Great Performances » live music

Billy Joel: Live at Shea Stadium: Watch a performance of “Captain Jack”

colin fitzpatrick — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 16:50:22 +0000

Shortly before the demolition of New York City’s Shea Stadium in July 2008, superstar Billy Joel electrified audiences with two memorable concerts at the historic arena. Watch him perform the 1973 classic “Captain Jack” in that concert.

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Billy Joel: Live at Shea Stadium: Watch a performance of “Piano Man”

colin fitzpatrick — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 16:38:47 +0000

Chosen as the last rock act to play the venue, Billy Joel staged his “Last Play at Shea” concerts on July 16 and July 18, 2008, rocking a combined audience of 110,000 fans with one of the most emotionally charged shows ever played at the historic stadium. Watch him perform his classic anthem “Piano Man” at this historic concert.

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Pete Seeger’s 90th Birthday Celebration from Madison Square Garden: “We Shall Overcome”

colin fitzpatrick — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 20:06:20 +0000

A well rounded ensemble of musicians featuring many of Seeger’s friends sing a moving round of “We Shall Overcome” on the stage of Madison Square Garden for his landmark birthday concert.

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More performances:
Dave Matthews Performs “Rye Whiskey”
Seeger and Friends Perform “This Land Is Your Land”
The Happy Birthday Song
Joan Baez Performs “Where Have All the Flowers Gone”

Pete Seeger’s 90th Birthday Celebration from Madison Square Garden: Dave Matthews Performs “Rye Whiskey”

colin fitzpatrick — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 19:56:00 +0000

Dave Matthews brings his own brand of musicality to Pete Seeger’s “Whiskey Rye” at Madison Square Garden for Pete Seeger’s 90th Birthday Celebration.

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More performances:
“We Shall Overcome”
Seeger and Friends Perform “This Land Is Your Land”
The Happy Birthday Song
Joan Baez Performs “Where Have All the Flowers Gone”

Pete Seeger’s 90th Birthday Celebration from Madison Square Garden: Seeger and Friends Perform “This Land Is Your Land”

colin fitzpatrick — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:31:55 +0000

Pete Seeger and friends perform the classic “This Land Is Your Land” together on stage at Madison Square Garden for Pete Seeger’s 90th Birthday Celebration.

(View full post to see video)

More performances:
“We Shall Overcome”
Dave Matthews Performs “Rye Whiskey”
The Happy Birthday Song
Joan Baez Performs “Where Have All the Flowers Gone”

Pete Seeger’s 90th Birthday Celebration from Madison Square Garden: The Happy Birthday Song

colin fitzpatrick — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:10:35 +0000

Seeger’s family, friends, fans, supporters, and the musicians influenced by his music sing “Happy Birthday” for Pete Seeger’s landmark 90th birthday.

(View full post to see video)

More performances:
“We Shall Overcome”
Dave Matthews Performs “Rye Whiskey”
Seeger and Friends Perform “This Land Is Your Land”
Joan Baez Performs “Where Have All the Flowers Gone”

Pete Seeger’s 90th Birthday Celebration from Madison Square Garden: Joan Baez Performs “Where Have All the Flowers Gone”

colin fitzpatrick — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 15:53:44 +0000

In this video, watch Joan Baez perform her rendition of Seeger’s classic “Where Have All the Flowers Gone” for the crowd at Pete Seeger’s 90th Birthday Celebration at Madison Square Garden.

(View full post to see video)

More performances:
“We Shall Overcome”
Dave Matthews Performs “Rye Whiskey”
Seeger and Friends Perform “This Land Is Your Land”
The Happy Birthday Song

Chess in Concert: Interview with Josh Groban

colin fitzpatrick — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:34:30 +0000

Josh Groban, star of the Tim Rice musical “Chess in Concert,” speaks candidly to WNET/THIRTEEN about this passion project, his co-stars Idina Menzel (Wicked) and Adam Pascal (Rent), and the chart-topping music, created by ABBA composers Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus. Premiering in HD on THIRTEEN on June 17th at 8 p.m. EST (check local listings), Great Performances is proud to present “Chess in Concert,” taped at the Royal Albert Hall in London in May 2008. Click below to watch a preview of the show, as narrated by the “King of Chess” himself, Josh Groban.

