Late Night Performances
Jack White Reworks “Ball and Biscuit”, Plays Eddie Van Halen Guitar on SNL: Watch
Not all heroes wear capes; some rock out on guitar. After this weekend’s original musical guest, country singer Morgan Wallen, violated COVID-19 safety protocol, Saturday Night Live found itself in need of a last-minute replacement. Jack White answered the call. Accompanied by drummer Daru Jones and bassist Dominic John Davis, White ripped through some of his greatest hits with a few unexpected twists. For his first performance of the evening, White played a bit of his Beyoncé collaboration, “Don’t Hurt Yourself”, before transitioning into “Ball and Biscuit”. The Elephant track was reworked to feature lyrics from “Jesus is Coming Soon”, a traditional gospel song about the 1918 Spanish Flu that was famously performed by Blind Willie Johnson. The lyrics are just as relevant to...
Megan Thee Stallion Uses SNL Debut to Demand Justice for Breonna Taylor: Watch
Megan Thee Stallion used her Saturday Night Live debut to demand justice for Breonna Taylor and publicly rebuke Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron over his handling of Taylor’s murder case. Midway through her performance of “Savage”, Megan played audio of Malcolm X’s “Who Taught You To Hate?” speech in addition to recent comments made by activist Tamika Mallory, who accused Cameron of being “no different than the sellout negroes that sold our people into slavery.” Megan herself then proclaimed, “We need to protect our Black women and love our Black women, because at the end of the day, we need our Black women.”. At the end of the performance, Megan and her dancers raised their fists, and the message “Protect Black Women” was displayed on the video screens in the background. Last...
BTS Perform “Mikrokosmos” for BTS ARMY as Tonight Show Takeover Marches On: Watch
On the fourth night of their Tonight Show takeover, BTS sweetly paid tribute to their loyal fans in BTS ARMY. The K-pop megastars returned to Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul, South Korea to deliver “Mikrokosmos”, from Map of the Soul: Persona. The song is often the last one on the group’s live setlists, and BTS performed it as though they were closing out a concert. Each member waved their arms from side to side, while others screamed out “Love you” into the imaginary BTS Army crowd. At the very end, glowing lights above the palace came together to form the BTS ARMY logo. Elsewhere on Thursday’s episode, the Bangtan Boys played a game of Zoom Olympics with host Jimmy Fallon. One of the “events” involved popping their heads in and out from the screen like a Groundhog, while another ...
BTS Perform “Dynamite” to Close Out Epic Tonight Show Residency: Watch
On Friday, BTS delivered the fifth and final night of their Tonight Show residency, and it was every bit as grand as you’d expect. To close out the week, the beloved boyband aptly highlighted their hit single “Dynamite”. Since its release in late August, the track has already earned BTS a coveted spot in the history books: they are officially the first all-South Korean group to ever top the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Inspired by the song’s throwback aesthetic, BTS presented a disco-themed performance, complete with strutting choreography and a handful of shimmering mirror balls. Toward the end of “Dynamite”, Jin, RM, Suga, J-Hope, V, Jimin, and Jungkook celebrated their successful late-night run by squeezing in a couple of minutes of fun rollerskating. Last night’s episode also saw host...
Travis Scott Performs “Franchise” on Kimmel with M.I.A. and Young Thug: Watch
Young Thug, Travis Scott, and M.I.A. on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Travis Scott was both the lead guest and musical performer on the Thursday night’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live. When he wasn’t pimping burgers for McDonald’s, Scott reminded everyone that there’s an artist lurking beneath the brands with a performance of “Franchise”. Scott’s interview covered his new promotional deal with the Golden Arches, which is basically just a quarter pounder meal with limited options. The so-called “Travis Scott Meal” became a TikTok sensation, and so popular that some stores began to run out of quarter-pound patties. The Houston rapper then shifted into high gear for his delivery of “Franchise”, assisted remotely by collaborators M.I.A. and Young Thug. The high-production performance played out more l...
BTS Perform “Black Swan” as Tonight Show Residency Rolls On: Watch
On Wednesday night, BTS continued their world domination weeklong residency on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. This time, the beloved Bangtan Boys served as the episode’s lead guest, as they participated in a dance competition and sat down for an interview with Fallon, in addition to performing their song “Black Swan”. Night one of their residency saw the K-pop boyband deliver “Dynamite” in front of the Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul, South Korea, while Tuesday’s “Home” performance was built around a cozy sleepover theme. As for Wednesday night’s performance of “Black Swan”, the boys took BTS Army to church as they set danced amid the shrubbery of a dilapidated cathedral. Earlier in the episode, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V and Jungkook faced off against Fallon in a competition c...
