The Last Great Hope for Music on Late-Night TV

Here’s an embarrassing thing about me: I still watch a ton of late-night TV. Every morning, as I munch on some Wheaties and groggily sip a cup of tea, I fire up YouTube and scroll through my subscriptions in search of a few clips to ease me into the day. As of late, it’s been extremely bleak: Since almost every late-night show is political now, and politics is getting more dire by the hour, watching Stephen Colbert or Jimmy Kimmel or Seth Myers attempt to add levity to our collective shitstorm can feel like watching a clown honk its nose in front of a battle tank.

So I end up just looking out for guests (Tim Robinson was great on Late Night a couple of weeks ago) and musical acts I care about. This can also be bleak, especially when it comes to music. Live music has always been shunted to the very end of most of these shows—if they featured music at all—and it has historically been thought of as a way to just keep studio audiences engaged and a reason for non-geriatric viewers to pay attention. In our era of shrinking late-night TV ratings and budgets, music is often the first line item to be crossed out.

Seth Myers was forced to lay off his band last year. The Late Show With Stephen Colbert has been airing fewer and fewer performances: This year, only about 30 percent of new episodes have featured a musical act. The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon has a more consistent musical presence, though the days of genuinely exciting moments like Tyler, the Creator jumping on the host’s back are long gone. (Also, as someone who wants to retain the last few brain cells I have left, I generally just can’t with Fallon.) Saturday Night Live is still drawing the heaviest hitters, but for every incredible Lady Gaga performance there’s a perfunctory appearance from Morgan Wallen. Which means there’s a big, open lane for a show to swoop in and become an exciting new home for music on late-night TV. Everybody’s Live With John Mulaney is that show.