Earlier this month, Alt-J released The Dream, their first album in five years. Now, the English band’s comeback continues with an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where the trio performed the new song “U&ME” and the old hit “Breezeblocks.” Rewatch the performance below.
For “U&ME,” the set was designed to evoke the natural world. A projection screen displayed tall, waving grass, lights shot dappled green rays that seemed to be filtering through the leaves of a tree, and the band stood amid glowing yellow poles that played off bamboo.
Alt-J followed it up with their biggest hit to date, “Breezeblocks,” in celebration of the 10th anniversary of their debut album An Awesome Wave. Here, the lights played with a palette of cool blues, purples, and pinks, as the projection screen evoked screens and static. As the band reached the bridge with its “Please don’t go,” refrain, vibrant reds overtook the stage. Check out both performances below.
The follow up to 2017’s Relaxer, The Dream features the singles “U&ME” and “Get Better.” Alt-J are about to kick off a North American tour with Portugal. The Man. Tickets to their shows are on sale via Ticketmaster.
The two bands recently joined Consequence for our Two for the Road series, where Alt-J’s Gus Unger-Hamilton and Portugal. The Man’s Zach Carothers got to know each other ahead of their joint tour.
