André 3000 stopped by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Tuesday night for an interview and his first publicly televised live performance with his New Blue Sun band, which announced its first-ever tour earlier in the day.
The typically elusive OutKast rapper has done a number of long-form interviews since the November release of his debut solo album, a rap-less collection of ambient instrumental numbers featuring scene-setting titles like “I Swear, I Really Wanted to Make a ‘Rap’ Album but This Is Literally the Way the Wind Blew Me This Time”. While his conversation with The Late Show host didn’t produce much in the way of new insights from 3K, it did enforce a common thread that has run through his New Blue Sun promo tour: He’s very serious about this new chapter.
On various occasions during the interview, Colbert made jokes about André’s relationship with flutes, spirituality, mind-altering substances, the creative process, rapping, and more (this is a comedy show, after all). Each time, 3000 seemed notably uncomfortable playing along with the host’s self-effacing game, his answers instead skewing toward innocence and sincerity. Perhaps the most genuine portion of the interaction came at the very end, when Colbert gifted his guest a wooden Chinese dizi flute. While the gift may have simply been intended as a bit—let’s give the guy with the weird flute obsession yet another collectible—André’s eyes lit up at the offering, as if he was truly touched by the sentiment and excited to continue his journey on this new instrument.
During the interview, Colbert and 3000 also spoke about the song André was planning to perform on the show, “That Night in Hawaii When I Turned into a Panther and Started Making These Low Register Purring Tones That I Couldn’t Control … Sh¥t Was Wild”. As he has previously noted, the ten-minute rumination was inspired by 3K’s experience on the second night of an ayahuasca ceremony. “I actually became a panther,” he told Colbert. “I don’t know the details of how it happens, but my face contorted and my body started making noises like [purring]. So, in the song, I’m mimicking that sound.”
When Colbert asked whether that was a frightening experience, André responded, “Nah, you just kinda take a deep breath and, you know, straighten up your back and smile.”
Later, André 3000 took the stage with his New Blue Sun band to deliver a live recreation of “That Night in Hawaii…” for the crowd at the Ed Sullivan Theater as a laser-tipped traffic cone cast a ribbon of color across the stage. The performance, while not exactly the same as the version on the album, managed to cultivate the same sort of sonic space, and being able to see the musicians at work provided interesting practical context to the ambient sounds. The ten-minute performance—a far cry from your typical TV fare—eventually ended with 3000 crouching down to pick up a wooden flute in each hand, then standing up straight with meditative stillness for a moment before cracking a bashful grin.
No, André 3000 isn’t laughing about his flute pursuits—or anyone’s jokes about them, no matter how amusing—but he sure is smiling.
Related: The New André 3000 Album Is All Flutes & No Raps. That Shouldn’t Surprise You. [Listen]
Below, watch André 3000 perform a live rendition of “That Night in Hawaii When I Turned into a Panther and Started Making These Low Register Purring Tones That I Couldn’t Control … Sh¥t Was Wild” on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and revisit his featured interviews from the episode. For information on his upcoming New Blue Sun tour featuring Carlos Niño, Nate Mercereau, Surya Botofasina, Deantoni Parks, Diego Gaeta, Matthewdavid, V.C.R, Diego Gaeta, Jesse Peterson, and Mia Doi Todd, head here.
André 3000 – “That Night in Hawaii When I Turned into a Panther and Started Making These Low Register Purring Tones That I Couldn’t Control … Sh¥t Was Wild” (Live) – The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
André 3000 Talks Influencing, Influences, & “That Night In Hawaii…” – The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
André 3000’s New Album Comes With A “No Bars” Disclaimer – The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
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