Please list your favorite musical performance(s) on the David Letterman show

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I am watching it for the first time in years, and am in the mood for any classic performances from over the years.

The only one I can remember is someone posting this amazing Dylan performance from the 80s or something (Jokerman?)

Any others?

Iago Galdston, Tuesday, 6 December 2011 05:01 (twelve years ago) link

sonic youth doing "100%" (iirc w/ paul schaeffer and band backing them up!) and then ending the song in a dogpile of guitarists

steely dan playing "cousin dupree" with a big SD logo on the front of donald's keyboard and dave coming out and referring to them as 'the sam donaldson orchestra'

sandbox banned socks (Mr. Stevenson #2), Tuesday, 6 December 2011 05:03 (twelve years ago) link

two of my favorite bands....thanks!

Iago Galdston, Tuesday, 6 December 2011 05:04 (twelve years ago) link

this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drwsu6f8JlM

However, there's another clip of James on Letterman from the mid-80s that I can't find. I only saw it once, so my memory might be fuzzy. But I remember James exhorting Dave to dance with him. As the song had already run long by that point, they cut to commercial. When they came back from commercial, the song was over, Dave's tie and jacket were off, and he was drenched in sweat.

Tarfumes the Escape Goat, Tuesday, 6 December 2011 05:08 (twelve years ago) link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrfjfA2Jyys

This was from a special music-only episode of Late Night which aired on a Friday instead of Friday Night Videos. Other guests were David Byrne (plugging Stop Making Sense, which opened that weekend) and Boy George's mom. In his monologue Dave said, "Let's get a few things straight. I am not Rick Dees. I am not counting down anything."

Tarfumes the Escape Goat, Tuesday, 6 December 2011 05:13 (twelve years ago) link

Only occasionally see stuff on Letterman but thought this was awesome:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuL01ZlVOYY

Billy Dods, Tuesday, 6 December 2011 07:59 (twelve years ago) link

did you guys see the 'drum solo week' on the Late Show this past summer? was pretty awesome

sandbox banned socks (Mr. Stevenson #2), Tuesday, 6 December 2011 12:42 (twelve years ago) link

I always remembered this for some reason.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iF9VypEfQ88

Lord Sotosyn, Tuesday, 6 December 2011 13:35 (twelve years ago) link

Bat For Lashes one is great!

los krampusinos! (pomplamau5), Tuesday, 6 December 2011 13:37 (twelve years ago) link

i know man, driving on the wrong side of the road

Never translate German (schlump), Tuesday, 6 December 2011 13:41 (twelve years ago) link

Getting drunk in a pub.

Chewshabadoo, Tuesday, 6 December 2011 13:53 (twelve years ago) link

this was on the old thread, i really like it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vmHaYZ2mEE

slandblox goole, Tuesday, 6 December 2011 16:03 (twelve years ago) link

i'm convinced during her solo you can hear someone whisper "wow"

slandblox goole, Tuesday, 6 December 2011 16:04 (twelve years ago) link

Thanks everyone, can't wait to watch these tonight...

Iago Galdston, Tuesday, 6 December 2011 16:31 (twelve years ago) link

bat for lashes and belly vids are terrific

synthpop of the Gnostics (henrietta lacks), Tuesday, 6 December 2011 16:37 (twelve years ago) link

Oooh I can't wait to watch these all later.

Pixies jamming out with Schaeffer p classic tho I can't remember right now what song it was.

ᶘ ᵒᴥᵒᶅ (~curious orange~), Tuesday, 6 December 2011 16:38 (twelve years ago) link

back in the day:

Oingo Boingo - "Nothing Bad Ever Happens"
Talking Heads - "I Zimbra"

more recently:

M.I.A. - "Born Free"
Janelle Monae - "Tightrope"

OH NOES, Tuesday, 6 December 2011 16:38 (twelve years ago) link

is this it Orange?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzuoXDC9ESw

synthpop of the Gnostics (henrietta lacks), Tuesday, 6 December 2011 16:54 (twelve years ago) link

oh I think there was also a great performance by REM of "Orange Crush"?

OH NOES, Tuesday, 6 December 2011 16:54 (twelve years ago) link

thought this was an impressive edit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEXpKDu0Mf8

wrinklepause, Tuesday, 6 December 2011 16:55 (twelve years ago) link

oh god YES I remember that, it basically reignited my interest in Sonic Youth

OH NOES, Tuesday, 6 December 2011 16:58 (twelve years ago) link

i don't really care that much about REM but Pitchfork's recent REM retrospective had a great clip of their first TV appearance playing "Radio Free Europe" on Letterman.

n/a, Tuesday, 6 December 2011 17:00 (twelve years ago) link

I remember that, it mighta been the week I saw them on the Murmur tour.

1987:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KW-Rs5kLzJY&feature=related

Dr Morbius, Tuesday, 6 December 2011 17:10 (twelve years ago) link

Apparently Cher, experiencing a comeback, was quite annoyed at being shanghaied into this performance.

Lord Sotosyn, Tuesday, 6 December 2011 17:13 (twelve years ago) link

if only she could turn back time

synthpop of the Gnostics (henrietta lacks), Tuesday, 6 December 2011 17:19 (twelve years ago) link

never liked any perry farrell bands but this vid kind of shocked me by how good it was

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZkRkdjzt0E

oh, its larry sanders not letterman

good webinar (ha ha I'm having a fantasy), Tuesday, 6 December 2011 21:02 (twelve years ago) link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zVlr-ynnAI

Sanpaku, Tuesday, 6 December 2011 21:14 (twelve years ago) link

Not good quality but this is a pretty sick Dinosaur Jr performance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TV6b4eij7ZQ

Iago Galdston, Wednesday, 7 December 2011 01:09 (twelve years ago) link


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