Poor Tim Gunn. During his stint onstage at VH1's Save the Music Gala last Thursday, the Guide to Style star hopped up to host an awkward auction of an autographed, stage-played guitar from Paul McCartney. The last time a McCartney guitar was auctioned off, it fetched over $400,000. Tim wasn't so lucky.

After showing the multi-millionaire audience (filled with Jon Bon Jovi, Denise Rich, L.A. Reid, Russell Simmons, Mariah Carey, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Quincy Jones, among others) a photo of McCartney with the guitar, Gunn announced, "We'll be starting the bidding at the cost of saving one school: $30,000," which was quickly met.

Then things got uncomfortable.

As Gunn struggled to get the bidding up to $40,000, heads were swiveling around the room, but hands and paddles remained down, causing Gunn to exclaim in exasperation, "C'mon people! Let's make this work! You don't want me up here all night." An excruciating five more minutes of pleading from the style maven passed while celebrities got up and hit the head or feverishly sipped Grey Goose and the teleprompter flashed, "Please wrap it up." The final bid: $45,000. Watch for it on eBay.

Thankfully Bill Clinton hasn't lost an ounce of charisma. While his wife Sen. Hillary Clinton was a no-show to accept their award from the charity, Clinton told the captivated room music made him the man he is today. "I would not have been president if not for school music programs. I learned discipline and how to be creative." As the former president stepped off the stage, he received a standing ovation from the generous crowd, who had donated over $2 million collectively.

Later during the show, John Mayer took the stage to perform his hits (that "body is a wonderland" ditty and, you know, the others), backed by an orchestra of 60 students of Save the Music. During rehearsal, Mayer, in dark pants, was heard asking for a chair to sit on, "because I'm not wearing black socks and I'm embarrassed you can see my white ones." In a move similar to one we've all suffered at drunken karaoke nights, the crooner was later pulled back onstage by Bon Jovi to perform "Dead or Alive," while Carey, Simmons, and Reid sang along word for word, with their hands in the air. Closing the night was Roger Waters who played "Another Brick in the Wall." Waters preemptively defended his song choice by saying, "I am for education. We all are, which is why we're here tonight," before launching into his staple tune. (Waters, however, held firm to his band's no-meat-before-pudding decree.)