NYS Music 202​1

Tag: SNL

  • Billie Eilish Is Happier Than Ever On SNL Double Duty

    Billie Eilish returned to Saturday Night Live, this time as both host and musical guest. She previously played the stage in September 2019, where she performed her breakout hit, “Bad Guy.” Last night’s hosting debut makes her the first SNL host to be born in the 21st century.

    The episode’s cold open featured a briefing about the Omicron variant from Anthony Fauci, played by Kate McKinnon. Cecily Strong and Chloe Fineman also appeared as Marjorie Taylor-Greene and Lauren Boebert, both armed with assault rifles. When Fauci tried to find common ground between the divided members of Congress, Taylor-Greene cocked her gun and said “We can all agree that the Fox News Christmas tree arsonist must be executed.”

    During her opening monologue, Billie Eilish revealed that her mother dissuaded her from pursuing acting while encouraging her brother FINNEAS. The singer-producer sibling duo’s mother then appeared onstage, wearing a shirt that said “Finneas’ Mom.” Eilish also poked fun at her past wardrobe of baggy clothes, saying it was to hide secretly being two children on each other’s shoulders in order to get into R-rated movies.

    Eilish appeared in the next sketch, where Miley Cyrus had a surprise cameo. She played herself posing for Punkie Johnson’s Christmas card, who insulted her music but threatened to call her racist if she declined a photo. As for Eilish, she played a grown-up high school bully who continued to taunt her victims through annual Christmas cards. Other sketches showed Eilish as a Christmas lounge singer, a TikToking nurse and a concierge at a lackluster hotel.

    Eilish’s first song of the night was “Happier Than Ever,” the hit single off her album of the same name. Beginning as a 50s traditional pop song not unlike Julie London’s “Cry Me a River,” it builds into a cathartic rock release. The song peaked at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100, and saw nominations for both Song and Record of the Year at the 2022 Grammys.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdeJ8v0z64w

    While “Happier Than Ever” gleefully burns all bridges with its subject, the night’s second song, “Male Fantasy,” expresses some regrets. In the chorus, Eilish admits she still has feelings for him and can’t fully hate him. Both songs are back to back at the end of the album, ending it on a surprisingly hopeful note.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfDy6sdWRR4

  • Watch Saweetie ‘Tap In’ to SNL while Pete Davidson pays Tribute to Staten Island

    SNL returned last night with first-time host Simu Liu accompanied by musical guest Saweetie. The juggernaut rapper, fresh off her own McDonald’s Meal and a newly inked deal for a Netflix series, performed favorite hits and a brand new single for the crowd. 

    Saweetie Simu Liu SNL

    The episode opened with Cecily Strong parodying Judge Jeanine Pirro of Fox News discussing the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict. Chloe Fineman played a white female analyst discussing the shocking nature of the exoneration, while Chris Redd’s Howard University professor notes the American justice system has behaved this way before. When Fineman mourned “This is not who we are!” a sarcastic Redd responded, “I kind of feel like it is though…” James Austin Johnson returned with his pitch-perfect Trump impression. Above all, the sketch was a strong, hilarious opening.

    Simu Liu, star of Marvel’s Shang Chi And The Legend of the Ten Rings, brought energy and ease to his monologue. He joked at his status as the first “openly Chinese superhero,” and a strong later sketch between Liu and Bowen Yang expanded the joke. In his opener, he mainly skewered his Canadian heritage and the uniquely polite way he obtained his breakout role. Spoiler alert: he tagged them on Twitter, and got about ten likes. 

    Firstly, Saweetie hit the stage with a montage of “Tap In” and “Best Friend.” Dressed in old Hollywood glam and flanked by dancers in tutu’s, she introduce a jazzy rendition of “Tap In.” In a floor-length gown, she performed a gracefully choreographed routine. As the whistle-heavy beat faded in, her backup dancers removed the train on her dress.

    With her blood-red curls serving Jessica Rabbit, Saweetie cemented her status as a classic R&B girl with a diverse catalog. Dance, fashion, rapping, singing; all of it is in a day’s work for Saweetie. Above all, the montage was a celebration of Saweetie at her peak, highlighting her greatest hits.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOItdP6ZjU8&list=PLS_gQd8UB-hJ_skvlwzfzWQSdOpi13UJM&index=5&ab_channel=SaturdayNightLive

    Throughout the night, standout skits included a “karaoke recap” from a dive bar, aptly parodying many types of karaoke singer. From “Guy Who Was Doing Great Until The High Notes Came In” to “Girl Who Claimed Her Friend Signed Her Up But We All Know The Truth,” each was spot on. Later on, Simu Liu perfectly embodied a crotchety professor in a skit of a 420-friendly Friendsgiving celebration. 

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyKnQPpLR2I&list=PLS_gQd8UB-hJ_skvlwzfzWQSdOpi13UJM&index=3&ab_channel=SaturdayNightLive

    Later, Saweetie returned to the stage to perform a brand new single, “Icy Chain.” On the track, she bodies an opportunity to flex her harder flows. She impressed with her breathless flows, never missing a beat even in the midst of a high kick or twerk. Clearly, Saweetie takes her craft seriously. However, the rapper wasn’t afraid to have fun during “Icy Chain,” laughing and smiling through the number. 

