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Robert Pattinson Had Other Plans For Accepting Best Kiss Award

RPattz says he had ‘the best ideas’ for what to do with Kristen Stewart at the MTV Movie Awards. By Kara Warner, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Robert Pattinson backstage at the 2010 Movie Awards Photo: MTV News “Twilight” fans were amused but frustrated in 2009 when their favorite movie couple, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart , shared an appropriately angsty almost-kiss to accept their MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss. As such, the MTV favorites were no doubt hoping for something more satisfying from the are-they-or-aren’t-they couple when they accepted their second-straight Golden Popcorn for Best Kiss on Sunday night. “I had the best ideas last night,” Pattinson said, admitting that he’d been brainstorming the night before the show. “And I was telling everyone, ‘Listen, just leave it to me, I’ve got it all under control.’ … I was telling everyone all these ideas. I gave them a whole selection and no one thought they were funny, so then we ended up doing something which didn’t work.” When the big moment arrived, Stewart told the audience that their movie kisses are made possible and award-worthy only with the help of “smoke and mirrors.” They followed that proclamation not with a short and sweet smooch, but by awkwardly attempting to kiss, bumping noses and hands in weird places, getting close and pulling apart a couple of times. “We probably shouldn’t do this, right?” Kristen said, but finally Pattinson grabbed her and spun her away from the crowd for a quick kiss that was mostly obscured by his body. It would have seemed like too much of a tease if it weren’t for Pattinson’s blushing smile as he dashed off the stage. Naturally the moment left many fans scratching their heads, wondering whether the duo had planned their little skit in advance or not. RPattz didn’t think their attempt at slapstick worked, but do you, Twilighters? Talk about it in the comments. Related Videos Stars Sizzle At The 2010 MTV Movie Awards Related Photos ‘Twilight’ At The 2010 MTV Movie Awards

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Robert Pattinson Had Other Plans For Accepting Best Kiss Award

Snooki, Tom Felton, Jessica Alba Rock Twitter During 2010 MTV Movie Awards

Stars give a behind-the-scenes glimpse at what was going on during the big show. By Brian Warmoth Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi at the 2010 MTV Movie Awards Photo: Jason Merritt/ Getty Images Fans weren’t the only ones tweeting throughout the 2010 MTV Movie Awards on Sunday night — plenty of the show’s stars took to Twitter as well, and we were watching. Everyone from Best Villain winner Tom Felton to the “Jersey Shore” crew posted about what went on from where they were sitting. Jessica Alba offered props to show host Aziz Ansari , tweeting a compressed mini-review of his stint as the show’s on-stage ringmaster. “Aziz killed it 2nite as host 4 MTV movie awards,” Alba tweeted. “Tom Cruise dancing = hilarious & Ken Jeong was out of control funny. Gd times.” Elizabeth Banks also tweeted about Ansari taking her on-the-ground commentary a step further by letting everyone know what he looked and smelled like in person. “Fun after party for @azizansari after MTV Movie Awards,” the “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” actress said. “Aziz was big pimping in his white tux. He also smelled vaguely of olives.” Ansari’s most vivid tweet came after seeing the star of from “The Karate Kid” remake. “Jaden Smith went buckwild during my monologue!!!,” he wrote. “Hahahaha. This is nuts.” “Harry Potter” star Tom Felton initially focused on thanking the voters who helped secure his award for the night, but then got into the heckling he received from Mark Wahlberg (who was hanging from the stage’s rafters with Will Ferrell for a jokey stunt during the award presentation) during his acceptance speech. “Thank you for a truly unforgettable evening! Had a great night! Thank you so much for every single vote! THANKYOU!!! X,” he wrote, “and a big thank you to Mark Wahlberg for co-writing my acceptance speech, we got together a couple of days ago and wrote that little skit x.” He quickly tagged the Wahlberg reference as a joke, though. “I was joking about the Wahlberg speech! I was a bit stumped by the situation but did my best, not an everyday occurrence x,” he explained. Wahlberg apologized to Felton for the interruption — in front of MTV News’ cameras — shortly after the show. Tom Cruise’s account , which is mostly maintained by his personal staff, produced a few photos of the show and congratulated Kirsten Stewart, Sandra Bullock and Robert Pattinson on their accolades. Elsewhere, Snooki and the Hilton sisters shared a few photo ops and sounded excited to see each other. “The Hilton sistas! Love you bitches!” Snooki wrote after bumping into Paris and Nicky and capturing the moment via TweetPhoto . Nicky even returned the love with a response shortly thereafter. “We love you too!” the younger Hilton wrote. So even if the “Jersey Shore” cast hasn’t managed to earn any big-screen nominations just yet, at least one of them has been making new friends. Did we miss any? Did you see any good tweets from the stars during the MTV Movie Awards? Let us know in the comments below! Related Videos 2010 Movie Awards: Most Talked-About Moments Jersey Shore Blow-Out At The Movie Awards

