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Drumming News
Todd Sucherman took to Social Media to break the sad news of the end of live music on Late Night with Seth Meyers and to announce that he’ll be the final drum guest with the 8G Band: “In a bittersweet turn of events”, Todd Sucherman writes “I’m thrilled to announce that I’ll be sitting in with the 8G Band on Late Night with Seth Meyers from August 12th through the 15th. It’s a significant moment as I will be the last guest drummer before NBC brings the band’s tenure to a close.”
“Musical director Fred Armisen will return for the final week, and I’m honored that they chose to mark the end with me. It will be a special farewell, and I’m looking forward to playing with Eli, Seth, and Syd. Be sure to tune in if you can!”
The 8G Band has been an integral part of the show for over a decade. Initially featuring Fred Armisen, guitarist Seth Jabour, bassist Syd Butler, keyboardist Eli Janney, and drummer Kimberly Thompson, the group became a fixture. While Armisen’s appearances grew sporadic, Jabour, Butler, and Janney remained constants alongside Meyers for 11 seasons.
However, come September, *Late Night* will embark on its 12th season without its signature band. Associate musical director Eli Janney shared in a Vulture.com interview that the show will undergo a “revamp” due to budget constraints, and the 8G Band will be let go. This decision is part of broader cutbacks affecting the network and industry.
Fred Armisen reflected on the news, saying, “Seth Meyers and Mike Shoemaker, the showrunner, brought us in to discuss it. They expressed their regret and frustration. NBC was adamant about reallocating the budget.” The band was informed about a month or six weeks ago (In May or June of 2024), allowing some time to adjust.
Despite the sadness surrounding the departure, the show plans to continue having music, albeit pre-recorded rather than performed live. “We’ll be recording music to keep things fresh, which will be super fun,” Armisen noted.
Looking back, reflecting on his time with the band, Armisen added, “It was like winning the lottery. I thought I was going to get fired every week. So to make it ten and a half years is pretty amazing.”
The show’s music has always been a dynamic force, with daily performances that felt almost ephemeral. “We write a bunch of songs and then perform them. The next day, we do it all over again,” Armisen described. “It’s almost like Broadway, with a script that evolves with each performance.”
As the 8G Band takes its final bow, the collective is focusing on enjoying their remaining time together. Armisen concluded, “It’s been ten of the best years of my life. I have nothing bad to say about anyone here. It’s been an amazing opportunity.”
This change/restructuring from a live band to prerecorded music is speculated due to budget constraints. In January, NBC News laid off between 50 to 100 employees, and Paramount Global laid off 800 employees the following month.
This article leaned heavily on an article written by Hershal Pandya for Vultur.com, link to the article is HERE
