Tag: snl

Nikolai Fraiture Performs with Mick Jagger and Arcade Fire on SNL

What’s that? Oh it’s Nikolai Fraiture performing “The Last Time” with Mick Jagger and Arcade Fire on SNL, that’s all:

Here he is:

Casablancas and Samberg Bring “Boombox” to Life on SNL

If you follow me on Facebook / Twitter, you probably noticed how I totally freaked out last night when absentmindedly watching SNL with host Jude Law.

(This was after my earlier freak out in the evening when I saw actor (and celebrity blogger) Michael Kenneth Williams — aka “Omar Little” from The Wire — playing a would-be terrorist on Law & Order.)

The reason was Julian Casablancas induced — as soon as I heard the begining beats of “Boombox,” the song which Julian guested on for the Lonely Island album, Incredibad, I knew what was coming — hilarity and awesomeness.

Not only were all the scenes described in the song acted out, but Julian is sporting this hideously weird side rat tail hair with the multicolors — but staying on trend and totally making it work. I’m convinced, Julian Casablancas owns neo-80s style. But probably my favorite moment is at the end when Julian smashes a flower pot and declares that “a boombox is not a toy.” [UPDATE: Reader Melissa pointed out that there is actually a “Boombox” shirt being sold on the Lonely Island site. Rock it!]

So true.

Check out the video and you will not be disappointed:

Oh, and in other news, The Strokes will headline Lollapalooza.

RELATED: Julian Casablancas Gets His “Boombox” On with Lonely Island

Have I Underestimated Jason Mraz?

Sure, in 2005 I called Jason Mraz an “annoying pop singer”. At that time he was best known for his debut Top 40 single “The Remedy (I Won’t Worry),” which he co-wrote with the once ubiquitous songwriting team The Matrix. And despite the fact the song was inspired by some very serious personal experiences, it remained one of the most irritating songs of 2002.

Well nearly four years later, I’m eating my words. Despite the fact that the Mraz song “I’m Yours” was apparently a huge hit in 2008 (and recently nominated for a 2009 Grammy Award for Song of the Year), I’d never heard it until his live performance on tonight’s SNL. Sure, Mraz has always leaned on the reggae-influenced, hippy dippy side, but surprisingly this song is incredibly charming and catchy.

The live version he did on SNL is actually superior than the version from the album:

Continue reading “Have I Underestimated Jason Mraz?”

Neil Patrick Harris’s Most Amazing Musical Moments

This weekend I was holed up in my apartment trying to defeat a winter bug that has been plaguing me all week. As a result, I found myself in front of the boob tube watching a lot of television (namely the first season of Weeds on Netflix instant), so I caught this week’s Saturday Night Live, with host Neil Patrick Harris (NPH).

I was pretty excited to see NPH on SNL, knowing how funny he is, especially on live television, but sadly this weekend’s skits were all kind of lame. Even the skit where they made fun of the current Broadway closing situation (with NPH playing an actor portraying Mark in Rent–which he actually did do in 1997 in the LA cast of Rent) only produced a chuckle from me:

That said, NPH was the best thing in the skit, with his over-the-top angsty Mark. (However, I did love all the Broadway nods–like the lame, slow chandelier drop from Phantom of the Opera.) As you may already know, NPH has a great past of producing hilarious musical moments in the past. Here are a few of my favorites:

NPH and Jason Segal doing “Confrontation” from Les Miserables:

Continue reading “Neil Patrick Harris’s Most Amazing Musical Moments”