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Snooki, Tom Felton, Jessica Alba Rock Twitter During 2010 MTV Movie Awards

Trey Songz, Drake Heat Up Summer Jam, But DJ Khaled Steals The Show

Usher, Juelz Santana, Gucci Mane, Reflection Eternal and Fabolous also deliver at Hot 97’s annual fest. By Shaheem Reid Trey Songz performs during Hot 97 Summer Jam on June 6 Photo: Johnny Nunez/ WireImage One of the most anticipated moments of Hot 97’s Summer Jam concert on Sunday night was one that was unadvertised, though all the fans felt it was a foregone conclusion: the reunion of the New York rap giants the Diplomats. Juelz Santana was on the bill with his first solo set, but instead of bringing out the members of his unit, he brought out the youngest member of the G-Unit, Lloyd Banks . They made for one of the strongest moments of the night with their smash “Beamer, Benz or Bentley.” But what happened to the Dip’s reunion? One source close to their camp said Jim Jones had some issues with security and police and was not granted entrance in the new Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Freekey Zekey and Cam’ron came out later in the night as part of DJ Khaled ‘s show-stealing set. Hot 97 advertised that Khaled would be bringing out “friends,” and no one knew what to expect. Well, if you follow the Miami multi-tasking, up-and-coming mogul, you would have to suspect that he’d bring out Rick Ross . The two down-bottom mayors are thicker than Starsky and Hutch. Plus, Ross and Khaled did interviews together on Hot 97 earlier in the day. Khaled’s set started with his “All I Do Is Win” remix. Rolling deeper than two football teams, Khaled paraded out T-Pain (who sang the hook) and Busta Rhymes , who unleashed one of the most stylistically bulletproof verses of the year. Ross and Ludacris took the spotlight over on the “I’m So Hood” remix, and Busta regained the reins on his fresh new bopper “Stop the Party.” Rick Ross saluted the playas with “Super High” then continued with the “Angels” remix and his new club stomper “Blowin’ Money Fast (B.M.F.).”

