The Grammys: A night of pure entertainment

Ah the Grammys… one of the few instances in a year where I let myself wander outside my comfort zone and take a listen to what the majority of others are listening to on a daily basis: Top 40 Radio.

The Grammys are a place where the Gagas, the Biebers and the Eminems of the world, along with many others in every respective musical genre, come together once a year for a night of pure entertainment.

The Grammys are simply a celebration of music, and I respect that. Plus, the Grammys like to mix it up by throwing a few legendary acts in with the performers of today. Last year Elton John, Stevie Nicks and Jeff Beck graced the stage. This year we were rewarded with Bob Dylan, Barbra Streisand and Mick Jagger.

As Forrest Gump would say, you never know what you’re gonna get. And this year was no different: I mean, Lady Gaga showed up in a giant egg, for Pete’s sake.

Here’s a rundown of some of my favorite performances of the night:

• Christina Aguilera: Aguilera redeemed herself from her Super Bowl foul with a powerful performance of Aretha Franklin’s “Ain’t No Way.” In a tribute to Franklin, Aguilera was joined by Jennifer Hudson, Florence Welch (from Florence & The Machine), Martina McBride and gospel singer Yolanda Adams. The quartet did Aretha proud with a 10-minute mash-up tribute to the diva with such songs as “Respect,” “Spirit in the Dark” and “Sisters Are Doin’ It For Themselves.” But it was Aguilera who truly stood out. We all know Aguilera’s got the chops, but it’s soulful songs such as Aretha’s where her powerhouse vocals really shine.

• Bruno Mars: Mars started out the performance accompanying rapper B.O.B. and Janelle Monae. All three artists complemented each other nicely during renditions of B.O.B.’s “Nothin’ On You” and Monae’s “Cold War.” But it was Mars who broke away from the pack with a ’50s style take on his hit song “Grenade,” equipped with the dance moves and black and white screening to go with it. Classy, real classy.

• Jaden Smith: Coming out of nowhere, the 12-year-old tyke bred from Will Smith and Jada Pinkett, busted out some rhymes alongside teen sensation Justin Bieber during a performance of the latter’s “Never Say Never.” Surprisingly, Jaden’s raps flowed smoothly and he seemed comfortable on stage. Perhaps Jaden has inherited his father’s famous rapping chops. Let’s hope this lead’s to a cover of “Parents Just Don’t Understand.”

• Skylar Grey: She may be the breakthrough artist of the night, performing on Eminem’s “I Need a Doctor” alongside Dr. Dre. Grey only sings the chorus of that song, but the words and vocals hit hard and it complements the edgy rap side of things that Eminem and Dre provide. The entire song is hard-hitting, but low-key all in the same. It’s a nice pairing.

• Mumford & Sons, the Avett Brothers and Bob Dylan: Mumford & Sons, and the Avett Brothers prove that there is still good ol’ authentic bluegrass music out there. Mumford & Sons performed “The Cave” with two horn players backing up their four-piece band, then segued into the Avett Brothers’ strong-headed performance of “Head Full of Doubt, Road Full of Promise.” And then in one big culmination, the bands backed up legend Bob Dylan, as he performed “Maggie’s Farm.” Dylan may be getting a little raspy in his old age, and the back-up bands may have been shouting over him, but Dylan gave it his all and deserved the standing ovation he received from the audience.

• Cee Lo Green: Cee Lo Green, along with his partner-in-crime Danger Mouse, always enjoy dressing up as famous pairings as part of their band Gnarls Barkley. So it’s no surprise that even as he took to the stage solo to perform “[The Song Otherwise Known As] Forget You” that he looked like a new-age Elton John, dressed in colorful feathers resembling those of a peacock and a bedazzled head covering and glasses, rocking out on the piano. To couple with his costume was a fun set full of rocket ships…and puppets singing and dancing along. Yeah, that’s right…puppets. Oh, and for what’s it’s worth, Gwyneth Paltrow was there too.

• Muse’s performance of “Resistance:” Progressive space rock is what Muse is, and they put on quite a show for us Americans… they’re from England. With towers of TV screens made to look as if they come crashing down on us, along with actors pretending to riot and destroy said TV screens, the performance definitely defined the title of the song.

The Awards:

Grammys are awarded in 109 categories, including Best Spoken Word Album, Best Tropical Latin Album, Best Banda Album and Best Comedy Album. Here are some of the winners in the more traditional, popular categories.

Record of the Year: “Need You Now” by Lady Antebellum
Album of the Year: The Suburbs by Arcade Fire
Song of the Year: “Need You Now” by Lady Antebellum
Best New Artist: Esperanza Spaulding
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance: “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga
Best Male Pop Vocal Performance: “Just the Way You Are” by Bruno Mars
Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals: “Hey, Soul Sister (Live)” by Train
Best Pop Vocal Album: The Fame Monster by Lady Gaga
Best Rock Performance by A Duo or Group with Vocals: “Tighten Up” by The Black Keys
Best Alternative Music Album: Brothers by The Black Keys
Best Rock Album: The Resistance by Muse
Best R&B Album: Wake Up! by John Legend & The Roots
Best Rap Solo Performance: “Not Afraid” by Eminem
Best Rap Song: “Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys
Best Rap Album: Recovery by Eminem
Best Female Country Vocal Performance: “The House That Built Me” by Miranda Lambert
Best Male Country Vocal Performance: “ ‘Til Summer Comes Around” by Keith Urban
Best Country Album: Need You Now by Lady Antebellum