YouTube will throw its first live event with Katy Perry, MC Hammer and will.i.am

First, it was MySpace. Now, YouTube is getting in on concert sponsorship. The online video site has announced that it'll throw its first "official live community celebration" (translation: a live performance) at Herbst Pavillion at the Fort Mason Center in San Francisco on Nov. 22. The line-up is culled from YouTube sensations from ye olde pioneer days of the website through '08, and includes Katy Perry, Fred (as in Fred Figglehorn, though we still don't really know who that is), Joe Satriani, Akon, will.i.am, Bo Burnham, MC Hammer, the Spinto Band and Katers17. What, no Evolution of Dance guy?

You might have gotten cognitive whiplash from reading that list. It's all over the map, which is certainly in keeping with YouTube's style, but is that a good thing for a live show? The same random, skittering madness that holds together websites such as YouTube, where you can skip from Obama footage to Florida taser guy to a "South Park" clip, may not bode well for a cohesive live show. Though we'll keep an open mind -- there is a chance that some brilliant mash-ups could occur. The Spinto Band has a sense of humor; surely, they won't waste this opportunity to don some Hammer pants of their own and do a little collabo with the MC.

So, when do all the other online communities, Facebook, Bebo, et al, start throwing their own concerts? YouTube plans to live-stream this show but somehow, I don't think that would work so well for Twitter. Set up instruments (9:58 p.m.). Play awesome show (10:45 p.m.) Hang out in green room, drinking beer (12:02 a.m.).

-- Margaret Wappler

Photo: Katy Perry onstage at the MTV Europe Music Awards from Getty Images. She probably won't have this chapstick cannon at YouTube's show but you never know...