What’s up with all the old rock bands on “SNL” lately?

When Dave Chappelle animates Saturday Night Live this weekend, he will be joined by the Foo Fighters as a musical guest. Like a new piece of Variety points out that this is part of a growing trend this season, as the skit seems to book more established rock concerts than in previous years.

Over the past decades, SNL Musical guests have mostly turned to very current pop or rap acts, but this season’s bookings have featured early rock favorites like Jack White and The Strokes in addition to the Foo Fighters. An anonymous source close to the show said Variety this could be due to White’s successful performance at the start of the season.

“SNL can ignite a dime, ”the source said,“ and obviously they’re right now. I guess Lorne saw Jack White get a better response than anything they’d seen in years, and decided to go with it.

The source also explained how the pandemic could also make it more attractive to book rock groups that require relatively little installation compared to larger pop groups like Ariana Grande, who recently released a new album.

“First of all, she doesn’t naturally match Dave Chappelle as the host,” the source said, adding, “Dave Grohl isn’t really either, but they’re both Daves and they’re all both in your face, so it works. But also, Jack White, the Strokes, and the Foo Fighters come in, plug in and play – maybe an hour or two of prep. For Ariana or even a Sam Smith, it It’s going to be hair and makeup and maybe a big concept to execute – it’s hours of prep and a lot more people involved, and these big productions are a lot harder to pull off in a pandemic. ”