Grammys 2006

I have no idea how I got through these interminably long shows in the pre-internet days, without message boards and online chatting to make the time pass more quickly. Well ... in truth, I didn't get through them -- either I got bored and went to bed before the show ended or I made generous use of the buttons on the TV remote.

Pleasantries
Kelly Clarkson winning twice. The continuing likeability of her "aw shucks" attitude, despite (or the rationale behind?) her increasing fame.

The ratio of musical performances to award presentations continues to grow. Eventually, there'll be nothing left other than Record and Album of the Year. And that'll be fine with me.

No "everytime you download a song from a file sharing network, somewhere in the world, you can hear a terrorist crying" speech.

Kanye West tearing up the stage, making Outkast's performance of "Hey Ya" from two years ago seem dull by comparison.

Ugly Like Dionne Warwick
The nu-metal-hip-electronic-hop version of "Yesterday", complete with Macca, bad harmonizing, and completely unneccessary interjections by Jay-Z.

Kanye getting shafted by 18-month old Green Day and U2 material.

WTF of the Century
I refused to believe the Sly Stone rumours that circled for the past few weeks. No way would he show up. Well, he did appear (or was it Green Velvet dressed up like him?), complete with deliciously gaudy SLY belt and mangled right hand, stumbled about in his usual haze, mumbled into a possibly unplugged mike while barely brushing his fingers over a possibly unplugged keyboard, and wandered off long before the song ended. Reports claim that he headed backstage, threw up, walked out of the building unescorted, and hasn't been seen since. Sounds like an insta-urban legend to me, adding to the long list of similarly bizarre stories associated with this inimitable character over the past forty years. Then again, I would have added this "performance" to that list if I hadn't seen it on live TV with my own two eyes.