Matt And Kim Steal Woodies Spotlight With Some Nearly Nude Friends

Matt and Kim

On a night packed with big-name stars (Leighton Meester, Will.I.Am, Zooey Deschanel, et al) and big-name performances (Death Cab for Cutie, Jack White's the Dead Weather, Rick Ross), it was a frequently nude couple from Brooklyn that managed to steal the spotlight at the 2009 mtvU Woodie Awards.

Matt and Kim — they of the clothing-optional "Lessons Learned" video — not only walked away with the Video of the Year Woodie, but they wowed the crowd with an over-the-top performance of the song, one that featured bicycles, bliss and backing vocals provided by a bevy of nearly naked hipsters.

So when we caught up with the dynamic duo at the Woodies, which air December 4 at 10 p.m. on MTV, MTV2 and mtvU, we had to ask them about the performance. Turns out, it was a rather difficult thing to pull off. It seems there's not a lot of professionally trained singers willing to shed their clothes on command.

"We were going to get our friends out there, but our friends can't sing for crap," singer Matt Johnson laughed. "So we got some people to help us out. These were kids who knew how to sing — who also happened to look great taking their clothes off."

"It was a lot harder to do than you'd imagine," drummer Kim Schifino added. "There's not that many people who want to do that."

Luckily, they managed to corral a chorus of kids who were up to the task. And the "Lessons Learned" performance went off without a hitch. The only problem now is — thanks to their Woodies set (and the success of the "Lessons" video) — Matt and Kim find themselves perilously close to being typecast as "that naked band." At least, you'd think it was a problem.

"I can only hope we'll be 'that naked band!' " Johnson enthused. "I always want to take my clothes off. I went to film school, and the only time I get to do film-related things is via Matt and Kim. And I came up with this idea for a video, where Kim and I would take our clothes off in Times Square, and Kim wanted no part of it."

"Not at all," Schifino laughed. "But now it seems inevitable. And that could be a problem. My t--s aren't that big."

Don't miss the 2009 mtvU Woodie Awards, airing on December 4 at 10 p.m. on MTV, MTV2 and mtvU!