amazing live videos of Archers of Loaf, Drive Like Jehu & more to watch while every show is cancelled
Basically no shows are happening due to the coronavirus outbreak (though some artists are doing livestreams instead), but if you’re already jonesing to see a show, or just need a brief distraction from the insanity of the world right now, thankfully there’s YouTube which has an amazing array of live footage from throughout the history of pop music, from clips from concert films, TV performances and other pro-shot footage, to tons of fan-shot video from shows. If you’re looking for a place to start, we’ve been picking some of our favorites. Here are five more:
Drive Like Jehu @ CBGB in New York, NY – 1995
Post-hardcore vets Drive Like Jehu reunited in the mid 2010s for a comeback that was brief but triumphant. They put on some shows that were truly hypnotic, but here they were back during their initial run when they were not only hypnotic but also rowdier and more energetic than they were during the reunion. This show was at CBGB in 1995, the final year that DLJ were a band until the reunion, and it’s clear that they went out with a life-affirming bang. They played their goddamn hearts out at this show, and even with the graininess of this footage, you can feel their raw, primal power. [Andrew Sacher]
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Archers of Loaf @ Liquid Lounge in Norman, OK – 3/2/1994
Indie rock heroes Archers of Loaf are finally reunited with their first new music in over 20 years, and they would be gearing up to play New York in a week from now if not for the pandemic, so while we wait for them to hopefully get back on the road, here’s a classic video from their initial run to tide us all over. They’re in what seems like a very small, modest venue but they’re rocking out like they’re playing for a crowd of thousands and they sound as tight as they do on their classic 1993 debut album Icky Mettle, which is where almost every song on this setlist came from. [Andrew Sacher]
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Rockpile (Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds) @ Markthalle, Hamburg 1/12/1980
Rockpile were a power pop / pub rock / new wave supergroup led by the combined talents of ace songwriters Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds and featuring drummer Terry Williams and guitarist Billy Bremner. The group backed Edmunds and Lowe on albums and tours in the late ’70s and made one official Rockpile album — 1980’s amazing Seconds of Pleasure — in 1980. This Hamburg show, filmed for German television series Rockpalast, shows what a tight, terrific band Rockpile were, and includes Lowe/Edmunds solo tracks as well. [Bill Pearis]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qktkcsCt0g4
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Black Uhuru – Live in Essen, 1981
One of the most popular reggae bands of the late-’70s and early ’80s, Black Uhuru mixed serious grooves and serious politics into their own catchy, dubby style. This show is around the time of their 1981 breakthrough, Red, and has them playing such all-time classics as “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?,” “Youth of Eglington,” “I Love King Selassie,” “Abortion,” and “General Penitentiary” — and this lineup features the legendary rhythm section of Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare. [Bill Pearis]
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Sleigh Bells @ Freebird Live, Jacksonville, FL – 10/30/2013
In honor of the tenth anniversary of their debut album Treats, which just passed on Sunday, May 24, here’s partial set video from one of Sleigh Bells’ shows supporting their sophomore LP Reign of Terror. It’s a typically high energy set from the band and you can almost feel the sweat of dancing, surging crowd.
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Check out pics of Drive Like Jehu at NYC’s Irving Plaza during their 2016 reunion run:
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For more of our favorite live videos, head here.