Many of you are out there wondering what to do on those nights when you’d otherwise be engaged in laughing, dancing, listening to live music and loving life at the local rock club, brewery, casino or all-ages venue.In the event that such, indeed, is the case, the experts at Weekly Alibi’s music section used their enormous but sometimes rambly brain power to come up with a suitable solution.While it’s a given that staying in for the duration of this national emergency is a wise course of action—except for quick trips to get gas or groceries or dog food, ese, that’s what we’re planning—that doesn’t mean you have to give up music or dancing entirely or forever.As a matter of fact, there was a time in the not-too-distant past when this very section made its proverbial bread and butter on the likes of things like playlists and other abstract listening tools.And we find our selves in a similar space now; though the reasons are manifestly different, here we are.So, in order to entertain you, we offer the following, whilst noting that Show Up! will be back, in all its live and unencumbered glory, soon.And while we’re at it, please do try to stay in and enjoy this day-by-day sonic journey—curated by none other than August March—designed to empower you, the listener, past trouble and into joy.
Show Up!: Friday
No matter what else you have planned for the first night of this gloriously introverted yet illuminating weekend, you can get it all started in a “Grand Royale” way by spending a couple hours checking out some of the most amazingly entertaining and totally def videos out there in YouTube land.Of course I’m talking about music videos featuring Beastie Boys; some were directed by luminaries like Spike Jonze or the late Nathanial Hörnblowér himself, and they are perfect for getting things going on a Friday night, so “Ch-Check It Out.”Number One on my list is the totally weird and freaked out video for “Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win” feat. Santigold. You can watch the video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-QIiVS_7Hs but be forewarned: It has puppets! And also moments of sophomoric humor and violence with a hilariously messed-up ending—yet with Director Jonze at the helm, the results are pretty, pretty, pretty good.Follow up with Nathanial Hörnblowér’s epic video for “Ch-Check It Out” (www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iuGp9gUeNk&t=42s), and then get down with a live rendition of “Sabotage” courtesy of that ancient and informed relic called “The Late Show with David Letterman.” Finish it up with a funky 1990s-style documentary on the three at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZn-fO1W_dE and there goes your Friday evening!
Show Up!: Saturday
And just like that, abracadabra, here is an awesome change-up for Saturday night. We figure you’re gonna have some sort of intimate dinner party or slow-moving, comfortably small soiree at home that night with your pet dogs and cats, partner and Scrabble board all in attendance. You can get the evening rolling in a spectacularly fancy way by exploring and jamming out to the music of that unique postmodern duo Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile.For those of you in need of some updating (that’s right, self-isolating Gen-Xers), listeners are reminded that Barnett is an Aussie folk sensation and that Vile is an American singer-songwriter whose work teeters dangerously and beautifully on an edge apart from Barnett’s deliciously detached ennui. Together they make some combination.Start your listening with the NPR Tiny Desk Concert featuring the two. It can be accessed at youtube.com/watch?v=JQs5XagfheI for those reading this in text and lovingly copying the URL down for later use.Then get down to their sound with such amazing work as is demonstrated on a live performance for Pitchfork called “Sea Lice by the Seaside”. My favorites on this live performance are “Continental Breakfast” and closer “Untogether.” The video is available at YouTube at this address: youtube.com/watch?v=wmAYzy_HAaY.
Show Up!: Sunday
Sunday is sometimes seen as a day of reflection and contemplation. That’s cool, unless you want to rock out. In which case, it is perfectly fine to check out the following Sunday morning-type of uplifting and transcendent video. At an hour and a half-long, it’s the perfect thing to listen to before spending the day out in nature, walking and thinking about how beautiful springtime in Burque can be, virus or no virus.It’s the band Chicago in concert at Tanglewood back in 1970. Midwest rock never had it so good and pure or jazzy. Find it at youtube.com/watch?v=_oAoSZ2y1cw.Be seeing you.
