Watch Beck, Jeff Goldblum, James Corden Play Hide and Seek
James Corden has been hosting The Late Late Show for less than two weeks, but he’s already stepping way outside the box – and the studio. For Thursday’s episode, the comedian and crew set up shop in a random person’s house, conducting interviews on his living room couch and filming a Beck performance in his dining room. But the biggest highlight is Corden’s impromptu game of hide and seek with Beck, guest Jeff Goldblum, bandleader Reggie Watts and homeowner/ all-around good sport, Tommy.
“There is nothing better the first time you step in someone’s house than a good game of hide and seek,” Corden says, before closing his eyes for the pre-seek countdown. Goldblum finds a cozy spot in a bedroom closet, but his jutting leg is a dead giveaway. (“There were men’s clothes in there, and I think I upset them,” he reflects.) Tommy hides halfway under his bed, which makes for an easy spot. But Beck puts the least amount of effort into his search, sliding under the living room rug. (“When’s the last time you vacuumed?” he asks.)
Before their childlike antics, Corden brought out Beck to meet Tommy, who happened to be a really big fan of the alt-rocker’s work. In the below clip, Beck also talks about his surreal first encounter with the Strokes, which took place at a festival in Norway. “They were riding down a hill on deck chairs,” the musician says. “We had a three-hour badminton match.” (Cut to Goldblum’s confused badminton miming.)
Cramming their gear into a corner, Beck and company delivered a haunting version of “Country Down,” a pedal-steel-driven cut from his three-time Grammy-winning 2014 LP, Morning Phase. Watch the intimate performance below.