Facebook co-founder celebrates two grand achievements by making his company public and marrying longtime girlfriend Priscilla Chan.
By Natasha Chandel

Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg
Photo: Priscilla Chan/ Facebook

Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has had quite a week! Not only is he now worth a cool $19 billion after the Facebook IPO, but he also got hitched to long-time girlfriend, Dr. Priscilla Chan, in an intimate wedding on Saturday. Of course, the announcement became official when Zuckerberg changed his Facebook status to "married" and uploaded a wedding picture of the young couple.

Facebook became a public company on Friday in the second largest IPO in financial history, with shares selling at $38 each.

If that wasn't enough pressure for a week, Zuckerberg took the big plunge when he swapped out his signature hoodie and jeans for a dark blue suit and tie for his surprise nuptials with Priscilla Chan, his girlfriend of nine years. The couple met at Harvard, when Zuckerberg was still developing his infamous social network, and have been an item ever since.

Despite Zuckerberg's rockstar status with fans and users alike, the technology mogul has led a significantly low-key life. His weekend ceremony included approximately 100 guests, including family and friends, none of whom had any idea they were attending a wedding. They were invited under the pretense of a graduation party for Chan, who also had an eventful week after graduating from medical school. Once everyone had gathered, it was announced the couple was finally tying the knot.

According to reports, Zuckerberg designed a simple ruby ring for his lady love, who looked elegant and chic in a vintage-inspired lace gown. Guests dined on the couple's favorite foods, including mouse-shaped chocolates — a treat the couple shared on their first date.

Share your well-wishes for Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan in the comments!

Show also features tributes to Whitney Houston, Donna Summer, MCA and Robin Gibb.
By Gil Kaufman

Justin Bieber performs at the 2012 Billboard Music Awards on Sunday
Photo: Ethan Miller/ Getty Images

Sunday night's (May 20) Billboard Music Awards were a bittersweet affair, balancing the promise of decades of entertainment from a new generation of record-smashing young artists like Justin Bieber, Katy Perry and Taylor Swift with fond memories of a number of recently departed musical icons.

In a three-hour show heavy on performances, chart staples LMFAO helped kicked the show off with a typically hyped performance of their inescapable party anthems that featured a cabbage-patching teddy bear and zebra and more animal prints than a Flintstones family reunion.

Justin Bieber was the night's first winner, taking the Top Social Artist award for his huge online presence. The singer swaggered up to the stage and, in an uncharacteristically emotional moment, said, "I just want to say how much of a blessing it's been ... the past three or four years, growing up in front of everybody. ... I want to thank all my fans, because the Internet is where I got my start, and all my fans have helped me get to this position."

Co-host Julie Bowen took a moment out of the program early on to pay tribute to late Bee Gees member Robin Gibb, who died earlier in the day Sunday after a long battle with cancer. The night also featured a touching tribute to recently passed disco queen Donna Summer by Natasha Bedingfield and a segment devoted to music legend Whitney Houston with a medley of her indelible hits performed by John Legend and Jordin Sparks.

Daughter Bobbi Kristina accepted the Billboard Millennium Award on behalf of her late mother. "I just really want to say thank you to everyone who supported us through it all," she said. "Not just when it was good, but when it was bad too ... thank you so much for showing that much love, because she deserved it."

Katy Perry was handed the Spotlight Award for tying the record set by Michael Jackson of five #1 hits from the same album, for her handful of smashes from Teenage Dream. Dressed in a floor-length sparkling silver gown, her hair a muted dark purple, Perry said she was "incredibly honored" to be in the same category as someone like Jackson.

"Most of all, of course, I always say that the people have the power, so I want to say thank you to the glittering, gorgeous community of fans out there," she added to wild applause, while finding a spare few seconds to plug her upcoming 3-D concert film, "Part of Me." Oh, and she said she couldn't wait to do shots later that night with her 91-year-old granny, who was in the audience.

The ladies had a great night, as Taylor Swift was honored with the Billboard Woman of the Year award, acknowledging her stadium full of impressive credits, including a place as the only woman in music history to score three #1 albums in a row, each of which has sold more than 5 million copies. Swift, 22, dressed in a flowing red evening gown and ever gracious, thanked her legions of fans, saying, "I just love you so much, I'm just so humbled and honored by this."

