Foo Fighters, Alicia Keys, Daughtry play pre-Grammy party

The biggest pre-Grammy party there is felt less like a music-biz bash than it did the actual Grammys. Hosted by famed industry exec Clive Davis, the annual Grammy-eve event came complete with forced superstar pairings, retrospective film clips and an excruciatingly long end segment.

Brief showcases went to the likes of the Foo Fighters, Leona Lewis, Daughtry, Josh Groban and Alica Keys (pictured), who Davis tipped would be opening Sunday night's Grammy telecast. Between sets, Davis read off the guest list from a podium (Whitney Houston! Janet Jackson! Nicole Richie! Rod Stewart! Feist! Carrie Underwood! Paula Abdul! John Paul Jones! Rihanna!), and artist introductions consisted of little more than a list of accolades and sales figures. The result was a party that was constantly reminding its guests how important the whole thing was.

But the gala is no longer just a free meal and a mini-concert; it's a full-on promotional event, one that comes complete with webcasts and coverage from news outlets from around the world. At a time when CD sales are dipping, and major-label staples such as Madonna, the Eagles and Radiohead are making news by finding ways to work outside the major-label system, the Davis bash serves as a yearly reminder that -- gosh dang it -- the major labels still mean something.

Saturday night at the Beverly  Hilton, that "something" felt a lot like "American Idol." The show began with the Foo Fighters offering a Grammy tune-up of their modern rock staple "The Pretender," but it was U.K. newcomer Lewis, who won the "Idol"-like and Simon Cowell production "The X-Factor," whom Davis truly wanted to brag about.

Overseas, her album "Spirit" is setting all kinds of sales records (the fastest-selling debut in Britain, according to press materials). It comes to these shores on April 8, and Lewis gave the audience a sample, delivering  her lead-off single, "Bleeding Love."

While Davis promised the crowd that a new album from Houston would be coming soon, for now he has Lewis, who's a sort of Whitney-lite. There's no obvious reason why her international stardom won't translate to the U.S., as Lewis has a pretty-enough voice and an inoffensive approach that stops just short of being over the top. It all adds up to a generic sort of pleasantness.

Lewis proves in her single that she can ride a slow-paced groove, and offers up just the right amount of vocal acrobatics to please an "Idol"-trained audience. But when she tackled "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," a song popularized by Roberta Flack, the young Lewis lacked the personality to give it anything more than a cabaret-like treatment.

But then the show soon took a severe turn for the worst. Daughtry was joined by Slash and Nickelback's singer Chad Kroeger. The group of super-famous musicians butchered Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Born on the Bayou" with a gratuitous guitar solo, and also let its two singers, Chris Daughtry and Kroeger, get locked in some weird machismo battle for the most flamboyantly strained vocals.

The "Idol" train kept-a-rolling with Fantasia, who performed a cut from her role in Broadway's "The Color Purple." And while she has a bit of grit to her vocals, she wailed as if she wanted Manhattan to hear it.

The superstar pairing chosen to end the evening was Akon and Wyclef Jean, but they opted to do so with an overly lengthy medley. As they touched on Bob Marley's "No Woman No Cry," Akon's "I Wanna Love You" and the Jean/Akon pairing "Sweetest Girl," they loaded the mini-set with too many stops-and-starts to build to anything exciting. Having those in the crowd stand and wave their hands in the air maintained the enthusiasm, but we had already seen an artist in Keys who didn't have to resort to such tricks.

Indeed, the R&B star would have been a better choice to close the evening. Once on stage, she thrust into her piano and offered a riveting, confident take on the defiant "Superwoman," her vocals taking instant command of the room. Keys could showboat with the best of 'em, but she doesn't, as she sings as if possessed of a passion that's always driving the song forward.

Before she took to her piano, Davis heaped on the praise, and declared "No One" the "record and song of the year," a jab at the fact that it's slighted for the two major Grammy categories. "Perhaps the voting was too early to give the recognition to this song," he said.

There was no arguing with him, however, once Keys launched into the tune. She gave a downright jubilant version of the cut, breaking from her piano after the initial verse to the lead the VIP crowd to its feet in the evening's only sing-along. The song bounces to a finale that's built for shouting, and each crest in Keys' vocals can cause spines to quiver.

Earlier in the evening, Davis had complimented Feist on her four Grammy noms. A cult artist prior to her breakthrough hit "1234" in 2007, Davis said, "Welcome to our world of contemporary music." At times on Saturday night, one couldn't help but wonder if it was a club worth being part of. But while it may be an imperfect world, and one that's beleaguered by a decline in the sale of the CD, Keys was enough evidence that it's still one worth celebrating.

(Photo courtesy WireImage)

Comments

[Dottie]

Would have been alot shorter if you were to just put who you did like, Don't you think?

[Chicago48]

MSN finally got the feed working. I totally agree with the reviewer's comments. Leona is a good singer (think: Mariah), and in time she will be a big singing star in these shores. I never quite loved First Time Ever I saw your Face and her rendition did nothing to change my mind. Even I can sing the song :)
As Simon says time and again - song choice!

[LoveZilla]

Somebody might want to let
aKON and WhyKlep know,
Marley was NEVER recognized by
The Scammys!

[John]

I thought Leona Lewis brought something to the song, "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," which elevated it to a different level. People can like or dislike her style, but from what I saw and heard, it was distinctly not a "cabaret-like performance," despite it being staged in a hotel - at least not the hotels I can afford to frequent.

[Wrynn]

dat's right mon , don't boost no fraud !!!

[Chicago48]

To John: I have never quite liked the song, First Time, but she did it justice.

[dottie]

Daughtry rules! Check out his karaoke: www.techtogo.com

[me]

Daughtry is Clive's baby.....He sounds like any other rocker and looked like a leather couch at the grammys....worse dressed list for sure. I laugh everytime I look at him. If it wasn't for Clive he would be nowhere. He paid for his radio play etc. I have yet to meet a person that likes him.

[Foo Fighter Tickets]

Love the Foo Fighters and also Alicia