Stephen Colbert Spins a Band No-Show Into Comedy Gold

When Daft Punk cancels a visit, the talk-show host responds with a dance-off featuring Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, and Jimmy Fallon

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Stephen Colbert was actually able to “Get Lucky” by having Daft Punk suddenly stand him up.

The electronic-music duo was scheduled to play Colbert’s Tuesday night show, but bailed because Punk-ers Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter promised MTV an exclusive live performance of their hit song during MTV’s Video Music Awards, set to air Sunday, Aug. 25. No more Daft Punk on Colbert.

“We booked Click and Clack over here about a month ago,” Colbert told audiences. “Apparently, Daft Punk are going to make a surprise appearance on the MTV Video Music Awards. Don’t tell anyone, because fun fact: No one told me until two hours ago.”

“This is a real kick in my balls,” Colbert continued, then after pausing for dramatic effect, “brought to you by Hyundai.” Got to keep those sponsors happy, even when the show doesn’t go as planned.

But, as we would expect, Colbert turned it into a media event of his own, playing up the fact that his StePhest Colbchella 2013 event was Punk’d by Daft Punk—“I’ve been Daft Punk’d.” But Ashton Kutcher, donning his Punk’d trucker hat, came on stage to confirm that, no, he hadn’t been Punk’d, just, well, you can do the rhyming.

From there, Colbert did his own lip-synced dance-off to “Get Lucky,” bringing in an entire cast of characters ready to move to the “song of the summer.”

Getting the studio audience jazzed by his passionate claim that he didn’t need Daft Punk to choose his show (and that it was time to dance), the talk-show host meandered into the audience before hitting a video clip that included Hugh Laurie starting off a string of lip-syncing, dancing appearances. Jeff Bridges made a few odd stairwell dance moves, the Rockettes enjoyed plenty of leg time, casts of Breaking Bad and America’s Got Talent showed up and Jimmy Fallon and Matt Damon both ushered in a few timely dance moves.

Overall, Colbert made a daft move to get lucky.