Being the huge music buff I am, watching the Grammy Awards has always been a time-honored tradition.

I love watching the preshow with the red carpet – listening to the various bands talk about their music and seeing the eccentric fashions.

Unlike other award shows, I usually don’t have to hear Joan Rivers complaining about people’s outfits because many musicians tend to express their creativity through their clothing almost as much as through their music.

I used to enjoy watching the awards more than the red carpet, but as I’ve grown older and more selective with my iTunes choices, I have become unfamiliar with many of the artists who win awards now.

When I read this week’s cover story about Athens’ bands feeling similiar, I felt better about my lack of interest.

And if more people continue to feel this way, I do hope that the Grammy’s will one day appeal to a broader audience and take me back to my younger days of

cheering on my favorite artists. For now though, I think my favorite part will remain the preshow.

- Michelle Floyd is the Out & About editor at The Red & Black. You can reach her at mfloyd@randb.com.