Canadian indie-rock veterans Broken Social Scene were joined onstage by a pair of entertainment legends during a recent performance in New York City. As Pitchfork reports, actors Meryl Streep and Tracey Ullman appeared onstage during the band’s performance at Webster Hall on Sunday, 16th October, joining in for the set list’s penultimate song.
Footage of the event shows Broken Social Scene front person Kevin Drew introducing Ullman to the crowd before a performance of ‘Anthems For A Seventeen Year-Old Girl’ from 2002’s You Forgot It in People. Streep joined Ullman onstage midway through the song, igniting widespread applause from the audience.
Meryl Streep and Tracey Ullman onstage with Broken Social Scene:
There was a tinge of irony to Streep’s appearance, as she can be seen using her phone to record the event, despite the lyrics to ‘Anthems For A Seventeen Year-Old Girl’ urging the listener to “drop that phone”. The song also includes lyrics such as “Bleaching your teeth, smiling flash, talking trash, under your breath” and “Used to be one of the rotten ones and I liked you for that.”
Broken Social Scene are currently touring the US in support of the 20th anniversary of their second album, You Forgot It In People. The band last toured Australia in 2010, having released only one album – 2017’s Hug Of Thunder – during the interim. Drew leads the current iteration of Broken Social Scene alongside longtime members Brendan Canning, Andrew Whiteman, Charles Spearin, Justin Peroff, Evan Cranley, James Shaw and Sam Goldberg, and newer recruits David French and Ariel Engle.
Further Reading
Love Letter To A Record: All We Are’s Luis Santos On Broken Social Scene’s ‘You Forgot It In People’
The Smiths’ Johnny Marr & Andy Rourke Perform Smiths Songs Together In New York
The Strokes Invite Fan Onstage To Perform Song, Judge Her Performance
