amazing live videos of Earl/FlyLo, SZA, Portishead & more to watch while every show is cancelled

June 11, 2020

Cities have begun to reopen (NYC is in the early stages of doing so) and some people are finding socially-distant ways to put on concerts, but the world of live entertainment as we know it is still far from back to normal. In addition to watching the many livestreams that happen every day, one thing we’ve been turning to in these concert-less times is live concert footage, and 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:

Earl Sweatshirt (with Flying Lotus, Tyler the Creator, Vince Staples & Domo Genesis) @ Coachella 2013

It looks like Coachella is officially cancelled for 2020 and may not actually return until October 2021, but in the meantime there’s plenty of great Coachella footage to watch at home, including this pro-shot video of Earl Sweatshirt, who’s put out a lot of good new music in the past 12 months (including memorable guest verses) and who’s someone we really wish we were seeing live this year. This set is from 2013, back before Earl became the psychedelic experimentalist that he is today, but he had a unique skill set from day one and this Doris and Earl-heavy set shows another great side of him. Making this set extra special, Flying Lotus was Earl’s DJ for the whole show, his former Odd Future groupmate Tyler the Creator joined him for five songs, Vince Staples joined him for one, and OF’s Domo Genesis joined for two. [Andrew Sacher]

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Portishead @ Roseland, NYC July 24, 1997

Portishead played their first-ever U.S. show on July 24, 1997 at NYC’s Roseland Ballroom, just ahead of the release of their second album. They made the most of it, employing the New York Philharmonic and a brass section, though both are used subtly, with Beth Gibbons powerful yet fragile voice fully in the spotlight. Recorded for the Roseland Live album (and subsequent VHS/DVD) it was an absolute knockout performance, with spine-tingly moments still capable of making those hairs on the back of your neck stand at attention. Geoff Barrow has called it “overblown” and “pompous” in more recent years, but we have to disagree. [Bill Pearis]

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R+R=NOW @ Java Jazz 2019

In yesterday’s live videos post, I included Denzel Curry because of his great new protest song with Terrace Martin, “PIG FEET,” so today I’m including one of my favorite Terrace Martin projects, R+R=NOW. The hip hop/electronic-infused jazz supergroup also includes Robert Glasper, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, Derrick Hodge, Justin Tyson, and Taylor McFerrin, and this is one of those groups where truly every member brings something significant to the table. With his vocoder, Terrace brings vocals to the group, and when he does, you can very much hear the influence of the West Coast hip hop he’s made with artists like Kendrick Lamar and Snoop Dogg, but you wouldn’t call him the “frontman.” Robert Glasper’s piano solos and Christian Scott’s trumpet solos are just as much a driving force of R+R=NOW as Terrace Martin’s vocals, Derrick Hodge’s bass playing is dizzying, Justin Tyson’s drumming gives this band the concrete footing they need, and Taylor McFerrin’s sound manipulation and beat boxing really adds to how much of a fresh, modern spin R+R=NOW put on jazz. As great as they are on album, this band is truly hypnotic on stage, and this video should have no trouble sucking you right in. [Andrew Sacher]

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SZA @ The Tabernacle, Atlanta – 10/9/2017

SZA released her instant-classic, year and decade list-topping debut LP Ctrl in June of 2017, and it took fans no time at all to learn every single word of its songs to sing them back to her at shows, like this Atlanta set from October. SZA’s vocal acrobatics are captivating, and the energy in the room is palpable as the crowd cheers her on. [Amanda Hatfield]

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JARV IS… @ Desert Daze 2018

Jarvis Cocker’s new band, JARV IS…, did a short West Coast tour in 2018 surrounding their appearance at Desert Daze. At the time, there were no JARV IS… music to stream, it was “a live experience with no barriers” featuring a lot of songs nobody had ever heard before. Luckily, the new songs were good and Jarvis is the kind of frontman that can sell new product to crowds who were hoping they’d play “Common People.” They did not play that song, but he did play Pulp’s “His ‘n’ Hers” and a few older solo singles. If you’re counting down the days till the July release of his new album, you get about half of it at this Desert Days set. [Bill Pearis]