Moviefone News Moviefone Copyright 2011, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. Moviefone Good old fashioned elbow grease. <![CDATA[Panic! At The Disco, Neon Trees Dance It Out At NYC SummerStage]]>
We arrived just in time for Neon Trees, missing Wentz's post-Fall Out Boy project Black Cards, which I am told is less a band and more solo singer plus Wentz serving as DJ/Hypeman. Also 90s star Shaggy joined the group for one song, which is maybe the most inexplicable sentence I've written in a long time. Neon Trees blazed through an 8-song set, adding one cover of P.Y.T The bands exposure over the last year definitely provided them a solid chunk of the crowd singing and dancing along, and lead singer Tyler Glenn prancing, disrobing and hand-jiving can't help but keep your interest. Hit "Animal" got the loudest response, even from my mother who had never heard it before but thought it was the best song of the set regardless. They may translate better in a smaller indoor club than a big, open air park setting, but they are nonetheless entertaining. Their next NYC visit is with Duran Duran in Madison Square Garden, so perhaps the meshing of roof plus arena will amplify their presence.

After a quick changeover, Panic took the stage with a more stripped down set than the last two times I've seen them, launching into current single "Ready To Go" and barreling forward to jump between Album 1 and Album 3 tracks, almost-completely ignoring Album 2, the Beatles-esque "Pretty. Odd." which was mostly the product of Ryan Ross and Jon Walker, who both left the band two years ago. It's unfortunate, because the album has great tracks, but the dance-pop-punk aesthetic of Album 1 and 3 blend together better for a set nowadays. The first half of their set was good, but rocky, with frontman Urie straining on songs like "Trade Mistakes" and performing, but not really connecting on tracks like "But It's Better If You Do." They evened out just shy of midway, though, singing "Camisado," a song that should be awkward for a variety of reasons (an inexplicable pure dance track written by Ross about his ailing, alcoholic father) but somehow manages to push all that aside and be pure joy.

Across the board almost every song was punctuated with a screamo-worthy howl and accompanying body contortion. Watching Urie on stage is like a lesson in performance of gender, from overly camp to staunch manliness – and sometimes too far in that direction, with Urie's banter about how he'd "fuck us later" capping off the night. On their first big arena tour the band was notorious for facepaint and scripted stage gay, now the script is out the door and instead Urie hangs off guitarist Ian Crawford and presses up against bassist Dallon Weekes, with only drummer Spencer Smith out of reach behind his kit.



Smith did come off the kit once, to stand in the photo pit and watch front-row as Urie dedicated the acoustic "Always" to the soon-to-be-birthday-boy, noting that he was "one sexy bastard." (Comment From My Mother: That drummer is great!) The band managed to fit three covers into their already bursting set-list -- Dephce Mode's "Personal Jesus" blended into "Hurricane" off the most recent album, a quick take on "Let's Get It On" left Urie doing his best sexy-singer impressions (including a spot-on Cher and R. Kelly), and the group called out Neon Trees to duet on a song they'd learned just five minutes before, "Dancing In The Dark," a Springstein shout-out to the bridge and tunnelers in the SummerStage crowd. Glenn had been promising to out-gay Urie and Weekes currently level of affection, but didn't really come close to the face petting, and face-on-face rubbing during their MTV VMA winning and radio-taking-over 2006 hit "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" (interesting, the same song most of Panic's stage-gay clustered around in previous incarnations, even though there's nothing terribly gay about that song.) During bombastic new track "Let's Kill Tonight" they merged into a drum and bass outfit, with Crawford and Urie filling in as part of a drumline along with Smith, also reminiscent of their 2006 arena tour roots.




They encored with "Time To Dance," the track that got them their MySpace-to-riches record deal with Pete Wentz, who joined the group on bass for the song, taking the time to sing nose-to-nose with Urie and go for a little ass-groping as well. Closing with the ideal "Nearly Witches," a refuge from the non-existent true second album that was scrapped in favor of "Pretty. Odd.", it is the real bridge between 2006 Panic and 2011 Panic, a fairy-tale style, fantastical, all-over-the-place number that doesn't sound like anything else. It was perfect inside the tree-lined Rumsey Playfield, and left me walking out feeling otherworldly. If only the band would bring back their steampunk dancer crew, the last missing ingredient for my ideal Panic show. Six years later and I'm still in it for the theater and the camp, even if it comes in smaller doses in 2011.




Set List
Neon Trees:
Your Surrender
Love and Affection
1983
In The Next Room
Calling My Name
P.Y.T (cover)
Animal
Sins Of My Youth

Panic! At The Disco:
Ready To Go
But It's Better If You Do
Mona Lisa
Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off
Trade Mistakes
Camisado
Hurricane
Personal Jesus (Cover)
The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide Is The Press Coverage
Let's Kill Tonight
Always
Nine In The Afternoon
Dancing In The Dark (Cover with Neon Trees)
I Write Sins Not Tragedies
Time To Dance (with Pete Wentz)
Let's Get It On
Nearly Witches
]]> Mon, 5 Sep 2011 12:20:19 EDT 950509 <![CDATA[Cobra Starship Takes Over HuffPost Celebrity Social Media, Talks Bieber]]> Cobra Starship stopped by the Huffington Post offices to guest edit the HuffPost Celebrity social media accounts.

"I read everything my fans say on my Twitter," Blackinton told us while he and Saporta tweeted with Cobra Starship and HuffPost Celeb fans about their favorite snacks, famous friends like Pete Wentz and Mikey Way, and what cities they will tour to next. (They'd love to come to Italy but it's not in the cards yet.)

The band will performing at FBR15 next week in New York, celebrating 15 years of their record label, Fueled By Ramen. They will also join Justin Bieber on the road in South America in October.

"We want to do kid stuff with Justin -- go carts, hackey sack, mini golf. We're going be like his dad," Blackinton said. "Or like the cool older brothers."

















All photos Gino DePinto, AOL 2011

]]> Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:33:06 EDT 943920 <![CDATA['The Glee Project' Crowns Two Winners: Damian McGinty, Samuel Larsen Q&A]]> Sunday night's finale of "The Glee Project." The search to find the next "Glee" star resulted in not one, but two winners. Samuel Larsen, 19, and Damian McGinty, 18, both won seven-episode arcs this season on Fox’s hit series, but that wasn't all. Murphy also surprised runners-up Lindsay Pearce, 20, and Alex Newell, 18, with two-episode arcs this season.

The Huffington Post talks to Larsen and McGinty about their surprising dual victories, their potential "Glee" characters and their love of Darren Criss.

SAMUEL LARSEN



How does it feel to have the world now know you're the winner of "The Glee Project?"
It feels overwhelming. I have every emotion running through my body at the exact same time and I don't know which one to choose and run with. It's crazy, it's amazing really.

What did it feel like to find out Damian also won, since you were told first?
I felt amazing, it felt like I won twice! I love Damian. I told him many, many times that if I don't get this, I want you to get this. Just because he has that certain humbleness to him, and it's good to see someone humble succeed. I just knew that if it wasn't going to be me, I wanted it to be Damian. That it got to be both of us is amazing. It's good, too, because we're both about to start a chapter of our lives that's intimidating and scary. It's nice to know we're not doing it alone. We can call each other and be like, 'How's your day of shooting? Mine's crazy!'

Have you started filming yet?
We haven't yet. They're still working on the first two episodes. I have no idea when they're gong to introduce us but I'm sure it's in the works.

What do you hope for your character to be like?
I'm hoping it's along the line of what Ryan has suggested in "The Glee Project." Writing me in as the indie rocker kid and a Christian character. Those are two things that really make me excited. It's one thing to be on "Glee," but to play that character, the way he was describing the character to me, taking myself out of the whole thing that would be my favorite character on the show. I would relate to him. They're great writers, whatever they come up with will be great.

Are you ready to get slushied?
I am so prepared to get slushied! Let's get ready, let's do it.

Maybe Max Adler can throw the first one.
Heck yeah, that would be awesome. I'd love that.

What's the reaction been like from the rest of the current "Glee" cast?
I remember Ashley, one of the first things she said, to be prepared for every time you walk into a bar, "Don't Stop Believing" is just going to start playing. I think one of the things that hit me the hardest was Darren Criss said, 'Hey, welcome to the family!' I was like, 'What did just say to me? That's ridiculous!' It's just really cool that they're embracing us. Especially Darren, he's only been in 13 episodes of the show. It wasn't long ago when he was in our shoes, wondering if he was going to be on the show or not. I think he gets it the most.

