Fred Armisen Disappears during Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s SNL Exhibit Opening
ed away from the green room unnoticed, causing a momentary panic among event staff. However, he was soon spotted outside engaging with fans in line before making his way to the stage.
During his 40-minute musical comedy set at the launch of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s extensive 2025 exhibit, Armisen entertained the audience with various routines such as mimicking how musicians walk, demonstrating punk drumming techniques, and performing beloved tracks like “Fist Fight in the Parking Lot” and “Catalina Breeze.”
His performance was a part of the celebration honoring 50 years of musical guests on “Saturday Night Live.” Alongside the exhibit, a companion documentary titled “Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music” directed by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson features discussions with artists like Billie Eilish, Miley Cyrus, and Mick Jagger.
For Armisen, the event held a deep personal significance as he was an “SNL” cast member from 2002 to 2013. He conveyed in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that seeing Debbie Harry’s ensemble from her 1979 SNL performance evoked strong emotions in him. Reflecting on how her appearance had initially introduced him to the show and influenced his career, Armisen shared that the moment was poignant for him.
Surprisingly, Armisen also stumbled upon artifacts from his own tenure on the show, including a guitar strap and cue card from his 2013 finale performance as punk rocker Ian Rubbish. This discovery underscored the long-standing relationship between music and comedy on the show—a balance that Armisen commended. Notably, he mentioned how “SNL” creator Lorne Michaels valued musicality in the cast, recalling an instance where Michaels demonstrated knowledge of George Harrison.
Highlighting some of the musical acts featured throughout the show’s history, Armisen particularly praised ska-punk band the Specials’ rendition of “Gangsters” as one of the most impressive performances he had witnessed.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame kicked off the “SNL: Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of Music” exhibit on June 14, offering fans behind-the-scenes footage, SNL-themed trivia, and a jam session in the Garage featuring the Rock Hall’s house band.
With over 1,900 musical guest performances from SNL’s five decades, the exhibit showcases rarely seen dress rehearsal clips and memorabilia from iconic sketches. Highlighting the influence of SNL on music culture, the collaboration between the sketch comedy show and the Rock Hall boasts appearances from over 150 Hall of Fame inductees.
Fred Armisen’s contributions to the show are a central feature of the exhibit, commemorating his musical characters and 11-season run on “SNL.” Additionally, fans can catch an exclusive screening of the Questlove-directed documentary in the Rock Hall’s Foster Theater.
The exhibit, now open to the public in Cleveland, offers free admission to local residents through the CLE VIP program sponsored by Key Bank.