Late Night Performances
The Strokes Bring The New Abnormal to Saturday Night Live: Watch
The Strokes made their long overdue return to Saturday Night Live, serving as the musical guest for an episode hosted by comedian John Mulaney. It marked the band’s fourth time playing the late-night program, but their first appearance in nine years. Coming in support of their latest album, The New Abnormal, The Strokes performed “The Adults Are Talking” and “Bad Decisions” which interpolates Billy Idol’s “Dancing With Myself”. If you missed it, catch the replay below. The New Abnormal, The Strokes’ sixth album to date was released back in April. In his review of the album for Consequence of Sound, Tyler Clark called the Rick Rubin-produced LP “easily the freshest, most interesting album that The Strokes have released in more than a decade.” In other news, The Strokes frontman Julian Casab...
Busta Rhymes Performs “YUUUU” with Anderson .Paak on Fallon: Watch
Busta Rhymes dropped his star-studded comeback album Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath of God on Friday. The New York rapper celebrated his big release by stopping by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon later that evening to perform “YUUUU” — and he received some on-stage assistance from none other than Anderson .Paak. Backed by a live band and standing atop a proper stage, the gym rat and veteran rapper led his crew through a synchronized dance in time with the staccato rap song. He, Spliff Star, and .Paak all took turns spitting out their lines while dancing side to side, rolling their arms in the air, and staying light on their toes. Their chemistry was undeniable, and for performing to an empty room, they sure knew how to keep the mood high. Don’t miss the moment where B...
Elvis Costello Performs “Hey Clockface / How Can You Face Me” with Jon Batiste on Colbert: Watch
After months of anticipation, Elvis Costello will finally release his 31st studio album, Hey Clockface, tomorrow (October 30th). To promote the effort, the legendary musician appeared on Colbert Wednesday night to perform “Hey Clockface / How Can You Face Me” alongside A Late Show bandleader Jon Batiste. Holding his spring suspension microphone perhaps a little too close to his computer camera, Costello delivered what felt like a very old-timey performance despite all the technology involved. Batiste, as he always does, gamely played along at his piano, smiling the whole time. The pair also dusted off “Party Girl”, from Costello’s 1979 album Armed Forces, for a Play at Home online exclusive. Check out both performances below. Editors’ Picks Prior to playing his songs, Costello Z...
The National’s Matt Berninger Performs “One More Second” on Colbert: Watch
Last week, The National’s Matt Berninger celebrated the release of his debut solo album, Serpentine Prison. To further promote the project, the indie rock frontman performed “essential” track “One More Second” on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Thursday. Accompanied by his backing band, Berninger played from inside a warehouse-type space. Berninger’s signature bellow, pensive and somber, set the tone for the entire appearance, along with the moody blue lighting that blanketed him. Watch the video replay below. In a review of Serpentine Prison for Consequence of Sound, Jordan Blum wrote, “Serpentine Prison isn’t the drastic change of pace that many frontmen create when they do a project outside of their main band, but it does enough to justify i...
Gorillaz and Beck Perform “The Valley Of The Pagans” on Animal Talking: Watch
While remote performances are par for the course these days, leave it to Gorillaz to find a unique and innovative way to promote the newly released first season of their audiovisual project, Song Machine. The band appeared on the latest episode of Animal Talking, the real-life talk show hosted by Gary Whitta within the video game world of Animal Crossing. There, they delivered a performance of their Beck collaboration “The Valley Of The Pagans”. Because of the limitations of Animal Crossing, only Gorillaz’s 2D and Beck were able to appear inside the Animal Talking studio for the performance. Also, somewhat hilariously, the cartoon band received their very own cartoon avatars, which makes sense but also feels equivalent to dressing up a cat like a cat for Halloween. Prio...
The War on Drugs Debut New Song “Ocean of Darkness” on Fallon: Watch
During the early months of the pandemic, The War on Drugs revealed they were working on a new album. Now, some of the fruits of their labor have arrived: the indie rockers debuted a new song called “Ocean of Darkness” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Friday. The group’s first offering since 2017’s A Deeper Understanding was both propulsive and pastoral, and soaked in wistfulness not unlike their past material. Donning a cap that said “VOTE”, frontman Adam Granduciel could be heard singing, “You’re just a poor boy/ Your blood rushes through me/ Alone in the great divide/ To love and understanding.” “Once I was eight years old/ I’d stare at the ceiling/ Get lost in a memory,” he continued, his voice faded like a ghost half-materialized. “Remember the feeling/ I was tire...
