Nathaniel Rateliff brought along his longtime backing band, the Night Sweats, for his appearance last night as the musical guest on last night’s Regina King-hosted episode of Saturday Night Live.
Rateliff has been changing things up over the past year or so, opting to record his latest album, And It’s Still Alright, as a solo endeavor. His late-2020 single, “Redemption“, which is featured on the soundtrack for Amazon film Palmer, continued the trend of Rateliff being billed as a solo act, and virtual performances like his slot at Georgia Comes Alive further cemented the pattern. As such, it came as a welcome surprise when Nathaniel Rateliff appeared with his Night Sweats for his debut SNL appearance.
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For his first of two tunes, Rateliff dove into the earnest and uplifting “Redemption” with the help of a stripped-down Night Sweats roster and a trio of female backing vocalists from the Resistance Revival Chorus, Arin Maya, Melissa McMillan, and Camille Trust. An electric guitar in hand, the singer-songwriter squeezed every drop of emotion from the song, guiding it from a slow, swaying opening through its primal howl of a final chorus. Watch Nathaniel Rateliff perform “Redemption” on SNL below and stream the track on the platform of your choice here.
Nathaniel Rateliff – “Redemption” – Saturday Night Live
[Video: Nathaniel Rateliff]
For his second song, Rateliff welcomed up the full-fledged band for a run through an old favorite from their live catalog, “A Little Honey”. This time around, Rateliff kicked off the performance at the keyboard rig before working his way out to center stage to belt out the feel-good lyrics. Watch Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats perform “A Little Honey” on SNL below:
Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats – “A Little Honey” – Saturday Night Live
[Video: Nathaniel Rateliff]