Cold Opening – Congresswoman Michele Bachman’s Response to the President’s State of the Union: The Second Attempt
The concept of technical difficulties galore was good for a few laughs and then it got a little old, but not as old as it could have gotten. Bachman offhandedly confirming that Xena was on the same tape as the Obama clip and the crash in the background at the end were the most amusing bits, because of how goofy and unexplained they were. B
Jesse Eisenberg’s Monologue
When Zuckerberg joined Eisenberg, it felt like they were going for pretend awkward, but instead it was just actually awkward. (Why didn’t all three Zuckerbergs appear together at the same time?) Jesse’s struggle to paint himself as cocky was well-intentioned, but that too was also awkward. C
Estro-maxx
This was one of the weakest premises SNL has ever had for a commercial parody, but thankfully it was part of a trend in which weak premises are saved by great performances. Bill, Fred, Paul, and Bobby especially were completely wholehearted in their roles, particularly while wining. And of course Kenan’s look of joyful surprise was the best moment. B
My dad caught some of “All You Need is Now” and thought, Hey, that current band sounds like Duran Duran.
Original Version
1. The Script – “For the First Time”
2. Grace Potter & the Nocturnals – “Paris (Ooh La La)”
3. Adele – “Rolling in the Deep”
4. Bruno Mars – “Grenade”
5. Ke$ha – “We R Who We R”
6. Train – “Marry Me”
7. Christina Perri – “Jar of Hearts”
8. Mumford & Sons – “The Cave”
9. Crystal Bowersox – “Farmer’s Daughter”
10. Taylor Swift – “Back to December”
11. Sick Puppies – “Maybe”
12. Sia – “I’m in Here”
13. Linkin Park – “Waiting for the End”
14. Josh Groban – “Hidden Away”
15. Goo Goo Dolls – “Notbroken”
16. P!nk – “F****** Perfect”
17. Kylie Minogue – “Get Outta My Way”
18. Kid Rock – “Born Free”
19. Duran Duran – “All You Need is Now”
20. Katy Perry – “Firework”
Jmunney’s Revision
1. Paris (Ooh La La)
2. Rolling in the Deep
3. We R Who We R
4. All You Need is Now
5. Get Outta My Way
6. The Cave
7. I’m in Here
8. Jar of Hearts
9. Born Free
10. Back to December
11. Grenade
12. Waiting for the End
13. Maybe
14. Firework
15. Hidden Away
16. F****** Perfect
17. For the First Time
18. Farmer’s Daughter
19. Notbroken
20. Marry Me
There are thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of live performances every year. Obviously I have not seen or even heard about every live performance of 2010, nor has any other music critic. Even if I stick with only the performances that were broadcasted to a mass audience, there is still only a small percentage that I am familiar with. Thus, the four performances that I am spotlighting may not be the four best performances of the year, but they are certainly memorable in their own right and would likely at least rank among the top one hundred performances of the year. As it is, they are the four best live performances of 2010 that I saw.
Kanye West – “Power” on Saturday Night Live (October 2)
The SNL music stage is notorious for bad acoustics, drowning out any artist with a big sound. It isn’t a very big stage, and history also suggests that the musical acts aren’t granted much freedom in adjusting the design of the stage. Somehow, Kanye West convinced whoever makes the decisions that that needed to change. Draping the stage completely in white – draping the stage in any color – is completely unheard of, as is the presence of approximately thirty backup dancers, ballerinas or otherwise. This is prime video evidence of a musical genius at work, and evidence that he will not let anyone stand in his way as he brings his visions to fruition.
Florence + the Machine – “Dog Days are Over” at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards (September 12)
When you are a recording artist with a great voice, the question is always, do you sound as good live as you do on the record? Better yet, do you sound better live? If the answer is yes, then the rest of what you do live is just gravy. So, it is always nice when an act like Florence + the Machine does not skimp on the gravy. The blue people and the tribal outfits provided the spectacle, and the choreography was in sync. Florence’s spinning platform set up a nice counter-synchronicity. This performance also benefited from astute directorial choices, with plenty of ceiling shots showing off the full spectrum of the act.
