'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' to cut weekly musical performances
What's the story
The popular late-night show Jimmy Kimmel Live! is reportedly planning to reduce the number of musical performances on its weekly episodes. The move comes as part of a broader trend that has seen a significant decline in live music appearances on late-night television over the past decade. According to Deadline, the show will now feature around two musical performances each week, although this is not a hard and fast rule.
Announcement details
'JKL!' music producer confirms changes to performance slots
The news of the reduced musical slots was confirmed by Jim Pitt, the music producer for JKL!. He has reportedly been informing artist managers, record labels, and promo bookers about these changes. Despite this reduction, this week will still see three musical performances: Molly Tuttle on Tuesday, Debbie Gibson with The Cletones on Wednesday, and HUNTR/X from KPop Demon Hunters featuring EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami on Thursday.
Performance statistics
Decline in late-night musical performances over the years
The reduction in musical performances on JKL! is part of a larger trend observed in late-night television. A report by music publication Consequence of Sound revealed that the number of live musical performances on late-night shows has drastically decreased from around 800 between 2011 and 2013 to about 200 in 2023. This decline highlights a significant shift in the programming choices of these shows over the years.
Past highlights
'JKL!' featured notable musical performances last year
Despite the impending changes, JKL! had a star-studded lineup of musical performances last year. The show hosted acts from The Linda Lindas, The Weeknd, My Morning Jacket, Soccer Mommy, Finneas, Red Kross, Cameron Winter, and Japanese Breakfast among others. This comes shortly after Jimmy Kimmel's show won Critics Choice Award for Best Talk Show.