It’s hard to believe that the Beatles are old enough to be grandparents- but drummer Ringo Starr just turned 70 years old. Ringo celebrated with a “Peace and Love” themed party attended by fans, family and friends, and closed out the evening with an all-star show at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall that thrilled concert goers. An unannounced appearance by Paul McCartney sent the crowd into fits, and Yoko Ono also made an appearance.

The cake had been served, the candles had been blown out, and Ringo Starr had all but told the sold-out crowd at NYC’s Radio City Music Hall to go home, but the most exciting part of his 70th birthday show last night was still to come. That was the exact moment, right around 10 p.m., that none other than Paul McCartney bounded on stage in his skinny tie and fitted suit. The art-deco hall filled with 1964-style squeals as Sir Paul tore through the Beatles’ “Birthday” with the wild-eyed drive of someone decades younger.

McCartney’s unannounced appearance was the perfect end to an evening of festive collaboration. Ringo calls his touring act the All-Starr Band for a reason: They’re all handpicked veterans of bands from the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s. In between his solo hits (“Photograph,” “It Don’t Come Easy”) and Beatles classics (“Yellow Submarine,” “Act Naturally,” “Boys”), he gave each of his bandmates ample time to demonstrate their own claims to fame. Keyboardist/saxophonist Edgar Winter led electrifying renditions of “Frankenstein” and “Free Ride.” Guitarist Rick Derringer of the McCoys rocked “Hang On Sloopy.” The Romantics’ Wally Palmar told us “What I Like About You.” Mr. Mister’s Richard Page spread his “Broken Wings.” Gary Wright crooned “Dreamweaver,” which he said was inspired by a book on Eastern philosophy that George Harrison once gave him. (“George Harrison never gave me no damn book,” cracked Ringo.)

I’m not sure I’d sit through an entire concert by any of those guys’ original groups, but seeing them run through their hits with Ringo was fun — a classic-rock radio revue with one of history’s greatest beat-keepers behind the kit. Starr himself was as energetic as any 70-year-old I’ve ever encountered, grooving gamely at front stage or drumming with that familiar head-bobbing enthusiasm.

Halfway through a Mr. Mister song, my mother and I noticed the E Street Band’s Stevie Van Zandt and Nils Lofgren and ELO’s Jeff Lynne simultaneously leaving their seats a few rows ahead of us. For a moment I thought they must not be big “Broken Wings” fans, but of course they were only heading backstage. A few numbers later, Starr said he wanted to play a tune that he was considering cutting from his set list due to lukewarm crowd reactions. The song was “With A Little Help from My Friends.” Oh, Ringo, you joker! This was the cue for a cavalcade of celebs to join him. Seeing Starr giddily jam with Van Zandt, Lofgren, Lynne, Yoko Ono, Joe Walsh, and quite a few others is not a sight I’ll soon forget.

My mother and I had been hoping all along that McCartney might pop up. He was conveniently in between tour dates in London and San Francisco this week, and 70 is a big birthday. But “With A Little Help” transitioned into a sweet singalong of John Lennon’s “Give Peace a Chance,” followed by a spontaneous crowd rendition of “Happy Birthday” and the aforementioned cake and candles, and Macca was nowhere to be seen. Oh well. Who could complain after all those other guests? And then he turned up after all. His “Birthday,” with Walsh on wicked lead guitar, was the best possible way to end that show. Afterward, teary hugs were exchanged between McCartney, Starr, and Ono. McCartney softly repeated the words “Happy birthday to you” into the microphone. The appreciative surprise on his old friend’s face looked altogether genuine.

And so, for the second time in as many years, the two surviving Beatles shared a concert stage. (The same stage, as it happens.) My mom, who never got to see them when she was a teenaged fan in the ’60s, was pretty psyched to be there. So was I. On our way out from the venue, someone was raving about “history in the making.”

[From Entertainment Weekly]

Oh, man, do I wish I could have been there! I am kind of in denial about how old Paul and Ringo are. I would like to think they will live forever, wouldn’t you? At any rate, Ringo looks damn good for 70 years old. Despite the substance abuse problems he had earlier in his life, he looks like he’s taking very good care of himself these days. Happy Birthday, Ringo!

