The Walkmen Battle Wiffle Ball Injuries at Austin City Limits

When on tour, one can't take too many precautions in trying to avoid the hazards of the road. And the fiery rock 'n' roll guys of the Walkmen have apparently learned this the hard way, as they told their sizable Austin City Limits crowd Friday night that their bodies were a bit worn out. The cause? A little in-band competition. "We played an intense game of wiffle ball against the horn players," lead singer Hamilton Leithauser told the crowd. "We're really sore and can hardly bend over."

But the band's explosive set didn't indicate there were any troubles going on. They even had the courtesy to sneak in a few new songs, one of which was an untitled, country style ballad. The band's performance was truly augmented by those rascally horn players, where the quartet of trumpet players sauced things up during 'Louisiana' and 'Canadian Girl.' They may be arch-nemeses on the playing field, but on stage they complimented Hamilton's high vocals and balanced out the band's heavy guitars.

The other highlight of their hour-long set came right at the middle, which might have prompted Leithauser to rethink how he was going to continue on without pulling another muscle. A raucous version of 'All Hands and the Cooks' led him to exclaim "whoa, daddy," afterward. Note to rockers on tour who might be playing any type of pick-up basketball, impromptu volleyball or lifting weights: stretch.

The Walkmen are currently working on their sixth album, which is tentatively slated for Spring 2010 release.