Live From the Artists Den

It was a school night to remember when international superstars Phoenix performed a spectacular show in the gym at L.C. Anderson High School in Austin, TX. Following a main-stage set at the Austin City Limits Festival the day before, the French band played for 800 invited guests – including several hundred students – for their episode Live from the Artists Den. They blasted through such hits as “Lisztomania” and “If I Ever Feel Better” and selections from Bankrupt!, before singer Thomas Mars invited the audience to join them on stage at the home of the Trojans for thrilling, chaotic renditions of “1901” and “Rome.”

On the eve of the release of her album, Feels Like Home, nine-time Grammy winner Sheryl Crow delivered a powerhouse performance in the ornate Grand Ballroom of The Plaza. In a taping for an episode of Live from the Artists Den, Crow tore through eighteen songs at the New York City landmark, leading her six-piece band in a career-spanning including her breakthrough hit, “All I Wanna Do.” Whether seated for a three-song acoustic set or blowing an electrifying, rocked-up harmonica solo, Crow thrilled the invited audience of 600.

Los Angeles’ historic Orpheum Theatre hosted a dynamic performance from musician Sara Bareilles one late October evening. One-thousand guests filled the downtown theater, built in 1926, to witness the singer-songwriter’s soaring set. Bareilles performed several songs off The Blessed Unrest, her Album of the Year-nominated fourth studio album, including the hit single “Brave,” a song that champions gay rights. The singer showcased her powerful, evocative vocals on fan favorites like “Love Song” and “King of Anything,” ending the set with an emotionally compelling rendition of her breakout song “Gravity.”

Vampire Weekend hit the ground running, opening their performance at New York’s General Society of Mechanics & Tradesmen with “Diane Young,” the first single from the Grammy-winning album Modern Vampires of the City. The set featured such hits as “Cousins,” “A-Punk,” and (especially fitting on a snowy winter’s eve) “Holiday.” With an audience of just 400 guests, this triumphant return to the city where the band was formed was the most intimate show Vampire Weekend has played in years.

It was a sensation both familiar and brand new when Fitz & The Tantrums filmed their episode of Live from the Artists Den. The show marked a return to their home base for the beloved Los Angeles band, in a truly incredible venue—the breathtaking Spanish Gothic-style Theatre at Ace Hotel, formerly the United Artists movie palace, built in downtown LA in the 1920s under the hands-on direction of Mary Pickford. Fitz & The Tantrums played its signature dance grooves — blending classic soul and ’80s pop on such songs – and, as always, refused to let the audience even think about sitting down.

Highlights from the series include Ringo Starr's concert at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Adele's acoustic performance in Santa Monica, Calif.