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
Beastie Boys with Sean O'Neal
So what-cha want? An episode on the prolific decades-spanning run of Ad Rock, Mike D, and MCA? No problem. It's BEASTIE BOYS week!
Joining the show to break down the iconic rhymes, beats, and general coolness of the B-Boys is Texas Monthly writer and former AV Club Editor in Chief Sean O'Neal! The guys discuss the group's teenage punk roots and watch it in action on a 1984 public access clip. A ridiculous 1987 clip from the Late Show with Joan Rivers featuring a pole dancer captures their License to Ill era a little too well. The Boys kill it on back-to-back Letterman clips, including a Sabotage peformance for the ages. And Jon kills the vibe by digging too deep into the personal life of Don Cornelius.
Want to watch along with us? Check out the links below for the performances discussed this week!
White Shadow/Untitled/Egg Raid on Mojo, 1/28/84 on The Scott and Gary Show!
(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)/Time to get Ill, 1/15/87 on The Late Show with Joan Rivers
Shadrach, 1/27/90 on Soul Train
Live at PJ's, 11/5/92 on Late Night with David Letterman
Sabotage, 8/4/94 on The Late Show with David Letterman
Three MCs and One DJ/Intergalactic, 9/10/98 on The MTV Video Music Awards
Ch-Check it Out, 6/14/04 on The Late Show with David Letterman