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Tonight's Musical Guest, Today
The Beatles on Ed Sullivan. Nirvana on Saturday Night Live. Warren Zevon on David Letterman. Sometimes, late-night TV musical performances live on forever. Most don’t. But we still want to talk about them.
Each week on “Tonight’s Musical Guest, Today”, long-time friends Alex Beaton and Jon Hillman dive in on the music and cultural memory of a band through the arc of their late-night TV performances. Watch along with Alex and Jon as they examine and react to these musical history moments preserved in the amber of time alongside two celebrity guests and a talk show host.
From Conan to Colbert, Letterman to Leno, or SNL to MadTV, there is no shortage of iconic late-night musical moments. And no end to the ones you don’t remember.
Tonight's Musical Guest, Today
Smashing Pumpkins with Marissa Paternoster
We're talking one of the most successful and volatile bands of the 1990s: hair journeys, lineup changes, #1 albums, and too many Billy Corgan quotes. It's SMASHING PUMPKINS week!
Joining the show to talk about one of her favorite bands of all time is the great Marissa Paternoster (ex-Screaming Females, Noun)! Marissa lays out the ways her Pumpkins fandom helped her become of the most renowned and unique guitarists of the past 20 years. The guys and her discuss the frustrating and talented enigma that is Billy Corgan, Darcy Wretzky's discontent, and Jimmy Chamberlain's shoulder-filled technical prowess. Clips from the BBC, SNL, The Grammys, Jools Holland, Leno, and Letterman capture a career arc filled with drama, incredible music, and an iconic Simpsons cameo.
Want to watch along with us? Check out the links below for the performances discussed this week!
Rhinoceros, 1991 on BBC's The Late Show
Cherub Rock (20:44 mark)/Today (54:30 mark), 10/31/1993 on Saturday Night Live
Bullet with Butterfly Wings (27:50 mark)/Zero (1:00:20 mark), 11/11/1995 on Saturday Night Live
1979, 2/26/1996 on The Grammy Awards
Ava Adore/Once Upon a Time/Daphne Descends, 5/15/1998 on Later...with Jools Holland
Cash Car Star, 11/17/2000 on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Tarantula, 7/9/2007 on The Late Show with David Letterman
