I’ve always thought going to a live taping would be a fun, free experience. A few weeks ago Julie and I headed to the taping of Seth Meyers to see what it would be all about.

Late Night is Earlier Than you Think

First things first, we had to arrive much earlier than the taping was scheduled to begin to claim our tickets. This meant we had to be in Rockefeller Center before 4:40pm, so for those of you with strict work schedules, this timing may be difficult to work around. (Thankfully the Eat Up New York Peeps are freakin awesome…editor’s note)

I’ve heard stories that going to a live taping can “ruin a show” for someone, that they can be long and boring and have lots of breaks between segments. But luckily, this didn’t end up being my experience at all. I don’t typically watch Late Night with Seth Meyers, since it is on way past my bedtime, so just about everything about the show was new to me (including the fact that Fred Armisen is on the show!).

Of Course We Got Something to Eat

When we arrived at 30 Rock we had a few minutes to spare so naturally we made a put stop to the Magnolia Bakery. I got a banana pudding. Look we all know that Magnolia is famous for the cupcakes, but there is nothing like this pudding.  I don’t even like banana and this stuff was like it was sent from god into my spoon. Go get some. We head back to Late Night with Seth Meyers and only have to wait probably a total of 30 minutes before we are in our seats in studio 8-G.  We  thought that because of our Bakery stop that we would be seated in the back, but that didn’t end up being an issue. The studio was so small that our seating worked out very well. 

Seth Meyers made us Feel Special

There was a comedian Ryan Reiss who warmed up the audience and he was great at getting the audience excited and laughing before the start of the show. Seth (we’re on a first name basis now) made a huge effort to make the audience feel special. He came out and said a few words before the show and then during the set up and break down for the band he came and let the audience ask him questions. The guests that night were Gabrielle Union and Glenn Close, both of whom were beautiful and surprisingly so funny! J Mascis was the musical guest who surprised us with his awesome talent, even if we were a little distracted by his long rock and roll hair at first.

A photo posted by Late Night with Seth Meyers (@latenightseth) on Feb 5, 2015 at 7:54am PST

Overall there was really only one draw back – there’s no denying that it’s quite a touristy experience and it can be a hit or miss totally depending on whom you are sitting next to. But it is a free experience, which is difficult to find in the city. So if you are a fan of Seth Meyers or just looking for a good laugh, it is definitely worth it to put your name down for tickets, it was a great time.

Here is a link to get tickets to see Late Night with Seth Meyers