Kurt Vile Brings Out Ethan Buckler for King Kong Song in Louisville

Kurt Vile invited a hometown figure onstage during his stop in Louisville, Kentucky, on Friday, Nov. 6. At the city’s Headliners venue, Vile brought out Ethan Buckler, described as a local legend and a member of Slint and King Kong, to perform the King Kong song “Old Man On The Bridge.”

A guest with a recent link to Vile’s music

Buckler is not a stranger to Vile’s current material. He appears on Vile’s latest album, Philadelphia’s been good to me, where he contributes backing vocals to the lead single “Chance To Bleed.” The Louisville show therefore offered a chance for the two musicians to share a stage after already collaborating on record.

A week with late-night television

The Headliners performance followed a high-profile TV appearance earlier in the week. On Monday, Nov. 2, Vile and his band the Violators performed “99 BPM” on The Tonight Show.

That booking carried some added history. A few years ago, host Jimmy Fallon dedicated an entire “Do Not Play” segment to poking fun at “Old Man On The Bridge.” The song reportedly won over both Fallon and Questlove soon afterward, turning the joke into something closer to an endorsement.

A full-circle moment

The source coverage framed the sequence of events as a full-circle week for the song. It went from being the target of a late-night gag to receiving a celebratory live performance in Buckler’s own hometown, with the musician who helped bring it to life joining Vile onstage.

Video of the Louisville performance was shared by Drew Mihans, who captured the moment for fans who were not in the room.

Vile’s current run of shows supports Philadelphia’s been good to me, and the Louisville guest spot added a local touch to the tour stop.

Source: stereogum.com

Image: Vdkdaan / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)