Bands Killing It On TV
Please don’t ask me about hip-hop
Recently, I went on a late night, deep dive on YouTube, binge-watching live performances by some of my favorite bands from the past seven decades. What surprised me the most was discovering that many of these electrifying performances weren't from concerts but rather from live TV appearances.
TV can be awkward for bands—you have four minutes (or less) to convincingly play one song, the room is often bracingly cold so that the hosts and guests don’t sweat during the interview segments, and the audience—in America at least—is often comprised of contest-winning tourists who likely don’t know who you are. It’s hardly ideal. But many artists have overcome these obstacles and given jaw-dropping TV performances over the years. Last week, I posted a handful of my favorites on Instagram, and I was surprised by how many people engaged with the short clips. Some people also shared links to other great performances I’d never seen, so who knows? This could become a recurring series.
Today I’m sharing the videos here with a bit more context. Feel free to reply with thoughts and links to the TV performances you love.
Stevie Wonder / 1974
Stevie and his powerhouse band played six songs on Germany's Musikladen TV show, including my favorite, “Contusion.” That’s a young Michael Sembello on guitar (later of “Maniac” fame). Watch.
The Blood Brothers / 2006
During my years in Seattle, I was lucky enough to see The Blood Brothers play several times in sweaty, packed clubs. This performance on Henry Rollins’ IFC TV show is the closest I can come to feeling the energy of those shows. Watch.
Gossip / 2008
I’ve watched and re-watched this performance over the years, and every time, I’m blown away by the amount of sound and energy three people bring to the stage in such a sterile setting. Watch.
The Lounge Lizards / 1989
My uncle Alan and I used to watch Night Music at his apartment in New York in the late ‘80s, and I loved that the show hosted jazz and rock artists, from Sonny Rollins to Sonic Youth. In addition to giving an incredible performance, The Lounge Lizards also win the fashion award. Watch.
The Edgar Winter Group / 1973
The British show, The Old Grey Whistle Test hosted many great bands over the years, including this one, which features a key-tar and a young Rick Derringer on guitar. Watch.
This Monday April 8, my uncle, Alan Braufman and I will take over the airwaves on London’s NTS Radio for an hour at 7pm ET (midnight in London / 4pm PT) to play some records and talk about Alan’s forthcoming album, Infinite Love Infinite Tears. You can listen online here. New Yorkers: Alan recently announced a live show at Brooklyn’s National Sawdust on June 7.
Last October, I had the pleasure of participating in Duke University’s Left of Black series, in conversation with Dr. Mark Anthony Neal. One highlight of our hour-long conversation, which just went live on YouTube, is when Dr. Neal reveals to the audience that I emailed him ahead of our talk asking him to please steer clear of any questions about hip-hop. I’m glad we were both able to laugh at that moment. You can watch our conversation here. More recently, I was a guest on the Curious Creatures podcast with fellow drummers Lol Tolhurst and Budgie. We did talk about drums, but not for the entire episode.
My memoir is called My Life in the Sunshine. You can order it here, or listen to the audiobook on Spotify.
I hope to see you somewhere soon. Upcoming events are always listed here, and stay tuned for a big 2024 project.
Nabil Ayers / Brooklyn
I love going down that rabbit hole so much that for about 4 years or so, I hosted a screening series at a small artist space in British Columbia to share what I'd found. Each edition, I paired up with an artist, gave them a loose theme where our music tastes merged and ask them to deejay between the the two half hour video programs. The deal for me was that it had to have been broadcast on TV. What amazed me was how the technology and sophistication of broadcasting became, and how artful and adventurous the Europeans were with shows like Musik Laden and Rock Palast. I ended up collecting them onto a Youtube channel; if you're interested let me know and I'll send you a link.
Appreciate this, cuz bands really did kill it on tv.