Drake, Usher Heat Up Summer Jam, But DJ Khaled Steals The Show

Trey Songz, Juelz Santana, Gucci Mane, Reflection Eternal and Fabolous also deliver at Hot 97’s annual fest. By Shaheem Reid Drake performs during Hot 97 Summer Jam on June 6 Photo: Johnny Nunez/ WireImage One of the most anticipated moments of Hot 97’s Summer Jam concert on Sunday night was one that was unadvertised, though all the fans felt it was a forgone conclusion: the reunion of the New York rap giants the Diplomats. Juelz Santana was on the bill with his first solo set, but instead of bringing out his the members of his unit, he brought out the youngest member of the G-Unit, Lloyd Banks. They made for one of the strongest moments of the night with their smash “Beamer, Benz or Bentley.” But what happened to the Dip’s reunion? One source close to their camp said Jim Jones had some issues with security and police and was not granted entrance in the new Giants Stadium. Freekey Zekey and Cam’ron came out later in the night as part of DJ Khaled’s show-stealing set. Hot 97 advertised that Khaled would be bringing out “friends,” and no one knew what to expect. Well, if you follow the Miami multi-tasking, up-and-coming mogul, you would have to suspect that he’d bring out Rick Ross. The two down-bottom mayors are thicker than Starsky and Hutch. Plus, Ross and Khaled did interviews together on Hot 97 earlier in the day. Khaled’s set started with his “All I Do Is Win” remix. Rolling deeper than two football teams, Khaled paraded out T-Pain (who sang the hook) and Busta Rhymes, who unleashed one of the most stylistically bulletproof verses of the year. Ross and Ludacris took the spotlight over on the “I’m So Hood” remix, and Busta regained the reins on his fresh new bopper “Stop the Party.” Rick Ross saluted the playas with “Super High” then continued with the “Angels” remix and his new club stomper “Blowin’ Money Fast (B.M.F.).”

Tom Felton Calls MTV Movie Awards Win ‘The Most Surreal Moment’

‘I had Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell hanging above my head on a wire,’ the ‘Harry Potter’ star marvels to MTV News. By Jocelyn Vena Tom Felton Photo: Steve Granitz/ Getty Images On Sunday night (June 6) at the MTV Movie Awards , “Harry Potter” star Tom Felton beat out some tough competition to win Best Villain for his portrayal of Draco Malfoy. And, moments after winning and having a memorable moment with “Other Guys” co-stars Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell, Felton admitted he couldn’t believe he came out on top. “Very exciting! The most surreal moment of my life,” he told MTV News. “I had Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell hanging above my head on a wire. So, yeah, I can’t know what to make of that.” Did he think he deserved to win? “I would definitely say no! Against Christoph Waltz and Helena Bonham Carter? Not really fair competition. I thought I was well out of the works. Thanks to the fans for voting. I really appreciate it.” Then, out of nowhere, came Wahlberg, who told the “Harry Potter” star he did a great job. And the encounter left Felton quite star-struck. “You’ve got that on camera, yeah? Evidence we’re tight now!” he joked. “We’re thinking about [a rap album]. We got some TV shows we’re thinking about. He wants me to be on ‘Entourage.’ I said I’m not too sure about it. We’re tight. [ Laughs. ] I can’t believe it. Amazing!” Earlier in the night, Felton dished to MTV News on the Movie Awards red carpet that his real-life lady love, “Potter” stunt assistant Jade Olivia, would have a cameo in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.” “This is an exclusive for you — she is, yes,” Felton said. “The producers came to me about six months ago, and I said, ‘OK, I’ll ask her.’ She was at first reluctant, but I pulled her arm and twisted it. She was filming with me for three days at King’s Cross [railway station in the U.K.]; we were very excited.” Relive the wildest, funniest and most-jaw-dropping moments of the 2010 MTV Movie Awards, watch revealing red-carpet interviews and get exclusive movie clips after the show at MovieAwards.MTV.com . Related Videos Stars Sizzle At The 2010 MTV Movie Awards Related Photos 2010 Movie Awards: Show Highlights

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Tom Felton Calls MTV Movie Awards Win ‘The Most Surreal Moment’