As Miley Cyrus noted, you're only new to the game once, so it was fitting that red-hot rapper Wiz Khalifa best the competition for the Top New Artist trophy. "I'm up here shakin', man," the rapper admitted as he thanked his whole crew and label family, as well as his "beautiful fiancée," Amber Rose. "She's my world and she puts up with my crazy butt, too," he smiled, as Rose beamed from her seat in the audience.

Some other men got a bit of attention as well, with an absent Lil Wayne beating out Chris Brown, Drake, Bruno Mars and Justin Bieber for Male Artist of the Year.

Hot 100 Song of the Year was a tight race featuring smashes from Adele, Perry, Maroon 5 and Pitbull. But could it have gone to anyone but LMFAO for "Party Rock Anthem"? With six weeks atop the Hot 100, the uncle/nephew duo scored the third longest-running top 10 hit of all time. "This is a dream come true," said singer Redfoo. A short time later, Khalifa shouted out the Beastie Boys' MCA before LMFAO were up on the stage again for the Top Duo or Group prize.

Brown got his chance a bit later with a win in the R&B Artist of the Year category, Foster the People took Top Rock Song for "Pumped Up Kicks," Coldplay were named Top Rock Artist, U2 Top Touring Act, Lady Gaga Top Dance Artist and an Icon Award for Stevie Wonder. For a full list of Sunday night's winners, head to Billboard.com.

Among the night's other performers, Kelly Clarkson made the televised debut of her rocking ballad "Dark Side" and British boy banders the Wanted were busy "Chasing the Sun" and saying they were "Glad You Came" above the sound of shrieks from their female admirers. Brown rode his glowing BMX bike out for a high-energy lip-synched run through "Turn Up the Music," while Usher got all gothic and mysterious with a flashy, Las Vegas-worthy, high-concept staging of "Scream."

Bieber stalked the DayGlo stage for a clown- and geisha-assisted future-funk performance of "Boyfriend," followed by his protégé Carly Rae Jepsen singing "Call Me Maybe" and Carrie Underwood standing her ground amid a sea of blowing fans during "Blown Away."

In addition, the performance-heavy show had Linkin Park cranking up the flames for "Burn It Down," Nelly Furtado sporting "Big Hoops," Alicia Keys jamming with Icon winner Wonder, Perry doing a high-wire act in the virtual clouds during "Wide Awake" and Cee Lo Green and Goodie Mob joined by a one-legged Cirque du Soleil break dancer on "Fight to Win" and a stage full of dancing kids for a cover of the Beasties' "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party)" in another nod to MCA.

What was your favorite part of the Billboard Music Awards? Let us know in the comments below!

• 2012 Billboard Awards Highlights

• 2012 Billboard Music Awards

• Taylor Swift
• Justin Bieber

Show also pays tribute to late legends Adam Yauch and Donna Summer.
By Jocelyn Vena

Jordin Sparks performs "I Will Always Love You" at the <i>Billboard</i> Music Awards on Sunday
Photo: Ethan Miller/ Getty Images

While the Billboard Music Awards were full of upbeat moments, thanks to highly charged performances from Justin Bieber, Katy Perry and more chart-toppers, the show also was somber at times, paying tribute to some of the music industry's brightest stars who died in the months before Sunday's (May 20) broadcast.

While Whitney Houston had the glitziest of the tributes, other late legends from all musical genres also mourned at the show. Right before the broadcast, the tragic news of Bee Gee Robin Gibb's death broke. The pop star died at the age of 62 after a lengthy battle with cancer. While his tribute was short, it was also very sweet, with "Modern Family" star and host Julie Bowen saying, "His voice and the music of the Bee Gees will live on forever."

Just two days before Gibb passed, the Queen of Disco, Houston's untimely death in February, comedian Whoopi Goldberg said in her introduction, "I adored Whitney Houston. What all performers want and need and should get is love, and many of us here loved Whitney, and even if you're one of those who didn't show the love to Whitney, now is your chance, because tonight, that's what we're doing: We're going to be giving Whitney the greatest love of all."

Then, John Legend sat at his piano to perform Houston emotional, uplifting ballad, "Greatest Love of All."

