Las Vegas Weekly

September 24, 2011 · 1:11 PM

Photos: iHeartRadio pumps out the superstars at MGM Grand

By John Katsilometes

Jay-Z and Alicia Keys perform during the first night of the iHeartRadio Music Festival at MGM Grand Garden Arena on Friday, Sept. 23, 2011.

Photo: Steve Marcus

By John Katsilometes

The concert had been barreling along for four blistering hours. The capacity crowd of 12,500 had begun to melt away, not in waves but in a tired trickle. The night’s closing artist, Jay-Z, was up, putting on a thundering performance with the energized assistance of one Malik Thuston Cox (better known by his rap handle of Memphis Bleek).

His jeans slung low and heavy gold chains bouncing, the hip-hop overlord squeezed what seemed to be the last drop of adrenaline from the audience. But Jay-Z could take it higher, to borrow a term, and he spun to his left to welcome a duet partner who had already thrilled the crowd earlier in the night.

And with no formal introduction needed, Alicia Keys sashayed onstage, and the crowd boomed anew. The two cut loose with a soaring “Empire State of Mind.” “Neeew Yoooooork!” bellowed Keys, a sentiment that would have been a better fit for the themed hotel across The Strip than MGM Grand Garden Arena. But the universal appeal of the iHeartRadio Music Festival was never more evident than when Jay-Z and Keys rapped and sang as the clock inched toward midnight.

This is the self-dubbed largest live concert event in radio history and a celebration of advanced audio technology. IHeartRadio is owned by entertainment behemoth Clear Channel, which is airing the festival live on its stations all across the country. In Las Vegas, that is KPLV 93.1-FM (“All The Hits,” as the station trumpets). Xbox Live account owners can stream live HD video through their game consoles. On the Internet, fans can watch the festival unspool live at iHeartRadio.com or the KPLV Web site.

The entire exercise is to promote iHeartRadio as an application and Web site that will cut into the audience of industry leader Pandora, and Clear Channel has summoned an all-star collection of artists to make that case.

Tonight’s show features Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler, Kenny Chesney, Nicki Minaj, Rascal Flatts, David Guetta, Nicole Scherzinger (a late replacement for John Mayer, who has a throat ailment that has knocked him off-tour) and Sublime with Rome. The modern-day Monterey Pop Festival starts with a concert preview segment at 7 p.m., with music at 7:30 p.m. Others expected to cameo their way onstage are Usher, Sting, Jeff Beck and DJ Pauly D.

And when you book guitar god Beck and “Jersey Shore” cast member (and Palms resident DJ) Pauly D on the same bill, it’s time to boast, “Bases covered.”

On Friday, it was a similarly stuffed-with-stars lineup as The Black Eyed Peas, Jay-Z, Coldplay, Keys, Carrie Underwood, Bruno Mars, Kelly Clarkson and Jane’s Addiction all took the stage in a show that spanned 4½ hours.

As MGM Resorts President of Sports and Entertainment Richard Sturm said early in the show, MGM Grand has never hosted such a music festival, at least not a single event that spans two nights. Sturm should know, as he’s been with the hotel since it opened in 1993.

“Clear Channel did a fabulous job of selling this event,” Sturm said. “We sold out 25,000 tickets in a matter of minutes. The fact that it’s being broadcast over the Internet to 10 million people is just amazing when you think about that. It shows you how things are changing.”

As for the first of two iHeartRadio performances, we’ll roll through some highlights thusly:

Did the rotating stage constructed to allow performers to perform while the following act set up actually work? Yes, as the gap between acts was about five minutes apiece.

How much did The Black Eyed Peas command for their first paying gigs: According to Will.I.Am, $20. “Now, there are a lot more zeros!” he announced from the stage.

What to make of the band’s sci-fi-inspired stage attire? They look like uniforms worn by invaders from the planet ClubTron.

Fergie once again wore black fishnet stockings, to appealing effect. What would you never use those stockings for? Catching fish.

Who has the coolest name of anyone involved in the festival? National radio host Elvis Duran, who pilots the syndicated “Elvis Duran and the Morning Show,” which originates on Z100 in New York and who is one of the iHeartRadio Festival hosts.

Kelly Clarkson name-dropped two acts in the lineup she particularly favored. Who were they? Jay-Z and Coldplay.

Who would win a sing-off between Clarkson and fellow “American Idol” titlist Carrie Underwood? It would be a push, as the judging panel would be rendered deaf.

Why is Bruno Mars my hero? His James Brown-ishness and because he could pick up any instrument -- say, an accordion -- and keep an audience entertained for 90 minutes.

During an interview on the red carpet, who stopped at Fox 5’s Monica Jackson and said, “You are trouble. I can tell you are trouble.” Show host Ryan Seacrest.

Who was the headliner at the first concert Seacrest attended? “The first ticketed show was Richard Marx. The second was Bon Jovi. There was a summer between. Those were the first two,” Seacrest said. “Marx was at the Fox Theater in Atlanta (in March 1990), Bon Jovi was at the Omni. That’s true. You can’t make that up.”

What rumor, sadly, turned out to be just that: That Beyonce would make an 11th-hour appearance with Jay-Z at show’s end. Baby, that never happened.

Who said, “We would practically kill ourselves to make better music”? Jane’s Addiction frontman and Lollapalooza visionary Perry Farrell.

Is he to be believed? Absolutely.

During Coldplay’s rowdy set, frontman Chris Martin plopped at the piano to pay tribute to what recently deceased artist? Amy Winehouse, with a melodically wrenching cover of “Rehab.”

During “Viva La Vida,” Martin threw himself on the stage and gyrated. Is he OK? Yep. That’s just what he does.

Who was that guy who looked like Dr. Dre who took in Jay-Z’s set? Dr. Dre.

Any chatter about an unexpected performance tonight? That Sting and Beck will join Tyler for a spin through an Aerosmith classic, likely “Sweet Emotion.”

Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at twitter.com/JohnnyKats. Also, follow “Kats With the Dish” at twitter.com/KatsWithTheDish.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

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