Who's up next — at coveted Super Bowl halftime gig
Published: February 07, 2010, 6:05 am
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It's more than just a football game, isn't it? More like a national holiday.
And if the game itself ends up a snoozer, well, at least you've got the halftime show to look forward to.
For pop artists young and old — but mostly old, let's face it — the 12-minute slot at the Super Bowl's midpoint is perhaps the most passionately coveted gig out there. Land it, manage to keep your wardrobe from malfunctioning, strike a detente with the censors, don't fall off the ramps on either side of the stage, and you're pretty much guaranteed a decent bump in sales come Monday.
Why? Nielsen Soundscan figures estimate that in the area of 100 million people watch the Super Bowl. Commanding that kind of viewership is something that every artist desires, of course — particularly when you factor in the disappearance of modes of promotion heretofore viewed as traditional.
Radio may recycle hits of classic artists on a daily basis, but it essentially preaches to the already converted. If you're, say, Bruce Springsteen — who delivered a dynamic but flawed mini-set during last year's Super Bowl XLIII — and you'd like to make an audience bigger than your core group of rabid followers aware of the fact that you've got a new album out, your choices are limited to late-night television, the "Today" show, touring and very little else.
Springsteen may be one of the most revered artists on the planet, but that doesn't mean classic rock radio is going to forego playing "Born To Run" for the umpteenth time, in favor of spinning "Working on a Dream."
Land the halftime job, and your promotion problems are solved.
Tonight, another biggie grabs the gold ring, taking its place in a rather impressive line of major-league artists who've played the show in recent years, among them Tom Petty, Prince, Paul McCartney and U2. The Who will attempt to cram its seasoned blend of craft and bare-knuckled fury into the allotted few minutes of time during Super Bowl XLIV, inside Miami's Sun Life Stadium.
What makes a perfect Super Bowl halftime act?
Prominent on the list is familiarity. Almost invariably, bands and artists choose the dreaded "medley" as their chosen mode of communication — dreaded, at least, by hard-core fans, most of whom tend to feel that the whole dog and pony show is beneath their artist in the first place. With 12 minutes to grab the attention of viewers to the point that, come Monday, they'll remember your performance and reach for their wallet, playing complete songs is not advisable.
Medleys allow performers to mash a few popular songs together, and maybe — if they're feeling particularly randy — sneak in a new one from the album that no one is planning to buy. Or at least, weren't planning to buy until they heard it as part of a medley that also included the song they lost their virginity to, way back when.
In the best-case scenarios, the tight schedule, strictly formatted set lists, along with the sense of urgency and palpable tension the sheer size and scope of the event conjures, can conspire to make a performer's halftime set feel like a full concert crammed into a quarter of an hour. Other times, the whole thing can reek of the Las Vegas-style revue, which perhaps is what it's supposed to be in the eyes of the average viewer.
As big a deal as the halftime concert has become, it's interesting to note that its arrival as a must-have gig for the biggest names in popular music is a relatively recent development. For its first quarter-century of life, the Super Bowl made do with variety show-style entertainment, the traditional marching band extravaganzas, "Up With People," and stars of an earlier era, in the mode of Carol Channing, Chubby Checker and the like.
No one seemed to be complaining, but by the time MTV had been around for a decade, it became readily apparent that big-time advertising dollars were there for the taking if the pop-starved demographic could be courted. Tentative steps were taken in this direction during Super Bowls XXV and XXVI, when New Kids on the Block and Gloria Estefan appeared before the TV eyes of millions, but it wasn't until 1993's Super Bowl XXVII that the full possibilities of the halftime gig were explored. Michael Jackson was the first artist to be granted the entirety of the halftime performance space, and he made less-than-subtle use of the opportunity, turning the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., into a "King of Pop" concert, and hauling a choir of 3,500 kids from Los Angeles out for the finale sing-along during "Heal the World."
For the rest of the '90s, event promoters stumbled a bit, reverting to several-act bills blending Hollywood themes with mismatched entertainment from the likes of the Blues Brothers, ZZ Top and James Brown one year, and Boyz II Men, Smokey Robinson and Martha Reeves the next. This approach — not unlike the one taken during the least-compelling Grammy Awards productions — seemed to satisfy no one, particularly the artists, who were whisked off stage almost as soon as they'd landed on it, and were never allowed to establish any kind of groove of their own. All of this hit its nadir in 2001, when Aerosmith sacrificed its remaining credibility by "jamming" with Britney Spears during a bill that also included Nelly and Mary J. Blige.
By the following year, the "one-act only" concept was re-explored, with a moving "tribute to 9/11 victims" performance from U2, but the next two Super Bowls found the "everything but the kitchen sink" approach making a comeback, as Shania Twain, Sting and No Doubt turned incongruity into high art one year, and Nelly, Jessica Simpson, P. Diddy, and Kid Rock lined up to be overshadowed by the appearance of one of Janet Jackson's breasts the next. Much outrage ensued, much of it from an oddly judgmental and morally superior point of view that seems at odds with an event that has always been tied to the sale and consumption of beer.
Happily, that was as low as things were deemed capable of sinking, and beginning with 2005's Paul McCartney performance, the Super Bowl is on a roll, offering the likes of the Rolling Stones, Prince, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Springsteen & the E Street Band, and now, the Who, the opportunity to get on, go for broke, and get off, all within the space of 12 minutes.
All of these artists have made the most of the opportunity. With the announcement via Billboard.com last week of the content of the Who's halftime set list — "We'll do a compact medley ... A bit of 'Baba O'Riley,' a bit of 'Pinball Wizard,' a bit of 'Who Are You?,' and a bit of 'Won't Get Fooled Again. It works," said the band's Pete Townshend — it would seem that one of the last acts standing among significant British Invasion bands will do its best to do the same.
Let's just hope Townshend manages to keep his shirt on.
The wild, the innocent, and the wardrobe malfunction: A look at the good and the bad in Super Bowl halftime history
The best
1) Prince, Super Bowl XLI, 2007
Prince seemed to relish the halftime experience and took it as an opportunity to remind everyone that he is one of the finest guitar soloists going. The medley of three of his best-known hits, with the addition of snippets of Bob Dylan and Foo Fighters songs, was a deft touch. Smokin'.
2) U2, Super Bowl XXXVI, 2002
The band's performance of "Beautiful Day," particularly in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, was deeply moving. The whole thing was classy and marked by what appeared to be deeply felt performances by the band, particularly singer Bono.
3) The Rolling Stones, Super Bowl XL, 2006
Seeing Mick Jagger strut all over the stage, and watching Keith Richards inhabit that same space like it was a crypt and he was the cryptkeeper, all the while knowing that the majority of buttoned-down, straight America was watching, probably horrified — this was delicious.
The worst
1) Aerosmith with Britney Spears, Nelly, Mary J. Blige, 'N Sync, Super Bowl XXXV, 2001
This was just plain gross. It's hard to believe that Aerosmith's Joe Perry allowed it to happen, but he did. Ewww. Money talks, and Britney walks (this way).
2) Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Nelly, P. Diddy, Kid Rock, Super Bowl XXXVIII, 2004
Speaking of gross, this one took the cake. In retrospect, the "wardrobe malfunction" was far less offensive than it was just plain stupid and incredibly cheesy. It didn't really help Janet Jackson sell too many records, either.
3) Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Super Bowl XLIII, 2009
Unquestionably, Springsteen and Co. gave it their all. But an E Street concert is about pacing, dynamics, ebb and flow, and this mini-set did away with all of the subtleties, intricacies, and emotional peaks and valleys that make the man, the band and their music great. A noble effort, but in retrospect, a mistake.
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