The Walkmen had an epic reunion last night on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. For the first time in 10 years, the New York indie rock band took the stage for a performance of one of their signature songs, “The Rat.”
The band ripped through the song’s electrifying drum and guitar patterns, as lead vocalist Hamilton Leithauser reminded the audience of why The Walkmen has remained an indie favorite, even after being absent from the landscape for so long. As a band, the guys haven’t lost their magic, even if they haven’t performed together in a decade.
Behind the scenes, The Walkmen made sure to prove that their musical chemistry hadn’t dwindled. Last week, the band shared a post on their Instagram account, revealing their plans to perform “The Rat” without rehearsing the song prior.
“Ever since we started The Walkmen, we’ve done everything by the seat of our pants,” read text in a post of a throwback image of the band. “We don’t ‘plan’ much. So, during out Zoom ‘planning’ meeting, we decided the best way to play together for the very first time would be on national television without a single rehearsal. So next Tuesday, we will be playing ‘The Rat’ on Stephen Colbert. It will be the first time we all have played together in 10 years. I guess there will be a soundcheck but we don’t even know if this equipment works.”
Check out the performance of “The Rat” above.