the rapture on letterman

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anyone see this? it was great. crowd seemed really confused, but letterman loved it, mostly because of the cowbell player. they played "house of jealous lovers"

― juiceboxxx (juiceboxxx), Saturday, 29 November 2003 05:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Holy crap! ~~They sold out~~ That is awesome!

― nate detritus (natedetritus), Saturday, 29 November 2003 07:19 (twenty-two years ago)

I wasn't surprised to see them on Letterman. It seems like about an appropriate point for that. They were really good, but it was kind of embarrassing how little there was for anyone but the drummer to do.

― Dan I., Saturday, 29 November 2003 08:08 (twenty-two years ago)

i dunno on what universe this could have been considered "great". the performance was lackluster, the sound was fucking awful, the band was bunched together like they didn't know how to make use of a stage that size, and for christ's sakes if you're on a show with a house band with a horn section, use it.

― fiddo centington (dubplatestyle), Saturday, 29 November 2003 13:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes, because we all know how renowned the Rapture are for their Stax/Volt horn sound

― nate detritus (natedetritus), Saturday, 29 November 2003 17:18 (twenty-two years ago)

i thought it was great for the awkwardness and the general fact that letterman was basically making fun of them

― juiceboxxx (juiceboxxx), Saturday, 29 November 2003 17:22 (twenty-two years ago)

hilarious!

nate, you are like, you know, familiar with disco and all the other stuff the rapture ~~rip off~~reference, right?

― fiddo centington (dubplatestyle), Saturday, 29 November 2003 18:12 (twenty-two years ago)

the general fact that letterman was basically making fun of them

I dunno, I thought Letterman seemed really into it (although, as already mentioned, probably because of the duckwalking cowbellist).

― Vic Funk, Saturday, 29 November 2003 18:21 (twenty-two years ago)

fiddo, I don't know if bands that appear on talk shows ever make use of the house band, I could be completely wrong here but I don't know if there'd be time to arrange it

(also I find bands always sound shitty on talk shows and snl and stuff)

― s1utsky (slutsky), Saturday, 29 November 2003 18:24 (twenty-two years ago)

well i thought it was funny. i guess i shouldnt go carelessly wielding around words like "great" as casual indicator that i thought the performance as a whole was entertaining, or else someone will pick a fight with me. and rightfully so, i guess?

― juiceboxxx (juiceboxxx), Saturday, 29 November 2003 18:27 (twenty-two years ago)

I've found that with Paul Schaffer and band, you either totally embrace his band or totally ignore it, to optimize Letterman performances.

I still remember Sonic Youth on Letterman doing "100%", all cramped up in the stage space of a gas station bathroom, and they all dressed up like teens and acted like teens and played the song like teens, and David asked if Thurston or Lee was ok after they dogpiled each other at the end of the song.

On the other hand, J Mascis's appearance was the full embracement of the Paul Schaffer band and he seemed like he was having the time of his life. (which is really rare for J, as far as actually seeing him enjoy himself).

Then again, I wasn't thrilled with either performance, so I'm not bringing anything worthy to the table so I will shut up now.

― donut bitch (donut), Saturday, 29 November 2003 18:30 (twenty-two years ago)

oh yeah, how could I have missed the gigantic brass hits in "At Home He's A Tourist" and "There But For the Grace of God Go I" and "Zero Leg"

― nate detritus (natedetritus), Saturday, 29 November 2003 18:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Just because every band with a rhythm would probably be somewhat improved by sounding like "Crazy In Love" doesn't mean they should

(I saw the Rapture live BTW and they were on fire; they actually added a sax bit to a lot of their songs and it sounded all X-Ray Spex nutty. Yay)

― nate detritus (natedetritus), Saturday, 29 November 2003 18:41 (twenty-two years ago)

there was an hour soundcheck. if within this timeframe the band could have figured out how to incorporate a full horn section into an edited version of "hojl," plus work out all of the other sonic issues, then they probably would have done so. i agree that sound & staging were problematic, but not making use of the house band is an odd thing for which to take them to task.

― lauren (laurenp), Saturday, 29 November 2003 19:03 (twenty-two years ago)

the night before jay z did it to pretty good success, but i suppose the rapture doesnt have that kind of starpower.

― juiceboxxx (juiceboxxx), Saturday, 29 November 2003 19:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Someone really needs to release a "Live Like Paul Schaffer" box set of performances on Letterman, specifically using the Paul Schaffer band, but with the actual performers mixed out.

