FOR COLORED GIRLS WHO HAVE CONSIDERED SUICIDE WHEN THE RAINBOW IS ENUF by Marques Wayne

The seven actresses that bring to life the stories of the “Colored Girls” are the where the real magic lies in this powerful and touching piece by Ntozake Shange.  They aren’t able to rely on sophisticated set design, costumes and wigs because there are none. The stage is small and sparsely decorated with five, lightly painted, pillars and a small fence behind which a multi-instrumentalist (Derf Reklaw) provides musical accompaniment.  For much of the show, each actress is dressed simply in black with a bright scarf at her waist in the color that she represents; red, purple, yellow, orange, blue, green and brown. 

Between them they portray an array of characters, some funny, others intense, that represent the broad spectrum of experiences women of color face in America.  The play was written in the 1970’s but the images and themes are timeless.  In the 2010 film version, For Colored Girls, adapted and directed by Tyler Perry, each character had a singular storyline throughout and they were connected by either their work or the apartment building that many of them lived in.  Here, however, each story has its own set of emotional and social complications and the glue that binds them together is each woman’s search for her own peace, love and humanity. 

The performers selected for each of the colors represented were chosen well.  Standouts were Mystie Galloway, Nia Witts and Yvette Saunders.  Galloway, the lady in yellow, brought a lively, focused charm to her monologues, most clearly evidenced in the first, where she brings to life a coquettish young virgin ready to take the plunge into womanhood.  Witts, the lady in brown, exercised her range throughout the production and really shined in a monologue about a preteen in love with the ghost of a long-dead Haitian revolutionary.  Yvette Saunders, the lady in blue, was also wonderful in multiple roles and glided with a grace and ease that made the stage seem to dance with her.  These actresses brought nuance and depth to their multiple roles, but also were supported solidly by the other four performers, and every one of them shined in their final monologues where the intensity was heightened to a fever pitch. 

The director (J.C. Gafford) and choreographer (Fernando Christopher) are to be commended for staging such a powerful piece on the limited budget of a small playhouse, and my one note would be that as much as dance is referenced in the verse, I expected to see even more and I think that more music could have been used in some of the transitions to make them smoother and accentuate the mood.  All in all, with seven bright stars at the center, it’s hard not to be moved by the message of the playwright’s honest and universal piece.  This production proves that in the right hands, the material can speak for itself.

 The show will be playing until March 17, 2012.  Tickets are available on their website ($20) : http://lyrictheatrela.com/

THE 54TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS

For better or for worse, the Grammys are the Oscars of the music industry.  They are the height of prestige, but also stretch your patience and endurance with one overblown presentation after another culminating in a waste of three to four hours of your life that you might’ve condensed to about 20 minutes via youtube and reading the news online the following day punctuating the highlights.  I will do my best to save everyone the pain of reliving one of the most interminable shows in recent memory, by focusing on the modicum of stand-out moments. 

            Someone at CBS had the bright idea to hire one of its stars to host the event, and since Morley Safer must’ve had a hip replacement surgery scheduled, they got LL Cool J.  I love LL, he has an appealing presence and the camera loves him, but I don’t think the show needed a host per se, and if they were going to have one, why not a comedian (Kevin Hart, since he wasn’t the host of VMAs, but really was) who could wake the crowd back up after the Glen Campbell tribute?  Where are the funny segments Ellen did when she hosted in the 90’s?  (To this day, I can’t sing ‘Waterfalls’ by TLC without saying, “…and booty slap, and booty slap.”)  It was nice that they acknowledged the untimely death of Whitney Houston right away since surely the audiences, both at the Staples Center and at home, were still reeling from the news and Bruno Mars’s lively opening performance was uplifting and set a nice tone for what could have been an exciting night.  Unfortunately, the rest of the performances fell far below the bar he set. 

            Alicia Keys (Does she have to come every year?) and Bonnie Raitt did a simple, but lovely, rendition of ‘Sunday Kind of Love’ for the Etta James tribute and it felt appropriate and respectful.  In retrospect though, I think they might’ve done a bit more.  I’m not a huge fan of James, but she has inspired countless singers and it would’ve been nice to have Christina Aguilera come out and try to redeem her fluid-leaking performance at James’s funeral.  Then again, I have heard ‘At Last’ abused by more karaoke singers than I care to remember, so not hearing it last night was a welcome change. 

