tara Conner for the third installment of CMT's hit show, Gone Country (premiering January 24), and he knows exactly what to expect. "I’ve grown up in the south, so I don’t mind shoveling dung," Justin writes in his first blog post. [CMT]

Joanna Pacitti: Let the backlash begin... It turns out Louisville auditioner Joanna Pacitti has a sordid showbiz past. Well, nothing that horrific, just the same old nontroversy, as so aptly put by the folks over at Idolator. She had a record deal with Geffen/A&M, a single that went nowhere, a long-running starring role in the stage production of Annie (cut short just shy of the 20th Anniversary) and one of her songs was covered by Britney Spears. So that makes her undeserving of a second (or third) chance? Some think so. [MTV News, votefortheworst]

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A Tale Of Two Animal Collectives

Jaded Insider presents two different takes on Animal Collective's Jan. 21 show at New York's Bowery Ballroom:

Animal Collective's celebration of the just-released "Merriweather Post Pavilion" wasn't just a show, it was an event, what with the incredible amount of buzz surrounding the album, coveted guest list spots being so few and tickets selling out so quickly.

But surprisingly the crowd gathered to worship at the altar of Animal Collective wasn't the typical indie-loving plaid-shirted, bespectacled clan. Dreadlocked, glow necklace-wearing hippies rubbed elbows with tattooed bikers and suited yuppies in an assembly as mottled and eclectic as the music itself.

Anyone who thought the tunes on "Merriweather" were less confrontational and electrified than previous AC efforts were proven wrong after hearing them played live. With strobe lights flashing, Avey Tare, Panda Bear and Geologist crashed, slammed and shouted through bouncing "Merriweather" tracks like "Summer Clothes" and "My Girls." 

The band was a sound tornado, whipping seemingly rhythm-less chunks of noise into songs, eventually developing a pattern that you could almost call song structure. Each song contained a series of peaks, multiple exciting moments that came over and over again rather than just a few high point choruses -- Animal Collective's unique brand of generosity.

Earlier days were represented by "Slippi" from "Here Comes the Indian," which melted into "Leaf House" from "Sung Tongs." The show also ended cheekily with a Panda Bear song, "Comfy in Nautica" from his solo album "Person Pitch."

What was stranger than the mix of people types was the amazing amount of trust the crowd seemed to have in the band. Many eyes were closed -- listeners had so much faith in the course the music would take that they didn't feel the need to keep their eyes on the band, preferring to allow themselves to feel the music as it surged off the stage.

This emphasized something about Animal Collective that is widely overlooked since their eccentricities are so often alienating: their music has an underlying sense of kindness and wonder that makes it innocent in intent and endlessly listenable at its core. While other musicians amid the genre-mashing avant garde scene aim to terrify and unnerve their audiences, Animal Collective aims only to infuse their listeners with their same sense of vitality.

-- Lavinia Jones Wright

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Idol Worship: Barberie To Host 'American Idol Extra?'

We haven't even gotten to Hollywood week yet, but Fox Reality Channel is already prepping for the final 10. We hear American Idol Extra will premiere on March 25 (a Wednesday!), continuing its tradition of being "the show that picks up right where American Idol leaves off." And like its big brother lead-in, it will feature a few changes of its own; Namely, a new host: Jillian Barberie.

The Good Day L.A. co-anchor has a long history with reality television (she was a contestant on the short-lived Fox series Skating With Celebrities and the former host of Ex-treme Dating) and with the network, going back to 2000 when she was hired as a correspondent for Fox NFL Sunday.

Since American Idol Extra premiered in March 2006, the show has had a revolving door of hosts, and like other Idol recap programs, it features former Idol finalists as co-hosts, most recently 2008's rocker duo Constantine Maroulis and Gina Glocksen.

This year, a source tells Billboard, season 5's Ace Young got the gig. He will assist in interviewing eliminated contestants and their families, and serve as the show's man-on-the-street correspondent (hey, he's certainly easier on the eyes than Matt Rogers). We also hear the show will introduce a live post-elimination element. As it was, Idol Extra always got first dibs on the week's ousted contestant, interviewing that person immediately after the credits rolled.

