Live Coverage: The Grammys Blog

Listen up, ladies! Josh Groban needs a valentine.

The megastar vocalist says he has "nothing" to do come Thursday. "It's just going to be a lot of watching movies," he said when asked about his Valentine's Day plans at the Warner Music Group bash at Vibiana.

No matter, because Groban has more important things on his mind right now. He's going to be working with Dave Matthews again. "We cowrote a song on my last album, but we're going to get into it deeper and do some stuff for the next album," Groban said.

Speaking of Groban, Melee guitarist Ricky Sans said he was pumped to meet the vocalist. "He came up to me right when he walked in and told me he liked me," Sans said. "It was so cool. People tell me I look like a cross between Josh Groban and David Schwimmer."

Plain White T's bassist and vocalist Mike Retondo said the "Hey There Delilah" band made a quick stop before hitting the soiree. "Right before this, we were at In-N-Out Burger," Retondo said. "We got some burgers and fries."

Other boldfaced names at Warners included Cindy Crawford, Kid Rock, Paramore, The Rock, Michael Bublé, Natalie Cole, the Used, V Factory, Elisha Cuthbert, All Time Low, Daniel Powter, Eric Benet and preggers Melissa Joan Hart.

—Filed by Marc Malkin, with additional reporting by Laura Lane

The post-Grammys party hosted by Sony-BMG at the Beverly Hills Hotel doesn't officially start for 20 minutes, but John Mayer is already here.

Three gruff security guys at the head of the stairs that lead down to the ballroom aren't letting Mayer and his peeps in. Yep, Mayer is waiting it out with a couple dozen other people, including Sony execs.

Now, 15 minutes later, he's in.

And did you hear this? I found out Mayer was a jokester on the red carpet again. Last year, he answered a question from Ryan Seacrest about then girlfriend Jessica Simpson in Japanese. This time, when asked about his favorite Grammy moment, he answered, "When Lionel Richie presented with Bob Dylan." Some media types agreed with him.

Ha! That never happened, people.

At this party, there are six VIP cabanas outside, adjacent to the ballroom. Mayer's in one with some peeps from the Biz. In another is Tony Bennett and his wife.

Nearby, the ballroom band is performing a cover of "Rehab."

Brad Paisley is here, too, in a huge white cowboy hat. Brandy just arrived. Aretha Franlkin walks in, just as Jay-Z is leaving. "How you doing tonight, baby?" Franklin asks Jay.

Franklin is now sitting with friends. Forget all the fresh sushi being served—the Queen of Soul has brought her own take-out! She is eating a hot dog smothered in who knows what. Good for her!

She's now a huge draw, attracting everyone from Chris Brown and Tia Carrere to squeeze onto her couch or to just say hello.

—Filed by Marc Malkin

Grammy Party Pics:  Get all the action here

8:11 p.m.:  Is Kanye West, who shushed the Grammys orchestra that tried to shush him, arrogant? "He has a reason to be," says rapper-producer T-Pain. "I appreciate him and his arrogance."

8:12 p.m.:  Mr. T-Pain also likely appreciates that he won the Grammy he's holding for his collaboration with Mr. West, "Good Life."

8:12 p.m.:  "I'm from Florida. We have pink cars," T-Pain says, by way of explaining his affinity for colorful things.

8:13 p.m.:  Did we mention T-Pain is flashing silver teeth, carrying a silver cane and wearing a top hat that could pass for the Partridge family bus?

8:28p.m.:  Josh Groban, a performer tonight with tenor Andrea Bocelli, is fielding a question when a buzz in the room causes him to turn to a TV and watch Herbie Hancock pick up the Grammy for Album of the Year. "Oh really?" says Groban, and he's not the only one surprised.

8:30 p.m.:  I ask Groban, he of the devoted-female fan base, if he's ever performed for as many men as he did here at the Grammys. "It was cool to see men and women alike showing the love there tonight," he deadpans.

8:31 p.m.:  During the pretelecast ceremony, country winner Carrie Underwood admitted she voted for herself. I ask if she voted for herself in every category or on a more selective basis. "I was only up for two [Grammys], but yeah," Underwood says, and not all that sheepishly, either. "I vote for myself often. I have no shame."

8:33 p.m.:  Underwood's advice for American Idol's latest batch of contestants: "Don't take anything for granted." And if Clive Davis were here, I'm sure he'd add: "Don't make albums that Clive Davis doesn't want you to, Kelly Clarkson."

Where There's a Way, There's a Will:  Has Will.I.Am ever turned down a gig? This time out, the Black Eyed Pea-man rapped his way through 50 years of Grammy history, give or take most of it, and the audience reaction was overwhelming: blank stares, texting, gum chewing and one priceless shot of a sour-faced older lady who looked ready to give Will a knee to the peas. Watch yourself, man. 

Biggest Upset:  We’re not referring to the fact that Herbie Hancock won for his album of Joni Mitchell music, but how Kanye West must be feeling right now.

The Young and the Rest of Us:  Hancock is 67, but the surprise Album of the Year winner looks exactly like he did back when he played with Miles Davis in the early 1960s. How is that even possible?

