Live review: Chris Brown at the Avalon

A little singing, a little dancing from the performer in his first local show since his sentencing.

Chris Brown had already pleaded guilty to assaulting his then-girlfriend Rihanna earlier this year. But Wednesday night at the Avalon, in his first local performance since being sentenced to probation and community service in the February altercation in L.A., Brown still seemed to be offering up character witnesses in an attempt to prove, as he insists in a widely circulated YouTube video, that he's no monster.

First up was Keri Hilson, who appeared not long into Brown's hourlong set and sang her hit "Turnin' Me On." Hilson was followed by Ester Dean, whose song "Drop It Low" features a cameo from Brown. Later, the singer introduced a medley of Michael Jackson covers as a homage to his "homie, friend and loved one." And near the end of the show, during "No Air," Brown even pressed squeaky-clean "American Idol" winner Jordin Sparks into service, trading verses with Sparks' recorded voice in a duet that has surely taken on new meaning in Brown's mind over the last nine months of smothering media scrutiny.

If the female-heavy crowd at the Avalon was serving as Brown's jury, the testimonials had their desired effect: This was precisely the sort of adoring audience Brown presumably intended to draw by calling his current trek, which launched last week in Houston, the Fan Appreciation Tour. The singer made no mention of the Rihanna incident; instead, he repeatedly announced that he was in the mood to party.

Chris Brown announces L.A. date: Too soon? [UPDATED]

Wasting no time to return to the public eye, controversial R&B singer Chris Brown has confirmed a  date at the Avalon in Hollywood, promising an "intimate performance" on Nov. 18. The official announcement, oddly enough, comes on the same day that Rihanna released her new single, the stark "Russian Roulette."

In late August, Brown was sentenced to five years' probation and 180 days' community labor -- to be personally supervised by the chief of police in Richmond, Va. -- in connection with his attack on former girlfriend Rihanna.

Brown will soon see how forgiving pop audiences are of him. Tickets for his Nov. 18 performance, produced by Live Nation, will go on sale Friday via the promoter's website.The concert will promote his forthcoming release "Graffiti." 

Chris Brown to plead guilty to felony charge

L.A. Now is following the story: 

A plea deal has been reached between Los Angeles prosecutors and pop star Chris Brown, who is accused of assaulting singer Rihanna before the Grammy Awards.

Brown will plead guilty to a felony and receive six months in jail or community labor -- such as graffiti removal or trash pickup -- and five years' formal probation. He will also undergo domestic violence counseling. Judge Patricia Schnegg said he will be allowed to complete counseling, community labor and probation in his native Virginia, but is to be treated there like any other offender.

Stay tuned to L.A. Now for the latest updates. 

Chris Brown pleads not guilty to assaulting Rihanna

R&B singer Chris Brown today pleaded not guilty to a felony charge that he bit, punched, choked and threatened his pop star girlfriend, Rihanna.

A judge set a hearing for April 29, when a preliminary hearing could be scheduled.

Nearly 100 media representatives jammed the downtown courthouse entrance as Brown came through about 3:30. Deputies shielded Brown and escorted him to a freight elevator.

All available L.A. County Sheriff's deputies were summoned to the area. Although Rihanna's attorney was in court, the pop star did not attend the hearing.

Read more on L.A. Now.

Chris Brown removes himself from kids' awards as public comment intensifies

Talk show hosts speak out. Colleagues speak up. In the midst of it all, the singer has withdrawn himself from the Kids' Choice Awards.

Chris Brown, who is facing felony charges for allegedly attacking his girlfriend, pop singer Rihanna, withdrew Wednesday from Nickelodeon's hugely popular Kids' Choice Awards.

The pullout further fuels an escalating public relations fire around the 19-year-old singer, who has become a renewed target of outrage, particularly among daytime talk show hosts, since the release of court papers last week that said the R&B singer punched, bit and choked his girlfriend after an exclusive pre-Grammys party on Feb. 8.

The departure spared cable's Nickelodeon, built on such kid-friendly rating successes as "SpongeBob SquarePants" and "iCarly," more embarrassment as pressure mounted from parents' groups this week to have the singer removed from the prestigious list of nominees, which also included Jack Black, Reese Witherspoon and Brown's 21-year-old girlfriend, Rihanna.

Last week, a Superior Court judge postponed Brown's arraignment until next month. The Virginia native, who is charged with assault and making criminal threats, faces a maximum sentence of nearly five years in prison if convicted.

Even as late as Tuesday, Nickelodeon officials had said they would not turn away Brown from the March 28 awards ceremony, which is as famous for attracting A-list celebrities as for dropping green slime on them.

The 19-year-old was nominated by kids' votes several months ago in the categories for favorite male singer and favorite song.

"Chris very much appreciates the support of his fans and the honor they have paid him in the way of nominations," said a posting on the singer's website. "Unfortunately, the controversy surrounding the incident last month has shifted the focus from the music to whether he should be allowed to be among those nominated.

Read more Chris Brown removes himself from kids' awards as public comment intensifies

Photo credit: AP

EXCLUSIVE: Details revealed on Rihanna and Chris Brown's new love song

EXCLUSIVE:

Multi-platinum-selling record producer Polow da Don has exclusively confirmed to The Times that he has been in the studio recently with Rihanna and Chris Brown, recording an as-yet-untitled love song that is scheduled to appear on Brown's new album later this year.