What do you expect on your first day on set?
Tears. Shaking. definite shaking. I might have to take a couple breaks to throw up in between scenes. It's just going to be overwhelming. I'm a little scared about who my first scene is going to be with. Obviously they've been doing this show for years and I'm just going to show up. I'm excited though. Being a big fan of "Glee," I want to do the show justice. I'm going to give it everything I have.

"Glee" is built on romantic relationships, are there any characters you'd want your character to get together with?
That is a hard question. I've always thought Quinn and Brittany are my two favorites, and Santana is pretty awesome. I don't know. Maybe Quinn, because I could see if he writes my character in the way he's been talking about, Quinn is the Christian girl in school and that's how we could get together.

Have you suggested any songs to Ryan for you to sing on the show?
Ryan loves us, but he still has that intimidating thing about him. I just saw him the other night and it still freaks me out, I feel like he's going to send me home or something. I haven't made any suggestions yet, hopefully I'll get to the point where I will, but right now I'm just like "Hey, hey Ryan. Hi. Please still love me!" He's already suggested writing me in as the indie rocker, which is good to be labeled that because when a good modern rock song comes up it's kind of up for grabs by me.

Why did you pick "Jolene" for your final performance?
I've sung that song in front of many people before. I like to play coffee shops for fun and it's one of my go-to ones. I remember being 12-years-old and seeing a video of Jack White sing "Jolene." I remember sitting there, totally forgetting that it's form the point of view of a woman, and I totally forget that it's a country song, I forget everything because Jack White's got me. I'm 12-years-old and I figure out what it means to be a musician because of that song. I just remember thinking if it hit me that hard at 12-years-old and I can't think about much anything, if I can hold a candle to the performance in front of Ryan, I knew it would be risky but I knew I'd be working with something.

DAMIAN MCGINTY



First of all, congratulations on winning “The Glee Project!” How does it feel to know you’re going to be on “Glee?”
Growing up, people have dreams, and me personally, I have big dreams, but very few people get to live their dreams. But I’m one of those luck people, and I’m just on cloud nine, having the best time. I want it to continue, and I want to just keep getting better. Yes, I’ve won “The Glee Project,” but I hope it’s only the beginning. I’m under no illusions--the real work starts here. I’m going to relax this week, but once this week is over, it’s time to start work on “Glee.” It’s incredible.

So will you and Samuel start filming next week?
We haven’t actually heard anything yet. I’m going to take up a few acting lessons to get myself warmed up for when I get a script. We haven’t heard much at all. I think Ryan and the creators were waiting for it to be announced, so I think we’ll find out a little bit more. We’re meeting with Ryan later this week. We’re just so excited. I’ve won seven episodes on “Glee,” but I don’t want to be just a flash in a pan--I have big ambitions. I want to be a “Glee” legend. I want to have a full-time role on “Glee.” And then when it’s over, I want to be a recording artist; I want to sell millions of albums. I have huge dreams.

Take us back to the moment when you thought you had lost. You’re standing there next to Samuel, and Ryan Murphy just named Samuel as the winner. What was going through your head?
I’ve never had a feeling of disappointment like it in my life. I remember when Ryan was like, 'Alex, you're not the winner of The Glee Project' and then he said, 'Lindsay, you're not the winner of The Glee Project.' Sam and I looked at each other and were like, 'What the ----.' It was the most insane moment ever. But in my head, I was thinking that Samuel came so close to getting the role of Sam, played by Chord Overstreet, and I didn’t think Ryan was going to do it to him again. As we were standing there, and I didn’t hear a word. Ryan could have been speaking Italian to me and I wouldn’t have realized--I was in a stake of shock. When Ryan said Samuel was the winner, I can’t even explain the feeling of disappointment. I’m human, and my heart just sunk. It was so hard to take, but there was no question, Samuel deserved it. He’s such a great guy, and when Ryan asked me how I felt, I said, ‘Samuel deserves it. I’ve gained more than I’ve lost and thank you for the opportunity.’ And then when Ryan was like, ‘I don’t believe that and you don’t have to worry because you’ve also won,’ you saw my reaction--I flipped a lid! I nearly committed suicide! I almost hit my head on the piano! Seriously, it was the best moment of my life and I nearly committed suicide. It was so crazy!



All of your Celtic Thunder fans have been so supportive of your journey, but as we know, you’re resigning from the group. Is it a bittersweet feeling?
That’s exactly it. I had to wait to announce my resignation from Celtic Thunder until late last night, and it’s such a bittersweet feeling. Growing up with Celtic Thunder since the age of 14, the producer Sharon Browne and musical director Phil Coulter were like a mum and dad to me in this business. They’ve raised me. And the other guys in Celtic Thunder all took me under their wings. I was like their little brother. It’s funny because last night, Ian Brennan said that I was like an old man, and that’s because what I’ve done previously. When you tour the world at 14, it doesn’t let you be a kid. You have no choice but to grow up. It’s hard leaving that, but it was an incredible experience. Sharon told me something nice yesterday. She said, Damian, it’s as if you’re graduating from school and going on to university. It’s such a huge opportunity. It’s the biggest show in the world. It’s probably a million levels above Celtic Thunder, and that’s pretty scary. I’m just so grateful for Celtic Thunder. I’ll never forget it.

And your life is also changing too. You have to move thousands of miles away from home. Now that you have to find a place in Los Angeles, are those rumors of you and Cameron moving in together true?
That is so true. We’re going to be roommates! The guys at “Glee” are actually trying to set us up with an apartment at the moment. We’re going to be close to Paramount Studios because I don’t drive, and I can’t rent a car here because I’m only 18. It’s so ridiculous. So I’m just going to get a bicycle or something.

So “The Glee Project” winner needs a bicycle to get to work?
Exactly! That’s no joke. I wish I was kidding, but I’m not! So yeah, they’re trying to get an apartment for us, and we’ll plan up until around Christmas time--we’ll see what happens and how both of our careers are going. I don’t want to be a flash in a pan who only gets seven episodes. Obviously, I’m thrilled with seven episodes, of course, but when you get this chance, you don’t want to let it go. I want to grasp this with both hands, and I’m going to work hard.

You have an incredible group of fans, and you were leading the Fan Favorite poll for quite a while.
Once Cameron left, it was like people were coming up to me, saying, ‘Damian, we love you, but we think you’re going to win, so we’re going to vote for Cameron.’ It was crazy! I knew from day one. I remember when we were done filming the show and we were guessing who was going to win fan favorite, and I said, ‘I think Cameron will win.’ He really deserved it. He’s an incredible guy. From what he’s been through and the fans he has, he deserves something. And he won, fair and square.

In Cameron’s Fan Favorite video, you two share the spotlight and perform a Dameron duet. What was that like, working with your best friend on the show?
It was weird because the producers were telling me that I was going to win Fan Favorite because I was so far ahead and leading for so long. I kind of felt bad, and I asked Cameron, ‘No matter what happens, if I win or you win, do you want to share it?’ Because I was thinking, at the time it looked like I was going to wind, and I don’t want to do this by myself and take everything. So I was like, ‘Do you want to do it together?’ And he was like, yeah, sure. But it actually ended up that he won--It was crazy! It was a lot of fun watching that. I had a lot of fun doing it.

Well it seems like most Damian fans are Cameron fans and most Cameron fans are Damian fans, so it probably just made their worlds to see their two favorites sing a duet together.
That’s so true! It’s kind of weird that the two people who were at the top of the Fan Favorite poll were best friends. That wasn’t what we expected. But I think people related to us because 100 percent of the time, we were just real. We were never fake. Our personalities shone through, and we were just us. And I think people can relate to that more than anything else. It’s just so flattering.

Have you gotten a chance to really meet the “Glee” cast aside from the guest mentors?
We haven’t met them, no. Apparently, we’ve been told that you don’t meet them. You just go onto set without meeting them, so me and Samuel were like, wow.

So it will be like that awkward first day of school where you’re gazing over at the popular kids?
Yeah, that’s so true. I have a feeling that Ryan’s going to make me an Irish exchange student, and at the start, my character will be pretty lonely and vulnerable, so it may actually play true to real life. It’s going to be very interesting.

When Ian Brennan mentioned a potential story line with Brittany, I thought that sounded amazing! Could you see that happening?
I definitely feel like there is quite a bit of potential for my character on “Glee.” I think there are going to be quite a few comical moments at my expense. It’s going to be hilarious and a lot of fun.

