The 52nd Grammy Awards went down last night, live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles - and from where I sat and watched, this is what my experience was:
First - EVERYONE looked great, men woman and children all got gussied up to the nines. Lady Gaga arrived in yellow hair and some sort of hoopie-twirly dress with shoes that made me ask myself - "how?!" Katy Perry's bangs were placed into perfection while wearing a lovely gold number. Rhianna dressed in white with a great feather collar, yet it looked like her hips swallowed some shoulder pads from the 80's. Even Adam Lambert, who I believe borrowed Colonel Sanders of KFC's tie looked quite dapper!
So since the Grammys are all about music, and the live performances - let's discuss. Opening the show was Lady Gaga and Sir Elton John's duet (who is now dubbed as Lady John). Two fierce performers that proved to the world - THIS is how its done! P!nk captured everyone with her performance, hands down, the best of the night. (I now will do everything upside down with some water to ensure I perform to the best of my abilities as well!) We were introduced to the Broadway cast of Green Day's "American Idiot" live on stage where they moved everyone while performing "21 Guns". Wow!
Then we have the...well... "awkward" moments of the broadcast:
Ryan Seacrest introducing Taylor Swift. Are the having some sort of affair? With all due respect, I did loose a few gallons of respect for what was to come after his over-exaggerated intro to Taylor.
Then she performed, Taylor Swift that is. (Notice I said "perform," not "sang"...) The overall consensus is, as pretty as she is, as lovely as her big white teeth are, and how great of a song writer she can be, singing live is something she should reconsider!
Then, the lovely and talented lady from yesteryear was invited to be by her side- Stevie Nicks! Still singing strong, looked very pretty, yet I had to wonder, at which point did she agree to be Ms. Swifts backup tambourine player?! (After a moment of screaming at my tv, she indeed did hear me and walked off stage-right.)
Then there was THE most talked about moment. The tribute to Michael Jackson, in 3D! Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson, Smokey Robinson, Carrie Underwood and Usher - all joined together on stage in front of the ginormous video wall, singing along with the late Michael Jackson. Truly moving. (I forgot to hit Target for my 3D glasses, so it did cause some stirring in my stomach to watch...plus Celine in 3D honestly scared me.)
After we all were touched by Michael (insert a tasteless comment here ____ ), his children, Prince Michael and Paris, appeared with their little red arm bands - spoke very eloquently, thanking everyone. I had to wonder if Grandpa Joe was behind all this. Felt a bit like the poor kids were being used and exploited a tad. Then, as if Michael could hear my thoughts - they broke for commercial and there it was..."This Is It' Now available on DVD and Blu-Ray" came screaming out of my surround sound. Yes, the kids can now send THEIR grandkids to college!
After all that, we were touched once again - this time watching and listening to musical magic unfold as Mary J. Blige and Andrea Bocelli performed 'Bridge Over Troubled Water', a salute to Haiti. Bocelli's haunting voice paired with Mary J's
raspy powerful and soulful voice was really a brilliant match. Kudos to producers for that one.
All in all- it was a magical night. I have to admit, I was sort of waiting for Kanye to do something fabulous, but apparently his people had him handcuffed in some undisclosed location.
The stars shined, the moments occurred, the good...the bad...and the awkward. I was so entertained by everything, I forgot to even pay attention to who won!?
Or, maybe I just blocked it out.
