We would have given our left ventricle to have been in NYC on Tuesday at WFUV Radio’s Holiday Cheer concert at NYC’s Beacon Theatre.  At WFUV, Sam Beam (Iron & Wine) hosted the festivities while the likes of Glen Hansard (Once, Frames), Kathleen Edwards, St. Nick Lowe, and Beth Orton performed, all as bountifully backed by Calexico.

Recently the combo of Sam Beam, Glen Hansard, Kathleen Edwards, and Calexico delivered a rapturous cover of Fairytale of New York, the Pogues’ and Kirsty MacColl’s Christmas classic on Fallon.  Watch below as the voices of Beam, Edwards and Hansard combine perfectly on the song, lifted into the air by Calexico’s magical accompaniment.  Evidently, at WFUV Sam Beam described the song as “one that he envisioned Santa Claus writing to Mrs. Claus.”   Uh-huh.  Possibly.

The last time we heard the song performed live was approximately 25 years ago when Joe Strummer was leading the Shane MacGowan-less Pogues in San Francisco in a raucous, rousing rendition.  While that night was unforgettable, we’ll take Beam and Hansard combining with the ever-comely and gifted Edwards on this particular song any day of the week (Edwards plays the role of Kirsty MacColl much better than the lovely Strummer).  If ever a group of talented artists should combine into a super-group, it is Beam, Edwards and Hansard.  We hope we see and hear them together much more often in the future.  Watch on Fallon below. After, watch the Pogues’/MacColl’s original.