We don't usually watch the yearly Kennedy Center Honors show. Seemed just another celebrities-patting-themselves-and-each-other-on-the-backs award show. We watched Tuesday night. I realized we've been wrong.

You'll get the full reviews all over the place. This is my own personal take-away. Which is to say, I was blown away. And no question, when it was Bruce's turn, Jon Stewart stole the show. As did Bruce.

Find out when the whole show will air again, watch the entire Stewart tribute. More, watch the entire show. You'll thank me.

Dave Brubeck. Sounds and melodies and rhythms echoing through my earliest memories, reviving perhaps the few purely good feelings of my childhood. From the first notes, a sense memory takes over, as does the music, impossible to forget. Watching Brubeck watch his sons play his music for us, but really for their Dad, on his 89th birthday, made my throat close up with emotion and, oh yes, envy.

Mel Brooks. An enormous body of work distilled too sleekly, but still showing such enormous talent and creativity and humor. A body of work that took on every imaginable cliche and prejudice, every manner of self-congratulatory sense of superiority and poked them all full of hilarious holes. Deflated, Conflated. Hatred overpowered by humor.

Two sad notes: Carl Reiner gave an uncharacteristically flat, uninspiring and clearly ill-prepared tribute to his lifelong friend. And Ann Bancroft was not at Brooks' side, except in our hearts. Still, do yourself a favor and watch some of Brooks' classic movies today. You'll be howling, brought to your knees, and to tears of laughter by schtick that never dies.

Grace Bumbry. A voice so sublime, the chills and the tears come, even if you don't know, or think you don't care about opera. If you didn't care, now you will. If you listened, you're still hearing that voice in your head. Hers is a story not only about opera, but about another place and time, when We Shall Overcome meant just that. And good lord, did "Amazing Grace" overcome, and more, transcend.

I was privileged to meet her several times. She is as warm and gracious as she is supremely talented. She broke barriers but never put them up between herself and her fans.

Bruce Springsteen. Let's face it, the best for last. The Boss. Looking a bit uncomfortable wearing not jeans but a suit. Still, the night ultimately belonged to Bruce. His story was told, from childhood to early rocker all the way up to age 60. Concert after concert was shown, all songs, all genres, all Boss.

Here's something else Jon Stewart said, "Bruce gives until his tank is empty. He gives to his family until his tank is empty. He gives to his fans until his tank is empty. And he gives to his country until his tank is empty."

A stunning moment: Ron Kovic, a paralyzed Vietnam vet who told of how he met Bruce in 1978 and told him of his memoir, "Born on the Fourth of July." Bruce arranged for Kovic to attend a concert, live at Winterland, pointed to Ron in the audience and said, "This is for you." Then he sang his new song, Darkness On the Edge of Town.

You want more chills? I got em.

Eddie Vedder sings City of Ruins:

There were even more top talents doing Bruce, but finally, a taste of Sting and the entire Kennedy Center audience belting out some Boss Love:

Another quick look at some highlights from the show.

"I look forward to an America that will not be afraid of grace and beauty. I look forward to an America that will reward achievement in the arts as we reward achievement in business or statecraft." John F. Kennedy

That quote's especially for you and your new project, Roger. 

And for all you philistines who didn't understand Jon Stewart's riffs on New Jersey, my explanation:  The Boss Turns 60 - Here's Why He And New Jersey Rock.