Sunday, Feb. 13, 2005
The Grammies, posted at 10:04 p.m.
Epiphany in Baltimore has moved to epiphanyinbaltimore.blogspot.com The weekend was short and not very relaxing; I worked a double today and am sore all over. But that's okay - the Grammies are on. I rushed home from the restaurant at 8pm (I got there at 9am) to catch the opening. I missed it by fifteen minutes, but I still have been more than satisfied.The last few years, when my musical tastes have pretty much lined up with the mainstream in ways they haven't ever done before, I've really enjoyed the Grammies. Part of it is with the lack of cable, I don't ever get to see any sort of visuals with any of the music I listen to. I go to concerts a few times a year, but that's it. The Grammies take care of that. Plus, the last few years, I've owned a large number of the Best Album nominees even before the nominations were announced. This year, I already owned albums by Alicia Keys, Kanye West, and Usher, and had been mulling over the purchase of the Green Day album. I doubt if I'll get the Ray Charles album - I feel like I should look deeper into his collection, and not go with the most recent, which had mixed reviews - but I could legimitely have four of the five within the next couple of weeks.
The show has been great. Alicia Keys' rendition of "If I Ain't Got You" was very powerful, but even that didn't compare with Kanye West's performance of "Jesus Walks." It was a little piece of musical theater, complete with set changes and special effects, and was topped only by his acceptance speech, which was one of the most affecting and memorable acceptance speeches in some time. I had goosebumps and tears in my eyes; that album has meant a lot to me in the last year, and seeing its author (for me, I was seeing him for the first time, except for photos) honored and obviously moved by the experience was a cool moment.
Kanye West's songs "Spaceship," "Never Let Me Down" and "Jesus Walks" are some of the best songwriting I've ever heard - introspective and personal, yet universal - and it's great to see it live.
Green Day fucking rocked. That song hasn't done that much for me on radio, but seeing it live, with the anger and the bragaddacio, was incredible. I'm going to get that CD.
Afterwards, Janis Joplin, one of my favorite performers, whose voice sends chills up my spine and sears and soars, was honored with some sort of Lifetime Grammy. Joss Stone sang "Cry Baby," which was alright, but then Melissa Etheridge came out - her head bald from chemotherapy for breast cancer - and sang "Piece of My Heart." It wasn't quite as cool as hearing her solo acoustic version of that song when Joplin was inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame, but it was still pretty cool - she's obviously so into it. The moment before the big scream at the three-quarters mark in the song, you could see her look around, her eyes giddy with the approach of that moment (Joplin's scream in the middle of that song is one of my favorite musical moments of all time), and then she screamed, and it was really cool. Nice job. At that point, I just wanted Joss Stone to go away.
It's too bad Melissa Etheridge's musical range is so limited, because when she's on, she's on fire. She's pretty on whenever she decides to cover Janis Joplin. I also used to have a good cover of her singing "Maggie May." Her song "Occasionally," from her first album, is also pretty good. So is "Somebody Bring Me Some Water." But, overall, I'm not that into her. But I was tonight.
Anyhow, I really hope Kanye West wins best album. I'd also like to see Usher shut out, just because he's an ass. It's like to see him perform "Burn," though. I wonder if he will.
I can't believe I used to like John Mayer so much. That "Daughers" song is horrible, his singing so affected and the lyrics so schmaltzy.
Busy, busy days tomorrow and Tuesday. Hopefully I make it through.