Last week when Rolling Stone debated who rocked baseball’s Opening Day the best, we overlooked the fact that Seattle, the home of grunge and the Mariners, didn’t hold their opening day festivities until yesterday. To celebrate their first game, the Mariners welcomed Washington State natives Death Cab For Cutie onto the field pregame to treat the crowd to two classic baseball tracks, “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” and a cover of John Fogerty’s “Centerfield.” Watch the performance above (via TwentyFourBit).

Bonus points to singer Ben Gibbard for busting out a Mariners cap with the old school triton logo — former Mariner Harold Reynolds would be proud. Gibbard also threw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to “Play Ball!” and by all accounts his pitching mechanics were a lot better than those displayed by southpaw Barack Obama when the President tossed the first pitch at the Washington Nationals game last week. Below, check out Gibbard and Nick Harmer’s pregame interview.

Bonus: Yesterday was also Opening Day for the Philadelphia Phillies, which gave the Phanatic an opportunity to dress up like Lady Gaga and harass the Washington Nationals’ third base coach. Video below.

Related Stories:

• Rob Sheffield on Who Rocked Baseball’s Opening Day Hardest
• Dr. Dre Drops “Detox” News at the Red Sox Opening Day Game

The White Stripes’ concert film Under Great White Northern Lights is currently blowing out speakers in cinemas all over this country and Canada, and Rolling Stone has another taste of the pandemonium that’s in store for lucky filmgoers with a screenings in their ‘hoods. Watch Jack White absolutely thrash his guitar during a cover of Son House’s “Death Letter,” just one of nearly 30 tracks that will feature in the White Stripes’ doc about their odd 2007 tour of Canada, a trek that featured impromptu performances on fishing boats, public buses and elementary school classrooms.

Relive the tour with our White Stripes’ Canadian Adventure photo gallery.

In addition to the theatrical dates below, the White Stripes are also inviting their fans to host their own screenings on March 16th, which the band has dubbed “White Stripes Day.” People who apply to host a screening will receive a kit featuring a DVD of UGWNL, popcorn and, of course, peppermint swirl candy. So far, screenings range from 400-seat theaters to private living room settings. If you want to host your own White Stripes party or watch the film’s trailer, head over to the official site (applications are due by March 10th). Otherwise, see Under Great White North Lights on the big screen at one of the fine movie houses below.

March 3rd
MINNEAPOLIS – Sound Unseen @ 6:00pm, 7:45pm and 9:45pm
TORONTO, Ontario – The Royal Theatre @ 9:00pm

March 4th
PORTLAND – Mcmenamin’s Bagdad Theater @ 7:00pm
TORONTO, Ontario – The Royal Theatre @ 7:00pm
SYDNEY, NOVA SCOTIA — Cape Breton Island Film Series and East Coast Music Awards at Empire Theatre @ 9:30 pm

March 8th
PHILADELPHIA – Trocadero Theatre @ 6:45pm
CHICAGO – The Music Box @ 7:30pm

March 9th
LOS ANGELES – The Egyptian Theater @ 8:00pm

March 10th
NEW YORK CITY – IFC Center @ 8:00pm
ATLANTA – The Plaza Theatre @ 7:30pm
OTTAWA, ONTARIO – Mayfair Theatre @ 9pm

March 11th
SAN FRANCISCO – Variety Screening Room @ 6:30pm
NEW YORK CITY – IFC Center @ 7:00pm and 9:00pm
DETROIT – Burton Theater @ 9:00pm
OTTAWA, ONTARIO – Mayfair Theatre @ 9pm

March 12th
WASHINGTON DC – AFI Silver Theatre & Cultural Center @ 9:30pm
AUSTIN – SXSW Film Festival Premiere, Paramount Theater @ 10:00pm
EDMONTON, Alberta – Metro Cinema in the Citadel Theatre @ 9:00pm

March 13th
SALT LAKE CITY – Tower Theater @ 7:00pm
BOSTON – Brattle Theater @ 9:45pm
EDMONTON, Alberta – Metro Cinema in the Citadel Theatre @ 9:30pm
KANSAS CITY – Screenland Armour @ 7 and 9pm

March 14th
EDMONTON, Alberta – Metro Cinema in the Citadel Theatre @ 9:00pm
SASKATOON, Saskatchewan – Broadway Cinema @ 7:00pm

March 15th
SAN FRANCISCO – Roxie Theater @ 9:45pm

Related Stories:

• Watch the White Stripes’ “Dead Leaves and Dirty Ground” From “Under Nova Scotian Lights”
• Jack White on the Stripes’ Rise, Industry’s Fall and His Next Move
• The White Stripes Turning Tour Doc Into Limited Edition Box Set

Fleming jumps from Mozart and Carmen to Jefferson Airplane, Duffy and Mars Volta on Dark Hope, and she says her primary goal was interpreting the songs in a way that made sense for her own unique voice. “Every song has a story, so this whole idea of enacting or playing a role is doubly true for this music.” Fleming’s sister and two daughters also join her on Dark Soul as backup singers.

