Almost two weeks ago I saw and heard a rare treat: a band performing live on Saturday Night Live (SNL) that was using a bass saxophone player. If you’re not a fan of late night, you likely didn’t watch or set your PVR to record Kristen Wiig’s triumphant return to the 30 Rock set that launched her career. The same applies if you’re not a regular fan of the band Vampire Weekend.
Vampire Weekend is a 4 piece, New York-based alternative band that got its start when the members met while attending Columbia University in New York City. The group’s regular makeup consists of: guitar, keys, drums, bass, and of course vocals.
Since the group’s formation in 2006, Vampire Weekend has released three albums—the latest just over a week ago.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
Modern Vampires of the City was released the day after Vampire Weekend’s performance on SNL, and features a wide array of guest musicians. According to Discogs.com, the sax player on the single “Diane Young” is Adam Shatz.
A lot of Googling later, and I’m wondering if Discogs made a typo, and if the saxophone player’s last name should have been spelled Schatz, with a “c” in it, rather than Shatz. No matter how you spell Adam Shatz’s last name though, he does not appear to have been the mysterious bass saxophone player who appeared with Vampire Weekend on SNL, on the eve of their album’s début.
This mystery bass player has not been given credit anywhere that I can find. Most reviews incorrectly identify the horn as a bari anyway. Here’s a small sampling…
The band started off with the hard-driving rockabilly-and-synth rhythms of “Diane Young,” the lead single off the record, as a gentleman in a top hat played a giant bari sax against Ezra Koenig’s pitch-shifting vocals.
Source: Vampire Weekend Rock Their New ‘Modern’ Tracks on ‘SNL’ : Indie band returns to the show just before third album’s release, Rolling Stone Videos
…beginning with lead single “Diane Young.” The frenetically paced tune featured the familiar surf-guitar runs and feverish drumming coupled with frontman Ezra Koenig’s pitch-shifting vocal, along with a dapper-dressed bari sax player to fill in the blanks.
Source: Vampire Weekend Rocks ‘Diane Young,’ ‘Unbelievers’ as Kristen Wiig Returns to ‘SNL’, billboard.com
Tonight marks Vampire Weekend’s return to “Saturday Night Live”, where they performed “Diane Young” (accompanied by a guy in a top hat playing baritone sax) and “Unbelievers” (accompanied by brass and flute) from their forthcoming album Modern Vampires of the City. Kristen Wiig hosted.
Source: Watch Vampire Weekend on “Saturday Night Live”, Pitchfork.com
I could go on, but you get the idea. No one, not even the music rags like Rolling Stone and Billboard, clued in that this was a bass saxophone. That’s actually pretty sad.
Speaking of sad, not even the band’s website, facebook page, myspace site, or Twitter account mentions their bass sax player on SNL. Come on guys, tell us who was that top-hatted, dapper-dressed, bass saxophone player who had his horn sound distorted with an effects pedal? Anyone who has to lug around an 18 lb horn, in a case the size of a child’s coffin, deserves at least a mention. 😉
Hey Stefan. Welcome to my site.
Biking with your bass, now there is a photo I would love you to send me. That would make a great feature. BTW, has anyone ever taken a photo of that? If not, seriously, that is something you should get one of your friends who’s a good photographer, to get a shot of. With a good NY city backdrop, it could be a great photo.
I’m glad you stopped by Stefan. Hopefully you’ll keep those bass sax gigs going in NY. Hey, if you’re working there, then it gives the rest of us in smaller cities, hope too. 😉
Hey guys! It was me, Stefan Zeniuk. Glad to see some people were upset about the horn being referred to as a bari. Oh well. FYI, I carry my 1922 Conn in a very portable gig bag, made by Glenn Chronkite (formerly of Reunion Blues). I actually biked to the gig.
Stefan Zeniuk: how wonderful of you to join the conversation and add that you BIKED to the gig with that big horn! Wow, I can’t imagine how precarious that must have been!
I truly meant what I said about your bass sax actually *MAKING* that first song on the SNL appearance! Kudos! And loved your outfit, too; it totally rocked! 🙂
I found this blog entry by searching for the top-hatted sax player on SNL, too! So sad that Vampire Weekend didn’t credit his awesome playing. That bass sax actually *MADE* that first song! Thanks for providing a venue for us to demystify this, and “THANK YOU” to Theo and Bret for the ID! Great blog entry, Helen! 🙂
So it was. Thanks for ID’ing him guys.
BTW, nice to see you back Bret. I’m glad you found my site again since the great “meltdown” of 2012. :hair:
Hi Helen,
According to his facebookpage Stefan Zeniuk is a candidate for the bass saxophonist.
In that case,… typo is an understatement.
That was Stefan Zeniuk.