For me, the Grammy awards are never about the awards themselves (many of the artists/songs are either incorrectly categorized or nominated alongside incomparable acts). The unique performances are the real reason to watch the broadcast. This year, I felt like the performances were more miss than hit, but amongst the barrage of hip hop nonsense there were a few notable acts, so now I bring you…

My Grammy Awards Performance Highlights

I’m certainly not the only one putting my favorite 2009 Grammy performance moments online, but my list will likely be considerably shorter than most, as I only truly enjoyed four out of the twenty-something performances throughout the show. First…

The Not-So-Great Moments

I’ll probably get some flack for not being a U2 or Coldplay fan, but I don’t deny that I’m somewhat of a music snob. If I don’t like it, I’d rather it not exist. While I didn’t particularly mind either of those groups, I really could have done without Katy Perry, the Jonas Brothers (even with Stevie Wonder), Kid Rock, and the terrible foursome of Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, and T.I. The only good part about that performance was their supporting use of M.I.A. and I could have done without her bizarre “show the world I’m pregnant” shirt. I will admit that Kanye’s afro-mullet was rather amusing and the silver, sparkly outfits that he and Estelle were wearing as a duo went perfectly with their disco-influenced tune.

I really, really hate country music so Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, and Sugarland were all mute-worthy for me. I had never even heard of Adele before last night and didn’t really pay much attention to her (though I’m pretty sure she’s not a country singer). Taylor Swift was the least country of the country bunch and I might have enjoyed her performance if it wasn’t ruined by Miley Cyrus’ gritty really-close-but-not-quite-in-tune vocals. I’ll give Swift credit for being an actual musician and not just a corporate creation.

Flying under the radar were Justin Timberlake, Neil Diamond, and the twosome of Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. Timberlake seems like a likable and talented guy, but I lost interest as soon as T.I. began his endless and breathless stream of words that I’m pretty sure at one point included the phrase “fried chicken.” Timberlake’s earlier performance with Al Green, Keith Urban, and Boyz II Men was better, but still not something I particularly enjoyed.

Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” seemed to bore anyone under the age of 50, including me, though every time I see him I can’t help but laugh when thinking of Donald Faison’s excellent Diamond-inspired rendition of the Transformers theme song. Despite the facts that I do enjoy the occasional Led Zeppelin track and that Plant and Krauss won several major Grammys last night, I wasn’t thrilled by their performance either.

It was great that Jennifer Hudson could belt out the notes that she did after living through some terrible family tragedies last year, so I won’t say anything bad about her performance. That type of music just wasn’t made for me.

So what did I actually enjoy about the performances on the 2009 Grammys?

Paul McCartney with Dave Grohl

YES. The Beatles meets Nirvana/Foo Fighters. Dave Grohl returns to the drum kit and pounds the life out of it to an ordinarily calm Beatles classic. Is there anything more fulfilling? Relive it here:

Disclaimer: I’m a huge Nirvana fan, so seeing Grohl drum is always a treat for me. I attended a Foo Fighters concert in Atlanta, GA several years ago and was pleasantly surprised when he played the drums for a song or two. I never had the chance to see Nirvana live in concert, so it was the next best thing for me.

Anyway, just prior to this performance coming on, I had commented to my wife that there wasn’t nearly enough MUSIC being featured on the show. There were plenty of vocalists, rappers, and some backing bands, but it wasn’t until McCartney and Grohl got out there that we could finally enjoy some simple guitar/bass/drums rock and roll.

Radiohead featuring the USC Marching Band

I’m not a huge Radiohead fan, though I do enjoy most of their music, but this performance was excellent. I am supremely jealous of those college kids. Here it is:

That was an excellent use of a marching band, as it didn’t sound like a football game for one second. Instead, the song was well arranged and you could tell that each of those kids was having a blast performing it. Giving the snare players hi-hats was a good move, as it definitely decreased the typical snare-driven marching band sound. The horn section really rocked their parts.

The Four Tops with Ne-Yo and Jamie Foxx

I’m a sucker for oldies. I grew up listening to them with my father and love to see some of the originals still in action decades later. Ne-Yo and Jamie Foxx filled in nicely alongside the two remaining members of The Four Tops. In case you missed it:

The songs have certainly been played to death over the years, but nothing beats hearing some of the original singers belt it out.

Tribute to Bo Diddley

Bo Diddley was one of the greats and while I’m not sure I would have included John Mayer or Keith Urban in this tribute, it still worked. Buddy guy was good but B.B. King was the one that gave the tribute some authenticity, as he had actually played with Bo Diddley. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a video of this tribute online (yet), so here’s some classic Bo Diddley instead:

From the sound of those screaming girls, you’d think the Jonas Brothers were performing. How times change.

What were your favorite moments and performances from the 2009 Grammy Awards? Comment!