Polow (government name: Polow-Freache Jamal Fincher Jones) -- who has crafted hits for a constellation of hip-hop and R&B stars including Ludacris, the Pussycat Dolls, Rich Boy and Ciara -- issued the following statement to The Times:

Chris Brown arraignment postponed

During a court hearing in downtown Los Angeles today, an attorney for Chris Brown postponed his arraignment until April 6. Brown also signed a "waiver of presence" that the judge agreed to, meaning that he would not have to appear in court for mostly procedural matters.

Brown signed the waiver in open court. The judge told Brown that he was ordered not to "annoy, harass, or threaten ..." (garbled). The judge asked [Donald] Etra if Rihanna required a stay-away order, to which Etra responded "Ms. Fenty does not require that type of order."

More on L.A. Now.

-- Richard Winton, Ari B. Bloomekatz and Harriet Ryan

The Chris Brown, Rihanna court documents

Times reporters Richard Winton and Harriet Ryan are following the latest developments regarding Chris Brown's alleged Feb. 8 assault on Rihanna on news blog L.A. Now. The Times has posted the court documents filed this morning here.

As Winton and Ryan report, Brown has been charged with two felonies that carry the possibility of prison time. The document identified the victim in the incident as “Robyn F.” Rihanna’s full name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty.

In the complaint, prosecutors alleged that Brown threatened “to commit a crime which would result in death” to Rihanna and that what Brown threatened “was so unequivocal, unconditional, immediate and specific as to convey ... a gravity of purpose and an immediate prospect of execution.”

She was in fear of her safety or the safety of her family during the alleged attack, according to the complaint.

Brown, who is free on $50,000 bail, is due to be arraigned on the charges this afternoon in Superior Court.

Check L.A. Now for the latest developments.

-- Reporting by Richard Winton and Harriet Ryan

Photo: Getty Images

LAPD probes Rihanna beating photo

The Los Angeles Police Department opened an internal investigation late Thursday into whether a picture posted on a celebrity gossip website purportedly showing the bloody and bruised face of R&B star Rihanna was part of police evidence in the case, department officials said in a statement.

The photo posted by TMZ.com at 8:39 p.m. Eastern Standard Time time under the headline "Rihanna -- The Face of a Battered Woman" showed a woman said to be Rihanna with her eyes closed, a fat lip and apparent bruising to her forehead. The site ran a short sentence above the photo stating "TMZ has obtained a photo of Rihanna taken after Chris Brown allegedly beat her."

The LAPD currently is investigating an alleged altercation between Rihanna and singer Chris Brown, who police said injured the female artist during a fight the couple had last week in a Hancock Park neighborhood the morning of the Grammy Awards.

The department issued a statement that said the photograph has the appearance of one taken during an official domestic violence investigation.

"The Los Angeles Police Department takes seriously its duty to maintain the confidentiality of victims of domestic violence," it read. "The Department launched an immediate internal investigation and subsequently filed a personnel complaint. A violation of this type is considered serious misconduct, with penalties up to and including termination."

Read the full story on L.A. Now.

--Richard Winton and Andrew Blankstein

Photo credit: Getty Images

The Los Angeles Police Department opened an internal investigation late Thursday into whether a picture posted on a celebrity gossip website purportedly showing the bloody and bruised face of R&B star Rihanna was part of police evidence in the case, department officials said in a statement.

The photo posted by TMZ.com at 8:39 p.m. Eastern Standard Time time under the headline "Rihanna -- The Face of a Battered Woman" showed a woman said to be Rihanna with her eyes closed, a fat lip and apparent bruising to her forehead. The site ran a short sentence above the photo stating "TMZ has obtained a photo of Rihanna taken after Chris Brown allegedly beat her."

The LAPD currently is investigating an alleged altercation between Rihanna and singer Chris Brown, who police said injured the female artist during a fight the couple had last week in a Hancock Park neighborhood the morning of the Grammy Awards.

The department issued a statement that said the photograph has the appearance of one taken during an official domestic violence investigation.

"The Los Angeles Police Department takes seriously its duty to maintain the confidentiality of victims of domestic violence," it read. "The Department launched an immediate internal investigation and subsequently filed a personnel complaint. A violation of this type is considered serious misconduct, with penalties up to and including termination."

Read the full story on L.A. Now.

--Richard Winton and Andrew Blankstein

Photo credit: Getty Images

Wednesday updates: Chris Brown, Ticketmaster / Live Nation

Here's the latest on the two big stories reverberating through the music world this week.

• L.A. Now continues to track the Chris Brown/Rihanna story, and reports that the decision by the Los Angeles County district attorney's office to have police do further investigating in the assault case involving the R&B star is not that unusual.

“It is clear that they are trying to have every 't' crossed and 'i' dotted,” said lawyer Michael Kraut, who prosecuted hundreds of domestic violence cases during 14 years as a deputy district attorney.

Kraut said that in an attempt to nail down every element of the alleged crime, prosecutors sometimes send police back to videotape witness accounts, secure hospital records or gather documentation of the couple’s relationship.

The district attorney’s office said LAPD investigators presented the case to prosecutors Tuesday morning and, after reviewing the material, directed detectives to do further investigation before returning to them. R&B star Rihanna is cooperating with investigators building a domestic violence case against her boyfriend, Brown, according to law enforcement sources.

Read the rest of the L.A. Now story here. Meanwhile, Brown's advertising endorsements continue to be affected.

• The proposed merger of Ticketmaster and Live Nation may not be a completely done deal. The Justice Department says it will investigate the proposed merger, reports the Associated Press.

Department spokeswoman Gina Talamona said Wednesday that the agency will vigorously enforce antitrust laws and therefore thoroughly investigate the proposed merger. U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-N.J.) has urged the deal to be "carefully scrutinized."

-- Todd Martens

Photo: Associated Press