Nothing like a tip of the cap to Spinal Tap to liven up late night television: when Fall Out Boy performed on “Conan” on Wednesday night (Apr. 17), the reunited rockers paid homage to the fictional heavy metal band, and then brought out their bassist, Derek Smalls (played by Harry Shearer).
Like the classic “This is Spinal Tap” scene, the band emerged onstage encapsulated in giant pods, and while guitarist Joe Trohman manages to escape unscathed, poor Pete Wentz is stuck for half of “My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up).” Luckily, Shearer swoops in with bass in hand, and soon enough he and Wentz and cranking it up to… well, you know.
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The performance was preceded by Tuesday’s release of “Save Rock and Roll,” Fall Out Boy’s first album since 2008’s “Folie a Deux” and the hiatus that followed one year later. The album is aiming at the top spot of next week’s Billboard 200 chart, unless it cedes No. 1 to Kid Cudi’s “Indicud.”
Check out the original inspiration for Fall Out Boy’s “Conan” performance below: