Hear Full Concerts Online
All Songs Considered features live performances from some of today's best bands.
In this Series
August 5, 2008 - The singer-songwriter took the stage at Los Angeles' club Largo for an intimate, funny show. He played song his new album, Harps and Angels and some old favorites. He told stories about his family between the songs, laughing with the band—easy, warm, charming.
Recorded at Atlanta's historic Fox Theater on July 5, Waits delivers a stunning and epic two-and-a-half hour performance, including songs he says he's never attempted outside of the studio before. Backing Waits is a five-piece group featuring Seth Ford-Young (upright bass), Patrick Warren (keyboards), Omar Torrez (guitars), Vincent Henry (woodwinds) and Casey Waits (drums and percussion). "They play with racecar precision and they are all true conjurers," Waits says. "They are all multi-instrumentalists and they polka like real men."
The Ting Tings' infectious dance rhythms (and a coveted spot in an iPod commercial) have made the English pop duo one of the year's most exciting and hyped new bands. Hear the duo, featuring drummer Jules De Martino and guitarist-singer Katie White, recorded live in concert, from Washington, D.C.'s 9:30 Club.
Just when it seemed to be permanently defunct, the British space-rock group Spiritualized returned with its first album since 2003, Songs in A&E. The band is touring in support of the disc, and lands at Washington, D.C.'s 9:30 Club on July 25 for a live concert, webcast on NPR.org.
The members of Fleet Foxes like to say they're not much of a rock band, but they are one of the year's breakout acts. The group's self-titled debut, released earlier this year on the Sub Pop label, has earned universal acclaim for its timeless mix of folk, choral and rock. Hear Fleet Foxes recorded live in concert from Washington, D.C.'s Black Cat.
Nearly 40 years after first forming in Dakar, Senegal, Orchestra Baobab remains one of the world's foremost purveyors of Afro-Cuban pop. The ten-piece group will play songs from its new album, Made in Dakar, in a full concert, webcast live on NPR.org tonight (Jun. 19). The performance from the Birchmere in Alexandria, Va., will begin online at approximately 7:30 p.m. ET.
Led by the breathtaking falsetto of singer Jonathan Meiburg, Shearwater plays dramatic songs that are at once majestic and intimate. The Austin band brings this sonic thrill ride to Washington, D.C., for a full concert, webcast live on NPR.org.
Hear the lead singer for My Morning Jacket recorded live, in a solo acoustic performance at St. David's Episcopal Church in Austin, TX. Jim James gave an intimate show for just a few hundred people, a day after his full band played a sold-out show for thousands as part of the South by Southwest festival. Hear acoustic versions of some of My Morning Jacket's best songs, including selections from their new album, Evil Urges.
The Raconteurs just want to have fun. Loud and brash with an arsenal of infectious riffs, the quartet plays with swagger, a wry sense of humor and one, singular message: Let's rock. Hear The Raconteurs in a full concert, recorded live from Washington, D.C.'s 9:30 Club.
Best known for scoring the endearing soundtrack to Little Miss Sunshine, the Denver-based band DeVotchKa makes bittersweet songs with whistled melodies and sorrowful tales of the brokenhearted. Now on tour for its latest CD, A Mad and Faithful Telling, DeVotchKa gave a full concert at Washington, D.C.'s 9:30 Club, originally webcast live on NPR. May 16.
The Akron, Ohio-based duo The Black Keys brings a timeless mix of roots and riff-rock to Washington, D.C., for a full concert, recorded live the 9:30 Club. The band's performance was an unabashed, hard-driving rock show. There weren't any ballads in their nearly hour-and-a-half set; it was all about Dan Aurbach's distorted guitar and Patrick Carney's fiery drums. The group is on tour for its latest album, Attack and Release.
Hear the legendary rock artist recorded live, in a full concert from Asbury Park's Paramount Theatre in New Jersey. Lou Reed performed for more than a hour and a half, featuring work from throughout his catalog, including "Sweet Jane" from The Velvet Underground, more recent work like "Guardian Angel" from The Raven and a new song called "Power of the Heart."
Opening with "Hi-Speed Soul" from its 2002 album Let Go, Nada Surf performed for a sold-out crowd in a live concert webcast for NPR.org. A wistful pop song that ponders the meaning of reality, "Hi-Speed Soul" set the tone for an evening of inspired, thoughtful rock as the New York trio shared old favorites and showcased work from its latest album, Lucky.
With his ironic wordplay, deadpan delivery, and spiky guitar hooks, Malkmus helped make his former group Pavement one of the most influential rock acts of the '90s. Hear Malkmus and his backing band The Jicks, recorded live in concert from Washington, D.C.
A warm swell fills the room when My Morning Jacket takes the stage, but there's also unmistakable energy. The band's roots lie in distinctly American music forms (country, folk, classic rock), all wrapped in reverb and Jim James' soaring voice. The band performs songs from its new album, Evil Urges, at SXSW.
