Jena Ardell

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Bob Dylan and Michael "Soy Bomb" Portnoy

This weekend is the 55th Annual Grammy Awards. Viewed by many as music's biggest night, the telecast has been home to lifelong icons finally getting their due, musical phenomenons explode and some of the most shocking moments in broadcast television history. As great as the former are, it's the unpredictable moments that occur magically during one of entertainment's most rehearsed nights that keeps us coming back year after year. But while the elegant performance and underdog victories are always fun surprises, a few particular moments have been burned into the pop-culture spectrum as among the most startling of all time. Here's our picks for top five most shocking Grammy moments of all time.

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R. Sapp / WireImage.com

Kaskade at the Grammy Museum Program

On Tuesday night, the Grammy Museum hosted a Grammy nominee spotlight on Kaskade, (government name: Ryan Raddon). The program at The Grammy Museum marked the first time a DJ has answered questions inside their Clive Davis Theater, a monumental evening for dance music. Kaskade is among the EDM elite up for "Best Dance/Electronic Album" for his seventh studio release Fire & Ice. This is Raddon's first Grammy nomination after more than a decade in the scene and numerous billboard hits. The former San Clemente dweller is up against the likes of OC's Steve Aoki, The Chemical Brothers, Deadmau5 and Skrillex at this years 55th Annual Grammy Awards which airs February 10th.

The 200-capacity theater was sold out as fans, other artists including electro queen Audrey Napoleon and industry folks were ready for Kaskade's hour long Q&A with Grammy Museum Executive Director Bob Santelli. Other artists who have visited the museum to discuss their careers include names like Tom Morello, Dave Matthews, John Mayer, Stevie Nicks and Ringo Starr. Raddon answered Santelli's insightful questions with ease and humor. He spoke about making tracks that are quality over quantity in response to how other DJ's put out a new track every week. Though that strategy can be big for Beatport chart-toppers, most true artists prefer a full album compilation that tells a story from start to finish like Kaskade's latest Fire & Ice in which he emphasizes how before deejaying he is first and foremost a songwriter. Something we hope the academy is now realizing.

See Also:
*The American Music Awards Celebrates New EDM Category
*Kaskade at Staples Center and Exchange LA--Which Show Was Better?
*Kaskade Talks EDC, Freaks of Nature Tour and Partying at Focus Tuesdays in OC

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​Dear Skrillex,

You must've freaked out, even a little bit, last night at the Grammys when Deadmau5 (aka Joel Zimmerman) wore his requisite headgear of carbonfiber mouse head with giant ears...and a black T-shirt with "(626) 310-1039 u mad bro?" printed on it.

On Twitter, the DJ confessed to pulling the prank after congratulating you. "Congrats to @skrillex for the best remix grammy :) can't say I'm not proud!" 

We tried to call you this morning to leave you a message, but the automated greeting said voicemail wasn't set up for this phone number... and even though last night you tweeted, "Haha @deadmau5 just wore my phone number on his [expletive] shirt on tv gotta retire this phone," we hope you haven't switched digits yet. Here's five reasons why.

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​This Sunday night, the Grammy Awards will once again be held at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The 54th version promises to be an eventful night with confirmed performers like The Beach Boys, Maroon 5, Kelly Clarkson, Foo Fighters, Bruno Mars, Nicki Minaj and Taylor Swift, the night promises to be memorable, but maybe not in the way you may expect. Over the years, some of the artists (or even fans) have taken it upon themselves to upstage the event, and are some examples of that. 
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​UPDATE, FEB, 6, 1:56 P.M.: Presente.org and Grammywatch.org, which has its own petition in circulation, are joining forces in calling for a protest this Saturday over the slashing of Grammy Award categories.

The Facebook page for the protest, which encourages supporters to bring their instruments, reads:

Come Support Musicians- Blues, Mexican, Latin Jazz, Gospel, Cajun, Native American, Hawaiian, others- fighting for music justice!

Join us in sending a message to Grammy President, Neil Portnow and the Grammy Board and Demand that they Reinstate the Musical Categories now!

The action is being called for from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, February 12, with folks gathering at the corner of S. Figueroa and W. Pico Blvd. in Downtown Los Angeles. Greg Esparza, vocalist with Chicano soul band Thee Midnighters, has already stated his intention to attend. Later that day from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. is an Alternative Grammy Party scheduled to take place at Mama Juana's Latin Lounge in Studio City.

Activists invite people to come and listen to the very music the Grammys are set to stop formally recognizing.


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Andrew Youssef/OC Weekly

​Surprisingly, The Suburbs by Arcade Fire won album of the year at the 53rd Grammy Awards last night. Shocked? We are, too. They beat out Lady Antebellum's Need You Now, Lady Gaga's The Fame Monster, Eminem's Recovery and Katy Perry's Teenage Dream. The Grammys seemed to get it wrong a lot last night (as always), but hearing the Arcade Fire album title stuttered by Barbra Streisand at the conclusion of the ceremony had me (and I'm sure many others) gaping in disbelief.
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