Featured photo by Leigh Righton
No, Paul Shaffer, JAPANDROIDS are not Japanese. And no, David Letterman, the Vancouver duo’s latest record is not called Celebrity Rock. But hey, other than post-performance wisecracks (we’re sure only one was intentional), Japandroids ripped it up last night on the Late Show With David Letterman, reducing the Ed Sullivan Theater stage to a pile of rock and roll rubble.
Poor Dave, he was just trying to build some Canadian camaraderie between Shaffer and the band.
Many years ago in a Great Scott newsletter I described the duo as the most explosive pair to come out of Vancouver since Pavel Bure skated with Alexander Mogilny, and last night’s rendition of “Adrenaline Nightshift” showed Brian King (guitar, vocals) and David Prowse (drums, vocals) lost none of that ferocity. In fact, with today being the first day of summer, I’m kinda nostalgic for last year around this time, when “The House That Heaven Built” was on everyone’s playlist. Celebration Rock was released last year on June 5, and “House” was one of the ultimate summer anthems.
But back to last night. There was, however, one thing the Letterman and Shaffer did get correct: Japandroids, as just two dudes, can rock the fuck out.
“This is all you need,” Letterman quips at the end, “two guys, that’s it!”