2010 MTV Movie Awards Dominated By ‘New Moon,’ Sandra Bullock, Les Grossman

Aziz Ansari led the wildly hilarious (and frequently emotional) awards show. By Josh Wigler Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner at the 2010 MTV Movie Awards Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage With five awards for “The Twilight Saga: New Moon,” zilch for “Avatar,” visually insane dance numbers, gut-busting parodies and so much more, the 2010 MTV Movie Awards made for a wildly hilarious, frequently emotional and shockingly vulgar night. The evening kicked off with media mogul Les Grossman , who lived up to his fiery reputation by pushing popular actors like Will Smith and Michael Cera down some surprising new career paths. One such idea was “Bad Ass Cops,” a police-themed action adventure starring “Twilight” leading men Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner. But Grossman’s time in the spotlight was quickly yanked away by host Aziz Ansari , who followed up with some segments of his own, including one that put him in the tragic shoes of Claireece “Precious” Jones. The host finally took the stage thanks to an introduction made by music sensation Justin Bieber, prompting Ansari to launch into an opening comedy act that set the tone for the rest of the hilarious evening. Part of Ansari’s monologue dwelled on the pervasive popularity of “Twilight,” a notion that was decisively affirmed when Kristen Stewart kicked off the awards portion of the show by winning Best Female Performance for her portrayal of Bella Swan in the supernatural-romance franchise. Even the award for Breakthrough Performance went to Anna Kendrick, who won for “Up in the Air” but got her break in the “Twilight Saga.” Presenters and “Get Him to the Greek” co-stars Jonah Hill and Russell Brand embarked on an epic Team Jacob vs. Team Edward debate that left Sean “Diddy” Combs fully confused. That wasn’t the only hilarious moment from the “Greek” stars, as Hill and Brand engaged in a full-on lip-locking assault during a special Kiss Cam segment that also claimed Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens. But the most memorable kiss of the evening belonged to Sandra Bullock and Scarlett Johansson , as they shared a quick smooch during Bullock’s acceptance of the Generation Award. Indeed, Bullock’s acceptance speech was one of the highlights of the evening, marking her first major public appearance since news broke of husband Jesse James’ infidelity. To that end, Bullock wanted to clear the air on certain rumors: She is not dead, everyone has cellulite “not just me,” and paparazzi photographers need more flattering lenses. Taking a more serious tone, Bullock emphasized that even in light of her Generation Award, something that typically goes to “old people” as they wind down their careers, as she put it, she has no plans of leaving the spotlight. “No matter what you might have heard or read lately, I love what I do, and I’m not going anywhere,” she said, adding that everyone in the audience should say a prayer for those affected by the oil spill in the Gulf. Her emotional speech was matched only by “The Hangover” actor Ken Jeong’s own acceptance of the Best WTF Moment award. Jeong broke down in tears recounting his wife’s battle with breast cancer. “She taught me that life is short and you shouldn’t be afraid to take chances,” the choked-up Jeong announced, happily revealing that his wife has been cancer-free for two years now. Beyond Bullock and Jeong’s heartfelt speeches, the show featured some very different but no less intense moments, thanks to performances of Katy Perry and Snoop Dogg’s “California Gurls,” Christina Aguilera’s medley of songs from her upcoming album Bionic (complete with a glowing heart on her underwear) and the return of Les Grossman in a shockingly well-choreographed dance number opposite Jennifer Lopez. But the biggest laughs of the night came from Team Aziz. The host provided viewers with a terrific “Human Giant” reunion alongside Rob Huebel and Paul Scheer in a sketch titled “Stunt Kidz.” He also appeared as Taavon, a tough-as-nails swagger coach (who can only sit on purple chairs) hired to impart swagger tips to comedian Zach Galifianakis, an effort that paid off, as the “Hangover” comedian ultimately won the award for Best Comedic Performance. Ansari as Taavon accepted the award on Galifianakis’ behalf. Ansari also paved the way for one of the most foulmouthed Movie Awards in the ceremony’s history. Following Bullock’s acknowledgement of the oil spill in the Gulf region, Ansari wildly shouted “f— you, BP” numerous times as he sang an R. Kelly-style tribute to “Avatar.” But his filthy language paled in comparison to Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell’s, as the stars of “The Other Guys” dangled from the theater’s ceiling, frantically cursing at their situation. The incessant swearing of the show’s many guests didn’t go unnoticed by actor Peter Facinelli. While accepting the Best Movie award for “The Twilight Saga: New Moon,” Carlisle Cullen dropped some F-bombs of his own and two of them managed to slip past the censors, to the surprise of many. Less surprising, to Ansari at least, was the virtual awards sweep made by “New Moon.” The host may have over-exaggerated by declaring that ” ‘Twilight’ won everything,” but the franchise’s second installment did emerge as the evening’s greatest winner with victories in the Best Movie, Best Male Performance, Best Female Performance, Best Kiss and Global Star categories. “The Hangover” was the second most successful film with wins for Best Comedic Performance and Best WTF Moment, while “Avatar” walked away without a single award to its name. Relive the wildest, funniest and most-jaw-dropping moments of the 2010 MTV Movie Awards, watch revealing red-carpet interviews and get exclusive movie clips after the show at MovieAwards.MTV.com . Related Videos 2010 Movie Awards: Most Talked-About Moments Exclusive Movie Clips From The MTV Movie Awards Related Photos ‘Twilight’ At The 2010 MTV Movie Awards 2010 Movie Awards: Show Highlights The MTV Movie Awards Red Carpet Comes To Life

