SNL -- MAY 11, 2013 -- HOST: KRISTEN WIIG with musical guest... VAMPIRE WEEKEND

 

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE
SNL -- MAY 11, 2013     

HOST 

KRISTEN WIIG

 

with Musical Guest 

VAMPIRE WEEKEND

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/

See below for a recap of the show:

Kristen Wiig, who was one of the funniest members of the cast until she left the show in 2012, returns to SNL, to host for the first time.

Kristen's films include  Bridesmaids, (which she co-wrote), MacGruber, Flight of the Conchords, Adventureland, and Paul. 



KRISTEN WIIG ON WIKIPEDIA
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kristen_Wiig

KRISTEN WIIG ON IMDB
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1325419/

KRISTEN WIIG ON AMAZON

VAMPIRE WEEKEND is an American indie rock band.  Its members are:

Ezra Koenig - lead vocals and guitar 
Rostam Batmanglij - backing vocals, guitar and keyboard
Chris Tomson - drums and percussion
Chris Baio - backing vocals and bass
Steve Buscemi - other guy.

They have appeared on SNL before, in 2010. Their (3rd) studio album, VAMPIRES OF THE CITY, will be released on Tuesday (5/14/2013).

 

VAMPIRE WEEKEND ON WIKIPEDIA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vampire_Weekend

VAMPIRE WEEKEND ON IMDB

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2908363/ 

 
VAMPIRE WEEKEND ON AMAZON

Here's a recap of the show:

This was a better than average show.  The writing, direction and acting all seemed strong.  The sketches were a little richer, more animated and more inventive (and funnier) than some other recent shows. 

COLD OPEN – Congress added Jody Arias to the list of witnesses at the Get-Hillary hearings to harden the ratings.

MONOLOG – This didn’t make complete sense, but it was fun.

1-800-FLOWERS a commercial for flowers for Mother’s Day.  Ah Mom!

SOAP NET: THE CALIFORNIANS– This was the best version of this sketch yet.  (It seems like it’s a favorite of the cast because it is one of the few sketches where they can not keep from breaking up.) My favorite parts were the slow feint, and washing the mirror.

DISNEY CHANNEL:  KOREAN WATER GHOST – Funny. (“OK. Nobody tells dad!”)

Some promos & ads: Ben Affleck is coming for the season finale. The “More’s Better” commercial was a nice little big hug for mom.

THE LAWRENCE WELK SHOW: SINGING ON THE BEACH – This was slightly amusing, but it didn’t quite seem to have a point.

VAMPIRE WEEKEND’Ssets were pleasant. No Steve Buscemi.

WEEKEND UPDATE – The jokes were OK. SECOND HAND NEWS was just really bad jokes. GARTH AND KAT is not funny, except for GARTH AND KAT who have a great time.  (Note: It’s true:  talking at the same time your scene partner is and saying the same thing is much more fun than watching someone else do it.)

TARGET LADY – This is one of Kristen’s weakest characters.  I’d have preferred a sketch with one of her more interesting roles.

DOUGLASTON WELLNESS CENTER – Acupuncture needles start spouting more and more fountains of blood.  A bloody funny and yet kind of understated sketch. Best of the night.

EDDY’S – Two sexy ladies (late 20’s?) and two kids (pre-teen?) on what? A date? Just strange enough to be confusingly funny.

CLASSY SEXY ELEGLANCE– Good sketch, and great background dancing.

It seemed like some extra effort went into this show. It was nice to see Kristen Wiig back.

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SNL -- MAY 19, 2012 -- MICK JAGGER WITH FOO FIGHTERS, ARCADE FIRE, AND JEFF BECK

The season finale of Saturday Night Live is a musical feast with Mick Jagger as host AND musical guest, joined by his musical friends Foo Fighters, Arcade Fire and Jeff Beck! (How are they going to have time to feature all these artists? Perhaps they'll ditch the commercials??? - lol... as if... yeah, right...)

SEE BELOW FOR 

A RECAP AND FOR CLIPS

FROM HIGHLIGHTS OF TONIGHT'S SHOW

Here's a hilarious video from one of Mick's previous visits to SNL. (Note/warning! The SNL videos may not work in older or slower browsers.)

Even the promos are better than usual. It bodes well for a terrific show.

Here's the SNL official site:

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/

MICK JAGGER PROMO

Just a little bit of background about the artists: Mick is just a bit older than most of the SNL audience.

MICK JAGGER, an Englishman, more properly known as Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger, once a student at the London School of Economics, once a "bad-boy" now properly knighted, born July 26, 1943 (68 yrs old), has been the lead singer of the Rolling Stones for roughly 50 years.

