Basically no shows are happening due to the coronavirus outbreak (although some performers are doing live broadcasts instead), but if you already feel like seeing a show, or just need to a brief distraction from the madness of the world right now, luckily there is YouTube which has an incredible range of live footage from all the history of pop music, movie clips of concerts, TV performances and more. professional filming footage, to tons of videos shot by show fans. If you’re looking for a place to start, we’ve picked out some of our favorites. Here are five more:
Pale Saints @ Town & Country Club 07/20/1991
They only lasted for two albums with original frontman Ian Masters, but Pale Saints were one of the best groups in the original era of 4AD Records, mixing the ethereal shimmer of the Cocteau Twins, with the loud / quiet / loud dynamics. from The Pixies, and a great ear for melody to boot. In 1991, when this London show was filmed, Meriel Barham had joined the group – she was singing the cover of “Blue Flower” by Slapp Happy (which you may also know from Mazzy Star’s version). Although they don’t play “Sight of You”, we get “Insubstantial”, “Half Life Remembered”, “Hunted” and their fantastic instrumental “Popoise” (from Flesh ball PE). Pale Saints is in great shape here and this pro-shot video looks and sounds great. [Bill Pearis]
Operation Ivy @ 924 Gilman – 05/28/2019
We just mentioned yesterday that Operation Ivy’s Jesse Michaels is working on his first new music in eight years, and that 924 Gilman – the iconic location in Berkeley where Op Ivy debuted – is having a live streaming festival this weekend. end to raise money to keep their room open, so I thought why not review a video of Op Ivy at 924 Gilman for today’s live video roundup? It was actually the band’s last gig before they went their separate ways, and it’s obvious they came out with a bang. They’ve got so much chemistry on stage, they’re tearing it apart, and they already look and sound as stage ready as two of these guys would quickly get with Rancid. Things I would do to go back in time and see this band in real life. [Andrew Sacher]
Against me! @ La Fête – 10/28/2017
At the Gainesville, hometown festival, The Fest 16, Against Me! opened with some of the great songs from their career rejuvenation albums Transgender dysphoric blues and Shape change with me, then played a few more before that, then they played their first classic from 2002 Against me! Reinvent Axl Rose in full. The recent Against Me! the formation with Atom Willard on drums features some of the liveliest cathartic punk shows you’ll ever see, and it’s a treat to watch them perform. Reinventing Axl Rose songs with Atom, but making this show even more special was that Reinventing Axl Rose bassist Dustin Fridkin – who left the band in 2002 – reunited with Laura Jane Grace and James Bowman just for the Reinventing Axl Rose part of this set. It was an awesome celebratory show, and luckily it was captured in this really nicely shot video. [Andrew Sacher]
Mountain Goats @ Opolis, Norman, OK – 11/13/2002
The Mountain Goats’ debut album as a complete group, Tallahassee, was released a little over a week before this video was taken, but the show she’s recording is a solo performance by John Darnielle. It’s a great reminder of the origins of the project and an impressive throwback to the kind of show that we haven’t had the opportunity to see him play in recent years, sitting with a guitar in an intimate room. With its first boombox recording since 2002 released in April, revisiting it seems very timely. [Amanda Hatfield]
Superchunk @ The Khyber Pass 07/04/1992
Thirty years after starting their careers, Superchunk remains a live band, but they bounced positively off the walls during that 1992 show at Philly’s Khyber Pass. I start to sweat just watching. Even though the Chunks were still on tour No Pocky for Kitty, they already incorporated a lot of On the mouth in their set including “Precision Auto”, “New Low”, “For Tension” and “Untied”. I wonder if Mac still has this Mudhoney shirt? [Bill Pearis]
For more of our favorite live videos, head here.