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2010 MTV Movie Awards Dominated By ‘New Moon,’ Sandra Bullock, Les Grossman

Anna Kendrick, Scarlett Johansson Lead Best-Dressed List At MTV Movie Awards

Vanessa Hudgens, ‘The City’ star Whitney Port and more stand out on the red carpet. By Amy Wilkinson Anna Kendrick Photo: Getty Images The MTV Movie Awards may not hand out Golden Popcorn statues for best dressed, but that doesn’t mean Hollywood’s most fashionable femme fatales shouldn’t be honored. Here are our top picks for the night’s most stunning stars to grace the Gibson Amphitheatre red carpet. White was one of the evening’s hottest trends. From Paris Hilton to “Jersey Shore” star Vinny Guadagnino, many opted for ivory, but no one did it better than Vanessa Hudgens, who flaunted a gauzy Jenny Packham minidress with silver jewels below the bust. The “Beastly” star let her frock take center stage, accessorizing sparsely with metallic peep-toe pumps and a simple silver necklace. “Up in the Air” actress and Breakout Star winner Anna Kendrick went the opposite route — a completely colorful low-cut black, red and pink floral Zac Posen dress finished with sky-high banded black pumps and her locks in beachy waves. While Anna was all feminine flirt, “Iron Man 2” star Scarlett Johansson chose sleek sophistication in a forest green belted Dolce & Gabbana lace shift dress and black pumps. She also showed off one of her newest accessories: her newly dyed blond locks. Another blond looking absolutely fabulous was “The City” star Whitney Port, who simply glowed in a sunny form-fitting yellow-and-gray strapless dress and silver mesh peep-toe pumps. And while most stars went short and sweet, “The Hills” hottie Lo Bosworth shined in a sophisticated floor-length coral Diane von Furstenberg Grecian gown. She completed her look with shoulder-grazing dangling earrings, silver bangles and a softly curled half-updo. Relive the wildest, funniest and most-jaw-dropping moments of the 2010 MTV Movie Awards, watch revealing red-carpet interviews and get exclusive movie clips after the show at MovieAwards.MTV.com. Related Videos 2010 Movie Awards: Most Talked-About Moments Related Photos 2010 Movie Awards: Full Fashion Recap Related Artists Anna Kendrick

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Anna Kendrick, Scarlett Johansson Lead Best-Dressed List At MTV Movie Awards

