Tarriona “Tank” Ball (Tank and The Bangas) and Big Freedia joined The Soul Rebels for a performance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Friday night. The 10-piece appeared on Colbert’s #PlayAtHome digital concert series for a take on The Soul Rebels’ original song, “Real Life”, from the band’s 2019 album, Poetry in Motion.
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As one would expect, The Soul Rebels brought the funk in full force to Colbert’s late night audience. Tank immediately made her presence known, giving a scream to lead the band into the song. While the original featured vocals from Sean Carey, Tank added her own flavor to the lyrics, truly making them her own. Trombonist Corey Peyton then rapped the first verse on the song, which was originally handled by Passport P, before heading back to his instrument and tossing the vocals back to Tank. Trumpeter Julian Gosin then took a verse ahead of another chorus by Tank.
As the band brought “Real Life” to the final section, the legendary New Orleans-based hip-hop artist Big Freedia made his way to the stage. His larger-than-life stage presence noticeably upped the energy in the room. Tank then echoed the last words of his lines before taking over the microphone for the final time and bringing the song to its end point.
Check out the full performance below and head to The Late Show website for more clips of the episode.
The Soul Rebels w/Tarriona “Tank” Ball & Big Freedia – “Real Life” – The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
[Video: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert]