GRAMMY Nominations Concert 12-3-08

Nokia Theater · Los Angeles, CA

BY JOSE MARTINEZ

Award shows usually make their official announcements at some God awful time early in the morning (if you're on the West Coast anyway) where bleary-eyed journalists go to some sterile hotel banquet room half awake and slowly come to life on free coffee and pastries. This year the GRAMMYs opted to announce the nominees for the 51^st annual GRAMMY Awards, to be held Sunday, February 8 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, on a weeknight during a live-on-television concert.

The fact that the GRAMMY brain trust was able to sell thousands of seats at hundred of dollars to the general public for an hour-long show (followed by an hour-long solo set by John Mayer) was a stroke a genius. I guess there really is a sucker born every second. The show also served as an opportunity to constantly plug the brand new GRAMMY Museum that opens this Friday at the state-of-the-art LA LIVE entertainment complex. But to the Academy's credit, the first-ever GRAMMY Nomination Concert ran like clockwork.

Coming up with a novel twist, all of the evening's performers were former GRAMMY winners doing their rendition of songs now in the GRAMMY Hall of Fame. Opening the show was Mariah Carey singing "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)." Still able to hit at least one of her trademark annoying high pitch squeals, unfortunately for us U2 was neither available nor interested in appearing on the broadcast.

Up next, performing to an audience that also included the Jonas Brothers (sitting in the front row), Smokey Robinson, Natalie Cole, and Lindsey Buckingham, Celine Dion offered an uninspired take on Janis Ian's "At Seventeen." This would have been the perfect time to run to the kitchen for a snack or to fix a quick drink, or even an opportunity to do some channel surfing, but being stuck in the makeshift pressroom in the bowels of the Nokia Theatre that was not an option. (But at least there was some finger food to feast on.)

After a commercial break the Foo Fighters took on Carly Simon's "You're So Vain" which made me wonder if this would have made Kurt Cobain cringe? Joined onstage by a violinist that was drowned out by the roar of the band, the Foo's take on the ‘70s classic was sometimes rockin' and sometimes just off base. After the song, singer Dave Grohl announced the nominees for best Pop Collaboration with Vocals, and had some fun at the expense of the Best Country Performance By A Duo or Group with Vocals category.

Then came a hockey moment between the evening's hosts Taylor Swift and LL Cool J - the former, of course, is pretty far removed from the rapper that broke onto the scene nearly 20 years ago. That was followed by Swift's version of Brenda Lee's "I'm Sorry" along with a quick rendition of her own song "White Horse." I'm not sure if that was her way of insinuating that she's on par with Little Miss Dynamite or if she's just desperate to plug her own catalog. Either way, at least she looked hot and leggy.

The broadcast's final performance paired guitar legend B.B. King with John Mayer who is better known these days for who he is or isn't dating, as well as his sometimes funny rants on TMZ, but it was good to see him get back to work. Together they delivered a knockout performance of Louis Jordan's 1946 hit "Let The Good Times Roll."

After the show went off the air, and John Mayer performed a solo set for those that decided to remain in their seats, many of the night's nominees, among the various 110 categories, stopped by the press area.

Ne-Yo, nominated for six awards, including Album of the Year, said he prides himself on his music's diversity, noting, "I'm in great company," adding he's "dumbfounded" at being nominated.

Nominated for Best New Artist, singer Jazmine Sullivan called her nomination "surreal" and "unbelievable," reflecting, "I've been in this industry for so long that's it's great that it's finally coming together."

Polished beyond their years, the Jonas Brothers, also void of any personality, made time for a quick Q&A. "The GRAMMY nomination is the tip of the iceberg," Kevin Jonas stated. "We never forget where we come from so this is truly an honor."

Brother Nick Jonas said if he could pick any artist to collaborate on a GRAMMY performance with it would be with Elvis Costello. (Meanwhile, over on the Sundance Channel, EC was kibitzing with Elton John. Life is sweet, no?)

Comedian Kathy Griffin, nominated for Best Comedy Album, was a breath of fresh air backstage, even if she was surrounded by a whole team of handlers. "Britney Spears is a train wreck!" she declared. Whether or not she was kidding is open for interpretation. Wearing a "sweaty armband" courtesy of Foo Fighter Dave Grohl, Griffin confessed she, like the Jonas Brothers, is "carefully looking for the right girl to lose [her] virginity to."

Finally, living legend B.B. King confessed that at age 83 he enjoys sitting down and quickly sat for a quick chat. Noting he had a "great time" playing with John Mayer, King, reflecting on the recent presidential election, admitted, "I never thought I'd live long enough to see a black president elect. America has grown up, but not enough, but I'm very happy and proud."

And now, let the flood of overblown, meaningless, self-congratulatory emails and press releases from record labels and p.r. firms begin!

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Nominations of interest include:

Album of the Year:

Coldplay - Viva La Vida

Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III

Ne-Yo - Year of the Gentleman

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Raising Sand

Radiohead - In Rainbows

Record of the Year:

Adele - "Chasing Pavements"

Coldplay - "Viva La Vida"