The Hammer Museum in Los Angeles hosted its annual Gala in the Garden on October 12, this year honoring Judy Chicago and Jordan Peele. For the musical portion of the evening, Beck invited surprise guest Chris Martin on stage to join him for “Loser,” and “Nobody’s Fault But My Own” from his 1998 album Mutations. The Coldplay singer sat on the stage for the performance of both songs, which featured a band of Indian classical musicians playing the music.
The performance was captured by The Hollywood Reporter‘s Chris Gardner.
“He’s fresh off regional tour of Cats,” jokes Beck welcoming surprise guest Chris Martin to stage “to sing some harmonies” @ #HammerGala in front of honorees Jordan Peele, Judy Chicago, guests JJ Abrams, Tom Ford (and Dakota Johnson on side of stage). pic.twitter.com/2yttqwOkEV
— Chris Gardner (@chrissgardner) October 14, 2019
Part 2/Standing ovation for @beck and Chris Martin after “Loser” performance https://t.co/xtzt2oq4tM pic.twitter.com/6RDkAlAZKn
— Chris Gardner (@chrissgardner) October 14, 2019
This isn’t the first time Martin and Beck have performed together, as Stereogum points out. The Coldplay frontman sang backup on “Heart Is a Drum” at the 2015 Grammy Awards, and joined Beck and Chad Smith for covers of Pink Floyd, Bruce Springsteen, and more at a 2016 fundraiser for the Malibu Boys and Girls Club.
Beck, who has been on SPIN‘s cover a total of four times, had this to say about his hit “Loser” in 1994: “I didn’t even connect it at all to that kind of message until they were playing it on the radio and I heard it, and they said, ‘This is the slacker anthem,’ and immediately it just clicked and I thought, ‘Oh shit, that sucks.’”
There’s a certain irony to him being asked to trot out the “slacker anthem” at these benefit galas, though we should probably just be glad he’s come around to it again.
