Heading into “SNL50: The Homecoming Concert,” it was clear that the event was going to be a celebration of all things “Saturday Night Live.” After all, it’s right there in the concert’s name. What’s more surprising is how Peacock’s Friday night concert morphed into a joyous love letter to live TV itself.
Between the scope of its performances, the truly remarkable camerawork and the confidence of an endless roster of comedians who professionally perform live, the concert captured the edge-of-a-knife feeling “SNL” has always elicited while also blowing that feeling up to its most extreme and lavish form.
The performance itself belonged to Lorne Michaels and The Roots, both of whom received so many shoutouts and thank yous, it feels silly to even keep count. But inside the room, the insider audience fought between wanting to go all out and trying to keep its cool in a room packed with some the most famous faces in film, television, music and sports.
Here’s what you didn’t see during the Peacock telecast Friday night.
Classic “SNL” performances played during the commercial breaks
Of course, the live performers were the draw of the event. But it was also fun to see which clips made the cut when it came time for a commercial break. When the cameras were off, a janitorial team took the stage to ensure the floor was clean for the next act, and a variety of clips from iconic musical guests played on the main stage and the far right stage. Billie Eilish’s trippy performance of “bad guy” was shown on the Radio City Music Hall screens as was Queen’s “Under Pressure.”
Three musicians (and two comedians) set off my Apple Watch
Any Apple Watch wearer knows that concerts are the worst enemy of those devices. However, my Apple Watch only went off four times throughout the evening, and every time it happened, it was undoubtably awesome. Eddie Vedder’s rendition of “Corduroy” was the first to hit 90 decibels from my spot in the mezzanine. Snoop Dog and Jelly Roll then achieved this feat thanks to their performance of “Last Dance with Mary Jane.” And unsurprisingly, the Nirvana reunion fronted by Post Malone was the last musical performer to cross this particular threshold with the band’s rendition of “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”
There was one shocking alert. After Will Ferrell and Ana Gasteyer reprised their Marty and Bobbi Mohan-Culp characters, the applause was so loud it led to another alert. Speaking of …
Kendrick inspired a major moment without being there
In many ways, Marty and Bobbi Mohan-Culp is a timeless premise. Will Ferrell and Ana Gasteyer play a hopelessly awkward and unfashionable married couple who are also middle school music teachers. Hearing them struggle through modern hits has always been a delight, and on Friday night, Ferrell and Gasteyer made a meal out of their reunion, tackling hits like Kim Petras and Sam Smith’s “Unholy” and Doechii’s “CATFISH.” But the two really stole the evening when they gave their rendition of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.” The entire crowd of Radio City Music Hall — which included A-list celebrities, NBC executives and industry legends — could all be heard singing “A minorrrrr.”
There were (literal) mic drops
If you needed a reminder that “The Homecoming Concert” was live, look no further than its microphone work. The concert had several audio hiccups that would have never happened during a pre-taped show, such as Miley Cyrus dropping her mic after “Flowers,” Eddie Vedder’s mic screeching and Kenan Thompson calling out the fact he could hear mic feedback from backstage. It became such a running bit that Ferrell and Gasteyer incorporated it into their performance.
Only certain performers brought the crowd to their feet
There’s no getting around it: the vibes for “The Homecoming Concert” were mismatched. The event featured jaw-dropping, excellently produced songs from some of the greatest musicians of our time — exactly the sort of embrace of artistry that would make you want to get up and dance. But because the aisles needed to stay clear for recording purposes and the gravitas of being in Radio City Music Hall alongside basically every living celebrity, there was a sense the audience was trying to stay cool.
There were several artists that managed to break through the formal sense of the venue and get people to actually stand. Early in the evening, both The Backstreet Boys and Bad Bunny got people to their feet. But for the rest of the night, people typically only stood for their personal favorites. That changed when Snoop Dog hit the stage and ordered everyone to stand. Maybe it’s because everyone loves Snoop, the fact that many people were several drinks in or the caliber of who came next, but that public shaming led to the crowd largely standing throughout Nirvana, Robyn and Cher’s performances.
While I’m on the topic of standing, Miley Cyrus deserves a shoutout. As the first performer of the evening, she had one of the most difficult jobs of the night as the pressure was on her to set the tone. After mocking the crowd for not having fun and comparing the crowd to the notoriously stiff Grammys room, most people eventually stood to dance and sing by the end of “Flowers.”
The audience wanted more songs
On a similar note, there were certain artists who elicited groans and complaints from the audience because they left too soon. Lauryn Hill, Nirvana, Jack White, Lady Gaga and Cher all fell into the category of “gone too soon” for many members of the live audience.
The camera people were just as impressive as the performers
When you go to a live taping of “Saturday Night Live,” one of its most magical elements is the one at-home audiences never see. The camera operators for that show have always been the best in the business, and that expertise and dedication appeared repeatedly during the evening.
As Arcade Fire’s Win Butler was jumping off the stage and walking through the aisles, a camera operator was always hunched down walking quickly in front of him. When Bad Bunny and Jelly Roll stopped by the pit to sing directly to their fans, an operator was always a few feet away. But the camerawork was most awe-worthy when it came to The Lonely Island medley, which required several operators to capture everything from a moving piano performance from Lady Gaga to dancing cupcakes and Vedder as Jack Sparrow.
The “Saturday Night Live” 50th anniversary special premieres on Sunday, Feb. 16, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on NBC and Peacock.
