Regardless of how I feel about a band’s music, if they own it live, I respect them. This performance of “Silverfuck” by The Smashing Pumpkins in 1994 is a fantastic example of a band owning it live. I just so happen to also love the Pumpkins and had seen them play at Vanderbilt University about a month before this show. They fucking rocked and this video has been a constant reminder of the passion they brought during their meteoric rise through the ranks of the 90s alternative rock scene. I often go back to this one on Friday afternoons, when I need a pick up me to finish out the work week.
Let’s be honest. If you were born anytime before 1985, you remember a time when you couldn’t watch your favorite musicians perform live, on demand, whenever the fuck you want, with a super computer that you carry around in your pocket. If you’re a music fan who remembers those dark days, the abundance of high quality concert footage available anytime you want it on YouTube is really quite unbelievable. And I’m not even talking about the crappy phone footage that the annoying guy next to you at a concert painstakingly took instead of paying attention to the show. I’m talking about multi-camera, broadcast quality footage.
To celebrate this incredible gift to humanity, I’m sharing my favorite “single song” clips that I’ve watched over and over again on the Tube. And by the way, if you don’t feel like the ~$10/month it costs to get rid of the ads on YouTube is worth it, trust me. It’s totally worth it (and I don’t get anything for saying that).