Susan Boyle performed for a full half hour this morning on The Today Show. She’s the first singer who’s only released a debut CD to be invited to sing on the show for so long. People lined up hours ahead of time in the cold morning for a chance to hear Boyle belt out her songs.

A huge crowd stood in the New York morning chill, cell phones and camcorders held before misty eyes to record a simple woman dressed in simple clothes singing familiar songs in a voice that penetrated deep into the spirit. Susan Boyle, seven months removed from her now legendary debut on “Britain’s Got Talent,” is no longer the shy and dowdy woman who walked on the stage that fateful night to smirks and sneers — and left to a thunderous standing ovation.

“I’ve grown up a bit. I’ve become more of a lady. I don’t swivel my hips as much, you know?” Boyle told TODAY’s Matt Lauer Monday before unleashing her extraordinary pipes on the crowd waiting for her in Rockefeller Plaza. The 48-year-old Scottish woman who was taunted and beaten as a child now laughs easily a herself and remains humbled and awed by her own fame. Never before had an artist releasing a debut album been invited to sing for a full half-hour on TODAY. Until Boyle.

On Monday, the product of that triumph, her 12-song debut CD, went on sale. Even before it hit the stores, it was already the biggest advance CD seller in the history of Amazon.com. This year alone, Boyle has sold more advance copies than U2, Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay and the Dixie Chicks. Eleven of the songs on the album are covers and one is original. They are not all show tunes, but they are all soulful, including a rendition of the Rolling Stones’ “Wild Horses” in a style much different than Mick Jagger could ever have imagined.

Boyle also sings a Madonna tune, “You’ll See,” that she said is her answer to the teachers who beat her regularly with a belt and the classmates who so cruelly taunted her when she was growing up. “That was a statement I was trying to make, because I was bullied a lot at school: ‘You may have done that to me when I was younger, but you can’t do it to me anymore. I’m grown up now,’ ” Boyle explained softly.

[From MSNBC]

Susan really has shown everyone. And despite all the people who tormented her in her youth, it seems that from the moment she sang her first note on “Britain’s Got Talent,” everyone’s been behind her. Her singing was just absolutely phenomenal this morning. The power of this woman’s voice is truly incredible. And it’s only made more so by her story. The entire interview with Susan will be aired on Thanksgiving, as part of Matt Lauer’s “People of the Year” special. I know some people are still suffering from Susan Boyle fatigue, but I’ve got to admit I’m still moved whenever I hear her sing.

Images thanks to WENN.com .

Despite efforts by Australian officials to warn potential ticket buyers that Britney Spears would be lipsyncing through most of her concerts, hundreds of fans left her concert in Perth on Friday just a few songs into the show. Many outlets are reporting that the flack is over the fact that Britney doesn’t actually sing live, but it seems like the main issue is that people couldn’t see her at all, and that the big screens only showed circus-related imagery and didn’t display her live performance. People describe her as a “dot” on stage.

Fans shelled out hundreds of dollars, only to be left disappointed that they’d wasted their hard earned money. Tickets ranged from $185 to $1,300, so you can understand why people would be upset that considering that Britney didn’t sing, they couldn’t see her perform either. It’s like they just paid to hear a recording and watch a pre-recorded video. (Update: there may have been tickets cheaper than $185. CNN reported that “regular” seats went for AUD 200, or USD $185, so it’s possible there were cheaper seats.)

Disgruntled fans walked out of last night’s concert in Perth – the first of her latest Australian tour – upset by her lip synching.

”It was just really bad,’’ Kathy Wright, 32, said. ‘’She has not spoken, there is no interaction.”

Friend Josh Blee said: “We are really big Britney fans but it was crap.”

“I thought after the music awards she would make up for it with a wicked concert, but she has let us down,” Blee added.

Maria Carmody also left with a group of friends. They were disappointed that the giant screens did not show any vision of Spears performing.

The screens only displayed circus-related images but nothing of the performer herself which infuriated large groups of fans as Britney had her back to them for large portions of the concert.

Several fans complained that there was no vision on the giant screens and questioned whether it was cover up her lip synching.

