But I'm looking forward to Sunday's Grammy Awards, if, for nothing else, a sure-to-be captivating performance by the one and only Lady Gaga, who is likely to create a sensation with her outfit and her singing.
Lady Gaga, one of the hottest, most compelling acts in music, will be joined by Beyonce, Taylor Swift and the Black Eyed Peas on the show, and likely in taking home a whole bunch of the little gramophones.
Also slated to perform are the Dave Matthews Band, Pink, Maxwell, Lady Antebellum, Bon Jovi and my pals in the Zac Brown Band.
An aside here: Brown and I were talking about awards shows before he played Pershing Center last year, and he said if he had his way, the Grammys would be the last such show he'd ever play. I'm guessing he won't be able to pull that off. But, just in case, ZBB fans will want to catch this appearance.
The performance lineup is very strong - and absolutely necessary if the Grammys are to get anything resembling a large audience.
With the splintering of the music market and the death spiral of the CD, the music biz isn't what it used to be. Big-selling acts now reach the 10 million mark max. In the past, that was a good start. And the Grammy "bounce" has likely become more myth than reality.
But the awards still give the industry a chance to trot out its biggest acts - no shock that most of them are pop stars - and remind us that "we're all fans." Those "fans" may not want to pay for music anymore, but they're fans nonetheless.
There are a zillion Grammy categories and I don't have the space, time or inclination to handicap them. But here's a look at the "big four" awards to be presented during the show, which starts at 7 p.m. on CBS (Channels 10/11) and is supposed to be over at 10:30 p.m.
Album of the Year
The nominees: Beyonce, "I Am ... Sasha Fierce"; The Black Eyed Peas, "The E.N.D."; Dave Matthews Band, "Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King"; Lady Gaga, "The Fame"; Taylor Swift, "Fearless."
The breakdown: DMB is the only rock act nominated, providing a solid block of votes. Beyonce and Lady Gaga also have decent shots. But crossover queen Swift is likely on her way to a very big night as she gets the country vote and some pop fans, too.
Song of the Year
The nominees: Beyonce, "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)"; Kings of Leon, "Use Somebody"; Lady Gaga, "Poker Face"; Maxwell, "Pretty Wings"; Taylor Swift, "You Belong With Me."
The breakdown: "Poker Face" was one of my favorite songs of 2009 and I'd like to see it win. But look out for Swift, whom I see taking three of the top four awards.
Record of the Year
This one goes to the artist, producer and engineers.
The nominees: Beyonce, "Halo"; The Black Eyed Peas , "I Gotta Feeling"; Kings of Leon, "Use Somebody"; Lady Gaga, "Poker Face"; Taylor Swift, "You Belong With Me."
The Breakdown: There's a pattern developing here: a rock artist, three popsters and Swift. I think there's going to be another pattern: Swift wins No. 3.
Best New Artist
The nominees: Keri Hilson, MGMT, Silversun Pickups, The Ting Tings, Zac Brown Band.
The breakdown: I've got a horse in this race; I'd love to see the ZBB win. But this one's an intriguing coin flip. As usual, there's one veteran act - Silversun Pickups - nominated as "new," and one of the hottest new artists in MGMT. I'm going to go with MGMT as the winner, but I'll be pulling for Zac.
Source:journalstar.com/
