My television is one of those smart TVs with a web browser that affords me the luxury of watching any video of my choosing from the internet. I've taken to watching performance videos recently, and these shows on a big screen with great sound cannot be beaten. Of course, concert videos have been around a long time now, and while the majority are shot by fans (most of which are neither easy nor appealing to watch), there are plenty of great professional videos to be found if you take the time to look. So, here are five live performance videos on the web that I think are amazing, and I hope you do too.

1) Pat Metheny Group—Are You Going With Me, Montreal Jazz Festival, July 4, 1989

I have seen Pat Metheny more than 30 times, starting forty years ago in Telluride, CO. One show that I didn't make, that I really wish I did, was the extraordinary Montreal Jazz Festival set on July 4th, 1989, the fourth-annual "grand événement" free concert on McGill College Ave in Montreal. The captivating video, includes one of Metheny's greatest and most sublime tunes, "Are You Going With Me," played by Metheny and his band to more than 100,000 fans, a seemingly endless mass of humanity that stretched on block after block. Metheny was shocked at the number of people, saying later that they had never played before so many…the performance proves they let nobody down. Watch it here: https://bit.ly/2pSxKTk

2) Umphrey's McGee Live at The Anthem, Washington DC, February 15, 2018

There's a new venue on the SE Waterfront in DC called The Anthem. It is a cavernous, beautiful venue that allows you to stretch out a bit – giving you the choice to watch from the giant floor or some great balcony boxes. There have already been some fine performances there, including an Umphrey's McGee concert I attended last February. The band streamed the show for free to celebrate their new Album, It's Not Us. Joining the band for the last two tunes of the first set, was Fauquier native and extraordinary picker, Larry Keel. The recording also includes the opening act, The Marcus King Band. Crank it up loud. Watch it here: https://bit.ly/2MEpOCk

3) Return to Forever—San Sebastian Jazz Festival, Spain, 2008 Full Set

Introduce yourself to Return to Forever. RTF has always been one of my favorite groups, so, when they announced a reunion tour in 2008, I was at Merriweather Post Pavilion for the show – and even got to shake guitarist Al Di Meola's hand before the encore. This recording comes from the San Sebastian Jazz Festival (now called Heineken Jazzeldia) during that reunion year. The band, featuring keyboardist Chick Corea, guitarist Al Di Meola, bassist Stanley Clarke, and drummer Lenny White is one of the greatest Jazz ensembles ever, and this set is remarkable in its virtuosity. I especially love the tune, "Romantic Warrior," but they are all winners. Watch here: https://bit.ly/2CLkb0q

4) Pink Floyd Shine on You Crazy Diamond, Live Pulse 1994

There are a few tunes that you can never get tired of. Pink Floyd's "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" is one of them. The song was written to honor Syd Barrett, who lost his mind after far too much LSD. It is a rock anthem extraordinaire, definitely one of my top five greatest rock tunes. This incarnation of the band is post-departure of Roger Waters, but nonetheless, is still a great rendition. The opening guitar notes from David Gilmour and baritone sax solo late in the song still send chills up my spine. Who doesn't like Pink Floyd? Watch and listen here: https://bit.ly/2IZhl8j

Neil Young and CSF—Rocking in the Free World, Saturday Night Live, September 30, 1989

This clip from Saturday Night Live is very hard to find online because the NBC copyright police have deleted it from almost everywhere. I remember seeing the original broadcast. It is likely the greatest live rock performance to ever be on television – no kidding. Neil Young is certifiably crazy rabid as he thrashes through his hit, 'Rocking in the Free World', literally shredding his strings in the process. He is joined by Charlie Drayton, Steve Jordan, and Frank 'Poncho' Sampedro, all of whom are as possessed as Young during this performance. To prepare, Young brought a trainer backstage at SNL to whip him up to a high energy level, resulting in a performance, unlike anything I have ever seen. Young himself admitted to its insanity in a Village Voice interview soon after:

"Yeah, well I was insane. I don't like TV. Never have. It always sucks and there's nothing you can do about it. You can't just walk on and do 'Rocking in the Free World,' or you'll look like a [expletive] idiot. To perform that song the way it's supposed to be performed you have to be at peak blood level, everything has to be up, the machine has to be stoked. To do that I had to ignore Saturday Night Live completely. I had to pretend I wasn't there."

Find the video here: https://bit.ly/2yKaMSi

Steve Chase is watching music videos on his smart TV in Unison.