The Longest Day:  You know how those big, outdoor music festivals go on and on and you get tired and want to leave but you can't because your car is stuck in the parking lot and you can't find your cousin because he met some girl from Vermont and he's totally trying to get with her even though she's totally not interested? The Grammys telecast felt like that.

—Filed by Erik Pedersen

6:45 p.m.:  According to bow-wielding My Grammy Moment winner Ann Marie Calhoun, "every violinist has an inner rock star."

6:46 p.m.:  I'm guessing not every rock star has an inner violinist.

7:10 p.m.:  This is how legends roll: When Chaka Khan walks onto a stage, her hair arrives slightly ahead of the rest of her.

7:11 p.m.:  Khan, who won two R&B Grammys tonight, reminds us she's currently appearing in The Color Purple, the Broadway show, not to mention the shade of her dress.

7:24 p.m.:  Jill Scott, a winner in the Urban/Alternative categories, is asked if she thought  while growing up she'd turn out to be a Grammy-winning Hollywood success. "I thought I was going to be Storm from X-Men," she says.

7:25 p.m.:  Scott, by the way, hasn't given up the superhero dream: "I'm hoping to be Storm for Halloween this year. And why not?"

7:26 p.m.:  "Paisley...is that his name?" the bubbly Scott asks of the country singer whose name is indeed Paisley—Brad. "I didn't know him before tonight. But, hmmm, he did his thing tonight."

7:40 p.m.:  Speaking of that Paisley fellow...I tell him Jill Scott had never heard of him before tonight. "Tell her I have no idea who Jill Scott is," he says. And yes, he is absolutely kidding.

7:56 p.m.:  West Coast viewers, you'll have to be the judge: There's a debate back here as to whether CBS will clean up the last seconds of Winehouse's dazed Record of the Year acceptance speech for the time zones getting the show on tape delay. It's not that Winehouse swore or did anything so explicitly bleep worthy, it's just that by the time she got around to thanking her husband—"To my Blake, incarcerated"—she was rambling a tad, and the telecast abruptly cut away from the satellite shot.

7:57 p.m.:  By the way, if there were a Grammy for sound bite of the night, Winehouse's "To my Blake, incarcerated" would be the runaway winner.

—Filed by Joal Ryan

Biggest Nail-Biter:  Did Amy Winehouse's twitchy stage moves and odd delivery unnerve the London crew taping her performance? They kept cutting away to the dancers, the band, a sign with her name on it and then, well, her crotch. Forget Wino, we're just glad the camera crew made it through okay.

Best Comeback:  Is it too early for Amy Winehouse to make a comeback? Probably, but it was sure nice that she pulled off not just a performance but also a speech. Let's hope she gets better.

The Song Goodbye:  From Hank Thompson and Joe Zawinul to Oscar Peterson and Luciano Pavarotti, the music world lost some amazing people this year.

—Filed by Erik Pedersen

6:15 p.m.:  Amy Winehouse, who is still not here, wins. Again.

6:16 p.m.:  "Ms. Winehouse, do you think the next time you win a lot of Grammys you could better time your personal dramas so as to not make my job as a backstage Grammys reporter more tedious?"

6:17 p.m.:  I didn't really shout out that question, either. I mean, she is going through tough times. I don't want to make her feel worse on my count. Although if she did, I'd feel better.

6:18 p.m.:  I've just been informed that I cannot peek out the doors, at the back of the outdoor stage, where the Foo Fighters are about to perform. Apparently, the security guy says, the Grammy people are worried about glare or something.

6:19 p.m.:  Wow. I've never almost ruined a Grammy shot before!

6:24 p.m.:  The Foo Fighters would make great neighbors. They're playing right outside our blackened windows, and I don't hear a thing.

6:25 p.m.:  By the way, did you notice how there wasn't any glare way in the back, behind Dave Grohl's head? That was me.

—Filed by Joal Ryan

Least Expected Comment from a Man Wearing a Reflective Jacket, White Sunglasses and Totally Messed-Up Haircut:  As the speech-shortening police tried to play him off before he could mention his late mother (after some boasting, too), Kanye West said testily: "It would be in good taste to stop the music then."

Scariest Moment:  Watching a nervous-looking Feist quietly sing alone with a guitar seemed like a recipe for some kind of horrible mishap. But instead, she just sounded like a real person singing a song. Who knew you could do that on the Grammys?

Craziest Performances:  For pure weirdness' sake, nobody can beat the oddball archival performances by Cab Calloway and Louis Prima, but Kid Rock singing with Prima's partner, Keely Smith—and Kid seeming less sharp than this elder stateslady—was a close second.

Most Inexplicable:  Does close contact with Ringo Starr eventually make people look like him? Because Starr's copresenter, Dave Stewart, has morphed into a dead ringer for Ringo.

Most Unlikely Rap Feud Contestant:  After noting he'd just accepted a music award from one of the Beatles, the mild-mannered Vince Gill teased Kanye West with a sly tweak,  "Have you had that happen yet, Kanye?"