“She is a little dot on the stage,’’ Carmody said.

She was also put off by the bad behaviour of fans in the general admission area.

She claimed she was elbowed and pushed by overzealous fans.

Spears performed to over 17,000 fans last night at Perth’s Burswood Dome.

[From HeraldSun.com.au]

Did the big screens at Britney’s US concerts display her performance, and if so why didn’t they do the same in Australia? It doesn’t make sense that they wouldn’t show her on the screens unless there was some kind of technical glitch and they had to resort to using stock footage at the last minute. Maybe we’ll hear more about this and Britney’s people will apologize. It definitely seems more about the issue that fans couldn’t see Britney rather than the fact that she mimed the words to her songs. Anyone who shelled out nearly $200 and was then disappointed that she was lipsyncing has no excuse for not doing their homework first. Britney’s Australian tour has 12 dates left, so it will be interesting to see if her ticket sales suffer after this debacle.

Update: E! Online has more information, including responses from Britney’s camp. Instead of being apologetic about the concert, they’re defensive and say the complaints are the work of one journalist, that no one complained to them, and that most fans liked the show. That’s funny, because there are at least two reports out of Australia that quote different concert-goers complaining about it.

The promoter of this tour leg refuted claims of fans fleeing the Circus, telling The Australian newspaper “Britney is aware of all this and she’s extremely upset by it.”

Also issuing a nuanced response were reps for the Burswood Entertainment Complex where the Perth concert was held, who announced, “From Burswood’s perspective, the event was a huge success.”

Not sure how well that response will go over with the woman who told the Telegraph, “It was a waste of $200—I could have got four pairs of shoes for that.”
Spears’ manager, Adam Leber, also came to the superstar’s defense via Twitter, claiming that it was the work of a sole Australian journalist that sparked the lip-synch debate.

“It’s unfortunate that one journalist in Perth didn’t enjoy the show last night. Fortunately the other 18,272 fans in attendance did.”

[From E! Online]

Here’s Britney out in Perth on 11/7 (sunglasses) and 11/5/09 (no bra). Credit: Scope Features, PacificCoastNews.com. She’s also shown with her sons out in Calabasa, CA on 10/22/09. Credit: Fame Pictures

I have a serious, serious newsflash for you. This is definitely breaking news, and I, JayBird, have the scoop. That’s right, the credit is all mine. Have you braced yourself? Excellent. Here it is: Britney Spears. May. Lip-synch. I hope that information resulted in a dramatic tumbling from your chair. Who’s my source? The Minister for Fair Trading for New South Wales in Australia. She made the announcement today that Britney Spears may (will) lip-synch parts of her concert there. And she wants to warn fellow Australians, lest they be deceived.

Britney Spears just arrived in Australia on Thursday, but already she’s the subject of government scrutiny – over whether concertgoers realize she’ll be lip-synching portions of her concerts.

Virginia Judge, the Minister for Fair Trading for New South Wales (the Australian state that includes Sydney), said she is considering options to make sure fans aren’t misled when buying tickets to Britney’s Circus tour concerts. Some seats are going for more than $1,300.

“It is Britney’s ‘prerogative’ to lip-sync, and it is my job to make sure consumers know what they are paying for up front,” Judge said in a statement released by the government.

One idea is to require disclaimers on promotional materials and tickets indicating that portions of a show will be pre-recorded.

It’s no secret that many artists, including Spears, lip-sync at times during their elaborate stage shows. And this Australian initiative may not have much effect on interest in Spears tickets, given that many of the shows Down Under are already sold out.
“Personally I would rather see a live set from a local artist,” Judge said, “but I am sure Britney’s fans will be treated to a spectacular show.”

[From People]

Yeah I would definitely feel deceived if I went to a Britney Spears concert where she’s dangling off wires from the rafters while dancing and she were NOT singing live – and perfectly on pitch. I think most people understand that pop stars that put on an athletic performance aren’t singing most of the time. Or at least they have very powerful backtracks. Really, if you’re into Britney Spears, it’s not because of her incredible vocal ability. Unless you think a synthesizer and Auto-Tune are her natural voice. You’re going to her concert because she’s famous and controversial, and because she’s a good performer. I don’t think anyone ever accused her of being a great singer.

