8:57: What are the Dixie Chicks thinking (not to mention wearing)? Instead of performing "Long Time Gone," one of 2002's pure rollicking radio gems, or their current country ballad "Travelin' Soldier," which in coming weeks will take on added significance, the Chicks opt for their merely passable reworking of Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide." What a waste of three minutes.

9:10: How much do you figure eBay paid for the rights to rework the Sinatra classic "My way" ("I did it my way"), into "You can do it eBay"? Then again, eBay can probably afford to rework Sinatra's entire catalog and still have plenty left over.

9:15: Jamming with the New York Philharmonic on "Politik" ("Give me real, don't give me fake"), Coldplay proves why they're the best rock band on the planet today. Me, I wish they'd played their current world-stopping single "Clocks."

9:27: Is it me or is it white in here? Nearly 90 minutes into the Grammys, not a single performance or award reception by an African-American.

9:30: The Grammys are practically begging for political commentary when, for the first time in years, it televises best comedy album in prime time. Winner Robin Williams takes a pass on Iraq, though.

9:43: Finally some funk. A double shot of Nelly, America's in-house party MC. He's Hammer without the entourage. Problem is, he splits his time between the runaway "Hot in Herre" ("so take off all your clothes"), and the silly duet ballad "Dilemma" with Destiny's Child's Kelly Rowland. She should've stayed home and let Nelly cook "Hot in Herre" for the full four minutes.

9:48: Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst says, "I hope we are all in agreeance [sic] that this war should go away as soon as possible." The statement is met with tepid applause. The war reference seems awkward, forced and intruding. Perhaps it's the messenger, all decked out in baseball cap, T-shirt and malapropism.

9:52: Incredibly, not even Foo Fighter frontman (and former Nirvana drummer) Dave Grohl -- who has probably played in more rundown, 10-foot-ceiling rock clubs than anyone else on the show (except Springsteen) -- mentions Rhode Island while accepting best hard rock award. Instead, he thanks managers, producers, lovers and sisters.

9:57: Out to introduce Springsteen, Williams passes again on making any war cracks.

9:58: Springsteen plays Madison Square Garden like it's his living room. He delivers a sturdy run-through of "The Rising," much like the ones we saw on last year's MTV Music Video Awards, on Letterman and on "SNL." If you want, you can see it again Friday night during CBS's Springsteen concert special.

Springsteen never gets a turn at the mike as a presenter or an accepter (he won three awards off-camera), so we'll never know what he would have said at the podium about the impending war. But here's what he tells Entertainment Weekly in the current issue: "I think the administration is just set on it. I think the administration took Sept. 11 and used it as a blank check. And like most Americans, I'm not sure the case has been made to put our sons and our daughters and innocent citizens at risk at this particular moment. But I don't think that's gonna matter, unfortunately ... The actual war against terrorism is extremely complicated. You try not to be cynical, but without the distraction of Iraq, [people would notice] that the economy is doing poorly, and the old-fashioned Republican tax cuts for the folks that are doing well will seriously curtail services for people who are struggling out there. I don't think that's the kind of country that Americans really want. All the cutbacks in the environment restrictions -- it's just a game of shadows and mirrors at the moment."

10:06: In a shocker, Jesse "Don't Know Why" Harris wins for best songwriting award over Springsteen's "The Rising." Guess the 9/11 appeal is fading.

10:12: OK, who owns the publishing on "My Way"? Because here's the song again, this time in an AXA Financial commercial. I like the goofy eBay spot featuring the song-and-dance office dork better.

10:19: Bring back the original black 7-Up guy in green sweater. This new guy's just throwed off.

10:23: Ad for new Steve Martin movie featuring Queen Latifah in which a goofy white guy begins to act black. Opening March 28.

10:27: 'N Sync sleepwalks through a Bee Gees medley until Justin Timberlake, who like it or not will completely rule America in three years' time, turns on his human beat box for "Stayin' Alive."

10:30: Eyes swell when Maurice Gibbs' son Adam accepts an award for his late Bee Gee dad.

10:39 It's Eminem "like you've never seen him." Well, that's what the Grammy promo promised. He's backed by the Roots, rap's best live band who prove why for the umpteenth time during "Lose Yourself." The performance is strong but nothing we haven't seen Eminem do many times before, and it can't compare to Eminem's wildly hyped Grammy duet two years ago with Elton John, back when Em used to dis gays and rap about killing women on record. Eminem sports a "Free Yayo" T-shirt and kids across America dash to Google.com in search of "Yayo." He ends with a shout-out to his idol, the late Jam Master Jay, "Live in peace."

10:46: Norah Jones picks up record of the year and it's obvious the rout is on. In the end Jones and her album walk away with eight awards.

10:55: I guess if you're Pamela Anderson you don't really worry about your men wandering too far from home, but is it me or has Kid Rock been spending a lot of time with rumored former flame Sheryl Crow lately? They team up on the Grammys for a hot run-through of Crow's "You're an Original Baby." This after they recently filmed a video for their sweet acoustic duet "Picture," in which they make lots and lots of eye contact. Hmm. Anyway, Crow leaves home her "War Is not the Answer" T-shirt, the one she donned last month during the American Music Awards, in favor of a "No War" guitar strap.

10:59: Norah Jones joins that long Grammy-loves-smart-women tradition of Bonnie Raitt, Shawn Colvin, Lauryn Hill by grabbing secord of the year honors.

11:12: In memory of the late Clash frontman Joe Strummer, Springsteen, Stevie Van Zandt, Elvis Costello and the Foo's Grohl rev up the Clash's calling card, "London Calling." "London is drowning and I live by the river." The song fits somewhere alongside Springsteen's "Born to Run," Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and Costello's rendition of "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding" as pitch-perfect rock anthems of their time. Wonder who won best album the year the Clash's angry and articulate masterpiece was released? That's right, Christopher Cross' self-titled debut. All together: "Sailing, takes me away to where I want to be."

11:25: Jones wins the big one, album of the year. That means she's taken every category in which she was nominated. Now the question is, will she mature into Rickie Lee Jones, or fade away like piano wonder Fiona Apple. Either way, if you haven't already, you're gonna download Jones' album for free during lunch, right?

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