Jables and K.G. perform “Roadie” live with Tenacious D on Late Show with David Letterman
Without me there’d be no sound from those amps
Without me there’d be no lights on the stage
But you don’t applaud for me
Chew It Up, Spit Out the Rest
Mastodon performs “Curl of the Burl” from The Hunter on Late Show with David Letterman on October 5, 2011
Continuing the late night TV live performances, here’s Mastodon romping through a song on Letterman that we have visited twice here recently. Much like yesterday’s Judas Priest clip, it’s a good performance, but it doesn’t quite live up to what I expected. Not that the guys don’t lay down the same heavy groove found on the studio track. I think the biggest issue here is that the mix is absolutely terrible—muddy, uneven, no dynamics, and the vocals are mostly buried, especially the harmonies.
I love that heavy music is getting late show attention these days, and therefore, I hate sounding so critical of the performances. Diehard fans—and even those on the periphery—will tune in to support the bands they love, and like me, they’ll even forgive a multitude of sins, knowing how difficult it is to replicate the album versions of songs. But in this age of musical ADHD, a band is going to have to turn in a stellar performance on these shows to gain new fans and, as a result, record sales. But then again, maybe that’s not always the point of the appearance.
Enjoy!