A rep for American Idol Extra would not confirm any of these details, but said to expect an announcement about the show's host and co-host next week. Barberie's publicist did not respond to our request for comment. -- Shirley Halperin

Idol Worship: 'Idol' 8.2 Redux

Welcome to an Obama-fied American Idol, brimming with stories of hope, struggle and unbridled optimism in this new era. Week two of the season 8 auditions brought dozens of contenders chanting "Yes we can" to Hollywood, but alas, San Francisco and Louisville's finest numbered relatively few. So instead, Kara and Simon's spats served as filler, along with some painfully awkward Paula moments, first courtesy of a clearly delusional Akilah Askew-Gholston and later with one Todd Plavsic, the straw-mooching tone-deaf nerd. We'd like to permanently erase them both from our memory, but there were a few auditions worth reliving. Here's our take on week two's most memorable moments:

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Idol Worship: Week 1 News Recap

Idol Gone Wild? Bikinis ruled and Simon drooled on week one of season 8, while the blogosphere revved its engines chasing down a slew of soon-to-be somebody's. Here, your Idol headlines for the week ending Jan. 16:

Paula Abdul contradicts herself, so what else is new? At the semi-annual Television Critics Association conference, Abdul vehemently denies criticizing Idol producers for allowing known stalker Paula Goodspeed to audition for the show. This despite an appearance on ABC's The View two months earlier claiming the contrary. [LA Times' Idoltracker] 

David Cook to tour colleges... In his own words, the 2008 winner details his road plans, starting with a show in Tallahassee, Fla. on February 13, and talks Season 8 jitters. [Billboard]

Jennifer Hudson returns to the spotlight... For her first public appearance since the tragic deaths of her mother, brother and nephew last October, Jennifer Hudson will sing the national anthem at Super Bowl XLIII on February 1 in Florida. A week later, she'll attend the Grammy Awards, where she's nominated in four categories. [E!]

Emily Wynne-Hughes already has a record... a criminal one. Leave it to TMZ to uncover a July 2008 DUI arrest involving the Phoenix standout, after which she was ordered to wear an alcohol monitoring bracelet. Will she follow the path already traversed by Idol hopefuls Jessica Sierra and Nikki McKibbin to Celebrity Rehab? Let's hope not. We had high hopes for Emily, but that was before we heard her band. [TMZ]

Thanks for the mammaries...  Bikini Girl Katrina Darrell got the attention she so desperately craved, but she's not the only hottie hopeful to show some serious skin. Contestant Casey Carlson posed for Campus Girls USA, a website that sells calendars  for charity. Her gallery has since taken over the site's homepage. [TMZ]

Because life would suck without Kelly... The original American Idol, Season 1 winner and OG Kelly Clarkson, will release her new single, "My Life Would Suck Without You," to iTunes on inauguration day, appropriately enough. [MJ's Big Blog] 

Idol ratings down, median age up...  Season 8's premiere saw a slight dip in the ratings, to the tune of 10 percent, while the median age rose by 10 years, to 40.3 (from 2002's median viewer age of 29.5). [Show Tracker]  -- Shirley Halperin

Idol Worship: 'Idol' 8.1 Redux

We're off and running, Idol fans, with two cities down on the Season 8 audition tour and six more to go. Perhaps you noticed some subtle changes during premiere week's first two episodes? Fewer freaks, faster turnaround, and a fourth judge who's not afraid to speak her mind. Judging by Kara Dioguardi's screen time, it's obvious the new girl's there to shake things up, and we welcome it wholeheartedly.

As far as the contestants go, for every diamond in the rough, there's the just plain rough, and Season 8 looks to have plenty of both. But so far, we've been pleasantly surprised by the talent turnout, or what the producers chose to show of it. Of course, well before Tuesday night's premiere, we'd already heard about bikini girl and the blind guy -- both of whom did not disappoint -- but we weren't expecting the Winehouse-ian display put on by so many of the female singers. With music sales (and ratings) down, at least we can still count on good taste.

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Idol Worship: David Cook Talks Tour, Season 8

It wasn't that we weren't ready for season 8 of American Idol to start, but on premiere night, we couldn't pass up one last look back at season 7. And so, instead of being glued to our TV at 8:00 p.m., we watched David Cook wow a crowd of several hundred diehard fans — live! — on the Jimmy Kimmel Live outdoor stage, in what was undoubtedly a stroke of booking genius. Perhaps you caught some of the performance on Tuesday night's show? Well, let us fill you in on what you didn't see.

