Tame Impala’s performance on Saturday Night Live was met with an excited response from fans and viewers.
The group was the musical performer for this weekend’s episode, SNL‘s first after a two-week break. It is their first appearance on the show, and was likely the first time many viewers ever heard of them. (The host, Killing Eve star Sandra Oh, also made her SNL debut, but she is far more well-known to viewers thanks to her tenure on Grey’s Anatomy.)
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Viewers were impressed with Tame Impala’s performance, with some calling it “groovy” and “amazing.”
Wow, this song’s amazing! I gotta play that. @tameimpala #SNL
— Alex Dillard (@8train) March 31, 2019
Damn. Tame Impala is groovy. Thanks @nbcsnl I keep up with the hip music 🎶 bc of you.
— Taylor Montana (@MontanaRusa509) March 31, 2019
Not all tweets were positive though. Some complained about SNL‘s sound mixing.
Others were not impressed with Tame Impala’s performance at all.
This is easily the worst episode of SNL I’ve ever seen. They even screwed up the mixing for Tame Impala’s performance
— Phil (@phealings) March 31, 2019
#SNL Even Tame Impala looks like they’re not interested in hearing what they’re playing. Snooze.
— Lynne Margolis (@popscribe) March 31, 2019
Tame Impala is led by Australian musician Kevin Parker, who writes, performs and produces the group’s recordings. When the band hits the road, the guitarist is usually joined by Domic Simper on guitar and synthesizer. Guitarist Jay Watson, bassist Cam Avery and drummer Julien Barbagallo of the Australian group Pond have also joined Parker on tour in the past.
Damn. Tame Impala is groovy. Thanks @nbcsnl I keep up with the hip music 🎶 bc of you.
— Taylor Montana (@MontanaRusa509) March 31, 2019
Parker, whose sound is heavily influenced by psychedelic classic rock from the late 1960s and early 1970s, has recorded three albums so far and are preparing to release their fourth this year. On March 22, they released “Patience,” the first single from the new album and their first since 2015. They were also featured on SZA’s October single “Together.”
Tame Impala will also perform at the 2016 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival as one of the headliners, along with Ariana Grande and Childish Gambino. The festival is scheduled for April 12-14 and 19-21.
Parker has not revealed the title for the new album, but he told The Sunday Times it will be released before the end of the year. Even though he prefers not to debut new music on stage, he said there are no plans to rush it out before Coachella.
“I like to think that the album is its own thing,” Parker said in January. “I wouldn’t want in 20 years to be listening to an album I made now and think that I finished it for any deadline or any particular reason. It was finished because it was finished.”
Parker also jokingly said he did not tell Simper, Avery and Barbagallo Tame Impala would be performing at Coachella before the festival announced them as the headliners.
“They would’ve woken up, seen the poster and thought it was a joke,” Parker said with a laugh. “If they read this interview, they’ll know I forgot. We’re not much of a celebratory gang.”
Tame Impala’s 2012 album Lonerism and 2015’s Currents were nominated for the Best Alternative Music Album Grammy Award.
New episodes of Saturday Night Live air on NBC at 11:30 p.m. ET.
Photo credit: NBC
