The fact that they performed this with absolutely no regard for the reactions of the people around them is absolute GOAT shit

Bruh I can't believe this aired on TV lol. The old people watching must have been geeking

This out of all songs. That takes some balls

[ WOMAN VOCALIZING ] 🎶 [ MAN SPEAKING BACKWARDS ]

I remember watching this when it aired. I hadn't heard of them before, and I was always excited when Conan had on a band I didn't know. I stuck around for the musical guest (not something I always did) and I was drawn in as soon as their music started. That might be the only time I heard a band on late night tv and went to the mall to buy their album the next day. "Strawberry Jam" is so fascinating and it's been with me ever since. What a fantastic memory this bought up.

This video is so perfect. The fact that they chose to perform #1 (one of their more experimental tracks) on live television is amazing. The apprehension and awkwardness with which Conan approaches them after the performance. The skeletons in dresses for stage props. They literally just melted so many peoples minds and I wonder how they felt after seeing something like this for the first time. They obviously didn't do this for fame, or they would have picked one of their more poppy songs. I love everything about this. Especially Noahs backing vocals.

[woman vocalizing]

this is a fucking god tier performance and it's amazing they had the balls to do this song but i'm also laughing my ass off at how bonkers it is

They played one of the most inaccessible songs from Strawberry Jam with zero fucks. Ballsy.

Deakin said in an interview recently that they picked #1 because it was short enough to fit in the time slot they were given. The show and their managers wanted them to use Fireworks or something more mainstream, and just cut out a section. The group refused to cut one of their songs down. “We are hard-headed to such a degree that sometimes, I question whether it's a good idea. Generally, even our short songs are somewhere between five and seven minutes long, which is an issue in the world of radio and TV promotion. Even "Fireworks" is too long for TV. So was every other song on Strawberry Jam besides "Derek" and "#1". “At the time, we were signed to FatCat Records. They begged us to do a shortened version of "Fireworks" or "For Reverend Green." They were like, "Can't you just cut out a verse?" We've been asked to do edits for our entire career. We were told that we needed to cut the first 45 seconds of "Prester John" because if a song doesn't catch right away, then it won't get playlisted on Spotify. And we've always refused. This was an early instance. “The producers on the show were angry at us, too. I think only the camera crew were psyched about it. They were like, "Nice one. This is weird". Even Conan was bummed. I think he actually walked over and shook my hand.” rateyourmusic.com/feature/sonemic-interview-deakin-animal-collective

that uneasy applause at the end 😂

This is definitely not a song I would have expected them to pick for late night television. Bold of them.

Every once in awhile I come back to this and it's just as magical as the first time.

Playing this was so punk. Hope they get invited back to another late night show some day

This performance was my introduction to them. I used to watch Conan every night. He had some gems on his show.

One of the most wholesome performances of ever- the song, while super sick, is def weird af, and here they are playing this on national television, but it's not tongue in cheek at all -- they're all like "what? you're vibing to it.... right??"

Man Noah’s performance is great on this one

So glad that this is preserved on YT. Still remember where I was when I saw it that night. One of late night TV's finest moments.

The world is still not ready for this. They’re so good it’s like watching jimmy olay the guitar. They got this style so perfect. I kinda like that it’s a small fan base (cooler people!)

Holly shit! This video .. never knew it existed , i cant belive they played #1 , on national tv , they couldve chosen fireworks , derek , pescebone , hell even coockoo coockoo Wouldve been more fitting for connan , hahha thats why i love this dudes , everyone that watched this mustve been tripping so bad , thinking what the hell is this even music? Beautifull song and one ofmy favs from strawberry jam, thanks so much for uploading!

tfw conan has held a strawberry jam vinyl but not you

Couldn't have picked a worse song to shepard the unaccustomed LOL!

oh thank the stars SOMEone else has this!!! this was such a huge moment for me in high school and I made a point to record it to VHS (lol); the tape got erased and at some point, the other upload of this was taken down. Sheesh, i really thought this was lost forever!!!

Now this is truly the greatest live performance on letterman

Love Panda's voice!

why is the performance elusive? thank you so much for uploading this!

There is something about Noah that is very endearing and adorable. I can't put my finger on it

you know you’re an animal collective fan when you can have an unspoken conversation with the KZfaq comments about their live performances

The way Noah embodies the spirit of Brian Wilson…. I love them so fucking much..

This performance is an statement

Deak is the real star here. Look at that guy shred.

This is unreal. They played this song of all things. Fully committed

Been looking for this forever!