Cook played a five-song mini-set that kicked off with his debut single, "Light On," and included a rousing version of "Kiss on My Neck," a bonus track offered with his self-titled album, as well as one very ambitious cover of Fleetwood Mac's 1987 hit "Little Lies" (see full set list lifted from Cook's guitar tech below). There was lots of sing-along going on, as the audience took over the chorus on "Declaration" and handled the breakdown in "Light On" with aplomb, which made for a cheery Cook and a confident, now super-tight band. Band members Neal Tiemann, Andy Skib, Joey Clement and Kyle Peek brought the rock, but it was Idol worship all the way. The proof was in the signage: "David Cook Is My Guitar Hero," "I heart DC" and "Marry Me, David," among other homemade banners held high by teens and cougars alike, some of whom had been waiting out in the L.A. heat all day in hopes of scoring a front row spot.

But we've got some good news for fans aching for their own live dose of Cook: He's heading out on a college tour starting Feb. 13. Following a performance to open the American Idol Experience at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando on Feb. 12, Cook will hit the road for a month's worth of dates, starting in Tallahassee, Fla.. The full tour routing should be announced this week, Cook told us after the show.

What else did our reigning American Idol winner have to say on this premiere night? Read on for our quickie Cookie Q&A...

What can you tell us about the tour?

We're gonna do a kind of grassroots thing and hit a lot of colleges. Because I remember going to shows in my college life and feeling like there's such a cool energy that you don't find in a regular venue. Like in the '70s, all these amazing bands were playing college circuits, and I want to get back to that. It's what I'm really stoked about — not only do I get to go out with four cool guys and have fun, but I get to do what I want to do.

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Idol Worship: Welcome To Idol 8.0

Welcome, American Idol fans, to our little corner of the ever-expanding Idol universe. Yes, we can't believe it's that time again, either. But just as the sun rises in the east, so dawns Idol in the month of January — one week earlier this year just to squeeze every last drop of recession ratings. (Thank you, Fox!) For the next four months, we'll be logging in on a semi-regular basis, keeping you up-to-date on America's favorite TV show with the latest news, behind the scenes reports, analysis and, hopefully, a minor scandal or two. There are lots of changes in store for season 8 — new judge, a Top 36, a wild card round —  and we'll dissect them all! Also expect some of our Idol alumni friends to drop by on occasion and chime in. The fun starts right here, right now with our first post announcing David Cook's forthcoming tour! Read on, pass it along, and do come back for another visit. -- Shirley Halperin

Ringing In 2009 With My Morning Jacket

Madison Square Garden was the place to be on New Year's Eve, as 13,000 folks utterly thrilled to kiss 2008 goodbye rocked their socks off with My Morning Jacket, playing their most high-profile headlining set to date. The group was up for the occasion and then some, offering choice covers, guest appearances, a variety of stylish outfits and plenty of theatrics to keep the crowd entertained.

The show opened on a jubilant note with a horn section-enhanced cover of Curtis Mayfield's "Move on Up" before moving quickly into ace originals such as "Evil Urges," "Off the Record" and "Gideon." Centro-Matic's Will Johnson sang alongside frontman Jim James on a beautiful "Golden," while singer/songwriter Nicole Atkins dueted with James on the Marvin Gaye/Tammi Terrell staple "You're All I Need To Get By."

But MMJ really achieved liftoff during "Lay Low," the 13th song of the first set and the first to harness the harmonized guitar heroics of James and Carl Broemel (click here for some YouTube footage of the sick ending jam). A cover of Dion's "The Wanderer" (overheard in the bathroom: "These guys really cover a lot of territory!") and slamming versions of "Dancefloors" and "Mahgeetah" closed the first portion.

Now ducked out in white suits, the band returned to count down the last seconds of 2008 with its own special rendition of Kool & the Gang's "Celebration," as confetti and balloons poured down from the ceiling. Another Kool & the Gang favorite, "Get Down on It," led into "Wordless Chorus" and eventually a holy cow take on Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers' immortal "Islands in the Stream" (again with Atkins) and a beautiful cover of Sam Cooke's "Bring It on Home To Me."

MMJ did its best with James Brown's "Cold Sweat," which even featured a solo for drummer Patrick Hallahan, but it was ultimately one of the only missteps of the night. Furious runs through "Anytime" and "One Big Holiday" put an exclamation point on a great performance, with James warbling "Auld Lang Syne" from a mock living room set-up at the top of the stage for good measure.

Family and friends convened to a nearby Irish bar afterwards, and eventually, some of us made our way to Mercury Lounge to catch the last few songs of the Guns N' Roses cover band Mr. Brownstone, but the less said about that, the better. This was My Morning Jacket's night, and it won't soon be forgotten.