Grace Potter & the Nocturnals – “Paris (Ooh La La)”/Ann and Nancy Wilson and Grace Potter & the Nocturnals – “Crazy on You” on VH1 Divas Salute the Troops (recorded December 3, aired December 5)
With a steady pattern of vocal breaks and several relatively instrumentally inactive moments, “Paris (Ooh La La)” – more than any other hit of 2010 – is perfectly structured for a great live performance. The Nocturnals did not disappoint, hitting their riffs as they saw fit, their spontaneity winning over the crowd despite being the least-known act. Of course, Grace really explored the space of the stage and had plenty of room to do so. But the real highlight, no doubt, was the encore. At the beginning of the show, I was thinking how some of these VH1 Divas, Grace Potter especially, must have been influenced by the Wilson sisters and that it would be great if they were to make a surprise appearance. Somebody else had that same great idea. It would have been unbearable if Grace could not have matched Ann note for note on this most vocally striking of Heart’s hits, but she pulled it off, and the reason she was able to was certainly not because Ann’s pipes have gone any bit rusty. She was even bold enough to put her own screechy spin on the tune. The vocal tête à tête was enough to forgive the Nocturnals for skipping a few notes on the guitar (it is a tough guitar song as well). http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:uma:video:vh1.com:602760
She & Him – “I Put a Spell on You” on Conan (December 9)
“That was unbelievable.” – Conan O’Brien
On the opposite end of what Kanye accomplished on the SNL stage is what She & Him accomplished on the Conan stage. This is the sort of performance you have to come up with when you don’t have 30 backup ballerinas. It’s not like you need 30 backup dancers when you have a voice like Zooey Deschanel’s. Hell, you barely need a guitar. Zooey possesses one of the richest-sounding voices in music today, and in this take on the Screamin’ Jay Hawkins classic, she really explored what she could do with it. She made the risky decision of sounding like a petulant child at several points, but somehow it worked. And M. Ward did manage to fit in a quick little guitar solo outro.
I love the idea that Paris may be a hit, but VH1 is the only source that has indicated to me that it might be.
Original Version
1. Ke$ha – “We R Who We R”
2. Bruno Mars – “Grenade”
3. The Script – “For the First Time”
4. Christina Perri – “Jar of Hearts”
5. Grace Potter & the Nocturnals – “Paris (Ooh La La)”
6. Adele – “Rolling in the Deep”
7. Maroon 5 – “Give a Little More”
8. P!nk – “Raise Your Glass”
9. Crystal Bowersox – “Farmer’s Daughter”
10. Train – “Marry Me”
11. Mumford & Sons – “The Cave”
12. Katy Perry – “Firework”
13. Kid Rock – “Born Free”
14. Black Eyed Peas – “The Time (Dirty Bit)”
15. Linkin Park – “Waiting for the End”
16. Sia – “I’m in Here”
17. Sick Puppies – “Maybe”
18. Josh Groban – “Hidden Away”
19. Kylie Minogue – “Get Outta My Way”
20. Duran Duran – “All You Need is Now”
Jmunney’s Revision
1. Paris (Ooh La La)
2. Rolling in the Deep
3. We R Who We R
4. All You Need is Now
5. Get Outta My Way
6. The Cave
7. I’m in Here
8. Jar of Hearts
9. Born Free
10. Maybe
11. Waiting for the End
12. Grenade
13. Firework
14. Hidden Away
15. The Time (Dirty Bit)
16. Give a Little More
17. For the First Time
18. Farmer’s Daughter
19. Raise Your Glass
20. Marry Me
Cold Opening – Fox News: Embracing Civility
Kristen, Bobby, Nasim, and Jason basically just sat there (and to varying degrees attempted an impression) while Bill took over the entire sketch as Carville. Which is perfectly acceptable, because it is a strong enough impression for that. I am surprised that Carville hasn’t been used in sketches before to antagonize Republicans like this. It seems like it would have been an obvious call. B