All time favorite music ever. Food for my soul

what an incredible tune

Whatever you may think of them they are totally original. I've been a fan since 2012 after listening to Snowmine talk about their influences. I think only Jimi Hendrix' sound was as trippy and psychedelic.

I watch this every fucking day

I'm glad they stuck to the accessible stuff that the more general audience would enjoy, not some deep cut like My Girls

Absolute kings, all four of them.

Still one of the most legendary performance. Conan had fucking no idea what he was about to get hit with

I am The Magical Wizard and I deem this performance: MAGICAL

It's like Pet Sounds from space!

killed it. what a beautiful performance

Greatness! I love Animal Collective💖💖💖💖💖

This video is iconic. I'm still mad I missed the original airing, I was planning on watching it with my Gran Gran. Now she's DEAD!!

OMG 😮 this is amazing!!!

one of my fav songs on my fav tv show

Wait, is that Fred Willard on the couch? PERFECT song for that beautiful man

Lolll love it. They have such catchier, more accessible songs they could have played from this album. Definitely a bit of a "F U" to the promotional process.

Rip Fred Willard :(

i guess not many anco fans are conan fans as well. conan is actually into the weird and appreciates the experimental. hes also a musician. hes literally known for making up random words in daily conversations. heck just look at his eccentric sketches, and conan's audiences has always been the younger crowd, not old people lmao, hes no Letterman.

Deakin really vibing with his silent guitar edit: I now understand he was using a pedal, thank you strangers for clarifying the deak mystery

When we were young

i'm imagining all the boomer hippies in the audience having acid flashbacks lmao

This looks and sounds like witchcraft. Audience must’ve been terrified with Noah vocalizing backwards like that and David being used as a mouthpiece for the devil. Josh looks happy.

Amazing

Excellent

So surprised they played one of the weirdest tracks on the record for the taping. But #1 is the track that got me into animal collective lol. Maybe they knew it was that special

this is good

I wish they lowered that effect on Avey's voice, his lyrics on this song are fantastic. no kidding lol.

[man speaking backwards]

Excellent description 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

LMFAOOOO this is the coolest shit ever

This is bonkers holy shit lmaooo

Remember seeing this air live and getting the record - and then wondering why they chose this song from Strawberry Jam?!

this is hardbodied

I'm dying to know what Conan tells them

I was interested to see what song they'd pick for a live to TV performance

I mean its the same guy who had ween perform i cant put my finger on it on his show so i cant really be too suprised

Lmao man, I love Animal Collective

Woman Vocalizing Man Speaking Backwards

They fucking did it

Why do i feel like Deakins guitar isn't really plugged in lmao

2007 was a long time ago :(

omg unreal

Conan looks like he just saw aliens😂☠️

Panda Bear looking like Bobbie from the Brady bunch.

That was fucking incredible 😆

y ES IVE BEEN FUCKING LOOKING FOR THIS PERFORMENCE OMG

Only thing that could ever top this would be a performance of Safer.

I like the strut that Avey Tare be doin

The fact that you can't understand his lyrics at all because of the vocal effects in this version is the best/worst thing ever

Returning to this video to apologize to Gen Z that you missed out on a wonderful time in the '00s. Long after the alt-gets-mainstream craze of the 90s, we had to perservere through boy bands and nu-metal in the early aughts. Then for a handful of years ('04-'11ish), creative "indie" music was featured and embraced near the mainstream. This stuff just doesn't get much play these days and you're left digging for it on your own. Because music is so disjointed, only a handful of top 40 performers exist in the public zeitgeist and the rest is someone's personal algorhythm on a streaming service. For a few post-Napster/pre-streaming years the wonderfully weird hit it big. RIP.

They played the absolute weirdest song on the record haha

calm down Deak

Wish Avey's vocals came in better for this performance. Once I knew the lyrics I couldn't believe how underrated it is

Woman vocalizing, man speaking backwards

I hated them when this came out. Now my favorite band.

Shepherd's Chapel Network !!!!!!! Chapter by Chapter / Verse by Verse !!!!!!! Amen

i wish the album version of this song had the synth as muffled as it is here

They do so complex and unique music that its difficult to perform. The vocal effects on Avey dont go very well in this performance. Weirdly I feel a Frank Sinatra vibe in #1 with lot of acid of course hahaha

What Year did this air? It wasn't 3 years ago

Its a song?

If there's a guitar playing then I can't hear it.

People were so "not ready" for this, they had to put a guitar on Deakin's hands. Or maybe this is some sort of bizarre homage to the times when DJs performed on TV and had to look like "they were playing instruments"?

zoomers on tik tok be like

This really, really sucks. Bad.