            Chris Brown, who at one time was one of the most exciting performers in pop music, and a winner for Best R&B album, is starting to bore me personally.  It feels like he keeps giving the same performance over and over again.  He’s a great dancer, but he doesn’t have Michael Jackson’s artistry, Usher’s style, or even Bobby Brown’s raunchy sexual energy.  All of these artists are clearly influences, but he’s just presenting a diluted version of what they do on stage.  Five-time winners, The Foo Fighters gave a rousing outdoor performance of their hit “Walk” in front of The Staples Center and it was classic Foos, which was nice, but didn’t they do the same thing last year? When they came back later in the show with Dead Mau5 and did a mash-up remix of “Rope” I thought it went a lot better, and after Dave Grohl’s mini-diatribe about “real music” versus computers it was nice to see them embrace dance music and show that they’re not so elitist. 

   Speaking of dance music and Chris Brown, who also came back out to (pointlessly) duet with David Guetta during the dance music segment (Seriously, was Usher somewhere comforting Ray J. about Whitney?), his ex (and possibly current) lady-friend and Album of the Year nominee (Really, Grammys?), Rihanna came out to perform her annoying hit ‘We Found Love’ followed by Coldplay who did a pitchy rendition of their hit “Paradise”.   The performance was billed as a duet, but I saw Rihanna, then subsequently tuned out, then came back and there was Coldplay.  The duet component was lost on me, but it’s just as well. 

            Another annoying thing that the Grammys does is have the same artist come out for repeated performances.  I get that this show is unique in that it’s basically wall to wall music with a few awards mixed in, but there have to be other artists that are available and could use the boost by performing at the Grammys.  Why not have all of the Best New Artist nominees perform? Why not let a Producer of the Year nominee do a medley with artists they collaborated with? Why not leave Paul McCartney in England where he belongs?! (Seriously, did he need to come back so many times? Why academy, why?)  Also, Glen Campbell is a respected artist, and I get that he inspired many country performers like The Voice coach Blake Shelton (also a nominee, who came out to perform with him), but I could’ve lived without that tribute as well. 

The one old-fogey performance that did go over well however, was the Beach Boys reunion.  The original members, who all looked like wax figures of their former selves, were joined by Foster the People and Maroon 5, both multiple nominees.  For all of their geriatric stiffness though, the Beach Boys’ harmonies still sounded fresh as a summer day in the sand (unless they were lip-synching).  Maroon 5 did a solid take on 'Surfer Girl' and Foster the People did a good job with 'Wouldn’t It Be Nice,' but I couldn’t help thinking, what would’ve been nice (See what I did there?) was Foster the People singing one of their hit songs like 'Helena Beat' or the ubiquitous 'Pumped Up Kicks.'

And speaking of ubiquity, the belle of the ball was clearly Adele, who inevitably walked away with everything including Album, Record and Song of the year.  The singer’s return to the stage after taking a couple of months off to have throat surgery was a bit overblown and added extra hype to her performance which ended up rendering it underwhelming.  She sounded confident, albeit a bit twangy, but she has never been particularly exciting on stage, and I was looking for her to do something different with such a high profile performance, but alas, she did a really safe rendition of ‘Rolling in the Deep’ and I pretty much forgot it before it was over. 

One of the last performances of the night, and one of the few I was looking forward to, was Nicki Minaj and I’m not sure if 'disappointing' is quite the word to describe it.  Actually, I’m not sure what words would describe it.  Apparently, she walked in with a pope or something and she wore a huge red bag of an outfit that looked like something that would be hanging outside of a Chinese dress shop, or more appropriately a church, with a light bulb or a candle in it.  She was foreshadowing her on-stage “exorcism” that came later during her performance.  I’m all for crazy, over-the-top, performance art madness when there’s something substantially interesting at the core, but this didn’t qualify, or I missed it.  She was debuting a new song from her upcoming album Roman’s Revenge, which is always risky, and the performance, which managed to include a show tune and a Christmas carol no less, came off as all shock and no substance that I think Lady Gaga might’ve found “reductive.” 

