As Madonna sings, “Music makes the people come together,” but music can also be slightly entertaining, sometimes humorous and often downright boring. Unfortunately at the 43rd Annual Grammys, this was the case. It was music’s big dance and the night of a one-time-only duet performance of Eminem and Elton John.
The Grammys began the night with the cluby “Music” from Madonna, during which the underage Lil’ Bow Wow drove on stage with a pimpmobile and a bunch of new-age dancers who grooved with the queen of pop. For a few moments, it could have passed as the MTV Music Awards, but one glance at the tuxes would bring any viewer back to the reality of the Grammys. This stage was set for the roller-coaster themes of the night-youthful exuberance yanked back by baby boomer sensibility.
Jon Stewart hosted the gala with mixed appeal. His intro included jokes about a gay Eminem and comic punches at Puff Daddy and his criminal trial.
Tempered laughter and silence followed much of the commentary. The crowd continued to wait for the night’s musical controversy-bad boy Eminem-to unfold. Stewart’s hosting job didn’t fail completely, but his recycled jokes and inexperienced hosting left much to be desired.
The rest of the presenters, Toni Braxton, Dolly Parton, Heather Locklear and Stevie Wonder, all showed their inability to read a teleprompter. The dialogue was about as enjoyable as listening to the Weather Channel. The only thing worth seeing during the presentation was the outrageous clothes, like Braxton’s dress, which was held together with tape.
However, the Grammys did what the Grammys do best: music. Mediocre hosting and presentations were saved by excellent musical performances.
U2 not only had a great awards night but also put on an energized performance of “Beautiful Day.” Bono spent much of the song walking through the crowd while singing.
N’Sync sang one of they’re less “poppy” love ballads to an unmoved crowd, but they may have just been shocked that Justin Timberlake shaved his head. Faith Hill put on a breathless performance of “Breathe,” and she serenaded both the audience and her husband, Tim McGraw.
Stewart had a rare comedic moment, and thought Faith was singing to him. There was nothing funny about these performances, but there certainly was musical skill.
Some other memorable performances came from Sheryl Crow singing with this year’s winner of Best New Artist, Shelby Lynne and a the legendary Paul Simon.
The best performances of the night came from Moby. The Blue Man Group joined in the routine, along with an eclectic backdrop resembling something out of a dance club. “Natural Blues” built up its momentum and power through the set.
The wild Blue Men shot silver streamers above of the crowd to accompany a pounding bass line and Moby on guitar. The amazing performance ended with a standing ovation. You could feel the energy even sitting in your living room. It harkened back to the Copa de la Vida performance by Ricky Martin that blew the crowd away two years ago.
The final performance was the reason everyone tuned in at night, protester or music fan. The audience wanted to see what Eminem was going to do.
Before he was introduced, the president of the academy gave a disclaimer, regarding music, its effect and our responsibility. The speech reminded people that they were rewarding musical talent, not condoning misogyny.
Eminem and Elton were a good duo. Both men performed “Stan” with great enthusiasm and showmanship. The song ended with a touching hug between the two very different entertainers and Eminem flipping off the crowd, a gentle reminder that Slim Shady won’t sell out.
Big wins came in threes. Faith Hill took away awards in the Best Female Country Vocal Performance, Best Country Collaboration and Best Country Album categories.
Eminem received three honors, and even he seemed gracious. U2 had a huge night, taking a trio of the gold ones as well, including Record and Song of the Year. Bono was surprisingly humble and humorous.
The surprise of the night came with the Album of the Year and two other awards going to Steely Dan for their Two Against Nature album. They were certainly the underdogs and showed about as much emotion as a paper bag upon receiving each award.
The night’s festivities had no clear victor unlike Santana’s eight wins last year. Musically, the show was entertaining and fresh, but fewer people tuned in.
Most of the winners were colorful, but the presentation was bland. However, the 43rd Grammys should be filed as a modest success. Forget about the show and pick up the award-winning CDs because the music is what it’s all about.
