If Sufjan Steven’s performance of Too Much on Jimmy Fallon Live doesn’t cut it as one of the most memorable live performances you’ve seen in a long time, then I don’t know what funky stuff you’ve been watching lately. After taking a few years off to regroup after the critical success of Illinois, it’s clear that Sufjan is back, in a big way, and he’s about to kick your butt/take over the world.

Too Much

In 1988, Paul Simon made an appearance on the popular kids show Sesame Street. It was very possible that, as a kid, I was watching when Simon and a small troupe of child performers sang “Me & Julio Down by the Schoolyard”.

Lasting just shy of two minutes, Simon’s version of his incredibly popular song is performed only as a brief rendition but if you watch it I’m sure you’ll understand why I love it so much to include it in my Live Tracks series.

Truly, this performance is surreal.

First of all, Simon’s playing a tune that while fun and campy, has a bit of a dark if not mysterious undertone to it. The true meaning of its lyrics, while never revealed by Paul Simon himself, have been speculated to refer to rape or sodomy. Yet, here he is playing it on a children’s TV show. It sure sounds good.

Then there’s the little girl sitting next to Simon. Now this has gotta be the coolest little girl. In what seems like a totally unrehearsed performance she sings, claps and dances along with Paul and really puts on a show. I mean these two could cut a single together, no doubt.

I love everything about this video. Paul Simon and a small group of kids singing, playing and dancing on a nearly deserted Sesame Street set. The pure, unadulterated joy and expression of children having fun. And a really good tune.

Me & Julio Down by the Schoolyard

Tony Dekker, aka Great Lake Swimmers, has that kind of rare talent—the talent that can turn one voice and one guitar into something incredible, something beautiful. It’s absolutely compelling.

Moving Pictures, Silent Films

I’ve seen The New Pornographers live before but I don’t remember them rocking out quite this hard.

What I love about both of these tracks is that, first of all, they sound even more epic live. The New Pornographers put together such incredible songs, building instrument upon instrument and building them together in such a seamless way. That sound is made even more incredible live, especially when you can see all the pieces performed and see how they all fit. It’s neat. Second, I love the incredible energy in these performances. You can tell that they’re having fun, you can see just how much they love making music, and it’s awesome. David Letterman’s little, “Ooo-wee,” at the end of the second video says it all.

It’s a two-for-one because I can possibly pick which video I prefer more.

Crash Years (on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon”)

Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk (on “Late Show with David Letterman”)

I don’t know if there’s really such a thing as a perfect song but if there is Canada’s Patrick Watson has surely hit upon it.

Watson is an immensely talented and creative performer who’s music is just nothing short of enchanting. This song is no different, but on track lists full of lots of other incredible music, it surely stands out. It’s simple, super-simple, but Watson’s voice over the gentle ebb and flow of the piano creates some kind of other-worldly bliss. With overly complicating things he captures some kind of raw emotion and, for me at least, it resonates big time. Performed live, as you’ll hear, this song is just breath-taking.

The Great Escape

It’s not often when a band can take a track and make it sound so much better live than it did in the studio. In the case of Talking Heads that’s exactly what they’ve done here, and why this track is so worthy of a mention as one of my favourite live tracks.

In 1984, Talking Heads produced a live concert record and movie, Stop Making Sense. In many respects, the film and album were ground-breaking and the production quality is absolutely outstanding. The stage and set design, the concert production, and the well-directed scenes were enough, in and of themselves, to make the project important and worth a look but beyond that, the music is incredible. Incredible.

Here you have David Bryne, the New Wave genius, dressed up like a computer programmer from IBM, strutting the stage like a chicken and delivering his lyrics with an obvious, honest passion. He’s into it. And he isn’t alone. It’s incredible how much energy they can pack into this relatively anti-climactic song. The quality of music, the arrangement of the song, the passionate delivery, really sells this track.

This is probably my favourite Talking Heads song and to hear it done so well, live, is an absolute treat.

This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)

In this new series, Live Tracks, I’d like to share with you some of my favourite live performances.

When I first heard of John K. Sampson it was as a member of the Canadian punk ensemble Propagandhi—a Winnipeg-based, liberal-minded, politically-charged group of young musicians looking to express their angst while making a difference in the world. To put it lightly. As a kid of, I guess, fourteen themes were largely lost on me but I loved the fast-paced, high-energy sound that the band managed and despite not really grasping what they were singing about a song that sounded like someone reading a textbook at an extremely rapid rate was nothing short of awesome.

Sampson ended up leaving Propagandhi, mellowing out, and putting together The Weakerthans— a Winnipeg-based, liberal-minded, poetically-poignant group of slightly older musicians looking to make good music and tell interesting stories. Occasionally, in concert, Sampson will revisit some of his old Propagandhi material and make it sound great. In this case, Sampson takes a high-tempo song and makes it sound awesome as a simple guitar and voice combination. In its stripped-down form, its the simplistic melody and the lyrics that really stand out. It’s Sampson’s overwhelming talent as a musician, I think, that really shows. Check it out, and enjoy.

Gifts