The 8G Band has been a part of Late Night With Seth Meyers for 11 seasons. Led by Fred Armisen on drums, the group features Les Savy Fav’s Seth Jabour and Syd Butler as well as Eli Janney of Girls Against Boys. Marnie Stern played guitar for the band until 2022, and countless rock musicians — including St. Vincent, J Mascis, Eleanor Friedberger, and Turnstile’s Daniel Fang — have sat in over the years. Vulture revealed that the house band is being laid off.
Rather than terminating more of our colleagues and stalling at the bargaining table, NBC should actually agree to a contract that respects industry standards, including just cause, with its workers,
said Carlin McCarthy, First Vice Chair of NBC Guild.
Show Changes Amid Budget Cuts
For Season 12, which premieres in September, the show will endure a “revamp” for budgetary reasons, according to Janney, who is also the associate musical director. It was confirmed by a second source. The publication also notes that 50 to 100 employees were laid off at NBC in January.
In an interview, Janney clarified, We’re still going to make music for them, but we just won’t be playing it live.
NBC management’s announcement Thursday of plans to lay off 14 Guild-represented workers as part of broader layoffs at the company is indicative of wider financial issues.
A Longstanding Musical Journey Ends
The news is bittersweet for fans who have followed the band’s journey over the years. Lauded for their dynamic performances and influential guests, their absence will be felt keenly. Jabour and Butler will be busy with Les Savy Fav since the band recently released their first album in 14 years. Last year, Marnie Stern released her first new album in 10 years, The Comeback Kid.
Navigating Financial Realities
The decision to cut the live band comes amidst a shrinking market and increased competition from streaming platforms like YouTube and Spotify. Janney points out the broader implications: I liken it to a Spotify moment in music, where suddenly it’s like, Nobody wants to pay for music. Music gets devalued.
Meyers’ show isn’t alone in facing such cuts. Productions have mostly returned to normal operations following the WGA strikes, yet financial pressures remain significant.
Future Prospects
The future remains uncertain for many employees and artists affected by these cuts. Eli Janney mentioned he’s not part of the discussions regarding changes to the show.I know that we’ll have Fred drumming with us for the last week, and there’ll be a little bit of a celebration, I’m sure.
Follow Us