We’re talking music on the blog today. Give this Gen-Xer a chance to get nostalgic for a bit, please.
There is no question in my mind that David Letterman was loads better than his competition at getting the best musical guests on his show. No question. Most of this was because of Paul Shaffer, the music director, bandleader, and man with his finger on the pulse of the musical zeitgeist.
In honor of Boxing Day, I thought I’d share some of my favorite musical guest moments from the show’s 23-year history.
This post has nothing to do with Boxing Day. But I’m posting some videos anyway.
Pearl Jam, “Hail, Hail” (1996)
Dave chose to do a show “Sponsor Free.” Though, if memory serves, there were still sponsored segments somewhere within the show, while it didn’t break for commercial. How they sold that to the affiliates? I don’t know.
Bloc Party, “Banquet” (2004)
Something about the way this one gets rolling. I’m a big fan of drums — so, too, was Dave; see below — and Matt Tong is on fire at the start of this song.
Phoenix, “1901” (2009)
French band Phoenix has been rather successful in the Indie and Alternative space during its career — they pretty much held a concert at the Closing Ceremony for the Paris Olympics — and they made their US network television debut in 2009 on the show.
Come for the all-time-banger. Stay for the mic drop.
Mark Ronson + The Business Intl., “Bang Bang Bang” (2010)
Any musical project that involves Q-Tip gets my attention.
The National, “Afraid of Everyone” (2010)
I gotta admit, this might be my all-time favorite Letterman performance. Maybe it’s the song itself — chilling, haunting; stunning baritone from Matt Berninger — maybe it’s Dave’s reaction at the end.
The fact that this song served as my eldest’s introduction to The National makes me happy.
Special shout out to “The Audio Perv,” who had a knack for uploading these recording in as high quality as you’d find anywhere…long before the shows themselves understood the power of YouTube.
Neil Peart, “Drum Solo” (2011)
Only Dave could have “Drum Solo Week” and pull it off.
And only Neil Peart could perform the finale of Drum Solo Week. (RIP Neil.)
Future Islands, “Seasons (Waiting For You)” (2014)
And then there’s a performance that the show’s team thought was one of its most memorable.
Most of the viewers were likely left with a big dose of… What. Was. That?
If this served as your introduction to Future Islands, you were darn fortunate. Lead singer Samuel Herring knows what he’s doing in front of an audience.
Folks, thanks for helping me keep my content streak going. This is DAY 26. It’s been a December to Remember.
Be sure to check out my Substack and sign up for The Saturday List while you’re here; that’s where I’ll see ya tomorrow.
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