For those who watch The Colbert Report regularly, we know it's not uncommon for Colbert to join in with the musical guests he has on the show. He actually has a pretty good voice. In honor of the holiday season, "Christmas Carol Week" began last night, featuring the legendary Greg Allman and The National's Matt Berninger, Bryce Dessner and Aaron Dessner.
Colbert and the guys sang a twangy version of "Silver Bells," and their vocals all went remarkably well together (new band idea?). Berninger's signature lower register enhanced the country vibe Allman provided, and Colbert contributed to the chorus. In the middle of the song, Colbert provided a heart felt spoken-word section in which he professed, "Darlin', you are the cow of my every field."
It has got to be one of the manliest versions of "Silver Bells" out there. "Christmas Carol Week" started out strong with this fine group, and the other upcoming performers will add their own flare. They include Cyndi Lauper, who will certainly change things up, Aaron Neville (that one will likely be pretty epic), and the Blind Boys of Alabama will make an appearance.
For the guys in The National, pairing their music with a comedic setting isn't much of a stretch at this point. Before creating this Christmas carol with Colbert, they teamed up with Fox's Bob's Burgers to create the song and video for "Sailors in Your Mouth," which was in celebration of Thanksgiving. It wasn't the band's first time collaborating with the show for the holiday. They created a different song, "Kill Your Turkey," last year.
Check out the soothing sounds from these fine men below.
