André 3000 Performs “That Night in Hawaii…” On ‘Colbert’
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André 3000 performed “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.
The performance went down on Tuesday night (Jan. 23), with the artist taking center stage with several skilled instrumentalists. Musicians performing with André included Carlos Niño, Surya Botofasina, Deantoni Parks, and Nate Mercereau. 3 Stacks donned a distressed hoodie, red beanie, “Black Cement” Air Jordan 3s, and blue and white striped overalls — his signature look in his flute era. André’s instrument of choice, a custom handcrafted Maya flute, was designed by his flute master, Guillermo Martinez.
Colbert allowed the artist to play most of the 10-minute track, making for a captivating song rendition. As the artists performed, blue and purple glares emitted from a vertical light fixture on stage, reflecting on André’s skin. The combined hues and a spotlight created a deep blue shadow tucked underneath 3 Stacks’ feet like a floor mat. The audience gave the musicians a standing ovation as his performance culminated. Colbert even gave the multi-hyphenate some dap for the moving piece.
Prior to the show, Stephen Colbert interviewed André about his artistry and new musical direction. The Outkast emcee spoke about how interesting it is to live long enough to see other artists influenced by him.
“I think every artist is a catalyst artist,” he said. “[Big Boi and I] started when we were 17, so I have lived long enough to see it affect other artists. You’re like, ‘Woah.’ But you’re happy that you meant something.” After Colbert asked him who the catalyst artists were for him, 3000 began listing off several icons that inspired him. Names included George Clinton, Jimi Hendrix, Kraftwerk, 8Ball & MJG, UGK, Sly Stone, John Coltrane, and more.
Colbert then insisted he explain the origin story for his track “That Night in Hawaii…” Naturally, André refrained from giving too much information to the audience. But he described his ayahuasca experience referenced in the track’s title. “It was a reference to a ceremony that I had in Hawaii, and on the second day of the ceremony, I actually became the panther,” André added. “It was an ayahuasca session. I don’t know the details of how it happened, but my face contorted, and my body started making noises, like, ‘grrrr.’ So on the song, I’m mimicking that sound.”
3 Stacks previously announced he will be hitting the road with his New Blue Sun album. The tour will begin in Brooklyn on Monday (Jan. 29). From there, the acclaimed musical mind will trek to Chicago, San Francisco, Detroit, and Atlanta and close out in Los Angeles in March.
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