Grammy Recap

Rather underwhelming show -- no huge moments, although highlights included Melissa Etheridge and Joss Stone covering Janis Joplin, and the surprise appearance of Godfather James Brown (we arrived too late and missed Alicia Keys). The all-star attempt at a Tsunami relief tribute fell flat, and let's face it, the Ray Charles CD should not have received all of those awards. (And c'mon, John Mayer? Really?) And really, how terrible is that Tim McGraw song?!

Even the Hawaiian winner was disappointing: The slack key compilation won over the favorites, Keali'i Reichel and the Brothers Cazimero. Either one of those acts would have put a face on the award (both acts regularly sell out across the country, including locally at the Hollywood Bowl).

Writes the Honolulu Advertiser: By contrast, many in the industry were initially surprised to see "Slack Key Guitar, Vol. 2" on the final Grammy ballot when nominees were announced in December. Its late 2003 release on Brotman's Kamuela-based indie-label Palm Records was as low key as the music featured on the compilation, by musicians such as John Cruz, Bryan Kessler and Randy Lorenzo, among others.

The disc barely registered on local music sales charts or radio. And much of its limited airplay and attention arrived via Mainland public radio stations that feature folk and acoustic music.

But in the end, Grammy voters — most of them Mainland-based — cast their vote for the quiet collection of slack key instrumentals, its acoustic guitar stylings likely more familiar to them than Hawaiian language vocals or chant were.

Show was still good for people watching -- saw Ellen DeGeneres and galpal Portia DeRossi holding hands; Grammy winner (!) Zach Braff passed by our seats; as did -- my favorite close-up sighting of the night -- Mr. Soul Train, Don Cornelius (who was honored at the show).

For a change, this year's after party took place at the L.A. Convention Center (rather than the Biltmore Hotel, where it has been traditionally held). As techno music pumped, trapeze artists and clowns on stilts performed (as did, later in the evening, Deborah Cox, John Legend and the ever-ubiquitous Black Eyed Peas).

As for us, we survived our first evening together away from Evan -- thanks again to Maria's sister, Kat, for looking after the little guy. (We promised her a gift bag -- and wouldn't you know, this year they didn't give out one!) We were typical new parents, dialing Kat every so often to check up on the baby, who did just fine without us.