I suppose it's an indication of my complete disinterest in this year's Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame class that I didn't even remember the induction ceremony was Monday night. Doesn't sound like I missed much, save for the fact that the Stooges finally were able to grace the stage... to perform Madonna's "Ray of Light"?!? Indeed, Iggy and his band performed a clunky yet heartfelt version of one of Madonna's latter-day hits. It was strange to see her sitting in the front row, looking like a prim schoolmarm while star pupil Justin Timberlake vigorously nodded his head with the beat.

Perhaps the coolest thing was seeing Mike Watt meet Madonna. Watt has a long-standing Madonna fixation, having recorded a cover of her "Burning Up" with the one-off supergroup Ciccone Youth (a group that featured Watt with Sonic Youth, its name an homage to Madonna's surname). Then again, she didn't do much more than shake his hand, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he single-handedly gave her indie credibility for a brief, shining moment.

Labels: music