#live-performance

#live-performance

Dewayne Perkins has been here before. In 2023, the comedian and writer hosted the grand return of IndieWire Honors, fresh off the release of his horror-comedy “The Blackening” after spending seven years willing it into existence from a sketch he dreamed up on a couch. Now, the Chicago native is back to host the ceremony again on June 4, timed to IndieWire’s 30th anniversary, and even more has changed for him.

“I love attention,” he says of going on tour. “I love going on stage and I love people applauding, love people laughing.” But reading out loud isn't just about adoration. Sedaris says he's always listening for reactions from the crowd and tweaking his work in response. “The audience is my first editor,” he says. “When they cough, they tell me that I need to cut whatever it is that I'm reading. Of course, when they laugh, that's fantastic. But I don't mind a groan. A collective groan is fine with me.”

The respectful treatment of formal repertory meant little to Rollins, who has died aged 95. He loved songs and kept hundreds of tunes in his head, but those materials were merely triggers to his extraordinary spontaneous imagination and technique. The personal nuances of improvisation meant everything to him and that was why no two Rollins performances were ever really the same.

Wearing the ultra-millennial outfit - an oversized flannel and combat boots - Paris took the stage and immediately began rocking out with her electric guitar. Though her musical style is mostly grounded in indie-rock grit, rather than polished pop music like her father, she carried a unique swagger that many would remember of Michael on stage. She danced with loose movements and an instinctive rhythm that subtly echoed her father; while their moves are not identical, there's something of him in the way that she lets music move her body.

A pelican, with an oversized bucket-like beak, was in need of last-minute maintenance. This gangly bird, designed to hop, skip, soar and sing to Clarence Henry's mid-'50s rhythm and blues hit “Ain't Got No Home,” was supposed to surprise the audience, as its elongated bill is actually hiding a frog. Getting the pelican-frog duo to perform in unison was a feat of mechanical artistry for the team, not to mention the choreography needed by the puppeteer.

Lady Gaga / Alkaline Trio drummer Tosh Peterson performed Death 's "Crystal Mountain" as part of Drumeo's "For the First Time" series, which challenges musicians to come up with a drum arrangement on the spot after hearing a drumless version of a song they never heard before.

“I've Got No More Tears Left to Cry,” the song the band submitted for our 2024 contest, nearly won the whole thing it was a photo finish with The Philharmonik. Yet band bassist Zach Valentine told me that taking second place was a blessing in disguise: “We weren't ready then, but we're here now at the perfect time.” Since then, lead singer Salvatore Geloso and the crew have traveled beyond their New Orleans home, playing festivals across the country, with new music on the horizon.

With a name and image that pays tribute to the Cimarrons - Cubans of African descent that resisted slavery - and music and showmanship that re-embodies funk legends from the last century, the medical-school student turned funk artist has developed into a musical force crafting the sonic future of the island and a global, cultural phenomenon that unites and celebrates blackness across borders, oceans and languages.

She didn't click for me until earlier this year, when I heard her reach a flow state over Gloworm's 4XL white tee era trap horns on " Hello Moto." A few months back, I went to a Bushwick bar to see her perform, but showed up too late and only caught one song, which I could barely make out through a wall as a couple tongued each other down next to me. It still sounded pretty cool, though.

Phoebe Bridgers performed her first live solo show in three years at the Liberty, a 400-capacity theater in Roswell, New Mexico. During the invite-only, no-phones-allowed performance, Bridgers reportedly played favorites like "Motion Sickness," "Kyoto," and " Garden Song," as well as multiple new songs and a video short previewing her forthcoming (but TBA) third album. Check out a full set list below.

Requiring silence and understanding, it's a hushed and introspective reinvention rather than a euphoric victory lap. Drums are mostly stroked with brushes. The 84-year-old singer-songwriting legend's voice has lost power and range, but frailty and vulnerability have brought intimacy and authority. Smiling as he addresses a cheering Merseyside audience for likely the last time, he calls it a humbling experience.

Legendary New Yorker Fran Lebowitz is, once again, ready to tell you exactly what she thinks and, this time, you can hear it live. The sharp-tongued writer and cultural critic will return to the stage for two nights only this December, bringing both her acerbic observations and perfectly timed complaints to The Town Hall.

Kesha took to the stage with a full entourage, dressed in a cow print fur coat, and performed alongside electropop duo MGNA CRRRTA, who assisted on the DJ mixer.

Greg Dulli noted that they used to let transvestites up on stage to dance while he would explore his Jim Morrison fantasies, reminiscing about past performances at the Pyramid Club.

Duran Duran delivered a powerful performance of 'Free to Love,' featuring Simon Le Bon's booming voice and Nile Rodgers' joyful guitar playing, creating an anthemic rendition that resonates with themes of love and acceptance.

Aftermath Liturgy is a staged reading that features live music and audience participation, exploring the complex themes of sexual identity and evangelical Christianity.

Dabin is not only a music producer but also an incredibly talented multi-instrumentalist, having served as Illenium's guitar player for several tours.

The girls of Huntr/x ruin a group of demons' night with 'How It's Done,' an absolute banger full of swagger and fierce wordplay. Fans were excited for a live performance of this song during a McDonald's collaboration.

Post Malone's 90-minute set at Stagecoach included songs from his country album 'F-1 Trillion,' showcasing a high-gloss Nashville sound with a talented band.

Wilson's performance included a tight, punchy showcase of riff-heavy country-rock, featuring songs like "Can't Sit Still" and "Country's Cool Again," which rode a funky down-home groove.

Nick Oliveri was welcomed back to the stage by Josh Homme as 'one of the people that I love dearly' during the performance of 'Auto Pilot'.

Hayley Williams has been bringing out surprise guests to join her on 'Parachute' at some shows of her current solo tour, and for night one in Chicago, she had Mike Kinsella of American Football join her on her set-closing rendition of that very song.