Search Posts

MTV Newsroom Home

spacer

Hard Rock Cancun Throws One Heck Of A Grand Opening Party

Posted 10/24/12 5:09 pm EST by James Montgomery in Behind The Scenes, Music

spacer

Here's a pro tip: If a publicist emails you and asks if you'd be interested in attending the grand opening of a Hard Rock Hotel in Cancun, all expenses paid, for three days of laying out by the pool, eating more food than Honey Boo Boo's mom at a buffet and generally behaving like a Kanye West/Kim Dotcom hybrid … all sandwiched in-between concerts from Flo Rida and the Goo Goo Dolls, well, then you should most definitely say "Yes."

Because that's what I did. For three days this weekend, I checked my journalistic integrity at the door and partied like a genuine rock star at the sparkly new Hard Rock in Cancun, a 12-story gem that juts out into the Caribbean Sea, features some 600 rooms, five international restaurants, five bars (including two of the "swim-up" variety) and a lobby packed with enough memorabilia to give the Rock Hall pause (checking out John Bonham's kit up close was a thrill … what can I say, I'm a rock nerd). There were parties and after-parties, booming DJ sets by the pool, white sand beaches, endless Hors d'oeuvres and at one point, they christened the thing with a guitar-smash, one attended by a little person dressed up like Gene Simmons. Needless to say, one of the better work-cations I've ever been on.

spacer

For the grand opening, the folks at Hard Rock pulled out all the stops, which meant, that, in addition to the fashion show I attended — I wore a button-up shirt and everything — there were also two nights of concerts. Flo Rida provided the perfect soundtrack to a very loose first night, ripping through a set of his patented party-starters ("Low," "In The Ayer," "Right Round," etc) and even bringing a bunch of ladies up on stage at one point for an impromptu dance-off. Shoot, he had such a good time that he even stuck around the next day, and was seen by this reporter wading out into the crystal-blue ocean in a pair of gigantic red trunks.

The Goo Goo Dolls performed on night two, and served reminder that they possess a back catalog as formidable as, well, anyone, leading a fired-up crowd through rousing sing-alongs on hits like "Name," "Iris," "Black Balloon" and "Slide." And despite forming in Buffalo, New York, they seemed at home on the Hard Rock's beach stage, rocking long into the night.

There were also celebrity cameos by the aforementioned Willis (who, it should be noted, was definitely feeling the Goo Goo Dolls) and Wilmer Valderrama, who hosted a Saturday afternoon pool party from high-atop a DJ booth, staged a "Dougie" competition and posed for about a bazillion photos. Oh, and then I got an "organic facial" from the Hard Rock spa. It definitely helped with the hangover.

All-in-all, it was a pretty tremendous weekend, and now that I'm sitting here back in gloomy New York, typing this with my tan slowly peeling away (it's seriously gross), I can tell you without a doubt that you should definitely make your way down to the Hard Rock in Cancun sometime … even if a publicist isn't paying your way, it's sure to be a trip you won't forget. Even if you can't remember most of it.

Tags Flo Rida, freebies, Goo Goo Dolls

  • | Permalink

Karmin's Best Cover Yet

Posted 10/17/12 6:49 pm EST by MTV News in Music

By Cory Midgarden

I love cover songs. I don't know what it is about them, but one of my favorite pastimes — a guilty pleasure if you will — is to log onto YouTube, type in the name of a song I'm digging and watch someone other than the original artist sing their rendition of the tune.

I'm sure this is why I've always been such a big fan of TV singing competitions as well, but that isn't the point. The point of this post is that last April I was introduced to, maybe, one of the most amazing covers I'd ever experienced in my entire life. And that's saying a lot, since I spend much of my free time and weekends doing nothing but looking for these videos (I'm only kind of exaggerating).

Anyway, the introduction came via email from my friend, who is aware of my obsession, with the text "You're going to DIE" in the subject line. I clicked on the link, which maybe had a few hundred views at the time, and there was Karmin. The song they were performing was Chris Brown's "Look at Me Now," and the girl, whose name I thought was Karmin at the time, pretty much killed me when I got to 1:16 in the video.

spacer

My friend was right; they were so good I almost died. But since I didn't, I knew my newfound mission in life was to get them on the MTV show I was working on at the time. "The Seven" was a countdown of the seven things (hence the title) we needed our audience to know about each day. And these two were something people needed to know about — if they hadn't already.