The Rolling Stones and Mick Jagger became famous (or notorious) for their songs, (including "I Can't Get No... Satisfaction" and "Sympathy For The Devil"), as well as for their sexual liaisons, and their drug use.

MICK JAGGER ON WIKIPEDIA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mick_Jagger

THE ROLLING STONES ON WIKIPEDIA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rolling_Stones

Jagger has also worked as a producer, writer, musician and actor in movies and television:

MICK JAGGER ON IMDB

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001396/#Actor

The FOO FIGHTERS is an American band, founded in Seattle in 1994 after the death of Kurt Cobain, by Dave Grohl, formerly the drummer in Nirvana.

FOO FIGHTERS ON WIKIPEDIA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foo_Fighters

ARCADE FIRE is a Canadian band, known for their use of a multitude of instruments. They won a Grammy for Album Of The Year ("Suburbs") in 2011, along with many other awards.

ARCADE FIRE ON WIKIPEDIA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcade_Fire

JEFF BECK (67) is one of the great guitarists of Rock & Roll history! He performed with The Yardbirds, with many musicians including Mick Jagger, and as a solo artist.

JEFF BECK ON WIKIPEDIA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Beck

Here are links to some of the movies and music of Mick Jagger, Foo Fighters, Arcade Fire and Jeff Beck!

.........

AND HERE IS THE RECAP OF TONIGHT'S SNL:

This was a pretty good SNL. After a soft open, it came alive whenever Mick Jagger was on, and finished well.  

COLD OPEN: LAWRENCE WELK -- Jon Hamm plays a Lawrence Welk Italian romantic singer. The Manneken Pis & Kristen Wiig scene is sort of amusing, but not much heft in this sketch. Not one of the great giggly skits, or super opens.

MONOLOG – Mick Jagger is terrific in one of the best SNL monologues ever. His favorite band, he says in a FAQ he asks and answers himself, (other than the Foo Fighters, Arcade Fire, and the Rolling Stones) is… the FreeCreditReport.com band.

AD (real) -- A clever (real) ad for Google Chrome. There were a lot of good film ads on the show. But added to too many not-so-good (not film) ads, it was another night of commercials interrupted by sketches.

GAME SHOW: THE SECRET WORD – Somehow this tired concept seemed fresh and hilarious tonight. Jagger was a hoot as a flamingly fey action hero movie star.

KILT -- Are you BRAVE enough to wear one? Honestly, I’m not sure if this was a clever real commercial for Disney’s BRAVE, or a fake commercial, or a funny fake commercial that’s actually a real commercial. BRAVE is a real animated film, opening wide in June, set in the mythical, mystical Scottish Highlands.

INSURANCE CONFERENCE AFTERPARTY KARAOKE – Jagger plays Kevin, a sad shy soul who can’t get up and sing. Two guys sing Stones’ songs really badly, and two girls love it, while Kevin complains they’re not doing it right. And the girls leave with the guys, leaving him alone. He sings “Satisfaction” really badly to himself… and even when he sings it really badly, it’s terrific, terribly sad, about someone who really can’t get no satisfaction. A classic sketch. Jagger is very sharp, and might think about trading in his day job (or night job, more accurately) for a gig as a comedian and actor. I think he’s been seriously under-used as an actor in films.

LAZY SUNDAY – I never figured out what was going on here. I’ll have to see it again on a clip. Is this a real fake ad for SISTER ACT and Broadway? Or the opposite?

AL SHARPTON & POLITICS NATION – Not a very well constructed sketch, but it had its funny moments. Sharpton calls J P Morgan “gyp Morgan.” Jagger as a financial spokesman talks doubletalk. And Sharpton mispronounces and misunderstands everything. Remember Fractured French? Call this Fractured English.

JAGGER AND ANGEL FIRE – Sounds great. Jagger’s energy is contagious. I heard the words “the last time” many times, but I never quite understood what happened for the last time. Ah lyrics!

WEEKEND UPDATE – Not an especially funny episode. (FYI – Carlton Banks was a character played by Alfonso Ribeiro on Will Smith’s The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air.) Stefan has never been funny and gets less funny each time. (But, to be fair, there was one good line – a “roaming dragger” is “a dog with short legs and a long penis”). Not a good choice for the last Update of the year.

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE AT AN OUTDOOR MUSIC FESTIVAL – This would have been a terrible sketch, but it was saved, first by the impression of Santana, and then by the role-reversal we’ve been waiting for: Mick Jagger impersonating Steve Tyler (instead of the other way around).

