Backstage Pass

Michael Jackson looked good and sounded strong in a video from rehearsals, two days before his sudden death on June 25, seeming to contradict the theory that the King of Pop was chronically ill and had been sickly for a while.

The video, released to CNN by AEG Live, the promoters behind Jackson’s scheduled comeback tour at London’s O2 Arena, does, however, seem to bolster the company’s claim that they have hundreds of hours of material from tour rehearsals that could be used as a concert DVD and live album.

In the nearly two-minute video, Jackson performs a highly choreographed routine to the end of “They Don’t Care About Us,” arguably the most controversial hit of his career, with a troupe of eight dancers. “They Don’t Care About Us,” from the 1995 hits collection “HIStory,” raised protests when it was initially released over what many considered anti-Semitic slurs, charges Jackson denied as a misinterpretation of a song about tolerance. After the uproar, Jackson returned to the studio and changed the offending words for a new version of the song that was used on all subsequent pressings of “HIStory.”

The song's original video below

Continue reading "VIDEO: Michael Jackson's final rehearsals" »

Janet Jackson's appearance at last night's BET Awards was simple and heartfelt, saying, "To you, Michael is an icon. To us, Michael is family, and he will forever live in all of our hearts. On behalf of my family and myself, Thank you for all of your love. Thank you for all of your support. We miss him so much.”

"Billie Jean" (Motown's 25th Anniversary, 1983): Jackson unveils The Moonwalk. 'Nuff said.

"Man in the Mirror" (1988 Grammys): The second half of this clip, where Jackson sings live and trades off with the choir, may be his most inspirational TV performance.

"I Want You Back"/"ABC" (The Ed Sullivan Show, 1970): Michael at his cute-dynamo best.

While we all try to absorb the complexities of Michael Jackson's death this afternoon, it seemed like a good time to consider him at what he did best. Here's a look at his Top 10 videos:

1. "Thriller"

2. "Beat It"

3. "Billie Jean"

4. "Scream"

5. "The Way You Make Me Feel"

Continue reading "R.I.P. Michael Jackson (1958-2009)" »

Public Enemy, "Fight the Power"

Yeah, it's been 20 years since Spike Lee's "Do The Right Thing" turned pop culture upside-down, as fearmongers tried to scare people away from the movie's opening weekend, claiming that there would be widespread riots after people saw it. Oh right. Didn't happen. Don't believe the hype.

Spike Lee and the movie's cast -- Danny Aiello, Joie Lee and Rosie Perez -- as well as Common, DMC, Branford Marsalis, Gloria Reuben and others will be on hand Monday night at the DGA Theater in Manhattan for a special screening of the movie.

But that celebration means that it's the 20th anniversary of Public Enemy's "Fight the Power" setting the music industry on edge as well, as soon as Chuck D. promised, "1989 -- the number, another summer, sound of the funky drummer!" Was the movie or the song more effective in the long-term at bringing attention to America's racial divide? It depends on whom you ask. All I know is that song was nearly everywhere I went in the summer of '89 from dance clubs and record stores to the streets of relatively white-bread suburban Cleveland, repeatedly spreading the word and making a mantra out of "Elvis was a hero to most..." among young folks of all races and classes. And "Fight the Power" still stirs things up internationally, whenever Public Enemy throws it down.

They deserve to get into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on the strength of that song alone -- not to mention all the powerful work that came before and after.

Looking for a summer road trip? Well, the Virgin Music FreeFest at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Md., on Aug. 30 has offered up a destination and a day of free music from Weezer, Blink-182, Taking Back Sunday, Public Enemy and The National among others.

Free ticket offers go to Virgin Mobile subscribers tomorrow and Friday and what's left of the 35,000 tickets will be available on Ticketmaster for free starting Saturday at 10 a.m. (Ticketmaster will charge$5 if they mail them out, but for those willing to pick up the tickets at the venue, they'll be service fee-free as well.)

Also on tap: Franz Ferdinand, The Hold Steady, Girl Talk, Mates of State, Wale and more.

PHOTO: Weezer from Geffen Records

   Beyonce has finally sorted out her split personality.
   Feeding both the flashy hip-hop side and the sensitive balladeer is something she has struggled with since stepping out of Destiny's Child and out on her own.
   It came to a head on last year's "I Am... Sasha Fierce" double album, but it wasn't until her Madison Square Garden show last night, the first on the American leg of her world tour, that she integrated them both successfully. (She plays the Garden again tonight.)
   See, Sasha Fierce has the booty roll in "Crazy in Love," which featured hubby Jay-Z who got a response so loud his verses were lost in the roar. She has the "Freakum Dress" and the trapeze act during "Baby Boy" on her side.
   Can balladeer Beyonce compete with just her big ol' voice? Well, she spices things up during the ballads now -- assembling a wedding gown onstage for "Ave Maria" and throwing Alanis Morrissette's "You Oughta Know" into "If I Were a Boy."
   It's no big surprise, after all, "Irreplaceable," which infuses.a Beyonce ballad with Sasha Fierce-ness is her biggest success. On Sunday night, she didn't even have to sing a word, as the female-dominated crowd easily carried the song through the second verse, complete with arm-pointing "To the left, to the left." Another combination was equally impressive -- as she proved that hot choreography and strong vocals don't have to be mutually exclusive in a two-hour-plus show. No worries of lip-synching here, though there is a mix of videos of her singing to give her time for her numerous costume changes, including the 20-foot dress that falls away during her trapeze act.
   Beyonce is an amazing, unique dance-pop and hip-hop artist, arguably the best around, as "Diva" and "Radio" showed. She's only a good balladeer, though she continues to improve, as her powerful take on a stripped-back "At Last" proved.
   Though cultivating this dual-personality thing may be as much about marketing as it is about her musical tastes, putting them back together has made Beyonce an even stronger performer. Not only is she irreplaceable, but now Beyonce may be unstoppable, too.

SETLIST: Crazy in Love (featuring Jay-Z) / Naughty Girl / Freakum Dress / Get Me Bodied / Smash Into You / Ave Maria / Broken-Hearted Girl / If I Were A Boy / Sweet Dreams / Diva / Radio / Me, Myself and I / Ego / Hello / Baby Boy / Irreplaceable / Medley: Check On It/Bootylicious/Bug A Boo/Jumpin’ Jumpin’ / Upgrade U / Video Phone / Medley: Say My Name/Independent Woman/Bills, Bills, Bills/No, No, No/Survivor / At Last / Listen / Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) / Halo

PHOTO: Beyonce at Madison Square Garden Sunday night (Getty Images Photo)

Beyonce photo gallery from MSG