Speaking of Gaga, where was her performance? The multi-nominated Born This Way singer was sorely missed in the sea of mediocrity.  I understand that Beyonce was at home lactating and Jay-Z was by her side, but what was Kanye doing? He couldn’t come in and interrupt Taylor Swift’s performance to suggest a better dress?  Or couldn’t he have assisted Katy Perry with their song ‘E.T.’ and flown across the stage on a bicycle. Actually, he probably did that, I wasn’t watching so I wouldn’t know. 

The only reason I hung in so long was to see Nicki (nice waste of time that was), and to see the Whitney Houston tribute.  I understand they had precious little time to prepare something and I thought Jennifer Hudson did a nice job, with an understated rendition of ‘I Will Always Love You’ at the end of the In Memoriam segment.  I have to commend her for holding it together during the performance. I was able to do the same when she sang, but the clip of Whitney herself doing it in the beginning left me weeping.  

Overall, it was a horribly boring show.  Let’s hope with all of the albums coming out from 90’s stalwarts like No Doubt, Bush, Fiona Apple and Garbage, not to mention the Jack White solo album and albums released too late in 2011 to be considered (Mary J. Blige, Robin Thicke, Miranda Lambert), that next year will have something more exciting in store. 

BEST FILMS AND PERFORMANCES OF 2011

To say that I was underwhelmed by most of what I saw this past year is, well, an understatement.  Normally, I only do five albums and 10 films, for 2011, the reverse seems to be true.  There were only five films that I saw that genuinely moved me and made me excited about movies.  Not surprisingly, two of them are movies about movies and were bestowed with the most nominations from the Academy.  There are five other films that were thoroughly entertaining commercial films that would round out my top ten if I was making one, but they didn't necessarily pack the punch needed to be considered the best of the year (two of them are the 4th installments in their respective franchises).  Additionally, there weren't a lot of inspiring performances this year, but a few standouts make the future look promising. 


TOP FILMS


1. The Artist_ This silent treasure had me right from the start. The story is simple, yet moving and it's well acted by, Oscar nominees, the luminous Berenice Bejo and the dashing Jean DuJardin.  Michel Hazanavicius's clever direction makes it feel at once familiar and fresh.  An instant classic!

2. The Descendants_ For years critics have raved about Alexander Payne, and while I've never saw a film of his that I didn't like, I've never been moved like I was by The Descendants.  George Clooney, in a career best performance, is a man struggling to connect with his two daughters and to forgive his unfaithful comatose wife.  For a film that goes back and forth from hysterical to heartbreaking on a dime, the tone is always pitch perfect. 

3. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo_ Not having read the best-selling novels, or having seen the Swedish film adaptations, I didn't know quite what to expect from this mysterious Girl, but the intricate plot and the vivid performances sucked me in so completely that I was genuinely surprised to learn the film was nearly 2 1/2 hours long.  The graphic sex and violence were handled expertly by director David Fincher (currently having a golden moment) and the score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross was a seamless match. 

4. Pariah_ Director Dee Rees' astonishing debut film about, Alike [Uh-lee-kay], a young lesbian woman finding herself and experiencing love for the first time is, in a word, inspiring.  It was clear a unique cinematic voice was being experienced from the opening sequence.   With authentic performances from Adepero Oduye, Pernell Walker and Kim Wayans, playing against type, as Alike's disapproving mother, it also offered the richest roles for black women this year (sorry, The Help).

5. Hugo_ As far as I'm concerned Marty has officially got his groove back!  Then again, maybe he never really lost it.  All I know is that he transformed The Departed from a standard commercial cop thriller into a Best Picture winning masterpiece and now he's taken a children's book and made a film that not only speaks to the curious child in us, but is also a moving history lesson for adult film buffs. And in 3D no less!

HONORABLE MENTIONS


The Muppets / Horrible Bosses / Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol / Beginners/ Scream 4

PERFORMANCES


Shailene Woodley_ The Descendants : This natural beauty and promising young actress more than held her own with Oscar nominee Clooney as the willful and outspoken daughter he can't control. 

