As the Democratic party descended on Chicago this week, so too did late night television, with both “The Daily Show” and “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” broadcasting live from the DNC. And behind the scenes, both shows were almost like parties on their own.
Technically, “The Daily Show” will only be live on Thursday night, with Jon Stewart hosting after the primetime programming at the United Center. Filming at the Anthenaeum Center for Thought & Culture roughly four miles away from the UC, the Comedy Central program opted for pre-taped shows the rest of the week, filming early in the evening.
Meanwhile, “The Late Show” took over the Auditorium Theater, just about a mile and a half away from the chaos of the convention. The CBS show has been live all week, snagging both political and celebrity guests after they speak at the convention and even being subjected to protests — Colbert stopped Tuesday’s interview with Nancy Pelosi as Pro-Palestinian protestors yelled from the balcony.
But while “The Daily Show” and “The Late Show” took different approaches, the shows were still the same in a lot of ways. Here’s what TheWrap saw from the audience of both, attending “The Daily Show” on Monday night and “The Late Show” on Wednesday.
Host/Audience Q&As
Host Stephen Colbert came out for a brief pre-show Q&A at “The Late Show,” thanking the audience for waiting in line to be there.
Indeed, both late night programs had a line outside prior to the show, but the wait for “The Late Show” extended through literal blocks, all the way to an area across the street. “The Daily Show” saw a handful RFK Jr. supporters convene across the street on Monday, but they didn’t deter fans from lining up down the streets as well.
As Colbert allowed the audience to launch into questions, the hometown pride kicked in for them. The host was asked whether he’s had a shot of Malort yet (he has, and he’s still trying to recover), whether he’s a Cubs or White Sox fan (he’ll never answer that in front of a Chicago audience) and more.
He was also asked if he’s having a brat summer, to which the host promptly started doing the viral TikTok dance for Charli XCX’s “Apple,” and shot back “You tell me!”
“The Daily Show” also carved out time for host Michael Kosta to chat with the audience, though that segment came toward the end of the show, rather than ahead of it.
Once again, Chicago pride popped out a bit, with Kosta being asked whether he’s had anything good to eat, prompting him to shout out Chicago-favorite pizza place Lou Malnati’s. But this audience’s questions were more geared toward his experience on the show.
Between-the-bits dance parties
Because “The Late Show” was live, there was a bit more time between segments as the show waited out commercial breaks. That time was largely filled by the house band, led by Louis Cato. As they played, multiple audience members stood from their seats and literally danced it out, while Colbert himself prepared on stage for his next task.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg was Colbert’s guest for the night, and he would chat and laugh with the host during each break, to the point that it made you wish you could lip read to have some idea of what was bringing the duo such joy.
“The Daily Show” had less stand-by time between segments, just because they could film at their own pace. That said, there were still dance parties.
As Gretchen Whitmer finished her interview with Kosta, she led the audience in a brief jam session to Gmac Cash’s “Big Gretch,” a rap specifically written for the Michigan governor.
Whitmer absolutely vibing to the song as she prepared to take promotional photos with Kosta earned huge cheers from the audience (which also contained several Michiganders).
Celebrations
In all, the atmosphere in both theaters was similar to the DNC itself: celebratory. The Auditorium Theater for “The Daily Show” taping even had a livestream of the DNC playing on three large screens so the audience could see what was happening in real-time, and they cheered along to Oprah, Tim Walz, and his son.
The audience was significantly larger at “The Late Show,” making it feel even more like a concert — particularly considering dedicated Chicago native Chance the Rapper was Colbert’s musical guest — though it’s worth noting that The Auditorium Theater can seat a few thousand people, as compared to The Anthenaeum’s capacity of under 1000.
Both shows were filled to capacity as Chicagoans and tourists alike came out to celebrate democracy and laugh together.
