Alicia Keys, Melissa Etheridge Celebrate Al Gore at Nobel Peace Prize Concert

Alicia Keys, KT Tunstall, Melissa Etheridge and Kylie Minogue were among the many musicians and actors on hand last night in Norway at the Nobel Peace Prize concert to honor former Vice President and environmental activist Al Gore. The evening was hosted by Kevin Spacey and Uma Thurman, who called Gore "sexy" and said the former VP "seems to be flourishing and following his calling. It's just the most enviable thing in the world." While the Norwegian Nobel Committee picked the night's performers, Gore was permitted to select one (he chose a rocker who's equally passionate about the environment: Etheridge).

The Peace Prize concerts began in 1994 and have grown exponentially ever since; this year's event was seen by more than 400 million people in 100 countries and will be broadcast in the U.S. on Fox's My TV network in January.

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Song Stories

“Time to Pretend”

MGMT | 2008

Listening to MGMT’s breakthrough song, one might interpret it as being about the excesses of rock stardom, but it’s actually about the duo’s pet praying mantis. Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden told Rolling Stone they got the idea from the insect's jerky movements. The mantis died, but the two bandmates kept the egg sack and allowed the hundreds of eggs to hatch. “We tried to name them all, but they died after a day,” said Goldwasser, with VanWyngarden chiming in, “But the praying mantis dance inspired us.”

More Song Stories entries »

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