Yes, the MTV VMAs happened again this year, despite having no host. The show was relatively tame (at least compared to years past)—as the Times notes, perhaps the most shocking aspect was how quickly the network's censors hit the bleep button during potty-mouthed scenes with Lady Gaga, Lil Wayne and... Cloris Leachman.
MTV VMA Photos/Videos: Gaga Goes Drag, Beastie Boys In The Future, And Proud Papa Jay-Z
Beastie Boys Selling Dolls Action Figures For Cancer Charity
Exciting news at this hour for fans of the Beastie Boys and collectibles: The three emcees are now selling limited edition versions of their action figures to raise money for two charities that work with kids with cancer (the Pablove Foundation and Alex’s Lemonade Stand). In an email sent to fans with the subject "They're not dolls they're Action Figures," the hip-hop trio confirms that "these are the very same dashing figures that you feast your eyes on in the video. Produced by Nowhere Ltd./ Bathing Ape, these are some real limited edition, explicit, bottle service/ v.i.p. type items." Obviously, this sort of luxury good doesn't come cheap.
Video: Beastie Boys Premiere Epic Spike Jonze-Directed Video
Earlier this month, we got a sneak peek at the Spike Jonze-directed music video for the new Beastie Boys single "Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win," and today it drops in its entire, epic form. Prepare to have your mind blown.
Video: Blondie Covers The Beastie Boys
Here's a mashup of epic proportions: downtown New Wave favorites Blondie combined their beloved single "Rapture" with the Beastie Boy's "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)" at a show last week, with excellent results. Note that Debbie Harry continues to kill it with her perfectly chiseled cheekbones and razor-sharp platinum bob, proof that some rock stars age like a fine wine.
Beastie Boys Reunite With Spike Jonze For New Video
Exciting news from the Beastie camp today: the trio is reuniting with their "Sabotage" music video (and Being John Malkovich, and Adaptation, and about a dozen other awesome music videos) director Spike Jonze for the video for their next single, "Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win."
Best Rap Video About Cooking With Brains EVER!
Ice cream truck troubadour Michael Hearst and his book-rock collective One Ring Zero are back with an upcoming release called The Recipe Project, a book/CD of recipes from famous chefs put to song. David Chang, Mario Batali, and Tom Colicchio are just a few of the big names participating in the project, which will be released this fall. Here's a look at what to expect from Incanto chef Chris Cosentino, whose joyous Beastie Boys-inspired ode to eggs and brains is hilariously insane in the mem-brain:
Tonight: A Lone Beastie Boy Will DJ At MoMA, 1986: The Beastie Boys Discuss Debut Album
Every first Thursday of the month (through June), MoMA stays open a bit late, opens up a cash bar, serves patrons a prix-fixe meal, and invites a deejay over. Tonight that deejay is Ad Rock of the Beastie Boys, who will be spinning from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. (more details here). Bonus: Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill and Le Tigre will also be on hand—it was just announced that she'll be collaborating with Horovitz on a Runaways tribute.
Video: Watch Beastie Boys "Stream" Their New Album At MSG!
Yesterday, there was a mixture of anticipation and confusion after the Beastie Boys released an obscure press release which stated: "This Saturday, 4/23 (tomorrow) Beastie Boys Make Some Noise MSG. Tip off is 10:35 a.m." Well, now we know what it is: the band have set up a speaker in the middle of the court at MSG, and are live "streaming" their entire new album, Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 2! There also looks like there's one man in the empty arena, waving his hands in the air like he just don't care. Listen/watch the stream below. We can say without a doubt that it's the only good thing that's happened in MSG in the last 24 hours.
