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Kurt Vile brought Ethan Buckler onstage at Headliners in Louisville on Friday, Nov. 6, for a performance of King Kong’s “Old Man On The Bridge.” Buckler, a member of Slint and King Kong, also contributed backing vocals to Vile’s latest album. The appearance followed a week that included Vile and the Violators playing on The Tonight Show and renewed attention to the King Kong song.
Kurt Vile brought Ethan Buckler onstage during his Friday, Nov. 6, concert at Headliners in Louisville, where the pair performed King Kong’s “Old Man On The Bridge.” The appearance connected Vile’s current work with Buckler’s history in Louisville bands Slint and King Kong, and gave the song a hometown performance with one of its creators present.
The performance took place during Vile’s show at Headliners, according to Stereogum’s report. Buckler is identified as a member of Slint and King Kong, and the song performed was “Old Man On The Bridge,” by King Kong. A video of the performance was shared by Drew Mihans, the report said.
Buckler also has a recent connection to Vile’s recorded work: he contributed backing vocals to “Chance To Bleed,” the lead single from Vile’s latest album, Philadelphia’s been good to me. The Louisville appearance was therefore both a live collaboration on a King Kong song and a meeting of musicians already linked through Vile’s album.
Earlier that week, on Monday, Nov. 2, Vile and his band the Violators performed “99 BPM” on The Tonight Show. Stereogum noted that the television appearance came amid renewed attention to “Old Man On The Bridge,” a song Jimmy Fallon had previously discussed on a “Do Not Play” segment.
A King Kong Song Comes Home
The Louisville set brought Buckler back to a local stage for a performance of music tied to his work with King Kong. The report describes him as a local legend, but the concrete significance is the appearance itself: Vile invited a Louisville musician with whom he had recently recorded to perform one of Buckler’s band’s songs in the city.
The moment also links separate parts of the week’s music coverage. Vile’s television performance introduced a current song from his album to a national audience, while the Headliners set centered on an older King Kong track. Stereogum framed the song’s return to the stage as a full-circle moment after Fallon’s past joke about it and the song’s subsequent reception by Fallon and Questlove.
For fans, the performance offers a live connection between Vile’s current album and the Louisville music history represented by Buckler’s work. The report does not describe the appearance as a formal reunion or indicate any broader King Kong plans.
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From Fallon’s Segment to Headliners
“Old Man On The Bridge” had previously been the subject of a segment on The Tonight Show. According to Stereogum, Fallon used a “Do Not Play” segment to poke fun at the song a few years earlier. The report says the track then won over Fallon and Questlove; it does not provide the segment’s date or reproduce their comments.
Vile’s own connection with Buckler is more recent. Buckler sang backing vocals on “Chance To Bleed,” which Stereogum identifies as the lead single from Philadelphia’s been good to me. Vile and the Violators played “99 BPM” on the same late-night program on Nov. 2, four days before Buckler joined Vile in Louisville.
Taken together, the two appearances placed Vile’s new material and Buckler’s King Kong work in the same week of coverage. The Louisville performance, rather than the television segment, is the central event: it put Buckler and the King Kong song onstage in his home city.
““Old Man On The Bridge””
— Stereogum
Details Beyond the Video
The available report does not specify where in Vile’s set the performance occurred, how long Buckler stayed onstage, or whether other guests joined him. It also does not give a full set list or describe the arrangement of “Old Man On The Bridge.”
There is no indication in the source that the appearance signals a King Kong reunion, future performances, or a new collaboration beyond Buckler’s backing vocals on Vile’s album. The report points readers to a video credited to Drew Mihans, but does not provide further details about its recording or publication.
No Further Shows Announced
The source material does not announce additional appearances by Buckler with Vile or any upcoming King Kong activity. The immediate record of the Louisville collaboration is the performance video shared by Drew Mihans, alongside Stereogum’s report of the event.
Vile’s Nov. 2 performance of “99 BPM” on The Tonight Show is a separate recent appearance. No future television performances, tour dates connected to Buckler, or plans for another joint performance are specified in the report.
Key Questions
What did Kurt Vile and Ethan Buckler perform in Louisville?
They performed King Kong’s “Old Man On The Bridge” at Vile’s show at Headliners.
When did Buckler join Vile onstage?
The performance took place on Friday, Nov. 6, according to Stereogum’s report.
Who is Ethan Buckler?
Buckler is a musician associated with Slint and King Kong. He also contributed backing vocals to “Chance To Bleed,” a single from Vile’s latest album.
How is the song connected to The Tonight Show?
Stereogum says Jimmy Fallon previously featured “Old Man On The Bridge” in a “Do Not Play” segment. The report says the song later won over Fallon and Questlove.
Have more performances together been announced?
The source report does not mention any future joint shows or a King Kong reunion. It only documents Buckler’s appearance at Vile’s Louisville concert.
Source: stereogum.com
