Jonas Brothers dig '80s music
The Jonas Brothers Thursday night at Nokia Theatre. (Randy Eli Grothe/DMN)
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The Jonas Brothers Thursday night at Nokia Theatre. (Randy Eli Grothe/DMN)
When Eric Clapton played New York Monday with old Blind Faith-mate Steve Winwood, they took another crack at "Sleeping in the Ground" by Sam Myers, the late Dallas bluesman who sang with Anson Fundergburgh & the Rockets. Slowhand and Winwood originally cut "Sleeping" nearly 40 years ago. Here's my obit on Sam from 2006.
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Did you get tickets to the sold-out show tonight at Nokia Theatre? Parents, what did you go through to get tickets? Tell us your story.
And if you're one of the lucky ticket holders, don't forget to come back and tell us how the show went. If you're not, you can still shriek-and-freak when the bros come back to town next Tuesday.
The singer and actress is launching a social networking site through Kraft Foods aimed at women, where she and three other personalities issue challenges to members and offer ideas for cocktail parties, personal style and other fun stuff. Upumpitup's decidedly un-Mypsace but still, eh, cute.
A Barbie doll with a heart. (Courtesy of Dolly Records)
Visit the music section for new music reviews and lists of CDs that will be in stores today. Then, tell us what you think. Leave your review below.
Bob Dylan had barely started his show Saturday night at House of Blues when an over-excited female fan ran onstage and tried to get his attention --- a bizarre scene captured on Youtube. (The stage-crashing occurs a minute into the video). At least she didn't rip off her shirt ala the "Soy Bomb" nut case who ran onstage when Zimmy played the '98 Grammys.
(From Dance Halls & Dreamers)
• Review: Pat Green's book sings praises of Texas dance halls
• Blog: Sons of Hermann on danced-out Texas dance hall list
• More info: dancehallsanddreamers.com
I'm kinda' excited about Nick Lowe (real rock 'n roll royalty) coming to the Sons of Hermann Hall on April 17. (Presented by Mike Snider / Allgood Cafe.) I'm thinking a long neck, a wooden dance floor and "Cruel to Be Kind" is my kinda' night.
These gals are fun ... but don't mess with them. (Courtesy)
Half of Bob Dylan’s show Thursday night at House of Blues came from his last two albums, 2001’s Love and Theft and 2006’s Modern Times. Wonder if he’ll dust off some old rarities Friday and Saturday.
Here’s my review, and here’s Thursday’s set-list:
“Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat,” “It Ain’t Me, Babe,” “Watching the River Flow,” “Girl of the North Country,” “Rollin’ And Tumblin’,” “Workingman’s Blues #2,” “High Water (For Charley Patton),” “Spirit in the Water,” “Can’t Wait,” “Highway 61 Revisited,” “Positively 4th Street,” “Honest with Me,” “Nettie Moore,” “Summer Days,” “Ballad of a Thin Man,”/ENCORES: “Thunder on the Mountain,” “Blowin in the Wind.”
I've been in touch with Darcy, the extremely happy Barry Manilow fan who was brought up on stage for a dance during his Tuesday-night concert. She's desperately looking for a photo and/or video of her big moment. If you were in the audience that night and caught Barry and Darcy with your camera, please give me a holler, and I'll put you in touch with her.
Barack Obama’s rally playlist mixed rousers with a clunkers Wednesday at Reunion Arena. You can’t argue with U2’s “City of Blinding Light’’ or Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed Delivered I’m Yours” (his usual entrance and exit songs). And give his handlers credit for picking Bruce Springsteen’s obscure ’06 gem “American Land.” But the big head-scratcher was “Unwritten,” a soul-less pop tune by ho-hum English singer Natasha Bedingfield. Sure, it’s big with 20-something voters, but then again, so is Fergie, so why not spin “My Humps”?
Finally, an R&B success that doesn't involve by-the-numbers production, gimmicky videos or cameos by the spectacularly overexposed Akon or T-Pain.
As of 2/19, R&B band Mint Condition, discovered nearly 20 years ago by Grammy-award-winning songwriting and production duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and responsible for enduring hits like "If You Love Me," "What Kind of Man Would I Be" and "Breakin' My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes)," became responsible for the # 1-added UAC single with the release of "Baby Boy Baby Girl."
The celebratory uptempo jam, which is now on playlists in 23 markets across the nation so far, is the first single from their upcoming sixth CD, E-Life, scheduled to drop on May 6. A Tribe Called Quest's 'sound provider,' Ali Shaheed Muhammed, soul man Anthony Hamilton and Little Brother's Fonte are also featured.
E-Life the first full-length recording from the self-contained sextet since 2005's Living the Luxury Brown, which debuted at number one on Billboard's Independent Albums Chart upon release.
No Depression, the bible of American roots music since 1995, will publish it last issue in April. In a statement, its publishers blamed the closing on dwindling ads and “the precipitous fall of the music industry.” In other music-biz bad news, TVT Records has filed for bankruptcy. The label – home to Lil Jon, Pitbull and Dallas’ Polyphonic Spree – hopes to keep operating.
She performed last night at Nokia Theatre — did you go? How was it? Tell us what you thought.
Did you attend the concert last night at American Airlines Center? Share some highs and lows of the show with us.
Carey Hart and Pink at the '07 Grammys (AP)
• Now you can get your favorite American Idol songs and videos the day after each show on iTunes. Read up here. Thrash and frolic in more Idol news with today's GuideLive story about Rockwall contender Jason Castro.
