It’s always fascinating to watch a punk band play a late-night show. Even if you’ve never been to see the band in question, the whole genre triggers a certain sense-memory, and part of your brain starts to imagine that there’s a big dude with a neckbeard currently charging across the pit, about to jump at you ass-first. You could be sitting and watch the video on your laptop in your office at eight in the morning, and your arm and shoulder muscles on one side will still tense up, ready to push someone off in the opposite direction. Or maybe I’m just writing about myself here. Your mileage may vary.

In any case, PUP, the great Toronto pop-punk shit-rippers, were on Late Night With Seth Meyers last night. PUP are a couple of albums and nearly a decade in, and this was their first late-night performance. They had to make at least a half-dozen really, really great music videos before they got booked on a late-night show. Let’s get on this earlier, late-night bookers!

PUP are getting ready to release their new album Morbid Stuff, and they played “Kids,” the fired-up first single. I wonder if they called their buddy Finn Wolfhard for advice on how to come off well on TV. Because they came off well! A late-night stage is, quite simply, not an ideal venue for a punk rock band, and yet PUP still showed a whole ton of intensity and enthusiasm. Watch the performance below.

Our new kickdrum skin didn’t get past the censor. Off to a roaring start on @LateNightSeth folks!!! pic.twitter.com/qUoB8ISzPZ

— PUP (@puptheband) March 20, 2019

Morbid Stuff is out 4/5 on Little Dipper/Rise. Pre-order it here.