That’s what’s being said from stage. There haven’t been any visitors other than Raitt and the Beach Boys. I’m tempted to wrap it. Adele could drop by after the last win, but ultimately it would be great to get picked up early.

I’m here with a friend and he dropped me off. There is supposed to be media parking, but that got gobbled up early today, so I’m thumbing a ride on Pico.

Adele is going to have one heck of a tour.

****
What’s being talked about in the room?

A story TMZ posted, then took down, that Lil Wayne was arrested backstage for gun possession. Also, is this over at 8:30 or 9?

***

The room is absolutely silent for the Hudson performance. And I got shushed.

That’s because I was talking to someone. Of all the people to walk into the room, Arny Granat. He was hobnobbing backstage. Turns out he knows Ken Erlich from Erlich’s early days of television in Chicago.

Oh, Granat is the co-founder of Jam Productions, one of the biggest indie promoters in North America. The room really wasn’t catching on to who he was, which is fair. Of course, I asked him the cheesy question, “What do you think 2012 will be like for Jam?” His answer: “Too early. Ask me in November.”

***
Holy smokes, Bon Iver.

Half the room is, like, whoa. And the other half is all, like, who is that? Surprised Band Perry, who performed, didn’t win, of course. Doesn’t matter, WME’s Rob Beckham is going to have a great year, between clients Band Perry and Chris Young.

There is a great deal of winners not dropping by.

****
Blake Shelton is performing. Yes, there IS a Pollstar story about him.

The news editor before me, Kym, interviewed him for the cover. Her first question: “So I understand you started off as a child.” Blake: “That’s very astute of you, Kym. I think we ALL started off as a child.”

Glen, you’re loved.

****
One of the great things about being here: A bunch of dudes known as the Beach Boys just walked in.

Brian Wilson took a seat. They were very straightforward: the band is recording, and they’ll be touring. Very simple statements, but so much in those words. Jardine, the man who binds it together, said the music that’s being recorded has the alacrity of Pet Sounds.

Meanwhile, folks around me are talking about Clive Davis’ party. It was apparently subdued, with people talking as if Whitney was in the room. I wasn’t there.

During the break, theyre playing Pink’s Glitter in the Air. 

****
For all criticism of the Grammys, whatever it may be, they just gave The Civil Wars a national stage. And Foster the People, too.

Then again, Taylor, why “Mean”? This is her performance at the ACMs last summer in Vegas.

Which brings us to my weary tale about meeting her. We did a phone interview when we put her on Pollstar’s cover. She then came to Fresno and we met her at the meet & greet. She gets off the bus, looks at me and says, “I think I’ve talked to you.” I had to ask how she would know that. She thinks about it for a bit (along with wondering who the creeper is), and goes, “I think I googled your name.”

Wow. That’s what makes her special.

So I googled my name and the photo is of me stepping out of a Port-a-Potty.

****
Man, it’s so good to see the Beach Boys back together, and sounding good. No doubt Al Jardine is walking on air. He’s sort of a Pollstar buddy, always willing to talk, and be forthcomng.

After the Glen Campbell tribute, it’s a speech by Neil Portnow and Jennifer Hudson singing “I Will Always Love You” in memorium.

I can’t get over how many iPads are here, connected to keyboards. Aren’t these things, like six hundred bucks or something? I need to moonlight. I also wish I was at the Yard House.

***
“Coming up, Ryan Seacrest.” Room: *Groan.*

Thank God Foster the People is going to get some stage time. They’re the band of last year.

***
Bonnie Raitt just dropped by.

She definitely doesn’t need to at this point but Phil Gallo did ask the right question: When is your record coming out?

It’s coming out in April, on her own label, and she collaborated with Joe Henry. She performed an Etta James tune, picked by Ken Erlich, and Raitt says James would come out to watch her play in the 70s.

And great exit line: “Thank all of you and I hope you keep your jobs for another 20 years.”

Congrats, Foo.

****

Next stuff:

Intro from Stevie Wonder, performance by McCartney, Diana Krall and Joe Walsh. Performance by The Civil Wars, with into by Taylor Swift. Yes, I’ll be watching this. Then, Swift performing “Mean.”

Then Neil Patrick Harris presents song of the year, performance by Katy Perry, then presentation by Dierks Bentley and Miranda Lambert.

Intro by Gwyneth Paltrow, then the big winner, Adele performs. Did I say that? Whoops.

***This is the part of the night where nothing happens. And by that I mean we’re in the PRINT media room. We’re the red-headed stepchild of media. All the winners go the video room, for obvious reasons, and some come by here. So People are listening to music, texting, watching the TV. Guess what: we see things about seven seconds before you do.

