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Gillis actually contributed a captivating set, a continuous 20-minute laptop creation that mashed material as diverse as Procul Harum’s "A Whiter Shade of Pale" and Manfred Mann’s "Blinded by the Light" with oodles of contemporary hip-hop. Still, neither Gillis’ spastic dancing nor repeated spoken pleas could enliven a sedate audience hunkered down for the long evening ahead.

Baltimore-bred duo Spank Rock, which supplemented its old-school rapping with two djembe drummers, likewise had no luck winning admirers, but hooded Chicago MC Lupe Fiasco got the party started with a perky, confident performance. After yet another interminable break, Gnarls Barkley contributed the night’s most memorable spectacle, its 12 members dressed like the cast of the Austin Powers films—keyboardist Danger Mouse playing Powers, vocalist Cee-Lo Dr. Evil—as they worked through a tight, albeit far too short, five-song set that finally brought the room to its feet for mega-hit "Crazy."

Arriving close to midnight, West improvised some quick rhymes about that single getting "robbed" at this year’s Grammy Awards, then playfully asked the crowd to "sing the song of the year, by the Dixie Chicks." Receiving only boos, the outspoken superstar added, "Y’all don’t know the song of the year?" From there, though his backing vocalists consistently struggled to stay in tune, West managed to close a laborious Valentine’s night with pizzazz, remaining onstage long after he’d thrilled fans with "Spaceship," "Gold Digger," "Jesus Walks" and the rest of his rapidly growing menu of A-list offerings.