The Super Bowl may have set the standard for musical performances tied into athletic events, but the NBA has assembled a stellar lineup of its own for next weekend's NBA All-Star Game at New Orleans Arena.
The NBA is taking a somewhat different approach from the NFL and placing its biggest name at the beginning of the game, rather than the halftime show. Pharrell Williams will be performing during the player introductions at the beginning of the game. No details have been given, but it's a safe bet to assume he'll be performing his song "Happy," which is currently at no. 3 on the Billboard Digitial Downloads charts. Plus, the crooner will need practice for when he performs the track at the Academy Awards in March.
The halftime show will cram as much talent as possible into the performance window. Earth, Wind & Fire, Janelle Monae and Gary Clark, Jr. may be the "headlining" names, but they'll have to give due diligence to Dr. John and Trombone Shorty, who'll pay tribute to the musical heritage of the host city.
Although the All-Star Game is naturally the main event of the weekend, there may be more eyes on the performer during the Slam Dunk Competition the night before. Kendrick Lamar has been on a roll since his fiery Grammys performance with Imagine Dragons, and another televised showing might bring more attention-grabbing bars.
All of these scheduled performances are intriguing of course, but Music Times is especially curious to check out the "The Star-Spangled Banner." Clark, Jr. will be performing that as well as the halftime show, and there's little doubt he'll bring his guitar with him. We're not expecting Hendrix at Woodstock, but the performer handling both vocals and guitar during "The Star-Spangled Banner" is a nice change of pace. Serena Ryder will perform the Canadian national anthem.
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