If you could chose any of the leading ladies on “Glee” to have a romantic story line with, who would you chose?
Definitely Dianna Agron. That’s my girl. I don’t know. She’s just so gorgeous. And of course, she’s also incredible talented. She’s so pretty. But she has a boyfriend, so that may make things a little awkward, but I’m sure we’ll work it out.

It seemed like Darren Criss was one of your biggest fans on last night’s finale.
You know, I noticed that too! When Ryan is asking the cast who they want on the show, no one really mentioned me, so it made me look like the underdog. But that was all apart of his plan because when Ryan was talking to me, he told me everybody on the set of “Glee” wants you to win. That was the most mind-blowing thing ever. To hear that these professionals are not only following your journey, but they also like you as a person and want your talent on their show. To hear that is like nothing I’ve ever heard. And to see Darren Criss go crazy for me was incredible.

So that means you guys are going to be best friends, right?
I think we are. I was at the “Glee” show in Ireland, and I met Darren Criss that night. I was chatting with him for a while, and he was like, ‘Dude I can’t wait for you to come to L.A. so that we can hang out.’ So I think he’s going to be a really good friend, and he’s a really humble guy. He’s an example of what we want to be. Last year, he was nothing, and now he’s like the star of “Glee.”
]]> Tue, 23 Aug 2011 10:30:20 EDT 933121 <![CDATA[Chris Colfer On Emmys, Season 3 'Glee' Hopes And Hip Rotations]]>
Best known for his Golden Globe winning role as Glee's fashion-obsessed countertenor Kurt Hummel, Colfer last season found himself at the heart of an anti-bullying storyline that both inspired public dialogue and landed him in the Time 100, the magazine's list of the world's most influential people. After wrapping Glee's second season in May, Colfer followed up the whirlwind international Glee Live tour -- now in theaters as the Glee 3D Movie experience -- by producing and starring in his first self-penned feature film while writing a TV pilot and starting work on his first young adult novel. On top of all that, this Fall he's up for an Emmy, Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy, his second nomination at the tender age of 21. With all that on your plate, a little ADD might be expected.

We caught up with Colfer on a Sunday to find out about going back to school at McKinley for Season 3 of "Glee," how he approaches a comedy Emmy nomination with a character best known for his tears, and how performing a Beyonce number on tour really helped his hip rotations.


You've been back on the set of "Glee" for about two weeks now, how does it feel?
We really didn't have a summer off, so it doesn't really feel any different, it feels like we're continuing to do what we were doing. I don't think I'll ever take for granted the back lot, the huge back lot right behind our sound stage that I still get excited to walk through. It feels exactly the same, like we never left. I guess we never really did.


You've had storylines with a lot of characters over the past two years, is there any characters or actors you'd want to have a storyline with this season?
I would love to do more with Gwyneth (Paltrow) or Kristin (Chenoweth) if they come back. One person I really haven't had much to do with is Jayma (Mays). I've never had much of a storyline with her. And I love Dot (Marie Jones), so I'd love to do some Kurt and Coach Beiste action.


Maybe Kurt can come back to the football team?
Who knows! Or maybe he gives her a makeover. I always love working with Beiste.


Speaking of sports, Kurt as a cheerleader was a fan favorite. Do you want him to go back to the Cheerios?
I hope so, I really had a great time. I got to do so many fun numbers, I don't get to do so many fun songs--I am always singing the really sad ballads. I love doing big numbers with lots of energy and props and all that, so I'd love to go back.


When we talked to Zach Woodlee earlier this year he said watching you dance is mesmerizing. Did you have formal training or have you picked that up all on the show?
That is sweet of him to say that--I don't feel like I'm mesmerizing at all! Dancing is the one thing I really came to "Glee" with very little experience in. I grew up doing high school theater and high school shows and all that, I know how to step-touch like no one's business. I could step-touch anyone out of the park. And I can tap a little bit, I haven't gotten to do very much tap on the show. That's been the biggest education to me, learning how to dance and learning how my body moves. I've noticed my hips are much better dislocated now after doing "Single Ladies" every night on tour.


That was a lot of hip.
It was funny, now I can almost get my hips out of my sockets, I can move them so well. That wasn't the case when we started.


How did you manage the quick change on the tour into and out of that leotard?
Oh my god, literally I almost passed out every night. What is my life? Running around backstage dropping leotards! I'd run off stage as soon as "Loser Like Me" was over, run into the changing booth and strap the leotard on. It was never a glamorous sight to see. And then I would run around the arena, perform, and as soon as "Single Ladies" was over and I waved to the crowd, I'd get to where the crowd could not see me I would fall on the floor every night.


What did you think of yourself in 3D?
You know, I actually didn't mind it. I think 3D is a little more forgiving than 2D. You know the camera adds ten pounds? The 3D did some kind of trick where I think it took away some of that I think.






You've said you want Kurt to get to do more funny scenes and less crying. Now that you've got the first few episodes started, should we expect to see crying Kurt or funny Kurt?
Well, I mean I think Kurt just likes to cry. He's got a lot of emotion he's just going to get out. I like both. I love being funny, and I love the dramatic scenes. I think I just love emotion in general. Whatever side of the spectrum I'm on, whether happy or sad, as long as it's 100 percent pure emotion, I'm happy. I haven't gotten to do too many comedic things with Kurt recently, so I'd love to tap into that more. But he's been pretty funny so far in the first few episodes.

Your Emmy submission this year was the episode "Grilled Cheesus," which deals with Kurt facing almost losing his father. What led you to pick that episode over some of the other stand-out ones this season?
It was the hardest decision that I ever had to make. It was definitely my Sophie's Choice because we had so much great material to submit. What I did was I compared "Grilled Cheesus" to everything else that was in the running -- "Never Been Kissed," "Born This Way," "Prom Queen" -- and I just felt like there was nothing any of those episodes had that Grilled Cheesus didn't. I went with my gut, and submitted that one. "Modern Family" has a 95 percent chance of winning so we'll see. It's me, John Cryer, and all of "Modern Family."


Have you and John Cryer talked about being up against the men of "Modern Family"?
No, not yet, but I'm sure when we see each other we'll give each other a look and we'll know exactly what the other is thinking. Like, "why did we even come!?"


Since "Modern Family" has so many nominations, maybe the best bet is a guest starring role on there. Is there any role you'd want to go play on the show?
I would kill to be a guest on "Modern Family." I love that show so much, I think it's hysterical. I know fans were trying to petition for me to play Lily's babysitter. I'd love to do that or anything on that show.


If you had to pick one of the other nominees to win, who would you pick?
I think, for me, I think Ty (Burrell) is a great guy. They're all fantastic guys. I think Ty deserves it, but then again I think Ed (O'Neill) has been working so long that he's long overdue for one.

"Grilled Cheesus" deals with Kurt and loss, and mentions the loss of Kurt's mother while he's dealing with the possible loss of his father. Since we don't know on the show -- do you have or any insight from Ryan as to that backstory?"
I've asked them that question a million times and they don't know yet. But have told me they're planning on using it in a future episode.

Was it hard to find a piece to submit since the bulk of your work last season was dramatic and you're nominated in comedy?
It's kind of like being invited to a race even though you can't run! I think I was nominated for my work as a whole, and my work as a whole is very dramatic. I happen to be an actor doing dramatic work in a comedy. I decided to submit what I thought was my best work this season, without really thinking about if it was funny or dramatic. It's very hard being sad in the funny room.



Last time you were nominated (for a Golden Globe) you took co-star Ashley Fink. Who's your date this year?
I'll be taking my grandmother this year.


Any thought to who will be sitting on the other side of you in case you win and they need to haul you up again?
Oh no. Hopefully I'll be sitting around my cast, so if worst case comes, Dianna and Ashley can come and lift me up again.


Are Kurt's fashion choices just as ridiculous in Season 3?
It wouldn't be Kurt if he didn't have something ridiculous to wear. But it's definitely changed a bit. He's getting older, he has a boyfriend now, so I think he's kind of stepping up his game a bit.


Do you think Kurt helps Blaine with his clothing?
I am positive he gives Blaine outfit schedules.


A lot of young viewers look up to you and Kurt as inspiration. Did you have anyone, a character on TV or in a book or movie, that you looked up to growing up?
I never did, unfortunately. I never, ever saw someone on TV or in a book or on a movie that I fully related to. There was always some kind of element that didn't allow me to connect with them fully. I wish I could say I had one true person or character that I look up, but I really didn't, unfortunately.