Dame Maggie Smith _ Downton Abbey (PBS): As the Dowager Countess of Grantham she delivers all the best lines in  a way that only a grand dame who has seen and done it all can. 

Jessica Lange_ American Horror Story (FX):  As the deliciously evil,  nosy neighbor Constance, Lange found her most satisfying role in years.  It's a pity the next season will be a completely new cast and story.   Lange's poisonous threats, delivered in a saccharine southern drawl, will be missed. 

The Cast of Happy Endings (ABC): Many have tried and all have failed at becoming the next Friends, but this wacky, hilarious bunch don't try to replicate Ross, Rachel, Monica and co., but sort of pay homage to them in their own absurdist way without feeling derivative and stale.   

TOP TEN ALBUMS OF 2011

2011  wasn't necessarily a great year for music, and this is usually the hardest list for me to compile every year anyway.  I always have too much to choose from and trying to rank things is hard, or I'm not sure what came out when and have to do a lot of Googling to make sure I get it right.  


This time I had a hard time even thinking of 10 albums that I enjoyed all the way through.  I usually just do a top five, but there were about seven that were contenders so I decided to make it a nice round ten and include some that I didn't necessarily love, or have a chance to fall in love with yet, but still admired enough to recommend.  So, here it is (more or less in order) my  Top 10 Albums of 2011 and Top 20 Singles.  The singles were SUPER hard since I hate most music on the radio and most of what I listen to came out before the year 2000 so there is a lot of repetition.  Enjoy, comment, and PLEASE if you have suggestions of some other good music, give them!!


21_ Adele (An artistic leap forward from her promising debut.  Producer Rick Rubin helped her find her voice in more ways than one.  She dug deeper with her songwriting and pushed herself vocally and the results are remarkable.  Easily the album of the year.  Key Tracks: Someone Like You/Turning Tables/Set Fire to the Rain)

Betty Wright: The Movie _ Betty Wright & The Roots (A welcome return from the R&B legend!  The Roots are the perfect match for the diva to pay tribute to the past and bring real soul music to the new generation.  A class act.  Key Tracks: Surrender/In The Middle of the Game/You and Me, Leroy)

Torches _ Foster The People (A sublime debut from the funky California Alt-Rockers.  The songs are so catchy you can easily miss how sobering the topics are.  Teen mass murder anyone? Key Tracks: 'Helena Beat'/ 'Life on the Nickel'/ 'Call It What You Want')

Born This Way_ Lady Gaga (Gaga lets out her inner rock Grrrl and continues to intrigue.  Say what you will about the Madonna sound-alike title track and even the not quite right, but danceable follow up 'Judas', but you can't deny the pop-rock euphoria of 'You and I' and 'Edge of Glory'.  Some of the best cuts on here so far haven't been released as singles and there are a plenty.  Key Tracks: Schiebe/Americano/Marry the Night)

Katla_ Ida Maria (Before the election got too ridiculous for me and I stopped listening to NPR non-stop I was introduced to Ida Maria being interviewed when her album was being released.  The sassy, fun personality she displayed in the interview is evident on Katla which bubbles with wit and manages to be sexy and catchy without feeling false.  Key Tracks: Cherry Red/ I Eat Boys Like You For Breakfast/ Bad Karma)

Hot Sauce Committee Part Two_ The Beastie Boys (This is classic Beasties and just the way I like them.  Rapping about random stuff to hard hip-hop beats and just being cool ass white boys.  It doesn't hurt having Nas and Santigold dropping by either.  Key Track: Don't Play No Game That I Can Win/Make Some Noise)

Angles_ The Strokes (A return to form from my favorite scraggly New Yorkers.  After their last album that started with a bang and then whimped out, I was glad to have my Strokes back. Key Tracks: Call Me Back/Under the Cover of Darkness/Gratisfaction)

El Camino_ The Black Keys (This album kinda just came out and I'm still learning it and falling in love with it, but it's The Black Keys so I'm sure I won't regret including it on this list. Key Tracks: Money Maker /Run Right Back/Lonely Boy)

