porno

Mariah Carey performed a free (if carefully orchestrated) concert at the Hollywood & Highland Complex in Hollywood, CA last night portions of which were broadcast on ABC‘s Jimmy Kimmel Live. Here are a few pics of Ms. Mimi doing her thing on stage last night:

Mariah Carey may now largely avoid the daring vocal acrobatics that marked the beginning of what would become one of the most successful music careers of the last two decades. Hitting the high notes, therefore, wasn’t much of a concern Thursday night in Hollywood. Instead, the singer faced other challenges. Chief among them: Can one of the most recognizable divas in the world emerge from what looked to be a giant plastic mascara box — one that’s placed upon a stage in the middle of a shopping mall — with grace? And do so while ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” is coming back from a commercial break? But Carey’s every stride comes equipped with a happy elegance that would shame beauty pageants the world over. Indeed, while she was performing a free five-song mini-set at Hollywood & Highland’s outdoor mall, which was taped for ABC’s late-night show, Carey might as well have been on a moving parade float, as nary a verse or a chorus was sung without a wave, a nod or a wink to a fan. That’s not to say Thursday evening went off without a hitch. It was a little more than an hour before the 8:30 p.m. show time, and a crisis was brewing. A podium for photographers had been placed stage left, but this would fail to capture Carey’s good side. It must, those working the show bustled, be moved to frame Carey’s right side at once. By the time Kimmel introduced Carey, everything was in its right place, and the singer offered a swift medley of current single “I’ll Be Lovin’ U Long Time” and “E=MC2′s” runaway hit “Touch My Body.” A few minutes later, the singer even stopped to let the crowd photograph her. “Let me pose,” she said, asking the audience to shoot her “at the angle I prefer.” A crowd estimate wasn’t available from on-site security, but earlier Kimmel’s music booker, Scott Igoe, said about 1,000 people would be allowed on the ground floor and an additional 1,000-plus around the upper levels. Some, such as 21-year-old L.A.-resident Stephanie De La Cruz, had been there as early as 9 a.m., and she said she would have been there 24 hours before that had her mother let her. What they witnessed was a brief but professional showing and an unbilled appearance from Southern rapper Young Jeezy. He joined Carey on “Side Effects,” his gruff intonations providing a surprisingly effective counterbalance to Carey’s pleasantly light phrasing.

You know what … Mimi is amazing. It should come as no surprise that an artist of her stature would require absolutely everything be tailored to her exact specifications. I can’t hate the woman for trying to put her best foot forward and look her absolute best for the crowd. Can you imagine what it would be like if Madonna tried to put on a free performance on the streets of Hollywood in front of national television cameras? This sounds pretty tame in comparison.

[Photo credit: Bauer-Griffin; Source]