Here is My Morning Jacket's set list:

"Move on Up"
"Evil Urges"
"Off the Record"
"Gideon"
"The Way That He Sings"
"Thank You Too"
"I'm Amazed"
"Golden"
"Librarian"
"You're All I Need To Get By"
"Express Yourself"
"What a Wonderful Man"
"Lay Low"
"Phone Went West"
"Look At You"
"Dondante"
"Smokin' From Shootin'"
"Touch Me I'm Going To Scream, Pt. 2"
"Run Thru"
"The Wanderer"
"Dancefloors"
"Mahgeetah"

(set break)

"Celebration"
"Get Down on it"
"Wordless Chorus"
"Highly Suspicious"
"COBRA"
"Islands in the Stream"
"Bring It on Home To Me"
"Cold Sweat"
"Anytime"
"One Big Holiday"

Christmas, Wainwright And McGarrigle-Style

Christmas is a time for miracles, or in this case, two weeks before Christmas is a time for coincidences. Our box seats at Carnegie Hall last night (the door had to be unlocked by an usher between songs, as we were tardy) gave us a bird's eye view of the McGarrigle/Wainwright Christmas Hour and all of the festive, and sometimes oddball, holiday cheer it had to offer. 

The drizzly and unseasonably warm weather in New York didn't feel particularly Christmas-y, but folk icons and McGarrigle/Wainwright matriarchs Kate and Anna created a heartwarming and merry holiday feeling as they presided over their preternaturally talented brood, led by Kate's son Rufus and daughter Martha.  Dressed as Dickensian carolers, switching between a multitude of instruments and joined by a passel of friends and relatives that included Aunt Sloan (sister of Loudon Wainwright III,) sister Lucie (daughter of Loudon,) and cousins Lily and Sylvan, the Wainwright siblings shepherded their harmony-belting flock through old Christmas standards, modern holiday hits and original compositions.

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Let There Be Rock ... And Vince McMahon

On the way out of AC/DC's ass-kickingly amazing show last night (Nov. 13) at New York's Madison Square Garden, we were asked, if aliens landed, how would you describe the band to them? Our answer was that AC/DC is nothing less than the pure essence of rock'n'roll -- a force that can be tapped into by young, old, man, woman and everyone in between.

Put it all together and you have 105 minutes of the most fun you can have with your clothes on, in an arena, with 15,000 people. For $90.

First of all, if you're planning on seeing these guys, bring earplugs. This was one of the loudest shows we'd been to in recent memory. You won't be disappointed in the set list: the new single "Rock'n'Roll Train" was a perfect start, piling on the thick Young brothers riffs and gang vocals to get the crowd warmed up.

A couple of the new songs aren't very good, particularly "Big Jack," which includes a lyric about having "a full sack." Uh huh. If nothing else it was a good excuse for a beer break before the one-two punch of "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" and "Thunderstruck," by which point the audience, many sporting glow-in-the-dark devil horns, was going bananas.

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Old Kids On Wisco's Block

Jaded Insider guest blogger WiscoD is an indie rock publicist circa 2008, but it wasn't long ago that she pledged her allegiance to Tool, Korn and, yes, New Kids On The Block. When the latter group rolled into New York this week, we unleashed Wisco on the show and asked her to tell us all about it.

I must admit that I completely forgot the fact I had scored tickets to see the New Kids on the Block reunion tour last night. Everyone kept asking me what my plans were for music this week and I'd name off a few indie rock shows and then glance at my calendar and lo and behold there was NKOTB in bold for Monday, October 27th. My lack of excitement probably is why I'm going to go ahead and say I HAD THE BEST TIME EVER!!!!!!

I was a huge fan of theirs during my 5th and 6th grade years, smack dab between my obsessions with Bon Jovi and Red Hot Chili Peppers. I remember it as the one time in my life that my sister and I agreed on music. We decked out our rooms in posters, pillows, and anything else NKOTB that we could get our hands on or force our parents to pay for. When we were lucky enough for them to come through Wisconsin... TWICE... we of course created posters to draw their attention our way. I remarked to my friend last night that back then, with my I LUV U JON poster in hand, somehow I always felt like they were looking directly at me.

And so back to last night's show, nearly 16 years later and I'm all grown up. And my, my have those boys aged well. Most specifically Joey McIntyre. I couldn't tell who everyone was screaming louder for -- Joey, Donnie or Jordan -- but I know every time he even remotely took center stage, the words "I love you Joey" came shooting out of my mouth.

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