Watch The Throne_ Jay-Z & Kanye West (This was one of the most anticipated albums of the year and, though it's not perfect, Jay and Kanye are at their lyrical best.  I don't always enjoy Kanye and it says something that I can get through this whole album without cringing, excessive use of the "N" word notwithstanding.  Key Tracks: Otis/Lift Off/No Church in the Wild)

Camp_ Childish Gambino (For someone who could be described as a cross between Drake and Kanye, two rappers I don't always enjoy, I manage to like this fresh debut from Childish Gambino.   The renaissance artist A.K.A. Donald Glover, a writer and also one of the stars of NBC's Community, keeps it real in a different way than most rappers; he raps about how not being a street hustler made him a hip-hop outsider.  Hopefully on his next album he'll drop the chip on his shoulder that's keeping his freak flag from flying as high as it could.  Key Tracks: All The Shine/Hold You Down)

HONORABLE MENTIONS

          

Lioness: Hidden Treasures_ Amy Winehouse (Amy, Amy, Amy, gone too soon and this album is a reminder of what might've been with it's mis-mash of demos, early recordings and unreleased tracks, it's not really a new album so I didn't include it, but it is one of my favorites from this year.)

Love After War _ Robin Thicke (I was actually listening to this while I was writing this blog and enjoyed it all the way through, but it missed the deadline to be on the list.)

Top Singles  (In no particular order)

1. Rolling in the Deep_ Adele

2. Run the World_ Beyonce

3. Otis_ Jay-Z & Kanye West

4. Barbara Streisand _ Duck Sauce

5. Pumped Up Kicks_ Foster The People

6. The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie_ Red Hot Chilipeppers

7. Superbass_ Nicki Minaj

8. Shake It Out_ Florence + The Machine

9. Paradise_ Coldplay

10. Promises_ Incubus

11. Helena Beat_ Foster the People

12. Someone Like You_ Adele

13. Six Foot, Seven Foot_ Lil' Wayne

14. You and I_ Lady Gaga

15. Make Some Noise_ The Beastie Boys

16. Lonely Boy_ The Black Keys

17. Under the Cover of Darkness_ The Strokes

18. Surrender_ Betty Wright & The Roots

19. Two Against One_ Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi feat. Jack White

20. 25/8_ Mary J. Blige

HUGO / THE ARTIST : REVIEW

I saw two films over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend that resonated with me as a filmmaker and cinephile so I’ve chosen to write about them together.  Both films pay tribute to the early days of film with a contemporary twist.  

The first, Martin Scorcese’s Hugo, tells the story of Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield) an orphan living in a Parisian train station in the 1930’s.  He lives clandestinely in the station’s clock tower, keeping the authorities none the wiser by regularly winding the clocks in the absence of his guardian uncle who has gone M.I.A.  He is also devoted to restoring an automaton he was working on with his late father (Jude Law) before he died.  So, in addition to filching croissants and milk from the station shops, he has also been swiping gears and other parts from the station’s toy shop run by a grumpy old man (Ben Kingsley).  After confiscating Hugo’s notebook full of sketches and forcing him to demonstrate his mechanical skills, the old man negotiates a deal to have him work in the shop to get the notebook back.  Once Hugo joins forces with the shop owner’s goddaughter (Chloe Grace Moretz), a voracious reader and budding adventurist, they discover that the automaton holds a hidden secret and that’s when the real story is revealed. 

I was initially intrigued about this film because of what I knew about the source material (the children’s novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret) and the fact that Scorsese, known for creating vivid portraits of gangsters, outcasts and sociopaths was behind a 3-D kid’s flick.  I have too much respect for Marty to ever think that he had sold out just to get a big check, but I was curious to see what he would do in this uncharted territory.  (Seriously, the closest he’d ever come to a children’s movie was Kundun.)  However, once I was drawn in to Hugo I realized why his involvement, and even the 3-D, made sense.  The plot twist in the third act reveals a real treat for cineastes especially.  It’s clear from the care with which Scorcese treats his subject that he relished the chance to tell this story.  He understands the importance of introducing it to a new generation of filmmakers and dream creators, and the use of 3-D is an appropriate way to pay homage to the spirit of the film. 