Phil prances over to the country music market. (Frank Micelotta)
As if the announcements of concerts featuring Celine Dion, Alicia Keys/Jordin Sparks, Roger Waters, Bob Dylan and Kanye West/Rihanna within the past two weeks weren't enough, we get these gems from the Live Nation branch of the grapevine this morning:
Jay-Z and Mary J. Blige are pairing up for a 25-date "Heart of the City Tour" (c'mon: you playas can do better than that cheesy title!) that'll swing through Starp -- oops: I mean the Superpages.com Center on April 12. Tickets, which will range from $35.25 to (gulp) $250, will go on sale Feb. 23 at 10 a.m. through da 'master. Be wary, though: big-money bank Citi is underwriting the tour, and Citi credit card holders will get first crack at tickets beginning on Feb. 20.
That news only slightly dwarfs word that the Police will swing back through town one last time on May 21. Thankfully, this gig won't feature Sting's offspring in the opening act: Elvis Costello and the Imposters will support the Superpages.com Center date, tickets for which will go on sale Feb. 23 at noon through Ticketmaster. Prices? $40 for lawn seats, $225 near the stage. And get this: Citi is also underwriting this victory-lap leg of the Police's world tour, and card holders get first crack at tickets even before Police fan club members. Priorities, priorities ...
South by Southwest has snared Van the Man for the first time. The Belfast Cowboy will open the festival on March 12 at La Zona Rosa. He'll also play Austin Music Hall the previous night. He'll be singing songs from his new CD, Keep It Simple , but don't expect to hear the hits: As we found out at his recent Dallas show, he rarely plays his best-known songs.
Love, Janis a post-Broadway tour, comes to the Majestic Theatre Feb. 19.
We want to know: What are your favorite Janis Joplin songs/memories?
You read that right ... Celine Dion is Taking Chances and breaking away from her Vegas gig and embarking on a world tour, and it's coming to Dallas ... in January 2009.
The kicker is that tickets for this show, which will specifically be on Jan. 5 at American Airlines Center, go on sale in 10 days: on Feb. 25 at 10 a.m. through Ticketmaster. Talk about unnecessary anticipation ...
In other potential big-show news, Billboard.com is reporting that Alicia Keys will be performing at Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie on May 14. Her primary support? Recent American Idol winner Jordin Sparks. Good luck snagging those tickets whenever they go on sale ...
Dolly props herself back up! (Peter Dejong)
OK, that is a cool CD title. (Courtesy of Capitol Nashville)
Edie Brickell has teamed up with her 35-year-old stepson, Harper Simon (Paul’s kid, the one mentioned in “Graceland” ) in the Heavy Circles -- a project that that defies expectations. On the Circles' just-released self-titled debut, Simon pushes Edie far beyond New Bohemia with his jagged guitar and aggressive production -- especially on the garage-rocky “Dynamite Child” and “Ready to Play,” which could pass for a Lou Reed rarity. Listen to song samples and the duo talking about their music here.
DJ Roxy Cottontail (Noel Spirandelli)
• Read: Lesley's Q&A with the DJ
The thrill of Thriller. (Courtesy of Sony Legacy)
From the cover of Deaf Pedestrians' new CD, ... and Other Distractions
Listen
• Deaf Pedestrians
• Carrie Newcomer
• Widespread Panic
Songwriter Gretchen Peters, whose compositions have triggered hit records for Neil Diamond, Bonnie Raitt, Martina McBride, Etta James, Faith Hill and Bryan Adams, is quite a singer in her own right. She has made two appearances in the Dallas area in the past year (at Uncle Calvin’s Coffeehouse and McDavid Studio in Fort Worth), playing tunes from her latest record, Burnt Toast & Offerings. It’s a theme album whose songs were inspired (if that’s the word) by Ms. Peters’ recent divorce. And last week, she was named FolkWax Artist of the Year by FolkWax, which describes itself as the largest subscribed weekly in the singer-songwriter genre. It’s an award voted on by readers, who picked Ms. Peters over Patty Griffin, Matt and Shannon Heaton, Josh Ritter and Eric Taylor.
A South by Southwest basic: The annual Austin fest takes place in three parts — interactive, music and film. In some cases, the parts intersect. SXSW just announced music-related films that will be shown during the film portion of the fest, March 7-15.
Here's the music-movie lineup:
Agile, Mobile, Hostile: A Year With Andre Williams
Director: Tricia Todd. A year in the life of Andre Williams, one of the unsung heroes of the American R&B community, who walks us through the hard life he s led over five decades of making music. (World Premiere)
Bananaz
Director: Ceri Levy. An in-depth and revealing glimpse at the cryptic cartoon band, Gorillaz. (North American Premiere)
Blip Festival: Reformat the Planet
Director: Paul Owens. A documentary look at the movement known as ChipTunes, a vibrant underground scene based around creating new, original music using old video game hardware. (World Premiere)
Heavy Load
Director: Jerry Rothwell. Heavy Load are a punk outfit subject to the combustible flux of ego, ambition, fantasy, expectation and desire that fuels any emerging band. But they re also, uniquely, made up of musicians with and without learning disabilities. (World Premiere)
Heavy Metal in Baghdad
Director: Suroosh Alvi. Playing heavy metal in a Muslim country has always been a difficult proposition, but after Saddam¹s regime was toppled, there was a brief moment for the band in which real freedom seemed possible. (U.S.Premiere)
Here Is What Is
Director: Adam Vollick & Adam Samuels. An invitation to experience a year of creation, looking over Daniel Lanois¹ shoulder. His psychedelic past emerges throughout the film as the hyperrealism of the in-studio documentation is contrasted by moments of wild fantasia. (U.S. Premiere)
Joy Division
Director: Grant Gee. The filmmakers investigate why Joy Division s collective musical genius and singular vision enjoys a larger audience and influence thirty years on. (U.S. Premiere)
Lou Reed s Berlin
Director: Julian Schnabel. An artful document of musical legend Lou Reed, performing his influential record, "Berlin," to audiences in New York City. (U.S. Premiere)
Nerdcore Rising
Director: Negin Farsad. "Nerdcore" is the newest, dorkiest wave of hip-hop, born out of the internet and made possible by computer-obsessed geeks. (World Premiere)
The Night James Brown Saved Boston
