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Jimmy Fallon dances to Minneapolis band Apollo Cobra’s ‘Sweatpants’ on ‘The Tonight Show’

Jimmy Fallon holding the album artwork for "Sweatpants" by Minneapolis band Apollo Cobra on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon."
Jimmy Fallon holding the album artwork for "Sweatpants" by Minneapolis band Apollo Cobra on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon."

by Colleen Cowie

June 20, 2019

Last night, Minneapolis band Apollo Cobra received a surprise shout-out from Jimmy Fallon, when he played their song "Sweatpants" on The Tonight Show.

The song was included in "Do Not Play," a segment where Jimmy Fallon shares a selection of "music you might want to avoid." Fallon began by telling the audience, "Before we start, I want you to know that every song and every artist that I'm about to play for you — they're 100 percent real."

https://www.facebook.com/apollocobra/posts/10157209050178766

"Sweatpants" closed out the segment. Although the "Do Not Play" is supposed to include cringe-worthy or even unlistenable songs, after introducing "Sweatpants," Fallon immediately started bobbing to the groove.

Apollo Cobra are a dance band from Minneapolis. Since 2010, Dylan Nau, Aaron Stoehr, Jesse Lesmeister have released two albums and an EP, and in February 2019 they uploaded the single "Sweatpants" to Soundcloud.

The song is an ode to the comfortable lounge pants, with lyrics that nod to the stretchy, dance-friendly clothing. "No jeans, no slacks, no corduroys, no khakis/ I'm loose, I'm cool, don't call my sweatpants tacky."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0Yz-efl64w&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR1e6cDD6sn2s1XXtVLjNHGigD6dSC97Zu_oQUjg6tUiqSpBYGqotAa5tMs

"I think it's kind of good," said Fallon, nodding along to the beat. "It's like a little Minneapolis —" he began, before standing up from behind his desk to shimmy around the set, holding the waistband of an invisible pair of sweatpants.

Since the episode aired, many new fans have shared their support for the song on social media. The comments section of the "Do Not Play" YouTube video is filled with remarks about the song's catchiness, and fans are reaching out to Apollo Cobra on Facebook to say how Jimmy Fallon introduced them to the band.

You can listen to the full song below — just make sure you "tighten up that drawstring before you get down to the beat."

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This activity is made possible in part by the Minnesota Legacy Amendment’s Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.