Jordin Sparks — Houston's co-star in her final film, "Sparkle" — handled Houston's legend-making "I Will Always Love You." Dressed in a flowing blue and black gown, the singer belted out the track, while Whitney's daughter, Bobbi Kristina, sat in the audience crying.

As the song wrapped, Whitney's sister-in-law Pat Houston and daughter accepted the Millennium Award in her honor. "This is truly an honor. We thank you, Billboard; we thank you, Whoopi, Jordin; we love you, John. But tonight, the one person that should be accepting this award is the one person that Whitney loved most."

"I just really want to say thank you to everyone who supported us through it all," Bobbi Kristina added. "Thank you so much for showing that much love, 'cause she deserved it. There will never be another one, ever. I thank you so much."

The outpouring of love and emotion didn't end there. Adam Yauch, MCA from the Beastie Boys, who died May 4 from his own battle with cancer, also was remembered. Top New Artist winner Wiz Khalifa said during his acceptance speech that the Beasties took hip-hop to new levels. "I just want to thank the Beastie Boys, and we will never forget MCA."

Later on, Cee Lo Green and Goodie Mobb may have been there to perform their own track, "Fight to Win," but afterward, Cee Lo told the room to get their asses up for their own spirited homage to MCA with "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party)."

Share your condolences for the four late musical legends in the comments below.

• 2012 Billboard Awards Highlights

• 2012 Billboard Music Awards

• Jordin Sparks
• Beastie Boys
• Whitney Houston

'New York City, tonight, electronic dance music won the Super Bowl,' Swedish House Mafia's Angello tells the crowd.
By Nicholas Philippou

Armin van Buuren at Electric Daisy Carnival New York

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey — A different breed of giants owned MetLife Stadium on Saturday during day two of New York's inaugural Electric Daisy Carnival. Armin van Buuren, Avicii and Swedish House Mafia's Steve Angello closed the day's festivities under a sea of red, white and gold fireworks, after taking an estimated 60,000 fans for an unforgettable ride.

"We put a nightclub in Giants stadium," Angello proudly told the crowd during EDC's closing moments. "New York City, tonight, electronic dance music won the Superbowl."

Angello reveled in the moment and called the night "historic," after delivering a two-hour set that evolved from dark and dirty to euphoric, ending with Angello in the spotlight, arms wide open, nearly hugging the crowd during SHM's remix of Coldplay's "Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall." SHM fans got their serving with classics like "Greyhound" and "One" as well as the revved-up Knife Party remix of "Save the World" that capped the night's exhilaration.

Thomas Gold was Steve Angello's Eli Manning inside the stadium, where Size Matters took over the end zone. Gold had one of those days where it was like he couldn't miss, from the moment he hit the stage he turned the red zone into the Gold zone for two hours.

He fired off a monster set with his remix of Miike Snow's "The Wave" and rode on a high-energy, song-switching filter-fest of songs we all love, but have never heard quite like this before. Gold played up the Police's "Message In a Bottle," against his track "Abart," with Leventina's "We're Gonna Start," followed up with a mash-up of "Agora" and Avicii's "Le7els" in what was a fun, feel-good set that scratched every itch.

Outside of the stadium, at the Kinetic Field, Alesso and SHM's Sebastian Ingrosso both killed it with amazing sets, with Alesso even making a return trip to the stage when Seb cued up their smash hit, "Calling," while the huge crowd hummed out the chorus. Ingrosso played up every element of his show, leveling the crowd with a mash-up of SHM's "One" against Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know," while a giant eye familiar to SHM fans stared back at them, creating a definite feeling of surreal, a reoccurring sensation throughout the festivities.

And a surreal experience is really what EDC is all about. It's a costume party, a rave, a carnival, an amusement park, a concert and a madhouse in whatever direction you turn. Wherever you were, you were most definitely entertained.

Were you at New York's Electric Daisy Carnival? What did you think? Leave your comment below!

• Avicii
• Steve Angello & Sebastian Ingrosso
• Armin Van Buuren

Singer debuts 'Wide Awake' ahead of her 'Part of Me' 3-D concert film release in July.
By Jocelyn Vena

Katy Perry performs at the 2012 <i>Billboard</i> Music Awards on Sunday
Photo: Ethan Miller/ Getty Images

Katy Perry was "Wide Awake" at the Billboard Music Awards on Sunday night (May 20).