But thank you, Virginia Judge. You’ve ruined the façade for me. And to think, you’re not even a Britney fan.

Here’s Britney in Perth, Australia today. Images thanks to INF Photo.

How many stories have I started off by sarcastically saying “Poor Chris Brown”? I don’t think I’m capable of any other intro. It just bums me out so badly when stuff doesn’t go right for him, you know? Why does bad stuff happen to sh*tty people? In that vein, dear Chris really isn’t feeling the love from his fans. Maybe because his fans don’t love him anymore? Thus he doesn’t have many fans? Once in a while it’s clear he’s got about four fans left, from the occasional comments they leave on our Chris Brown stories. Hey Chris, if you really want to know where your fans are, I can give you their ISPs. You can do an intimate performing session with your only remaining true believers. Because you sure aren’t selling out the concerts.

Looks like Chris Brown’s past might haunt him “Forever.” The scorned singer is attempting a comeback with his “Fan Appreciation” tour, which kicks off next week, but he hasn’t had much luck filling even the small venues he’s set to perform in. The gigs – which start at the House of Blues in Houston on Nov. 14 and end in the Big Apple’s Nokia Theater on Dec. 15 – aren’t even close to sold out. In fact, anyone who’s interested can still purchase up to 50 tickets at a time for Brown’s opening night.

“This is definitely not the outcome [Chris' label] Jive Records hoped for,” says an industry exec, adding that the poor ticket sales are surely a result of Brown’s now-infamous altercation with Rihanna in February. “Chris lost a lot of fans after he assaulted Rihanna. And after that whole scandal, he’s not exactly kid-friendly. What parent would buy their children tickets to his concert?” Brown’s agent, meanwhile, says he’s not worried about the sluggish sales. “Dates are expected to sell out,” insists the flack, “and given the economic climate, ticket sales are doing very well.”

But another industry insider says the tour may be premature, considering Brown’s “Graffiti” album doesn’t drop until Dec. 8. “Had this tour fallen on the heels of a smash album, compared to his climbing single ‘I Can Transform Ya,’ ticket counts might have been better,” says the source. That logic may explain why the release of “Graffiti” has been pushed up a week – it was originally slated for a Dec. 15 debut. “This may be Jive’s way of boosting Chris’ head count for the Manhattan show,” says the music insider. “The turnout at Nokia is pretty crucial. If he can get a big crowd in New York City, it’ll be a good sign that he can regain control of his career.”

[From Gatecrasher]

I get that this wasn’t what Brown’s label was hoping for, but didn’t they realize this is what would probably happen? I really hope I can eat at McDonald’s three times a day without consequences, and I try to keep positive thoughts in my head, but I’m normally not acting all shocked when the scale cracks a few days later. Keep your expectations rational and realistic, people. Here’s a thought to Jive: maybe drop Chris Brown. He’s a sinking ship, and he wants to bring you all down with him.

I am super psyched to see what the Billboard charts look like the week Brown’s album debuts. I’m sure it’ll be in the top 100, but it’d make me really happy if it didn’t crack the top 20. It’s too bad, because the guy did have talent. But temper trumps talent.

Here’s Chris performs during POWER 105.1′s Powerhouse concert at in East Rutherford, New Jersey on October 27th. Images thanks to Fame Pictures .

Mariah Carey performed her latest single “Obsessed” on The Today Show this morning, and she looked a little pregnant. Though I guess you can’t be a little pregnant. It could be a bit of weight gain, since Mariah does tend to fluctuate. Earlier this week Mariah told In Touch all about how much she and husband Nick Cannon want to have kids. She could have been setting the stage for a baby announcement soon – but frankly they’ve been talking about kids since they got married. Discussing it at length in an interview and nothing coming of it isn’t that out of the question for them.

Mariah was also on The Today Show on Tuesday to promote the release of her latest album, “Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel.” It’s her twelfth studio album, and she’s had 18 number one hits – second highest right after the Beatles. Celebitchy pointed out that she was moving a bit slowly when she was singing, but if you check out her other videos that’s not unusual for her. She seemed exceptionally happy and glowy, which is so scientifically accurate it’s nearly the same as having Mariah’s positive pregnancy test in front of you. Really, when she seemed the happiest in both interviews was when she was talking about Nick. It’s clear they genuinely love each other, and though I was definitely one of the skeptics when they first got together, they’re now one of my favorite celeb couples.

