Performing artists and presenters of the 61st GRAMMY Awards have the option of taking a stroll through the GRAMMYS Gifting Lounge to receive some fabulous (and fabulously free) items during rehearsal days. "We're thrilled to be a very small part of a very big show,” said Lash Fary, founder of Distinctive Assets, which has produced the GRAMMYs Gifting Lounge for the past 20 years. "It’s something that the artists now, over the years, have grown accustomed to as a perk they are very well aware that they get for coming on the show, which is very cute." Fary noted that Distinctive Assets' GRAMMYs Gifting Lounges have won over some big names. "In the past people like Mary J. Blige have shown up and said, 'Where’s the gift lounge?' And even when artists don't have the time or interest to come through the lounge, like Adele, the last time she was in LA and on the show she asked for some of the kids’ stuff. We had Hasbro Games here, so she asked that the kid stuff be brought to her dressing room so her son could play with them. “We have artists like Ricky Martin and Faith Hill, who don't do gift lounges typically but they’ll do ours because they know that we are here as a true artform of the GRAMMYS and we respect them," he revealed. "They know if we say we aren't doing photos then we won’t do photos, that we have great stuff, that we respect their time and get them in and out quickly. So it’s just great! These are my favorite three days of the year, GRAMMYS rehearsal days, and we've got amazing thank-you gifts for them. There’s something for everyone." ReFa Massager Photo credit: Tamara Palmer The Recording Academy took an exclusive spin through the Gifting Lounge when it opened on Thursday afternoon and got a peek at some of those perks that stars can take home. This year, there are a number of vendors focused on beauty and wellness, including ReFa's Japanese microcurrent beauty rollers and collagen-enhanced drink mixers, Source Naturals' vitamins and herbal supplements, Neoteny’s age-fighting kits (including a mask called Resting Bitch Face), It’s a 10's pro hair care tools and entertainment industry’s makeup that breathes and heals skin as it conceals, pitched as a smart choice for the entertainment industry's heavy makeup needs Oxygenetix Photo credit: Tamara Palmer Guests are invited to experience ishiki, a Japanese sense of consciousness and well-being, via a virtual reality trip to Kyoto; stars will be gifted a pair of virtual reality glasses to take more transportive trips at home or while on the road. 23 and Me will allow stars to dig deeper into their ancestry, teasing that they never know what they might discover. Truth Initiative packed backpacks full of Xbox games, hats, sunglasses and fanny packs from their forthcoming retail collection to say "don't get played" when it comes to vaping and smoking. Dr. Tabatha Carr flew from Oklahoma to California to showcase her gluten-free, dairy-free and naturally sweetened Good Girl Chocolate at the GRAMMYs Gifting Lounge. After showing us before and after pictures of her 100-pound weight loss, she offered us a taste of a lush vegan dark chocolate-encased agave and cashew butter filled caramel that could easily become a happy habit. Ishiki Photo credit: Tamara Palmer Grossé, a costume jewelry designer that designed collections for Dior for over 50 years, hopes to drip stars in convincing baubles, while Millianna is introducing "shoelery," chains meant to be draped around boots or stilettos. PRSVR, a Chicago lifestyle brand that recently opened a by-appointment showroom just blocks away, is hoping to gift Cardi B with a pair of fur sleeves—vegan or fox, her choice. "We've been fortunate to really use Instagram to connect with celebrities,” said PRSVR's Margaret Williamson. "So our client list includes Tank, Diddy, Ciara, Teyana Taylor, Meek Mill, Fabolous and Nicki Minaj." Good Girl Chocolate Photo credit: Tamara Palmer Alpha Priority, a worldwide meet and greet airport concierge service, was looking forward to catching up with the stars planning on coming through the Gifting Lounge, many of whom a rep said are already clients. They’ll be gifted with a free meet and greet that will be arrange at their convenience. As the longtime GRAMMYS Gifting Lounge producer, Lash Fary certainly isn't one to get star-struck, but there is one particular luminary who he hopes to see in there this year. "Dolly Parton,” he said, name-checking the MusiCares Person of the Year without hesitation. "Just because she’s so nice! Dolly is one of my favorite people. I’ve met her at a few award shows so I love her and I’m hoping that we get to see her. There’s not a lovelier person on the planet than Dolly; she just makes you feel good about yourself." Watch the 61st GRAMMY Awards on Sunday, Feb. 10 on CBS.<doc-sep>Rock band Queen opened the 91st Academy Awards with some bright lights, a little stage smoke, and a tribute to original member Freddie Mercury. Guitarist Brian May and lead singer and American Idol alum Adam Lambert, the band's lead singer, took the stage performing two of the band's iconic hits, "We Will Rock You" and "We are the Champions." At the end of the performance, a picture of Freddie Mercury displayed on a large screen behind them. Actor Rami Malek, who portrays Mercury in the Oscar-nominated film, Bohemian Rhapsody, watched from the audience. Bohemian Rhapsody is up for five awards: Best Picture, performance by an actor (Rami Malek), film editing, sound editing and sound mixing.<doc-sep>
It wasn’t a song and dance number featuring Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, as many had feared, but the 91st Oscars opened in a mildly divisive style with a performance by Queen, whose biopic Bohemian Rhapsody is nominated in five categories. Fronted by Adam Lambert, the former American Idol contestant who became the band’s lead singer in 2011, Queen performed We Will Rock You and We Are the Champions to an awkwardly moshing A-list crowd. Rami Malek, who plays Queen’s original singer Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody, looked delighted during the performance, as did Lady Gaga: they’re in the front row omg but look how HAPPY THEY LOOKED DURING QUEEN’S PERFORMANCE pic.twitter.com/ZssMHCvSCz — 𝕥 | rami will win his oscar (@brisclogs) February 25, 2019 However, other stars looked more nonplussed – especially Bradley Cooper and a poker-faced Christian Bale Shout out to Christian Bale for not giving it up for Queen. pic.twitter.com/p3xkoEC0N4 — Christian Silva (@SlackHound) February 25, 2019 Other stars, such as Glenn Close, also approached being rocked as a somewhat mixed blessing. However, the Guardian’s Hadley Freeman, who was in the room, reported that “in the Kodak Theater people are fricking LOVING this. Bryan May most popular person in the room.” Adam Lambert and Queen kick off the #Oscars, ensuring the Glenn Close is sufficiently rocked pic.twitter.com/LMVvoALRJy — MTV NEWS (@MTVNEWS) February 25, 2019 One of them was Javier Bardem, who two minutes into the Oscars seemed to be having the time of his life. Javier Bardem is living his best life at the Oscars right now rocking out to Queen 🤘🏻#Oscars⁠ ⁠ #AcademyAwards⁠ ⁠ #TheOscars pic.twitter.com/fiGZxUlK5P — Dana Grace (@Dana283) February 25, 2019 Released in 1977, We Will Rock You and We Are the Champions are perennial Queen live favourites, and were both performed in the Live Aid set whose recreation provides the climax of Bohemian Rhapsody. The line “no time for losers” in We Are the Champions has often been used as evidence by critics who find Queen bombastic and pompous – and may echo in the ears of those missing out on awards tonight. More importantly, opening with Queen didn’t seem that special in the context of the Oscars, where you expect to see all the stops being pulled out. It was a rousing beginning, but an oddly low-rent one.