* Queen, performance at Live Aid 1985
One of the most heralded live performances by not only Queen, but by ANY band in history. This is literally as good as a 25-minute medley can get, complete with the brilliant idea of using 'Bohemian Rhapsody' as a through-line that carries throughout the entire performance. Any chunk of this stands on its own as a clip, though the 'Radio Gaga' segment is particularly classic. Did anyone ever have more charisma than Freddie Mercury? The answer is no.
* Puddles Pity Party, "Hallelujah"
The whole Puddles experience was covered in a Grantland article a few months back, and I guess there's no better way to prove that this guy can really sing than by seeing him perform one of the all-time showcase songs.
* Bush and Gwen Stefani, "Glycerine"
So, Stefani and Rossdale are Highlanders or something, right? How in the world have these two not aged in 20 years?
* Blue Rodeo, "Hasn't Hit Me Yet"
It is very difficult to find a live version of this song that isn't overwhelmed by either screaming fans or the audience simply singing the entire thing themselves. This is actually one of the lesser instances of audience takeovers, if you can believe it. Canadians love this song; you could probably talk at least 20% of the population into making it our new national anthem. Fun story about this song, my friends Matt and Jen recently got married and had a guy playing acoustic guitar as they were walking up and down the aisle. The musician was looking for a good song to play as the two were leaving the altar, and played some of this tune as a suggestion. It was a lovely rendition and we were all in agreement for a few minutes…before realizing "wait, this is a breakup song." So instead, on the actual wedding day, the choice was a more traditional song, namely Cameo's "Word Up."
* U2, "California"
This is both a great performance and a teaser for next month's Hot Live Music, which is going to be just an explosion of U2 stuff (fair warning).
One of the most heralded live performances by not only Queen, but by ANY band in history. This is literally as good as a 25-minute medley can get, complete with the brilliant idea of using 'Bohemian Rhapsody' as a through-line that carries throughout the entire performance. Any chunk of this stands on its own as a clip, though the 'Radio Gaga' segment is particularly classic. Did anyone ever have more charisma than Freddie Mercury? The answer is no.
* Puddles Pity Party, "Hallelujah"
The whole Puddles experience was covered in a Grantland article a few months back, and I guess there's no better way to prove that this guy can really sing than by seeing him perform one of the all-time showcase songs.
* Bush and Gwen Stefani, "Glycerine"
So, Stefani and Rossdale are Highlanders or something, right? How in the world have these two not aged in 20 years?
* Blue Rodeo, "Hasn't Hit Me Yet"
It is very difficult to find a live version of this song that isn't overwhelmed by either screaming fans or the audience simply singing the entire thing themselves. This is actually one of the lesser instances of audience takeovers, if you can believe it. Canadians love this song; you could probably talk at least 20% of the population into making it our new national anthem. Fun story about this song, my friends Matt and Jen recently got married and had a guy playing acoustic guitar as they were walking up and down the aisle. The musician was looking for a good song to play as the two were leaving the altar, and played some of this tune as a suggestion. It was a lovely rendition and we were all in agreement for a few minutes…before realizing "wait, this is a breakup song." So instead, on the actual wedding day, the choice was a more traditional song, namely Cameo's "Word Up."
* U2, "California"
This is both a great performance and a teaser for next month's Hot Live Music, which is going to be just an explosion of U2 stuff (fair warning).
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