'SNL50: The Homecoming Concert' Pulls Up A Cher Among Lineup Expansion
You better believe these acts are going on tonight
Whoever has been assembling the lineup for Friday’s SNL50: The Homecoming Concert as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of Saturday Night Live probably got to say something along the lines of “I found someone”. While Sunday’s main anniversary special hasn’t had a second announcement of guests or alums, the concert has added not only six of its own performers, Cher, Dave Grohl, Lauryn Hill, Snoop Dogg, St. Vincent and Wyclef Jean, but special appearances by six SNL alums and promises of even more special guests.
Cher returns to the SNL domain having only ever been musical guest once, on the November 21, 1987 episode hosted by Candice Bergen. Grohl has been musical guest thirteen times never solo, twice with Nirvana (1/11/1992 Rob Morrow, 9/25/1993 Charles Barkley) ten times with Foo Fighters (12/2/1995 Anthony Edwards, 11/6/1999 Dylan McDermott, 2/22/2003 Christopher Walken, 11/12/2005 Jason Lee, October 13, 2007 Jon Bon Jovi, April 9, 2011 Helen Mirren, 5/19/2012 Mick Jagger with Arcade Fire and Jeff Beck, 12/16/2017 Kevin Hart, 11/7/2020 Dave Chappelle, and 10/28/2023 Nate Bargatze) and 2/6/2010 with Them Crooked Vultures. Lauryn Hill was last musical guest on the December 5, 1998 episode hosted by Vince Vaughn, while Snoop Dogg last appeared as a host on May 8, 2004 with Avril Lavigne having been musical guest. Previously, he was musical guest three times: 3/19/1994 with host Helen Hunt, 1/18/1997 with host David Alan Grier, and 10/23/1999 with host Norm Macdonald, alongside Dr. Dre and Eminem. St. Vincent is a two time musical guest, 5/17/2014 with host Andy Samberg and 4/3/2021 with host Daniel Kaluuya. Wyclef Jean has never been on Saturday Night Live proper, and I know what you’re thinking, but Shakira never performed “Hips Don’t Lie”. Her closest appearance to the February 2006 release was two months beforehand, so couldn’t even guest there.
The six alums making appearances with more guests promised are Ana Gasteyer, Samberg, Maya Rudolph, Paul Shaffer (a member of the show’s original house band before being a credited cast member in the 1979-1980 fifth season), Tracy Morgan, and Will Ferrell. What this entails is unknown. Introductory speeches? Performances? Gasteyer and Ferrell have the Culps, Samberg has all of his Lonely Island work, Morgan, in his first confirmed work for the weekend, could even do an Astronaut Jones interlude since he sang that theme song. Could we get another “Goodnight Saigon” performance with a new array of cameos that make up those “more special guests” like Ferrell led in his May 16, 2009 hosting gig that featured Green Day, Norm Macdonald, Rudolph, Amy Poehler, Tom Hanks, Paul Rudd, Artie Lange and Anne Hathaway?
Hosted by Jimmy Fallon, Friday night’s concert at Radio City Music Hall was previously announced to feature Arcade Fire, Backstreet Boys, Bad Bunny, Bonnie Raitt, Brandi Carlile, Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes, Chris Martin of Coldplay, David Byrne, Devo, Eddie Vedder, Jack White, Jelly Roll, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Mumford & Sons, Post Malone, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Robyn, The B-52s and The Roots. It will stream live and after on Peacock.
Source: Deadline