Are the old Beasties back?
I've got to admit that the Beastie Boys attitude over the past few years has kind of gotten on my nerves. They've gotten too political and a little too soft (you don't apologize for "Licensed to Ill" or "Paul's Boutique"!).

However, CNN has an article on their latest tour (which they insist is a pageant) and they sound like their old selves. MCA explains the "pageant" concept:

"We should make it clear that this is not a concert tour, so much as a traveling pageant," says MCA, a.k.a. Adam Yauch. "We tried to gather feedback about the kinds of things that children are into and what came back to us was a pageant, repeatedly."

"It involves certain kinds of dress, certain kinds of festivities, celebrations, feasts or food. I'd like to emphasize the feasts, if I might," Yauch says. "You don't just nosh, you feast; you don't just throw on some clothes, you get dressed, and these are the differentiations."

And then, the dog show that opens the pageant:

"By watching the dog show, I get inspiration," Yauch admits. "'Cause you see them and like, they don't hold back, you know? And they know how to work the crowd. They get up there and they know when to use subtlety."

Finally, they go over their setlist for the tour:

"We go way back," Diamond says. "We do some songs from 'Toys in the Attic,' 'Rocks,' 'Dream On.' "

Yauch chimes in: " 'Destroyer' (referring to a Kiss record)."

"We also do some of our newer songs that we feel really proud of like, 'Dude Looks Like a Lady,' " Diamond says.

Welcome back.