Adam Lambert AMA Performance

The '09 American Music Awards featured performances from blockbuster stars like Whitney Houston, Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, Green Day, Eminem and Rihanna, but newcomer Adam Lambert was selected to close out the show, and his performance was advertised as "eye-popping" and something you’d be talking about tomorrow.

With an army of dancers clad in gear that looked like it was inspired by the Haus of Gaga, Lambert strutted across the Nokia Theatre stage, dragging some of his dancers outfitted in S&M gear by harnesses and stopping to caress the legs of others — both men and women. As his band turned out the techno-crunch of his debut single from For Your Entertainment, Lambert bounced around the stage in black leather, hitting his signature high notes.