'SNL' Finale After Party Seems Like Concert of Century

by Julian Spivey
There are those classic concerts that you just would have killed to have seen in person: Woodstock in ’69, The Last Waltz (The Band’s farewell concert) in 1976 and Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band anytime and anywhere. But, who would have figured that a “Saturday Night Live” after party could elicit such a response?
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Based on Twitter responses from ‘SNL’ cast members and after party guests the party itself was certainly a much better and more entertaining show than the ‘SNL’ season 37 finale that preceded it.

Rock legend and Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger hosted the finale with guests Foo Fighters, Arcade Fire and Jeff Beck and performed three times during the episode. Jagger performed Rolling Stones classics with Arcade Fire and Foo Fighters and then an original blues tune that was inspired by the current political climate in the U.S. The Stones classics were great, but at times hard to hear. The original song was a little out of place and honestly pointless for the episode.

After Jagger’s hosting stint and the episode faded to black is when the real fun began to take place. I had certainly heard of “Saturday Night Live” after parties, but I doubt there has ever been one as epic as the one that took place late last night outside of 30 Rockefeller Plaza. It’s just a shame that there is no video footage of it and that only those in attendance got to see it.

Outside of 30 Rock, Jagger, the Foo Fighters and current and former cast members of ‘SNL’ had one big jam session that lasted into the wee hours of the morning. If it weren’t for tweets from ‘SNL’ cast member, Weekend Update anchor and head writer Seth Meyers, The Roots drummer Questlove and “Live from New York” author James Andrew Miller, who were all in attendance at the after party, it’s possible that none of us would’ve ever heard of the shindig, which might have been for the better, because now many like me are highly jealous.

Miller tweeted: “Tonight in New York City, the best music could have been heard for free, right above rink at 30 Rock. #mick&foofighters”  

The Foos served as backing band while Jagger ripped through Stones classics like “Bitch” and “Miss You”, before they officially became the best fucking cover band in the world (from the sounds of it they didn’t play any of their tunes) playing Tom Petty’s “Breakdown”, Van Halen’s “Keep Talkin’ ‘Bout Love”, in addition to Rod Stewart, Alice Cooper, etc.

Not only would I have killed to have seen Jagger and the Foo Fighters jamming past two in the morning, but the real highlight for me would have been when the ‘SNL’ stars of today and yesterday joined the group on stage to sing rock classics themselves. According to tweets by Miller and Meyers, Amy Poehler and Kristen Wiig joined the band for Joan Jett classics, Will Forte performed a Black Sabbath classic and Jason Sudeikis sang lead on a Cheap Trick tune as Fred Armisen took control on the drums.

How freakin’ amazing would that have been?