Jason Aldean. BOC – Brian O’Connell to ya’ll, the president of country music for Live Nation – said Aldean’s 2012 would be amazing. Apparently he’s right. Michael Roth just dropped by and we talked. The room is probably, like, Who is that, who are you and, most importantly, why are you blogging about it? That’s some good questions.

Whoa, Jack Black is yapping it up from the stage before the cameras start. And, for the Foo’s soundcheck? Riffing VH’s “Eruption.” Oh, JB said the same thing on camera that he did off.

John Silva , who won maager of the year, is having a great beginning to 2012Just got a text message from Reckless Kelly’s agent to note the band’s nomination for artwork. Which they lost to Arcade Fire. Two great bands.

 

***

 

Adele just won. Expect more of that.

 

Bruno Mars finished. It’s just a bunch of sittin’ around in here. Some are typing, most chatting. They sent a presentation paper out, so this is what can be said, after Chris Brown.

Fergie and Marc Anthony present, Reba has an introduction, then performance by Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson.

Introduction by Jack Black, performance by Foo Fighters.

Introduction by LL Cool J, performance by Rihanna an Coldplay

Then it’s Ryan Seacrest (YES!) then Beach Boys tribute (Maroon5 and Foster the People), then Maroon 5 then Foster the People, then all together for Good Vibrations. Don’t tell anybody.

***

The prayer by LL Cool J = lots of typing. The whole room started clicking away. It is a proper start to the show.

Man, the connection is getting difficult. Thanks AT&T

******
So there are shout outs from the stage, about three minutes before broadcast. A big thank you went out to Tim Leiweke ad Lee Zeidman, the people who run the LA Live complex. Erlich is making a point that people can stand up. “Lou, how much time? One minute? Tonight, you folks are going to kick some serious ass.”

He runs out into the audience and some guy walks up to him and says, “Who are you? Who let you in here?” It’s Paul McCartney. Here we go.

Springsteen. Pardon me.

******

Oh man, shit just got real. The Civil Wars are here. I’m guessing from the handout that they just won Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Barton Hallow.” She’s dropping the name of her husband, Nate, who is also their manager. And although I’ve only spoken to him on the phone, he just seems to be swell person. Also, the duo waved at Phil Gallo on the way in and on the way out. They did not have any reaction to me standing on my chair.

***

I still don’t understand who everyone here knows who is the next person to be brought out. There really isn’t any announcement.

Up front, to the right of the “stage” is a video screen showing the stage of the Staples Center. It’s sparse, and so are the tables in the front rows. Yet, every fancy couple possible was already standing in line to get into the arena. Yes, I felt a bit of satisfaction cutting through them while wearing shorts and a T-shirt from an AEG trade show.

Someone is yelling from the Staples stage, “One two, one two HEY! One TWO!!”

Dull. More coffee. Battery already showing a dip.

*****
The next person to be presented here is Melanie Fiona. She is being asked about Whitney Houston’s influence on her career. And, yes, Houston was the first person she ever heard sing. But oh my God, what a striking individual. The writer next to me (who apparently can afford an iPad) immediately leaned over and asked, “Who’s THAT?” Absolutely beautiful.

If I hadn’t mentioned it earlier, there is one dude here, among 100, who not only takes pictures but has a question for every person. Which I assume is good. Right now it’s for producer of the year and the question begins “I talked to Adele and she said working with you … “

But who am I to criticize? I just want lunch. Oh, another question from the same dude. Oh, and more photos. I wish I was allowed to take pictures. Oh, the opera singer is being asked how much of an influence Houston was. She was.

****

 

So here’s the scoop. It’s closing in on 4 pm in LA and, as promised to my teeming millions, I’m here, at the Grammys. And I forgot my charger.

My thought is I’m just going to type as much and as fast as possible. We’re in the media room, which is a bunch of tables filled with laptops (and people typing on them). I should say though, that if reporters were as pretty as one of the people behind me, I’d have gone into journalism. Stanley Clark just left – he apparently won something – and now is Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi (they still haven’t figured how to pronounce her name –Ta Dess Key).

Yup, there’s Phil Gallo from Billboard, and I’m guessing NYT / Ben Sisario is around somewhere. But for now it’s uploading this first blog post because you guys are clamoring for it.

There are no photos allowed in here. But, like last year, there’s this dude blogger who insists on snapping shots. Let’s see how long it lasts.

Nope, I probably won’t be around at 9. Damned electricity.

 

(I should add about three things. One, the person behind me turned out to be a publicist. Two, I’m working off of an ai card that I paid for out of my own pocket, and accessing the Pollstar CMS takes about 10 minutes. And thee, I’m really wanting to leave.)