Video - Andrew Bird on Letterman

In the spectrum of performance art, an Andrew Bird live show most closely resembles a tightrope walk. One man, alone in the spotlight at center-stage, armed with only his musical virtuosity and his wits, weaves together looping layers of violin, guitar, xylophone--and of course his haunting Theramin-tuned whistle--into sweeping orchestral pop songs that tug at the brainstem as surely as the heartstrings.

But, an appeal for relevance and context: Andrew Bird, longtime collaborator and percussion god Martin Dosh, and a couple of fresher faces did their weary troubadour thing down at The Late Show with David Letterman this past Tuesday, showcasing a song from his recently-released (and mind-blowingly excellent) Noble Beast LP.

Soldier on with "Fitz and the Dizzyspells" (from Noble Beast, out now on Fat Possum)