(It's the only free image I have. Shut up.)
Can one create a "moment?" Let's find out.
Here's a quick rundown of the view from my couch:
Bruno Mars – B+: James Brown's legacy is resting safely, but that was a pretty solid homage to the Godfather, dance moves included.
Alicia Keys/Bonnie Raitt – B+: Really did not expect to love that, but so beautiful and understated.
Chris Brown – (no grade): He's over it, Rihanna's over it, but I'm not. Piss off, Chris Brown.
Jason Aldean/Kelly Clarkson – C: Performing from the set of “Hugo” was a nice touch, though.
Foo Fighters – B: Grohl and company got the same advantage tonight as the President has during the State of the Union, versus the response: NOTHING makes a performance better than an amped crowd.
Rihanna/Coldplay – C-: Combine my least-favorite Brit pop band with one of my least favorite radio songs of the year. Then, please leave me out of it.
Beach Boys tribute – B-: Perfectly acceptable, but so are a lot of the performances of these songs that one might hear in a bar.
Beach Boys – A-: It didn't sound great, and I don't care. It was the Beach Boys! The minus is for wearing a hat that said “Beach Boys,” as if the members needed name tags.
Paul McCartney – B+: What was the random buzzing at the beginning? Otherwise, solid song that, of course, was only disappointing in that it was not a Beatles song.
The Civil Wars – (Incomplete): ...but damn was it great while it lasted. More of that, please.
Taylor Swift – B: I am not made of stone, people. She's cute and sings songs about love. What do you expect?
Katy Perry – A-: I'm a sucker for a great misdirection. THAT was what big budget pop should look and sound like.
Adele – A+: Like watching a brilliant athlete come back from a blown ACL and be just as good, and now maybe a little bit more hungry. (Grammy Producers? *That's* a moment.)
Glen Campbell tribute – C-: Flat and uninspiring.
Glen Campbell – B+: Inspiring. Some songs really do last forever.
Jennifer Hudson – A: Just getting up there with the emotions still so raw is all she needed to do (and all we needed). I've got to admit, I'm surprised by how much this one hurts.
David Guetta/Chris Brown/Deadmau5/Foo Fighters/Lil Wayne – C-: Dance music doesn't translate through a television. I'm sure it was great to be there for this, but it had me reaching for the remote. Liked Deadmau5's new headgear, though.
Nikki Minaj – F: What the holy hell was that?
Paul McCartney redux – B+: If you're going to end a show, end it with something everyone will love. And McCartney, Springsteen, Grohl, etc. trying to one-up each other works.
Comments