EPISODE NUMBER: 7121 (September 26, 2011)
GUESTS: Radiohead
SPECIAL GUEST: Hipster Paramedic
SEGMENTS: Dr. Pepper Presents Stephen Colbert’s Rocktember with Radiohead | The Word: I Think, Therefore I Brand | Ignoring Global Warming | Global Warming: Thom Yorke and Ed O’Brien
EXCLUSIVES: “Bloom” | “The Daily Mail” | “The National Anthem” | “Morning Mr. Magpie” | “Codex”
SUIT REPORT: Black Suit | White Shirt | Purple Tie
VIDEOS: Monday, September 26, 2011
Stephen Colbert, the world's greatest warm up act, presses on with the show despite Radiohead euphoria.
Radiohead, being massively successful and self-assured as artists, are fickle when it comes to giving out details about new releases, tour dates, etc.; and always they have been reluctant participants in television appearances. When they do appear on TV, it is to great effect; and the fact that they only chose two shows to appear in addition to their two date tour in New York, including The Colbert Report, indicates that there must be a serious it getter in their motley crew.
Well, perhaps not the band members themselves, but certainly a savvy, PR minded person around them. All of Radiohead looked collectively surprised to be in the Flavor Zone with our own Stephen Colbert. I knew Stephen would hold nothing back, pull no punches, making for great laughter, even though his main subject, Thom Yorke, can usually barely contain his contempt for the media, and is frequently sort of hostile in the interview setting. This is a shame, because he is such a brilliant fireball of talent, and his music reveals a deeply passionate person underneath all of the pathos. I think the appeal of Radiohead has always been that behind the irony, there is a great energy, and even, dare I say, even hope behind the dark imagery often depicted in their songs.
I was happy to see that TCR maintained its usual format, even in the midst of having such a huge act on the show. And the way that Stephen et. al. incorporated the themes that Radiohead is famous for railing against: corporate culture, media hype, commercialization, and climate change, made the whole episode cohesive and really an homage. This approach is particularly difficult, seeing as the Report and Stephen’s character are so fundamentally different from this band and their whole albeit heavily-stylized indie image.
Certainly I would need Hipster-Medic had I been one of the lucky audience members (and probably all of the TCR staff) in attendance!
What did you all think of the new album, The King of Limbs? Having listened to the Radiohead all throughout college and beyond, to me it is another rung up higher on a ladder of artistry that seems boundless. It seems to blend the ground-breaking Kid A, with some of the older structure found in Ok Computer, and The Bends.
Be sure to check out the Web Exclusives, “Morning Mr. Magpie,” “Codex,” and “The National Anthem,” on colbertnation.com. I just want to thank everyone at TCR for making this show possible, it is a rarity to see these artists so available and the performances are stellar.
Quotorifica
From the intro: Is the Pope catholic? Google says no.
My guest is legendary rock band Radiohead. If you were a real fan, you’d watching this on vinyl.
Prepare yourself Radiohead, you’re about to meet Televisionface.
[To the Radiohead fans] My name is Stephen Colbert; thank you for purchasing a TV.
We’re going to be putting some tall, sweaty strangers to block your view of the show.
No -padding- at - all. Not a touch. No-padding, which we previously stated we will not do.
(Thom Yorke lion attack.)
Sodium benzoate- the same preservative that keeps Iggy Pop alive.
I have a rare correction to make, Dr. Pepper is in fact not the official sponsor of Radiohead. That is a betrayal of Radiohead’s trust, and I for one am disgusted that I thought I could get away with it.
SC:I understand tonight is going to be a mind-blowing night for the music nerds, which is why in the event any Radiohead-heads totally lose their sh*t, I’ve got hipster paramedics standing by.
SC: I kind of need to know if you have medical training, because I am responsible for these people.
Hipster Medic: Yeah, I’m sure you are.
SC: Do you even know CPR? Hipster Medic: I don’t listen to classic rock.
SC: But you will be standing by to offer First Aid?
HM: Yeah, until Radiohead comes on. Then I am going to totally lose my sh*t!
Hipster Medic: This opening act sucks. Bring out Radiohead, man!
From The Word segment:
Yes, government regulators like the EPA are killing jobs, like pelican scrubber or next of kin-caller.
No company is taking more flack than Google [I learned that on Bing.]
…presidential candidate and cursed doll come-to-life Rick Santorum….
Personally, I feel bad for Rick. His name has been dragged through the mud. God, I hope that’s mud.
That is true, because it is impossible to find anything embarrassing about Joe Biden on the internet.
Yes, web searches are enshrined in our founding documents. We have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of hacked Scarlett Johanson nude pics. [Well endowed by her Creator.]
Cigarettes have a first amendment right to be alive with pleasure, as written in the Constitution by our founding fathers James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, and Joseph Camel.
Regulating a cigarette’s pack ability to entice me to buy it is a violation of its free speech. I might not agree with what a carton of smokes says, but I will fight to the death for its right to say it. [Scatter his ashes in Marlboro County.]
Corporations are people, protected by the First Amendment. Finally, their products are protected too, it is a major milestone in corporate civil rights. ["I have been to the Mountain Dew!"]
And remember, the first Amendment protects not only speech you like, but speech you don’t like, therefore government regulators must not persecute products just because they don’t fit some bureaucrat’s narrow definition of “fireproof” or “potable.” [Looking at you, Four Loko.]