Director: David Leaf. A documentary look at the historic James Brown concert, held just days after Martin Luther King s assassination, when the city of Boston was ready to boil. (Work-In-Progress)
Of All The Things
Director: Jody Lambert. A Filipino concert promoter has been begging Dennis Lambert (one of the most successful and gifted songwriter/producers of the Œ70s and Œ80s) to come tour for decades. Thirty-five years after the release of his solo album, he finally agreed. (World Premiere)
Shine A Light
Director: Martin Scorsese. The legendary film director and the world s most famous rock band make rock and roll history. A complete experience, documenting both the band¹s history and a legendary Beacon Theatre show, and a window into the Stones unique relationship with Martin Scorsese. A must-see for every true rock and roll fan. (North American Premiere)
The Sweet Lady with the Nasty Voice
Director: Vincent Kralyevich. This documentary is the culmination of a two-year journey with Wanda Jackson, now 70, in performances across the United States and Europe. (World Premiere)
Throw Down Your Heart
Director: Sascha Paladino. Cameras follow American banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck on his journey to Africa to explore the little known African roots of the banjo, and record an album. (World Premiere)
The Upsetter: The Life & Music of Lee "Scratch" Perry
Directors: Ethan Higbee and Adam Bhala Lough. The fascinating story of Lee "Scratch" Perry, a visionary musician and artist from poor rural Jamaica who soon became of the most influential artists in reggae and dub. (World Premiere)
We Dreamed America
Director: Alex Walker. A documentary that delves deep into the dark and hilarious recesses of the British Americana music scene, exploring the gritty underworld of the New British Country movement. (U.S. Premiere)
Wesley Willis s Joyrides
Director: Chris Bagley. A portrait of the self-proclaimed rock n roll star and Chicago city artist, Wesley Willis. (Regional Premiere)
The Wrecking Crew
Director: Denny Tedesco. You heard them playing on the Beach Boys hits, on the Mamas and the Papas recordings, on Frank Sinatra records, on Monkees singles, and they were Phil Spector s Wall of Sound. Most likely, you never heard their name. If you knew who they were, you called them "the Wrecking Crew." (World Premiere)
• More: SXSW 2008 blog posts
Screen grab of Amy Winehouse's performance in London via satellite
• Slideshow: See photos from the show
• Thor's story: Awards show roundup
• Mario's story: Performance roundup
• Winners: Complete list of winners and nominees
I am. Herbie Hancock's River: The Joni Letters wins Album of the Year? I thought that the major awards would be split this year, but this is a left-field selection if ever there was one ... did the others all cancel themselves out?
I think so: one rock album, one retro-pop album, one hip-hop album, one country album and one jazz album were nominated. And Herbie is by far the most revered name of the five throughout the industry. The curmudgeonly Grammy voter base strikes again!
....the tux is a good look, but will seems constrained, like he's ready to rip the jacket off, toss the hat, jump in the aisle and do some pop-locking. It's nice to Usher looking well after losing his dad last month....his own foray into fatherhood looks like it's treating him well, but Quincy looked ready to nod off for a minute.
Dag....another shot at Kanye! Ursh may want to rethink that, he might want a collabo with the rapper for the new upcoming CD. Congrats on the win Herbie, it's SO overdue! He's ignoring the exit music, but this moment was an overwhelming one for the musician, we'll give the man a pass....
... and I have to say that Little Richard is winning handily.
John Fogerty, Jerry Lewis and Little Richard; now THERE'S a sight you won't encounter again in this lifetime! Jerry's struggling a bit vocally, but given his age and hell-raising past, it's expected. Little Richard and Tina Turner must've run into each other at the Wig Depot from the looks of things, but he's still flamboyant fun to watch and listen to. I'm bracing myself for an inevitable 'SHUT UP!" any minute now....
What's with all the shagginess in this performance? I can forgive Andrea Bocelli, since he's blind and all. But come on, Josh -- how about mixing in a razor when you are performing a fairly classy song on music's most formal night of the year?
Seeing Pimp C on-screen, especially after learning of his cause of death, was startling. He had so much to offer the rap game, and the way his life ended, especially so soon after his release from prison, was tragic. And then there's the late Ike Turner, who passed away less than one year after winning his first Grammy...that was a bittersweet moment as well.
One of Amy Winehouse's favorite wine houses went up in flames last night: the Hawley Arms, which is also a haunt for that fascinating cantankerous Brit ex-couple, Pete Doherty and Kate Moss. (That's what Ms. Winehouse was alluding to with the "This is for London, 'cause Camden Town is burning down!" line that she closed her acceptance speech with.)
Just three weeks ago I was in Camden Town, which is the punky-artsy neighborhood that the Hawley Arms is located in. It's my favorite area in London, and I was crestfallen when I'd heard that the upper part of its famed outdoor market had gone up in flames on Saturday night. In that respect, I'm right there with you, Amy. Let's both hope that the Arms is open again in a couple of months (I'll be back in late March).
Maybe we can meet up and share a pint and a fag to celebrate, Amy? Eh, yeah ... Probably not.
I was thinking that it was kind of random, but now we know why the Time performed. This, from the AP:
Morris Day and The Time have recorded an fresh CD, their first in 18 years, and expect to tour again soon, band members said backstage at the Grammys.
“We plan on going into the studio and getting out on the road,” Morris Day, wearing a gold suit, said after the group performed a set with Rihanna.
“Don't lie to them,” guitarist Jesse Johnson said. “We've got an album in the can that's so ridiculous. We can't believe we did it.”
The group had been eating meals together the week before reuniting at the Grammys.
“We're having too much fun. We'll keep it going,” producer Jimmy Jam said.
Of performing with Rihanna, Day said: “I think she is a sexy young lady. I have kids as old as her, but I did enjoy it. That did not deter me from noticing at all.”
