A view from the audience at the Grammy Awards

[February 09, 2009]  LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The 51st annual Grammy Awards were under way Sunday night. Here's what AP Entertainment Writer Derrik J. Lang was seeing from the audience.

The mood was festive and loose during the pre-telecast section of the Grammy Awards at the Los Angeles Convention Center, where trophies for such things as best polka album and best new age album are handed out.

Contributing to the looseness could have been the fact participants knew they weren't getting on TV as they accepted their awards from pre-show co-hosts Wayne Brady and Tia Carrere.

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Despite pandering to the Grammys by naming her album "For Your Consideration," actress-comedian Kathy Griffin was beaten out in the comedy category by George Carlin, who died last year. Carlin's daughter, Kelly Carlin-McCall, accepted the award and promised to take better care of it than her dad did after he won his first Grammy in 1972. She said her father dismantled that one while in a "chemical-induced state."

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Many of the pretelecast winners, including Juanes and Kirk Franklin, are not present, giving many of the winners who are, including Blind Boys of Alabama and Hilary Hahn, ample time to thank everyone.

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Uh oh. Terence Blanchard has stepped out of the pretelecast ceremony just before his name is called for jazz instrumental solo. Friends in the audience scream from their seats that he is on his way to the stage.

"'Well, where is he?" presenter Yolanda Adams asks. "On I-10?"

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The audience for the pre-telecast isn't exactly packed with household names, but there are a few. While the classical album awards are being handed out, Carrie Underwood and her entourage roll in and camp out in the last row. Only 21 awards to go until her category!

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She stuck around! Carrie Underwood wins for female country solo.

"There's no way on this planet that this could ever get old," she says, accepting the trophy.

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The pretelecast ceremony is still going on, but the doors to the televised Grammy show next door at the Staples Center have opened.

Not to worry, it's black-tie dress code isn't stopping several attendees from noshing on hot dogs and popcorn in the lobby.

First Celebrity Sighting: beefy mixed martial arts fighter Chuck Liddell going through security.

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Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Robert Plant, Blind Boys of Alabama and LL Cool J are scrambling to take their seats as U2 opens the show.

Not Trace Adkins, though. He's been sitting in his seat for almost half an hour.

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Justin Timberlake, Al Green, Boyz II Men and Keith Urban not only receive a standing ovation, but the crowd is on its feet for their entire performance.

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During the first commercial break, stagehands are frantically setting up Coldplay's instruments. A piano for Chris Martin has been wheeled out onto the small circular stage in the middle of the audience.

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You can't say Kid Rock can't poke fun at himself. During his performance the mugshot from one of his arrests is flashed on the huge monitors visible to the audience. People laughed harder at that than any of the jokes on the Teleprompter.

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They may be in a sea of people, but Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift suddenly found themselves all alone on stage while waiting to perform. The pair chatted as Swift tuned her guitar. Then, during their first duet, stagehands were erecting a giant banana on stage for another performance.

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Attention people watching at home on TV: You are not missing any of the show.

There are no extra special performances inside the Staples Center during commercial breaks. Instead, they are showing videos of past performances on the monitors the audience is watching.

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Jennifer Hudson's moving performance brought the crowd to its feet and left her visibly choked up as she mouthed the words "Thank you" to the audience before leaving the stage.

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Coldplay broke up! Well, only for a few minutes.

Lead singer Chris Martin went back to his seat after the group won a Grammy for rock album. Meanwhile, the rest of the band was ushered backstage.

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Neil Diamond has all but taken over the Staples Center, getting almost everyone in the audience to sing along to "Sweet Caroline." The only thing missing is someone throwing their panties on stage.

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How rude. While Alison Krauss and Robert Plant are accepting the final award of the night, the coveted Grammy for album of the year, the audience is heading for the exits, trying to beat the traffic home.

Wait a minute, everybody. Stevie Wonder hasn't come on stage to sing the show off the air yet.

By the time he does, half the audience is gone.

[Associated Press; By DERRIK J. LANG]

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