Fleming is set to take on Band of Horses’ “No One’s Gonna Love You,” Arcade Fire’s “Intervention” and Tears For Fears’ “Mad World.” She’ll also become the latest singer to violate Leonard Cohen’s call for a moratorium on “Hallelujah” covers, but we’re sure Cohen would give a voice like Fleming special permission to tackle the classic track.

Dark Hope Track List:

“Endlessly” (Muse)
“No One’s Gonna Love You” (Band of Horses)
“Oxygen” (Willy Mason)
“Today” (Jefferson Airplane)
“Intervention” (Arcade Fire)
“With Twilight As My Guide” (The Mars Volta)
“Mad World” (Tears for Fears)
“In Your Eyes” (Peter Gabriel)
“Stepping Stone” (Duffy)
“Soul Meets Body” (Death Cab For Cutie)
“Hallelujah” (Leonard Cohen)

Nearly eight months after Michael Jackson died due to “acute Propofol intoxication,” the singer’s personal physician Dr. Conrad Murray has been charged with involuntary manslaughter by the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office for his role in the King of Pop’s sudden death on June 25th, 2009, CNN reports. In a press release, the D.A.’s office writes that Murray “did unlawfully, and without malice, kill Michael Joseph Jackson … in the commission of an unlawful act, not a felony; and in the commission of a lawful act which might have produced death, in an unlawful manner, and without due caution and circumspection.” If found guilty, Murray faces a maximum four-year prison sentence.

As Rolling Stone previously reported, Jackson’s death was ruled a homicide after a toxicology report discovered that the powerful sedative Propofol and other sedatives ultimately caused Jackson to go into cardiac arrest. Investigators have long accused Murray of using “gross negligence” in administering Propofol to Jackson, because the sedative is meant to be used strictly in hospital settings for patients recovering from surgery. In interviews with police, Murray admitted administering Propofol to Jackson after the singer himself requested the sedative, which he dubbed “milk” because of its cloudy white appearance, to help his insomnia.

Charges were expected to be filed last week in the case, but a conflict between the District Attorney’s office and the Los Angeles Police Department delayed the charges until today. Murray entered the Airport Court in Los Angeles to surrender to the LAPD just before 1 p.m. PST, where he was arraigned on the involuntary manslaughter charge. Murray pleaded not guilty to the charge. TMZ reports bail was set at $75,000, three times the usual bail in a case like this. Prosecutors originally sought bail of $300,000 because Murray was born outside the country and could be considered a flight risk. Murray was forced to give up his passport as part of the terms of his bail agreement. Members of Michael Jackson’s family were in attendance for the arraignment. According to the D.A.’s press release, Deputy District Attorney David Walgren will prosecute the case.

Related Stories:

• No Charges for Jackson Doctor Yet; Conrad Murray Expected to Surrender to Cops
• Source: Dr. Murray Likely to Face Manslaughter for Jackson Death
• Michael Jackson’s Death Officially Ruled Homicide

(Credit: Scott Gries/ MTV)

Sometimes the walls close in, the pressure and temperature rise, it all gets too much, and the need to mosh becomes most apparent.

Look, I like an engaging narrative in my music video as much as the next bro. There’s nothing like a love story, or a comical mishap or two people shooting machine guns while walking towards one another to get me interested in a clip. But sometimes, if the tune is right, you don’t need all the ornamentation.

San Fran band Set Your Goals know this. That’s why their not-so-new, but still rad video for “This Will Be The Death Of Us” (taken from the ‘09 album of the same name) more or less cuts to the chase and gets to the moshing. Even if it’s just in my chair.

After some brief emoting by singer Matt Wilson, the hammer drops in the chorus and singer Jordan Brown (yeah, TWO SINGERS) whips the gathered horde into a frothing, camel-kicking fury, as he sings about “terrible lies.” Lies are a major trope of hardcore punk rock.

Set Your Goals are currently on tour with Motion City Soundtrack. Stay tuned for full-length performance footage from Set Your Goals’ live show with Motion City Soundtrack at New York’s Irving Plaza from Tuesday, February 2.

Rolling Stone unveiled our Best Albums and Best Songs of 2009 — now it’s the artists’ turn. Check out who Death Cab for Cutie, Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz and 3OH!3 had on repeat this year (and read Kings of Leon’s Jared Followill’s picks):

Death Cab for Cutie
Brand New Eyes by Paramore
Chris Walla: “I was surprised at what a totally well-written, well-constructed record it was, and I guess I wasn’t expecting that totally. I wasn’t sure if they were going to turn into something super accomplished or fluffy. But it’s pretty tough!”