The purple-haired singer took the stage in glittering Las Vegas to debut her new single, the slow-motion breakup track from her Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection album. It's also the song she's picked to promote her 3-D concert film, "Part of Me," out in July.

Dressed in all white, almost like a bride (ironic, given she's back on the market after her split from husband Russell Brand), the performance opened with Perry descending from the ceiling over the stage, surrounded by Cirque du Soleil-type acrobats and steampunk touches, including dancers in top hats and a setting that almost looked like it was from the Smashing Pumpkins' "Tonight, Tonight" video.

Perry mostly floated over the stage in a white ribbon that kept her hanging in the air as she sang about letting her heartbreak go to start anew. The dreamy vibe of the performance mirrored the song's ethereal feeling.

Earlier in the night, in a sparkling lavender gown, Perry took the stage to accept her Spotlight award for amassing five #1 hits from her Teenage Dream album. "Thank you. They told me the only other person who received this award is Michael Jackson, so I feel incredibly honored," she told the room. "I always say the people have the power, so I want to thank all the glittering, gorgeous [people] out there. Rock on, KatyCats!

"Tonight, later, when I get on the stage, I'm going to be singing my personal, intimate song," she added, before shouting out her date. "The real rock star here is my grandmother. She's 91 and she's from Las Vegas. I can't wait to go and do shots with you after this!"

The same night she was in Vegas to perform the song, a lyric video was released as a teaser to the song's music video, which Perry filmed earlier this month.

What did you think of Katy's performance? Let us know in the comments!

• 2012 Billboard Awards Highlights

• 2012 Billboard Music Awards

• Katy Perry

Singer snags Top Social Artist award before taking the stage.
By Jocelyn Vena

Justin Bieber performs at the 2012 <i>Billboard</i> Music Awards on Sunday
Photo: Ethan Miller/ Getty Images

Justin Bieber got the room shaking at the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas when he danced around the stage rapping and singing his lead Believe single, "Boyfriend."

Dressed in white and yellow, with some neon lights on his pants, the 18-year-old stormed the stage and danced his butt off — but he didn't go it alone. He was joined by some sexy, scantily clad lady dancers and male dancers in masks. Jumping from various levels of the stage, Bieber got his swaggie on.

He especially brought out the swag when the song broke down in the middle for an extended dance remix, and he showed that he's growing as a performer and a hoofer, relying less on his cutesy tween image and more on the razzle-dazzle of predecessors like Justin Timberlake and mentor Usher.

Before he took the stage to perform, Bieber was up there to accept the prize for Top Social Artist. An emotional Bieber thanked those closest to him during his speech.

"First of all, I just want to say how much of a blessing it's been the past three, four years, just growing up in front of everybody," he said. "I want to thank all my fans, 'cause the Internet is where I got my start. I want to thank my boy [and manager] Scooter Braun for all he's done. He's more than just a manager to me. I want to thank Usher. ... He takes the time to really care. I just want to say 'thank you so much' to my mom and my dad and to God. I could keep rambling forever. I just want to thank you so much. Swaggie."

Immediately after Bieber performed, his first artist, Carly Rae Jepsen, also sang her hit single "Call Me Maybe."

What did you think of Bieber's performance? Let us know in the comments!

• 2012 Billboard Music Awards

• Justin Bieber

The late Robin and his brothers helped define a genre and topped the charts in the process.
By Gil Kaufman

The Bee Gees in the 1970s
Photo: Bee Gees Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/ Getty Im

Just days after the world lost Queen of Disco Donna Summer, another one of the genre's royal family, Bee Gees member Robin Gibb, died after a long battle with cancer.

Robin, 62, and his brothers Barry and Maurice began their musical career in 1963 and scored a number of hits with sentimental ballads such as "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" and "I Started a Joke" and their first top 20 single, "New York Mining Disaster 1941." But it was their work in the late 1970s that would forever cement their memory in music history.

After a string of successful albums and singles in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the brotherly trio hit the hard time early in the decade, including a brief period where Robin left the band to go solo because he felt Barry was being pushed to the forefront at his expense.

It wasn't until they revamped their sound on 1975's Main Course that they hit upon a formula that would make them international superstars and help sell more than 200 million albums over the course of their career. That record turned away from earnest folk and pop to a sound laced with a more soulful, dance-oriented groove, epitomized by the #1 hit "Jive Talkin'."

