Welcome to Music on Television: a roundup of the best live performances each week on TV. Not only are we saving you time by wading through everything for you, but we also hope to help you discover some great up and coming bands, many of which will be passing through Nashville in the near future! Sorry for the delay this week- fortunately, there were just two performances worth catch last night (and one was especially epic), so we’ll catch you up.
Don’t forget, we’re also adding tour dates and ticket links for the artists performing in town and in surrounding areas. Get those DVRs set for:
MONDAY | 9.23
RE-WATCH: PAUL MCCARTNEY
on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
[ABC; 11:35PM/10:35c]
The legendary Sir Paul McCartney himself kicked things off this week with a performance on Kimmel, televised from the Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. You can check out the rocker’s rendition of “New,” the title track from his upcoming album (due out Oct. 15) below, and a performance of The Beatles’ classic “Lady Madonna” right here. McCartney certainly set the bar high for what is, already, a pretty stacked week of televised performances.
Bonus: 2 Chainz
Aresenio | check local listings
TUESDAY | 9.24
DON’T MISS: METALLICA
on The Colbert Report
[Comedy Central; 11:30PM/10:30c]
Ok, ok, we’ll be the first to concede- nowadays Metallica are definitely not the rock gods they used to be. But, still, these are the guys who once brought us Kill ‘Em All, Ride the Lightning, Master of Puppets, and …and Justice for All, so you have to give them some cred. The group are on the promotional circuit to support their new half concert film/half movie, Through the Never, and, apparently, it’s a pretty fun romp.
Bonus: Justin Timberlake
Jimmy Kimmel Live! | ABC; 11:35PM/10:35c
[Live | 11.15.13 | Bridgestone Arena, Nashville | Info]
Bonus: Bad Rabbits
Aresenio | check local listings
Bonus: The Avett Brothers
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon | NBC; 12:35AM/11:35c
WEDNESDAY | 9.25
DON’T MISS: ATOMS FOR PEACE
on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
[Comedy Central; 11PM/10c]
In a night jam-packed with great music (just check out those bonus picks below), Atoms for Peace made our top choice not only for their pedigree (boasting members of Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers, R.E.M., and more), but for their elusiveness- York and co. rarely make televised performances, especially not in an interview/talk show setting. This one’s sure to get you pumped for their upcoming (and inexplicably not sold out) performance at War Memorial Auditorium!
[Live | 10.3.13 | War Memorial Auditorium, Nashville | Info]
Bonus: Deer Tick
Conan | TBS; 11PM/10c
[Live | 11.4.13 | Headliners Music Hall, Louisville | Info]
Bonus: Icona Pop
Late Show with David Letterman | CBS; 11:35PM/10:35c
Bonus: Goodie Mob
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno | NBC; 11:35PM/10:35c
THURSDAY | 9.26
DON’T MISS: SLASH
on Conan
[TBS; 11PM/10c]
Slash‘s solo career has been no Guns N’ Roses, but, still, the guitar god is mesmerizing to watch, and doubly so when he’s performing on his pal Conan’s show. Most likely the rocker will perform something from his solo catalogue but, since he’s in between releases, a surprise Guns (or Velvet Revolver) jam might not be entirely out of the question.
Bonus: Goldfrapp
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon | NBC; 12:35AM/11:35c
Bonus: Kings of Leon
Late Show with David Letterman | CBS; 11:35PM/10:35c
FRIDAY | 9.27
DON’T MISS: SUPERCHUNK
on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
[NBC; 12:35AM/11:35c]
So here’s the deal- Superchunk‘s brand new album, I Hate Music, is the best thing they’ve done in years. Chock-full of dark, poppy anthemic tracks, and charged with every bit as much energy as they had two decades ago (check out the video below for reference), their latest release has us excited about Superchunk once more, and makes them perhaps the most anticipated performance of the week!
Bonus: Kruger Brothers with Steve Martin
Late Show with David Letterman | CBS; 11:35PM/10:35c
[Live | 11.22.13 | Heritage Hall Theatre, Mountain City, TN (no Steven Martin) | Info]
SATURDAY | 9.28
DON’T MISS: ARCADE FIRE
on Saturday Night Live
[NBC; 11:30PM/10:30c]
Probable album of the year contenders (and most likely Bonnaroo 2014 headliners- we’re calling it now) Arcade Fire are kicking off the season premiere of SNL along with host/alum Tina Fey. It’s an exciting season for the sketch show, facing the largest cast shakeup since ’95, and an exciting year for Arcade Fire, where they’ll soon deliver their fourth album, Reflektor, amidst a seemingly-unlimited sea of hype.