Fred Armisen

An indie rock lifer as well as a major force in the comedy world, Fred Armisen intertwines music and humor throughout his numerous ventures in television, film, performance, and recording. He drummed in the groove-heavy post-hardcore band Trenchmouth, and on recordings by Matthew Sweet, Les Savy Fav, members of the Mekons, and others. After venturing into comedy during the late '90s, Armisen joined the cast of Saturday Night Live, remaining on board for more than a decade. His time on SNL and other series led to the creation of several fake parody bands which ended up releasing actual records, including soft rock combo the Blue Jean Committee and new wave quintet Test Pattern. Along with Sleater-Kinney's Carrie Brownstein, he created and starred in the beloved hipster satire Portlandia. His musical comedy special and album Standup for Drummers appeared in 2018, and he released the self-explanatory 100 Sound Effects in 2025.