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Stevie Wonder: Live at Last: Preview of Stevie Wonder: Live at Last

colin fitzpatrick — Fri, 29 May 2009 22:35:15 +0000

To mark the 50th anniversary of Motown Records, Stevie Wonder: Live at Last captures Grammy Award-winning artist Stevie Wonder in his first concert performance recorded for television Monday, June 1 at 8 p.m. (check local listings) on THIRTEEN’s Great Performances. Presented in 5.1 digital surround sound on PBS HD, this special telecast features the Motown master performing such chart-topping hits as Isn’t She Lovely, My Cherie Amour and Sign, Sealed, Delivered [I’m Yours].

Watch a preview:

Great Performances is a production of THIRTEEN in association with WNET.ORG – one of America’s most prolific and respected public media providers.

Wonder rocketed to stardom at age 12 when he was signed to Motown Records as “Little Stevie Wonder”. Over nearly four decades, Wonder has reinvigorated the music scene with his unique sound, produced nine number one records and won a total of 22 Grammy Awards – and there is no end in sight for the successful superstar.

In October 2008, he returned to Europe – after over a decade – to perform to a packed house at London’s O2 Arena. Wonder, who pulls out all the hits, keeps the crowd on its feet and doesn’t miss a beat during his tour-de-force concert performance.

Stevie Wonder: Live at Last is a production of Done and Dusted in association with THIRTEEN for WNET.ORG. Hamish Hamilton is director and Stevie Wonder is producer. Rachel French is producer and Simon Pizey is executive producer, for Done and Dusted; Ray Still is executive producer for Universal Music. For Great Performances, Bill O’Donnell is series producer; David Horn is executive producer.

Great Performances is funded by the Irene Diamond Fund, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, public television viewers, and PBS.

Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood: Live From Madison Square Garden: Preview of Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood: Live From Madison Square Garden

colin fitzpatrick — Wed, 20 May 2009 19:34:52 +0000

Long-time friends and former band mates Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood team up for a once-in-a-lifetime reunion concert in Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood: Live From Madison Square Garden Thursday, May 28 at 8 p.m. (ET) on THIRTEEN’s Great Performances on PBS (check local listings). Presented in 5.1 digital surround sound on PBS HD, the special telecast captures Clapton and Winwood at New York’s Madison Square Garden performing songs from their short-lived Blind Faith collaboration, including “Presence of the Lord,” “Can’t Find My Way Home,” “Well All Right,” along with hits from their respective solo careers.

Watch a preview:

“I was 15 or 16 and he was 18 or 19, and he definitely looked after me,” Winwood recounts of his blossoming friendship with Clapton, at the top of the telecast. “[We] played records and talked about music. From very early on, he took on a brotherly [role].” As their friendship solidified, Clapton and Winwood – with drummer Ginger Baker and bassist Ric Grech – formed Blind Faith. They disbanded in 1969 after releasing only one chart-topping, self-titled album.

The spotlight, however, hasn’t dimmed on either Clapton or Winwood’s careers – Clapton has won 18 Grammy Awards and honored with 3 different inductions into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame; Winwood has won Grammy Awards for record of the year and best male vocal performance for his work on “Higher Love.” As for the decision to play a reunion concert, Clapton wanted to recreate “the romance and beauty of [the music] played in the past” The pair take viewers back to rock’s glory days as they perform songs by Jimi Hendrix (Little Wing), Clapton’s catalogue (Forever Man), and tracks from Winwood’s band Traffic (Pearly Queen) – rounding off the performance with hits from their Blind Faith album– which, for fans old and new, is an evening not to be forgotten.

Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood: Live From Madison Square Garden also features Willie Weeks on bass, Chris Stainton on keyboard, and Ian Thomas on drums.

A production of Parallel 28 Equipe Inc., Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood: Live From Madison Square Garden is directed by Martyn Atkins and produced by John McDermott, James Pluta and Scooter Weintraub; John Beug, Michael Eaton, Peter Jackson and Tom Whalley are executive producers. The special was recorded live in performance at Madison Square Garden in February 2008. For Great Performances, Bill O’Donnell is series producer; David Horn is executive producer.

The telecast marks Clapton’s most recent appearance on Great Performances. In 2004, Great Performances broadcast highlights from Clapton’s three-day guitar festival from Dallas in Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival, as well as a follow-up Crossroads Festival concert from Chicago in 2006. Clapton also appeared in the series’ presentation of Cream Reunion Concert (2005) and Concert for George (2003).

The DVD of Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood: Live From Madison Square Garden is distributed by Warner Strategic Marketing.

Great Performances is funded by the Irene Diamond Fund, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, public television viewers, and PBS.