Gwen Stefani Debuts New Song Live In New York

AP

AP

All hail Gwen.

No Doubt frontwoman Gwen Stefani rocked New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom with a solo show on Saturday night, debuting new music and cementing her status as one of pop’s reigning acts.

Stefani blazed through her hits in a 22-song set that included “What You Waiting For?” “Cool,” “Wind It Up,” “The Sweet Escape” and the eternally bananas “Hollaback Girl.” A cadre of jaw-dropping dancers backed up the powerhouse vocalist and kept the crowd entertained during Stefani’s five fashion-forward costume changes.

Saturday marked the first time that Stefani has performed solo since announcing herdivorce from Gavin Rossdale in August.

“These songs are taking on new meaning!” Stefani shouted between “4 In The Morning” and “Danger Zone,” odes to a relationship on the rocks.

Stefani also referenced the split before sharing a new track titled “Used To Love You.”

“I’m talking about pain and love and my real life, and I just want to say thank you for listening,” she told the crowd. “And I just want to share a song that I wrote recently. This song is really special.”

Read more at HuffPost

President Jimmy Carter on Gay Marriage

Faith is important to former President Jimmy Carter, and he writes about it extensively in his new memoir A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety. But his religious beliefs don't keep him from supporting every American's right to marry the person they love.

HuffPost Live's Marc Lamont Hill asked Carter on Tuesday whether he believes Jesus would approve of gay marriage, and Carter said he does.

"I believe Jesus would. I don't have any verse in scripture. ... I believe Jesus would approve gay marriage, but that's just my own personal belief. I think Jesus would encourage any love affair if it was honest and sincere and was not damaging to anyone else, and I don't see that gay marriage damages anyone else," he said.

Watch the full HuffPost Live conversation with Jimmy Carter here.

 

Mountain Jam 2015

Originally published on the Huffington Post.

New York’s glitterati and hypebeasts crammed together on Randall’s Island this weekend for three days of mud-soaked booty shaking, people watching and subpar sound at the Governors Ball Music Festival. But just two hours north of the city, the vibes were less turnt and more tie-dye at the Mountain Jam Music Festival in Hunter, New York.

Set at the base of the second-highest peak in the Catskills, Mountain Jam celebrated its 11th anniversary with headlining performances from Robert Plant, The Black Keys and Alabama Shakes. Instead of the usual EDM and hip-hop festival staples, the four-day lineup was heavy on rock, reggae and jam acts including Grace Potter, Rusted Root, Michael Franti, Rebelution, The Wailers, Shakey Graves and Hurray For The Riff Raff.

Festival goers jammed out in the crowd and in the air, taking to the skies on a music-filled chairlift ride. Yoga and hula-hooping workshops kept the crowd limber between sets, and a Karma Wash made sure everyone stayed chill. Local vendors offered delicious creations, including a “BBQ Sundae” (think pulled pork and ground beef layered with mashed potatoes in a parfait cup) and “Jesus Cheez Whiz” (best to not ask too many questions).

While Ryan Adams and Deadmau5 duked it out at Gov Ball, there was nothing but love at Mountain Jam. Grace Potter debuted new tracksfrom her upcoming solo LP before being joined on stage by Gov’t Mule guitarist Warren Haynes. The Wailers brought the spirit of Bob Marley to the Catskills and The Black Keys electrified the crowd with their hard-pumping blues stomp.

The Alabama Shakes closed out the wondrous weekend, giving fans a more than 20-song performance. Powerhouse frontwoman Brittany Howard blew the crowd away, dedicating “Miss You” to the mysterious “Ricky, who can’t stay out of jail.” As the sun set on the mountain, the band ended on "You Ain’t Alone," with Howard singing, “You ain't alone, just let me be your ticket home.”

People🍉🍕

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals Are The Best Band You Aren't Listening To Yet

Take the power vocals of Beyoncé, mix in the bohemian virtuosity of Fleetwood Mac, add a touch of Bruce Springsteen’s raw energy, and you’ll get a band half as good as Grace Potter & The Nocturnals.

More than a decade into their career, the band may not be a household name yet, but they’ve built a loyal following thanks to their incredible live performances.

Band members Grace Potter, Matt Burr, Scott Tournet, Benny Yurco and Michael Libramento set a freezing September weekend ablaze in Burlington, Vermont, as they headlined the fourth year of their homegrown Grand Point North music festival. Blasting through their deep catalogue, the band performed rousing renditions of “Turntable,” “Hot Summer Night,” and the instantly recognizable “Paris (Ooh La La).”Armed with an acoustic guitar, Potter delivered a moving version of John Prine’s “Angel From Montgomery,” made famous by Bonnie Raitt, in tribute to a recently deceased family member.

Read more at HuffPost

Serbia Floods: Rescuer Recounts Devastation

Marko Majstorovic, a member of Serbia’s volunteer Mountain Rescue Service, was one of the first rescuers on site on May 14, after devastating floods swept through the Serbian city of Obrenovac.

“You cannot imagine what it was like,” Majstorovic told HuffPost Live. “You see rivers running through the streets. People have no power, no electricity, no water. All the cars which are parked on the street are submerged, and the lights on those cars are on. It’s very, very spooky.”

Obrenovac, located just 18 miles outside of Serbia’s capital city Belgrade, has witnessed some of the worst damage in the historic floods that have left the entire Balkan region reeling after three months worth of rain fell in just three days. Nearly two weeks after the rain stopped falling, large parts of Obrenovac remain underwater, and 14 residents have been found dead.

Read more at HuffPost