Who knew ska and basketball went together so well? Reunited 2 Tone legends The Specials were tapped as the musical guests on a special “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” last night that otherwise was dedicated entirely to celebrating the Los Angeles Lakers’ 16th NBA title — in a bit that must have been pre-taped, since the bad was slated to play a German festival last night.
The Specials played “Gangsters,” as shown above, during the show itself — which featured Kobe Bryant and the rest of the team as guests — and “Nite Klub” through the credits (see below). The band has a number of European summer festival dates on tap before it returns to North America later in the summer, with four shows announced so far in New York, Toronto and New Jersey in August and September.
See the Specials tour dates and more ‘Kimmel’ video after the jump…
The Specials tour dates:
June 19: Southside Festival, Tuttlingen, Germany
July 2: Werchter Festival, Werchter, Belgium
July 3: Eurockeennes de Belfort, Belfort, France
July 10: Ruisrock Festival, Turku, Finland
July 15: Traffic Festival, Turin, Italy
July 17: Benicassim Festival, Valenica, Spain
July 31: Paredes de Coura Festival, Porto, Portugal
Aug. 12: Sziget Festival, Budapest, Hungary
Aug. 13: Oya Festival, Oslo, Norway
Aug. 19: Frequency Festival, Salzburg, Austria
Aug. 20: Lowlands Festival, Biddinghuizen, Netherlands
Aug. 22: Central Park Summerstage, New York, NY, USA
Aug. 27: Sound Academy, Toronto, ON, Canada
Aug. 28: Sound Academy, Toronto, ON, Canada
Sept. 2: House of Blues, Atlantic City, NJ, USA
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS:
- Video: The Specials on ABC’s ‘Amplified’
- The Specials planning more North American dates in August
- Coachella video: Echo & The Bunnymen, The Specials, Public Image Ltd.
- Video: The Specials play ‘A Message to You, Rudy’ on ‘Jimmy Fallon’
- The Specials add Los Angeles, Toronto dates to short April tour of North America
- The Specials to play ‘Jimmy Fallon,’ New York in April; full U.S. tour later in 2010
- Video: The Specials reunion makes live debut on ‘Later with Jools Holland’
