add live music to your bedtime routine (art appreciation vol. 5)
my favorite performances to rewatch
What are some of the last things you do before the day ends?
Post-dinner walk? Read? Pretend to read? Clean up your home? Nightly show? Drink tea and chat with whoever you live with? Doom scroll? Make tomorrow’s to-do list?
Growing up, my dad would end long days by watching videos of his favorite live performances. My mom still jokes that when she heard the end of Alicia Keys’ I Ain’t Got You, she knew he’d be headed up to bed soon. The Alicia Keys of it all makes me laugh. He just liked it! And it’s nice to end the day with something that you like.
Live music has the best feeling. All feels right as you stand and listen in a crowd — so connected, so tiny in the world and genuinely happy to be in it. A brain chemistry reset!
But big concert evenings to revive the soul are few and far between. How lucky are we to have access to rewatch so many electric performances as many times as we want!
Maybe my dad was onto something. Maybe live music is the unexpected thing our bedtime routine is missing! Maybe soon, take a moment at anytime of day to appreciate the small joy of a song, of crisp recorded live vocals, of cool set visuals — to just be in awe of someone’s talent.
Because it’s nice to end the day with something that you like!
a few of my go-to performances
to play for a boost of inspiration:
Another one off my dad’s favorites list. We always seem to come back and watch it together every so often. “It’s just that good,” he always says.
I ALWAYS watch this when it comes up randomly on my TikTok.
Insane.
Addictive! Duaaaa. Plus, anytime people add in some strings to live performances (!!!), it’s an immediate fav.
honorable mentions
My favorite recorded live show of Olivia Dean’s that I love turning on during WFH days.
Shared it before, still the best. Long live the reputation tour!
What are some of your favorite live performances? Any that you always stop and rewatch when they come up on your feed? You should save them and turn them on more often!
appreciating recent new releases ↓
A few favorite finds that are worth putting on your radar!
Ed’s new album didn’t let me down! There are a few that I really enjoy, but this album intro (fitly named “Opening”) held my attention for days after I heard it! It fit right into my recent Artist’s Way learnings and I love the lyrics:
I spent weeks inside the darkest cage
But now the day bursts wild and open
There's a time to cry, there's a time to fold
There's a time for holding on and to let it go
There's a time to run to the arms of hopе
And the day bursts wild and openDraw a line, for the sake of all your family and friends
Draw a line, so history doesn't happen again
Draw a line, for the day to start, the night has to end
Draw a line, for all of these ghosts
SWAG II is even better than the first – Daisies who! Love a surprise album always.
Her album comes out next week. Prepare to be sick of me!!! This cover is tiding us over in the meantime.
So creative!!!
Album is out! This one’s my favorite.
I think Conan’s music is so interesting! Love the almost cinematic spin on typical pop.
Not new, but new to me! This album (“Field Recordings” recorded in nature, so perfect) has been a recent grounding, prayerful repeat in really intense moments or days.
Hope you’re finding and loving tons of art yourself! Gather it, keep it saved somewhere, and revisit it every day (or night)! It’s worth it to keep ourselves close to things we genuinely like.
Happy art hunting! Xx
Was counting on dancing with our hands tied being on this list! To add to the Taylor lineup, her acoustic performance of out of the woods at the Grammy Museum in 2019 lives in my brain rent free.