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Headliner White closed out the first day of the beachfront festival in Alabama with a set long on hits, solos.By James Montgomery Jack White performs at Hangout Fest in Mobile, AL Photo: WireImage GULF SHORES, Alabama — Judging by his cadaverous complexion, Jack White probably doesn't make it out to the beach all that often. Which is probably why his Friday night set at the Hangout Festival felt less like a headlining gig and more like one long (long) victory lap: He was determined to enjoy the experience. Sure, White took the stage long after the sun had set over the stretch of white-sand beach the Hangout calls home (it's definitely the only fest where going barefoot is not only a viable option, but practically encouraged), but spurred on by the cheers of a raucous crowd and cooled by the gentle breeze of the Gulf, he tore through a wild 90-minute set. It was one that dove deep into his back catalog — featuring not only White's new Blunderbuss tunes, but also songs from the White Stripes, the Dead Weather, the Raconteurs and the Danger Mouse-helmed Rome project too — and saw him break out roughly 100 fret-assaulting guitar solos, two backing bands ... and exactly one fedora. He spoke barely a word (and nary a metaphor) during his time onstage, preferring instead to let the music do the talking. Or, more precisely, the yelling. Because from the moment he kicked things off with a high-octane version of the Stripes' "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground," to the second the final echoes of "Seven Nation Army" were escaping out into the night air, White was plenty loud. And equally loose. "I Cut Like a Buffalo," "Love Interruption" and (especially) "Ball and Biscuit" each unspooled over several minutes, with White stomping and pulling solos from his guitar, goofy smile on his face, while both of his crack backing bands followed close behind. It was clear that, on Friday night, White wanted to jam. Which is why, in just about every conceivable way, this wasn't the kind of show you'd expect from the normally uptight White. Of course, he was still dressed like a country mortician and, sure, he made his backing bands dress in near-matching unis (black for his male band, the Buzzards; white for the female counterpart, the Peacocks), and the lighting scheme onstage never strayed from "ethereal blue," but he seemed to draw genuine joy from letting his songs breathe: He turned "Hotel Yorba" into a hoedown, lent extra punch to new tracks like "Sixteen Saltines" and "Hypocritical Kiss" and led the audience in an extended chant during "Army," which has almost inexplicably become his signature song on both sides of the Atlantic. Maybe it had something to do with the Gulf Stream, the postcard-perfect setting of the Hangout Fest (they have palm trees on the beach!) and the day of terrific music he was closing out — Friday also featured standout sets from Wilco, Alabama Shakes and Yelawolf, to name just a few — or maybe White just wanted to cut loose. But last night, his solos rang loud and proud, his voice was voluminous and creaky in all the right ways, and both of his bands proved worthy traveling partners on the lengthy musical excursions on which he led them. In short, White certainly seems to be enjoying life as a solo artist. Especially when he's playing the songs he made with others. Now, if he could only work on that tan ... you get the feeling he'd become a regular down here at the Hangout. Did you catch Jack White's set at the Hangout Festival? Share your reviews in the comments! Related Artists Jack White
'I'm just tryin' to bring a show, man,' Mac told MTV News just before his high-energy set at Friday's festival kickoff.By Rob Markman Mac Miller Photo: Brian Phares/MTV News ASBURY PARK, New Jersey — There's only so much partying on Fifth Ave. that a man can do, so on Friday night, Mac Miller hit the Jersey Shore and threw an old-fashioned beach party. "I'm just tryin' to bring a show, man. I want to bring a performance, I want to bring them into the Macadelic experience," Mac told MTV News hours before he took the stage at the Bamboozle music festival in New Jersey. Skrillex, Mike Posner, Incubus and Miller all took to Bamboozle's main stage on the opening night of the three-day fest, and they didn't disappoint. For Mac's set, which began at 7 p.m. ET, the Pittsburgh MC brought a portion of his Macadelic Tour to concertgoers who had come to see an array of rock, rap and EDM artists. It was all high-energy when Miller, who was dressed in an "RIP MCA" tee, set things off with the title track from his #1 debut album, Blue Slide Park. From there, EZ Mac launched into "Don't Mind If I Do" from his 2010 breakout tape, K.I.D.S. Always one to represent for his crew, Miller, his DJ, Clockwork, and hypeman Treejay bounced up and down to "My Team," and then turned things up a notch with the rambunctious "Knock Knock," all to the youthful crowd's delight. While a majority of the Rostrum rapper's catalog is centered on feel-good jams, he does show range on introspective cuts like "Angels (When She Shuts Her Eyes)." Even when he wasn't ping-ponging frantically across the stage, the crowd responded to Miller's more subdued tracks by waving their hands side to side, showing him that they too are capable of more than just getting crunk. Before he dove into "Best Day Ever," Mac took a bit of a breather while old Miller family home movies played on a big screen. All the teenage girls cooed as they watched baby Mac open birthday presents and sing along to the Sugar Hill Gang's seminal hip-hop track "Rapper's Delight." "I wanted to represent the music through visuals, I've always been a very visual person," he explained to us before the show. "I wanted to use that to create the aesthetics of the show and show people what all of the songs mean to me and put them into that world." Miller picked up the mood with the electric "Frick Park Market" and drew immediate crowd participation with the first line. After spitting, "My name Mac Miller," the crowd responded right on time with a thunderous, "Who the f--- are you?" It was a lesson on how to properly connect with your audience, one that's invested in every word you rhyme. Last year when Miller dropped his now-gold-selling single "Donald Trump," he promised to "take over the world," and despite all of his success he still makes that vow at the end of each and every show. Last night was no different. After a 40-minute set, Mac sealed the deal with a spirited rendition of "Trump" and then marched off to continue to make good on his promise, one stage at a time. Are you hitting Bamboozle this year? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists Mac Miller
For video, premiering Sunday on MTV Jams, 'We got nothin' but megastars,' Khaled tells MTV News. By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway DJ Khaled, Rick Ross and Drake in the video for "Take It To The Head" Photo: MTV News Blockbuster songs deserve blockbuster video treatments, and DJ Khaled made sure his new single, "Take It to the Head," had a big visual to match. When your track features Lil Wayne, Chris Brown, Nicki Minaj and Rick Ross, there isn't much choice. "I told [director] Colin [Tilley] when I called him, 'We gotta video, we gotta do the best video, we gotta win awards, and you gotta really take it there because we got nothin' but megastars on one record," DJ Khaled told MTV News' Sway Calloway from the Universal Studios set where he shot the video at the end of April. Last summer, Khaled hosted "I'm on One," an inescapable rap jam that partnered Lil Wayne, Drake and Rick Ross for the first time. It seemed that the #1 Billboard rap single would be hard to top, but with Nicki Minaj and Chris Brown on "Take it to the Head," the Cash Money DJ is making a serious run for hip-hop's 2012 summer anthem. The stakes are high, and the video, which premieres Sunday on MTV Jams, is equally as huge. The video set is reminiscent of the 1974 disaster film "Earthquake," where most of Los Angeles is destroyed by a quake that registers 9.9 on the Richter scale. "Colin Tilley is an amazing director, so he had this amazing idea where he wanted fire behind us, trains broken, ground shaking," Khaled described. "We're giving you new stuff." Related Artists DJ Khaled Rick Ross Drake
'He was definitely the best,' writes one MTV News commenter of the soulful third-place finisher.By Gil Kaufman Joshua Ledet Photo: FOX It happens every year. By the time you drill down to the top three on "American Idol," tears are shed and teeth are gnashed when host Ryan Seacrest announces the third-place finisher. After coming so far, climbing so high and landing within one episode of the show's finale, whatever beloved singer makes it to the precipice of potential fame is sent to the sidelines to watch the final showdown and his/her fans are left dejected. That's the general mood of Joshua Ledet's followers after the soul-stirring 20-year-old Westlake, Louisiana throwback singer was sent packing on Thursday night's elimination show
, paving the way for pocket diva Jessica Sanchez and (be)low key pawn shop worker Phillip Phillips to battle it out next week. "They sabotaged Joshua and Jessica," raged reader Rienell John Llevado in a comment on an MTV New story in which Ledet called his elimination
 a "relief." "Jessica got lucky she has the support she needed to go on. They will do the same thing again this Tuesday. They are giving their golden boy the best to bring him on top. After all, isn't 'American Idol' loves white guys with guitar only? Don't worry Josh, you're right when you said you could still have a successful career even if you don't win 'Idol.'" Another reader, Keish, claimed that the voting was rigged because after always getting a message that their vote was counted before, there was no such message Thursday night. "I voted so many times & still got nothing! Josh you are the winner!!!" Khan lamented that Ledet — who was touted by the judges as one of the best singers
