Watch Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood Play With Junun On Colbert
Jonny Greenwood is pulling double duty during Radiohead’s current North American tour. Not only is he holding it down for two-plus hours with the headliners every night, he’s also opening the gig as part of Junun, his project with Israeli composer Shye Ben Tzur and the traditional Indian band the Rajasthan Express. In 2015, the group released an album recorded by longtime Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich. Paul Thomas Anderson, the filmmaker whose last several movies have been scored by Greenwood, made a documentary about the recording sessions.
Now, in the midst of the Radiohead tour, Junun have made their American TV debut. Last night they performed on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, giving the world at large its most accessible chance to experience their mixture of traditional Eastern genres. Greenwood, who is best known for his reality-twisting guitar work, surprisingly handled bass duties during the performance. Tzur was in something of a frontman role, but with so many singers and instrumentalists on stage it felt more like a true collective effort.
Watch the performance below; check out Radiohead and Junun’s tour dates here; and if you’re in the market for further Greenwood footage, check out Radiohead’s recent performances of live rarities “Blow Out” and “Spectre.”