Watch Ben Gibbard and Aimee Mann Go ‘Bigger’ With Ted Leo and Jon Wurster on ‘Colbert’

Ben Gibbard brought some famous friends along for his guest appearance on The Colbert Report last night (January 10), to assist with a live version of his and Aimee Mann’s “lightly proggy” duet, “Bigger Than Love.” A bass-wielding Mann handled opening vocals on the pair’s Former Lives collaboration, recalling relationship woes and alcohol abuse, while indie punk hero Ted Leo played guitar and Superchunk’s Jon Wurster manned the drums. Before the modest supergroup caps the track with some guitar-and-keyboard squall, Gibbard hops in to illustrate images of a dwarfed sun and the Seine overflowing with champagne — all stuff that may very well be considered bigger than love. Afterwards, the Death Cab for Cutie frontman stuck around for a solo acoustic rendition of shivering strummer “I’m Building a Fire.” 

Watch “Bigger Than Love” up above, and scroll down to watch Gibbard play “I’m Building a Fire” and to see the singer’s brief interview with Stephen Colbert, which starts with some grooming tips from the late-night host (“Maybe stand a little closer to the razor tomorrow,” he says), addresses the status of Death Cab (don’t worry, “They’re doing just fine,” Gibbard assures), and settles on an uncomfortably long silence.