Backstage Pass

Let the “Idol” weirdness begin. Or, as Mariah Carey would say, “Hashtag Pow!”

Can we start with the true craziness that Nicki Minaj was so late that they actually started the live show without her? She tweeted “Stuck in traffic *sighs*” after the show began, blaming it on a backup on the roads from her Malibu home. Um, what? Never mind that the on-air folks for a live network TV show generally...

Michael Pollack, the Roslyn musician whose duet with Billy Joel at a Vanderbilt University class has become an Internet sensation, brought his story to the “Today” show Wednesday.

“Every Long Island piano player aspires to be Billy Joel,” the 18-year-old told the hosts before launching into “New York State of Mind,” the song he performed with Joel. “You don't have a choice.”

Though Pollack...

Following last year’s 4th of July extravaganza, Phish will return to Nikon at Jones Beach Theater as part of its 2013 summer tour.

Trey Anastasio and friends are set to play July 12 at Jones Beach. Tickets go on sale March 29 through Live Nation. Included in the ticket price is access to an MP3 download of the concert recorded from the sound board that will be available at LivePhish.com shortly...

“The Legends of the Summer” continue to grow.

Jay-Z and Justin Timberlake have added a second show at Yankee Stadium following strong sales for the first night on July 19. Tickets for the July 20 show go on sale at 10 a.m. Monday through Live Nation.

The pre-sale sale for Citi card holders starts at 10 a.m. Wednesday and for Yankees season ticket holders on Thursday.

Interest in...

Depeche Mode is heading for Nikon Theater at Jones Beach on Sept. 8, as part of the band's upcoming “The Delta Machine World Tour.”

The electronic music pioneers will also stop at Barclays Center on Sept. 6. Tickets for both shows go on sale at 10 a.m. April 6 through Live Nation.

“I’m really looking forward to getting out there and performing,” said singer Dave Gahan in a statement....

Atoms for Peace celebrate the release of their “Amok” album with a DJ set at Le Poisson Rouge Thursday.

Intro brings you the week’s hottest videos and shows every Monday. To catch up on all the Intros and watch classic Long Island music scene videos, check out Newsday Music’s YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/newsdaymusic.

THE LIST

ATOMS FOR PEACE, “Ingenue.” At...

David Bowie's “The Next Day” (ISO/Columbia) is the work of a master.

While it doesn't hit stores until March 12, "The Next Day" is streaming in its entirety at iTunes now and is well-worth seeking out.

His first album in a decade – first since a life-threatening heart attack in 2004 and widespread speculation of his retirement after disappearing from public life – is a stunning,...

Only Dave Grohl could pull this off.

The soundtrack to his documentary “Sound City: Real to Reel” (RCA), due out Tuesday, features a who's who of artists who recorded at the legendary Los Angeles studio writing and recording new songs together on the spot.

The results are surprising and, often, thrilling. Stevie Nicks sounds incredibly good on the haunting “You Can't Fix This,” backed...

So much of “American Idol” has become predictable over the past 11 seasons that producers often orchestrate “surprises.”

However, as Season 12's Top 10 guys performed Wednesday night, there was a true unexpected moment, as Charlie Askew, one of the season's front-runners, was clearly upset and seemed on the verge of a breakdown after judges criticized his unusual performance of Genesis' “Mama.”

The...

So much for it being a girl's year.

The “American Idol” Powers That Be have been talking up the huge pool of female talent this season, trying to crown an “Idol” queen for the first time since Jordin Sparks in 2007. See, the female “Idols” -- Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, especially -- have been far more successful than the male ones and, let's be honest, “Idol” really does need...