On May 12, 2013, it was announced that Saturday Night Live (SNL) head writer and Weekend Update anchor
Seth Meyers would be leaving the show to take over the long-running talk show franchise Late Night, replacing
Jimmy Fallon.[20][21] Meyers initially stated in late 2013 that Late Night would not have a house band, explaining, "One of the things we need to do, I think, is define ourselves as different than [Fallon]. So music is going to be a slightly smaller element of the show.
Questlove of [Late Night with Jimmy Fallon house band]
the Roots is helping us figure out how to do music without a band. We’re thinking some version of a DJ."[22] He later reversed the decision,[23] announcing on
Twitter the following year that the band will be called the 8G Band and fronted by fellow SNL alumni
Fred Armisen.[24][25] The idea for Armisen to lead the band was suggested by producer
Lorne Michaels around a month before the premiere.[26]
Armisen was previously the drummer for
Trenchmouth in the 1990s[27] and as a touring drummer for
Blue Man Group after Trenchmouth disbanded.[28] Armisen enlisted
Les Savy Fav guitarist Seth Jabour and bassist
Syd Butler for the house band, with whom he had previously collaborated on Les Savy Fav's fourth studio album, Let's Stay Friends, in 2007.[29]
On May 12, 2013, it was announced that Saturday Night Live (SNL) head writer and Weekend Update anchor
Seth Meyers would be leaving the show to take over the long-running talk show franchise Late Night, replacing
Jimmy Fallon.[20][21] Meyers initially stated in late 2013 that Late Night would not have a house band, explaining, "One of the things we need to do, I think, is define ourselves as different than [Fallon]. So music is going to be a slightly smaller element of the show.
Questlove of [Late Night with Jimmy Fallon house band]
the Roots is helping us figure out how to do music without a band. We’re thinking some version of a DJ."[22] He later reversed the decision,[23] announcing on
Twitter the following year that the band will be called the 8G Band and fronted by fellow SNL alumni
Fred Armisen.[24][25] The idea for Armisen to lead the band was suggested by producer
Lorne Michaels around a month before the premiere.[26]
Armisen was previously the drummer for
Trenchmouth in the 1990s[27] and as a touring drummer for
Blue Man Group after Trenchmouth disbanded.[28] Armisen enlisted
Les Savy Fav guitarist Seth Jabour and bassist
Syd Butler for the house band, with whom he had previously collaborated on Les Savy Fav's fourth studio album, Let's Stay Friends, in 2007.[29]