They followed up with the soundtrack to the hit movie "Saturday Night Fever," which held the record for the best-selling album of all time until the release of Michael Jackson's Thriller. With such smashes as "Night Fever," "How Deep Is Your Love," "You Should Be Dancing," "Stayin' Alive" and "More Than a Woman," the soundtrack won the Grammy for Album of the Year and sold more than 15 million copies in the United States alone.

Though they weren't even tapped to work on the soundtrack until after the movie had already wrapped, producer Robert Stigwood asked them to try and whip up a few tunes for the film that would soon define the disco era. They dashed most of the additional songs off in just over one weekend, and the rest, as they say, is history. In the years since, the album, whose cover prominently features the trio in their signature white disco suits just above a dancing John Travolta, has sold more than 40 million copies and stands as one of the top five best-selling albums of all time.

Robin often sung the lead on the early songs, even though it was Barry who was the ostensible leader of the group later in their career. The siblings' allegedly testy dynamic was turned into a bizarre recurring skit on "Saturday Night Live" from 2003 to 2011 by Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake called "The Barry Gibb Talk Show." Though Fallon once told Howard Stern that he really didn't know how the idea came to him to play Barry as an out-of-control rage-aholic hosting a public affairs show about the day's news, the comedic combination of the monosyllabic Timberlake as Robin and the pair singing the trio's falsetto harmonies made for some of the show's funniest moments.

Born in 1949 on the Isle of Man off the British Coast, Robin and his brothers grew up in Manchester, England, but moved to Australia as children. They got their start there performing on television shows as the B.G.'s. It was after the family returned to England in the 1960s that the trio began to score international attention with their melodic three-part harmonies and emotional songwriting.

Robin released a trio of solo albums in the 1980s, but neither he nor the group would ever reach the "Fever" heights again. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. Earlier this year, Robin released a classical piece called The Titanic Requiem, recorded with his son, Robin-John, but was too ill to attend an April 10 performance with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Robin's death is the latest heartache for the family, which has suffered a string of misfortunes, including the 1988 death of youngest brother Andy, 30, and the 2003 passing of Robin's twin, Maurice, 53.

More than 30 years after their global breakthrough, the music created by Robin and his brothers remains a cultural touchstone for each successive generation. Everyone from Eric Clapton to Destiny's Child, the Cure's Robert Smith, the Flaming Lips, Elton John, Al Green, Cher, Diana Ross, Tina Turner and Celine Dion have recorded their songs over the years.

Please share your condolences for Gibb's family, friends and fans in the comments.

• The Bee Gees' Robin Gibb: A Career In Photos

• The Bee Gees

Singer had battled colon and liver cancer and lapsed into a coma last month.
By Katie Byrne

Robin Gibb in 1976
Photo: Ivan Keeman/ Redferns/ Getty Images

Bee Gees member Robin Gibb died Sunday (May 20) after a long battle with cancer; he was 62 years old.

"The family of Robin Gibb, of the Bee Gees, announce with great sadness that Robin passed away today following his long battle with cancer and intestinal surgery," read a statement confirming the news. "The family have asked that their privacy is respected at this very difficult time."

See photos of Robin Gibb throughout his career.

Gibb, who had been battling colon and liver cancer, lapsed into a weeklong coma last month. In February, doctors said he'd made a "spectacular" recovery from the disease, but he was soon back in the hospital for surgery. The "Saturday Night Fever" singer had bowel surgery almost two years ago for an unrelated condition, at which time doctors discovered a tumor and diagnosed him with colon cancer. It appeared as if the cancer was in remission as recently as March.

Robin was one-third of the Brothers Gibb, alongside lead singer Barry and twin brother Maurice, who died in 2003 from complications of abdominal surgery. The siblings created the Bee Gees as teens in Brisbane, Australia, in 1958. They made their initial impact on pop during the Beatles-led British invasion of the mid-'60s, sending "New York Mining Disaster 1941" into the top 20 and beginning a string of hits that would last through 1972's "Run to Me." The '71 smash "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" reached the top of the charts.

The Bee Gees' style shifted during the disco era, and their success with funky, dance-oriented pieces such as "Jive Talkin'" and "You Should Be Dancing" set them up for the pop juggernaut of "Saturday Night Fever."