 to ever grace the "Idol" stage — should not have been eliminated, because, "someone with that kind of voice should never be voted off a singing competition." A number agreed and added that Joshua is probably better in the long run because his singing style has a timeless quality and, besides, the recent track record
 of WGWG (white guys with guitars) has been pretty dismal anyway. "American did not vote based on the talent," opined Lamran2010. "How come Joshua was voted off ... it is not fair." Interestingly, given the shrieks of joy Phillips often elicits on the show, a number of the comments derided his meat-and-potatoes singing style and predicted that voters would turn out in force for Sanchez next week. "Wow , how can America get it so hopelessly wrong year after year" wondered Muzz W. "Go Jessica, Phil Phillips should have gone weeks ago." Then again, Koo was not having it, bidding "good riddents [sic] Joshua" and proclaiming the singer a "drama mama." Amid the sometimes nasty back-and-forth, writer Barry made a plea for peace, saying, "All three have sooo much talent!!! America has voted and unfortunately Joshua goes home. But don't take anything away from Jessica and Phil now!! The finale is all about the songs they sing and how they sing them. It's also about stage presence!!" His pick: Sanchez. As many eagle-eyed "Idol" watchers are aware, it's not always the winners who end up winning, which is why LaNell was just fine with Ledet going home early. "Joshua became a winner the moment he stepped on the stage," she wrote. "He got the exposure he needed to get his career started ... he will go far because of his talent," adding that she figured a younger generation might not totally get his "good ole Motown sound." Related Photos 'American Idol' Season 11 Performances Most Shocking 'American Idol' Exits
My Chemical Romance, Bon Jovi, All-American Rejects are also on lineup at three-day fest in Asbury Park, New Jersey, this weekend.By Rob Markman Mac Miller Photo: FilmMagic The Bamboozle is back, and music fans are gearing up to hit Asbury Park on the world-famous Jersey Shore to see their favorite acts take the stage during the three-day-long festival. It all kicks off Friday (May 18) evening, when , Incubus, Mike Posner and Kreayshawn all rock the crowd on a night headlined by electro party-starter Skrillex. Expect Mac to perform choice cuts from his recently released Macadelic mixtape and for Skrillex to spin dance joints from his Grammy-winning discography. On Saturday (May 19), Pauly D returns to the Jersey Shore that made him famous to DJ for the crowd. Too bad Deadmau5 isn't scheduled to appear — the two are currently involved in a back-and-forth beef over Twitter. The Foo Fighters and My Chemical Romance will surely rock the house, and the All-American Rejects will also rip through tracks off their newly released Kids in the Street LP. The great part about Bamboozle is that it brings dozen of acts from multiple musical genres, so if rock isn't your thing, you can check out rap rookies A$AP Rocky, Iggy Azalea, Action Bronson and Mr. MFN Exquire as they continue to get their first tastes of festival life. Sunday (May 20) promises to be the homecoming of all homecomings as Jersey boys Bon Jovi headline the evening. Soulja Boy's buddy Riff Raff, who recently signed a deal with Diplo, is set to entertain the crowd with his off-the-cuff cuts like "Larry Bird" and "Time." T. Mills is also scheduled to kick-start his stage show with his new single "Vans On," and funnyman Andrew Dice Clay will bring a bit of comedy and controversy to the stage. There will be something for everyone. Related Artists Foo Fighters Skrillex Mac Miller
R&B superstar serenades a lively crowd with tracks from his upcoming album Looking 4 Myself.By Miranda Johnson Usher performs on "Today" Photo: Brad Barket/ Getty Images Usher kicked off the "Today" show's summer concert series Friday morning (May 18) in front of a lively crowd. Fans filled midtown Manhattan's Rockefeller Plaza to watch the ATL singer serenade them with singles off of his upcoming album Looking 4 Myself.. Even though Usher performed bright and early, there was no shortage of energy as the singer rocked the crowd with his new hits "Take You There," "Climax," "OMG," and "Without U." The audience stayed on their feet as Usher soulfully connected to fans (especially when he removed his jacket). On Wednesday's "American Idol" winner and runner-up. The concerts will occur every Friday morning for the remainder of the summer. The next performer scheduled to grace the NBC stage is Latin megastar Pitbull on May 25. Did you catch Usher's "Today" show performance? What did you think? Leave your comment below! Related Artists Usher