Nick has made no secret of his desire to have kids, and while Mariah had previously said she didn’t want any, she seems to have quickly changed her tune after meeting him. Considering how clearly in love with him she is, I wouldn’t be surprised if this time it’s legit. Though it would have been great if she timed it to coincide with the release of her album, like she did with her latest perfume.

Here’s Mariah Carey performing on the ‘Today Show’s Summer Concert Series’ at Rockefeller Plaza this morning, and with Nick afterwards. Images thanks to WENN.com .

Britney Spears wrapped up the North American leg of her “Circus” tour this past weekend, and the country breathed a collective sigh of relief. Though she still has a few dates to perform in Australia, it’s safe to say that Britney managed to pull off her tour. No meltdowns. No major drama. She did a good job, got mostly decent reviews, and has now made significant headway in her comeback.

BRITNEY SPEARS’ Circus has packed up and headed out of town.
The pop princess concluded the North American leg of her World Tour by playing two dates in Las Vegas over the weekend.

MEL B, MILEY CYRUS and BARRY MANILOW were spotted among thousands of fans who watched the singer in action at the Mandalay Theater.

The singer will now head Down Under for six dates in 18 days which will bring the curtain down on the whole Circus Tour.

Britney found time in between her Vegas gigs to splash out £2,000 in a candy store with her two boys JAYDEN JAMES and SEAN PRESTON.

A source told People: “She got a bunch of candy and shirts for her kids and got a bunch of the couture lollipops to give to her backup dancers.

[From The Sun]

£2,000 is about $3,100 of candy. I don’t care how many t-shirts and fancy lollipops Britney bought for her dancers, $3,100 at a candy store is still shocking. I’d really be curious to know how much she spent on her sons. Something tells me Brit’s never placed much of a priority on nutrition and healthy eating habits with her kids. What the Sun didn’t mention is that Britney’s maybe boyfriend/maybe ex (and definitely current manager) Jason Trawick was also at the candy store with her. They haven’t been seen together in a long time and he was spotted out and about with another woman in mid-August. Are Brit and Jason together, or was he just there in an agent capacity?

Britney ended her Vegas show on quite a high note – she gave Lance Bass a lap dance.

Britney Spears concluded the American leg of her wildly-successful Circus tour at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sunday by giving former ‘N Sync heartthrob Lance Bass a tawdry lap dance on stage.

During her rendition of Breathe on Me, Britney called the 30-year-old Bass out of the audience and gave the fresh-faced DWTS alum a sexy bump-n-grind.

Britney Spears Takes a Smoke Break – or two!

Bass was among a slew of celebrities that caught the Womanizer singer in Sin City for the shows; also spotted in the audience throughout the weekend were Barry Manilow, Miley Cyrus and Mel B.

[From Radar]

I’m assuming Lance knew that was going to happen, or it could have been quite embarrassing. Britney does that in all of her concerts with an audience member, but presumably she asked Lance if he wanted to be a part of it. No videos have turned up on YouTube yet, but I sure hope they do. Lance and Britney have known each other forever – she used to open up for NSYNC back in the day. A lot of people in his position might have found themselves very uncomfortable. Presumably Britney gave him a $50 lollipop and sent him on his way.

Convicted felon Chris Brown is quietly dipping his toe in the water to see if it’s warmed up at all. Unfortunately for him while it’s not quite frigid, it’s still less than tepid. Chris is headlining his first concert as a convicted felon – quite the accomplishment! Before you get too upset that he’s famous and successful, let me just note that his career has taken a significant hit. Not as much as I’d like, but some. Chris is going to be singing at Power 105’s Powerhouse ’09 concert in late October. He’ll be joined by a bunch of C list acts, with one or two decent performers. But it’s a long way from where he was this time last year, when everyone thought he’d be the next king of pop.

