Notes:
This is a benefit gig at the Largo in Los Angeles. Judd Apatow regularly hosts benefit shows there with lots of special guests, and Beck in the past has appeared at one or two of them. This was a little different, as Beck was advertised as a cohost.
The show began with Judd Apatow doing a little standup/storytelling, and then he brought out Kumail Nanjiani so the two of them could chat/be funny together. They then introduced Norman Lear, who said a few words, as it was his organization that they were benefitting.
After that, there was a Beck concert. He opened with two solo acoustic songs, before bringing out The B-53s (Alex, Cecilia and Jake) and Jason Falkner. Jake jumped between playing bass (not his normal instrument) and mandolin. Jason played acoustic guitar on the first band song ("Say Goodbye") before moving to piano for everything else.
A few songs certainly were slightly rusty, due to their infrequent performance. Beck needed a second to remember "Blackbird Chain" and got help from Cecilia on how to start it. He seemed relieved and impressed they got through "Heart Is A Drum." He started "End Of The Day" but after one line forgot the lyrics, so they quit it entirely.
But a few of the others were obviously much closer to his mind: "The Golden Age" isn't played a lot anymore but he still knows it deeply, "Blue Moon," "Lost Cause," "Say Goodbye" were played throughout 2018. "Fix Me" was not played before, but I reckon they learned it for the tour since it sounded great.
"Lost Cause" started out in a slowed down "Goth Cause" version, Beck singing in a deep dark voice -- apparently they discovered this version while warming up before a show sometime on tour. It gave a new twist on the lyrics! After a verse of that, Beck said, "Should we do it for real?" and they did it again straight.
For the ending, Beck turned on a drum machine and got everyone excited for an acoustic "Loser." Love hearing Beck playing his acoustic guitar with a slide. After a short break, they came back out for "Where It's At," also entirely acoustic with a drum machine. Beck confused the band by going into the normal band intro cover sections. Jason, still at the piano, did an impressive full Bowie impression, singing through "Life On Mars?". The B-53s got individual cover moments for a change: Jake did Dwayne's "Good Times" bass bit, Alex stuck to the B-53s "Once In A Lifetime" cover, and Cecilia was just like "well I can do some more 'Where It's At' here.
[
people and bands]
Banana: Alex Lilly
Bass: Jake Sinclair
Drum Machine: Beck Hansen
Dulcimer: Alex Lilly
Guitar (Acoustic): Beck Hansen, Cecilia Della Peruti, Jason Falkner
Host: Judd Apatow, Kumail Nanjiani
Mandolin: Jake Sinclair
Percussion: Alex Lilly
Piano: Jason Falkner
Vocals: Beck Hansen
Vocals (Background): Alex Lilly, Cecilia Della Peruti, Jake Sinclair