For Joanna Newsom’s first U.S. television performance in support of her new triple LP Have One On Me, the northern California based singer-songwriter left her trademark harp behind, opting instead to play an abridged version of “Soft As Chalk” on a grand piano for Jimmy Fallon and company.
It feels just like yesterday that we were freaking out over grainy YouTubes of Newsom debuting her new songs, so it feels a bit strange (in a good way, of course) to watch a video of such high production value.
I could go on and on about how unusual of a performance this is for network television, but frankly, Fallon has been developing quite the reputation for showcasing diverse artists on his late night program lately by inviting the likes of Dirty Projectors and more avant-garde acts the past couple months. Either way, you should probably just check it out for yourself: