The Middle Aged Dad Jam Band’s “Copacabana” Cover Is Exactly as Joyful and Ridiculous as It Sounds

The Middle Aged Dad Jam Band doing “Copacabana” is one of those things that shouldn’t work as well as it does, and yet here we are. Ken Marino and David Wain, the comedy duo behind The State and Wet Hot American Summer, built MADJB out of pandemic-era garage jams in Los Angeles, pulling in friends, collaborators, and actual serious musicians until the whole thing took on a life of its own. The lineup for this particular performance is stacked, with Jon Spurney (musical director of Hamilton) on piano, Jordan Katz (Ghostface Killah, De La Soul) on trumpet, Clint Walsh (Morrissey, Juliette and the Licks) on guitar, Kestrin Pantera on vocals and cello, Allie Stamler (Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo) on vocals and violin, and young Edie Katz stealing the whole thing as Lola. The New York Times called MADJB “literally the best live music show of all time,” and watching this version of Barry Manilow’s classic unfold with this much talent and this much fun in the room, it’s hard to argue.