EVENT: VH1’s You Oughta Know in Concert
Venue: Roseland Ballroom, New York
Date: Nov. 11
VH1 assembled a painfully cool lineup for its first You Oughta Know concert, showcasing seven rising acts who’ve benefitted from the network’s exposure during the last year — Lorde, HAIM, the Lumineers, Emeli Sandé and a pre-taped Ed Sheeran were among the big names. Even the more expected acts for a VH1 showcase delivered riveting surprises, including a team-up between folk-pop duo Johnnyswim and Mat Kearney on the former’s single “Heart Beats.” The unabashed highlight, however, was HAIM’s earnest take on Sheryl Crow’s 1994 hit “Strong Enough,” complete with a guest verse from Lorde. It was a meta moment, to be sure, having two young acts play a song that was all over VH1’s airwaves nearly 20 years ago. But it stayed stuck in the memory long after the no-brainer group finale-an all-star rendition of the Lumineers’ inescapable “Ho Hey.”