Tight Knit by Vetiver
Ben Gibbard: “It’s a very easy, California-type record that flows really nicely.”

Magnolia by the Wooden Birds
Walla: “It’s the best batch of songs he’s ever written. It’s this guy Andrew Kenny who used to be in the American Analog Set who we’re friends with from way back when, it’s a beautiful record.”

Gibbard: “I think it’s up there with the best three albums he’s ever made. He made a singer-songwriter record but did it the right way. It has a lot of space in it — I feel like the last couple of years we’ve been drowning in music in reverb a little too much. This is a nice dry record.”

Pete Wentz
Hot Mess by Cobra Starship
“I think there’s a lot of bands that try really hard to be serious and there are a lot of people that try too hard to have fun, but they’re genuinely fun guys and it came through on this record.”

The Blueprint 3 by Jay-Z
“It’s the best record of the year. It’s just an angry hot record.”

3OH!3
It’s Not Me, It’s You by Lily Allen
Nate Motte: “The producer, Greg Kurstin, is an idol of mine, and she writes great lyrics. It’s a really charming record.”

Man on the Moon: The End of Day by Kid Cudi
Sean Foreman: “I think he’s an innovative rapper. He brings something new to the table and he’s not afraid to get a little experimental with what he does.”

Five years ago today, Pantera and Damageplan guitarist “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott was killed onstage during a concert in Ohio by a deranged fan. It was an event that shook rock & roll to its core: it robbed the world of a guitar great and gave every musician who steps on a stage pause. Dimebag is still considered one of the greatest guitarists of his era and genre, and a whole new generation of heavy metal acts and fans list Abbott among their chief influences.

“The shit he did, that’s what got me into heavy music — Vulgar Display of Power,” Korn’s Jonathan Davis told RS at last year’s OzzFest fest, which featured an all-star jam in honor of Abbott. “The first time I ever saw them live, before Korn was even signed, it was Pantera and Sepultura at Irvine Meadows in L.A. They came out, started the first song, the curtain dropped, and me and Fieldy just started crying. We looked at each other and we had tears in our eyes because it was so fucking intense and heavy and sick.”

Look back RS‘ coverage of Abbott’s life and career here:

• Obituary: Dimebag Darrell Abbott
• Special Report: Five Dead in Ohio
• Jonathan Davis, Serj Tankian Remember Dimebag at Ozzfest
• Dimebag Darrell Abbott Honored With Ozzfest Superjam

Look back at Jackson’s career, in photos.

As Rolling Stone previously reported, the person at the center of the investigation into Jackson’s death is the singer’s personal physician Dr. Conrad Murray, who allegedly administered the dose of propofol (a strong sedative strictly for hospital use) and other sedatives that ultimately led to Jackson’s cardiac arrest. The county coroner ruled that Jackson died of “acute propofol intoxication” and classified the death as a homicide. Even before the coroner’s ruling, search warrants of Murray’s home and offices revealed that the doctor was suspected in a manslaughter investigation.

Allegedly, the LA district attorney has already had Murray’s girlfriend Nicole Alvarez testify before a grand jury panel. Murray reportedly called Alvarez after he administered propofol to Jackson, leaving the star unattended. Murray then waited a long duration before calling paramedics after Jackson had stopped breathing. Murray has denied any wrongdoing in Jackson’s death.

Michael Jackson fans react to the star’s death: photos.

This isn’t the first time the Los Angeles district attorney’s office has hesitated before filing criminal charges in a high-profile case. According to the LA Times, music producer Phil Spector wasn’t charged with murder until a year after actress Lana Clarkson was killed by a gunshot wound in his mansion. Spector was found guilty earlier this year.

Related Stories:
Janet Jackson Blames Dr. Murray for Michael’s Death in Interview
Michael Jackson’s Death Officially Ruled Homicide
Conrad Murray’s Lawyer Disputes “Police Theory” in Jackson’s Death

Introduced by David Cross — one of the many bearded bros at the Woodie Awards — Death Cab plows through the song as if it’d been a staple of their live sets for years. I wonder if guitarist Chris Walla was thinking about his favorite Twilight character (Bella’s dad!) while he was jamming away there.

Watch the 2009 mtvU Woodies Friday, December 4, at 10 p.m. ET on mtvU, MTV, MTV2, and Palladia.

In this video interview, taken during Death Cab’s mtvU Woodie Award rehearsals (that’s The Dead Weather rehearsing in the background), guitarist Chris Walla and bassist Nick Harmer sound off on a few Twilight issues.

Chris declares his preference for Bella’s unassuming dad out of all the Twilight characters, while Nick drops some knowledge on Twilight’s larger appeal, relating it to the current political climate and consumerism.

Nick Harmer then opens a HUGE can of worms by openly speculating on the chances of a Twilight musical. (As opposed to Twilight the Musical, the YouTube parody.) Wonder if Death Cab would be up for scoring that?