Live Blogging the Grammy's!

11:30 Final Classical awards:  Best Classical Solo Vocal went to Joyce DiDinato's Divo Diva.  She performed at the pre-televised ceremony.  And Best Contemporary Classical Composition went to Robert Aldridge's Elmer Gantry.

11:25 Nice trading fours, just like on Abby Road.  I didn't recognize all the guitarists, but good on Bruce, Joe, Dave, and Sir Paul.

11:23 Goodnight, Sir Paul.  You can't rock out your voice as much anymore.  But Boy, you gonna carry that way a long time.

11:21 Congrats to Adele.  The best Classical Solo Performance went to Christopher Lamb and the Nashville Symphony performing Joseph Schwantner's Percussion Concerto.  Schwantner is the guest artist at Music of the 21st Century at DePauw University this year, come see a Grammy winner up close.  Parts of his concerto will be performed during the festival.

11:13 The whole OK Go Car performance is pretty cool.  See it here.  There is a Car and Driver article about how they made this performance.

11:06 That was a bizarre video introduction to the Minaj performance.  The live part started like really bad musical theater.  Its become a little more interesting, but the Cockney accent is annoying.

11:00 I saw a paper a few years ago at the Society for Music Theory on the structure of German Electronica.  It was almost an ethnographic study, the theorist hanging out with djs and learning their art.  He talked about transitions between tempos, beats, and other structural elements.  At the Mannes Institute, Eric Clarke led us in a discussion of the perception of motion in some electronica.

10:59 I liked the sounds Deadmau5 was getting, Mrs. Spiegs.

10:58 The mau5ers are a little scary.  I wonder how he can see through the mask.

10:54 Again, it is nice showing the dance music in something like a club setting.  I find it amusing that they have a nod to ecstasy raves with the giant glow sticks.

10:50 Uh oh, Andrea is starting to quote from "Shit Girls Say."

10:48 My peeps, eighth blackbird, won their second Grammy for performing in Steve Mackey's Lonely Motel - Music from Slide.  The Grammy website incorrectly capitalizes their name.

10:43 I don't think Tony Bennett asked Carrie to call him "Mr. Bennett."  She was just showing respect for his standing in the field.

10:42 Finally some love for the departed classical musicians, including theorist Uncle Miltie!

10:37 Just got back from tucking Ben in.  Go Music Cares!  That speech by Bon Iver was very authentic.  The conflicted emotions of an artist surviving in a commercial medium.

10:25 Best Choral Performance went to Eric Whitacre's Light and Gold, including performances by the King's Singers, who we saw last year.

10:22  The Rhinestone Cowboy is in great physical shape!

10:21 Andrea's buddy, Blake.  See the picture on the right.

10:17 I like the Band Perry.  Mandolin love for Steve Spiegelberg's birthday!

10:13 The Best Opera Recording went to John Adams' Doctor Atomic.  It's pretty cool that a modern  opera about a scientist is getting love.

10:05 Adele sounds good after her surgery.  It is interesting how during the chorus she sings the same note twice, once belted and once in head voice.  It could be practical, because the second time she moves to yet a higher note.  But it could a timbre thing, showing a weak side to the singer or suggest she is really sad about the breakup.

10:02 Hey Andrea, your buddy Gustavo Dudamel won the best Orchestral Performance for the LA Phil's recording of Brahms 4.

10:01 Producer of the Year, Classical went to Judith Sherman.  I will have to get the American Brass Quintet album she produced (she was very busy last year).

9:58 I actually know a few of the Country nominees.  Yay Lady Antebellum, one that I know.  Fun Fact, Hillary Scott auditioned for American Idol twice and was rejected (well, didn't make it to the judge's round).

9:53 Ben pointed out that Jubilee of the X-Men can also shoot fireworks from her body.  More technical problems, or was that intended?  Probably intended.

9:50 Dr. Horrible!  More love for Adele.  I think NPH should have made cracks, even if he does respect songs.

9:45 I'm not trashing her, though I don't think her banjo was miked at all.

9:44 There is Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas, or the Bear Jubilee.

9:42 So much for Athena being tucked in.  She won't miss Taylor performing, especially "Mean."

9:40 That little duet was nice.  I'm not looking forward to Taylor Swift, though.  At least I can think of Jimmy Fallon's imitation of her.  Why the banjo?

9:33 What is that annoying crackle in the sound system?  Andrea doesn't like Paul's singing here, I think it is good, if a little on the cheesy side.  Diana is being underutilized here.  Frankly, so is Joe.  This kind of song is not conducive to Joe's crazy guitar stylings.

9:31 Stevie Wonder! Man, he can blow the harp.  Wow, Paul McCartney with Diana Krall and Joe Walsh.  Joe still has a weird face.

9:25 While we are in yet another commercial break, the Best Engineered Album, Classical went to Aldridge's opera, Elmer Gantry with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.  Produced by Naxos.  Of course, not televised.  No love for Classical.

9:22 Now that is how to perform the Beach Boys.  Great to see Brian Wilson having fun.

9:19 Foster the People is a little better, ooh, but just went down to Sucksville.

9:17 Surprisingly, Adam Levine's falsetto isn't as strong as Brian Wilson's.  Even his normal voice seems weak with that Beach Boys instrumentation.  Maybe he is trying too hard to be "authentic."

9:15 Amen, Dave Grohl!  Music is about humanity.

9:13 Hey, the first award with nominees whose albums I own.  But not the winner, Foo Fighters.  Sorry, Decembrists.

9:10  Hey, audience!  Do you prefer having the most recent comment on top, like my post, or on bottom like Andrea's?

9:09 Nice Chipotle commercial, even if they provide Andrea with another sign that she should open a flower shop.

9:04 I agree with Ben that Coldplay's singing sounds like whining.  At least we know they are really performing live.

9:02 And her voice does not blend well with Chris Marin's.

9:01 I was too impatient.  But Rihanna does not have a good head voice.

8:59  Where is Coldplay?  That is not a collaborative performance, bad announcer!

8:58 I have indeed felt like a plastic bag.

8:48 I like the idea of an outdoor performance during the show.  Is this new, or have the Grammy's done this before?

8:44 I don't think Siri (Wolfram Alpha) is the best choice for learning how to play the guitar.

8:39 Ben thinks they sound much better on the radio. "She needs to work on the Eh's. The Eh's are terrible."

8:35 Marc Anthony is very short.

8:34 A shoutout to our visitor from New Jersey!`

8:28 And I don't approve of Auto Tune in this way.

8:25 There have been protests about Chris Brown being let back on the Grammy's after his domestic abuse conviction.  He has served his time for the crime, but I also think his appearance should have also necessitated a statement against domestic violence.

8:24 And I kind of liked the megaphone effect.

8:23 Lady Gaga has a scepter!

8:20 I think all announcers should carry instruments.

8:18 I liked Bruno Mars' nod to James Brown's dancing.  The horn section wasn't as good as James Brown's band, though.

8:17 Never mind, when I try to edit her post when she does too, my edits get lost.

8:11 I'm moving to Andrea's post, so we can interact.  Nevermind that we are sitting next to each other on the couch!

8:07  Sir OG Paul McCartney?

8:05 A slight technical problem, my co-blogger will be in a separate post.

8:00  Scott: They are announcing tonight's performers.  The Boss is just starting to perform.

7:56  Scott:  the show will start very soon, I'm just waiting for my co-blogger to log on.