My Internet, phone and TV were all down until late afternoon yesterday while I was having everything upgraded. And let me tell you: It was wonderful being unplugged for the day. Though it did mean I missed out on Monday’s late-night musical segments. So here’s a two-night post BIMI — Because I Missed It. (Admittedly, there’s also an element of BTTSWLOPT — Because The Talk Shows Were Light On Performances Tuesday — in play here. But that’s not important.) In any case, let’s start with something fresh: The Hold Steady’s appropriately messy and rushed Meet Me In the Lobby. The song was apparently inspired by the birth of Seth Meyers’ son in his building’s entryway — and serves as the theme to his new Netflix standup special — so naturally they played it as an online exclusive for Late Night‘s Youtube page. As my buddy Stan would say, it’s a gooder. Then again, so is Wilco’s mellower but somehow thematically fitting Love is Everywhere, which the Chicago alt-rootsers played on Monday’s Late Night episode. It’s hard to top that. But IMHO (man, the acronyms are coming thick and fast today, aren’t they?) Atlanta (where else?) rap duo EarthGang did it by channelling some Outkast-level freakiness with their medley of This Side and Bank on Monday’s Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Looks like I’m gonna have to go back and give their latest album Mirrorland a more focused listen. Finally, we stay in the South with Nashville-via-North Carolina country star Luke Combs, who served up the usual combination of a two-fisted drinking anthem (1, 2 Many) and a counterbalancing tender ballad (Even Though I’m Leaving) on Jimmy Kimmel Live. There; now we’re all caught up.
https://youtu.be/t8DxQbIhRkg
https://youtu.be/YcY8Ch2W2IA
https://youtu.be/naXwgugRCiU
https://youtu.be/Aa1t87G2V4s
