As everyone from Rolling Stone to their hometown Philadelphia Inquirer have noted, Low Cut Connie’s Adam Weiner has been putting some of the best – strike that, the best – live streams of our quarantined era. In twice-weekly shows he calls “Tough Cookies,” Weiner, sometimes accompanied by guitarist Will Donnelly, strips down to his skivvies and plays a high-energy set with a whole lot of crowd participation – doubly impressive without an actual crowd. He also invites friends ranging from Dion to Big Freedia to join him (when’s he going to get his most famous fan in on the action?) If you haven’t watched one, you should; it’s at a whole different energy level than any other artist’s stream.
The shows feature a ton of covers, a few of which he’s excerpted on his YouTube. Some are expected – no shock this Philly greaser loves Springsteen (who apparently loves him back), and who better to pay tribute to Little Richard for a full hour than a wild piano man of a different generation? Some are less so, like a rollicking acoustic Cardi B cover (“Be Careful”) and a surprisingly moving Lana Del Rey (“Video Games”). Watch some of the best below, and support Low Cut Connie on Patreon to view future streams live.
Adam’s energy, his song choices and his positive message are the breath of life in my otherwise chaotic week. Adam, Will and camera girl give me something to look forward to twice a week.