Radiohead first performed "Lift" on March 14, 1996, at the Troubadour in West Hollywood. They performed it over 30 times that year while supporting Alanis Morissette on her "Jagged Little Pill" tour, alongside future "OK Computer" material. Journalists noted "Lift" as a highlight and possible future single. According to guitarist Ed O'Brien, the audience responded warmly to the song: "Suddenly you'd see them get up and start grooving. It had this infectiousness." A bootleg recording was widely circulated, and "Lift" became a fan favourite.