It also makes the film more watchable for kids, for whom I think the pacing might be a bit slow, especially if they’re under the age of ten and they haven’t read the books, but for kids at heart (like moi) it was a fantastic treat.  I didn’t see the 3-D version because I usually don’t enjoy the format to say the least, but in this instance it would actually enhance the story and I’m looking forward to seeing it again with the rented glasses.  Even without it though, the magical atmosphere Scorsese creates with the train station and the snowy Parisian landscapes is a wonder to behold.  The colorful supporting characters, including Sacha Baron Cohen as the villainous station security guard, only add to the whimsy and charm of this sumptuous visual treat.   

The Artist, by the French writer/director Michel Hazanavicius, is a similar wonder.  First of all, any film graced with leads as charming and gorgeous as Jean DuJardin (my new crush) and Berenice Bejo would have to be pretty awful to not at least be worth watching.  The story starts in 1927 Hollywood, where George Valentin (DuJardin) is one of the biggest silent film stars in the world when an unknown actress and fan inadvertently makes headlines with him by innocently interrupting a paparazzi frenzy at his premiere.  There is immediate chemistry between the two, but he is unhappily married and she is whisked away to do “talkies” once her name is on everyone’s lips.  Soon Peppy Miller (Bejo) is a star in her own right thanks to the popularity of her work in sound.  At the same time Valentin’s popularity is waning as silents are going out of fashion. 

The film itself is silent (with a few cleverly placed sound sequences) and in black & white lovingly paying homage to the beloved but antiquated art form while at the same time documenting its inevitable demise.  The story, however, speaks to the resilience of film itself and its ability to evolve with the times, a process that we are experiencing in present day.  The film is uplifting, not only because it’s an inspiring tale of learning to swallow your pride and having the courage to change, but because it gives us hope that movies will once again survive the obstacles of newer, more convenient, alternatives and continue to take us to new and exciting places.

The Therapist: BLoOpeRs!

I haven't been able to blog because I was apparently in "New Blogger" mode and it wouldn't allow me too, so now I'm back in effect.  Here's a blooper reel from "The Therapist".  Catch up on our You Tube page. Season finale coming this week!!

THE 2011 MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS

The MTV Video Music Awards used to be THE awards show to watch.  You could count on crazy outfits, wacky antics and indelible musical performances that would be etched in pop culture forever.  Maybe to some people, the new generation perhaps, it still is that, but years of the same contrived antics and recycled outfits and young artists trying too hard have made me much more cynical.   That said, I like to give credit where credit is due and leave myself open to the possibility that someone can surprise me. 

Last year Florence + The Machine’s rousing performance of “Dog Days are Over” came out of nowhere and made everyone stand up and cheer.  This year, unfortunately, I can’t say that I was particularly impressed by anything, but there were still a few highlights that made me smile.

Let’s just start with the most anticipated performance of the night which was the incomparable Lady Gaga.  I wondered why she was opening instead of them building anticipation for it all night, but as soon as I saw her looking like Ralph Macchio in The Outsiders I knew she had something elaborate up her sleeve.  The spoken intro was a bit too long, but it explained her theatrical/ performance art antics and props to her for staying in character all night (even though she got mixed up with the pronouns later in the show).  The “You and I” performance itself was typical Gaga, raw live vocals, wacky unhinged piano playing and a guest appearance by Queen guitarist Brian May that made Dave Grohl smile.  For some reason she’s a dancing fool and always feels the need to throw a section of choreography into every performance whether it’s needed or not, (this time it wasn’t) but all in all, it’s a memorable addition to the Gaga canon of performance art and was easily the most exciting performance of the night.

First runner up was Beyonce who set herself up as the anti-Gaga.  For all the over-the-top innovation Gaga provides, B (refuse to spell it Bey, B-E-Y spells BAY!!!) served you good old fashioned stage performance.  The glittery tuxedo with the baby bump covering cummerbund were reminiscent of a 1950’s nightclub singer.  Even the song itself “Love on Top” felt like a throwback to a time before MTV even existed when G-rated love songs ruled the charts.  But then she put a feminist twist on it showing off her pregnant stomach at the finish, once again proving that she can, in fact, do it all.