Sorry, folks. I'm not all that into Amy Winehouse. I understand why her music is resonating with Baby Boomers, music-industry insiders and pop cultural trainwreck chasers. She's awfully poetic; I'll say that ...
... but like the vast, vast majority of British pop acts, she's almost banally derivative. Her songs are proto-big band romps with sharp hooks and decent arrangements. It's her voice that makes them, as well as her delivery when she's sober, on and into the song.
Tonight via satellite, she was in and out of the songs. To my eyes she struggled at times, though it only took her a second or two to pull herself out of the trances she appeared to be nodding off toward. Dang, but she's got a fantastic voice for the material, though ...
And now she just won for Record of the Year. I get why (Mario? I feel ya here). But I don't necessarily agree with it.
"Uh ... thank you ... to everyone ... " Ugh. I think this will either clean her up or push her over the edge.
Amy could stand a few burgers (those matchstick legs are KILLING me!), but she does look bright-eyed, bushy-tailed and like she's certainly enjoying herself. Performing 'Rehab' with that self-possessed smirk on her face is priceless, by the way...
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration went to Rihanna and Jay-Z. Well, not my pick, but it did provide us with one of the (actually intentional) funnier moments. Jay-Z kept repeating parts of Rihanna's acceptance speech, saying nothing for himself. She was annoyed and showed it, punching him in the arm as they were exiting the stage. She should thank him; he's had his moments, now he's letting her have hers.
"Is that Brad Pitt? No ... Colin Farrell? Nope ... Oh heck! It's Juanes! Sweet!"
To heck with Brad Paisley. That Juanes dude is cool.
As it should be! Nobody, nobody, I mean NOBODY writes four CDs worth of material, divides them in styles and employs a house full of stellar musicians and vocalists. Oh, and there's not a bad song in the bunch. When Vince said making These Days took a year out of his life, all I have to say is....that was a year well spent!
The gentlemanly, stoic and measured Vince Gill, asking Kanye West if he's been handed an award by a former Beatle after he got his Grammy Award for Best Country Album from Ringo Starr?
Classic! I'm still rolling after seeing that! Bwaaa-hahaha! Take that, 'Ye! (at least he smiled with what seemed like good nature ... )
Boy howdy, that woman has it all. Fantastic and athletic voice, tenderness when needed and attitude when needed, piano chops up all sorts of wazoos ... she's even getting the mid-event wardrobe change down, even though that gold-and-black glittery blouse is a bit off the flattery radar in my eyes ...
But I will say this: those are the most magnificent pair of hoop earrings that I've ever laid eyes on. And I love me some hoops on a gal's lobes ...
And look at John Mayer fly on the guitar ... with a nice-n-neat semi-pompadour haircut and with almost no discernable face-making as he strums. I think Alicia's poise rubs off on him.
...Berry Gordy Jr. is certainly overdue for a tribute, and no one is better than Stevie Wonder to give it to him; he's sweet, humble, he's got jokes and knows when to get off the stage besides. The make-up is slathered on kinda thick, but Ms. Keys is becoming a more animated and bootylicious performer, which I'm sure her fans appreciate. Love the door-knocker earrings and the wild mop top Alicia, work it!
Not bad singing from the Detroit rapper-turned-Southern-rock impresario ...
... and he said the right words regarding the Best Rock Album Grammy. Foo Fighters deserved it with Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace. It was probably a close race between he and Bruce Springsteen's Magic, I figure. But to me, Magic was only very, very good, as well as somewhat stilted in flow; it was not great. Bruce has another great CD in him, and I bet that the Grammy voters realize it. The Foos, as consistent as it's been, may not.
I love Feist, love that song, and I can't wait to see her this spring. But she is challenging John Mayer for the title of Monster Face Champ. Much the same way the Mayer's face goes all crazy when he's playing a guitar lick, she was cranking out the weird twitches. Just gets kind of distracting is all I'm sayin'...
I'm thinking not.
It took some guts to present "1, 2, 3, 4" to the Grammy audience as a near-acoustic and unaccompanied number with some scatty oddball horns for accompaniment. But to me, the performance fell flat because Leslie Feist's voice didn't project well at all (it never does, to be sure, in her case), and she appeared quite stiff and unnatural.
These aren't her homies. I'm just glad she got through it relatively unscathed.
Another 'DUH!' from the Academy; even my 80-year-old grandmother knows 'Umbrella,' they played the song so much. Jay-Z's flashes of ego wre unexpected, but after 12 years in the game, he's earned it. Rihanna kept her speech short and sweet and gave a shout-out to her daddy besides, awww.....
Daughtry's nomination speaks well of the band. Why is the drummer doing an impersonation of 'Itchy and Scratchy' at the podium? He's also looking around like he doesn't get out much. No offense Mike, but ew....
Wow---I remember this 'Sunshine...' song from my childhood, and the Clark Sisters look practically the same, give or take a few pounds/extensions. Aretha has lost a bit of weight, but that lime green/yellow (?) number wasn't the most flattering look for the Queen. Her vocals weren't hampered by her fashion sense, thank goodness.
OK, it's official -- Kanye West could not be more full of himself if he started eating his toes and worked his way up the rest of the way. His talk started out interesting when he spoke of the state of hip-hop and its importance, but when he started dissing Common and opining about who should win album of the year along with him, it got to be all about Kanye again. And then he gets mad when he runs out of time to pay tribute to his recently deceased mother. Here's a tip Kanye -- if you've got something really important to get out of your mouth on the stage, do it at the beginning, and then you can tell us how great you are until the music comes on.
I thought that the word 'mama' being carved into his head would keep his mind on her and keep him a bit more humble, but I guess not; Kanye talked all over the exit music, rambled and petulantly stayed on stage way past time. Celebrate, but get a clue Ye': it may be your home, but you still don't show out when company's watching.