Christina Aguilera Gets Steamy At 2010 MTV Movie Awards

Singer heats up stage with medley of songs from forthcoming Bionic LP. By James Montgomery Christina Aguilera performs at the 2010 MTV Movie Awards Photo: Christopher Polk/Getty Images Christina Aguilera got futuristic, funky and downright freaky at the 2010 MTV Movie Awards, performing a supercharged medley of songs from her forthcoming Bionic album — which comes out Tuesday — that hit hard and probably got millions of people all hot and bothered. She kicked things off sitting down in a gilded throne, decked out in a diamond-encrusted one-piece, looking very much like a 23rd-century queen, and began rapping the opening lines of the title track from her album. She then descended to the stage and, surrounded by a crew of leather-clad dancers began throwing punches while laser blasts resounded through the audience (bonus points for the Iron Man-esque light pods she wore on the palms of her hands.) After a bit more strutting, Aguilera’s dancers surrounded her, and the electronic thump of first single “Not Myself Tonight” blared loud and proud. As steam poured from the stage, Xtina belted out the chorus, getting low and singing for the rafters. “Tonight” segued directly into “Woohoo,” minus Nikki Minaj on this night. But that didn’t stop Christina from upping the heat even more, breaking into a seriously sexy dance number that was made only more hot by the fact that her dancers were now wearing glowing red hearts on their crotches. Not to be outdone, Agulera ended things by standing tall at center stage, the camera zooming in on her midsection, which now bore a beating heart of its own. The celeb-packed audience roared their approval, and Aguilera bounded off the stage — presumably to go take a nice long, cold shower. What did you think of Christina’s performance at the 2010 MTV Movie Awards? Let us know in the comments below! Relive the wildest, funniest and most-jaw-dropping moments of the 2010 MTV Movie Awards, watch revealing red-carpet interviews and get exclusive movie clips after the show at MovieAwards.MTV.com. Related Videos 2010 Movie Awards: Most Talked-About Moments Related Photos 2010 Movie Awards: Show Highlights The MTV Movie Awards Red Carpet Comes To Life Related Artists Christina Aguilera

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Christina Aguilera Gets Steamy At 2010 MTV Movie Awards

Snooki, ‘Jersey Shore’ Cast Rock MTV Movie Awards Red Carpet

Katy Perry proposes ‘threesome’ to co-hosts Snooki and MTV News’ Sway during pre-show. By Josh Wigler Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi at the 2010 MTV Movie Awards Photo: Jason Merritt/ Getty Images The red carpet at the 2010 MTV Movie Awards was an even livelier affair than usual this year, thanks to Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi of the “Jersey Shore,” who co-hosted the evening alongside Sway. With all of her signature outrageousness, Snooki relished in the opportunity to interview several celebrities, including “High School Musical” and “Beastly” star Vanessa Hudgens. “You two are so cute together, just got to say it,” Snooki told Hudgens of her relationship with Zac Efron , nominated for his performance in “17 Again.” “You’re so gorgeous you look amazing tonight.” Snooki wasn’t the only one giving out compliments, as Hudgens returned the favor telling the reality TV star that she was acting like “a veteran pro” on the red carpet. The night’s conversation escalated when “California Gurls” singer Katy Perry informed Snooki and Sway that they should all “have a threesome” — a proposition Sway said he “wasn’t scared” to follow through on. But the sexiest action on the red carpet occurred off-camera, as MTV’s reporters on the ground witnessed a big kiss between Snooki and her “Jersey Shore” co-star Jenni “JWoww” Farley. “She got me into it,” JWoww laughed of the kiss. Snooki, however, wasn’t all hugs and kisses. As she was about to announce the winner of the Best Fight award, Snooki turned to the crowd and shouted: “What up bitches! Yo, I have an award to give out for Best Fight, just sayin’!” The fans at home couldn’t stop talking about Snooki, taking to Twitter with comments such as “Snooki is even tinier than I thought. I wonder if she’s ever not allowed on roller coasters?” and “I’m surprised Snooki doesn’t have her poof.” But even if most eyes were on Snooki, her fellow “Jersey Shore” co-stars were enjoying the night as well. “This is amazing,” Pauly D said of the experience. “We’re so happy to be here. Never in our wildest dreams did we expect this.” Of course, Snooki remained firmly in the spotlight. Finally reunited with her “Jersey Shore” castmembers, Snooki paid a compliment to JWoww: “Your boobs look phenomenal tonight. Where did you get them?” Relive the wildest, funniest and most-jaw-dropping moments of the 2010 MTV Movie Awards, watch revealing red-carpet interviews and get exclusive movie clips after the show at MovieAwards.MTV.com. Season two of “Jersey Shore” premieres Thursday, July 29, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on MTV. Be there! Related Videos 2010 Movie Awards: All-Access Live Stream Related Photos 2010 Movie Awards: Full Fashion Recap

