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Desperately missing live music, I finally watched The Last Waltz this weekend. It was as good as expected, with its neverending cast of cameos — Clapton, Neil Young, Muddy Waters, Van Morrison, Joni, the Staple Singers, Dylan — and Scorsese busting out the stylish swirling camera for “The Weight” in a thrilling climax. It gave me the feeling I’ve been craving, if only for a fleeting moment.
If you’re also itching for a concert right now, but less inclined to watch the constant wave of livestreams, remember that it doesn’t have to be live — you can still find a piece of that joy with a pre-recorded classic.
Movies: Watch David Byrne’s dance moves in Stop Making Sense on Prime, Aretha’s Amazing Grace on Hulu, or Beyonce’s Homecoming on Netflix. (Noel Murray also listed the best 11 music docs on Netflix for the NYT.)
Radiohead is uploading full high-quality sets to YouTube every Thursday. Music writer Matt Perpetua says the band’s 2006 Bonnaroo performance might be their best ever.
The National have also been releasing old sets — I recommend their in-the-round album release show for Sleep Well Beast at Basilica Hudson.
Sylvan Esso put their live concert movie, WITH, on YouTube.
Bruce Springsteen just dropped a new live compilation, and uploaded many old concert movies to YouTube.
Stevie Wonder’s 70th birthday was widely celebrated on Twitter, and Hanif Abduraqib shared this great 1971 concert in Brazil.
Vampire Weekend’s devoted fan site is stitching together high-quality bootlegs from the archives and releasing them as podcast episodes.
Of course, nothing can replace a true live experience. These 3 articles have really captured that void.
“An Ode to Live Music in a Time of Silence” (Jayson Greene, Pitchfork)
“The Day the Live Concert Returns” (Dave Grohl, yes, that one, The Atlantic)
“Life Without Live” (Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone)
Songs to Stream
Follow the Hear Hear playlist for all the songs + artists referenced here.
Ric Wilson’s disco-rap. Speaking of live music, I discovered the vibrant sound of Ric Wilson through his spirited afternoon set at last year’s Pitchfork festival. Wilson is a remarkable performer, willing the crowd into his shows with relentless energy (and mandatory-participation dance lines). His EP with producer Terrace Martin is a front-to-back groove — a good way to liven up your quarantine summer.
Perfume Genius, remixed. I can’t stop spinning “On The Floor,” the standout track from the excellent new Perfume Genius album. There’s a killer remix from Initial Talk that unleashes the song’s inner ‘80s dancefloor anthem.
Dirty Projectors, with a new lead singer. Felicia Douglass takes center stage on the band’s latest track, another harmonious bop. They’re planning to release 5 EPs in 2020, each featuring a different vocalist.
More punchy pop-punk from Bad Moves and The Beths. These bands really don’t miss. The Beths’ new single is catchy as ever, while Bad Moves’ “End Of Time” is lyrically perfect for this moment, despite being written before the pandemic struck: “Maybe this will end up fine, or maybe it’s the end of time.”
Big Thief’s b-side. And the b stands for beautiful? “Love in Mine” is a gorgeous piece of stirring folk — as good as any track that made the cut on the band’s two albums in 2019.
Playlists to Follow
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater Soundtrack, 2020 edition. Music writer Dan Ozzi put together his dream soundtrack for the upcoming restoration of Tony Hawk’s signature video game, known for its hard-rocking soundtracks. (And of course, its legendary theme song, Goldfinger’s ska masterpiece “Superman.”)
The Covers of Joe Cocker. The Ringer’s Sean Fennessey put together this playlist of Joe Cocker’s best covers, featuring his legendary takes (on songs like “With A Little Help From My Friends,” “Feelin’ Alright,” and “I Shall Be Released”) alongside the original tracks.
Mixes from Liza Richardson, music supervisor for Watchmen, The Leftovers, Friday Night Lights + more. The DJ behind so many classic TV needle drops, Richardson now has a bunch of playlists on Spotify. She made this mix celebrating the outdoors for Earth Day, cataloged the tracks she featured in Watchmen and Narcos, and is tracking her fave new songs too.
Stevie Wonder, sampled. Exavier Pope followed up his playlist of Bill Withers samples with this mix of hip-hop sampling Stevie through the years, to celebrate Wonder’s 70th birthday.
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