Watch Parquet Courts Perform “Wide Awake” On Ellen
If you thought 21 Savage performing on Ellen was weird, I raise you Parquet Courts.
The violent image 21 projects on record might clash with the family-friendly aesthetic Ellen DeGeneres is known for, but his appearance made sense in at least one way: He’s tabloid-famous due to dating Amber Rose. That fame trumps whatever cognitive dissonance is inspired by watching DeGeneres chitchat with the guy who once rapped that he’d “pull up on you, tie your kids up/ Pistol whip you while your bitch naked.” Still, that sure was a lot of cognitive dissonance, huh?
And yet Parquet Courts on Ellen might be even stranger. To my knowledge, the New York indie-rockers have never recorded anything quite as transgressive as “Dunk right in your bitch like O’Neal, dog/ I shoot like, shoot like Reggie Mill’, dog/ Chopper sting you like a eel, dog,” but they’re still obscure enough by mainstream standards that it’s pretty funny to think of them gracing the Ellen stage. I guess that Danger Mouse connection goes a long way because here they are performing the title track from their new album Wide Awake! on today’s broadcast, joined by a whole slew of buddies including Mary Lattimore and members of Woods, Ukiah Drag, Destruction Unit, Drawing Boards, and Maxband.
It’s a real party-starter! Or as the show’s promotional team puts it: “The band is here to perform one of Ellen’s favorite songs, ‘Wide Awake,’ and it’s guaranteed to get you moving and grooving!” Watch below.
Wide Awake! is out 5/18 on Rough Trade. Pre-order it here.