Being in advertising has different perks than being a music writer. In advertising:
a) You get into pro sports for free
b) Free tix to Broadway shows
and
c) you jump the queue for TV show tapings and get VIP tix.
On vacation this week, I called my buddy Joe Santamaria from NBC Spot and asked him to hook me up a coupla tix toThe Tonight Show and that is why you can see me above (in the green shirt) singing along to Biz Markie with Jimmy Fallon.
I chose Tuesday July 19th somewhat randomly. I'm on vacation and its an early taping. But I gotta pretty good musical episode. I am not a huge Fallon fan -I mean, really, from Johnny Carson to Jimmy Fallon? Proof that everything cools down to room temperature. Helen Bach noted his monologues are terrible. True. And I am not that keen on his interviews and sketches either. Where he absolutely shines is musically. From the uproarous Neil Young impressions, to the history of rap he performed with Justin Timberlake last October, he is a good musical comedienne, definitely the best of the late night crowd (much better than the over earnest Conan O'Brien). Tonight, Timberlake is visiting and we get Rap Part II.
You show up before 330p and get yourtix at the NBC Experience and then get in line outside the NBC studio for a very long, very warm 45 minute wait to get in.
It is nice and cool in the studio and a warm up comedian gives us the rules (the most important one is don't go for your celly or else). The Roots play a great song with a fine rap in the middle. Unfortunately, I don't like the Roots… and I've tried. I'll give Phrenology a B+ but the John Legend album was a bore and How I Got Over?"Dear God 2.0" was a nightmare and the rest wasn't that much bette. They are protean and talented but in the end nothing that much more than great session guys.
Jimmy does a wretched monolgue, followed by a lousy "Pros And Cons Of Pool Parties", followed by a truly painful "The Dark NKnight Parody".
It is up to first guest Justin Timberlake to turn the show around. Out plugging his new movie "Friends With Benefits" (didn't we just see that with Natalie Portman and Ashton Kushner"?), the guy performs the best Jimmy Fallon impression you've ever seen. "That is soooooo good" Justin says,
Better is History Of Rap Part II. Though not so good, it is still off the charts. And it takes two attempts to get it right. Apparently we didn't do our part. Tthey wanted us standing as Justin and Jimmy ran down either sides of the aisle. It wasn't as good as Part One but it was still fun:They samg snippets of : Kurtis Blow "The Breaks" ; Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five's "The Message,"; N.W.A- "Express Yourself," Public Enemy' – "Bring the Noise." Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock's "It Takes Two" ; Salt n' Pepa – "Push It" ; Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby" ; "Black Sheep'- "The Choice Is Yours," Cypress Hills'" Insane in the Brain"; DJ Kool' – "Let Me Clear My Throat."; DMX' – "Up in Here"; Nelly – "Hot in Herre" 50 Cent'- "In da Club," ; Outkast' – "Hey Ya";Lil Wayne "A Milli"; DJ Khaled' – "All I Do Is Win."; Cali Swag District' – "Teach Me How to Dougie,"; Rick Ross – "Blowing Money Fast."; Biz Markie "Just A Friend" (ps I took this off Gil Kaufman's post at MTV: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1667552/justin-timberlake-jimmy-fallon-history-of-rap-2.jhtml)
To round off the show off we get two songs from Emmylou Harris's disappointment new album. "New Orleans" energy belies its seriousness (it is sad, when did "New Orleans" become synonous with falling apart). And then Emmylou ends the show on a website only very downbeat tribute to Kate McGarrigle "Dear Kate".