The American Music Awards took place tonight, and we spent all day hanging out at the Nokia theater waiting for them to start.
But seriously, what a blast. In the morning, we ran through the whole show. We did our little "Fly on the Wall" thing with Miley (the birthday girl turned 16 today!). We shared the stage with 30 -- yes, 30 -- dancers. That was some crazy chaotic choreography.
After we ran Miley's song, I ran back into the auditorium and watched the rest of the show. Incredible.
Beyonce blew the house down, and her dancers were cr-a-a-zay. Even during dress rehearsal, she got a standing ovation. How can they dance like that? Doesn't that hurt? I hope they have dislocation insurance.
Sarah McLachlan was lovely and perfect, Annie Lennox mesmerized us with her voice, and at the very end, Coldplay came out and checked for their song. Not only did they sound gorgeous, but as Clay (our ProTools guy) says, "y'all seem real nice."
When a tiny smattering of paper leaves fell from the ceiling, Chris Martin exclaimed, "That looks like crap! Is that all there is?" But alas, there would be more paper butterfly confetti for the real thing.
After the big runthrough, we waited in an impossibly long line for roast beef and mashed potatoes, and as I was leaving, I saw Chris Martin waiting for his own little slice of beef. He smiled at me. What a nice gent. And also, did they really have to wait in that line? Isn't there someone to fetch Coldplay some beef?
Backstage, all the Miley band members ran into people we know. The world of professional bands is pretty small, and we always see the same peeps at these shows. I ran into a couple folks, including the radiant Daphne Chen (who played violin on my newest album, "The House We Built"). Tonight, she was playing with Leona Lewis.
It's always a challenge to find ways to pass the time at these awards shows. Usually there's a lot of standing, sitting, napping and reading. But this time there was a gifting suite. We basically moved in. I got a sweater, a yoga mat, a shirt and a tie.
Then we hopped on stage, and this happened:
3 minutes later, we were done.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
AMAs
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Annie Lennox 2008 AMA Performance (Video):
ReplyDeletewatch
she is coollll!!!
Miley was great! And so were the dancers and the band and your "Fly on the wall" vocal! The scary vibbrato on that line is killer. Loved it. Thanks for posting the You Tube video.
ReplyDelete"Fly on the Wall" is one of my favorite Miley songs. You guys did a great job and that (now 16 year old) girl is very talented!
ReplyDeleteGail B.
Hey Mike! It's been forever since I commented here it seems.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you're doing well, say hi to everyone for me!
darn. the video doesnt work =[
ReplyDeleteHey Mike, do you think Fran Healy or Thom Yorke would roll in confetti like Chris Martin did? that was weird...I liked it. You looked awesome in that fedora! :)
ReplyDeleteMike, thanks for your take on the AMAs. I am sure it can be a little boring with all the waiting around, but seeing all of these amazing stars and musicians definitely would be awesome and the gift room sounds fantastic. I enjoyed the whole show especially when Billy Ray introduced Miley and her performance. You all did great!
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