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Kurt Vile brought out Ethan Buckler during his Nov. 6 show at Headliners in Louisville for a performance of King Kong’s “Old Man On The Bridge.” Buckler, a member of Slint and King Kong, also sang backing vocals on Vile’s latest album. The song had received a memorable late-night television joke years earlier, making the Louisville performance a return to the track in a very different setting.
Kurt Vile brought Ethan Buckler onstage at Louisville’s Headliners on Friday night, Nov. 6, for a performance of King Kong’s “Old Man On The Bridge.” The appearance connected Vile’s current work with Buckler’s Louisville music history: Buckler is associated with both Slint and King Kong and contributed backing vocals to Vile’s latest album, Philadelphia’s been good to me.
The performance took place during Vile’s show at Headliners, where Buckler joined him for the King Kong song. Stereogum reported the appearance and pointed readers to a video of the performance credited to Drew Mihans. The source does not provide further details about the arrangement, how Buckler was introduced, or whether other guests joined Vile that night.
Buckler’s connection to the show extends beyond the song. He provided backing vocals on “Chance To Bleed,” the lead single from Vile’s latest album, Philadelphia’s been good to me. The Louisville appearance brought that recent studio collaboration together with a song from King Kong’s catalog, performed with Buckler in his hometown.
The set also followed a recent television appearance by Vile and his band, the Violators. On Monday, Nov. 2, they performed “99 BPM” on The Tonight Show. The Stereogum report links that week’s events to the older history of “Old Man On The Bridge,” which Jimmy Fallon had previously featured in a “Do Not Play” segment.
A Louisville Song Returns Onstage
The performance put a locally rooted music moment at the center of Vile’s Louisville show. Buckler’s appearances with Slint and King Kong give him a longstanding connection to the city’s music scene, while his recent work on Vile’s album provides a direct link between the two musicians. Bringing him out for a King Kong song joined those connections in one onstage appearance.
The song also carried a public history beyond its place in King Kong’s catalog. According to Stereogum, Fallon’s earlier “Do Not Play” segment mocked “Old Man On The Bridge,” but the song quickly won over Fallon and Questlove. Its performance in Buckler’s hometown offered a contrasting setting: rather than a late-night comedy bit, the track became a shared live moment between Vile and a musician associated with the original band.
The report describes the episode as a full-circle week for the song, following Vile and the Violators’ Nov. 2 television performance and Buckler’s guest appearance four days later. That framing is an interpretation of the sequence, not a claim that the musicians planned the appearances as a coordinated tribute.
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From Late-Night Joke To Louisville
The specific history behind the song stretches back several years. Stereogum says Fallon devoted an entire “Do Not Play” segment to making fun of “Old Man On The Bridge.” The report says the song then won over Fallon and Questlove, though it does not give the segment’s date or describe the exchange in detail.
In the same week as the Louisville show, Vile and the Violators performed “99 BPM” on The Tonight Show, on Monday, Nov. 2. That was a separate performance and a different song. The connection to the Louisville appearance is the program’s earlier treatment of King Kong’s track, rather than evidence that “Old Man On The Bridge” was performed on television that week.
Vile’s latest album adds another point of connection: Buckler contributed backing vocals to its lead single, “Chance To Bleed.” The supplied report does not give the album’s release date or describe the recording sessions, so the confirmed link is limited to Buckler’s credited vocal contribution and his guest appearance in Louisville.
““local legend Ethan Buckler of Slint and King Kong””
— Stereogum
Details Of The Guest Set
The source confirms the date, venue, performers and song, and says a video was available, but it does not establish how the performance was arranged or provide a set list. It also does not specify the year of the Nov. 6 show. The account does not state whether Buckler joined Vile for any other songs or whether the two discussed the appearance publicly afterward.
The earlier Tonight Show segment is described in broad terms, without a date or direct quotation from Fallon, Questlove, Vile or Buckler. The report says the song won over Fallon and Questlove after the joke, but does not provide their precise reactions. No further plans for another joint performance are reported.
Video And Future Performances
Stereogum directed readers to a video credited to Drew Mihans as a record of the Louisville performance. The supplied report does not identify a scheduled follow-up appearance by Buckler with Vile, or say whether the musicians plan to perform King Kong material together again. For now, the confirmed development is the Nov. 6 guest spot at Headliners and the ongoing connection between the two artists through Vile’s album.
Key Questions
What song did Ethan Buckler perform with Kurt Vile?
They performed King Kong’s “Old Man On The Bridge” during Vile’s show at Headliners in Louisville.
When and where did the performance happen?
The appearance took place on Friday night, Nov. 6, at Headliners in Louisville. The source report does not specify the year.
Who is Ethan Buckler?
Buckler is associated with Slint and King Kong. He also contributed backing vocals to “Chance To Bleed,” the lead single from Vile’s latest album.
How is the song connected to Jimmy Fallon?
Stereogum reports that Fallon previously used “Old Man On The Bridge” in a “Do Not Play” segment that poked fun at the track. The song then won over Fallon and Questlove, according to the report.
Did Vile and Buckler announce more performances together?
No future joint appearances are announced in the source material. It confirms the Louisville performance but does not say whether the musicians plan to play together again.
Source: stereogum.com
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