Ke$ha in Concert

Ke$ha is a hot mess. And she loves it. In the early hours of Valentine's Day, the drunken pop glitter princess stumbled into Manhattan's token underage club, Webster Hall. She sang a brief 5-song set for an audience full of x-marked hands clutching camera phones like there was no tomorrow.

The walls of the packed club shook as the entire audience sang along to what's sure to be a future hit, "Dinosaur." "D-I-N-O-S-A-you-are a dinosaur" -- thank you, Ke$ha, for teaching us to spell. After all, when we wake up in the morning feeling like P. Diddy, remembering basic second grade lessons might be a bit more difficult than it sounds. All snideness aside, Ke$ha certainly seems to be doing something right, judging by the sea of eager fans outside Webster Hall trying to get inside. I was right there with them, pushing my way to the door.

I had been given her album earlier in the week and was genuinely surprised by how quickly songs like "Boots and Boys" got stuck in my head. I was excited to see what all the fuss was about in person. Once inside, I was fighting to breathe just as much if not more than when I was out in the cold. Everyone was freaking out with Ke$ha anticipation, although very few seemed willing to admit they actually liked her. And even fewer seemed willing to admit they knew any songs other than "Tik Tok" -- clearly not the case. She may be a tad bit obnoxious, but maybe that's just an image she's portraying. She may be bisexual, but maybe that's just an image as well. At the very least she did use the confetti cannon she promised OUT when she dropped by the office in early January. And people loved it! Let's just hope that, if this Ke$ha obsession continues to explode, we don't all start brushing our teeth with Jack Daniels.

-- ANDREW WAILES

Previously > First Look: Gaga's "Telephone" Video