Gwyneth Paltrow’s Monologue
Pretending your way through something is ripe for laughs, but you can’t be lazy about it. When it quickly became clear that Gwyneth was obviously not immersed in country music, I laughed. But then she just mumbled through the song, and that was kinda funny. Jason’s Kenny Rogers was ultimately pointless. And Kristen’s Dolly Parton was not properly incorporated. C+
The Cape Spinoffs
This started out agreeably goofy, but since none of the premises were given time to develop, this was the ultimate in hit-or-miss comedy. There were a few hits, “The Water Bottle Holder” being the best of the bunch. I appreciated the line, “Viewers have spoken, and some of them say, ‘We like The Cape.'” B
Original Version
1. Bruno Mars – “Grenade”
2. Ke$ha – “We R Who We R”
3. P!nk – “Raise Your Glass”
4. Maroon 5 – “Give a Little More”
5. Christina Perri – “Jar of Hearts”
6. The Script – “For the First Time”
7. Grace Potter & the Nocturnals – “Paris (Ooh La La)”
8. Katy Perry – “Firework”
9. Train – “Marry Me”
10. Adele – “Rolling in the Deep”
11. Crystal Bowersox – “Farmer’s Daughter”
12. Kid Rock – “Born Free”
13. Mumford & Sons – “The Cave”
14. Nicki Minaj – “Right Thru Me”
15. Black Eyed Peas – “The Time (Dirty Bit)”
16. Lee DeWyze – “Sweet Serendipity”
17. Linkin Park – “Waiting for the End”
18. Sia – “I’m in Here”
19. Sugarland – “Stuck Like Glue”
20. Kylie Minogue – “Get Outta My Way”
Jmunney’s Revision
1. Paris (Ooh La La)
2. Rolling in the Deep
3. We R Who We R
4. Get Outta My Way
5. Right Thru Me
6. The Cave
7. I’m in Here
8. Jar of Hearts
9. Born Free
10. Waiting for the End
11. Grenade
12. Firework
13. Give a Little More
14. The Time (Dirty Bit)
15. For the First Time
16. Sweet Serendipity
17. Farmer’s Daughter
18. Stuck Like Glue
19. Raise Your Glass
20. Marry Me
Cold Opening – A Message from Michael Bloomberg
The humor of snow bamboozlement is long overdue. There were several individual items in this sketch that were funny, but the list format rendered matters a little stale overall. This is a rare example of a sketch that was “too New York.” Fred’s Bloomberg impression may have been accurate, but I don’t really know. Bloomberg just isn’t as well-known outside of New York as, say, Giuliani was. B
Jim Carrey’s Monologue
This is exactly the sort of positive energy we could hope for when Jim Carrey hosts SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE! And Lisa Loeb’s sister sure is cute. Too bad she’s taken. B+
Bosley Hair Restoration
Here it goes, here it goes, here it goes again. Original Grade: B+
Vampire Weekend is debuting? Apparently Tommy Hilfiger commercials don’t count.
Original Version
1. Bruno Mars – “Grenade”
2. P!nk – “Raise Your Glass”
3. Katy Perry – “Firework”
4. Christina Perri – “Jar of Hearts”
5. Train – “Marry Me”
6. Ke$ha – “We R Who We R”
7. Maroon 5 – “Give a Little More”
8. Nicki Minaj – “Right Thru Me”
9. The Script – “For the First Time”
10. Black Eyed Peas – “The Time (Dirty Bit)”
11. Lee DeWyze – “Sweet Serendipity”
12. Grace Potter & the Nocturnals – “Paris (Ooh La La)”
13. Kid Rock – “Born Free”
14. Linkin Park – “Waiting for the End”
15. Crystal Bowersox – “Farmer’s Daughter”
16. Sugarland – “Stuck Like Glue”
17. Mumford & Sons – “The Cave”
18. Goo Goo Dolls – “Notbroken”
19. Vampire Weekend – “Holiday”
20. Adele – “Rolling in the Deep”
Jmunney’s Revision
1. Paris (Ooh La La)
2. Rolling in the Deep
3. We R Who We R
4. Right Thru Me
5. The Cave
6. Holiday
7. Jar of Hearts
8. Waiting for the End
9. Grenade
10. Firework
11. Born Free
12. Give a Little More
13. For the First Time
14. The Time (Dirty Bit)
15. Sweet Serendipity
16. Farmer’s Daughter
17. Notbroken
18. Stuck Like Glue
19. Raise Your Glass
20. Marry Me
Christmas Eve in Washington, D.C.
