Running Grammy Commentary

8:05 - I guess Madonna is doing okay, but I've never felt nervous or sorry for her before. She looks so out of place, and old, up there right now.

8:10 - Alicia Keys looks almost exactly like one of my students this year.

8:11 - I'm starting to get annoyed with all the lionization of Coretta Scott King, with the death of Bettie Friedan being ignored.

8:12 - How does Stevie Wonder still sound so good at sixtysomething?

8:13 - That Kelly Clarkson son is really good. I remember Howard Stern loved that song and was made fun of for it, but, come on, "Since U Been Gone" is an awesome pop song. I miss Howard Stern.

8:13 - She's a pretty girl.

8:20 - I have no idea who this band is. They sound like Coldplay.

8:25 - "Ordinary People" was one of the best songs of the year. One of my baseball players left the CD in his locker after the season. I loved the CD's simplicity, and this song stands out. I loved hearing it on 92Q when they were overplaying it - a overproduction that is often on that station.

8:32 - John Legend just made me completely turn around and put down the keyboard for a full five minutes. Wow. (Didn't like the strings too much, though.)

8:41 - I think that was the longest commercial ever.

8:43 - Yeah, I guess it would be cool to see U2 live sometime. Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan are my two "must-see's" before I die, though. But Bruce way before Bob. And Dan Bern and Melissa Ferrick before all of 'em.

8:45 - Sweet! This is why I love the Grammies performances - the collaborations. Mary J. Blige looks great and sounds great. Whenever I see something like this - an R&B great singing in front of a great rock band - I wonder what my students think of it.

8:47 - Oh my god, Mary J. just made me get goosebumps. She just blew me away. She sounds like she's pouring her soul out. She and Bono sounded amazing together.

8:49 - Yeah! Late Registration wins. I have fears that Mariah Carey will win all these undeserved Grammies instead of Kanye tonight, but at least he's got this one. God, I hope he says something crazy.

8:51 - No, he didn't say anything cool. He just came off as arrogant. I can deal with that. I can't believe U2 and he went on tour.

8:58 - I hope I'm not sacrificing my masculinity to say that I like this other Kelly Clarkson song as well. (Heh. As if running a Grammies commentary isn't sacrificial enough.)

9:02 - Gwen Stefani and Billie Joe Armstong both became big the year I graduated from high school. I never would have imagined that I'd still know Gwen Stefani's name now. I still can't detect any talent, and she still hasn't released a good song since her first one ("Just a Girl," which was a goofy trifle but fun). Green Day, not so surprising.

9:19 - Great nominees in the R&B Male Vocal performance category. John Legend, the most deserved, wins. Mario's song was actually really good as well. By the way, the Black Eyed Peas were tools as they presented.

9:20 - John Legend's speech was perfection - intelligent, humble, and revealing. So, of course, they cut him off by playing hurry-up music in the background.

9:40 - Long break to talk with the co-horts. I don't much care for Mariah Carey. Never have, never will.

9:51 - I'm getting bored. I like Awards shows (well, the big three), but I do get bored. I'm excited about Sly and the Family Stone and Kanye West performing, though.

10:35 - I've almost completely lost interest. The Sly and the Family Stone performance was anticlimactic. Even Bruce Springsteen was a bit of a letdown. Still looking forward to Kanye West performing.

10:46 - Finally, Kanye West wakes this show out of its slumber. I'm now worshipping at the alter of Kanye West. Again.

10:47 - Wow, Kanye didn't win. What a ridiculous decision. I bet he goes crazy in the press about it. For a record that has been out for two years.

11:27 - Yes, it's still going. U2 gave a very gracious speech for Album of the Year. I'm going to bed.