Gaga is up for five Grammy Awards

DETROIT -- Resplendent in black feathers, Lady Gaga paused mid-concert and proceeded to lie down on her back.

"I'm kind of like Tinker Bell," she declared.

"You know how Tinker Bell will die if you don't clap for her? Do you want me to die? I can't live without you -- SCREAM FOR ME!"

No worries. The audience quickly came to her rescue with an ear-splitting roar.

Clearly, there's something about this petite pop provocateur that makes you want to scream. Whether you're howling because you're goo-goo for Gaga or you can't stand her or you just don't get her is entirely up to you. Regardless, she won't be ignored.

Gaga is up for five Grammy Awards, including three of the most prestigious prizes. Her omnipresent hit "Poker Face" is nominated for record of the year and song of the year, and her platinum-certified 2008 debut "The Fame" earned a nod for album of the year.

She'll perform during tonight's Grammy ceremony at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, which ought to be a treat. Gaga, 23, has earned a reputation for scene-stealing turns in the spotlight.

PREVIEW
Grammy Awards

What: The 52nd annual music-industry awards ceremony is broadcast live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, with performances by Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Taylor Swift, the Black Eyed Peas and the Dave Matthews Band, among others. Also on the agenda are an all-star Michael Jackson tribute and a Mary J. Blige/Andrea Bocelli duet to aid Haiti relief efforts.

When: 8 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 31.

Where: WOIO Channel 19.

Also: The pre-telecast ceremony will be streamed live at grammy.com, starting at 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 31.

MORE GRAMMY COVERAGE:

Meet violinist Caroline Goulding of Cleveland Heights, one of several nominees with local ties

John Soeder's Grammy predictions

Unfortunately, Cleveland isn't on the itinerary for her Monster Ball Tour, which made a stop earlier this month at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.

Even before she took the stage in front of 8,000 fans -- "my little monsters," Gaga called them -- for the first of two gigs there, the pre-concert people-watching was monstrously entertaining.

"We're going to get our Gaga before they get their Gaga!" a young female admirer gloated to her friends near the front of a long line outside the venue.

Inside, a never-ending parade of Gaga clones in designer-knockoff sunglasses, pink feather boas and fishnet stockings roamed the arena concourse. The glammed-out coalition's ranks included everyone from giddy teens to drag queens. There were wide-eyed children with parents in tow, too.

The object of their affection opened with "Dance in the Dark," a throbbing club anthem off her latest album, "The Fame Monster." Decked out in twinkling lights, Gaga evoked a Christmas lawn ornament come to life.

A few days later, Gaga postponed two shows and cancelled two others, reportedly because of exhaustion. She was none the worse for wear in Motown, though. Generally out-Madonna-ing Madonna at every turn while cavorting inside a giant hollowed-out television set, Gaga proved to be a triple threat:

Multi-talented musician. Freakazoid fashion plate. And cunning performance artist.

She co-writes and co-produces her own material, with wildly successful results. "The Fame" spawned four No. 1 hits: "Just Dance," "Poker Face," "LoveGame" and "Paparazzi." Gaga was back atop the charts recently with "Bad Romance," the first single off "The Fame Monster," with its distinctive "Gaga-ooh-la-la" hook. Her pop grooves practically exert their own gravitational pull and help themselves to any number of styles, from disco to electronica, while her lyrics explore themes of sexuality and celebrity, belted out with vigor and panache.

On the fashion tip, count on Gaga to looks fabulous -- or at least, uh, interesting -- in just about anything. A coat of plastic bubbles. A mirror-ball bra. Even a wrap made of Kermit the Frog carcasses, intended as an anti-fur statement.

This unique sense of style (developed in conjunction with Haus of Gaga, her personal team of designers) extends to her Monster Ball Tour. It delivers one surreal production number after another.

During "Monster," Gaga (who cites Michael Jackson as a key influence) and her troupe of dancers execute a "Thriller"-style choreography routine. A solo vaudevillian rendition of "Poker Face" finds her perched behind a junkyard piano. And for the grand finale, she emerges from a gyroscope-like contraption dubbed "The Orbit," to the tune of "Bad Romance."

While Gaga changes costumes between songs, arty videos hold your attention. In one clip, a woman in black spews blue vomit all over Her Gaga-ness, who is dressed in white. (Discuss.)

All this razzle-dazzle notwithstanding, Gaga's greatest creation is herself.

Let's review the facts, shall we? Real name is Stefani Germanotta; stage name is a nod to the Queen oldie "Radio Gaga." Born and raised in New York City. Began taking piano lessons at 4 and later attended the Tisch School of the Arts. Before she became a superstar in her own right, wrote songs for other artists, including the Pussycat Dolls.

Then again, when you're talking about the queen of an ever-changing fantasy land of her own devising, facts are more or less beside the point.

"I hate the truth," Lady Gaga is fond of saying. "I prefer a giant dose of bullshit."

It could smell like victory tonight at the Grammys -- and beyond -- for one of the most intriguing pop-culture button-pushers in our midst at the moment.