Sunday night's "Another Day, Another Time: Celebrating The Music Of 'Inside Llewyn Davis'" concert at Manhattan's Town Hall was one of those only-in-New-York events where a guy in a Mike Piazza t-shirt jersey could breathe the same air as Hollywood luminaries like Susan Sarandon and Frances McDormand.
The show, a benefit concert for the National Recording Preservation Foundation, was presented by "Inside Llewyn Davis" directors Joel and Ethan Coen and T Bone Burnett, the film's music supervisor, and featured nearly four hours of performances from singers like Joan Baez, Patti Smith, Jack White, Marcus Mumford and the "Inside Llewyn Davis" cast, Oscar Isaac (who plays the film's title character, a 1960s folk singer) and Carey Mulligan among them. "I'm humbled to have a seat at this table," Isaac said during one of his solo performances. Isaac, an actor who also sings, played "Hang Me, Oh Hang Me" and "Green, Green Rocky Road," two folk songs made famous by Dave Van Ronk, at the concert, and was joined by Mumford for a cover of "Fare Thee Well (Dink's Song)," the film's unofficial theme.
"Another Day, Another Time" will air on Showtime later this year, closer to the Dec. 20 release of "Inside Llewyn Davis." Ahead, the brightest moments from the star-studded event. Countdown ...
5. The live rendition of "Please Mr. Kennedy."
Since "Inside Llewyn Davis" premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May, the John Glenn Singers' (them being Isaac, Adam Driver and Justin Timberlake) performance of "Please Mr. Kennedy" has been an oft-discussed talking point. Timberlake was absent from Sunday night's concert -- Elvis Costello was introduced as his understudy, because it was that kind of evening -- but that didn't matter all too much thanks to Driver. The "Girls" star, who is tasked with utilizing his basso profondo to sing-speak things things like "outer ... space" and "one second please" in the tune, stole every second of the live rendition, just as he does on screen. Say hello to your year-end obsession.
4. Joan Baez and Patti Smith performed together.
This was totally normal.
3. The Punch Brothers' versatility
As Marcus Mumford joked, The Punch Brothers acted as de facto house band for the evening, playing alongside pretty much everyone. Yet it was during a performance of "The Auld Triangle," an Irish standard written for the 1954 play "The Quare Fellow," that The Punch Brothers (with help from Mumford) were at their best. The song also appears on the "Inside Llewyn Davis" soundtrack.
2. Carey Mulligan's off-hand charm.
Mulligan plays a folk singer in "Inside Llewyn Davis", and got to perform a pair of songs during the concert, including "Didn't Leave Nobody But The Baby" and "500 Miles," the latter with Elvis Costello. "This has been done by everyone from Peter, Paul and Mary to, well, me. So please give me a big hand," Mulligan said before "500 Miles." Mulligan received one of the warmest ovations of the night, if not the loudest. That's because ...
1. Dear, Lord: Rhiannon Giddens.
The chances are a good many people haven't heard of Rhiannon Giddens, but that's probably going to change after "Another Day, Another Time" airs on Showtime. Giddens performed two songs, including a traditional Scottish tune, and earned the night's one in-show standing ovation. Watch above to get an idea of what Giddens sounded like (just amplify the stakes by Scott Rudin is sitting 10 feet away.)
Check out the full "Another Night, Another Time" set list below:
ACT ONE
- "Tumbling Tumbleweeds," The Punch Brothers
- "Rye Whiskey," The Punch Brothers
- "Will The Circle Be Unbroken," Gillian Welch, Dave Rawlings, The Punch Brothers
- "The Way It Goes," Gillian Welch, Dave Rawlings
- "The Midnight Special," Gillian Welch, Dave Rawlings, Willie Watson
- "I Hear Them All/This Land Is Your Land," Gillian Welch, Dave Rawlings, Willie Watson
- "Last Thing On My Mind," Stark Sands, The Punch Brothers
- "New York," Milk Carton Kids
- "Tomorrow Will Be Kinder," Secret Sisters, The Punch Brothers
- "Go Down Smooth," Lake Street Dive
- "Please Mr. Kennedy," Elvis Costello, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver
- "Four Strong Winds," Conor Oberst, Gillian Welch, Dave Rawlings
- "Man Named Truth," Conor Oberst, Gillian Welch, Dave Rawlings
- "Tomorrow Is A Long Time," Keb Mo
- "Blues Run The Game," Colin Meloy
- "Joe Hill," Colin Meloy, Joan Baez, Gillian Welch
- "All My Mistakes," The Avett Brothers
- "How I Got To Memphis," The Avett Brothers
- "Head Full Of Doubt," The Avett Brothers
ACT TWO
- "Mama's Angel Child," Jack White
- "Have You Heard John Hurt?," Jack White
- "We're Going to Be Friends," Jack White
- "Waterboy," Rhiannon Giddens, Hubby Jenkins, Jack A., Jay, Jackson Smith, Paul
- "S'iomadh Rid The Dhith Om / Ciamar A Ni Mi," Rhiannon Giddens, Hubby Jenkins, Jack A., Jay, Chris, Paul, Gabe, Jackson Smith
- "Hang Me, Oh Hang Me," Oscar Isaac, The Punch Brothers, Secret Sisters
- "Green, Green Rocky Road," Oscar Isaac
- "Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You," Patti Smith, Jackson Smith
- "People Have The Power," Patti Smith, Jackson Smith, Avett Bros., Lake Street Dive, Jay, Jack A., Tony Shanahan
- "Rock, Salt and Nails," Bob Neuwirth, The Punch Brothers, Jay, Dave R., Jack A., Dave M.
- "The Auld Triangle," The Punch Brothers, Marcus Mumford
- "Didn't Leave Nobody But The Baby," Carey Mulligan, Gillian Welch, Rhiannon Giddens
- "Five Hundred Miles," Elvis Costello, Stark Sands, The Punch Brothers., Secret Sisters, Carey Mulligan
- "Which Side Are You On?," Joan Baez, Dirk Powell, Chris Thile
- "House Of The Rising Sun," Joan Baez, Dirk Powell
- "Give Me Cornbread When I'm Hungry," Joan Baez, Dirk Powell, Marcus Mumford
- "I Was Young When I Left Home," Marcus Mumford
- "Fare Thee Well," Marcus Mumford, Oscar Issac, The Punch Brothers, Jay, Jack
- "Farewell," Marcus Mumford, The Punch Brothers, Jay, Jack
All photos by Rahav Segev.