As for her husband, Jay-Z, who beamed adoringly from the audience, his performance of “Otis” with Kanye West was kind of over before I realized it was happening.  I’m a fan of stripped down performance, but the problem with doing stripped down on a show this big is that it has to really be special for it to work (see: Bon Jovi doing “Living on a Prayer/ Wanted Dead or Alive”).  For all the energy Jay and Kanye brought out with them, they probably could’ve used the unnecessary dancers from the Gaga performance to add a layer of excitement to it.  They basically came off like they were just sitting in the audience in jeans and asked to perform and the last minute.  Not their best.

Also going for stripped down was Adele, with an intimate set for “Someone Like You.”  I love Adele and that is probably my favorite track on 21, but as over played as “Rolling in the Deep” is I was hoping she would do that song or something more upbeat and exciting.  She sang well, but wasn’t in her best voice (I couldn’t tell if was from nerves or emotion).  Let’s hope at the Grammys, where she is sure to be a multiple nominee, she can come up with a fun medley or something and not end up being this generation’s Nora Jones.   The “Rolling in the Deep” video won a bunch of technical awards as well which was really generous because, let’s face it, it’s a great song, but the video is essentially her singing to a couple hundred glasses of water in an empty house.

Pitbull featuring Ne-Yo and Nayer (Is that her name?) performed their hit single “Tonight.”  It was nice to see Pitbull get a spot on the big show since he’s been keeping butts shaking on the dancefloor for most of the past decade, and the performance was fun.  Still not sure who Nayer is, and why she actually got a “featuring” credit for a contribution that could have been made just as effectively by a computer, but whatever. Get your money girl.  (Next time though buy an outfit that doesn’t look like you got it from Apollonia in the 80’s). 

There were also two tribute performances last night that came off very differently.  First, there was Britney looking healthy and happy for the most part even though she refuses to spend money on good hair (fake or otherwise), who was given the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard award.  It’s no secret that I’m not her biggest fan and I think her contribution to pop music and popular culture are WAY overblown, but she has been through a lot and managed to maintain some semblance of sanity and is still around recording music which is more than I can say for a lot of wannabe pop stars. 

Despite the fact that she hasn’t had a video worth discussing (ever?) in ten years, I didn’t have a problem with her receiving the award.  For all of her haters and naysayers she still has legions of fans and if MTV wants to congratulate her (or themselves for creating the hype surrounding her in the first place), that’s their prerogative (see what I did there?).  I actually felt bad for Brit, because the whole tribute was hijacked by the two other divas involved.  Gaga, who presented the award in “character” as Joe Calderone, did most of the speaking (and Spears looked a little scared) and then Brit was further dissed by having to introduce Beyonce, which was worse than having Kanye come out and interrupt and say that B deserved it more.  (Although if he had he would’ve been right…Again.  No offense Taylor).  The little girls dancing to her hits was cute though and only slightly inappropriate (who puts a nine year-old in a red cat suit? Oh yeah, the network that brings us Jersey Shore and Teen Mom.  Never mind.)

The other tribute for the late Amy Winehouse was thankfully more tastefully done.  Russell Brand was funny and sincere in his speech remembering his friend.  The clip of her singing with Tony Bennett was touching and apropos, focusing on her talent and Bruno Mars’s heartfelt rendition of “Valerie” was a winner.  It would’ve been nice to see Adele (who looked like she was on the verge of tears) be apart of the tribute as well, but I guess that too will probably be saved for the Grammys. 

That was pretty much it, not the most memorable show ever, but not the worst ever either.  There were several things that left me scratching my head after the show was over.  Like if MTV celebrated its 30^th Anniversary this year why wasn’t that mentioned on the show?  Who is Tyler the Creator and what was the point of the “future” Beastie Boys?  What was that Chris Brown, lip-synching, crouching tiger/ flying pop star performance about? Was it some kind of tribute to the 90’s or something? Also, was Kevin Hart the host or not?  Why do Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez look like two ninth grade besties who just realized they’re lesbians?  And don’t even get me started on Cloris Leachman being DTF.