Ke$ha Covers Outkast With the Arkells and Shad at MMVA After-Party

Posted on Jun 21st 2010 2:45PM by Jonathan Dekel
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The headlines at the Much Music Video Awards may have belonged to the kids stricken with Bieber fever, but the real party began when the lights went out at MuchMusic's downtown Toronto HQ.

As the post-pubescent nominees and celebrities dispersed to corporate-sponsored after-parties to be schmoozed and prodded by eager music industry interns and assorted hangers-on, the MuchMusic Artist Wrap Party inside the hallowed grounds of the legendary Horseshoe Tavern raged harder and later -- thanks to the venue's extended 4AM license for the week -- than any other.

MMVA nominees the Arkells, decked in their finest garb, played a set of energetic Motown inspired covers that got the usually demure industry audience dancing and swinging. Artists on hand included members of Broken Social Scene, Hollerado, rappers K-OS and Shad and, rather surprisingly, a befeathered Ke$ha -- who lived up to her rep as a party girl.

Singer Max Kerman and crew frequently invited friends and fellow artists onstage with them to cover songs by Smokey Robinson, the Supremes, the Beatles, James Brown and the Temptations. Though few actually obliged until the band began a rousing rendition of OutKast's 'Ms. Jackson' towards the end of their set.

First up was Polaris Prize nominee Shad, whom Kerman invited to freestyle as the band ran over the verses. As the MC finished, Kerman broke into the chorus only to find that Ke$ha, who had been dancing with her posse in front of the stage, had jumped up to duet with the singer, instantly turning what was already a crazy night of music into the stuff of after-party legend.