Watch The Walkmen give first public performance in 10 years on ‘Colbert’

19 April, 2023

Hamilton Leithauser of The Walkmen

The Walkmen have returned to the stage for their first performance in 10 years, taking place on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.

The live performance comes ahead of their 2023 reunion tour, which is scheduled to kick off next week (April 24).

The band – comprised of Hamilton Leithauser, Paul Maroon, Walter Martin, Peter Bauer and Matt Barrick – took to the stage for their first show in a decade on the American chatshow last night (April 18), and performed their 2004 hit ‘The Rat’, taken from their ‘Bows And Arrows’ album. Check out footage of the moment below.

Ahead of their appearance on the show, the band issued a statement to fans. Here, the members explained how the decision arose at the last minute, and that they hadn’t rehearsed at all beforehand.

“Ever since we started the Walkmen, we’ve done everything by the seat of our pants. We don’t ‘plan’ much. So during our 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,” they wrote.

“I guess there will be a soundcheck but we don’t even know if this equipment works.”

The five-piece are set to hit the road as part of their American tour next week. The tour will kick off with five back-to-back performances at the Webster Hall in New York City (April 24-28), followed by three shows in Philadelphia and two shows in Atlanta, Georgia.

The North American leg of the tour also features dates in Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington and Utah, before ending with a set at the Boston Calling Music Festival on May 28.

Last month the band also added a number of UK shows to their upcoming ‘Revenge’ tour. Set for later this year, the UK leg of dates will start in Glasgow on August 21, and will feature shows in Manchester and London. The latter features three back-to-back performances at KOKO. Find remaining tickets here.

Leithauser spoke about the upcoming shows in a discussion with NME earlier this month (April 10). “It had been suggested for several years,” he said, explaining how the decision to hit the road again arose. “It just wasn’t the right time for everybody. It wasn’t something I was interested in doing for a long time.

“Our manager floated the idea yet again and painted a picture of some shows we could do and how to make it work,” he continued. “Individually everybody said ‘yeah’. I’m excited for it. I don’t know what we’re gonna sound like. I guess we’ll probably sound exactly the same.”

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