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jx0Ag3fEeDE&list=PLS_gQd8UB-hJ_skvlwzfzWQSdOpi13UJM&index=10&ab_channel=SaturdayNightLive

    Pete Davidson recruited fellow Staten Islander Method Man and rapper Big Wet for “Walkin in Staten,” a parody of Marc Cohn’s “Walking in Memphis.” Cohn was at first reluctant to join the video, but then appeared with the trio, adding to the hilarious take on the outer borough. Davidson and company sang about the unique attractions found in Staten Island – pizza places on every corner, bagel shops, and pizza places within bagel shops, among others.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W62Vmju18Vw

    SNL will return on December 11th with Billie Eilish serving double duty as host and musical guest. Later next month, Charli XCX will perform alongside host Paul Rudd on December 18th.

  • Jukebox The Ghost Celebrate HalloQueen at Brooklyn Steel

    Jukebox The Ghost brought their HalloQueen special to Bushwick’s Brooklyn Steel on Saturday October 30, 2021 for the bands largest headlining show to date. The show featured a Halloween costume competition, musical standup comedy, a full Jukebox The Ghost set, as well as a full set of 14 Queen cover songs. Jukebox has been around since the college indie boom of the mid 2000s, but vocalist Ben Thornewill thanked the crowd multiple times for making it the bands biggest show of their career.

    jukebox the ghost halloqueen brooklyn steel
    Jukebox The Ghost at Brooklyn Steel, 10/30/2021. Photo by BuscarPhoto

    Opening the show was former SNL cast member Luke Null, who delivered a set of musical stand up comedy dressed as a French Mime, complete with Gene Simmons face paint. Strapped with an acoustic guitar, Null engaged with the crowd while singing and telling mildly inappropriate short stories. He made another appearance after Jukebox’s main set to officiate the costume competition. Members of the band’s crew handed out vouchers to the best dressed fans around the venue, allowing them on stage during the set break. Crowd reaction was the metric for the competition, who settled on the Jurassic Park themed Nedry and dinosaur costume as the winner.

    jukebox the ghost halloqueen brooklyn steel
    Luke Null, officiating the costume competition. Photo by BuscarPhoto

    Jukebox The Ghost took the stage again after the costume competition, all dressed as members of the band Queen. The HalloQueen celebration commenced, and would continue for a 14 song set of Queen cover songs, all performed superbly true to form. Thornewill fully embraced the role of Freddie Mercury, mimicking the body language and posture perfectly, and there was even an handkerchief hanging from the neck of Brian May’s guitar. The crowd fully embraced the moment, belting out a rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody” which culminated in an epic balloon drop.

    jukebox the ghost halloqueen brooklyn steel
    Jukebox The Ghost at Brooklyn Steel, 10/30/2021. Photo by BuscarPhoto

    The show at Brooklyn Steel was the last on the tour for Jukebox The Ghost, who have no more dates scheduled at the moment. The band played their latest single “Cheers!” as well as one other new song, so be on the lookout for new music in the future.

  • Saturday Night Live Unveils Hosts, Musical Guests for Season 47

    Saturday Night Live has revealed the first four hosts and musical guests of its upcoming season 47. Returning on October 2 on NBC, the lineup includes Kacey Musgraves, Halsey, Young Thug and Brandi Carlile. The premiere is the first episode of SNL since last May, when Anya Taylor-Joy hosted as Lil Nas X took the stage. Cast members Beck Bennett and Lauren Holt are exiting the show, while three new featured players are set to join: Aristotle Athari, James Austin Johnson and Sarah Sherman.

    Saturday Night Live Season 47

    Fans of the show can likely anticipate a tribute to late alum Norm Macdonald, who passed away in September.

    The season premiere kicks off on October 2, with Loki star Owen Wilson hosting and country-turned-pop singer Kacey Musgraves as the musical guest. Musgraves’ fourth studio album star-crossed was released on September 10, supported by a visual album that premiered on Paramount+. She previously performed on SNL in 2018:

    On October 9th, Kim Kardashian West hosts as Halsey performs. Her August album If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power received the best reviews of her career to date, attracting new listeners thanks to Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s production. Halsey has guested on SNL annually since 2018, doing double duty as a host and musical guest in 2019.

    Rami Malek hosts on October 16, a change of pace from portraying the most recent Bond villain in No Time to Die. Young Thug joins Malek as the musical guest, his first time as the main performer despite assisting Megan Thee Stallion last season.

    The furthest out host and musical guest announced for Season 47 of Saturday Night Live are Emmy-winning Ted Lasso star and former SNL alum Jason Sudeikis, and singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile, both for October 23.

    https://twitter.com/brandicarlile/status/1440763673887215619

  • Machine Gun Kelly makes Saturday Night Live debut

    For the first episode of 2021, Saturday Night Live welcomed host John Krasinski and musical guest Machine Gun Kelly.

    Atlanta-based artists Outkast and TLC received shout-outs during the ‘Blue Georgia’ sketch, and The Office theme song finally gained lyrics courtesy of John Krasinski.

    For his first song, Machine Gun Kelly sang “My Ex’s Best Friend” The punk-lite track recalled Sum 41’s performance on October 6, 2001, the second episode after 9/11. Kelly channeled Gen Z’s muffled rage, throwing his guitar into the crowd at the end of the song.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rd7APH5XeFc

    MGK performed “Lonely” for his second song, an emotional song about his father who passed away in July 2020. Both songs are from Machine Gun Kelly’s fifth album Tickets to My Downfall, released in September 2020.

    Uproxx notes how fitting the second song is, “not just because of what he shared about watching the show being a family affair, but because these emotions of loss, grief, and loneliness are pervasive right now during the coronavirus pandemic that has been plaguing the world since last year.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_djsCw1iS8

    To close the night, Machine Gun Kelly attempted to pick The Dirt co-star Pete Davidson, allowing hilarity to ensue.