Super Bowl Thoughts

Hello,

Regrettably I did watch the Super Bowl yesterday and it was okay. However if you don't have a rooting interest in the game, it's just not the same. I absolutely didn't care who won the game. The only thing I was cheering for was that the game would go into overtime. I was hoping that would add some excitement to what was a pedestrian game. I'm already sick of the Green Bay Packers though. Although I absolutely enjoyed the fact the Packers won the Super Bowl without Brett Favre. That's classic, you gotta love karma!!

My other thought is I think hosting the Super Bowl yesterday might be the closest that the Dallas Cowboys get to the Super Bowl for a long time. I just don't have high hopes with Jerry Jones as owner and Tony Romo as quarterback. Well at least they dumped Wade Phillips finally. Maybe the Cowboys can at least host a playoff game?

I didn't watch either one of these performances live, so thanks to youtube.com that I could watch them this morning. As any reader of my blog knows, I love Lea Michele. She has an absolutely amazing voice. I love her so much, even making jokes about marrying her voice, but I was a little disappointed in her performance yesterday. I know "America The Beautiful" isn't one of those songs you can really show your abilities. Her performance was good, but it's just not a singers song.

I just barely watched Christina Aguilera's "Star Spangled Banner" at youtube.com. I've still got goosebumps! What an amazing voice, did she nail that song or what? That voice and the way she sang that song, oh my goodness. I'm so overwhelmed that words can't even describe what I'm feeling. It was also nice when the crowd erupted when the soldiers in Afghanistan were shown. Wow! Awesome! Amazing! See both performances in one video below:



Now Christina we need you to leave those people that "helped" you with your last CD, honestly it was terrible. We need you to go back to songs like your earlier work. We need more songs in the vein of "Fighter" and "Beautiful". Not copies of those songs but songs that bring the passion and the beauty of those two songs. In fact, today's under appreciated song of the day is "Fighter". This is a thrilling live version. Goose bumps again. You just cannot fake that power or charisma:



Lea Michele's voice I may be asking for a divorce :(

The biggest disappointment for me though was The Black Eyed Peas halftime performance. The Black Eyed Peas aren't in my Top 50 all-time favorite bands, but they are close to it. They are amazing and have produced some great songs. Fergie has an amazing voice and I respect and love the musical genius of Will.i.am. So all those things combined together, along with being live would produce a memorable Super Bowl halftime show, right?

Um, no. While the 12 minute performance had it's good moments, overall it was downright lame. From my reading and talking to other people I'm not the only one that thinks so either. It seems to be nearly universal opinion that the Peas underwhelmed yesterday.

Here's the 9 songs in their set, one they did a reprise on, and my commentary on it.

1) We have the Peas dropping on to stage from the rafters. Cool, but then Will.i.am hits us with his voice. Does he need to rely on that so much? It's not like he's singing, he's just rapping. They start off "I Gotta Feeling" ("Tonight's Going To Be A Good Night") Their set starts out okay, but I'm not overwhelmed. But hey everybody is allowed to have a slow start, right?

2) "Boom Boom Pow", really do we need two songs from the same CD in a row? No.

3) That segued into what at first I thought was a sample of Guns N' Roses "Sweet Child O' Mine", but no Slash is coming out of the stage. This obviously is Fergie's time to shine. And unfortunately again I was underwhelmed. Although it was good to see Slash playing a Guns N' Roses song. Seriously Axl and Slash you guys need to make up, we need Guns N' Roses more than ever. When pretenders like Nickelback are touring the nation carrying the rock banner, rock music is in serious trouble. End of rant and back to the Peas.

4) "Pump It": That song was okay, again nothing overwhelming.

5) Next up was probably what is their best song, the song that even makes a white boy like me want to get up and dance. If that song doesn't make you want to dance, there's something seriously wrong with you:



So what happens they only perform about 30 seconds of this song, what the hell? Unbelievable.

6) The next song kills what little momentum was started by "Let's Get It Started". Usher also drop down on to the stage, just like the Peas. Why? They should have shot him out of a cannon, but overshot the stage. I just don't get the appeal of Usher. He sang that set killing, soul sucking song "OMG". I just don't understand why he's even there.

7) Okay the momentum is dead now, so why try to revive it seems to be the Peas logic? They then sang "Where Is The Love", a perfectly fine song. It's just not a song that I'd sing in this setting. The underwhelming theme continues.

8) Then of course they had to sing "The Time (Dirty Bit)", which isn't a song that really gets one to want to get up and dance either. Seriously of all the great 80's song they could have remade, why pick that one? How about Cameo's "Word Up", Prince's "Let's Go Crazy" or Michael Jackson's "Smooth Operator"? I'd even like to see them do something with "Ice Ice Baby" or "U Can't Touch This". Really "The Time of my Life"?

9) Since they haven't built any momentum why start now, they closed out with a reprise of "I Gotta Feeling". And with a fizzle their set list ended. Overall extremely disappointing.

Now if I was the Peas, what would I have done? There are several things, completely dump Usher. He should live up to his name and show people to their seats, he shouldn't be the performer. Also dump that lame "The Time (Dirty Bit)" completely from the set. They should have closed out the set with "Let's Get It Started". You've got an amazing singer in Fergie, showcase her more. To do so I would add "Meet Me Halfway" to the set. Another good add would have been, "Don't Phunk With My Heart" their second most danceable song. They are playing the Super Bowl, not a garden party for yellow hair old ladies.

This is my proposed setlist:

1) "Meet Me Halfway", two minutes.
2) "Rock That Body" or "Shut Up" for two minutes.
3) Then Fergie and Slash on "Sweet Child 'O Mine" for two minutes. Up to this point the momentum is a slow build, about to boil over.
4) Let's bring this party to boil with "Don't Phunk With My Heart". 2.5 minutes. Watch this video, see they can play live, sound good and be entertaining.



5) Then lets get everybody in the stadium dancing, even those who don't want to with 3.5 minutes of "Let's Get It Started".

Now my set list I know would never fly in the world of corporate America, as the Peas "need" to play the new single. It doesn't matter that's about the 10th-15th best song of their career, the only thing corporate America cares about is making money. But if they are just going for entertainment and to get everybody's attention, I'm arguing the above set list would do that best.

Black Eyed Peas full Super Bowl performance:



themusicaddict