This is it my friends, the season finale of Saturday Night Live. It’s been pretty bad but there has been some fantastic moments. There were more groans than laughs but I am ever hopeful that it will improve. I loathe being the ‘back in the day’ SNL fan but in my heart I know that it will never have the magic of the Belushi days.
Tonight I am away. Off in New Jersey to see the cosmic Fall Out Boy return from hiatus at Six Flags Great Adventure. Nothing I love more than amusement parks and over heated teenagers in Hot Topic clothing. Oh the struggle, but Fall Out Boys triumphant return to the music world has caused such a buzz there was no way to not catch them on their first sweep through the US- so there I go.
Kanye West is a perfect irreverent ending to SNL’s season. When he isn’t busy being an outspoken knob or an egotistical maniac with his mug projected on buildings, he’s an artist who actually has the right to be arrogant. Such amazing words flow seamlessly from his inflated ego and big mouth. He is too big for an SNL stage and out of every act that was on this season this is the one I actually really wish I could see. The last time he was on SNL I was too busy being a snarky cow to appreciate what I was seeing and this would have been a great way to say ‘sorry bro’ to the guy with the skills.
My partner Iman is seeing the Killers- yet another band I wish I was watching. I adore those guys although they had a run in with crappy stuff. I turn back to their older works and still find it as wonderful as the first time I heard it. Will he make it back to review Kanye’s set? Doubtful but possible.
So in retrospect this one episode is most likely going to be the best of the season, so I find it appropriate that I will miss it. This keeps my ‘hates everything’ rep in tact. I’m hopeful that the next season will be better, musically anyway. If SNL is a snapshot of what current music trends are then this is the bottom line (based on this season).
Music sucks and is full of hipsters and posers but ends with a giant FU of greatness that no one sees. See ya next season SNL- go get your shit together.
Iman writes: “I rushed back from the Killers Barclay Center gig in time for the second song: a staccato blast of anger and venom from West with throw away sneers like “it’s leaders and it’s followers but I’d rather be a dick than a swallower” and a threat to Kim (though it isn’t meant as one) “I take my family out of the country so you don’t know where they stay…” he explains, a sorta N—s In Paris” come to roost at Georges Cinq. Is it a good song? I dunno if it is a song at all.
“As long as I’m awake, Fred Armisen said farewell to SNL with a superstar jam (Bill Hader’s Anton said farewell by running away with Seth Meyers) featuring Aimee Mann, Sean Penn, J. Mascis, Carrie Brownstein and Steve Jones to sing an iffy pop song.
“I usually don’t write about the show itself but this is our third year reviewing the music so let me add that the first season of SNL was terrible 75% of the time, and maybe 10% of it is good in 2013. Most of it is unwatchable, but even the best years, even the Eddie Murphy-Joe Piscopo years, hell even the Belushi-Arckroyd-Radner-Murray years were very hit and miss.
“See you next season”.