Speaking of books, you are writing one right now. How far along are you in the process?
I'm getting there! I was up pretty late last night writing the 10th chapter, which is 9,000 words, but I'm sure once the publishers get a hold of it they're going to make me split it or shorten it. I'm really having a blast with it, and every single time I finish a chapter I'm just so happy and fulfilled and accomplished. The book has been something I wanted to do since I was 7 or 8 when I first came up with the idea in my head. I'm on cloud nine.


Did you pitch the books or were you approached by the publisher?
It was on the verge of "Glee"'s success and Kurt being an inspiration, and people looking up to me as a role model. I was approached by a lot of people wanting me to do an autobiography. I said, "Thank you, but no thank you, I'm 20!" I don't want to do an autobiography when I'm 20. I never wanted to be looked at that way. Maybe when I'm 25. (Laughs) But I told them I've always wanted to do this children's fantasy series. So they said send us what you have, and I wrote the first 5 chapters and the prologue, sent that out and got a two books deal with Little Brown.


What's a typical Sunday like for you recently?
I literally wrote all night last night, all day yesterday. I'm giving myself a little bit of mental break, but I'd say in an hour from now I'll be back on my computer typing until the sun goes down.


How do you do that and avoid getting distracted with other things?
I don't, I still am figuring that out. It's really hard, since I like to write on the computer, I don't like to write longhand. You have your internet browser right there ready to go, so you can go on Facebook or Twitter any minute. It's very distracting. And I have raging ADD, so I really don't know how I accomplish it most of the time. That's why I feel so proud of myself every time I get a chapter done, because it really is a struggle.


You've got almost a million followers on Twitter now!
Almost! Unfortunately, I haven't been able to stay in touch with all my followers because I'm trying to finish this book.


Is it strange knowing a million people are reading your 140 characters?
I wonder how many people are actually reading them, and I wonder how many are ignoring them at the same time. It's actually a lot of pressure, it could be a million people you make laugh with a tweet or a million people you instantly annoy with a tweet. And I've gotten to the point where I can't reply to fans anymore. I reply to one person and then I get 20 thousand hate tweets saying, "Why didn't you reply to me!?" You can't win on the Internet these days.


Aside from Glee Live and writing a book, you also spent the summer filming your first movie. Have you seen any of the finished product yet?
I had the option to see the dailies every day, but I turned it down. I know this sounds crazy, but I just don't like watching myself. I don't know why I picked the career that I did. I love being in the moment with it, I love doing it, I love performing and I love the craft, but I don't like watching the result of it at the end of the day. So I haven't seen any footage of it yet. I think they have the first cut ready, but I'm waiting for a cut that's more fine-tuned before I come in and give my notes to the editors.


You opened the set up to some fans for part of filming, what was it like to have them out supporting you?
It was really special for me. Usually, whenever we do that, when we invite fans on set, it's for "Glee" and they come for all of us. That time they came to help me out and see me, so I was very thankful and appreciative they'd do that for me. The fact that we used 200 kids, we could have used thousands of thousands, but we could only bring out the first 200 or so. It was really humbling and really special.


Do you have a dream plotline you're hoping for Kurt this season?
There's one storyline that's kind of controversial that I've been trying to pitch to Ryan since mid Season 2 last year. He kept saying, "Maybe Season 3, maybe Season 3." It is controversial but it does happen every day in school. I'm still pitching that one, and I don't want to give that one away. But it's really good. People always ask, "Does it involve Blaine and Kurt." I'm like, yes it does, but not in the way that they would think. Also I'd love for Kurt to go crazy, maybe go Norma Desmond.


Do you want to see Blaine transfer to McKinley this year, or are you happy with Kurt and Blaine being at separate schools?
We'll see, I mean I think they definitely want to be together. But I also love the dynamic of him being at a competing school and them having that Romeo and Juliet type situation. I think it's good material either way.


What do you see as Kurt's endgame?
Oh, I already have it planned out. Kurt will be the editor in chief of Kurtin magazine--K-U-R-T-I-N. A magazine that combines fashion and performing arts. The show's writers don't even know that yet.


Doesn't Kurt know that the magazine industry is dying? It's all blogs now!
Really? I don't even know that! It could be a blog and then a monthly magazine.

]]> Sun, 21 Aug 2011 15:38:09 EDT 932501 <![CDATA['The Glee Project' Final Four Q&A: Fans, Mentors and Who They Pick To Win]]> Each week HuffPost Celebrity will be chatting with eliminated contestants from Oxygen's new show, "The Glee Project," a reality series with a 7-episode arc on the hit show "Glee" on the line. We talked to all four of the remaining contestants about their journeys on the show, what they like about their fellow contestants and what mentors taught them the most.


SAMUEL LARSEN

How did you feel when it was revealed to be a Top 4?
It feels amazing, especially because I think I was the one who would have gone home had there not been a top 4.

How did you end up on 'The Glee Project?'
Two years ago when they were casting Sam on Glee, I had gone up for that. I didn't end up getting the role, but they kept me in mind.

What did you think of Sam's story on the show?
I was hurt and bitter and sad about not getting the role, but seeing the character and how he was done, I understand it wasn't that they didn't like me, I just was not that character.

Who was your favorite mentor to work with?
I really liked working with Darren Criss. He's got a really good head on his shoulders, and he really does appreciate all the success.

What Superlatives would you give to your fellow finalists?
Damian is Most Likely To Be A Soap Star, Lindsey is the Smart Girl, and Alex is the Diva.

And for yourself?
In high school I was voted Most Likely To Be Famous, but I felt like it was a joke. Not a lot of people believe in me. I'd say Least Likely to Succeed, and then I can laugh at it.

If you can't choose yourself to win, who would you choose?
If I don't win I'd want Damien to win, simply because of how humble he is. When you're humble about something and that down to earth, I think you appreciate it the most. If he got that kind of fame he wouldn't let it go to his head.


ALEX NEWELL

How did you react to the fact it was a Top 4 instead of a Top 3?
I was really surprised, I was shocked about it all. But at the same time it was expected. Ryan Murphy always has some strange trick up his sleeve.

You had a very emotional journey on the show, has it been hard to watch it on TV?
Not really, sometimes talking a bout my father, I can't watch that again. Coming out, I can't watch that either, but at the same time it's a relief because I know that I went through it already.

Which mentor did you learn the most from?
I feel like I learned the most fro Idina. She said to take life experiences I've gone through and bring them out to the situation I had to portray. During Vulnerability I brought myself to the place of longing for my father, and I was safe that week.

I had Samuel give superlatives for the rest of the cast --
Tell me mine

Diva
Those bitches, I love it.

You embrace that.
Yeah!

What would you say about your fellow Top 4?
Damian, freaking heart throb. I don't know why the girls like him but they do. Lindsey, she's like most likely to be a mom. Samuel is most likely to go his own way.

In previews for the finale we see you do your performance in drag. What prompted that decision?
It was like, go big or go home. If that was the last time I was going to fight for my life in the competition I might as well do it with a bang.

What has the reaction been like from fans to you?
I have one crazy fan, he scared me. He's borderline stalker, he's added all my friends on Facebook! But overall they're sweet. I have a lot of different kinds of people, and when someone tries to bash me or hate me they always step up to the plate and have my back. The other people, the haters, they're my biggest fans because they keep me in the media.

If you have to pick someone else to win, who would you pick?
They all deserve to win, i don't know who I'd pick. Other than myself, because you know I'd pick myself in a heartbeat. If I had to, like last person on earth? I still don't know!


LINDSAY PEARCE

How did it feel to have a Top 4 instead of a Top 3?
It felt awesome, I definitely wasn't expecting it. We were all preparing ourselves to go home or preparing to say bye to someone. To walk up and see we were all safe it was such a relief. It was such a lovely moment for the four of us.

How did you end up on 'The Glee Project?'
I'd done a talent competition in my hometown that Robert (Ulrich) had been a judge at. He has a lot of friends in Modesto that I've worked with, and one of them passed the information along to me. I went into (Robert's) office to audition and I had laryngitis, so I never thought anything was going to come of it. I had just closed a show the day before, and I drove all the way down. It was nerve-wracking because I auditioned in the same room everyone on Glee auditions in. That blue room, where you see all the audition tapes. I was shaking and nervous.

