Seth Meyers loses ‘Late Night’ band due to budget cuts

NBC is not cutting “Late Night” from the network’s regular schedule, but it is cutting it from the show’s budget.

The 8G Band, a signature part of the Seth Meyers-led program since its launch in 2014, will no longer appear on the NBC after-hours show, which begins in the fall. Eli Janney, the keyboardist of the combo, Vulture told Tuesday that the trio was told in recent weeks that the band would no longer be a permanent part of the program due to budget cuts.

“Ultimately, NBC was adamant about where they wanted to go with the budget,” Janney told the entertainment news site. “It’s not just the band; There’s a whole crew that works with the band, so there’s a lot of people employed. I think this was an easy way for them to cut the budget. Easy is not the right word.”

NBC declined to make executives available for comment, but a person familiar with the program confirmed the band will not appear starting in the fall.

NBC announced in May that it had renewed “Late Night With Seth Meyers” through 2028, backing the 12:30 p.m. program after a period of speculation over whether it would continue in an era when late-night programming is under new supervision has been introduced. The shows remain popular cultural benchmarks, but the new ways people are watching them – watching segments on social media – have undermined their ratings, forcing TV networks to examine the shows’ finances.

Several hosts have left in the recent past, including James Corden, Conan O’Brien, Trevor Noah and Samantha Bee. In some cases, networks like CBS and Comedy Central have come up with cheaper models to replace them. CBS replaced its “The Late Late Show” with “@fter Midnight,” a game show format that relies on host Taylor Tomlinson and a rotating trio of comics. Comedy Central’s “Daily Show” features host Jon Stewart once a week and then uses the program’s team of correspondents to fill the remainder of the four-day-a-week schedule.

The 8G band is a permanent part of the Meyers format. The 8G Band was recruited by former “Saturday Night Live” cast member Fred Armisen and was crewed by Janney, guitarist Seth Jabour and bassist Syd Butler. Each week that position was filled by a different drummer, with Armisen performing occasionally.

A band that has been a part of most late-night events for decades, with musicians such as Paul Shaffer, Max Weinberg, Kevin Eubanks, Reggie Watts and Doc Severinsen, known for their work with David Letterman, Jay Leno, Corden and Johnny respectively Carson . CBS’ “Late Show with Stephen Colbert” relied on Jon Batiste, and now depends on Louis Cato. The Roots represent a staple of NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” while “Saturday Night Live” has had a band since its launch in 1975.