2010 Grammys
This year's Grammy Awards telecast was, in a word, weird. This year represented the aftermath of a tumultuous year for the music industry and a slew of tragedies...combined with the return of glamrock punk and futuristic electronica brought on by a new decade.
Feelings evoked that of George Orwell's 1984...where 2010 marked the end of the (music) world as we know it...or rather, the record industry. It was one of the most technically elaborate shows I've seen...but even that was marked by tragedy when they announced a stage hand died the night before the show.
Most of the music performance's backdrops had images of war and destruction. Andrea Bocelli and Mary J Blige sang an original song for Haiti with footage of the earthquake's devastation. A Michael Jackson 3-D tribute played "What About Us," along with images of a rainforest being leveled. Beyonce's entrance was accompanied by an 100-man bomb squad. Bon Jovi's politically charged performance with images of Ghandi, MLK Jr. and Kennedy was surrounded by flames. During Lady Gaga and Elton John's piano duet, they played alongside a gritty oiltank that read "REJECTED;" sut and dirt covered their faces and clothing as arms and legs jutted out from the piano top. The 2010 Grammy's were a juxtaposition of glamour and destruction...literally. I mean, Pink actually spewed water all over the nominees priceless couture during her acrobatic performance.
But don't worry - innocence and wholesomeness won out in the end when Taylor Swift accepted Album of the Year.
Highlights: Eminem/Lil' Wayne/Drake/Travis Barker performance, Dave Matthews Band and the Michael Jackson 3-D tribute with Jennifer Hudson, Celine Dion, Smokey Robinson, Usher and Carrie Underwood.
Low highlights: Taylor Swift's voice during her duet with Stevie Nicks...and Jamie Foxx
Feelings evoked that of George Orwell's 1984...where 2010 marked the end of the (music) world as we know it...or rather, the record industry. It was one of the most technically elaborate shows I've seen...but even that was marked by tragedy when they announced a stage hand died the night before the show.
Most of the music performance's backdrops had images of war and destruction. Andrea Bocelli and Mary J Blige sang an original song for Haiti with footage of the earthquake's devastation. A Michael Jackson 3-D tribute played "What About Us," along with images of a rainforest being leveled. Beyonce's entrance was accompanied by an 100-man bomb squad. Bon Jovi's politically charged performance with images of Ghandi, MLK Jr. and Kennedy was surrounded by flames. During Lady Gaga and Elton John's piano duet, they played alongside a gritty oiltank that read "REJECTED;" sut and dirt covered their faces and clothing as arms and legs jutted out from the piano top. The 2010 Grammy's were a juxtaposition of glamour and destruction...literally. I mean, Pink actually spewed water all over the nominees priceless couture during her acrobatic performance.
But don't worry - innocence and wholesomeness won out in the end when Taylor Swift accepted Album of the Year.
Highlights: Eminem/Lil' Wayne/Drake/Travis Barker performance, Dave Matthews Band and the Michael Jackson 3-D tribute with Jennifer Hudson, Celine Dion, Smokey Robinson, Usher and Carrie Underwood.
Low highlights: Taylor Swift's voice during her duet with Stevie Nicks...and Jamie Foxx
Phoenix won for best Alternative Music Album
MJ Tribute 
J Lo
Elton John & Lady GaGa
La Roux @ the El Rey 10.19.09
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Just a warning that Elly has been feeling ill and can only perform a short set tonight...so give it up for La Roux!"
FUCK.
I was really looking forward to dancing it up tonight...especially after all that free champagne and dessert we consumed at Capitol City (Monday night sports bars, guys just wanna buy you drinks after their team wins).
I had a lovely "plot of real estate" to the left of the stage and was rarin' to go. Alas, Elly Jackson, with her signature red peacock hair and enlarged cameo necklace, announced after the cheers and hollers that she "flew all the way to Los Angeles and can barely sing" ....but put on a great show regardless.
La Roux is a duo band (tonight there were 4 on stage) with singer Elly Jackson and synth player Ben Langmaid. The band's name originates from Elly's red hair and French heritage (roux is the French male form of "redhead"). Their music is a total 80's flashback, folks...a real guilty pleasure. Who doesn't like to wear sparkles and dance to synthpop?
She opened with "Quicksand"...then went to "I'm Not Your Toy"..."Saviour"...."Colourless Color" and ended with her two hits "In For The Kill" (in which she experienced her first "dance randoms" on stage) and "Bulletproof" in which a little girl dressed in a green and blue bubble unitard sang along - and knew all the words!
Little girl in bubble outfit singing "Bulletproof"
I was really looking forward to dancing it up tonight...especially after all that free champagne and dessert we consumed at Capitol City (Monday night sports bars, guys just wanna buy you drinks after their team wins).
I had a lovely "plot of real estate" to the left of the stage and was rarin' to go. Alas, Elly Jackson, with her signature red peacock hair and enlarged cameo necklace, announced after the cheers and hollers that she "flew all the way to Los Angeles and can barely sing" ....but put on a great show regardless.
La Roux is a duo band (tonight there were 4 on stage) with singer Elly Jackson and synth player Ben Langmaid. The band's name originates from Elly's red hair and French heritage (roux is the French male form of "redhead"). Their music is a total 80's flashback, folks...a real guilty pleasure. Who doesn't like to wear sparkles and dance to synthpop?
She opened with "Quicksand"...then went to "I'm Not Your Toy"..."Saviour"...."Colourless Color" and ended with her two hits "In For The Kill" (in which she experienced her first "dance randoms" on stage) and "Bulletproof" in which a little girl dressed in a green and blue bubble unitard sang along - and knew all the words!
Little girl in bubble outfit singing "Bulletproof"San Francisco's Treasure Island Music Festival (Day 2)
Treasure Island Music Festival was a perfectly sized music festival. The two stages took turns with the featured bands, making it easy to meander between the two and not miss a set. Other than the music, the festival hosted a wide variety of entertainment: Mister Gnogiurzauchshoff's Traveling Midway of Curiosities and Delights (an old fashioned carnival setup with a twist), a ferris wheel, odd characters roaming about (pirates on stilts, monsters, etc) and even a hair salon – just to name a few.
Initially, we were planning to attend both days of TIMF, but a scheduling conflict prevented us from making Day 1 (we heard MSTRKRFT stole the show). Here are highlights from Day 2:
Thao Nguyen & the Get Down Stay Down impressed us. They are great musicians...and Thao can really get down!
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes once again blew us away (see earlier post from their 9.22.09 show at the El Rey). This is what live music is about.
Grizzly Bear sounded ah-mazing.
Beirut sounded different. Great, but different. You can tell that Zach Condon is collaborating more with band members and changing things up (Beirut started as a solo project).
Explore more: www.treasureislandfestival.com
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