Which mentors did you connect with?
I really loved Dot, there was a lot they didn't show on the show of her. She was there for entire Mad World video shoot. At one point I couldn't hold tears back, she took my face in her hands and told me "I'm so proud of you." She calls everyone Pumpkin, she's just really sweet. Kevin McHale was also a sweet guy, and Darren (Criss) was very nice too.

On the show you were portrayed as a somewhat of a diva or stuck-up, and annoying your cast-mates. How did you react watching the show?
It was interesting to see how they took things out of context or presented things in a specific way. I remember calling her crying, "why are they doing this to me," and she was like "they have to make someone be that person, they have to have that arc." I got over it, and there was always much more love than there was hate. I knew it wasn't a personal thing, and it's a show and we're all under a lot of stress, so things can be said that aren't meant to be taken that way. It's a journey we were all on.

What has the fan reaction been like?
They're incredible. I could talk for hours about them. People come out of the woodwork to say they relate to us is so special for all of us. That's how I wanted to feel when I was growing up, and I'm glad they can reach out to us. The fans really welcomed us into the 'Glee' family and we're not even on 'Glee!'

Any big developments since the show wrapped?
Hannah and I decided to be roommates. I finally moved out of my house, which was a fun personal goal of mine to move out before I turned 21. Never a dull moment with Hannah, she's awesome. She's just as goofy and as fun as she is on the show. It's really good fun trying to be a young adult and fend for myself.

If you had to pick someone other than yourself to win, who would you pick?
Well, he's sitting right behind me, so I have to say Damian. I was actually going to say Damian or Alex, I felt like they were in the bottom so many times and they really fought the good fight to be in the top 4. They were the underdogs from day one. Obviously Ryan and Ian saw something very special in them.


DAMIAN MCGINTY

How did you feel learning it was a Top 4 finale?
It was absolutely incredible. After the start I had in the competition, I really struggled and struggled to fit in. I fought and I battled and my performance in the bottom 3 against Cameron and Emily everyone expected me to go home and I turned it around. It's been an absolute honor.

How did you handle the rest of the season after Cameron effectively saved you from elimination by leaving?
It was definitely very weird. There's many different sides to it. I'd lost by best friend, I'd lost my rock. And going through my head was that Ryan Murphy didn't want me that much, if he was going to send me home. I had to raise myself and tell myself, "you're being given a second chance for a reason." I had to take it with both arms and try my best to use it. My journey has been incredible.

You make a cameo in the Glee Live 3D movie. What did you think of yourself on the big screen?
I went to see the show in Dublin, when they came to Ireland, it's just kind of crazy. The people behind the movie and Ryan put me in there. We were actually in the premiere last week, and it was "Silly Love Songs" and I started singing, and then the guys screamed "you're on the screen" and I turned and just caught the last glimpse of me being there. I didn't really see it, it was a shock.

How did you end up on 'The Glee Project?'
I began seeing on MySpace that they were looking for people. My laptop just records video easily, that's why I did it. It's the only reason I did it. Nothing ever comes off a video online, but a few months later Robert rang and wanted to see me.

Which mentors did you connect with the most?
I definitely feel like myself and Darren Criss really connected. He's a good guy, he's so down to earth. They were all so genuine, and they have so much experience. As contestants it was such an honor to learn from them.

What's life been like since the show wrapped?
I've just been so busy this year. The finale finished midway through April and I got home and had work to do with Celtic Thunder. Then when this started we've had a lot of press work for this, so I've been flying back and forth from the US and Ireland so many times. This year I don't sleep. I haven't slept in a month, isn't that crazy?

If you had to choose another contestant to win, who would you choose?
I have to say I would choose -- they're all worthy, and they all work incredibly hard. I have to say I relate to Alex the most. We've both been through the bottom 3 so many times. He's much like me as in he's the underdog. That said, Samuel has been on top the whole way and really deserves it, Lindsey has one of the best voices I've ever heard and really deserves it. I think we're all worthy of winning.

'The Glee Project' finale airs Sunday, 9 EST on Oxygen.]]> Tue, 16 Aug 2011 16:31:29 EDT 928613 <![CDATA['The Glee Project' Cast-Off Hannah Talks TV Crushes and Fan Support]]> chatting with eliminated contestants from Oxygen's new show, "The Glee Project," a reality series with a 7-episode arc on the hit show "Glee" on the line. We talked with Hannah McIalwain about her love of "Glee," the support of her fans and her televised crush on fellow contestant Damian.

How did you end up on "The Glee Project?"
I was on a break from college and on my couch watching TV. I saw a commercial for the open casting call in Dallas and I spent all of my savings and booked my flight right away. I auditioned with a couple thousand other people, and then got a callback and went to LA.

Was it worth spending your savings?
Absolutely! I literally just had enough money to buy my plane ticket, I had $5 left.

Have you done anything like this before?
On a whim I auditioned for "American Idol," but I didn't make it any further.

What motivated you to get into performing.
For me it's always been theater, I lived in my school's black box theater.

What do you take away from the show?
I had the time of my life, I built up confidence.

You worked with a lot of mentors. Who was your favorite?
My one on one session with Jenna (Ushkowitz) was great. But meeting Dot Marie Jones was the most fun, she came to our video shoot that week. It was a really hard week for all of us and she was so supportive.

We have to ask about the Damien crush. Have you guys talked about it?
He absolutely knew I liked him on the show. It was a known fact. It was one of those unspoken things. We've talked about it, we work better as friends.

We think that friendship really came through in the clip of you clipping his nose hairs.
That's what good friends do. Good friends pluck friends nose hairs.

Who's your favorite to win now?
Honestly, they are all so incredibly talented. Any of them would be a great part of "Glee."

Were you a "Glee" fan before the show?
I've been watching Glee since the first commercial. Kurt is definitely my favorite character on the show, he embodies everything people should strive for. And he's so amazing, he has a great voice. I'm basically in love with him.

How do you respond to all the fans who supported you?
I see this opportunity as a way to share my story and hopefully inspire people to share their dreams and go after them. I get so many stories that people say I inspire them to perform and do something they didn't think they can do. that means the world to me, that's all anyone can want, to be a role model for other people. I really have the best fans, I'm really overwhelmed any time I look on my Facebook or my Twitter. It's been a great experience.

What are your plans now?
I live in LA, i moved here about 2 months ago. Hopefully I'll start going to auditions and start my career up soon. Before the show I wasn't really a singer, I just sang in my shower mostly. I found a love for singing and recording on the show.

You could have a future in rapping. You were a pretty good rapper on the show.
I think that would be really fun, I really enjoy rapping. You never know!

]]> Tue, 9 Aug 2011 11:43:23 EDT 922185 <![CDATA[Cameron Mitchell Dishes On His Adoration Of Darren Criss And His Dramatic Exit From 'The Glee Project']]> Each week HuffPost Celebrity will be chatting with eliminated contestants from Oxygen's new show, "The Glee Project," a reality series with a 7-episode arc on the hit show "Glee" on the line. We talked with Texas-boy Cameron Mitchell about sticking to his morals, bonding with "Glee" star Darren Criss and saving his friend Damian from elimination.


How did you end up on "The Glee Project?"
I was always a big Glee fan. I always watched the show with my family and one night in January, maybe December, before the open call auditions, there was a commercial about "The Glee Project." I thought, "This isn't really me, this is dumb." I'd never done any auditions, I'd never done "Idol" or anything, the only audition I'd do was for my mom. It was one of those things where I thought, "I'll go try and they'll tell me I'm not good and I'm not what they're looking for." That's what 99 percent of people get told. I went there for 7 hours and they loved me and I was on the show.

So you were a big fan of "Glee," who's your favorite character on the show?
At first I always loved Artie, Artie was my boy. The way he moved in that wheelchair was awesome, and he has the coolest voice. But in the second season I also started to love Blaine. Man, the Warblers. If I was a girl I'd so go after him. Or maybe a boy. (Laughs). If I got a chance to be a Warbler one day I probably would do it.

You worked with a lot of mentors, who was your favorite?
I definitely think Darren Criss was the best mentor. He was the first impression of every thing. Darren was especially cool, I felt like he understood me as a guy who listens to different music and dresses different. Right from the beginning we clicked. The thing that I was really drawn to about him was the fact that he always talked about how you should be yourself. He'd say, "I don't want you to be who you think we want you to be, I want you to be who you are." I'd never heard that before. He was very down to earth, always smiling and having fun. I felt so comfortable and it was really cool to hear that from a guy who went from a two line cast member to a full blown star of "Glee."