MICK JAGGER WITH FOO FIGHTERS – An even better sound than the first musical set, but the lyrics were repetitive, repetitive, repetitive, re…etc. Ah lyrics!

THE CALIFORNIANS – I like this sketch. It has no big point, but so many little digs at soaps & Californians that it’s still fun.

MICK JAGGER, JEFF BECK AND BLUES. – Sounds fantastic! Jeff Beck is amazing! The lyrics not so much. With the right words this could have been a world class event. I’ve got doubts about the wisdom of the words. Ah lyrics!

GRADUATING CLASS – The last show of the year; some cast members will not be returning. Kristen Wiig has been, for many years and many, many sketches, one of the biggest breakout, most versatile, funniest female (or other) cast members on SNL ever. She was saying goodbye to everyone. (Hopefully, she’ll be reincarnated as a host.)

I enjoyed the show, especially when Mick Jagger was on.  I hope we'll see more of him in films!  The GRADUATING CLASS sketch was rather touching and a worthy end to the season!

HERE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL SNL STORIES IN QPORIT:

SNL -- MAY 12, 2012 -- WILL FERRELL WITH USHER

http://qporit.blogspot.com/2012/05/snl-may-12-2012-will-ferrell-with-usher.html

SNL -- MAY 5, 2012 -- ELI MANNING WITH RIHANNA

http://qporit.blogspot.com/2012/05/snl-may-5-2012-eli-manning-with.html

SNL -- APR 14, 2012 -- JOSH BROLIN WITH GOTYE

http://qporit.blogspot.com/2012/04/snl-apr-14-2012-josh-brolin-with-gotye.html

SNL -- MAR 3, 2012 -- LINDSAY LOHAN WITH JACK WHITE

http://qporit.blogspot.com/2012/03/snl-mar-3-2012-lindsay-lohan-with-jack.html

SNL -- FEB 11, 2012 -- ZOOEY DESCHANEL WITH KARMIN...

http://qporit.blogspot.com/2012/02/snl-feb-11-2012-zooey-deschanel-with.html

SNL -- JAN 21, 2012 -- EMMA STONE & COLDPLAY (rerun from Nov 12, 2011)

http://qporit.blogspot.com/2012/01/snl-jan-21-2012-emma-stone-coldplay.html

SNL -- JAN 14, 2012 -- DANIEL RADCLIFFE WITH LANA DEL REY

http://qporit.blogspot.com/2012/01/snl-jan-14-2012-daniel-radcliffe-with.html

SNL -- DEC 10, 2011 -- KATY PERRY WITH ROBYN

http://qporit.blogspot.com/2011/12/snl-katy-perry-with-robyn.html

SNL -- DEC 3, 2011 -- STEVE BUSCEMI WITH THE BLACK KEYS

http://qporit.blogspot.com/2011/12/snl-steve-buscemi-and-black-kids.html

SKETCH HIGHLIGHT CLIPS

MICK JAGGER MONOLOGUE

MICK JAGGER WITH ARCADE FIRE -- "THE LAST TIME"

MICK JAGGER WITH FOO FIGHTERS - MEDLEY

KARAOKE

SHE'S A RAINBOW -- FAREWELL HOMAGE TO KRISTEN WIIG

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SNL - JIMMY FALLON & BUBLE

2011-12-17 – Saturday Night Live (SNL) - JIMMY FALLON &; BUBLE

(Note: that's Buble as in “BooBLAY” not “bubble”. ... Not "bubbela" either).

`

Sparked by Jimmy Fallon's energy this was one of the liveliest and funniest SNL's. Even the few less funny skits were interesting, and the funny skits were very funny. But ENERGY is what sparked this show.

Also alumni. Lots of alums: in addition to Jimmy Fallon, alums Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and a whole bunch of others showed up.

Here’s some notes on the show:

Cold Open – Prom – Long past their glory days, a high school couple in Boston comes back to crash the prom. I didn’t quite get the point of the sketch -- except perhaps that it was an intro to this alum-heavy and energy-rich show – but it had a quirky manic energy that was entertaining.

Monolog – “So good to be home” – Again, the genial energy of this monolog sketch was the best part.

The Today Show – A fierce send-up of the women on the Today Show. The Regis part was not quite so effective.

Buble Album – Buble is like the polar opposite of everything else on the show, so it was satisfying to tie together the Buble spirit with the SNL style in a sketch that parodied the formulaic star-studded old-fashioned duet album.

Mirror – Nice; clever in concept, skilled in execution, tho' not particularly funny, Fallon asks his “mirror” image how he’s doing so far. Notable for the shirts he and his mirror are wearing.