HAIM Get a Call from Robert Pattinson During “3 AM” Performance on Seth Meyers: Watch
HAIM have really got this “appearing on a late night talk show during quarantine” thing down. Last month, they set up outside of Los Angeles’ The Forum for a performance on Kimmel. Then on Thursday night, the siblings brought Halloween — and a special guest — to Seth Meyers. The trio’s rendition of “3 AM” from their latest LP, Women in Music Pt. III, opened with a call from Robert Pattinson. Listed in HAIM’s phone as “Emotional Vampire” (get it? ‘Cause of Twilight? You get it…), Pattinson recreated the booty-call intro from the album version of the song. After sending him to voicemail, the band revealed themselves in wedding gowns as (slightly) undead brides set in an exceedingly well-lit backyard. The vibe put a spooky sheen on the R&B jam, including a comically threatening call ...
Foo Fighters Play Acoustic Version of “Learn to Fly” on Kimmel: Watch
This weekend, Foo Fighters return to the stage for their first live performance since the beginning of quarantine. They’ll set up shop at the Troubadour in Los Angeles as part of the #SOSFest. Coming in support of the National Independent Venue Association, the three-day virtual festival will see 35 artists performing from 25 concert venues across the US, with proceeds benefiting music venues impact by the pandemic. As a test run of sorts, Foo Fighters appeared on last night’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live. Broadcasting remotely from the Troubadour, Dave Grohl and co. delivered an acoustic rendition of their classic track “Learn to Fly”. Catch the replay below, and watch Foo Fighters’ full set on Saturday, October 17th at 10:35 p.m. ET via NIVA’s YouTube page. Editors’...
Jack White Reworks “Ball and Biscuit”, Plays Eddie Van Halen Guitar on SNL: Watch
Not all heroes wear capes; some rock out on guitar. After this weekend’s original musical guest, country singer Morgan Wallen, violated COVID-19 safety protocol, Saturday Night Live found itself in need of a last-minute replacement. Jack White answered the call. Accompanied by drummer Daru Jones and bassist Dominic John Davis, White ripped through some of his greatest hits with a few unexpected twists. For his first performance of the evening, White played a bit of his Beyoncé collaboration, “Don’t Hurt Yourself”, before transitioning into “Ball and Biscuit”. The Elephant track was reworked to feature lyrics from “Jesus is Coming Soon”, a traditional gospel song about the 1918 Spanish Flu that was famously performed by Blind Willie Johnson. The lyrics are just as relevant to...
Megan Thee Stallion Uses SNL Debut to Demand Justice for Breonna Taylor: Watch
Megan Thee Stallion used her Saturday Night Live debut to demand justice for Breonna Taylor and publicly rebuke Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron over his handling of Taylor’s murder case. Midway through her performance of “Savage”, Megan played audio of Malcolm X’s “Who Taught You To Hate?” speech in addition to recent comments made by activist Tamika Mallory, who accused Cameron of being “no different than the sellout negroes that sold our people into slavery.” Megan herself then proclaimed, “We need to protect our Black women and love our Black women, because at the end of the day, we need our Black women.”. At the end of the performance, Megan and her dancers raised their fists, and the message “Protect Black Women” was displayed on the video screens in the background. Last...
BTS Perform “Mikrokosmos” for BTS ARMY as Tonight Show Takeover Marches On: Watch
On the fourth night of their Tonight Show takeover, BTS sweetly paid tribute to their loyal fans in BTS ARMY. The K-pop megastars returned to Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul, South Korea to deliver “Mikrokosmos”, from Map of the Soul: Persona. The song is often the last one on the group’s live setlists, and BTS performed it as though they were closing out a concert. Each member waved their arms from side to side, while others screamed out “Love you” into the imaginary BTS Army crowd. At the very end, glowing lights above the palace came together to form the BTS ARMY logo. Elsewhere on Thursday’s episode, the Bangtan Boys played a game of Zoom Olympics with host Jimmy Fallon. One of the “events” involved popping their heads in and out from the screen like a Groundhog, while another ...
BTS Perform “Dynamite” to Close Out Epic Tonight Show Residency: Watch
On Friday, BTS delivered the fifth and final night of their Tonight Show residency, and it was every bit as grand as you’d expect. To close out the week, the beloved boyband aptly highlighted their hit single “Dynamite”. Since its release in late August, the track has already earned BTS a coveted spot in the history books: they are officially the first all-South Korean group to ever top the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Inspired by the song’s throwback aesthetic, BTS presented a disco-themed performance, complete with strutting choreography and a handful of shimmering mirror balls. Toward the end of “Dynamite”, Jin, RM, Suga, J-Hope, V, Jimin, and Jungkook celebrated their successful late-night run by squeezing in a couple of minutes of fun rollerskating. Last night’s episode also saw host...
