Site Hopes to Catalog Every Concert, Ever

900 authors wrote Twitterdammerung libretto in tweets

(NEWSER) - The first-ever Twitter opera—a melding of high tech and high art with a libretto written in chunks of 140 characters—received an unexpectedly positive reception when it opened pver the weekend, the Washington Post reports. One critic called Twitterdammerung “an accident waiting to happen.” But it “was actually not that bad at all," wrote a Daily Telegraph critic. More»

(NEWSER) - The surge in Internet traffic yesterday as Michael Jackson fans searched for information about his death had a deep impact on the Web, Ars Technica reports. Sites as diverse as Twitter and the iTunes Store slowed to a crawl, but perhaps the most profound effect was on Google. The search engine interpreted the high volume as a cyberattack and went into so-called “self-protection mode.” More»

Singing legend claims pop star stole her song at inauguration

(NEWSER) - Etta James has a message for “the great Beyoncé”: She’s “gonna get her ass whupped.” The legendary singer was none too pleased that Beyoncé performed her signature tune, “At Last,” at an inaugural ball, the Daily News reports. James—whom Beyoncé portrayed in Cadillac Records—said recently the younger entertainer “had no business singing my song,” though she didn’t seem to have a problem with her at last year’s film premiere. More»

John Cage piece will reach its conclusion in 2640

(NEWSER) - You can currently catch a performance of John Cage's "Organ²/ASLSP(As SLow aS Possible)" in Halberstadt, Germany—and your great-great-great-(OK, do that 15 more times)-grandchild will be able to catch the end of it. The Washington Post takes a look at the most unusual concert, currently in its 10th year and scheduled to end in 2640. Cage himself did not pick that end-date; 639 years is the length of time between the construction of the first church organ and the 2001 start of his performance, which coincided with Cage's 85th birthday. More»

Rumor mill heats up that company is going public soon

(NEWSER) - Here come the Facebook IPO rumors again. An insider tells Business Insider that employees expect the company to go public soon, possibly next month. "The IPO talk inside Facebook has ramped up the past 6 weeks and Zuckerberg repeatedly has said that it is 'coming,' which he *never* said in the history of Facebook," says the source's email. More»