Watch Aerosmith Perform ‘Walk This Way’ With Toy Instruments on ‘Fallon’
“Walk This Way” took on a whole new vibe Wednesday night as Aerosmith joined Jimmy Fallon and The Tonight Show house band the Roots to re-imagine the song with children’s instruments. Fourteen musicians all crowded into the frame to offer a cacophonous rendition of the 1975 classic rock tune.
In the clip, Fallon sits front row alongside frontman Steven Tyler, who plays out the song on a harmonica and two apple shakers. The rest of the band is behind the the pair, with Joey Kramer smacking a toy drum and Joe Perry plucking the strings of a ukulele. Tom Hamilton is given a tambourine while Brad Whitford has a maraca, while the Roots take on various other toy instruments like a xylophone and wooden blocks. Most of the musicians sing the lyrics, lending a chaotic vibe to the performance, and the band – save for Tyler – look occasionally confused by the spectacle, suggesting that this is not going to be the song’s definitive cover.
The crew also nod to Aerosmith’s 1986 version of the song with Run-DMC, with Roots frontman Black Thought and other members playing their instruments inside Adidas sneakers made famous by the rap legends.
“Classroom Instruments” is a recurring segment on the show, with Adele, Camila Cabello, Metallica and Ed Sheeran all reimagining their songs with toy instruments.