Forgive Me For Being A Week Late On This. But King Jack White Fuckin Crushed His Last Minute SNL Fill In Performances In Honor Of Eddie Van Halen Last Week.

BIllboard - Jack White remembered a legend during his last-minute appearance as Saturday Night Live's musical guest on Oct. 10.

Ahead of the show, The White Stripes frontman -- who replaced previously scheduled Morgan Wallen after the country musician broke COVID-19 protocols -- shared that he'd be remembering Eddie Van Halen during his performance.

"i thought it could be a nice gesture for me to use this blue eddie van halen model guitar for one of my songs tonight on SNL," White captioned an Instagram gallery of a blue guitar ahead of his set. The musician added that the instrument was designed by the late guitar legend. "Eddie was very kind to me and saw to it that this guitar was made to my specs."

But White did not play a Van Halen song to remember the artist. "i won't even insult the man's talent by trying to play one of his songs tonight," he explained in the post. "Thanks again eddie for this guitar and rest in peace sir."

White rocked the guitar during his second song on NBC's sketch comedy show, playing "Lazaretto," the title song to his second solo album. He was joined by Dominic Davis on bass and Daru Jones on drums.

For his first performance, he started with the riff to "Don't Hurt Yourself," his collaboration with Beyonce, then transitioned into "Ball and Biscuit" from The White Stripe's Elephant, before turning the medley to Blind Willie Johnson's tune about the 1918 flu pandemic, "Jesus Is Coming Soon." The lyrics of the latter were especially timely as the world grapples with the coronavirus pandemic, with White singing, "The noble said to the people/ "You better close your public schools/ Until the events of death has ending, you better close your churches too."

I feel every bit of the disappointment my dad said I was growing up by whiffing on this this week.

But in my defense, how the fuck was nobody talking about this all week?

Was it because Bill Burr brought the fuckin pain like he did and completely overshadowed this?

Had to be.

I checked out on SNL a while ago. Once Will Ferrell left it seemed really forced and contrived and I don't drink the kool-aid on anything. Even when he was on it you could tell it was running on fumes.

It's been a trainwreck since, save for a rare D1 guest or musical act. 

When friend of the program Morgan Wallen got the boot last week because NBC is a pillar of integrity and morals (ha. what a fucking joke) I had no clue Jack White was asked to fill in for him.

And that's on me. 

But leave it to Mr. White to step to the plate, under the gun, and deliver like always.

And you can bet your ass NBC probably asked a dozen or more other artists with current music to promote first and were laughed at by managers because of the time crunch. (It takes a long time to coordinate and program "live" tracks to lip-sync to). 

But Jack White gives zero fucks.

One of the least egotistical musicians on the planet. 

He was probably honored to be asked because that's the kind of guy he is.

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Just wish they did a better job of promo'ing him and worked him in on the skits while he was there.

p.s. - slayed "Lazaretto"

p.p.s. - one of the greatest gifts I have ever received. Played Jack's new single "Battle Cry" like clockwork at Wrigley a few years back when it debuted. Showed up one day for a game and had a padded envelope package waiting for me in my booth. Opened it up and this was inside it. 

Turned out that Jack keeps tabs on inconsequential stuff like this since he's such a monster baseball, and Cubs, fan. 

The fact he took the time to do this is was unreal just one more reason I'll be a Jack White fan for life.