Watch Beck & Julian Casablancas Cover “Don’t You Want Me”
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Last night, two of the greats teamed up. Beck is out on tour right now behind last year’s Colors, and for some of the dates, his opening act is Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas’ other band the Voidz. Last night, Beck and the Voidz played at Lincoln, Nebraska’s Pinewood Bowl. And during Beck’s set, he and Casablancas teamed up to sing one of the all-time great pop duets.
The song in question is “Don’t You Want Me,” a bubbling masterpiece of masculine resentment and social climbing and class anxiety. Synthpop greats the Human League released it in 1981, and it hit #1 on both sides of the Atlantic in 1982. It remains a classic car-stereo singalong, an ideal karaoke duet. And last night, Beck and Casablancas turned it into a whole-venue singalong.
During Beck’s set, Casablancas and fellow Voidz member Jeramy “Beardo” Gritter came to the stage to sing the song. Casablancas sang Susan Ann Sulley’s party; he was the half of the song who was working as a waitress in a cocktail bar. And Beck sang the Philip Oakey part. (Come to think of it, both of them have weirdly deadpan voices, and Beck could probably cover a lot of other Human League songs if he wanted.) Below, watch a couple of videos from last night’s show, as well as the original “Don’t You Want Me” video.
Only posted on Twitter. Here’s a longer version. pic.twitter.com/SsCid77cvB
— droppinwallets (@droppinwallets) September 20, 2018
A taste of Beck joined by @Casablancas_J & @TheVoidz tonight at @PinewoodBowl.
📷: Sacha#ColorsTour pic.twitter.com/aeEQxqa4lj
— Beck (@beck) September 20, 2018
Two years ago, Beck teamed up with the Strokes’ Fabrizio Moretti and Nick Valensi for a cover of the Eagles Of Death Metal song “I Love You All The Time.” But as far as I can tell, this is the first time Beck and Casablancas have ever sung together.
