If anyone is wondering why I took an extra day to post my post-Grammy entry it is because I needed that day to recover. Come on Mr. Portnow! We thought last year was bad. I knew this going in but I will stress it again…there was just not enough variety in the performances. I would have loved to see Death Cab for Cutie, Kings of Leon, Leona Lewis, Duffy, Jason Mraz, etc. but instead I get M.I.A. prancing around LA’s Staples Center stage on the day that she is supposed to give birth and Katy Perry wearing a Chikita banana costume. Have I done something wrong?! Did I deserve to be tortured like that!?

The U2 performance of “Get On Your Boots” off the new No Line On the Horizon album was very psychedelic. I’m sorry but at this point I was wishing it was last year and I was listening to Alicia Keys open. Remember that performance? How she sang along to the Sinatra video and then went to the end of the stage and killed the piano. Now, that opening was great. Bono, you are too big-headed for your own good. And, while we’re on the subject, why did you find it necessary during Obama’s inauguration celebration to causally sit on the Capital platform specifically constructed for the occasion? It gave off a pretentious vibe.

Congrats to Jennifer Hudson for her Best R & B Album win for the September 2008 self-titled release. We can forgive her for wearing a dress with a built in bib.

I liked the collaboration with Boyz II Men, Al Green, Keith Urban, and Justin Timberlake performing Al Green’s “Let’s Get Together.” Keith Urban just gets to be in everything because he’s a great guitar player. I’m not saying that like it’s a bad thing. I love Keith and his guitar playing. This was, by the way, the last minute filler for Rihanna, the girlfriend of the booked felon, Chris Brown. Too bad. What a wasted talent. He was great. Now Wrigley’s and everyone else will discard him and nothing about that will change if he is not convicted. You can’t have a guy with a reputation wearing the milk mustache.

I cannot do any criticizing when it comes to Coldplay, I can only make suggestions. “Lost” did not have to be a Chris Martin piano solo, buuuuut it’s okay that it was. Also, I’m not sure I liked Jay-Z stepping in either. Buuuut, I’m okay with it. Can everybody please stop making fun of the costumes? I still like them. They looked uniform, they stood out, they brightened up the colors. All good things.

On that note, I was in love with Paula Abdul’s dress. Why did everyone slam it!? Who cares if she said the dress was from Lebanese, we all know what she meant. Stop giving her such a hard time.

Carrie Underwood singing “Last Name” off of Carnival Ride. She is always amazing. Even people who never listen to pop country give her the thumbs up every time she performs. The dress with the June Carter sleeves was cute but her legs looked spray tanned. Sorry, I couldn’t help but to stare at her legs. I don’t know who has nicer legs. Admit it, you were too. Katy Perry and I weren’t the only ones.

Best Country Performance by a Duo goes to SugarLand for “Stay” off of Enjoy The Ride. Yay! I am happy.

Song of the Year goes to Coldplay for “Viva La Vida” off of Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends. Again. I am happy.

Kid Rock did not get three songs. Just a clarification for all of you complaining that Sir Paul McCartney deserved just as much stage time but didn’t get it. Kid rock did what is called a medley of three of his songs off of Rock and Roll Jesus. The performance was good. I’ve said this before, but I’m glad that Kid Rock turned into someone that everybody likes.

Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus. It all goes downhill from here! Taylor Swift never performs well live. She does write her own songs and the two performed Taylor’s “Fifteen” off of Fearless. I thought Miley would carry her through but I was wrong. Guess what? The two of them are really friends, like in real life. Okay, that was me mocking Miley. Oh I’m so mean. She’s just young. For those of you wondering, she is not giving up the role of Hannah Montana to her younger sister.

Best Pop Collaboration with Vocal goes to Robert Plant and Alison Krauss for “Rich Woman” off of Raising Sand. Oh, now I get it. After seeing their nominations months prior to the Grammy’s, I JUST now realized why I was confused last year. This album came out in October of 2007. When I watched the Grammy’s last year I was shocked that they only got recognized in this same category for “Gone, Gone, Gone.” Now I know that the “Gone, Gone, Gone” single made the cut but the album just missed the deadline date and they had to wait a whole extra year before being honored in other categories. This, in my opinion, prevented a Coldplay sweep and I don’t know how I feel about that. I think I would have been okay with a Coldplay sweep. Hasn’t Alison Krauss won more Grammy’s than anyone ever? Don’t quote me on that because I am not positive. Don’t get me wrong, I love this album but part of me agrees with my morning talk show host of the BUZZ rock station in Houston. He claims that the album is just too successful and he wanted to see it tank in hopes that Robert Plant would go back on tour with the rest of Led Zeppelin.

Jennifer Hudson is such a doll. Nice performance! It’s no wonder she won. She deserves it. By the way, the dress you performed in was much better Jen.

The Jonas Brothers with Stevie Wonder, the man who has performed on more Grammy nights than anyone else. At least they did a Stevie song. “Very Superstitious.” Ya’ know, I like them. You have to admit that, as musicians, they are good. They just have the Disney Channel curse. Are they ever going to really make it or has their association with the Disney Channel stunted their progression?

Best Rock Album goes to Coldplay. I don’t have to say it again, but I will. I am happy. I like that they addressed Paul in each acceptance speech and jokingly apologized for recycling the Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band costumes. Chris Martin, you are supposed to go off backstage. Not down the stairs and back to your seat. That was cute though.

We were told that Katy Perry was going to descend to the stage aboard some sort of phallic looking contraption for her “I Kissed A Girl” performance. We weren’t mislead. It was a giant banana. I don’t know what to say. I just know that way to much of the budget was spent on this number.