1928 Holiday Party – Kristen Wiig was hilarious in her (frequently played) guise as a compulsive event interloper. In this case, after her, “You made us sing and dance!” … Every time the music intro comes to her cue, she does something other than sing her song.

One Man Show – Playing “Part Jewish, Part Italian, Completely Neurotic,” in an OOB house, plying a life story (in this case it’s a familiar kind of humor for SNL, the so-bad-it’s-funny comedy) to the one audience member. (I’ve been in that audience and it’s a strange feeling! No matter how good the show may be. –In real life, the hardest part of putting on a show OOB is getting an audience.)

Christmas Greeting – Fallon sings while other alums – Chris Kattan, Stacy Morgan -- do … something.

Buble – Even though this Buble’s music – style and content -- could not be more out of sync with the rest of the show, or the usual musical guest for that matter, it somehow kind of worked.

Weekend Update – There were some good jokes, with some “interview” sketches…

Get in the Cage w/ Jude Law on Weekend Update-- The first of the “interview” segments kind of worked. But it was all the usual Nicholas Cage jokes, and Jude Law (along with Sherlock Holmes) was pretty much ignored.

Joke-Off on Weekend Update – The title was the funniest part of the sketch. Starting from a pretty good joke on Weekend Update, Jimmy Fallon challenged Seth Meyers to a Joke Off. Alums Amy Poehler and Tina Fey came in to help. But the new jokes were not really better than the first joke. (There was a weird moment when Jimmy Fallon seemed to brush away a kiss tendered by his teammate Tina Fey.)

Beethoven in Vienna – Beethoven introduced the members of his orchestra. It was interesting, but not particularly funny, except when Ludwig got upset about one player offering a moment of music from Mozart instead of Ludwig. Also there was an unfunny Hitler joke. Hitler is not funny.

War Horse – The best sketch of the night. In an OOB house a version of War Horse with the puppet horse replaced by a Human playing the horse. And for the second act, the other Human was replaced by a hand puppet.

Jesus visits Tebow – Jesus comes to tell Tebow and the Broncos they’re making him work too hard – along with the other Country Music Award winners, and Beauty Pageant winners he must constantly help, along with all those other contestants that thank him for deciding contests in their favor. The sketch isn’t particularly funny, but it’s a good point.

The cast seemed to have fun at the closing gathering on the ice rink at Rockefeller Center.

For SNL clips:

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/


And here are two memorable sketches from the show:


WAR HORSE




TEBOW

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SNL - DANA CARVEY & LINKIN PARK

Dana Carvey did a decent job of hosting. He had brief visits from old friends Mike Myers and Jon Lovitz; and not a bad appearance by Justin Bieber (as Justin Bieber) on The Church Lady sketch (but punches were pulled... not even close to Skins). I liked the look of the B&W start of Linkin Park's 2nd set, and the music 'til they started singing -- I've never liked the SNL mix of vocals.

Here's some more notes on the highlights (and the echh-y sketches).

In reverse order, from end to beginning of the show:

=>Wrap-up - Not a bad show tonight, not a great one either.

=>Wrap-up - Dana Carvey has two great looking kids.

=>Embrace Me... by the fingerlings (??? - 4 fingers?) ... echh. Pointless. (YES. BAD AND ANNOYING IS BAD AND ANNOYING. So what. )

=>Promo for Celebrity Apprentice... that was a sketch, right?

=>Wurtz is a character with character. A winner, consoling losers.

=>Pageant -- Wiig's one word ... "Me!" was the funniest moment in the whole sketch. But the sketch has a real kick. Satire with an edge. Not funny, but edgy.

=>Live with Regis & Kelly ... Not so funny.

=>Bieber & SNL generating about 1000 tweets or more per half hour.

=>Weekend Update - Egypt Winners and Losers, James Franco & Disco Weather rocked on the mark.

=>THE ROOMMATE - Better than the real thing! NOT! Maybe scarier than the real thing in a different way?

=>Celebrity Crisis Center -- Great concept, limp writing, lousy impersonations, except for Eddie Murphy. That man's GOOD!

=>Church Lady. The voice is a little out of practice, but... Still funny, after all these years. Decades, actually.

=>Black Noise commercial. I'll buy it.

=>Monologue... ecch. I don't care for "I'm the best" monologues. This one was especially flat.

=>OMG! it's Wayne's World, back like were all back at 9 yrs old.


LINKS:

Here's the SNL web site -- It should keep up with the show. It seems kind of lazy, with a confusing design besides.
http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/index.shtml


Here's the SNL Twitter site. It's also kind of lazy.
http://twitter.com/nbcsnl

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