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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
Björk
She emerged from the caves of Iceland with a singular voice and singular vision. As the ultimate blank check artist, she combined international textures with innovative electronic landscapes to both astound and baffle listeners. It's BJÖRK week!
Björk leans into her Sugarcubes and London club influences early with quirky and catchy performances on Conan and Leno. A turmoil-filled run up to Homogenic produces an intense 1997 performance on Jools Holland with an Icelandic string octet. The swan dress overshadows a sparse and haunting Oscars performance of I've Seen it All. Björk is backed by a renowned harpist, found sound DJ producers, and a Greenland Inuit women's choir on Japanese television. And Alex and Jon display a shocking lack of knowledge regarding the female anatomy.
Want to watch along with us? Check out the links below for the performances discussed this week!
Human Behaviour, September 14th, 1993 on Late Night with Conan O'Brien
It's Oh So Quiet, November 2nd, 1995 on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Hunter/Bachelorette/Joga, November 28th, 1997 on Later...with Jools Holland
I've Seen it All, March 25th, 2001 on The Oscars
Pagan Poetry/Generous Palmstroke, January 14th, 2002 on News23 Tokyo Television
Earth Intruders/Wanderlust, April 21st, 2007 on Saturday Night Live
The Gate/Blissing Me/Courtship/The Anchor Song, May 22nd, 2018 on Later...with Jools Holland
