Music in the Raw

This being my last day prior to heading back to work, I decided to relax a little bit with some music this morning.  Call me a snob, but what you here on the radio 99% of the time is not music- not real, cutting to the bone, performances that make a mark.  Those songs are what the producers want.  As for me,  I want to truly feel the heart of a song- and the only way to do that is to find a live performance to get at the true talent of a band/performer.

So, for today, I've decided to share with you some of my favorite live performances.  Granted, I'm leaving out quite a few (many you can find on my Music for the Soul page, and many- such as Queen & The Eagles, can not be narrowed down to one singular performance- although I love them all!)

Here are just a few (slightly eclectic selections) that honestly moved me when I heard them/saw them for the first time.  The rawness of the performances, the impact of the lyrics as they were being sung (and not just lip synced)... well, this is where the true masters are for our generation... enjoy! 

First up is Queensryche- completely underrated and "Silent Lucidity" remains one of my favorites after 20 years!  The live performance, in my opinion, is even better than the official video



I originally heard this song when my sister posted it on facebook.  Florence and the Machine have such a unique sound- something often overlooked nowadays...

Simply put- this song takes me back to my high school days listening to the likes of Nine Inch Nails, Hole, Nirvana...  Trent Reznor's voice is pure emotional gold... 

I've been a fan of Annie Lennox as far back as I can remember the Eurythmics days.  Being also a fan of The Lord of the Rings- this combination was made in heaven...

Ah, Kurt Cobain... a poet for our times gone too soon... another throwback to high school...



The first time I heard Nnenna Freelon sing, I was sitting in my dorm room- freshman year- I tuned into some late night jazz station and she was singing "Bye Bye Blackbird."  She has such a pure voice- I have been a huge fan ever since...

I'm sorry- no words can even come close to describing Eric Clapton's performance...

Simply put - she wears her emotion on her sleeve without apology...

And finally...
I first heard this song on the Grammy Awards, which in itself was odd since I rarely watch any of the award shows but I'm glad I made the exception... to be honest it gave me chills (sorry for the poor quality)...

Okay, so maybe I'll throw in one Eagles song that, without question, will go down in the books as one of the all-time greatest live performances...

*Image at top found at http://www.deviantart.com/