From marching bands to The Boss to Lady Gaga at halftime
MIAMI >> Regardless of your musical tastes, it seems the Super Bowl halftime show has gone there.
From marching bands to New Orleans jazz, from Latin and Caribbean vibes to Motown. From classic rock to country, pop to hip hop and rap.
From the sublime (Tony Bennett) to the ridiculous (Janet Jackson’s “uncovering”), and from Michael Jackson’s moonwalks to U2’s majestic remembrance of the 9/11 victims, the halftime presentations have drawn nearly as much attention as the NFL championship game itself. It’s certain to do so again on Sunday when Jennifer Lopez and Shakira headline.
“You kind of tune in to the Super Bowl to be surprised,” said Peter O’Reilly, the NFL’s senior vice president of events, “in terms of what can happen, whether it’s the renditions of the national anthem and ‘America The Beautiful,’ the pregame, halftime. ... Ultimately game day is about moments, creating moments that pull people together and that they talk about forever.”
Those moments range from Bono opening his jacket in New Orleans as the names of the 9/11 victims were displayed in the Superdome to Lady Gaga coming down from the roof of the stadium in Houston. From the Stones and The Boss rocking ballparks to Bruno Mars making not one, but two star turns.
“They are kind of creating those signature moments people remember,” O’Reilly said, “that kind of add and build on what is the power of the Super Bowl as an unofficial national holiday.