Travis Barker's thunderous drum fill opened the 2023 Emmy Awards when he drummed Phil Collins' iconic 'In the Air Tonight.'
The 48-year-old drummer for Blink-182 performed "In the Air Tonight" with host Anthony Anderson and a Compton, California choir on Monday night at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
The set was themed "Mr. Anderson's Neighborhood," a reference to the popular children's television program Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, which aired for ten years.
"We're going to commemorate the greatest shows of today while paying tribute to some of the iconic series that mean so much to us. Simply put, television has shaped the world and more importantly, it shaped me," the black-ish alum, 53, said.
The group assembled around a magnificent piano to honor Miami Vice, which is well-known for including the classic song from 1981.
A medley of vintage TV themes, such as The Facts of Life and Good Times, was also sung by Anderson. Following his performance, Barker discussed his gratitude for being invited to perform at the 75th Academy Awards on X (previously known as Twitter).
"I've been waiting for this moment all my life.... I just played the most famous drum fill of all time at The Emmys. I love you Phil Collins," the rocker wrote, paying homage to the lyrics of "In the Air Tonight:" "And I've been waiting for this moment, for all my life."
In addition, Barker's appearance at the Emmys was the couple's first red carpet appearance since the birth of their 3-month-old son, Rocky Thirteen, last year.
Wearing matching black suits and sunglasses, the 44-year-old Kardashians star and the "One More Time" singer looked like Men in Black on the Emmys carpet.
For the cameras, they also had one of their famously passionate kisses. Kardashian added eroticism to a suit by wearing a black lace bra with a satin-lapel jacket instead of an undershirt. She also chose to accessorize with pointed black shoes, black leather gloves, and a pulled-back black hairstyle. Kardashian carried her sunglasses on the red carpet rather than donning them, allowing her to show off her smoky eye makeup along with the rest of her glowy glam.
Barker chose a more conventional appearance before going on stage, dressing in a basic black undershirt, a black bowtie, and typical black dress shoes.
The song "In the Air Tonight" helped the veteran Genesis frontman achieve a career-defining hit, but Bertorelli believes it has perpetuated a false impression of their relationship and the events that led to their breakup. Collins has defended his emotional reaction, although he has never provided a comprehensive explanation of the song's significance.