Kanye West and Estelle singing Estelle’s “American Boy” from Shine. It was just okay. I would have rather seen Kanye solo doing “Love Lockdown” off of 808s & Heartbreak. Estelle, what are you wearing? No, it’s not any better than the dress you showed up in. Just to let you know, we have not found life on Mars. So, if that is where you were planning to go in that outfit I would advise you to think again. And Kanye, I can’t believe that you have a fro.

Best new artist goes to Adele. I know everyone else is happy but I was pulling for Duffy! Furthermore, I don’t think Adele should have won for best Female Pop Vocal either. I know, I know. You can cuss at me and call me names if you want to. I just think that her voice, while I like it, has become a common sound coming from London recently. Duffy’s is unique. And nobody belted it out quite like Sarah Bareilles (except Carrie Underwood of course). That is why I think Sarah should have won Female Pop Vocal for “Love Song” off of her Little Voice album. Whew, I’m prepared for my lashing.

The only reason why I didn’t fall asleep during Kenny Chesney’s performance is because I’ve grown to love the ballad he chose, “Better as a Memory,” off his album, Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates. Or, it was the scintillating conversation I was having with my sister that kept me awake. She had heard a rumor that Kenny started balding at a young age, thus, the hat and the shaved head. I said that he is a cowboy and that is, of course, why he wears the hat. And he shaves his head because he looks sexy that way.

Record of the Year goes to Robert Plant and Alison Krauss for “Please Read the Letter.” Again, I’m not surprised but everyone else is.

M.I.A, Kanye, T.I, Lil’ Wayne, and Jay-Z performing “Swagga Like Us” from Jay-Z’s album, The Blueprint. Oh, dear God! Can you please rewind my life and warn me to turn the television off for the three to four excruciating minutes that this bunch paraded the stage? M.I.A. why must you do this to me just when I was starting to like you?

Thanks Paul for performing the old Beatles song, “Saw Her Standing There.” Your new stuff is great too but let’s face it, you alone can’t top the Fab Four. Now, where is Dave Ghrol? I thought he was performing with you. Oh there he is, back there playing the drums. He’s taking us back to his Nirvana days as we all know he doesn’t play drums for the Foo Fighters.

Male Pop Vocal goes to John Meyer for “Say” from The Bucket List soundtrack. Okay. I can’t say that I’m disappointed even though I was pulling for Jason Mraz. I love John Meyer and his was the best pre-show interview by far. He always has intelligent things to say.

I already knew that SugarLand performing “Stay” wouldn’t be a disappointment. I hated the song when it first came out because I thought it was boring. Now I love it and I love the way she sings it and all the emotion she puts into it every time. Well done Jennifer Nettles!

Adele performing her title track, “Chasing Pavements.” Yeah, I like it but it’s kind of dull. I don’t know why I’m not on the same page as the rest of you. Sorry.

Thank God Radiohead broke the boredom with “15 Step” off of In Rainbows. So, Gwyneth Paltrow was there to watch her hubby, Chris Martin, and to introduce Radiohead. That was the University of Southern California marching band performing with Radiohead. What a bunch of lucky people they are.

T.I. and Justin Timberlake performing “Dead and Gone” from T.I’s Paper Trail album. Eh. I’m not a T.I. fan. It got better when Justin took charge.

NE-YO, Jaimee Foxx, “Duke” Fakir (of the Four Tops), and Smokey Robinson performing some Motown Four Tops classics including “Standing in the Shadows of Love,” “Reach Out,” and “Sugar Pie Honey Bunch.” This was good. Too bad Duke can’t sing anymore. Smokey’s still got it though. We lost a Four Top this past year (Levi Stubbs), thus the homage performance. This leaves “Duke” as the last remaining founding Four Top.

Neil Diamond performing “Sweet Caroline.” It seems like he was probably a good performer back in the day. He’s got a lot of energy even now. I just can’t stand the song though. Not that it’s a bad song, I’ve just heard enough of it. Why must they play it every night at every bar? I thought it was just an MSU thing until I moved to Texas and heard it at the bars here too. Enough! I’m sick of it.

B.B King, John Meyer, and Keith Urban performing “Hand jive.” It was a great guitar jam.

Lil’ Wayne and Robin Thicke performing “Tie My Hands.” I am in rap overload. Please, this would have been a good time for a Jason Mraz performance. I have a trivia fact for you. Lil’ Wayne (Dwayne Carter) was enrolled at the University of Houston in 2005 for a year majoring in Political Science. If I had only started working for the university a few years earlier! Honestly, I couldn’t care less that I may have missed my chance for a run in with Lil’ Wayne.

Best Rap Album goes to Lil’ Wayne for Tha Carter III. Oh my gosh, I am so surprised. What an upset. NOT!

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss close the night with “Rich Woman” and “Gone, Gone, Gone.” They end the night because they win the big one folks!

Album of the Year goes to Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. That’s a wrap. See you next year!

Now I’m looking forward to the BRIT awards next Wednesday February 18, 2009. I rated them better than the Grammy’s last year so we’ll see if the trend continues. If you get BBC make sure to tune in.

Who’s excited for the Grammy’s? I know you are. Even all you snobs out there who ridicule the Grammy’s as a popularity contest and another excuse for a celebrity fashion show. I know because I used to be a snob and even then I couldn’t keep myself from watching the Grammy’s. Anyway, I thought I’d bring you back to the 50th Grammy night with one from last years winning rock album of the year, Echoes, Patience, Silence, and Grace by the Foo Fighters.

This was the one I was pulling for last year. Now let’s see if I get lucky this year with my hopes set on Coldplay.

Viva La Vida

By the way, all you Bloggers be careful. Sounds like I upgraded to WordPress just in time. Read this article from the LAWeekly.