It was like a scene fresh out of “Portlandia!” — or maybe “Spinal Tap?”
Comedian Fred Armisen had his handlers in a panic at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s “SNL: Ladies & Gentleman… 50 Years of Music” exhibit on Saturday night.
The “SNL” alum left his greenroom and “his handlers didn’t notice and were freaking out, trying to track him down,” a source told us.
They ultimately found him mingling with fans, who had been waiting in line for hours to gain entry, we’re told.
“Once [his handlers] realized where he had gone to, they quickly tracked him down to return to his holding space until show time,” the source said.
Armisen performed at the exhibit honoring 50 years of “SNL” musical guests with over 1,900 musical guest performances and dress rehearsal footage.
The funnyman reportedly did a 40-minute set of musical comedy including bits on “how musicians walk,” dancing to music in odd time signatures, how to exit a friend’s band’s show early without looking like you’re leaving, and more.
He also got behind a drum kit to demonstrate three decades of punk rock drumming styles, and played some of his top comedic tunes like “Fist Fight In The Parking Lot” and “Catalina Breeze.”
Armisen previously filmed a 2018 special called “Standup For Drummers,” where the entire audience was beat heads. The “SNL” Cleveland exhibit took two years to create with the Rock Hall, Lorne Michaels, Broadway Video and NBC. It’s the museum’s largest show this year.
Questlove has also directed a doc, “Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music,” that includes interviews with Miley Cyrus, Paul Simon, Mick Jagger, Jack White, Elvis Costello, Billie Eilish, Dave Grohl, Debbie Harry, Dua Lipa and more.
The Oscar-winner told Jimmy Fallon of the film, “In the beginning, I think I was just going to compile like maybe the 50 best performances on the show, but around ‘87, I realized there was way more iconic comedic moments musically… Music plays a major part on that show.”
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