NBC’s “Late Night with Seth Meyers” is reportedly getting rid of its live band at the end of the summer.
The show’s musical director told Vulture the 8G band, which has been with the program since 2014, has been informed its services will no longer be needed in September. NBC’s reasons are said to be “budgetary.”
That claim was reportedly backed by a second source. The networks hasn’t responded to a Daily News request for comment.
Puck News reported NBC let go of as many as 100 employees at the start of 2024.
Assistant musical director and keyboardist Eli Janney told Vulture he got the news directly from Meyers and showrunner Mike Shoemaker. Janney admitted he probably wasn’t supposed to have broken the news the show was getting rid of its band, but he doesn’t seem worried about the consequences.
“What are they going to do, fire me again?” he asked.
According to Janney, occasional drummer Fred Armisen, who worked with Meyers on “Saturday Night Live,” will sit in with 8G during the band’s final week on the show.
“There’s a lot of strong emotions,” Janney said. “No one is happy about it.”
Janney added that there’s no animosity between himself and Meyers or the show and imagines 8G’s musicians will remain involved with the program, just not as the nightly house band. There’s no indication “Late Night” will stop hosting musical guests.
“I thought I was going to get fired every week,” he confessed. “To make it ten and a half years is pretty amazing.”
“Late Night” airs at 12:35 a.m. on NBC, following “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” The latter program’s live soundtrack is provided nightly by Grammy-winning band The Roots.