Beastie Boys MSG Tip Off Tomorrow Morning Causes Confusion
We just received a press release that simply stated: "This Saturday, 4/23 (tomorrow) Beastie Boys Make Some Noise MSG. Tip off is 10:35 a.m." A similar message was sent out to fans this morning, which has started a discussion on the band's message board. Needless to say, it has left us and other people of the internet totally confused. So, WHAT DOES IT MEAN? Here's what we've come up with:
Video: Beastie Boys Bring All Of Hollywood Together To "Make Some Noise"
Last night, the Beastie Boys dropped their 30-minute Adam Yauch-directed music video for the first single off their new album (Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 2). The star-studded "Make Some Noise" full length video comes with a short companion, for when there just isn't enough time for major plot developments. You can watch the latter, a 5-minute version, below, and keep your eyes peeled for Seth Rogen, Danny McBride, Elijah Wood, Will Ferrell, Jack Black, John C. Reilly, Jason Schwartzman, Ted Danson, Rainn Wilson, Rashida Jones, Will Arnett, Amy Poehler, Steve Buscemi, Chloe Sevigny, Maya Rudolph, and even Orlando Bloom.
Video: Beastie Boys Drop New Single, Star-Studded Trailer
What a difference a year can make. One year ago Adam Yauch of The Beastie Boys was asking for some cancer-smashing vibes, and now he's cancer-free and ready for the big screen, the stage, and whatever else comes his way. The group has just released the official trailer for a short film called Fight For Your Right-Revisited, which premiered at Sundance earlier this year and was written and directed by Yauch. Check it out below, it looks like it was cast by Judd Apatow himself!
Beastie Boys Hot Sauce Spills Out May 3
With the Beastie Boys Adam Yauch "all clear" on the cancer front, it's about time for some new music from the boys. Well, can you wait a month and a half? Considering its been almost four years since The Mix-Up we suspect you can. So how does May 3 sound?
Beastie Boy Adam Yauch Checks Head, Finds No Cancer
Great news: Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys has reportedly beaten cancer. In an interview with BBC, band-mate Mike D said that Yauch's "all-clear" following his illness was "a good thing" and that "we're really happy about it." It's quite a relief, because the last we heard from Yauch in April, he was sending out a mass e-mail requesting cancer-smashing vibes from his fans. Looks like the vibes worked! (Yauch also credits his vegan diet.)
Beastie Boys Making Fight For Your Right Movie
Future Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees and NYC icons the Beastie Boys have had a turbulent couple of years, between Adam Yauch's health troubles and the indefinite delay of their album Hot Sauce Committee (which is now Hot Sauce Committee part 2). But some pretty cool news: Adam Yauch is writing and directing a short film about the making of the Beastie Boys’ classic party anthem, “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!).” It’s called Fight For Your Right Revisited, it’ll premiere at Sundance’s Short Film Festival, and it features a who's-who of modern comedy actors.
Halloween Eggings Kill, Injure Dozens of New Yorkers
Teenagers, already the lowest form of life on the planet, are at their absolute worst on Halloween. But we never knew their insufferable shenanigans were so deadly, too. The Times has reviewed newspaper accounts of Halloween deaths, and reports that since 1984 at least 24 people "have been seriously wounded or killed in stabbings, shootings, beatings or accidents sparked by egg-throwing confrontations around Halloween." Back in 1998, a data entry clerk was shot in the head by egg-tossing teens after he got out of his car to confront them. And in 2008 an egg-tossing teen tragically fell to his death off a roof when his target chased him.
Bon Jovi, Beastie Boys Nominated For Rock and Roll Hall
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced the newest nominees for its 2011 induction ceremony in the lost city of Cleveland, Ohio. Among the 15 artists nominated are NYC scientist-rappers the Beastie Boys, NJ's second son Bon Jovi, Kurt Weilian crooner Tom Waits, chicken-enthusiast Alice Cooper, vanilla hippie Donovan, and Jewish Elvis Neil Diamond.