With falsetto vocals and irresistible rhythms, the trio became one of disco's most resonant symbols. Three Bee Gees songs from the film's soundtrack, "How Deep Is Your Love," "Stayin' Alive" and "Night Fever," reached #1 on the Billboard chart. The "Saturday Night Fever" album is pop's best-selling soundtrack, having moved over 40 million copies.

Please share your condolences for Gibb's family, friends and fans in the comments.

• The Bee Gees' Robin Gibb: A Career In Photos

• The Bee Gees

Band's Saturday-night set was lively and loose, capping a day that also saw spirited sets from Mac Miller and Skrillex.
By James Montgomery

Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers performs at the 2012 Hangout Music Festival
Photo: Tim Mosenfelder/ Getty Images

GULF SHORES, Alabama — Having been at this for more than two decades now, the Red Hot Chili Peppers clearly know how to headline a fest: play the hits, thank the crowd, occasionally swat at a beach ball, exit stage right. Maybe work a few well-placed curse words in there too. These things tend to be the same.

So it's a testament to both their versatility and their dedication that the Chili Peppers' Saturday-night set at the Hangout Festival was anything but by the numbers, as the band jammed long and hard, stretching songs to the breaking point (and beyond), much to the delight of the raucous, sun-baked crowd.

Perhaps it was because their headlining slot kicked off just minutes after seasoned jam-meisters the String Cheese Incident finished their two-and-a-half hour set (which, for them, was basically just a warm-up), or maybe they were taking their cues from Friday night's headliner, Jack White, but from the minute the Peps strode on stage, they were playing fast and loose. Drummer Chad Smith, bassist Flea and guitarist Josh Klinghoffer started things off with a reverb-heavy psych jam that only morphed into "The Monarchy of Roses" when frontman Anthony Kiedis bounded on stage, then kept that momentum rolling into "Can't Stop," with the trio trading solos while Kiedis nodded in time to the beat.

There were, of course, more straightforward moments too: the Peppers tore through a string of hits, including "Dani California," "Under The Bridge" and "The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie," and attacked songs like "Blood Sugar Sex Magik" and their version of "Higher Ground" with impassioned pounding. Flea was his usual non-sequitur self, spouting stuff like "Sweet Home Alabama, mother----er!" and "Forgive your parents!" into the mic, and Kiedis was, as always, the warrior-shaman showman, posing and preening, always in motion (he and Flea also made the rather interesting decision to wear pants with one leg cut off above the knee). But there was a general, genial looseness throughout their two-hour set, showcasing Smith's lock-step drumming, Flea's precision playing and Klinghoffer's wild, winding fretwork.

At several points, they seemed to be making it up as they went along, gleefully turning a few stray notes into lengthy, twisting jams: Klinghoffer would summon a solo from his guitar, while Flea would flail and pound along, Smith and touring percussionist Mauro Refosco kicked off the band's encore with a twisting back-and-forth exchange, and after blasting through "Give It Away," the band closed their set with a lengthy, voluminous instrumental. The Peppers have always drawn from funk, and Flea's dabblings in Jazz have paced them for nearly twenty years now, but on Saturday night, the improvisational nature of both were readily apparent. Rather than do the usual headlining set, the band wanted to just play.

It seems to be a recurring theme of the Hangout fest ... and it served as a perfect capper on a day that also saw lively and loose sets from the likes of Gogol Bordello, Mac Miller and Skrillex (who, in a bit of inspired scheduling, kicked off opposite Randy Newman). The Red Hot Chili Peppers breathed new life into time-tested favorites — "Suck My Kiss" was pounding and primal, "Californication" soared to new heights, "Soul to Squeeze" was sanguine and sweet — and appeared to have a blast whilst doing so. You can't teach old dogs new tricks, but, if you bring them to the beach (and scheduled them after a jam band), well, you can certainly make them push things to the limit ... with fantastic results. If this whole "world-famous rock band" thing doesn't work out for RHCP, their Hangout set was proof that they'd make a killing on the jam circuit. Your move, String Cheese.

• Rockin' Out At The 2012 Hangout Music Festival

• Red Hot Chili Peppers

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 Festival in Gulf Shores, Alabama
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!

• 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!

• Mac Miller