While usualThe Tonight Showperformers Questlove, Black Thought and the Roots were in Los Angeles to perform for the 2023 Grammy Awards this weekend, viewers of the show starring Jimmy Fallon were in for a special treat. AsVarietyreports, the show hosted iconic comedy television bandleaderPaul Shafferto replace them for a special episode with his World’s Most Dangerous Band. Shaffer notoriously occupied late-night comedy as bandleader for the first five seasons ofSaturday Night Live, continuing on for his tenures with David Letterman’s late-night shows on CBS and NBC.
Shaffer kicked of his appearance on NBC’s The Tonight Show with a joke, asking the Studio 6B audience “Hey, am I in the right studio?”. This was no doubt a reference to his installation in the studio across the hall for many years withLate Night with David Lettermanfrom 1982-1993, afterwhich Shaffer moved with his band to Letterman’sThe Late Show With David Lettermanon CBS until 2015.
Following Fallon’s introduction, Schaffer thanked Fallon and NBC for the opportunity to organize the reunion with his band, which included guitarist Felicia Collins, drummer Anton Fig and bassist Will Lee. “What a trip,” said Shaffer. “It is surreal to be here after all this time.”
The musician also noted that the appearance marked their anniversary of starting late-night comedy work with NBC. “It’s such a coincidence we’re here tonight” remarked Schaffer, “because 41 years ago this very week was when David Letterman came on the air right across the hall here at NBC, so this is like our 41st anniversary that we’re celebrating. And thanks to you, I have reunited the entire band from the Letterman show – boys and girl – and we’re having the time of our lives.”
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Changed the Face of Comedy
Fallon had premised Schaffer’s appearance on the show with a statement that Schaffer “is one of the most important musical figures in late-night history.” The host added to this in front of the live studio audience: “When people talk about legends of late-night TV, you are number one on everyone’s top 10 list,” remarked Fallon.
Fallon’s conversation with Schaffer turned to comedy, with Fallon admitting that he was a “fan” of Shaffer’s. “Not only did you change the game and raise the bar as to what a band can do on a show. Obviously there was Doc Severinsen (Johnny Carson’s bandleader at ‘The Tonight Show’). But you took it to the next level. And I think that you changed the face of comedy as well, if I may say… When Dave told a joke and the audience wouldn’t really laugh, you would go, ‘Heh.’ And, that’s when you knew it was funny. Comedy nerds at home were going ‘He’s right.’ The audience just didn’t get it yet.” Fallon added that many comedians now imitate that laugh. “Tina Fey laughs like you. They’re all doing you.”
The bandleader participated in many comedy bits in the Letterman showover the years, from fake storm outs of the band to his ongoing “rants”, “car dummy”, “James Brown’s cape” and “finding Dave” gags. Shaffer, of course, responded to Fallon’s compliment with a joke: “Jimmy I am humbled…You know… All of us looked to Johnny Carson as our model, and he used to have Doc Severinsen, the bandleader, and Ed (McMahon) on the panel to talk to. And I used to think that I was a combination of Doc and Ed. In other words I’m Dead… But I’m alive tonight.”