― donut bitch (donut), Saturday, 29 November 2003 20:06 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't know if bands that appear on talk shows ever make use of the house band

You used to have to perform with The World's Most Dangerous Band when Letterman was on NBC. I can remember the La's (I think) turning down an appearance because they didn't want to because they weren't well known at the time, and didn't want to be thought of as a 2 piece (eventually they went on as a 2 piece and performed together). I remember an interview with Paul Schaffer back then saying he and the band members would take the album home and learn the song for the next day. I'm actually glad they stopped doing that around 1992.

― Vic Funk, Saturday, 29 November 2003 20:35 (twenty-two years ago)

The best performance on Letterman was by the Goo Goo Dolls. I don't remember the song, but it doesn't matter since the last few seconds of the performance were the only seconds that mattered. After the song finished, they all jumped into a huge bowl of tapioca pudding. (Maybe I imagined this?)

― Andy K (Andy K), Sunday, 30 November 2003 00:07 (twenty-two years ago)

"You used to have to perform with The World's Most Dangerous Band when Letterman was on NBC."

I wish I had the time Motorhead played on Letterman on tape, it is a classic. Dave makes fun of the name "Motorhead" the entire show and when they actually get ready to play, they are made to play a Chuck Berry cover with the house band. Lemmy came out and gave Letterman a death stare through the beginning and end of the segment. Needless to say, Dave didn't leave his desk to shake hands with the band.

Dave could be pretty funny being a dick. He much too nice since he went on CBS.

― earlnash, Sunday, 30 November 2003 00:21 (twenty-two years ago)

would have hated to be the cowbell guy because you'd feel pretty dumb up there. also the singer looks like he's trying to sing like that, not like he actually does. not good

― ron (ron), Sunday, 30 November 2003 06:55 (twenty-two years ago)

There's a later/earlier Sonic Youth appearance with Paul Schaffer gaming along. After the inevitable noise-freak-out ending of SY's song, Lee Ranaldo helps Paul lift his keyboard back up into place. Probably was 100%, though I'm only 98% sure.

― Ian Christe (Ian Christe), Sunday, 30 November 2003 09:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Funny that this many people were so bored at their relatives' houses that they were watching Letterman... I watched the Lord of the Ringses that are out, like any self-respecting gimboid!

― Ann Sterzinger (Ann Sterzinger), Monday, 1 December 2003 21:11 (twenty-two years ago)

a fine preformance. I scarcely would ask the band to capture the shittiness of that song even more. I was left wondering, did the guitar really suck even more than the cowbell?

If anybody can actually dance to such flat beatless music I expect them to lack at least three of their limbs.

― Brian Mowrey (Brian Mowrey), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 00:50 (twenty-two years ago)

all you need is one cock and one leg to party

― cinniblount (James Blount), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 01:29 (twenty-two years ago)

What if you have two?

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Tuesday, 2 December 2003 01:29 (twenty-two years ago)

(of each)

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Tuesday, 2 December 2003 01:29 (twenty-two years ago)

then post a picture, duh!

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 01:31 (twenty-two years ago)

be fruiful and multiply

― cinniblount (James Blount), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 01:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Quit mocking him! He has all the right to discern what is and isn't danceable, what with him being a huge Modest Mouse fan and whatnot.

― nate detritus (natedetritus), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 01:57 (twenty-two years ago)

haha nate you really wanna start throwing "i can't be funky because i listen to wanky indie" punches?

― fiddo centington (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 02:13 (twenty-two years ago)

oh shnap!

― cinniblount (James Blount), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 02:16 (twenty-two years ago)

This is off topic, but did anyone see the Ratpure on Lettarman!1/1.1?!?

― Dean Gulberry (deangulberry), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 02:19 (twenty-two years ago)

jay-z was alright

― cinniblount (James Blount), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 02:22 (twenty-two years ago)

There'll be tears before Letterman...

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 02:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Well if that site of his is any indication he listens to nothing but wanky indie.

― nate detritus (natedetritus), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 02:26 (twenty-two years ago)

The Strokes kick ass and the White Stripes are shit.

― Dean Gulberry (deangulberry), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 02:57 (twenty-two years ago)

OK, they have a token non-wanky band. Yay for that.

― nate detritus (natedetritus), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 03:34 (twenty-two years ago)

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