I have a confession: I love a good internet rabbit hole. As the semester wraps up and I’ve had lots of travel time to fill the space, my new fixation has been with live performances of my favorite songs. In anticipation of Spotify Wrapped, I already know my top song for the year will be “Charleston Girl (Live)” by Tyler Childers. Something about the emotion, creativity, and layers to a live song will always strike me slightly more than a polished studio-recorded version.
Not every live performance is destined to be good. Take it from Saturday Night Live (SNL), which is notorious for its poor sound quality in broadcasted performances. To be memorable for all the right reasons, a live performance must have a great backing band, clear vocals, and a stage presence that isn’t necessary when you’re listening behind a screen. In all my late-night scrolls, here are my favorite artists who have nailed the art of live performance.
- ReneĂ© Rapp – “Snow Angel” (SNL)
-
ReneĂ© Rapp is one of the best at breaking the SNL sound curse. When SNL mixes audio, it’s often meant for the studio audience, not considering the poor levels left for their broadcasted viewers. This didn’t matter to Rapp, a Broadway-trained vocalist with one of the best SNL performances ever.
Rapp’s true talent stands out when you consider that she’s lying down for a good portion of the performance and singing while wearing a corset, making it incredibly hard for an artist to hit notes. The song selection highlights Rapp’s vocal range, which can go from belting to a gentle head voice in seconds. Her emotions shine through her live recording, making the audience feel like they’re watching a Broadway show.
Her band also mastered the art of supporting the vocals. It is just enough to add to her performance without being distracting. Despite only being a four-person ensemble, they engulf the viewer and draw them in effortlessly.
- Fleetwood Mac – “Silver Springs” (Warner Bros Studios)
-
One of the most intense and emotional performances comes from Stevie Nicks’s 1997 studio recording of “Silver Springs,” a song she wrote after her breakup with band member Lindsey Buckingham. During the last few choruses of the song, Nicks stares intently at Buckingham to her left, forgetting that the audience is there and delivering her words directly to him.
Besides being a breakup anthem for Nicks, the performance also allowed her to express her frustration about “Silver Springs” fate on their discography. Originally supposed to go on their hit album, Rumours, it was pulled at the last second and moved to the B-side of a different record when it was first released.
Ironically, one of my favorite parts of the performance is the levity offered by their passionate drummer, Mick Fleetwood, who is cut to by the cameras in the middle of the lover’s silent argument, simply having the time of his life on their drum set.
- Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Nobody Weird Like Me” (Live on Tour)
-
My bucket list band was always Red Hot Chili Peppers, an alternative rock band that’s been touring since 1982. I had the opportunity to see them on their Global Stadium Tour two years ago in the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, NY.
Red Hot Chili Peppers’ discography is a time capsule for their development as a band. They transition from punk rock in Mother’s Milk to a much more alternative style in Return of the Dream Canteen. I didn’t appreciate their older songs until I saw them play them live.
My favorite song from that day quickly became “Nobody Weird Like Me,” which their bassist, Flea, introduced as a “nightly lullaby” he played for his young son. The intense bass riff’s comedic timing caught my attention just as quickly as their stage presence did.
Red Hot Chili Peppers’ band members are some of the most talented musicians in the game, but their bassist is truly hard to beat. Flea, at 62 years old, still cartwheels around the stage while hitting every note of his impressive solos. A Red Hot Chili Peppers song wouldn’t be anywhere close to the same without him, especially not this one.
- King Princess – “The Bend” (Like a Version)
-
King Princess opened live for Red Hot Chili Peppers on their latest tour, and when I walked into the arena, this song was echoed throughout the stadium. I knew King Princess from “1950,” but I was instantly hooked by this new song, making it my fourth most listened-to song of all time.
Her live version is significantly better than her studio version, and the more I thought about it, the more I had to give credit to her band. If you compare the two versions, the drummer carries the chorus on the live, while her chorus is much plainer and more stripped back on her released versions. King Princess’s vocals also hold up equally well on both versions, if not better, when she can put her unique spins on a somewhat repetitive song.
- Ian Munsick – “White Buffalo” (Live on Tour)
-
Switching genres a bit, I’m moving to a country artist I discovered this past year. Also an opener, Ian Munsick performed at Radio City Music Hall for Lainey Wilson. While I had never heard of him before, Munsick stuck out with his “White Buffalo” performance, a song about trying to heal from a past relationship.
His lyrics are beautifully written, and his vocal fills make the song. I was disappointed to listen to his recorded version because it doesn’t carry the same passion and sorrow as the live one. Like “The Bend,” this song is carried by his drummer, who helps build intensity in the chorus. On his album, though, the only percussion is the occasional crash cymbal heard faintly in the background. While a live version is usually the acoustic version, it seems to be the opposite in this case.
Live performances can be risky, but the right band, presence, and moment can turn a song into a classic or a new favorite.
Want to see more HCFSU? Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Pinterest!