Mar 032011
Wow, I just caught Mavis Staples performing “Creep Along Moses” on Conan, and she and her band were something else! With the perfect mix of artifice and mojo she restored my faith that televised musical performance magic can still happen. Just a few days ago, while revisiting Devo‘s appearance on Saturday Night Live and then Graham Parker & The Rumour on Fridays I worried I’d never see any musical performance on TV again that would dazzle me so. I was wrong.
What’s the last televised musical performance that knocked your socks off?
A few weeks ago I was watching an infomercial or show about bandstand (I think.) They had a lot of cool live performances from the Beach Boys, The Four Seasons, etc. Then they played an old live performance or LaBelle doing Lady Marmalade. This would have been my cue to turn the channel. It was the three of them backed by (I think) just three white dudes — drums, bass and piano. But, damn, it was one of the funkiest things I had ever seen — and I was impressed that these background players could make that much noise with so little.
Tried to find it, but here’s a different vid:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRDTBNVWKOw
I’ve seen that one, too, and like you, I was really surprised at how much I liked it. I got sick of that song real fast as a kid.
Here’s the performance I saw last night:
http://www.prefixmag.com/media/mavis-staples/creep-along-moses-live-on-conan-video/49968/
I don’t know, so much is right about this – and excuse my lack of faith in Satan, but this is one of the best uses of the Satanic device I’ve ever heard in song.
After seeing Robert Plant’s Band of Joy in DC last month I just watched the HDNet’s concert of a recent show — you can DVR it now if you get the channel. Patty Griffin — a redhead! — rocks my world.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3eZWIxyVPU&feature=player_embedded
How did we miss Griffin in that LMS?!?! She even did an album called Flaming Red, or something like that. Quick, throw her in there and claim the top spot!