On Saturday nights at 11:30 p.m. eastern time, the Studio 8H stage in Rockefeller Center is transformed from a Grand Central Station terminal to a different performance venue depending on the performer. “Saturday Night Live” has been providing a stage for unique performances for exciting artists since 1975. The stage has seen performances from James Taylor, Willie Nelson, The Blues Brothers and The Grateful Dead, and that’s just in the show’s first four years. “SNL” has led to incredible music moments. Artists have premiered new songs on the show, covered unique songs, and made political statements through their performances. This has also brought some shocking performances, the most notorious being Sinéad O’Connor’s cover of Bob Marley’s “War.” She has since been banned from the show after tearing a photo of the Pope following her performance.
During this weekend’s episode, there was an advertisement for the May 6 episode. The musical guest will be LCD Soundsystem. This will be the band’s first “SNL” performance, and it’s about time they took the 8H stage. This also further suggests the imminent release of the new LCD Soundsystem album. The band will headline this year’s Pitchfork Music Festival and Shaky Knees Music Festival in Atlanta. In preparation for the May 6 show, I’ve put together a brief list of some of the more recent performances that have impressed. Here ya go:
Frank Ocean “Pyramids”: In 2012, Ocean performed a shortened version of the normally 10-minute long track with the help of John Mayer. This was his second song of the night having performed “Thinkin Bout You” prior to Weekend Update. The performance was shortened to four minutes, but included many of the best moments from the track. Mayer’s guitar playing added an exciting element to the track. Towards the end of the performance, Mayer begins his own guitar solo as Ocean plays on one of the many arcade games surrounding the artist during his performance.
Solange “Cranes in the Sky”: On November 5, 2016, Solange took the 8H stage for the first time to perform the dreamy “Cranes in the Sky” and “Don’t Touch My Hair,” bringing Sampha to the “SNL” stage for the first time. (Speaking of Sampha, let’s get him on that stage.) She perfectly encapsulated the sound and theme of her 2016 album, “A Seat at the Table,” through this performance.
Chance The Rapper “Same Drugs” and “Finish Line/Drown”: I truthfully could not choose which performance from the night was better. Both were uniquely powerful during the last episode before Christmas. Chance donned red overalls and his “3” hat for the his first song, “Finish Line/Drown.” During “Finish Line/Drown,” Chance changed the lyrics to “Jesus it’s your birthday/Happy birthday Jesus,” bringing in the theme of religion that’s prevalent in “Coloring Book.” The choir backing him up brought the entire performance together. For “Same Drugs,” Chance sits at the piano and sings the incredible track to the audience. His performance is impeccable. Even when he trips over his words, he smiles brightly and gives a little chuckle. The song makes me smile every time, especially when he sings, “Don’t forget the happy thoughts/All you need is happy thoughts.”
As I said, this is a brief list that has not even scratched the surface of the wealth of incredible performances that have come from 8H. Make sure to check out LCD Soundsystem next week if you’re into incredible live performances. If you’re not, then you probably should stop reading my column.