—Filed by Erik Pedersen

Most in Need of Help!  Despite a freaky staging of "A Day in the Life" involving a trapeze artist and an exploding VW, the Beatles still managed to win a Grammy.

Biggest Sideshow:  Legendary music figure and Silver Spoons star Jason Bateman rocked the crowds outside who had come for a taste of the Grammys' annual American Idol rip, My Grammy Moment—though this year featured the Foo Fighters, an orchestra led by John Paul Jones and a contest between three talented young classical instrumentalists.

Least Surprising:  The smoking-hot contestant won.

Biggest High and Low:  Kanye delivered a funktacular performance with Daft Punk, and then followed it up with a moving tribute to his late mom. 

Biggest Cher Moment:  Although Cyndi Lauper totally tried to swoop in on this category with her two-decades-old wacky stylings and fashion don'ts, the original Cher (or at least whatever original parts of her are left) won with her introduction of Beyoncé and Tina Turner.

Weirdest Disconnect:  The elder statesmanesque Andy Williams entered the stage to the strains of his own "Moon River," and concluded with the words, "Amy Winehouse for 'Rehab.' " Times change.

—Filed by Erik Pedersen

5 p.m.:  It's showtime, and if I stand on tiptoe behind the Grammy crew's booth, which is located just outside the pressroom, I can see just a bit of the actual Grammys stage.

5:05 p.m.:  My view is hardly a view, and the live sound is muddy, so I'm not quite sure what Carrie Underwood is doing.

5:06 p.m.:  Hmmm...even in high-def picture and sound back in the press room, I'm still not sure what Carrie Underwood is doing. I believe, however, she is attempting a behavior known as "rocking out."

5:20 p.m.:  Wow, look at that—it's been several minutes since my last item. What can I tell you? It's been crazy back here, what with star-studded press conference after star-studded press conference. Oh wait, sorry, that's the Oscars. This is the Grammys, so basically we've all just been watching television.

5:25 p.m.:  I don't mean to tell the Grammys how to do their business, but if they'd hand out an actual award, then, in theory, we'd have a winner to interview.

5:35 p.m.:  The Grammys finally presents a prime-time award...to a winner, Amy Winehouse, who isn't here.

5:36 p.m.: Undeterred, if not desperate, I go ahead and shout out a question anyway: "Ms. Winehouse, what are you wearing tonight?"

5:37 p.m.:  I didn't really do that. Everybody knows she always wears jeans.

5:38 p.m.:  Here's something interesting: If I peel back the black drapes on the pressroom's glass doors, I can see the back of the outdoor stage, where presenter Jason Bateman is now.

5:40 p.m.:  Now, this is interesting (and entertaining, too): Morris Day and the Jimmy Jam-graced Time are on the press conference stage.

5:41 p.m.:  What does Day think of Rihanna, with whom he and the Time performed tonight? "I think she's a sexy young lady," Day says. "I have kids as old as her, but I did enjoy it."

5:38 p.m.:  "We like the concept of bridging the old-school and the new school," says Day. My, that's quite a metaphor, if he's still talking about Rihanna.

5:42 p.m.:  In case you're wondering if Day ever stops performing, I can report that I honestly don't know. He certainly hasn't stopped preening for a second back here.

5:55 p.m.:  Timothy Mitchum, the young man behind that crystal-clear rendition of "Let It Be" during the Beatles tribute, is asked where he got that voice. Mitchum shrugs shyly, suddenly acting like the 15-year-old he is. "Uh, my dad...and mom," he says.

5:56 p.m.:  Mitchum, for the record, likes to listen to a lot of "older music" by such venerable acts such as Stevie Wonder and, um, John Legend.

—Filed by Joal Ryan

Least Expected Hot Couple:  In keeping with its up-to-the-minute attention to the world of pop music, the Grammys kicked off the show with an appearance by Frank Sinatra. The now dead Chairman of the Board and the very much alive Alicia Keys duetted, and to be frank, it sounded delightful—even if those lyrics promoting smoking will probably earn the duet a "parental advisory" sticker. 

Most Lingering Question:  How much do you have to pay a deceased person for a personal appearance?

Best Autoerotica:  Country singer Carrie Underpants—er, 'wood—came out in short-shorts to belt out "Before He Cheats," her scorching tune about a scorned woman's search for inner peace through the utter destruction of one man's car.

Biggest Time Warp:  It's good to be in charge. Jimmy Jam scored a gig for his former band the Time at the Grammys. Oldsters were pleased, though anyone born after the release of Purple Rain might have been a little confused until...

Biggest Psyche!  Rihanna interrupted the Time reunion by strutting out to perform in some palm fronds and a big smile.

Gump Shaker:  Is it just us, or did Tom Hanks look kind of hot bestowing some awards on oldsters like the Band and the Beatles?

—Filed by Erik Pedersen

That was fast. Carrie Underwood is working the Grammys red carpet in a gauzy floral gown from designer Zuhair Murad that was seen on the runway literally just days ago in New York as part of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

Either the former Idol and nominee for Song of the Year has some great style connections (and a top-notch courier service), or the backstage crew at the Murad show is missing one very important gown.