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The Reunion You Didn’t Know You Wanted: That Thing You Do‘s The Wonders Reunite, and It Feels So Good

If you were at the Goddamn Comedy Jam at the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles last night, you got a really special treat! The reunion you didn’t know you wanted (but realized you desperately did) happened, and it was glorious. The Wonders were back, and you can check out the performance below!

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If you were around in the 1990s for things (or if you were raised right and people have since shared this with you), you may be aware of a little movie called That Thing You Do. Written, directed, and produced by Tom Hanks, it tells the story of a small-town band called The Wonders that rises to big, Beatles-like heights in the 1960s on the strength of one hit song, “That Thing You Do.” If you’ve ever seen this movie, you know how peppy and catchy the song is, and have probably had it stuck in your head on multiple occasions.

Well, after the film’s star, Tom Everett Scott, did a cryptic announcement on Twitter before the comedy event, 3 out of 4 Wonders were on hand last night to get together and sing “That Thing You Do,” for an adoring crowd. Check it out!

And of course, there were many photos:

thank u @stephenzahn surrogate #thewonders #theoneders #thatthingyoudo @headbitchmusic

A post shared by Ryan Vaughn (@ryandrummerboy) on

Yup, that would be Wonders lead singer Jimmy Mattingly (Johnathon Schaech), T. B. Player (Ethan Embry) (no really, his credited name in the film was T.B. Player, ie: The Base Player, as a joke about how bass players are often underappreciated), and drummer Guy “Shades” Patterson (Tom Everett Scott). Sadly, neither guitarist Lenny Haise (Steve Zahn) or their manager, Mr. White (writer/director Hanks) were in attendance. As Uproxx speculates, Zahn may not have been in attendance, because “his favorite band, Cap’n Geech & the Shrimp Shack Shooters, was playing a show at the same time.”

Though he was missed, I think this reunion was an awesome success. And I’ve gotta say, these dudes are still looking pretty good, if a bit scruffier since 1996. Thank you, Wonders, for delivering some much-needed joy!

(featured image: 20th Century Fox)

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Author
Teresa Jusino
Teresa Jusino (she/her) is a native New Yorker and a proud Puerto Rican, Jewish, bisexual woman with ADHD. She's been writing professionally since 2010 and was a former TMS assistant editor from 2015-18. Now, she's back as a contributing writer. When not writing about pop culture, she's writing screenplays and is the creator of your future favorite genre show. Teresa lives in L.A. with her brilliant wife. Her other great loves include: Star Trek, The Last of Us, anything by Brian K. Vaughan, and her Level 5 android Paladin named Lal.

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