I’m mixing things up this week with some great live musical performances. The collection below is sure to take you on a journey through genres and through time! Thanks to those of you who have posted comments about making big life changes in a more creative direction — I’ve got some inspiring interviews coming soon plus a new book in the works that will keep encouraging you to grab the bull by the horns. In the meantime, enjoy this little musical romp.
Pink
Here’s the amazingly talented Pink performing the Janis Joplin classic Me and Bobby McGee on the Today show.
The Cure
I’d been obsessing over The Cure‘s In Between Days for a couple of months and then was so happy to see that Apple picked this tune for one of their launch ads for the new iPad! Such a great mix of electric and acoustic and an incredibly infectious energy. Here is a classic 1986 performance at the Théatre Antique d’Orange in France. (Sorry about the subtitles, but I went with the best sound and video.)
Ricky Martin
In honor of his recent web statement, here’s my little homage to the very sexy Ricky Martin, performing Livin’ La Vida Loca live in 1999 in very sexy Italy. This man is totally free now, so watch out world!
Keane
Here’s a live performance by Keane of the beautiful Somewhere Only We Know at the Live 8 concert in London. The audience sounds great too.
Beardyman
Darren Foreman, aka Beardyman, is a world-renowned beatboxer from London with incredible improvisational skills and the ability to mimic just about any instrument, singer, or other sound. This 10+ minute tour-de-force solo performance at Camp Bestival 2009 includes a tribute to the late Michael Jackson.
Annie Lennox
Here’s the incomparable Annie Lennox at the American Idol Gives Back concert in 2008 singing Many Rivers to Cross and giving it her trademark soul.
Cat Stevens / Yusuf Islam
I couldn’t resist pairing two live recordings of Peace Train by the same man, the first by Cat Stevens during his 1976 Earth Tour and the second as his adopted identity of Yusuf Islam at the Market Theatre in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2003. Both performances are well worth the listen!
U2
Not too many songs can boost your spirit like Beautiful Day by U2, so we’re ending on this note. This is one of the truly great bands of all time, live at Slane Castle.
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Ann Cooper – chef, school lunch activist
Conn Brattain and John Giordani – designers
