One of the Greatest performances I've ever seen in my life. Absolutely.

I know. I just know people are tired of hearing Mike songs and hearing about him, but this has to be the biggest Icon in the last say... 200 years. I don't know why I say 200 years because I think as far as immediate WORLD notoriety nobody is touching how big this dude was.
I can't even believe it.
Since his death I have really been taken aback trying to figure out what one person is larger than this guy.

I have yet to figure one out.

What I cannot believe is the idea of yet another (and rare) absolute. I tend to stay away from absolute statements because I think, 9 times out of 10, there is going to be an exception to a rule or statement, but there is no one person bigger than Michael Jackson. absolutely. and by bigger let me clarify that I am referring to the idea that a lot more than half of this planet knows who this guy is and not just knows of him but can tell you something about his person. Not only that, this one person has single-handedly changed so many elements of culture and values.

And I am not comparing him to Jesus Christ. I think Jesus is way different (*sidebar: take some time to read the previous entry and email your thoughts about Black Jesus ;) *) in that when he was alive no one really knew who He was except for his immediate (and surrounding) region. But people in Europe and the southern tip of Africa did not know who He was. It was not until his death that news of His life and teachings actually set the world on fire. Of course, this also begs the nod to the discussion about media and the transfer of information.
yadda yada...
But let me say quite clearly that 2,000 years from now people are not going to be speaking about Michael Jackson.

...so anyway, I'm blown away that a black man (I'll play the race card) was as big as can be on a world level. I just cannot fathom the idea that someone can cause excitement, or a stir, or make someone faint (!) at the sight of him. I'm not going to comment on the fainting issue because I personally don't understand it. I think it is really corny and that people who faint at the sight of this cat are playing themselves. But it does speak to the impact he had on people, black, white, asian, indian, middle eastern, south american, etc. And that is simply amazing. How can a musician (a MUSICIAN!!!) have THAT much of an effect on lives. I read an article how he went to visit then President Reagan how the White House staff was star struck and acting like little groupies.

I have a lot more to say and I realize this is my blog so I can write however long I wish but I am writing this post because one of the greatest performances i've seen in my life happened when I was 5 1/2 / 6 years old and I remember its impact quite vividly. I've been waiting to post this clip because it is so ridiculous. I have not seen the whole performance in its totality probably since the first time I witnessed it ( I stopped watching the clip to write this post - so i'm anxious to finish it). It is most interesting now, since Michael Jackson is dead, to observe a couple things; 1. the way everyone responds to a. the song, b. him, and c. his performance, then 2. watch the nuances of his face knowing how shy, sheepish, and self conscious he was. It is interesting to watch where he looks during the performance. Peep how unpolished his (now) signature moves are. Also notice (I have to say this just to be an asshole) that he's performing to a track (not singing live). Okay, to save face, if that were me and I knew I had all that dancing and prancing to do I would have lip-synched it too.

I don't think I'm going to critique the whole performance but these are a few things that jumped out at me in the first two minutes.
Peep how smooth he flings the hat, combs his hair, puts the comb in his pocket, and then picks up the mic. ...that's cold, son...cold blooded.

And FEEL the excitement from the crowd. Everyone is excited, screaming, no, shrieking waiting to see what this cat is going to do. People are on their feet going with him. I note these things because performances don't have this sort of energy anymore. No one dancing like this, singing like this, and has this type of (artistic) swag.

*notice, going into the second chorus how there is a patch of people sitting in the middle section right in front of the stage not even nodding their heads (!) ... haters. before the term was even solidified.justkidding*

The only thing I'll comment on re: the moonwalk is with regard to the response of the people having never seen or imagining it before (on a broad level). Think about how excited people were and that air of expectancy. To hear that response after they witnessed it: the gasps, the shrieks, and the shouts with typical late 70's jive telling Michael to get down, people were really awed.

...when's the last time you were awed?...



okay, I guess i'm going to analyze the whole damn performance: I'm watching this and i'm seeing how many times he messed up. This performance was really just a bunch of improvised steps. Maybe he loosely choreographed it. after the moonwalk he goes REALLY out of synch with the track. The ad-libs and runs that we all know were new to him and it is apparent. I think he played himself with the second moonwalk (which he actually does for more longer than the first). Knowing what I know now I wished he hadn't tried to do it again, but that's what I mean about improvised. If he had known that moonwalk was going to change his career I know for sure he would have only done it once.
I now understand why I heard he cried after this performance. But what's crazy is his minor failure turned out to be his defining moment (MESSAGE!!!!).

*(yet another) sidebar*
my favorite part of the performance is from 3:29 (right at the cusp of 3:30) until 3:39. God, that is classic! (Hee! Whoo!!). But what's classic (and I'm going to catch some serious flack for this) is how he slides over to his first 'Hee', the whole finger point to one side on the 'Hee' and the finger point to the other side of the stage on the 'Whoo', and then his little movements right up until 3:39. It looks like how you used to do it during the family reunions growing up. You know when all the uncles and cousins would stand around and egg you on to do Michael Jackson. That's all you knew (which is hilarious but makes another point about his effect on culture - you couldn't dance for shit at that age but you knew how to dance like Michael Jackson).

What I'm struck by overall is how Un-polished he looks. I'm so used to seeing him after he became MICHAEL JACKSON (bold font, caps, size 16 letters) and had perfected his swag/dance style. Here he is still vulnerable, clumsy, and insecure. It's beautiful to see, because in all his sloppiness he floored the whole World (myself included) with this performance.

I always wonder what his brother's felt. I mean at this point (in his career AND the show!) it's like, 'The Jackson who??'.


just some thoughts...
*on a funny production humor tip: for you stage managers, video/film cats, sound engineers, and theater people: peep the gentleman in the back (upstage right side) clapping and enjoying the performance beginning at 1:29 but then just about 1:59 it's like the producer gets on Gary's radio and tells him to stop watching and pay attention to what he's being paid time and a half + a video rate to do.

*for my musicians (and also people with soul) check the girl in the green dress (eventually) clapping on 1 and 3. I don't know what she was clapping to right before that though.