I got in touch with the pair, and within a few days, Amy Heidemann and Nick Noonan were in New York City getting ready to perform for our studio audience. I was so excited! And they were too. They were awesome during sound check and looking as cute as can be, both wearing V-neck tees and jeans... but something was missing.

As I looked at the twosome before they took our Times Square stage, I realized what was off. The woman standing in front of me had a stick-straight 'do, while the one from the video had some extra flair to her hair. I asked Amy if she'd be interested in recreating her look from the video, and she was more than happy to accept. With only a few minutes to spare, we hooked her up with one of our stylists and before our very eyes, her signature "suicide roll" was born.

Karmin then took the stage performing "Look at Me Now," Weezy's "6 Foot 7 Foot," and original track "On Your Side."

Since then, I've worked with Karmin (and Amy's suicide roll) on several occasions (they even gave me a very special birthday shout-out while I worked on VH1's "Big Morning Buzz Live"), watching them grow into the stars they are today. As proud of them as I've been over these past months, it wasn't until last night, when I saw Amy on the cover of Rolling Stone that I really realized how far the two have come.

To be recognized by Rolling Stone magazine as a woman who rocks is an amazing achievement. Karmin has come so far in such a short period of time and if anyone deserves such an accolade, it's them.

Congratulations, Amy and Nick! I look forward to following your careers for years to come.

Tags Karmin, rolling-stones

  • | Permalink

From Snooki's Mini Meatball To Fergie's First Photo: This Week In Instagrams

Posted 10/10/12 6:58 pm EST by MTV News in Music, Television

By Cory Midgarden

Who is Olly Murs saving a seat for in this Instagab photo? Well, according to the Murs, his "X Factor" U.K. castmate Zayn Malik has a thing for motorized bikes.

"Zayn was tweeting about Vespas and how much he likes them and I heard him talking about it and I was talking to him about it and so I took the picture and I just tweeted him," Murs told MTV News. "Zayn never replies, so kind of a waste of time."

See Olly Murs' scooter riding Instagram story!

So, even though we do not know much about these next Instagram photos, they grabbed our attention nonetheless and are MTV News' five faves from the week:

spacer

Snooki
If you can't get enough of Snooki's baby boy Lorenzo you're not alone. The little meatball is just coming up on two months, and thanks to Instagram, the "Jersey Shore" star has been able to keep friends and fans, alike, up-to-date on her life as a new mommy.

spacer

Kelly Osbourne
Here's another MTV family that just warms our hearts. Ozzy and Kelly Osbourne "cuddle" up in this Instagram snapshot. While Kelly seems enamored by her dad, the pup in her lap doesn't seem nearly as charmed by the Black Sabbath frontman.

spacer

Snoop Dogg
While Instagram doesn't usually give followers full details behind a pic, a little cross investigation via other social media outlets, i.e., Twitter and Facebook can usually get you a few more tidbits. Take this photo Snoop Dogg posted with Machine Gun Kelly. By just looking at the post you know nothing other than the fact the two posed for this picture. But a Google search here and a Twitter scroll there and viola: A little bit more info on the story.

spacer

Shay Mitchell
Ever wonder how those "Pretty Little Liars" look so fabulous day after day? Shay Mitchell, who plays Emily in the ABC Family series, gave us a sneak peek at her beauty regime. While the face mask in this photo looks pampered, being up at 5:30 AM (as mentioned in her Instagram caption) to have the service sounds far from relaxing.

spacer

Fergie
Fergie Ferg posted her very first Instagram this week! The Black Eyed Peas singer needs a little help deciding what to wear for Halloween this year. It's hard to tell what she's going for thus far but if it comes close to what she wore last year, we're sold!

Who took your favorite Instagram shot of the week? Let us know in the comments below!

Tags fergie, one direction, shay mitchell, Snooki, Snoop-Dogg, zayn malik

  • | Permalink

Ryan Beatty Gives 'Hey L.A.' A Big Apple Remix

Posted 10/10/12 6:48 pm EST by MTV News in Music

By Cory Midgarden

After hearing his single "Hey L.A.," it is crystal clear Ryan Beatty is a huge fan of the Golden State, but it was not until the MTV News team spent the day with the YouTube sensation that we learned he is a New York enthusiast as well.

While we were pretty sure our Big Apple tour, where MTV News' Christina Garibaldi took him to Times Square, the Empire State Building and Central Park, had something to do with his newfound love for the city, it turned out our sightseeing adventure was not the only thing that won Beatty over.

gipoco.com is neither affiliated with the authors of this page nor responsible for its contents. This is a safe-cache copy of the original web site.