As the shadow of Amy Winehouse’s brunette beehive casts a shadow on the 2008 Grammy Awards – it is time, friends, to open the refrigerator, fetch a cold Heineken Premium Lite, and drink my way through this ceremony. The official rules for Ickmusic’s Grammy Drinking Game can be found here.

The telecast starts here in Arizona at 7:00pm MST (9pm EST). Right now, Ace Young is being interviewed on the Red Carpet E Show. Ace Young! I need to pop my beer now. American Idol sighting.

Be with you in 20 minutes…… feel free to add your comments in the – well – Comments.

6:54pm – In the “I sh*t you not” department, here is proof positive that I am committed to this game. Represent!

6:59pm – the wife and kids are hunkered down upstairs. Wise of them! Here we go…
7:00 – Kind of cool, kind of creepy intro with Alicia Keys and a dead black & white Sinatra singing behind her piano. The way he’s snapping hisfingers behind the piano looks a bit like he’s handling his junk. But I digress.
Michael’s IM: Hey, it’s Frank Sinatra… here’s the sound of teenagers all over the country going “who the hell is that guy?”
Okay, these ‘virtual’ performances are creepy as hell. Alicia Keys sounds great and honestly it was a great performance. But what the heck is with all these women with dresses that they look like they are going to trip on. I’m thinking that before the end of the night we’ll see at least one of these ladies eat a chunk of the stage!
7:03pm – Alicia is beautiful. But that green dress is smashing her girls.
7:05pm – Carrie Underwood performance. Is anyone else having flashbacks to Shania Twain? Leatherrrr… In the background, dancers are bashing those swimming pool noodle things into junk.
Michael: They are wasting no time… Carrie Underwear, I mean Underwood is doing a vamped up, rocked out “Before He Cheats”. I guess the cast of “Stomp” was available for the evening. She definitely gets points for the Dusty Springfield inspired look.
7:07pm – Oh! American Idol (Underwood) sighting! 1 Drink!
7:08pm – There’s the Purple man. Eh, 2 drinks! Prince presents Best Female R&B Performance. Alicia Keys wins. I didn’t catch P’s one liner about Sinatra. Drink.
Michael: Dayum… looking every bit the part of Christopher Tracy Prince is here to give the award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. First award goes to Alicia Keys for “No One” and obviously she thanks God and her “Angels” (Prince has a copy of ‘The Watchtower’ in his back pocket to hand her).
7:11pm – first commercials 11 minutes into the ceremony. not surprised I guess.

7:17pm – “Jungle Love”! Driiink. Okay, we have Morris, Jerome, Jimmy, Terry… is that Jesse on the flying V?
Michael: Jimmy Jam! Morris! Jerome! It’s the motherf**king TIME!! Somebody get me a mirror! I don’t know… is this show is certainly not letting up on the pace. Jungle Love… oh-eh-oh-eh-oh! Ella-ella-aye-aye… Rihanna flows nicely. And when did Morris start looking just like Prince?

7:22pm -Tom Hanks showing love to the Band! Nice. Tom Hanks = Grammy Gold. Eh? But “That Thing You Do” (I think was the name of the movie) was pretty sweet.
Michael: Hey Tom Hanks thanks for pointing out The Band are Canadian.