Last night was a great night to stay awake until 12:25 a.m. when two remarkable performances took the stage on competing network television stations.

The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien hosted Kooza of Cirque du Soleil, which is currently on tour in the United States. The show, titled “Hoop Manipulation,” featured one insanely acrobatic woman working with multiple hoola-hoops all while twisting herself into super-human shapes. Her body-tight costume and the elaborate attire of the background performers added a new dimension to the act. According to http://www.cirquedusoleil.com, Kooza was intended to be a return to the original Cirque du Soleil, with an emphasis on acrobatic skills and clowning. The performance last night was just that.

The Late Show with David Letterman presented The Heavy, whose CD “The House That Dirt Built,” was released in October of last year. The song they featured, “How You Like Me Now,” featured the soulful vocals of lead singer Kelvin Swaby backed by multiple saxophones, electric guitars, and drums to create a self-standing genre of music. Letterman enjoyed the performance so much he had the band continue to play into the commercial break. This London-based group is about to go on tour in Europe, starting with a show in Madrid on January 21.