Have you been able to stay in touch with any mentors after filming?
No, I haven't talked to any of them. I'd love to. I'm sure they're busy doing their thing, but man if I could get in touch with Darren Criss again I'd love to. Someone give me his number!

You could Tweet at him.
He'd probably say, "Who are you again?"

You had one of the most dramatic exits on the show, what can you tell me about your motivation to walk away?
I say it was a culmination of things. I don't want people to think it was just about the silly kiss that I gave it up and quit. I worked incredibly hard and I think I deserved to be there. I worked all the way up until I left and I was passionate about it. I'm passionate about performing, even if it's acting and I'm not very good at it. There was just this feeling that, "maybe this isn't for you." Coming from Texas, I was this naive little boy. I just love music, I've never acted a day of my life, I've never done anything. The other kids aren't professionals but they've been doing other stuff. I was the kid with no idea. So on all the music videos I'm pulling all that out of my butt and trying to look cool. It came down to, "If this is acting and this is Glee, I love Glee and maybe in the future I'd love to do it, but right now I'm being led somewhere else."

We know you were concerned about your girlfriend's reaction to you kissing someone on the show. Did your girlfriend freak out?
No! It was definitely different because neither of us have acted. I'm sure on the show it sounded like I was really worried about her, and I kind of was, but she was very cool with it and very understanding. We have a great relationship. She knew I wasn't trying to hurt anybody.

Since your choosing to leave saved your friend Damian, is that who you're rooting for to win?
Damian is my brother. I told him that he owes me. It's really hard to say if I have a favorite, everyone is so incredibly talented and everyone deserves to win. Whoever wins is going to make "Glee" amazing. Whoever it is will be an absolute star. Damian's my brother, Hannah's my sister, we're like a family.

What has the fan reaction been like?
Before the show I had no fans. I had a thousand views on YouTube. Now I have 1.5 million, it's crazy. I realized on the show that while I was there to hone my talents, you're also there to reach somebody. I've reached people. I get the haters too, but for the most part it's people who are incredibly supportive and I've made the right decision and I have fans who support me -- even though most of them speak Spanish and I can't understand them anyway.

Lots of Brazilian fans?
Oh my goodness, it's unbelievable! It's awesome but it sucks because I'll never get to meet them.

Maybe someday you'll tour to Brazil.
That would be fun.

What's next for you?
The great thing is on the show I got to release some of my music like "Love Can Wait," so I have a bunch of stuff on iTunes and I'm doing YouTube videos to reach fans that way. I'm definitely writing music, I am going to hopefully have a CD out in the future. I love music. I'd love to be an actor too, it's something I'd have to work on and have to grow, as everyone saw.

Do you have a dream music collaboration?
I'd love to do a something with Chris Martin in Coldplay, and another collaboration I'd like to do is with Kanye. That would be really interesting and probably a disaster, but it would be really fun. He'd probably think I was the biggest loser in the world. And if I could do a Glee collaboration, Artie all the way.

"The Glee Project" airs Sundays at 9 EST.]]> Mon, 1 Aug 2011 17:38:12 EDT 915511 <![CDATA[Marissa von Bleicken Comes Out Of Her Shell On 'The Glee Project']]> Each week HuffPost Celebrity will be chatting with eliminated contestants from Oxygen's new show, "The Glee Project," a reality series with a 7-episode arc on the hit show "Glee" on the line. We talked with Marissa von Bleicken about coming out of her shell, who she wants to see win now and if being in the bottom three for the first time this week was her downfall.

How did you end up on the show?
Well, I heard through the grapevine they were doing open casting calls on MySpace and I figured why not. I honestly never thought anything would come of it, but evidently something did! It's been crazy.

Have you auditioned for competition shows before? And would you do it again?
No, never never. This was my first time. I don't know [if I'd do it again]. It was definitely an enriching experience, but it was very stressful.

You got to work with lots of mentors on the show, who was your favorite?
I loved working with Erik White, he wasn't exactly a mentor but he was our music video guy. He has so many amazing credentials and worked with so many famous people. He's such a down to earth guy. And Zach Woodlee, our choreographer, is absolutely hilarious and we always had a lot of fun.

Did you have any trouble with dancing, or was it easier for you?
The dance was fairly easy for me, I think the most challenging part was never stopping practicing. You can't ever sit down and decide you're all set, you keep practicing no matter what. But learning the choreography wasn't too difficult for me since I have prior dance experience.

This week was your first time in front of Ryan Murphy -- do you think that lack of exposure contributed to you going home?
It's difficult to say exactly what transpired behind the scenes and everything. It was difficult having been my first time in the bottom three and the other two being in several times -- it was hard at first to not feel upset at not having a second chance when all the others had second chances. It could have been to my disadvantage that I had not met him before because he needs to evaluate you on the spot and see if he can write for you, and if I didn't show him that at that instant then there's nothing that can be done.

Are you still close to the rest of the cast?
The only two people who are in New York are Emily and me, and we've hung out a few times. But we all definitely keep in contact, you just don't forget that family dynamic from working in close quarters.

Do you have a favorite to win the competition?
Any of the contenders are equally talented and deserving. I was closest to Hannah and Alex and I think they represent what "Glee" is about more than any of us. I would love to see either one of them win, definitely.

How has the fan response been?
It has been difficult for me, because anyone who knows me knows I'm a notoriously private person. I had to throw that out of the window pretty quickly and start using social media more. It's been difficult to keep up with, but I can never not appreciated the extend of the support I've received from the fans. It's helped.

What's next for you?
I'm still living in New York but the plan is to move out to LA. It's going to be tough, but I'm looking forward to any opportunities that I receive from the exposure.

Are you focused more on acting or more on music?
one great thing about the show was that I discovered through the mentors telling me this, that film and TV are more my medium. I want to keep pursuing that, and singing as well.]]> Tue, 26 Jul 2011 11:06:44 EDT 909681 <![CDATA[2011 MTV VMA Nominees Announced: Katy Perry Leads The Pack With Nine Video Music Award Nods]]>
Nominees for this year's VMAs were announced Wednesday night by Katy Perry, who leads the pack with an impressive nine VMA nominations, including “Video of the Year” and “Best Female Video,” for her explosive hit, “Firework." She also got nods for “Best Pop Video” for Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.), and “Best Special Effects” for “E.T.” featuring Kanye West.

Following Perry is Adele, whose "21" is the year's biggest selling album to date. Adele earned seven nominations for "Rolling In The Deep," putting her on par with Kanye West, who picked up nods for "Power and "All of The Lights" as well as his collaboration with Perry. Overall, collaborations had a strong showing, with 14 duo tracks garnering nominations outside of the specific collaboration category.

The 2011 VMAs will be held August 28th at 9 PM EST. Check out the full list of nominees below.

VIDEO OF THE YEAR

Adele, "Rolling In The Deep"
Tyler, The Creator, "Yonkers"
Katy Perry, "Firework"
Bruno Mars, "Grenade"
Beastie Boys, "Make Some Noise"

BEST FEMALE VIDEO
Adele, "Rolling In The Deep"
Katy Perry, "Firework"
Beyonce, "Run The World (Girls)"
Nicki Minaj, "Super Bass"
Lady Gaga, "Born This Way"


BEST MALE VIDEO
Cee Lo Green, "F*** You"
Eminem feat. Rihanna, "Love The Way You Lie"
Bruno Mars, "Grenade"
Kanye West feat. Rihanna & Kid Cudi, "All Of The Lights"
Justin Bieber, "U Smile"


BEST HIP HOP VIDEO
Lil Wayne feat. Cory Gunz, "6’7’"
Kanye West feat. Rihanna & Kid Cudi, "All Of The Lights"
Chris Brown feat. Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes, "Look At Me Now"
Nicki Minaj, "Super Bass"
Lupe Fiasco, "The Show Goes On"


BEST NEW ARTIST
Foster The People, "Pumped Up Kicks"
Wiz Khalifa, "Black and Yellow"
Tyler, The Creator, "Yonkers"
Big Sean feat. Chris Brown, "My Last"
Kreayshawn, "Gucci Gucci"


BEST POP VIDEO
Adele, "Rolling In The Deep"
Bruno Mars, "Grenade"
NE-YO, Nayer & Afrojack, "Give Me Everything"
Katy Perry, "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)"
Britney Spears, "Till The World Ends"