Well, there you go. Sticking with the political angle for the opening, but actually doing something out of the ordinary with it. It is clear that the writers have plenty of material on Obama, Hilary, Rahm, Pelosi, and Biden, but the focus has lately been getting fuzzy when they try to make a sketch around it. The solution, apparently: keep it simple. B+
Jeff Bridges’ Monologue
It was a treat to see Cookie Monster appear, though I imagine folks who weren’t familiar with his campaign to host found it only about half as amusing as those who were familiar found it to be. It was beautiful that Jeff introduced him as his buddy who’s always wanted to be on the show. The two of them singing “Silver Bells” wasn’t particularly funny, but it was surreal (as with much of what is actually on Sesame Street). Who else was thinking of the time Isaac Asimov and Crystal Gayle sang the same? By the way, I think Jeff broke the record for longest time between two successive hosting appearances, a title previously held by, I believe, Drew Barrymore. (Update: It turns out that Sigourney Weaver broke the record for longest gap when she hosted this past January, and the previous record-holder had been Madeline Kahn. So, as far as I can surmise, the order for longest gaps goes: 1. Jeff Bridges [27 years], 2. Sigourney Weaver [24 years], 3. Madeline Kahn [18 years], 4. Drew Barrymore [17 years].) B+
Top 20 Countdown is taking a few end of the year weeks off to make room for the Top 40 of the year countdown, but that’s no reason for me to skip my revising. I have never quite been able to figure out how VH1 determines the order of its Top 40 of the year. It must have more to do than with just how the videos performed on the Top 20, if that even really matters at all. The list is ostensibly a measure of how big a hit these songs were, which is hard to objectively measure perfectly. As far as I am concerned, it is about ubiquity, and VH1 appears to agree, for the most part. In addition to my normal revision in terms of the quality of the songs, I am also including some thoughts on how big I measured these hits to be, by noting those that charted too high or too low. It is worth mentioning now that I do not know how “Teenage Dream” or “Nothin’ on You” missed the cut. For the record, “Teenage Dream” would have been number 1 on my revision if it had made the countdown (and everything else remained the same).
Original Version
1. Train – “Hey Soul Sister”
2. The Script – “Breakeven” (should be lower)
3. Katy Perry – “California Gurls”
4. Adam Lambert – “Whataya Want From Me” (should be lower)
5. Lady GaGa – “Bad Romance” (could be higher)
6. Lady Antebellum – “Need You Now”
7. Usher ft. will.i.am – “OMG”
8. Eminem ft. Rihanna – “Love the Way You Lie”
9. P!nk – “Raise Your Glass” (should be lower)
10. Bruno Mars – “Just the Way You Are”
11. Ke$ha – “Tik Tok”
12. B.o.B ft. Hayley Williams – “Airplanes”
13. Rihanna – “Only Girl (in the World)”
14. Michael Bublé – “Haven’t Met You Yet”
15. Taylor Swift – “Mine”
16. Jay-Z ft. Alicia Keys – “Empire State of Mind”
17. Christina Perri – “Jar of Hearts” (should be lower)
18. Maroon 5 – “Misery”
19. John Mayer – “Heartbreak Warfare” (should be lower)
20. Katy Perry – “Firework”
21. Paramore – “The Only Exception”
22. Drake – “Find Your Love”
23. Daughtry – “September”
24. Jason Derülo – “In My Head”
25. Travie McCoy ft. Bruno Mars – “Billionaire”
26. Sara Bareilles – “King of Anything”
27. Mumford & Sons – “Little Lion Man”
28. Linkin Park – “Waiting for the End”
29. Train – “If It’s Love”
30. Usher ft. Pitbull – “DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love”
31. Lady GaGa ft. Beyoncé – “Telephone” (should be higher)
32. Kings of Leon – “Radioactive”
33. Adam Lambert – “If I Had You”
34. Mike Posner – “Cooler Than Me” (should be higher)
35. Kid Rock – “Born Free”
36. Eminem – “Not Afraid” (should be higher)
37. Jack Johnson – “At or With Me”
38. Sugarland – “Stuck Like Glue”
39. Taio Cruz ft. Ludacris – “Break Your Heart” (should be higher)
40. Muse – “Resistance”
Judging by the top of my list, it was quite the singular year.
Jmunney’s Revision
1. Only Girl (in the World)
2. The Only Exception
3. Find Your Love
4. Radioactive
5. Breakeven
6. Tik Tok
7. OMG
8. Bad Romance
9. King of Anything
10. Little Lion Man
11. If I Had You
12. Telephone
13. Cooler Than Me
14. Just the Way You Are
15. Love the Way You Lie
16. California Gurls
17. Not Afraid
18. Resistance
19. Jar of Hearts
20. Haven’t Met You Yet
21. Whataya Want From Me
22. Break Your Heart
23. Waiting for the End
24. Misery
25. Airplanes
26. Firework
27. Empire State of Mind
28. Born Free
29. DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love
30. At or With Me
31. Mine
32. In My Head
33. Stuck Like Glue
34. If It’s Love
35. Need You Now
36. Heartbreak Warfare
37. Raise Your Glass
38. Hey Soul Sister
39. Billionaire
40. September
