At 12:14 AM, I turned on the television and flipped it to Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, just to wile away the minutes until Menomena‘s late-night debut. The TV was on mute but all of a sudden Kieran Culkin strutted on stage sporting more rings and braclets than Criss Angel. He then proceeds to unironically chest-bump both Fallon and guest from earlier Jason Bateman. Un-mute. After a perfect reaction from Bateman, Culkin then relayed a prompted story about his groundbreaking performance as “Fuller” in Home Alone, using the phrase “movie magic”, again, free of irony. His pitch for his forthcoming movie Scott Pligrim vs. The World was so scripted and greasy and false that it made me cringe.
It’s gonna be hard for Menomena to top this.
But then the Portland band took the stage and struck the first ominous chords of “Killemall” from their latest album Mines. Initially, it felt like an odd selection for their late-night debut. “TAOS” or “Five Little Rooms” obviously have more impact the hazy dreamer they chose, but take one look at the lengths of their songs on Mines and you’ll understand the selection. It’s a crime when a band has to cut a song short (poor Titus Andronicus) on Fallon. But this was the hand that was dealt, and Menomena played it nicely.
Considering their utterly byzantine and patchwork recording process, Menomena sound tight as hell live. Danny Seim’s chamber-croon is arresting, made more potent with the band churning beneath him. Fashion props go to the drummer for the throw-back Trailblazers tee. Choice.
Check out the performance below. (Note: Fastforward to the 36:55 mark)
