8 CONCERT FILMS
Your Live Music Fix Feat. Beyonce, The Stones +
It seems clear that we won’t be seeing any live music this summer. The coronavirus pandemic has put all large gatherings on hold indefinitely, so we’ll be spending the next few months without any concerts.
Luckily, there are several fabulous concert films that can help us get our fix during these trying times. So, although you may be mourning Taylor Swift’s canceled Lover Fest or longing for the ghosts of concerts past, here are seven movies that may help numb the pain.
Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé
Written, directed and produced by Queen B herself, this film chronicles Beyoncé’s creative process and shows her headlining performance at the 2018 Coachella Music and Arts Festival. Homecoming was nominated for dozens of awards following its release and won several, including the Grammy for Best Music Film.
Taylor Swift’s Reputation Stadium Tour
After two years away from the public eye, Taylor Swift returned to the limelight with her phenomenal sixth studio album Reputation. This film is the complete show that she performed in Arlington, Texas, during the American leg of her tour.
Justin Timberlake + the Tennessee Kids
Long celebrated as a standout performer of his generation, Justin Timberlake brought the house down on the final two nights of his 20/20 Experience World Tour. The performances from Justin Timberlake + the Tennessee Kids were in Las Vegas in January 2015. It marked the end of one of the most successful tours ever.
Stop Making Sense
During the Talking Heads’ tour to promote their album Speaking in Tongues, director Jonathan Demme captured four nights of live performances and compiled them to create this film. Frontman David Byrne is in peak form, giving a captivating performance that moves us even as we watch it from our living rooms.
Gimme Shelter
Let this film take you back in time to the final weeks of the Rolling Stones’ 1969 American tour. After plenty of performance footage and looks behind the scenes, Gimme Shelter ends with footage of the notorious Altamont Free Concert, where the Hells Angels biker gang was enlisted as security guards and a fan died as the result of an outbreak of violence.
Fleetwood Mac: The Dance
The band may still be touring, but it will undoubtedly be some time before we see Stevie Nicks in action again. In the meantime, we have this MTV special, where the Rumours edition of Fleetwood Mac reunited for a show in 1997. The group performed old favorites like “Landslide,” “Dreams,” and “Don’t Stop,” along with tracks that were new at the time.
Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars
Where were you when David Bowie retired his eccentric alter ego Ziggy Stardust? This concert movie marked Bowie’s final performance as the beloved Ziggy at London’s Hammersmith Odeon in July 1973. If you’ve missed Bowie since his death in 2016 and need musical comfort, we recommend this film.
Sign o’ the Times
Written and directed by Prince, this 1987 concert film is often described as Purple Rain without the narrative. Prince’s performances have been recreated through holograms and tributes on numerous occasions since his passing in 2016, but Sign o’ the Times offers you the real thing.