I say speech is always speech, and it is time we let these Product Americans be heard, starting with my personal physician, Dr. Marvin Pepper.
As always Dr. Pepper, I’ll give you the last word. (Opens bottle) How refreshing.
The Doctor Pepper™ Interview Flavor Zone
I bypassed the Major Label system and downloaded them right to my studio.
Gentlemen thank you for joining me in the Dr. Pepper Flavor Zone.
You guys are the biggest thing ever. How did you guys get started, did you win Idol or the X Factor? Britain’s Got Talent?
Ed O’Brien: No, we’re not one of those kinds of bands. We were at school together, about 20 odd years ago.
SC: Wow, you guys are well preserved.
SC: Are you guys doing a Christmas album this year?
Thom Yorke: No, we’ve never done a Christmas album.
SC: Have you ever thought about it?
TY: Uh, no.
SC: How many Grammys do you guys have?
Colin Greenwood: We won [the Grammy] for Best Packaging.
SC: That’s one of the best ones, right there.
SC: Can I pick a bone with you guys for a minute? Phil?
Phil Selway: Go ahead.
SC: Why British?
SC: American could be rocking, and you’re taking American Rock jobs.
SC: Is the British Invasion a good thing for America? Why do we like you?
Thom Yorke: We don’t know.
SC: Thom, how old are you? TY: I’m 42, right? SC: Grow up, guys. And I mean that lovingly.
SC: What do you have against corporations? They’re job creators.
TY: (firmly) No. The wealth… tends to go up.
SC: It trickles down. We’ve just haven’t given them enough.
SC: I should have checked if Dr. Pepper was the official soft drink of Radiohead, and clearly it is not, and that is on me, and I apologize.
(Thom rumples his hair uncomfortably.)
SC: Would you say it’s out the question.
TY: I think so, it tastes like that stuff at the dentist office when you want to swill your mouth.
SC: Well, Thom, he is a doctor.
1) I've never seen the band assembled all together for interview like this 2) I've never seen Thom laugh so much.
[
Why hello, beautiful plum tie. Won’t you stay awhile? You make Stephen look so wonderful!
So I think I’m a fan of Radiohead now. I can’t be sure yet-have to hear some more of their songs-but I liked all of the songs they played tonight. Once again, The Colbert Report is my go-to place for new music! New to me anyway.
I really liked how they put the whole show together. It felt like it could have been two separate episodes, but then they were able to meld it into one long show by incorporating Radiohead into the entire show and by keeping the same basic format. It made the episode feel complete, and I liked it better than if Stephen would have just introduced the band and then they played songs. I thought it was really smart that they still decided to do segments and make it so that it still felt like a comedy show. And I loved the Word, as always.
TIP OF THE HAT!
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Yay, welcome to the Radiohead Nation!
As I mentioned in the initial post about this special show, I have loved them for years. This is a band that has always done things their way, and have totally reinvented themselves over the years. Go back and listen to The Bends, one of the best straight-up guitar driven albums ever, and you’ll see what I mean. Its the same band, yet its not. They have definitely evolved, and its been a interesting ride to go along.
I also really like how the show was put together, and the extra interview with Thom and Ed. Its well known that Radiohead are concerned about the enviroment so it was nice that they could discuss that.
Oh, and if I had been in the audience I definitely would have needed the hipster paramedic. My head would have been exploding from the excitement of seeing SC and RH on the same stage. (Much as it did when I saw Radiohead and R.E.M. together - not sure how I survived that!)
TIP OF THE HAT!
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Am watching the show now. Just noticed that the blond “hipster paramedic” is the writer I couldn’t identify from the UCB improv show last Thursday. So, who is he?
TIP OF THE HAT!
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Among my favorite parts of the show were the “Word” (of course) and the quotes on the hipsters paramedic’s shirt.
But the best part was the expression of incredulity on Yorke’s face after “Stephen” said, “You guys are from what historians call Europe.” Yorke shook his head like “Stephen’s” galactically stupid comment had hurt his head! I loved that look!
TIP OF THE HAT!
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Oh man. I was SO tired from staying up so late…but it was totally worth it. I still can’t believe that we got a full hour of Stephen. I also agree with how well they still made it feel like a TCR show without dragging it out too much. I loved the WORD and how annoyed “Stephen” got with both the hipster medic thinking the “opening act sucked” and when Jimmy told him they still had another half hour to go and he thought otherwise before seamlessly moving on as if there had been no interruption. I didn’t know much about Radiohead or what their other concerns were before, so this show was a great way of showing me their talent and getting to know them a bit better. I enjoyed listening to their music, though not enough to buy their music, but it’s good to listen to something different every so often. All in all, a spectacular show.
TIP OF THE HAT!
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I enjoyed the songs Radiohead played a lot. They have some beautiful melodies.
This has been a great week for late night music fans. EEFSM Jimmy Fallon is doing an amazing Pink Floyd week (with bands playing tracks off Pink Floyd’s classic LP, The Wall). Monday The Shins did a great cover of “Breathe” and yesterday Roger Waters and the Foo Fighters rocked out “In The Flesh”. I was in the studio audience for that one. Holy s**t! The floors were vibrating. It was amazing. The video is up on Fallon’s website now.
I love that Stephen and Jimmy are so into music and showcase real artists.
TIP OF THE HAT!
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