London calling: The best of the iTunes Festival (so far)

By

A$AP Rocky

This year’s iTunes Festival lineup is fantastic. It’s got everything, with veterans like Tony Bennett and Robert Plant sharing a festival stage with relative newcomers Sam Smith and Deadmau5.

All those taking the stage at London’s Roundhouse as part of the free shows are consummate performers but — as with any large concert program — there are always some standout acts. We’ve rounded up some of the best moments from the first half of this month-long concert series.

One note: The best way to relive these moments is Apple TV, which is serving up full sets on demand for a limited time. The iTunes iOS app works well too, although it’s a little more difficult to locate a particular set. Trying to watch them online doesn’t work when there’s an iTunes Festival performance going on, because the live show apparently supersedes the archived sets.

Just spare yourself downloading the actual iTunes Festival app — it’s literally nothing more than a lineup listing and a link to the iTunes app.

Start ’em off slow: Deadmau5

DeadMau5
Sure, he wears his iconic electronica mouse head throughout his entire hourlong show, but 33-year-old Joel Thomas Zimmerman, also known as Deadmau5, builds up a rave of a set that got everyone dancing, even those of us watching from home.

Been a long time: Robert Plant

Robert Plant
While Robert Plant spent much of the show showcasing his new material along with geriatric backing band, the Sensational Shape Shifters, the audience responded most when he ripped into Led Zeppelin classics like “Black Dog” and “Whole Lotta Love.” This is an artist at his best: pure, relaxed and unafraid to scat during a rock song.

A$AP Rocky and Sam Smith onstage

Smith and Rocky
22-year-old Sam Smith has a golden voice and a couple of big hits like “La La La (Naughty Boy Song)” and “Stay With Me.” But when he brought rapper A$AP Rocky to the stage to perform his part of “I’m Not the Only One,” his potential as an up-and-comer shone brightest.

Older and better: Tony Bennett

Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett is 88 years old – that’s old enough to be Robert Plant’s father – and he’s still classy as fuck. The man has some serious pipes, and even though they crack a bit here and there, I’d like to see any of the artists at this or any iTunes Festival do better at Bennett’s advanced age. Also: Damn, that backing band swings.

‘Happy’ to be here: Pharrell Williams

Pharrell
Pharrell Williams has had a long and successful career, and even though his relentlessly understated set featured the same dancers and costumes throughout, he played a crowd-pleasing selection of hits. His backing band played enthusiastically through bits of songs Williams has been a part of, like Gwen Stefani’s “Hollaback Girl,” Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” and Justin Timberlake’s “Like I Love You.” The best part, however, was his spirited performance of the most downloaded song (in the U.K.), “Happy.”

Lush life: David Gray

David Gray
There’s nothing warmer than Welsh singer David Gray’s deliciously fluid tenor, and he plays his entire set with a full backing band, making every one of his songs sound full and luscious. We’ve heard that Lisa Hannigan’s crowd-pleasing “Braille” made an appearance during Hannigan’s opening act, but as only the headliners are archived, we didn’t get to hear it.

Comfortable syncopation: Elbow

Elbow
“Is everyone OK?” asks frontman Guy Garvey before beginning several songs of this hour-long set, a heartfelt and inviting question that perfectly explains the comfortably layered melodic rock that his band, Elbow, plays so effortlessly. The crowd responds, growing louder and more enthusiastic at the end of each well-produced live song.

The iTunes Festival continues Tuesday, September 16, with a Chrissy Hynde and Blondie double — that’s a set we don’t want to miss. We’ll have more on the best of the second half of the festival at the end of the month.

What about you? Hear any standout tracks? Who were your favorite artists and why? We’ll compile the best responses into a reader’s picks post later this month.

Screengrabs: Cult of Mac

Newsletters

Daily round-ups or a weekly refresher, straight from Cult of Mac to your inbox.

  • The Weekender

    The week's best Apple news, reviews and how-tos from Cult of Mac, every Saturday morning. Our readers say: "Thank you guys for always posting cool stuff" -- Vaughn Nevins. "Very informative" -- Kenly Xavier.