American Music Awards Were More Show Than Substance

There used to be a time when music was incredible. You could turn on the radio or watch a music video and be assured to hear a number of musicians playing instruments and be a witness to truly gifted performers.

Watching the American Music Awards last night, it became apparent that things have really changed. There were performances from so many different kinds of acts and so many different styles of music. What seemed to be missing a lot of the time was anything meaningful or a display of genuine talent.

Don't get me wrong. This is not to say there were not a few incredible performances by some artists who I would argue are incredibly talented and are genuinely... artists. The rest just seemed to be a lot of hype and bubble gum. It didn't take much to separate the great acts from the junk. There always seemed to be an underlying element. For example, if you were watching an unmemorable performance, you were sure to see an elaborate stage set up with all kinds of ridiculous props and dancing and other distractions, to help you forget that you were watching something that belonged at a high school talent contest.

If you were watching an amazingly talented performer, that was all you would see. Basically, the great performances were given by somebody who stood still or sat, and delivered. That's right. Just the singer, a spotlight and an incredible performance. Those tended to be the best acts of the night. The great performances included appearances by Annie Lennox, Alicia Keys and Sarah McLoughlin.

Some of it was pretty hysterical to watch. One of my favorite moments was when Steve Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith came out to give the award for Artist of the Year and had looks and reactions as if they wanted to say "What in the world has happened to music?" Of course, they would have used slightly different language.