In the Mix

The Roots tore it up on Colbert last night. It was the power trio version of the band - Capt. Kirk Douglas on guitar, Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson on drums, Owen Biddle on bass. First, they ripped through their 18 second version of the Cheap Trick-penned Colbert Report theme, setting the tone for a show that was sharper than Monday's Philly debut.

Colbert introduced them by saying "The album is called Rising Down; ladies and gentlemen, please rise for The Roots." Then the Legendarys did a savage "Star Spangled Banner" that started out kind of countrified before fiercely rocking out and ending with Douglas smashing his guitar into pieces in a thunderous finale. (Biddle didn't have as much luck with his bass.) I interviewed Black Thought backstage about Rising Down, the band's tenth album, which comes out April 29, but he didn't perform.

Through the magic of TV, the "Star Spangled Banner" performance was made to appear as if it closed the show. But in the deliriously loud Zellerbach Theater, it actually came before Colbert showed the video of his local historical tour ("Because every Philly needs a stud"), during which he asked a Park Service ranger if he could "tongue the crack of the Liberty Bell." Nice.

He wondered if Barack Obama is up to the job of "Condescender in Chief, " and pitched woo to Michelle Obama, comparing her to Jackie O, and asking her why she would want to be first lady, since "as I understand it, the phone keeps ringing at 3 a.m." When he started to sing Nat Cole's "L-O-V-E" to her, though, she said her husband has "a better voice." He also pitched her a softball with his opening question. "Everybody knows you and your husband are elitists. Could you tell us about your elite upbringing on the South Side of Chicago? How many silver spoons in your mouth?" "We had four spoons," she said. "Then my father got a raise at the plant, and we had five spoons." "That sounds posh," Colbert replied. And thus was the Pennsylvania "bitter" issue dealt with.