Kanye, winning for Best Rap Album for The Graduation, mentioning his deceased mom in his acceptance speech and saying "it would be in good taste to stop the music now" as some electro-jazz soundtrack had been prompting him to wrap it up for a good half a minute.
The producers turned it down, then off. Good choice. All the Grammys would have needed was another dis' of Kanye. But I'm not so sure of his telling Common to release an album on a different year than he ...
...Chris Brown's candy cane tux is NOT the business; it looks like an eager nerd's at his first prom. Beyonce's sister Solange's outfit is also questionable, but Kanye's win certainly wasn't. Keep that futuristic bling Ye!!!
Love the guy, love the look, love his guitar chops (though I did notice a muff on one of the closing riffs). But man ... where's the energy? His performance was clean, efficient and mega-twangy ... but he and everyone else just stood there. He really didn't look like he was having much fun ... Mario? Was Brad just not feelin' it 'cause these weren't his CMA peeps?
Brad Paisley is so cool. That says it all.
I must say that Foo Fighters performance of "The Pretender" was exciting. I'm not a rocker at heart like Mike is, and my knowledge of the Foos is really limited, but that was a firecracker of a stage stint. Go, Dave, go!
... 'cause the Foos just have too much energy to keep a lid on ... heh.
... but really: Why can't all of the performances be inside the Staples Center? This trend toward live-music performances being held outside the actual events that they're supposedly associated with is one that I'm not totally on board with. Seems to me that the peeps inside the ceremony are being robbed a bit ... and in this case, aren't the peeps inside the ceremony the ones being honored with performances by nominated bands?
Oh, wait: this is a TV telecast that darn near didn't have anyone to write exchanges and dialogue for it. But isn't that more of a reason for all of the performers to be inside the Staples Center?
Check out the AP's roundup of random quotes heard at the awards:
"Frank Sinatra looked good for 150, didn't he?" — Prince, after Sinatra appeared in archival footage in a duet with Alicia Keys."Together these four men made music that changed the history of our planet. Tonight we honor the power of the Beatles. The power they still create in our lives." — Tom Hanks, introducing a tribute to the Beatles.
"I'm so glad Kanye (West) won everything because you know how cranky he gets when he loses." — Patti Austin, after it was revealed West had won three Grammys in the non-televised part of the awards show."It never gets old, believe me, it just never gets old." — Herbie Hancock, who has won 11 Grammys dating to 1983, accepting this year's award for contemporary jazz album for "River: The Joni Letters."
"Grammy's not the only one that's 50. I just turned 51 a few days ago and this is the best present I could have imagined." — Ashley Cleveland, accepting her award for rock or rap gospel album for "Before the Daylight's Shot."
"You couldn't keep me from actually getting this myself — it's not the same when someone else gets this on your behalf." — Carrie Underwood, who raced onstage to accept her trophy for best female country vocal performance during the lightly attended non-televised segment of the Grammy Awards.
"Where are those writers?" — Peter Frampton after stumbling through his teleprompter script.
"I am so nervous. All famous people around and it's like a one-shot deal so you've got to do it good." — Evelyne Lamontagne, who was part of Cirque du Soleil's "Love" tribute to the Beatles.
I adore Foo Fighters. I'm an admitted rocker at heart, and "The Pretender" is a fine, fine rock song. So excuse me while I stop thinking and bang my head for a few minutes ...
"Rehab" is far from my fave track on Amy Winehouse's Back to Black. But it deserves song of the year. That song defined 2007, not only because it's from the year's most talked about newcomer (and deservedly so), but also because we live in a world increasingly filled with celebrities in rehab.
Amy is killing it tonight, and I bet Beyonce is picking herself up off the floor for not taking the trophy for 'Irreplacable.' That was a 10-week number one hit last year, but the loss could've been a casualty from B backlash....the writing's on the wall that talented or not, people are tired of seeing/hearing her everywhere and on practically everything. I'm tempted to pull out my driver's license just to make sure it's still my picture and not Beyonce's. Okay, I couldn't resist, it's still me, whew!
"Rehab" is a good song. But it is not Song of the Year. I'll say no, no, no more about that.
Sheesh ... I'm just glad that Plain White Ts didn't win it. If it had, I'd have quit the western world and moved to Bhutan. I swear.
Why couldn't Tina have had the stage to herself? I got love for B and everything, but she's not good with everything and everybody. She and Tina obviously enjoy each other, but B needs to take a cue from Ms. Turner and go away for a minute so we'll miss her. I like that B's wig is tamer than usual and not the customary 10 pound Cousin It model.
She's showing her age, folks. But whew! The fire is STILL there! And no, there is NO NEED for Beyonce. Tina is the queen, Beyonce is merely a loyal subject!
OK, this makes up for Cher.
Wow, Tina Turner looks good. So did Beyonce, for that matter, but she always does (and always should). It's all slowed down, but she's still got the strut, still got the constant smile (no doubt assisted by surgeons, but that's beside the point), and still got that manic and sultry insistence in her voice.
OK, Kanye, you've got competition. Beyonce and Tina singing "Proud Mary," and with choreographed snaps to boot ... oh, this is such a blissfully teasing performance ... first to spoken word, then to soft-paced blues, then to its nuclear-fueled hyper-boogie conclusion.
One question: Where's John Fogerty? He's supposed to appear tonight, isn't he? This is his song!
but PLEASE return that wig to the dollar store; she's still superfly otherwise though, working the heck out of that silver body-hugging suit. I can only pray that I look as great as she does at 60+. Beyonce's entrance was too self-involved to really be a tribute...she could've kept that, esp. that bombastic take on 'De ja Vu.' Ick.
Wow. She looked like a cross between Tammy Wynette and Liberace circa 1968. Grow old gracefully, pleeease ...
Who did Cher sell her soul to to stay so youthfully vibrant and gorgeous? I love her wit too; go Cher, go Cher, we' gon' party like it's your birthday......
For anyone interested in the visual aspect of your favorite artists, check out the The Detroit News' red carpet roundup:
Forget about music! It was all about style — and in some cases, the lack thereof — on the red carpet at the 50th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday. There were stars who had fashion critics’ tongues wagging in shock and horror and those who left critics clapping in adoration.The most common thread was natural make-up and jewel tones, and leading the way was trendsetter Rihanna ....
Sporting a boyish but feminine inverted shaved-bob hairstyle, the Barbados beauty looked darling in a sleeveless sapphire-colored party dress that was all about ruffles and rouching. Her feet were decked out in strappy gold shoes. Her fresh makeup, complete with a hint-of-pink lip-tint, was set off by nails of va-va-voom red.R&B singer Alicia Keys drew raves as she went for the glamour-girl look circa old Hollywood. She was wearing a navy, floor-length blue Armani. The sleeveless, high-neck dress was complete with a small bustle. She pumped up the glamour-quotient with her hair in a high, central soft French roll.
Miss Money Bags -- we mean Miley Cyrus -- looked fresh in a white sheath-type dress by Celine and purse and shoes by Sergio Rossi. She wore her chestnut-brown hair in soft, spiral curls -- which looked enhanced with a few extensions -- that cascaded around her shoulders. Seal brought a classy look to the red carpet -- and what else would you expect with ”Project Runway” host and former super model Heidi Klum as a wife? -- in a crisp white suit by Yves Saint Laurent. The black tie went too skinny -- circa ’80s Mastermind Japan. The sensitive singer was a bit snippy with the press, shooting down questions about old stuff (pointedly suggesting to one interviewer that since it is the Grammys, she should ask him about his music -- meow!) and not liking the fact that the media were trying to rush him off the carpet to talk to music legend Tony Bennett.
”American Idol” winner and country music star Carrie Underwood wore a delicate, breezy purple number from Zuhair Murad that was simply lovely. But taking top spot on the hit show did not guarantee a hit of a look. ”American Idol” winner R&B singer Fantasia was a fashion miss in a get-up that didn’t flatter her at all. The off-the-shoulder full-length black dress scrunched all over.
Saved by her tresses? Hardly. An asymmetrical bob, the hairdo included the base of her head shaved low and had one side black, the other blond. Ugh.
R&B singer Ne-Yo strutted onto the carpet looking dapper in a charcoal-gray suit by Ferragamo. The look was rounded out with a black shirt and black tie. He topped off the ensemble with a gray fedora -- cocked to the side, of course.
Silky-voiced Brit Corrine Bailey Rae sported a great curly bob and perfect, very natural-looking makeup that kept her looking great -- from the neck up. Her navy-blue strapless dress didn’t flatter the lithe singer with its huge sequins arranged in a floral pattern. Yikes.
”The Dutchess” Fergie looked marvelous and mellow in the perfect yellow, strapless dress by Calvin Klein. She complimented the look with gold shoes and purse and kept up with the fashion statement most shared at the 2008 Grammys -- you guessed it -- light, soft make-up.
By Ursula Watson, The Detroit News
Okay, any house musician could've played the piano silently with Fergie; why waste the man's magnificent pipes like that? I certainly would've perferred his singing to Fergie's, sheesh. Who's putting these jacked-up duet pairings together, and why?
One thing that we now know, after seeing Fergie sing a ballad with John Legend on piano as accompaniment: She is no Christina Aguilera.
And yes, now we know what many Grammy honchos know: there was a reason why she wasn't nominated for any awards this year. It wasn't bad ... it just wasn't outstanding, as a Grammy nominee should be.
To my non-rap ears, Kanye West's "Stronger" kind of had a Herbie Hancock circa "Rockit" vibe, what with the funky, futuristic synthesizers. Did anybody else get that vibe from the tune?
I couldn't tell ... but in Kanye West's intro to "Stronger" (the Daft Punk sampling SO makes this song kick), he rapped "ape (blank)". I'll let our readers try to figure out what the missing word was ...
And I was hoping that this would happen ... the French cyborgs of Daft Punk apearing in the pyramid behind Kanye, who really didn't sound very appropriate just before that with all of that grunting and stuff ... but I dug the fiber-optic neon accents of the set.
But this is fresh: With "Mama" carved in his head, Kanye raps about his recently deceased mother after "Stronger," and he's holding it together, too. Admirable. And deserving of the standing-O that he's getting now.
....what an ironic song choice, given his personal loss last year. I remember covering his show just the day before his mother passed, how impassioned he was, how intense. I see that same intensity now, and I hope that his earlier wins have eased some of the pain. I like the space-age touches to the standard hip-hop performance too.
Wow, this is the most vulnerable I've ever seen the performer; his tribute to the late Donda West is one of his best songs ever. He's holding it together well, no 'all falls down' here. 'Jesus Walks' Kanye, He's got you.
A laugh from the Associated Press: “I'm so glad Kanye (West) won everything because you know how cranky he gets when he loses.” This, from Patti Austin, after it was revealed Kanye West had won three Grammys in the non-televised part of the awards show. He won best rap solo performance for “Stronger,” best rap song for “Good Life” and best rap performance by a duo or group for his collaboration with Common on “Southside.” I'm glad Common has ties with Kanye. It's shaping up to be his night (even though I'm still trying to deal with the eye strain of looking at the light show during his performance of "Stronger"). Nice tribute to his mother, though, who died suddenly in 2007.
About what Stephen Becker said; I thought Amy's US Visa was granted but that they just didn't have the time to get her there since it was so close to the telecast. That's what I saw on the news anyway, unless she got it yanked away again...
Frankly, I wasn't sure she'd get it. I wondered if her messed up personal life would irk the Grammy voters enough to rechannel their support over to Taylor Swift. And that was a race between Amy and Taylor, no doubt about it. Hey, I'm glad Amy won. She's clearly an intriguing and talented newcomer. I just hope she gets her act together to keep making music.
Duh. This was the no-brainer of the evening: Amy Winehouse winning for Best New Artist. The only competition was Feist, and she's not even really a new artist ...
So I wonder if Ms. Winehouse uses a Visa card around town in London? Ah, well: if she does it probably doesn't work anymore anyway ...
Congrat to Amy for her Best New Artist win; I hope that this encourages her to continue her clean-up and to create even more beautiful music; 'Back To Black' is the type of CD that I always envisioned Lauryn Hill would return with, but oh well. Looking forward to your performance Amy, yes yes yes.....
I'm impressed with this young man vocals and the Civil Rights spin they're putting on 'Let It Be'; the gospel vocals add a new demension to its message and it's very timely, considering it's also Black History Month. Wonder how Paul's liking it....?
Our esteemed dance critic needs to be assessing this Beatles-via-modern-dance thing that's happening now. Pretty at times, bizarre at times. Break time for me ... so I'll "Let It Be."
....was edgy,odd and more than a bit awkward; since The Time hasn't performed live in such a long time, why couldn't that moment been strictly theirs? Rihanna's hits weren't exactly a smooth fit. Cute dress though, the feathers were a unique touch....
I miss keytars (a member of the Time has a white one in hand for "Jungle Love"). It's really a fairly versatile instrument, but it's association with new wave killed its image. Look for the lead singer of Mute Math to wield a red one when that band opens the Matchbox Twenty concert at Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie in late February, though ...
I'm sorry: Rihanna's dress looks like it's from Tinkerbell's closet ... yeah, the one from the house up in the hills that succombed from a mudslide a few years back in Toon Town ... BUT: "Umbrella" had better win Record of the Year at the end of this telecast.
Also: this is Bad Pairing #3. Just didn't work.
So, that's why JJ hasn't been in the studio with Janet Jackson, huh? And wow, The Time's Morris Day has aged really well and he's still as cocky and energetic as he was in their heyday. I miss Jerome and the mirror though.....
Barack Obama beat both Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter in the best spoken word album for the audio version of his book The Audacity Of Hope: Thoughts On Reclaiming The American Dream. Congrats and all, but it just feels entirely random mentioning someone's name during Grammy blogging that's usually associated with completely different sections of the newspaper than ours.
Prince looked electrifying in his cherry red suit and shades; the joke went over awkward, but that still is a pretty conservative crowd. Alicia's win was a no-brainer, but her opening performance exemplified how versatile she is and how much she's matured as a vocalist.
Alicia Keys won for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for a song ("No One") that's too reminiscent of a Natasha Bedingfield smash anthem (just pick one) to win anyone's anything, IMO. Luckily, it was immediately followed by a palate-cleansing commercial starring Mary J. Blige, who lost out for the wonderful "Just Fine."
LOVE the Valentine's Day-red jacket, Prince. But I love Alicia Keys' ribbed-green dress more. She looks radiant. Green fits her. And so does the award she just won: Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. Kind of a subdued acceptance speech, though ...
Folks ... I hate to say it ... but it's gonna be a borrrr-ing and frustrating telecast.
Or, I guess that's Stomp performing with Carrie. Or something. I'm curious what Mario has to say about the performance, since she's his FAVORITE country artist of all time. Right, Mario?
I'm sorry ... Carrie Underwood won already, eh? Good for her. But somebody please stop this. I can't watch.
Ms. Underwood and the urban-chic Broadway percussion sensation Stomp have about as much in common as Frank Sinatra and Frank Zappa.
Yes, she can sing ... but I hear absolutely no emotion and no genuine qualities in her voice. None.
So I can't help but wonder, as Alicia Keys sings a duet with Frank Sinatra's ghost (sic ... actually, a page out of the Nat King/Natalie Cole playbook) to kick off the telecast:
Is Frank looking at a TelePrompTer for lyrics? Even way back then, he had to do that? Surely not ... but he was looking down and to his right all of the time ... nawww, can't be ...
Is anyone else creeped out by Alica Keys singing "with" a dead Frank Sinatra? I thought Tony Bennett and Christina Aguilera together last year was a bad pairing, but this ....
We're live-blogging during the Grammys tonight, which start at 7 p.m., so join right in, right here. We've got about another half-hour til the awards-proper start, so brush up on the nominees (the names in gold are winners of the "off-camera" categories), meanwhile, or read Thor's story from today about locals representing at the Grammys.
Just down the pike within the past hour: two huge concert announcements, one in a few months and one very, very, very soon.
First, the quickie: three nights at House of Blues' Music Hall by none other than Bob Dylan, beginning a week from Thursday. The Feb. 21-23 shows are a warm-up for a Central and South American jaunt by he and his Band that will last through March 20. Don't panic, you've got time -- tickets for all three shows won't go on sale until Feb. 15 at 10 a.m. through Ticketmaster (they'll cost $59.50). But do note that the Feb. 22 show will start at 7 p.m., whereas the other two won't commence until 8 p.m.
Now, the other one: Kanye West will bring his Glow in the Dark Tour through SuperPages.com Center (formerly Smirnoff Music Centre) on May 1, and he's bringing "Umbrella" girl Rihanna, sk8er-boi rapper Lupe Fiasco and hip-hop collective N.E.R.D. with him. Tickets will start at $29.50 (lawn) and $34.50 and will go on sale Feb. 16 at 10 a.m. thru da 'master. Word!
Gruene Hall, north of New Braunfels (Erich Schlegel / DMN)
• Story
I love a random road trip; point your car in any direction and you can experience miles and miles of the state. And as a native Texan, I got a little melancholy at this bit of news. The only actual dance hall I remember visiting is the one in Luckenbach. Talk about a wonderfully rusty, ungilded experience. I'm also fond of the live music at Hondo's in Fredericksburg, too, although I'm not sure if that's considered a dance-hall-per-se (but man, those cheese fries).
