There are three different ways to get free tickets to the
Jimmy Fallon show. You can blindly
request them months ahead for a certain date without knowing who the guests or
musical performer will be. Or you
can try and get standby tickets the day of the show, which I understand is a
pain, and a far from a guarantee that you will get tickets. The third way is by submitting for
“band bench” tickets HERE.
With the band bench tickets, you can pick which band you
would like to see, and then get to stand on one of three stage platforms—one
above the band on the right, one on the left, and one directly behind the
band—during the musical performance.
I have won band bench tickets twice now, and would highly recommend it.
If you win the tickets, you can expect an email from NBC
roughly around noon the day before the show, and then a reminder phone call the
morning of the show. You are
expected to check in at Rocefeller Center (49th Street between 5th
and 6th avenues) no later than 3:45 pm. The easiest way to get to the check in location is if you go
through the main entrance on 49th (with the skating rink to your
back), and once inside the building go immediately to your left where you will
find a staircase. Once up the
staircase, the first doorway on your left will be the “digital café” where you
check in. Make sure you are
definitely there before 3:45 though, because they strictly enforce the
deadline.
After checking in, you get a ticket and a wristband, and you
are told to meet back on the main floor at 4:15, though the second time I went
it was pushed to 4:30. In the
meantime you can stroll around the area or go to the underground concourse and
get food or coffee. Perhaps you
may even get lucky and see Tina Fey, Jane Krakowski, and Alec Baldwin taping a
scene for a 30 Rock episode, as I did the second time I attended the Fallon
show.
When it is time to meet back up, you are led upstairs to a
waiting hallway, where the audience members are sorted into several different
lines. Band Bench winners go the right,
and all the way down to the end of the hallway. When you originally check in at the digital café, a number
is written on your ticket. The
first time I went, we were put in line in the order of our numbers. The second time, we were not. However, regardless of where you are in
the initial band bench line, it really comes down to luck as to where your
platform placement will be, so don’t stress over line position.
The band bench line is the last one to be escorted to the
studio. You are guided back
downstairs where you go through a metal detector, and then put in an
elevator. The elevator takes you
directly to the studio, where you are then seated. Unfortunately, the band bench winners have to sit in the
last two rows of the studio until the band performance at the end. The last two rows are also wooden
benches rather than the cushioned chairs the rest of the audience gets to sit
in. While some people might be
really disappointed with the wooden bench at the back of the studio, I really
didn’t think it was a big deal, and being close to the band at the end makes up
for it. It could be worse too, the
third to last row is also a wooden bench, but the people sitting there still
have to remain in their seats during the musical performance.
The taping begins around 5:30 pm, but both times that I
went; there was a bonus musical surprise.
The first time, Gary Clarke Jr. sat in with The Roots (Jimmy’s house
band) through the whole show. The
second time, Bon Iver came out and did an off-screen performance with the roots
before taping began. The Roots
continue to play songs for the audience during the commercial breaks, and put a
lot of energy into them.
When it is time for the musical guest to perform, the band
bench winners are led down to the stage, and directed to the three different
platforms. Once again, it really
is luck where you are placed. Then
the band comes on and plays their song, literally right in front of you. If you are lucky, you may even catch an
eye contact or smile from one of your favorite musicians. Once the show is over, and you take the
elevator back down, you are on the sidewalk by 7pm with plenty of time to get
home to look for yourself on national television behind the band.
-JKS
