Guitars were onstage at Madison Square Garden for the 60th Awards...sort of..
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With dozens of dancers in military garb, a five-second walk on/off appearance by Bono andGuitars were onstage at Madison Square Garden for the 60th Awards...sort of..
With dozens of dancers in military garb, a five-second walk on/off appearance by Bono and Edge, a funky Taiko drumming interlude, and occasional commentary by comedian Dave Chappelle, rapper Kendrick Lamar opened the 60th Grammy Awards show with predictable glitz and glamour.
But I’m not writing a review of the Grammys — I’m focusing on the guitar’s representation during the 2018 Grammy broadcast.
[Also Check Out: A Guitar Fan's Guide to the Grammys][1]
The evening’s second performer was Lady Gaga, who performed a lovely version of “Joanne” featuring a piano festooned with white feathers and angel’s wings, and Mark Ronson accompanying her with a black acoustic (the headstock was never clearly visible). Though somewhat hidden in the mix, the guitar filled out the sound of the song, becoming the major rhythmic device as the performance evolved. Ronson also offered up an occasional tasteful riff, which effectively accented the song’s graceful and haunting vocal melody.
Next, Sam Smith performed “Pray,” and in the shadowy background, I spied a Gibson ES-335. Guitar wasn’t a significant part of the song, however, and was virtually impossible to hear in the mix. Happily, this wasn’t going to be the last time a 335 appeared on the 2018 Grammy stage.
Little Big Town was the next band to perform, and the first to feature guitars as a central part of the sound. Opening “Better Man” with a decidedly jangly guitar part played on a black Gibson ES-339 with block fretboard inlays and a Danelectro Longhorn, once underway, the song’s main rhythm was driven by a Gibson parlor-sized acoustic. For our bassist readers, a vintage-looking Fender Jazz Bass was visible in the backline. This was the first performance of the evening