Jimmy Fallon promised Tonight Show viewers that Monday night’s musical guest would blow their minds. At the very least, Angine de Poitrine probably left a few of them wondering what exactly they had just watched.
The viral Quebec rock duo made their network television debut with a five-minute performance of their new song “Zugzegk,” bringing their signature giant handmade masks, black-and-white polka-dot costumes, matching instruments, and minimalist stage design to Studio 6B.
Fallon had talked them up earlier in the show.
“I saw them on the internet, performing, and it’s tricky, amazing stuff,” he explained. “You’re gonna be—your minds are gonna be blown. And they have a great look to them.”
Fallon said the band “don’t really do much press,” adding that “it was a big deal for us to get them.”
He also revealed that Angine de Poitrine had given him an unusual amount of creative control over their new song’s title—or at least its pronunciation.
“I said, ‘How do I pronounce it?’ And they said, ‘However Jimmy pronounces it will be the name of the song,’” Fallon explained.
After attempting “Zug-zeke,” the host experimented with a few alternatives, ultimately reducing the title to an aggressive throat-clearing noise.
“So, they’re gonna be performing their new song—[throat clearing noise]—tonight,” Fallon announced.
When Angine de Poitrine took the stage later in the show, the pair opened by bellowing the group’s name before launching into “Zugzegk,” an intricate instrumental built around rapid-fire drumming with abrupt stops and starts and a custom double-neck guitar/bass.
The appearance is the latest milestone in a big year for the anonymous duo, whose KEXP performance went viral in February. They have since played sold-out shows across North America and Europe, appeared on the BBC’s Later… with Jools Holland, and made their New York concert debut at Le Poisson Rouge last week.
Watch Angine de Poitrine perform “Zugzegk” on The Tonight Show at the top of this post.