Beastie Boy's Adam Yauch Requests Cancer Smashing Vibes
When Beastie Boys co-founder Adam Yauch announced that doctors had found a cancerous tumor in his left parotid (salivary) gland, he expressed optimism about his recovery, because the cancer was localized and would not affect his vocal chords. That was back in July, and though we've interviewed Yauch since then, we didn't want to press the man too much on his health. (Gothamist: How is your health situation? Yauch: I'm doing all right! I'm in Hawaii right now, feeling good.) It's unclear what his status is, but this email just went out to members of the Beastie Boys fan club:
Adam Yauch, Oscilloscope Laboratories
At the beginning of 2008, Brooklyn-born musician and filmmaker Adam Yauch (famous for his work with a little hip-hop trio called the Beastie Boys) launched a movie distribution company called Oscilloscope Laboratories with ThinkFilm vice president David Fenkel. They hit the ground running, snatching up fresh narrative and documentary features from festivals and bringing a consistently provocative roster of movies to theaters and DVD (made without plastic and printed on FSC Certified 80% post-consumer waste paper and produced in a carbon neutral, hydroelectric, ISO-9001 and ISO-14001 certified plant!)
Jay-Z Opens All Points West With Beastie Boys Tribute
Ideally every good summer music festival is filled with one or two moments where everyone there can't help but shake off the cobwebs of cynicism and think to themselves, "Now this is what it's all about." It's pretty safe to say that Jay-Z did just that for a few thousand people last night at All Points West, performing the takeover just as the rain cleared to begin his first American festival appearance with a cover of "No Sleep Til Brooklyn." We admit to needing a video like the one below to do just that for those of us stuck listening to APW coverage on rock radio stations suddenly caring about Jay, accompanied by DJs using it as a chance to show off their emcee skills and explain the rapper's importance due to his collaborations with The Killers, Jack White and Linkin Park. Alas, Jigga to the rescue:
Jay-Z Replaces Beasties At APW
It only took the folks behind the All Points West Festival a few days to find a replacement for their Friday night headliners. Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys announced on Monday that the band would be canceling their upcoming tour, which included the festival date, while he undergoes treatment for throat cancer. So, upon hearing such somber news who does one get to replace the legendary trio? The fest booked another Brooklyn-born boy, of course, and his name is Jay-Z. The APW press release says this is, somewhat unbelievably, the U.S. festival debut for the rapper; choosing a fitting quote from one critic that declares: “his mouth is one of the most nimble in the genre's history, and he uses it to present thoughts that are sharp, funny and resonant." Sounds about as close to the Beasties as one can get, and hopefully he'll do a cover or two to fill the void. For those not interested in Jigga, single day Friday tickets are now refundable (the rest of the fest's lineup is here).
Video: Beastie Boys' Yauch Has Cancerous Tumor, Tour Canceled
Some heavy news out of the Beastie Boys' camp today: The three emcees and one DJ are canceling their upcoming tour and postponing their new album release because doctors have discovered a cancerous tumor in Adam Yauch's left parotid (salivary) gland. In the video above, Yauch and Adam Horovitz announce the bad news, with Yauch expressing healthy optimism about his recovery, because the cancer is localized and will not affect his vocal chords. He's expected to have surgery next week, to be followed by radiation treatment.
Bonnaroo 2009: Bruce, Byrne, and Buffett Get Down on the Farm
"Hey, bro, take my photo! I'm addicted to adrenaline and I burst all the blood vessels in my eye doing back flips!" Such are the strange, close encounters that happen every few steps while one wanders the 700-acres of Tennessee farmland crawling with 75,000 people during this weekend's Bonnaroo music festival. Time and space don't permit a full accounting of all the bizarre sights, sounds, and smells observed during our three days here (there's still one last afternoon of Snoop Dogg, Andrew Bird, Erykah Badu, and Phish ahead), but click through on the photos here for a glimpse at the recession-defying bacchanal. (The adrenaline addict is in there somewhere.)
Video: Nas Joins Beastie Boys to Bomb Bonnaroo
Some 75,000 people from around the world are currently swarming the 8th annual Bonnaroo festival in Tennessee, but from the way they all sang along with the Beastie Boys' classic "No Sleep 'Til Brooklyn," you'd think they were all just on vacation from the county of Kings. Last night the Beastie Boys brought their signature New York flavor to the 700-acre farm, throwing down with a well-balanced mix of crowd-pleasers, including "Paul Revere," "Pass the Mic," and "Shake Your Rump." The big surprise of the set—besides the comically butchered encore of "Sabotage," which completely fell apart both at the beginning and at the climax—was the appearance of Nas, "a special guest from Queensbridge," who isn't even on the Bonnaroo lineup.
Brooklyn House of D Planners Still Hope for Trader Joe's
The notorious Brooklyn House of Detention – immortalized by everyone from the Beastie Boys to Jonathan Lethem – has been closed since 2003, but plans to reopen the jail at twice its previous size are still moving forward. Last year many newcomers to the steadily gentrifying neighborhood decried plans to bring back the detention center, located at the intersection of Atlantic and Smith.
Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch Dips Into Distribution
The Hollywood Reporter has news that Beastie Boy Adam Yauch will be expanding his music and film production operation, Oscilloscope Laboratories, into indie film distribution. Under the nom de plume Nathanial Hörnblowér, Yauch has orchestrated many of the Beastie Boys videos, as well as the hip hop group’s inventive full-length concert doc Awesome; I Fuckin’ Shot That! Oscilloscope also shot and produced live concert videos for Beck and Ryan Adams.
Extra, Extra
- Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a shooting on 120th St. and 3rd Ave. in Manhattan, a stabbing on West 31st St. in Brooklyn, and a fall victim at MoMA in Manhattan.
- The New York Yankees took first place in franchise spending, with a total payroll of $218.3 million last year. The World Series-winning Boston Red Sox payroll totalled $155.4 million to finish a distant second.
- The New York Water Taxi is terminating its South Brooklyn service between Sunset Park, Red Hook, and Wall St. at the end of this month.
Celebs Pimp Lunchboxes For Charity
For the second year running, the Food Bank for New York City and the Lunchbox Fund of South Africa have enlisted over 100 celebrities in their holiday fundraiser. Boldface names like Kanye West, Elton John, Cameron Diaz, Mike Meyers, William Wegman and, um, Urban Outfitters, have created personalized, autographed lunchboxes that are now onsale via online auction. At Thursday night's kick-off event at Saatchi & Saatchi, a lunchbox by Michael Stipe was snatched up...
Elsewhere in the ist-a-verse
Londonist are starting to think their city is getting just a little bit too expensive, when even Christian Slater can't afford to go out there. And there's no escaping, as local singer Lily Allen discovered when she was barred entry to the US. The British mapping agency caused further bad karma, by blocking a 3-D representation of London in Google Earth. But the smiles returned to Londonist's faces as they interviewed Baroness von Reichardt, who has completely covered her house in mosaic tiles.
Beastie Boys Bomb Brooklyn
Before the Beastie Boys’ concert at McCarren Park Pool last night, Gothamist attended a press conference with the 3 MC’s and verified an interesting bit of trivia: Despite having formed in Brooklyn, rehearsed often at Adam Yauch’s parent’s crib downtown, and associated themselves with the borough constantly over the decades, the band itself had not yet performed in Kings County. Mike D broke it down like so, “When we came up none of the clubs were really in Brooklyn except for L'Amour. My theory is that they didn’t really want to have hip-hop functions in Brooklyn because they figured it would just end badly. Soon there will be an arena there but there was never an arena-type venue there.” The Beastie Boys’ mainstream popularity – by '85 they were supporting Madonna on tour, by ’86 Licensed to Ill had moved five million units – outpaced the borough they helped popularize; not until the late nineties had Brooklyn gentrified to the point where there was even a venue big enough to accommodate them.
Pencil This In
EVENT: Join a slew of artists, bid on their work and enjoy complimentary cocktails tonight at a benefit for the Seed Project. Artwork from Swoon, Lisa Dahl, Todd Deluca, Troy Dugas, Lee Everett, Midori Harima & Annysa Ng, Fumiko Toda, Sarah Trigg and a whole bunch more will be auctioned. The Seed Project asks that you buy basil seeds and after planting them:


