Inside Clive Davis' celeb-packed pre-Grammy gala: Green Day, Tom Hanks, Mariah Carey, more

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – The beauty of Clive Davis’ annual pre-Grammys Gala is that you might brush by Mariah Carey in the bathroom, asking a fellow guest for a wardrobe assist with a quip (“You’re lucky my dress is zipped, that’s all I can say”).

Or you’ll catch Machine Gun Kelly approaching Jon Bon Jovi with an outstretched hand (“I love your look, man,” the elder statesman told the platinum-haired power-punk-rocker).

On stage, newcomers Ice Spice twerks through “Deli” with straight waist-length extensions, Victoria Monét showcases her dance moves during “On My Mama” and Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt and Lainey Wilson team for a role-reversing romp through the labyrinthine “I’m Just Ken” from the “Barbie” soundtrack. But later, The Isley Brothers lead the crowd through their 1959 call-and-response classic “Shout” and Paul Shaffer instinctively directs the band while standing by his seat a dozen tables from the stage.

It’s that kind of musical teeter-tottering, coupled with a guest list stocked with major names in music (Cher, Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind & Fire), film (Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep) and politics (Nancy Pelosi, attending the event for the 24^th consecutive time) that makes Davis’ soiree, a staple of Grammys eve since 1976, both belle and ball.

Davis, an impressively sharp 91, curates his signature event with an ear toward showcasing burgeoning artists while also solidifying the legacy of the veterans, most of whom, like Saturday’s show-closers Gladys Knight and Dionne Warwick, he’s worked with for decades.

For Davis, it’s about the performance, and his criteria for newer artists is simple.

“Will they get a standing ovation after they perform? It really is clear who is a great performer and who is a recording performer. You don’t look at the charts and book it off the highest number on Billboard,” Davis tells USA TODAY the afternoon before the 2024 celebration in his airy suite at the Beverly Hills Hotel. “I’m aware of the scrutiny that the party is under from the press and the artists and I am alert that I have to have the best of both the new and the established. The bar is up there.”

On Saturday night inside a Beverly Hilton ballroom, Hanks introduces Davis with a rousing oration that thematically probes the breadth of the record mogul’s nearly 60 years in the industry.

“Who is responsible for this party, both the cause and the catering?” Hanks asks in a winking tone. “Clive is the chef in the kitchen of the food of love: music.”

As Davis said Friday, “I love the party not because it’s a party. I love it showing the love purely of music, in a non-competitive way, and helping be an architect for the new and keeping alive the all-time greats.”

Another of those veterans, Public Enemy, stormed the stage with humor (Flavor Flav managed to flirt with Megan Thee Stallion and Serena Williams) and potent messaging (“Can’t Truss It,” “Fight the Power”) as they paid tribute to this year’s Salute to Industry Icons Award recipient, Jon Platt, chairman and CEO of Sony Music Publishing.

Some other highlights from the star-studded party:

Green Day opened the show with a punchy set

The California trio opened Davis’ party and landed an introduction from super-fan Williams, who joked she wanted to join their summer stadium tour as a mascot. But Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool need little more than their amps turned up to 11 to invigorate a crowd. A tight, punchy “American Idiot” (MAGA line intact) paired with the 30-year-old “Dookie” favorite “Basket Case” for a rollicking appetizer of the night. Even though they were playing a ballroom stage, Green Day attacked their assignment with the vigor of a stadium setting.

Josh Groban

A longtime staple of Davis’ parties, the mild-mannered singer-actor with the booming baritone proffered one of the most visceral performances of the night. Also a Broadway vet, Groban shared a pair of Stephen Sondheim classics, the cautionary tale “Children Will Listen” (from “Into the Woods”) and the heart-piercing commentary on protection and love, “Not While I’m Around” (from “Sweeney Todd”). After telling the crowd, “One of the great honors of my career is whenever I get to sit in this room,” Groban slid behind a piano to perform one of Davis’ favorite songs, Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” Michael Trotter Jr. of The War and Treaty joined Groban for a gorgeous interplay of voices while Trotter’s proud wife and singing partner Tanya stood filming the performance on her phone.

Jelly Roll

The man born Jason DeFord clearly got the memo that Davis appreciates a memorable performance. With a gospel chorus behind him and several more singers lining the aisles, Jelly Roll proclaimed, “I believe in making therapeutic music!” as he rolled into the country-rocker “Need a Favor.” Lainey Wilson returned to the stage for the pair’s Grammy-nominated “Save Me,” which Jelly Roll said “saved my life.” The searing ballad about being broken and damaged resonated as the deepest performance of the night.