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Snooki, ‘Jersey Shore’ Cast Rock MTV Movie Awards Red Carpet

Kings Of Leon Debut New Songs At Tour Kick-Off In Atlantic City

Eclectic Borgata crowd is treated to a set packed with Only by the Night hits and brand-new tracks. By Kyle Anderson The Kings of Leon’s Caleb Followill Photo: Barry Brecheisen/ WireImage ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey — Past the rows of neon slot machines, beyond the over-priced fusion eateries and light years away from the weekenders and senior citizens looking for their latest lucky break, Kings of Leon delivered a rock show. Atlantic City seems like an inappropriate place for America’s current biggest and most workmanlike rock band. Their steady rise — from indie darlings to radio stalwarts over the course of five albums and seemingly non-stop touring — doesn’t gel with the get-rich-quick glamour of the gaming tables of the Borgata. Still, that didn’t stop KOL from launching their latest summer tour from the Event Center located inside that very casino. In a ballroom more fit to host Fredo Corleone’s birthday party than a loud, sweaty rock show, the quarted overcame the artificial nature of their surroundings to deliver what has become the definitive rock show of the current era. In theory, Kings of Leon really shouldn’t work. They’re four dudes from Tennessee who have always had a greater following in Europe and whose sound is constantly morphing from album to album. Along the way, they’ve augmented their Southern-kissed approach to indie rock with healthy doses of dirty-water blues, U2-style stadium fireworks, old-school Aerosmith guitar solos and bits of funk, hardcore and scuzzy ’60s garage rock. Their palette seems almost too broad. And yet they manage to impress just about everybody. The cross-section of the 2,500 or so people jammed into a ballroom upstairs at the Borgata didn’t have very much in common (in one corner, beer-chugging MMA fans; over there were the bespectacled indie types; oh look, there’s a bunch of dads), save for one thing: They all went absolutely ape every time Kings of Leon hit one of their now-signature “whoa-oohs” during any number of massive sing-alongs. In fact, the only time the crowd didn’t hang on every word was when the group unveiled a handful of new tunes, each of which carried its own personality. The best was a sort of Zeppelin-flavored blues romp that imported a bit of Loretta Lynn for good measure. It struck just the right balance between melt-your-face rocking and twang-drenched beauty, and it’s going to be a huge hit. Even frontman Caleb Followill seemed to acknowledge the lightning they had bottled. “You don’t know these songs,” he warned before launching into the new material. “But one day you will, and you can say you were the first people to ever hear them.” Armed with little more than a single video screen behind them, Kings of Leon sounded like a band in mid-stride, not a group just starting back up again. “We haven’t played in a while, so we’re a little nervous,” Caleb announced to the crowd. Maybe nerves work for them, as the 90-minute set they laid out — relying heavily on the smash album Only by the Night — was sharp and on point. The band hit their biggest singles hardest and with a laser-like precision: “Sex on Fire” was a soaring four minutes of hedonism, while “The Bucket” had a spacious beauty that is somewhat lost in the recorded version. Most impressive was “Molly’s Chambers,” which has morphed into a metallic grind that closely resembles Nirvana’s “Breed” (and that’s a compliment). As the group ended their encore with “Use Somebody,” the entire crowd was nearing a lighter-waving, body-swaying moment of transcendence, and by the time Kings of Leon hit the final notes, it seemed like most of the revelers had arrived. Then they were quickly shuffled out the door and back into the slot-machine-fueled wonderland below, where it’s doubtful anybody was able to capture the same sort of high. Related Artists Kings Of Leon

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Kings Of Leon Debut New Songs At Tour Kick-Off In Atlantic City