HAIM Perform “Gasoline” Outside of LA’s The Forum on Kimmel: Watch
As our understanding of how to handle the pandemic gets better, so too do musical guests’ late night TV spots. On Tuesday night, HAIM made a virtual pitstop at Jimmy Kimmel Live!, but instead of Zooming in from home, they filmed their performance of “Gasoline” from an actual music venue. Well, from outside of an actual music venue. The trio of Este Haim, Danielle Haim, and Alana Haim (along with a pianist) set up in the empty parking lot of Los Angeles’ The Forum. Sure, it wasn’t like they filmed in a hot air balloon, but it was nice to see them out in the world for the rendition of the Women in Music Pt. III track. As the single-shot camera work panned around the sisters and the sun set behind them, HAIM put the matured sound of their latest album on full display in what was a surprisingl...
Brittany Howard Performs “Baby” on Corden: Watch
Earlier this month, Brittany Howard was remixed by Bon Iver and EarthGang. Now, the Alabama Shakes frontman has again taken center stage — this time quite literally — with a performance on The Late Late Show with James Corden. Appearing on Tuesday night’s episode, the incomparable Howard flexed her impassioned pipes while delivering “Baby”. A pair of backup singers and a full band also accompanied her in social distanced fashion. It was a solid yet bittersweet reminder of just how darn good she is live and how much she’s sorely missed on the road. Howard later spoke to Corden about her upcoming birthday (October 2nd, mark your calendars), and how she plans to celebrate with a fishing trip. She also talked about her newest quarantine hobby — while we’ve all been baking bread, Howard se...
BTS Perform “Home” as Tonight Show Takeover Continues: Watch
BTS launched their weeklong takeover of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday, and did so with a “Dynamite” bang. On Tuesday, our favorite Bangtan Boys made sure to keep the late-night party going by performing “Home” from their 2019 EP, Map of the Soul: Persona. Whereas yesterday’s performance of “Dynamite” saw BTS deliver a rousing choreographed routine in front of the Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul, South Korea, the group kept things much more chill on Tuesday night. They stayed inside, threw on their pajamas, and had themselves a good ol’ fashioned sleepover. Catch the replay below. “BTS Week” continues tomorrow, September 30th, with the K-pop boyband serving as the episode’s lead guest. This residency comes on the heels of BTS becoming the first all-South Kore...
BTS Perform “Dynamite” and “Idol” to Kick Off Tonight Show Residency: Watch
BTS Week on The Tonight Show got off to an explosive start highlighted by a pair of exhilarating performances. The Bangtan Boys will be front and center for every show through the end of the week. To kick things off on Monday night, the septet of Jin, RM, Suga, J-Hope, V, Jimin, and Jungkook teamed up with Jimmy Fallon and The Roots for a remixed version of their latest hit single, “Dynamite”. They then returned to the airwaves at the end of the episode for a show-stopping closing performance of “Idol”, from their 2018 album, Love Yourself: Answer. Replay both performances below. BTS have stormed through America in a way not seen since The Beatles. Their latest history-defying release was “Dynamite”, which became the first single by an all-South Korean group to top the Billb...
Aminé Performs in Hot Air Balloon on Kimmel: Watch
Aminé soared over Los Angeles in a hot air balloon for his Thursday performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live. The balloon itself was a statement, festooned in Black Lives Matter messaging, flags of countries, and religious symbols from around the world. While attempting to honor the lives of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Sandra Bland, Aminé made a broader statement about the interconnectedness of humanity. The rapper launched into the two opening tracks of his new album Limbo, but in reverse order. First, he essayed his latest single “Woodlawn”. Lines like “Came a long way from that Woodlawn Park,” hit differently at 2,200 feet. After landing, Aminé stepped inside the balloon itself, transforming a mode of transportation into a dramatic venue. He played “Burd...
Bon Iver Performs “22 (OVER S∞∞N)” on Colbert: Watch
Even with Bernie Sanders out of the presidential race, longtime supporter Justin Vernon is still very closely following the 2020 Election. In fact, earlier this week, the Bon Iver leader helped launch For Wisconsin, a “get-out-the-vote” initiative in his home state. “Free speech and freedom begin and end with voting,” read a statement. “If you don’t mark your ballot someone else will define your Wisconsin and your future.” In support of this new campaign, Vernon delivered a #PlayAtHome performance for the Late Show with Stephen Colbert this afternoon. With his equipment set up in front of a large window, the indie rocker unfurled “22 (OVER S∞∞N)”, from his 2016 Bon Iver album 22, A Million. Throughout the appearance, Vernon’s face was covered by a message imploring Wisconsin nati...