BEST ROCK VIDEO
The Black Keys, "Howlin For You"
Foo Fighters, "Walk"
Foster The People, "Pumped Up Kicks"
Mumford & Sons, "The Cave"
Cage The Elephant, "Shake Me Down"


BEST COLLABORATION
Pitbull feat. NE-YO, Nayer & Afrojack, Give Me Everything
Chris Brown feat. Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes, "Look At Me Now"
Rihanna & Kid Cudi, "All Of The Lights"
Katy Perry feat. Kanye West, "E.T."
Nicki Minaj feat. Drake, "Moment 4 Life"


BEST ART DIRECTION
Adele, "Rolling In The Deep"
Katy Perry, "Firework"
Lady Gaga, "Judas"
Kanye West, "Power"
Death Cab For Cutie, "You Are A Tourist"


BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Beyonce, "Run The World (Girls)"
Britney Spears, "Till The World Ends"
Lady Gaga, "Judas"
Bruno Mars, "The Lazy Song"
LMFAO feat. Lauren Bennett & GoonRock, "Party Rock Anthem"


BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Adele, "Rolling In The Deep"
Beyonce, "Run The World (Girls)"
Eminem feat. Rihanna, "Love The Way You Lie"
Katy Perry, "Teenage Dream"
Thirty Seconds To Mars, "Hurricane"


BEST DIRECTION
Beastie Boys, "Make Some Noise"
Katy Perry feat. Kanye West, "E.T."
Thirty Seconds To Mars, "Hurricane"
Eminem feat. Rihanna, "Love The Way You Lie"
Adele, "Rolling In The Deep"


BEST EDITING
Katy Perry feat. Kanye West, "E.T."
Thirty Seconds To Mars, "Hurricane"
Adele, "Rolling In The Deep"
Kanye West feat. Rihanna & Kid Cudi, "All Of The Lights"
Manchester Orchestra, "Simple Math"


BEST SFX (SPECIAL EFFECTS)
Manchester Orchestra, "Simple Math"
Katy Perry feat. Kanye West, "E.T."
Kanye West, "Power"
Linkin Park, "Waiting For The End"
Chromeo, "Don’t Turn The Lights On"



]]> Wed, 20 Jul 2011 18:59:15 EDT 905235 <![CDATA[Glee Project Cast-Off Matheus Talks Duets and Drama]]> Each week HuffPost Celebrity will be chatting with eliminated contestants from Oxygen's new show, "The Glee Project," a reality series with a 7-episode arc on the hit show "Glee" on the line. We talked with Matheus Fernandes -- the 4’9” Atlanta singer eliminated on the Duets episode -- about his audition process and all the drama with duet partner Alex.

How did you end up on the show?
I actually auditioned on MySpace and never got called back on that actually, but I heard about an open casting call and I took a bus all the way from Atlanta to Texas 22 hours to audition.

The show this week was pretty dramatic, what do you think looking back on the whole situation between you and Alex leading up to your elimination?
I love Alex, during the competition I really liked him and loved everybody there. We made up afterwards. I guess our personalities clashed up a little bit. He has a whole diva attitude type thing, but no matter how talented somebody is I think it's important to be grounded. It was dramatized up a little bit, but we do like each other a lot and made up after.

Ryan Murphy gave a lot of notes for you when you were in the bottom three for several weeks, especially about being more leading man and more sexy. How did you respond to that?
Throughout my whole life I've always been kind of insecure about myself, and he noticed that, even though to some extent when the show was put together I actually ended up looking confident. When I sang that Jay Sean song he told me to go crazy, go nuts, embrace my sex appeal. In a way I tried to take it in a positive light, and he is right. In my life so many people have come up to me and tried to put me down, so I appreciate it in a way. I came out of my shell and I can embrace myself how I am as a person. I'm very thankful for it.

You seem to have a positive outlook on the experience.
I didn't come home with the big win, but what I set out to do in the beginning was not only follow my own dreams but inspire people out there.

You got to work with a lot of guest judges during your time on the show. Any favorites?
All of them were amazing. Dot Marie Jones was incredible and we related a lot with each other -- we were the opposite spectrum, she was this really tall lady and I'm a short guy, so we related a lot and had a lot of the same trouble growing up. Darren Criss is also incredible, just a down to earth guy and you feel like you were hanging with a buddy.

How has the fan response been from the Gleeks?
For the most part it's positive, there's always going to be some hate. I came in with the mindset for that, and I think that the things I've been through in the past helped me put up a shell. But for the most part it was good. Some criticized me for taking off my shirt, but Ryan asked me to do all that stuff! I'm thankful some fans took the time to get to know me.

Now that you're eliminated, who's your favorite to win?
I can't go into detail! But I think they're all really amazing, even Alex. I'm definitely close to all of them, so whoever ends up making it I'm happy.

Do you think there's a certain kind of character missing on "Glee?"
Can I say me? Just kidding. I don't know, I think we were all put there because we all have Glee aspects to us. I think there hasn't been somebody on Glee who had to struggle through life as much.


What's next for you?
I didn't want to go home, so after we finished shooted I ended up staying in LA. I'm going to keep pushing for it, it's going to be hard. In my life I've gotten many nos, but part of this industry is getting yourself back up and brushing the dust off your shoulders.]]> Tue, 19 Jul 2011 11:10:40 EDT 902564 <![CDATA[Darren Criss Recording New Music, No Solo Album Yet]]>
"I was doing music there, I mean theoretically I am always recording an album just like everyone is always making something," he told HuffPost when asked about Twitter rumors sparked by a San Diego Union-Tribune Tweet that revealed he was recording an album. "I happened to be working on music in London. So, sure? But not really."

Criss attended the convention as part of his Team Starkid production company, which put on the YouTube sensation A Very Potter Musical. The group performed selections from the musical for a sold-out crowd Saturday morning, including the below clip of "Not Alone," a song Criss also performs in solo sets and was featured on his first EP, "Human."




]]> Mon, 18 Jul 2011 09:42:35 EDT 901461 <![CDATA[Charlene Kaye Gets Grecian In 'Human' Music Video Premiere]]>
"I've always been really into Greek Mythology, and one of the myths-- the story of Pygmalion-- had always stuck out to me," Liann Kaye, the video's director, told HuffPost. "It's about a sculptor who isn't interested in any of the women around him so he creates the most beautiful statue in the world and then falls in love with it. The Gods take pity on him and bring the statue to life but in a cruel twist of fate, the statue is too cold to love him back."

"I think this theme can be pretty universal too," she continued. "You sort of participate in shaping another person in every relationship you get into. Then when it ends, it's like, 'You took everything I gave you, you're a different person because of me and now you're leaving.' So I took that feeling, took some Greek mythology and voila!"

WATCH:





Charlene tells us all about the "Human" video, her musical collaboration with Glee star Darren Criss, and how she raised more than $30,000 from fans to fund her next album.

Tell us about "Human," both the song and the idea behind the video?
The song is the penultimate track on my first album, Things I Will Need in the Past. The song is almost 3 years old, but in releasing it as a "single" I see it as a sort of swan song to that old era of music before we launch forward into new album-land. It's a song about being so besotted with someone that your admiration crosses that line into idolization, and in doing that you inevitably set yourself up for disappointment by expecting too much from them in return. But it's also about having a relationship decay over time, realizing that it can't possibly work anymore because you've grown apart and you cant expect the same things from them that you used to because you're different people. Liann and I have both been in those situations, so...

How hard was it to get that white paint off everyone?
I don't know about everyone else, but it personally took me over an hour in the shower with an entire bottle of lotion and a mountain of Johnson's baby wipes to get all the stuff off. I was still finding spots of white spray paint on my scalp for weeks after.

Do you come up with the video ideas yourself, or does your sister (or others) help?
I help with the details while on set (I did help make 50 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for everyone on the cast and crew during the shoot), but for the most part I give Liann full rein to do what she wants. I trust her completely and it's really freeing to be able to let someone's vision unfold who you trust will totally deliver. She sent me the treatment and as soon as I read it, I was like, yes. This is going to be awesome. She's unbelievably organized and mapped and storyboarded the whole video out shot by shot, and I'm just continually amazed by her hard work and talent. Plus she's just fun to work with - she's got a great attitude and work ethic on set, and everyone in the crew likes her and genuinely wants to help her vision come to life.

What prompted you to do a Kickstarter campaign?
I found out about Kickstarter through friends and fellow musicians who have used it to fund their own albums, music videos, films etc. I'm a big fan of the website and how it's helped so many independent artists do what they love without a label or corporation backing them, and I pledge to projects all the time. I love the idea of this DIY platform where fans can be a part of helping their favorite artists making the music/art they want to make, free of constraints.

What was your biggest single donation?
The biggest single donation was $2500 for the blue cardigan Darren Criss and I both wear in my music video for Dress and Tie. It was actually bought by a lady who wants to use it to raise more money for charity, so I'm glad it ended up in good hands!

What was your reaction when you saw fans starting to fund it, especially the bigger ticket items?
I was pretty flabbergasted, and also like, "How do you have so much money to spend on me? Not that I'm complaining... Some fans were tweeting me saying they got part time jobs to raise money to pledge to the album, they were doing junkyard sales and babysitting...one person actually pledged the money she got from donating HER BLOOD PLASMA to the campaign. Insane.

When does recording begin, what sort of extras are you going to be able to do since you've recieved more money than you hoped for?
Recording will begin this fall, and I might just have to make those Charlene Kaye frisbees and kitchenware that I joked about now that we have the budget!! No, but seriously, we'll be pulling out the stops, making more music videos, and touring, touring, touring. I can't wait to get Animal Love on the road, I want the live show to be nothing less than epic.

What has this most recent tour been like?
The West Coast Tour we did was one of our most special to date. The fans in LA were amazing, one fan baked me cookies with little dresses and ties, others gave me hand-drawn portraits! I'm still not used to it...and we got to go up to SF and Portland, where we've never been before. The Pacific Northwest is absolutely breathtaking.



You have a lot of fans who came to you thanks to your collaboration and touring with Darren Criss, of 'Glee' fame. Did you see a huge uptick after he started on Glee/you released Dress & Tie with him?
Darren is a wonderful, life-loving, generous person, so it's no surprise to me that his fans share those same qualities as well. To have his fans find out about my music and support me too (and the music we make together) has been wonderful and extremely humbling, and I've loved meeting and talking with the fans at shows, they blow me away. I'm honored to be associated with him and his talent.

How did you and Darren meet and when did you make the transition from friends who played shows to working on duets together?
We met as freshmen at U of M (University of Michigan) playing at one of my very first open mikes. He was playing "I'll Make a Man out of You" from Mulan. After that I'd see him at all the same shows, and we just started hanging out and playing coffee shop shows together, which led to playing bigger shows together around town and collaborating more often. We're both staunch perfectionists, which is probably why we work so well together - we'll spend forever on a certain line or measure until it's just right. He's an extremely hard worker and cares a ton about everything he does.

What can we expect for the next album?
The new album is called "Animal Love" and in my mind, it's a concept album about how we as humans instinctively process the emotion of love, how it relates to our physicality, and how we are equipped to survive when it is lost. Sonically, it's going to have many textures I've never used before in my music before...we've been using some electronic sounds at live shows...some songs have a retro dancehall pop feel, others are going to be super grandiose and epic a la Queen and Rufus Wainwright. I can't wait to start work on it.

Where can people see you next?
I'm playing at the Folk Art Museum at Lincoln Square on July 22 (all ages), the Black Cat in DC on July 25 (all ages), Rockwood Music Hall in NYC on July 27 (21+), and The Fire in Philadelphia on July 30. ]]> Mon, 18 Jul 2011 07:00:16 EDT 901185 <![CDATA[Smash Mouth Will Eat The Eggs, Harwell Wants A Celeb Chef To Cook Them]]>
The campaign to get the rockers to eat 24 eggs in one sitting started on Something Awful where writer Jon Hendren begged for Smash Mouth to eat eggs on camera. Fans of the idea took the the Internet, creating parody videos and twitter campaigns until the band agreed to eat the eggs as soon as $10,000 was raised for St. Judes. The Internet complied and within a week more than enough money was raised to complete the stunt.

Steve Harwell, the lead singer who will be eating the eggs, told HuffPost that he originally thought the campaign was a joke that would go away but that after getting flooded with so many responses he realized it would be a great way to raise funds for charity.

"I'm also a big reality TV fan and I love all the food shows especially 'Man vs. Food' so this intrigued me in that way also," he said.

As for a chef for the eggs, Harwell wants to ask his friend and celebrity chef Guy Fieri to take a stab at preparing the eggs. It's all within the original stipulation of the joke, that Smash Mouth can eat the eggs any way they like.

I'm somewhat amazed that this snowballed the way it did, but then again, the thought of the guy from Smash Mouth stuffing his head full of dozens of eggs is too tempting to ignore," organizer Hendren told HuffPost previously in an email.


]]> Tue, 12 Jul 2011 09:26:10 EDT 895530 <![CDATA['The Glee Project' Country Girl McKynleigh Says She Considered Sing-Off As Open Audition]]> Each week HuffPost Celebrity will be chatting with eliminated contestants from Oxygen's new show, "The Glee Project," a seven episode competition reality series in which hopefuls will be competing for a spot on the hit show "Glee." We talked with McKynleigh Abraham this week about her final performance, going up against show favorites and what her friends think of her newfound notoriety.

How did you end up on 'The Glee Project'?
I was in theater class one day and a friend asked me what I was doing that weekend and I said 'I don't know' and she told me I was driving to Chicago for "The Glee Project" auditions. Originally I was just driving her, but when I got there I decided to go for it and audition too.


Did your friend make it very far?
I was with two friends, the girl who told me about it didn't make the cut, but my other friend made it to the top 80.

Have you done a competition like this before? Would you do another one?
I auditioned for "America's Got Talent" a few years ago. I made it through three rounds but not onto the actual show. I don't really know [if I'd do another show], right now I'm going to focus on starting a new school and my education. I really haven't thought about it.

You gave a great performance on the show in your Bottom three audition, how did you react to your elimination after that?
I think it all had to do with who was in the bottom three. When I heard who else was with me I thought, 'oh crap.' I'd been told the same thing the whole time, about how I just wasn't connecting, and I was only in the top group once. Since I was in the bottom with people who had done so well, who had won judges challenges, I knew I had to give it my all. When I got the song, I thought 'I know that song, I know how to perform that song.' I viewed that performance as an audition for anyone watching. I have no idea who was watching last night and what might come of that, but I gave it my all and I went out doing my best.

What are your plans now?
I'm going to school for performing arts, and I write my own songs and perform at coffee bars, so when I get to school I will check out the music scene. But right now school is my main focus, I want to make sure I get my degree.

Now that you're not in the running, who are you rooting for?
I'm rooting for Sam. I'm close with Sam and the whole time I thought if I don't win, I think Sam should win. There's no one like Sam on TV and he'd add a new edge to "Glee." He'd be the rocker who could be sensitive.

What kind of role did you want to play on "Glee"?
I would have wanted to be the homeschooler who transferred in her senior year. I'd be really quiet until I decided to try out for Glee club and everyone would realize I could sing and wasn't so quiet after all.

How have the fans reacted to you?
I've gotten a lot of good support. I've been recognized in crazy places, I was in a mall on vacation and this guy looked at me with this blank expression before going, 'You're her!' I didn't know what to say to him! Finally he looked at my tattoo that they made a big deal about on the 'Vulnerability' episode and he goes, 'You're McKynleigh! You're her!' My friends were with me and they thought it was hilarious.

Have you friends reacted well to your fame?
I've got those friends who come out of the woodwork now and want to be buddies, but most of them just laugh. My roommate thinks it's hilarious. Once she was out and people mentioned me and when she told them she was my roommate she had to pull out her phone and prove it with pictures.
]]> Mon, 11 Jul 2011 14:33:38 EDT 894900 <![CDATA[Tumblr's 10 Best Celebrity Blogs: Joe Jonas, Lady Gaga And More]]> new to the world of Tumblr. Unfortunately he's so new that he hasn't learned how to spell the blogging platform's name yet.

Jonas posted a tweet directing his more then 2 million fans to his new "tumbler," and the misspelling set off a worldwide Twitter trend.

Jonas isn't the only celebrity taking to the blogging platform. Major music stars like Lady Gaga have joined the site recently as another way to connect with fans, while Internet over-sharer Pete Wentz has been using Tumblr for over a year to power his personal web site.

We've collected the 10 best celebrity Tumblrs to follow. Check them out (below), and vote for your favorites. Then, take a look at the 33 best blogs on Tumblr.



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