Fear and loathing in Las Vegas are in notably short supply during Gym Class Heroes' show in late June at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. "I've had problems with pharmaceuticals for ten years, and I stand in front of you four and a half months sober, and I feel good as fuck!" exclaims frontman Travis McCoy to the roaring crowd.

By: Matt Diehl

When he was courted by major labels this past year, Cody Chesnutt had two demands: (1) release the singer/songwriter's funk-rock, lo-fi freakout debut, The Headphone Masterpiece, as a two-disc set, complete with tape hiss; and (2) videotape every label meeting for Breaking the Masterpiece, a documentary tracking his rise (Chesnutt canceled a meeting with DreamWorks when one exec refused to appear on camera).