New year, old feature. In the earlier days of No Country, we used to bring you a weekly roundup of the best televised performances to look out for, and with so many local acts making late night rounds, national artists with upcoming dates in town, and bands we’re just genuinely fans of set to appear on TV, it seems like the time is right to bring this column back.
Below, you’ll find our top picks for musical performances throughout the week, plus a few bonus sets, as well as tour dates for the artists set to play Nashville in the near future. Set those DVRs, or remember to look online the next day for:
MONDAY | 1.4
DON’T MISS: 5 SECONDS OF SUMMER
on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
[NBC; 11:35PM/10:35c]
Despite their close ties with mega famous boyband One Direction, 5 Seconds of Summer have always landed more on the side of actual band, and a pop punk one at that. The young Australian group are on the cover of the latest Rolling Stone, an honor One Direction has yet to earn, and will play their headlining Music City debut later this year at Bridgestone Arena. Sure, their fans skew young and mostly female, but at their core, 5SOS are a fun, promising pop punk band for fans of Fall Out Boy, All Time Low, and similar acts.
[Live | 7.23.16 | Bridgestone Arena, Nashville | Info]
Bonus: Zella Day
Late Night with Seth Meyers | NBC; 12:35AM/11:35c
Bonus: Tori Kelly
Jimmy Kimmel Live! | ABC; 11:35PM/10:35c
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TUESDAY | 1.5
DON’T MISS: CAGE THE ELEPHANT
on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
[NBC; 11:35PM/10:35c]
Celebrating these release of their nostalgic, Dan Auerbach-produced fourth album, Tell Me I’m Pretty, local rockers and friends of the site Cage the Elephant are beginning to make media rounds, ahead of an inevitable whirlwind of tour dates this year. Their recent Late Late Show stop (below) was a fantastic taste of new material, and now that we’ve had time to give the LP the attention it deserves, we’re even more excited for the band’s Tonight Show outing. If you’re going to tune in to one televised performance this week, this is our top pick.
Bonus: PVRIS
Jimmy Kimmel Live! | ABC; 11:35PM/10:35c
[Live | 3.18.16 | FedEx Forum, Memphis | Info]
Bonus: Foals
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert | CBS; 11:35PM/10:35c
Bonus: Lil Dicky
Conan | TBS; 11PM/10c
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WEDNESDAY | 1.6
DON’T MISS: THE INTERNET
on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
[ABC; 11:35PM/10:35c]
Despite the inclusion of Odd Future members Syd the Kyd and Matt Martians, breakout band The Internet are far from conventional hip hop, instead adopting a jazz fusion, r&b, and soul sound. The group have been around for several years now, but really broke in 2015, thanks in no small part to their phenomenal, Grammy nominated third album, Ego Death. After their memorable recent showing on The Late Show, we’re very curious to see what The Internet have in store for Kimmel. Here’s hoping they hit the festival circuit this summer too!
Bonus: Billy Joel
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon | NBC; 11:35PM/10:35c
[Live | 3.25.16 | FedEx Forum, Memphis | Info]
Bonus: Grizfolk
Conan | TBS; 11PM/10c
[Live | 2.16.16 | The High Watt, Nashville | Info]
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THURSDAY | 1.7
DON’T MISS: KENDRICK LAMAR
on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
[NBC; 11:35PM/10:35c]
Poised to absolutely sweep at this year’s Grammys, new modern legend Kendrick Lamar seems unstoppable these days. We recently ranked his indescribably great new effort, To Pimp a Butterfly, as one of our favorite national albums of 2015, and we’ve been blown away by the rapper every chance we’ve had to see him live. A truly versatile artist, Lamar likes to mix things up with every televised outing, so there’s never any telling what he’ll play, or how he’ll present it. That alone should be enough to pique your curiosity.
Bonus: Transviolet
The Late Late Show with James Corden | CBS; 12:35AM/11:35c
Bonus: Vance Joy
Jimmy Kimmel Live! | ABC; 11:35PM/10:35c
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FRIDAY | 1.8
DON’T MISS: KACEY MUSGRAVES
on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
[CBS; 11:35PM/10:35c]
Local songstress Kacey Musgraves is a breath of fresh air in the modern country scene, able to embrace the kitsch and nostalgic nature of classic country and western sound and flair, while adopting a substantive yet pop accessible sound that lies somewhere in between traditional and modern. Despite critical and commercial success, and even Grammy nominations, Musgraves has managed to buck the old fashioned ideals of the country establishment, and is among a new crop of performers helping bring back legitimacy to the scene. She’s enchanting live, so don’t miss out!
