Category: The Evening Pause
A nightly pause from the news to give the reader/viewer a bit of classic entertainment.
Akilah Hughes – Every youtube video ever
An evening pause: Hilarious video on the banality of much of youtube and our modern culture from Akilah Hughes.
Steve Martin – The Crow
An evening pause: Here’s Steve Martin, Bela Fleck, Tony Trischka, and Brittany Hass playing a song written by Steve Martin.
Hat tip Edward Thelen.
Carrie Underwood – Different Drum
An evening pause: For a long time I tried and failed to find an original performance of this song by Linda Ronstadt and the Stone Poneys, but could never find it. Carrie Underwood, however, does a great Ronstadt imitation at Ronstadt’s 2014 induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Hat tip Danae.
Sesame Street – Fat Cat Sat Hat
ABBA – Arrival
An evening pause: Performed live at the 2014 Netherlands Military Tattoo, their version of Great Britain’s annual Proms.
Hat tip Danae.
Kenny Rogers – The Gambler
Berlin July 1945 in color
An evening pause: For Memorial Day, on which we not only honor the war dead but we are supposed to refresh our memories about why we fought in the first place. This color footage of occupied Berlin shortly after surrender shows the devastation after World War II. Though it is tragic to see, I will be honest and admit that I feel little sorrow. The Germans brought this upon themselves by plunging the world into two world wars, and in the second used it as an excuse to commit unspeakable genocide. In order to make sure they would never do it again, and would instead become a part of the civilized world, it was necessary to hit them as hard as these images show. Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin all understood this. So did the entire populations of all three allies.
If only we had the courage today to do the same to the petty dictators and Islamic fanatics in the Middle East. They are as brutal, as violent, and as bigoted as the Nazis were, and will soon have atomic weapons at their disposal to use as they wish. To really bring them to heel they need to be given the same harsh lessons we gave the Germans.
I fear however we will not have the courage to do so until after they drop some nuclear bombs on a few cities.
B.B. King – The Thrill Is Gone
An evening pause: To B.B. King, may he rest in peace.
Performed live at the 2010 Crossroads Guitar Festival.
Hat tip Tom Wilson and Tom Biggar.
Jack Johnson, Eddie Vedder, Kawika Kahiapo – Constellations
Chico and Harpo Marx – At the piano
An evening pause: From The Big Store (1941).
Hat tip to Phil Berardelli, author of Phil’s Favorite 500: Loves of a Moviegoing Lifetime.
Guang Dong – Pas de deux
Gordon Lightfoot – Carefree Highway
An evening pause: Performed live in Reno in 2000. It is amazing to compare this older Lightfoot with Lightfoot performing in 1974. He is as good, but he looks like a different man.
Hat tip Danae.
Lorrie Morgan – Something in Red
An evening pause: I posted a Morgan 1992 performance of this classic back in 2012. In 1992 she was performing the song when it was fresh and a just released hit. Almost a quarter century later it remains one of the best songs ever written, and so I think I should post it again, this time in a more recent live performance from 2007.
Nina Conti – “I think the world is ready to see my dance moves.”
An evening pause: Really clever and funny routines, especially the last third, when she turns an audience member into her ventriloquist dummy.
Hat tip Tom Biggar.
Willie Nelson – Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain
An evening pause: Performed live in 1980, around the time that Nelson, who had been working in relative obscurity for years, had suddenly been “noticed”.
Hat tip t-dub for reminding me that Nelson deserved more notice, again.
Clint Mansell – Lux Aeterna (Requiem for a Dream)
An evening pause: I normally don’t post performances recorded by only one camera, as the visuals can get boring. This performance, however, is an exception definitely worth viewing.
Elton John – Daniel
The Americanization of Emily – “War is not moral”
An evening pause: A fine performance by James Garner from a Paddy Chayefski screenplay. While I agree that putting soldiers on pedestals is often a misplaced emotion that can lead to future unnecessary wars, I do not agree that all war is immoral. There are times, as a last resort, when good people have to stand up and fight, if only to prevent bad people from dominating the battlefield. In 1964, when The Americanization of Emily was released, Americans could be forgiven for being hostile to war. After World War II the country had gotten itself into a string of wars, the goals of all having been poorly considered. It was also a time when evil people were well restrained by our willingness to stand up to them.
Today, our fear and hostility to war is allowing evil to run rampant worldwide. It will very soon descend upon our heads if we do not begin to fight back.
Having said that, this is a fine and thoughtful scene from a fine and thoughtful movie, raising many profound thoughts about the nature and consequences of war. Hat tip to Phil Berardelli, author of Phil’s Favorite 500: Loves of a Moviegoing Lifetime.
Extreme wood bending with ammonia
Boston – More Than A Feeling
An evening pause: Performed live, Giants Stadium, June 17, 1979. The song is good, of course, but the improvisations are much better.
Hat tip Danae.
Lori Lieberman – Killing Me Softly with His Song
An evening pause: The song was written for Lieberman after she saw Don McLean perform in concert, but was made a big hit by Roberta Flack in 1973. Here, Lieberman shows us how its done.
Hat tip Danae.
Johnny Carson Show – Egg trick
Claude Bolling – Sentimentale, Suite No. 1 for Flute and Jazz Piano
An evening pause: Bolling, on the piano, and Jean-Pierre Rampal, on the flute, let it all hang out.
Hat tip Danae.
Faith Hill – This Kiss
Cosmic Guinea Pig
An evening pause: Time for more silliness, with a bit of gentle humor making fun of those among us who are most philosophical.
Hat tip Diane Zimmerman.
Musica Universalis – Blackbird
An evening pause: A remarkable performance, using juggling to play music. Stay with it, it only gets better.
Hat tip Danae.
“Let’s all be manly!”
An evening pause: One of the many classic scenes from the classic Hollywood masterpiece, Adam’s Rib (1949).
Another hat tip to Phil Berardelli, author of Phil’s Favorite 500: Loves of a Moviegoing Lifetime.
The Band – The Weight
An evening pause: This is truly a great performance, worth watching and listening to. I just wish it wasn’t so darkly lit.
Hat tip Danae.