Chris Brown’s first concert deal since he assaulted ex-girlfriend Rihanna back in February is on the books. On Oct. 27, Brown will headline Power 105.1’s Powerhouse ’09 concert. Keri Hilson, The-Dream, Trey Songz, Mario, Day26 and Ginuwine will also perform.

Concert promoters and music producers say the caliber of this lineup isn’t up to what Brown would have shared a bill with before the assault.

“This is a pretty C-list lineup,” said one promoter who’s not involved in the show at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, NJ. “Keri Hilson is good, Ginuwine has some following, but this is nothing like the lineup that would have surrounded him this time last year. Chris was the Michael Jackson heir apparent, he had huge endorsement deals. This isn’t the sort of show you would have expected from him before he got in trouble.”

Brown still isn’t considered a “safe” booking, according to some music insiders, but for this concert, Brown was worth the risk.

“Chris isn’t advertiser-safe yet — his image has a long way to go,” said a producer. “But for this show, he’ll draw a crowd, so the producers of the show are willing to pay. Just because he pled guilty doesn’t mean that all his fans have gone away. And he’s got to start getting back onto the scene at some point, it might as well be here.”

[From MSNBC]

Isn’t it sad when bad things happen to bad people? Heartbreaking I tell you. Who I actually feel badly for are the other performers. Although MSNBC referred to them as “C list,” some of them are more “up-and-coming” than anything. They’re not at the point where they can be picky about who they’re sharing a lineup with though. I listen to that radio station all the time (well, used to) and I haven’t heard them play any Chris Brown songs since he beat the shi*t out of Rihanna. It seems like they knew it was bad to associate with him, but now that the fury has died down they figure they can ultimately make some money off him again. The little bit of justice in all this is that while Chris Brown’s career is in the tank, Rihanna’s more famous and successful than ever. Hopefully both of them will stay that way.

Chris Brown was just announced as one of the headliners for a Michael Jackson tribute concert in Vienna later this month. This will be Chris Brown’s first public performance since his February pre-Grammy Awards party, after which he beat the sh-t out of his girlfriend, Rihanna. I know this is getting old, but when does this motherf-cker’s community service begin? Can a guy on five-years probation and six months of community service just make a headline-making jaunt to Vienna? As it turns out, he can. He just needs a judge’s approval to leave the country. Eh. Our justice system is so screwed up.

The concert will be held on September 26, at the former imperial Schoenbrunn Palace. The whole thing has the approval of the Jackson family. Jermaine Jackson praised Chris, saying “Michael was his idol and he (Brown) dedicated his first number one hit in the U.S. to Michael. Chris is a very, very talented artist.” Mary J. Blige, Natalie Cole and Sister Sledge have also been named for appearances, with more names to come.

Mary J. Blige, Chris Brown and Akon are among the first group of artists announced for the September 26 Michael Jackson tribute concert in Vienna being put together by the late pop singer’s brother Jermaine Jackson.

Organizers also announced that veteran acts Natalie Cole and Sister Sledge will perform outside the 17th-century palace of Schönbrunn in the Austrian capital, with more names slated to be announced later this week at press conferences in London on Wednesday and Berlin on Thursday.

The first group of performers also includes boy band US 5, protégés of imprisoned boy-band impresario Lou Pearlman, and actress Angela Bassett, who portrayed family matriarch Katherine Jackson in the TV-movie “The Jacksons: An American Dream.” According to organizers, Bassett will “impersonate one part of Michael Jackson’s life.” A total of 20-25 acts are expected to take part in the concert, which will be televised around the globe.

The show will be the first live performance by Brown since his sentencing last month for the beating of ex-girlfriend Rihanna in February. Brown, 20, an avowed Jackson devotee, was sentenced to 180 days of community labor work, a year of domestic-violence counseling and five years of probation in the case, but he can travel outside the country with a judge’s permission, lawyer Mark Geragos told CNN’s Larry King last week. Akon worked with Jackson on songs for what was to be the King of Pop’s long-in-the-works comeback album.

The performers will be backed by Jackson’s touring band, with whom he’d rehearsed for weeks before his untimely death on June 25 at the age of 50. The dancers for his planned This Is It concerts in London will also be on the bill.