Two questions: 1. What Texas dance halls have you been to? 2. Do you know anything about the Cotton Club, listed as on the Fair Grounds in Dallas? It's included on the list, but quick Google and internal DMN electronic library searches turn up only incidental mentions it. (Yes, as a newspaper we have a sophisticated reference staff who could dig up the information for me if I needed it, but I'd like to see what you know about it, first).
Junior high kids visited the Old Red Museum downtown recently to learn local angles of their Black History Month education, which included area blues legends and the very African American history of Deep Ellum. They learned about Jim Crow in Dallas, which made Deep Ellum necessary to begin with, and participated in excercises like writing their own blues songs.
• Video
I admit I cracked up watching the white private school students struggle with their blues ditties like it was the music of ancient Greece. But hey, I'd rather see them struggle while learning than see the rich blues history up the street suffer a Greek fate.
Gotta give Mary J. her props. (Courtesy of Geffen Records)
The list appeared late this morning on South By Southwest's web site, a few days later than usual -- the lovely folks that run the nation's largest music-industry conference usually get the list of offical showcase music acts out by the first weekend in February -- but it's finally here. And it's quite interesting.
For the first time in my memory, Houston-area acts have claimed more slots than North Texas acts: 45 to 41. The majority of musicians from Space Town appear to be hip-hop acts, a phenomenon surely spurned by the still-strong chopped-and-screwed Houston rap style.
Of the local acts many are sage picks, including Calhoun, the Crash That Took Me, Fishboy, Glen Reynolds, Mom, Record Hop, Play-N-Skillz and a recently re-formed Centro-matic. Others are, well, odd (Ryan Cabrera? Lumba? C'mon). Post-emo act the New Frontiers made the cut, possibly thanks to its helping out down-on-its-luck acts such as Mississippi's the Colour Revolt (which made it again this year) in 2007. Also in: the hyper-artsy ambient electro-noise duo Tree Wave. Big local names: Bowling for Soup, Brave Combo, the Feds, the Drams and classic-rock wayback-machine torch bearers Kenny and the Kasuals.
On an international level, second-tier nationalities on the world's popular-culture rubicon appear to be championing their pop-music scenes to SXSW more than ever. Portugal, Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, New Zealand and the Netherlands all have multiple acts performing at showcases. Iran's got three (and it may be the last chance for bands from that country to come in quite a while if the political atmosphere continues to devolve in Tehran), and acts from as far away as mainland China (FM3), Slovenia (Volodja Balzalorsky), Latvia (Mona De Bo), Indonesia (the s.i.g.i.t.) and Uzbekistan (Navruz) have snagged spots.
Am I gonna see any of 'em? I doubt it. But judging from this list, SXSW's offerings have leapt to a new level of stylistic broadness in 2008. And I'm not sure that it's a good thing.
Hey, a quick reminder that we'll be blogging live during the 50th annual Grammy Awards this weekend, so join in. See you here.
Grammy stats
• Sunday, Feb. 10
• Starts at 7 p.m.
• CBS (KTVT Channel 11)
• Grammy nomination blog posts
Why? 'Cause Roger Waters is coming to town.
Just announced about 10 minutes ago: Dallas will be one of only four U.S. stops for Mr. Waters' raved-about and semi-controversial Dark Side of the Moon Live Tour, which features the ex-Floyd mastermind's take on both the seminal progressive arena rock band's greatest hits and a front-to-back, sequential performance of the band's mega-selling 1973 opus, The Dark Side of the Moon.
The concert will be May 2 at the Superpages.com Center (er, formerly Smirnoff Music Centre and longingly referred to as Starplex in the interest of avoiding a twist of the tongue). Tickets -- no word yet on pricing -- will go on sale on Feb. 16 at 10 a.m. through (who else?) Ticketmaster.
Tapes n' Tapes' people sent out an email today saying that SXSW is one of the band's tour stops, too.
If you're not familiar with this annual interactive, film and music conference and festival, check the site's about page and our blog posts from last year, housed on the original, pre-Playlist mothership of all GuideLive.com blogs, Over the Top.
Confirmed acts for the fest so far include R.E.M., My Morning Jacket, Dolly Parton, David Banner, Bun B, Sia, Black Keys and tons more. Lou Reed will be the music conference's keynote speaker.
Stay tuned.
See a video of one of the Blind Boys’ new songs: www.blindboys.com
Listen to a cut from Preservation Hall Jazz Band’s new CD: myspace.com/preservationhall
Give us your take on Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' halftime performance.
• Story: Did Tom Petty lip-synch during Super Bowl half-time show?
• Review: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers sound a bit too perfect at Super Bowl
• Story: The best and worst of the Super Bowl halftime show
The mystery (at least to me) has been solved, as to why Tom Petty was picked to play the Super Bowl halftime show. Sure, we knew why Jordin Sparks, the winner of Fox mega-hit American Idol, sang the National Anthem on the Fox telecast.
Petty was entertaining and all. I thought he put on a good show. But now we know, thanks to a post-show commercial, that next Sunday on Fox's King of the Hill, Tom Petty will voice the character of Lucky.
Was it all a setup to King of the Hill??
Easy, Tiger. (KRT)
The best:
To watch U2's 2002 performance, click here.
To watch Prince's peformance from last year, click here.
To watch the Rolling Stones from 2006, click here.
The worst:
To watch Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake, click here. (remember what you're about to see)
To watch Aerosmith and 'N Sync from 2001, click here.
And finally, for Christina Aguilera and Phil Collins, click here.
• Story: The best and the worst of the Super Bowl halftime show
So, what does your best/worst list looks like?