Jermaine will sing a virtual duet with his late brother that he promises will be a “magic moment for all who loved his music.” Among the songs that will performed by various artists at the event are “Man in the Mirror,” “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” “Thriller,” “Black or White,” “Earth Song,” “Smooth Criminal,” “Bad,” “Dirty Diana,” “Will You Be There,” “You Are Not Alone,” “Remember the Time,” “Heal the World,” “The Girl Is Mine” and “Scream.”

The palace’s grounds can accommodate more than 65,000 fans, who will watch the proceedings along with Jackson’s family and children. The 165-foot-wide stage will feature massive LED walls that can slide together and apart and a runway that allows performers to walk through the audience.

[From MTV]

Sounds totally legit, right? Not so much, according to MSNBC. Apparently, “ticket holders should be wary. The fine print on the show’s Web site makes no guarantees that any performers touted will show, and if they don’t, there’s no getting your money back.” According to MSNBC’s sources, there is no certainty that any or all of these artists will appear, and yet all ticket sales are final: “Any refund or discount due to the performance or non-performance of a specific artist is hereby explicitly excluded.” I really hope Chris Brown fails to appear. I hope a judge denies him, rips up his passport and forces him to begin his community service and counseling RIGHT NOW.

Chris Brown is shown outside a club on 7/5/09. Credit: PRPhotos

Last night pop country singer Taylor Swift played to a sold out audience at the Staples Center. Imagine what that must feel like at 19-years-old. Taylor’s always struck me as incredibly sharp and together – especially considering what a lot of young pop starlets are like. She writes her own music, talks openly and honestly about her heartbreaks, and she’s just flat-out talented. Taylor told the audience she wasn’t a popular kid in school, but that doesn’t matter because it gave her more time to be contemplative and write and work on her music – and look where she ended up!

When it comes to finding the ultimate teen role model one can’t go past Taylor Swift – talented, beautiful, gracious and still the same grounded and sweet girl she was before she became one of the most successful and popular young country artists of the decade. But seeing the thousands of teenage girls crying with excitement at seeing the 19-year-old at the sold-out Staples Center in Los Angeles on Friday night makes it hard to comprehend that she was far from being popular in her own junior high school days.

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t have friends in junior high,” Swift said as she kicked off her first ever headlining “Fearless” tour. “Being an outsider gave me time to think … But there was a time when my greatest fear was not fitting in at school; I never thought I would be here with a sold-out Staples Center.”

Swift was clearly overwhelmed by the attention — at one point the crowd drew such a long thunderous applause that the songstress couldn’t get a word in so instead she covered her mouth with her hand in utter disbelief, her eyes filling with tears. “I’ll never forget this,” she eventually said, her voice cracking with emotion.

…But despite being worth more than an estimated $18 million according to Forbes.com, Taylor’s true star-power stems from still being relatable to her young fanbase and her trademarked approach to dealing with dates who do her wrong…. “If you break my heart, hurt my feelings or mess with friends I’ll have to write a song about you,” Swift said, also adding that she’s not the “only girl that burns ex boyfriends’ pictures.”

And as much as this gorgeous girl is skilled at performing, she is even more skilled at writing. So where does her secret song-writing material pretty much all come from? “I’ve written in a diary every night since I was 13,” she admitted.

[From Fox News’s Pop Tarts]

The only less-than-wholesome event of the night happened when John Mayer joined Taylor on stage. They sang a duet of his song “Your Body is a Wonderland.” My issue isn’t with the song – just Mayer in general. He’s made a big deal about how he’s a huge Taylor Swift fan. And we all know what that really means when it comes to John Mayer: he wants to boink her. Are the kids still saying that? 19 year olds? That’s probably the only way they’re putting it that’s fit to print. And since Taylor is legal, I want Mayer kept a good hundred miles from her at all times. Hell if I had my way he’d be kept that far away from all women. But I could have done without that little cameo. The rest of the concert sounded great, and it’s awesome that there are some decent role models out there for teenagers. It’s hard to be cool, successful, and grounded, and Taylor Swift is certainly all three.

Here’s Taylor leaving her hotel after a concert in London on May 8th. Images thanks to WENN.com .