30 Rockefeller Plaza.
Andy looked at a strong man in front of the building holding up a bronze statue of the Hun Tian ritual. It was full of power and very spectacular.
Since the birth of "Saturday Night Live," the General Electric Building has been a New York landmark. The live broadcasts are broadcast from Studio 8H on the 8th and 9th floors. The GE Building's address later became known as 30 Rock, the name of the NBC comedy "30 Rock."
After entering the building, Andy and his group were taken to the 17th floor by the reception staff of the program crew.
"SNL's writers, producers, and other staff all work on the 17th floor of the building," the receptionist explained to Andy with a smile.
Andy nodded, understanding, tightening his grip on the guitar case. Holding the guitar yourself is a skill in itself. As a musician, you must be persistent. Some things can't be borrowed from others, like a musician's own instrument or a photographer's camera. If it's your lifeblood, treat it like a part of you. Of course, this isn't pretense; it's a form of persistence, a passion.
When he reached the 17th floor, he saw a busy and chaotic office scene. As the hottest celebrity in the United States, Andy was naturally warmly welcomed by the program crew and also met SNL's ultimate boss Lorne Michaels.
I introduced myself to the screenwriters and producers of the program team one by one and exchanged a few words. I guess both sides left a good impression on each other. After all, it was a live broadcast and we needed to cooperate with each other.
Normally, SNL starts live at 23:29:30 Eastern Time every Saturday, and the whole show takes 1 hour and 30 minutes to finish at 1 a.m. You may feel a little drowsy at that time, but the show's slogan will definitely be exciting, because at the end of the opening sketch, one of the cast members will desperately shout out: Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!
The content of "Saturday Night Live" sketches is likely similar to many domestic sketches, with simple sets and costumes, presenting a funny situation or creating some funny characters. Most of SNL's classic gags are actually serialized. People may become very attached to certain characters or settings.
Andy was taken to the SNL studio on the 8th floor by the staff for rehearsal. After saying hello to the program band, a violinist was temporarily added to the band because the score of Andy's "Five Hundred Miles From Home" contained a violin part.
Andy stood in front of the microphone, holding the guitar and began to play. The music was still beautiful and his voice was a little hoarse, which made the whole song more touching and resonated with strangers.
After the performance, the staff immediately applauded, and the band members came forward one by one to high-five Andy in admiration.
The rehearsal in the afternoon went smoothly, and the band's coordination became more proficient. After all, they are professionals in this field. Of course, Andy's song was highly praised, and it was said that it was a classic that could directly land on the charts.
Andy smiled at the compliments, feeling quite touched. After all, it was his own song, so it was nice to be recognized. What? You're saying it was plagiarism? If you're capable, travel through time too. Tsk, I'm so jealous.
Of course, the most excited person was Carl. He turned on his mobile phone and called the management of Universal Music early in the morning. He waited until Andy finished singing, then walked out of the studio with his mobile phone and a smirk on his face.
"How's it? An absolute classic. Andy's a genius, you know that. He's a singer-songwriter, handsome, and in great shape. He's simply the perfect idol.
"Karl was selling his product shamelessly.
"Of course, Andy's talent is undeniable, but the conditions you mentioned are too harsh. The contract is completely tailored to his personal needs, and he can't release records whenever he wants. You can't even guarantee the basic release of an album every two years. This affects the company's interests..."
After hearing what the other party said, Carl pondered for a moment and said, "I can't do anything about that. I just know that Andy has submitted the copyright certification for ten original songs. As for releasing albums regularly, I really can't agree to that. You know how willful young people can be. Besides, releasing singles is fine anyway. Look at those singers, don't they all release singles instead of albums to make money? As long as we can stabilize him and get him to sign the contract, then his fans will naturally come forward to ask for him. Andy is very concerned about protecting his fans. How do you say it in Chinese, "A gentleman can be deceived by means of squares." What? You don't know what that means? It seems like a good person can be deceived by reasonable means."
"Okay, I'll report this to the boss now, and then we'll have a meeting to discuss it. But are you sure you can convince Mr. Smith?"
Karl's expression froze. "It shouldn't be a problem. After all, he likes music, and the contract offers so much freedom, he'll agree."
. . . . . .
After hanging up the phone, Carl held the phone in his hand and thought for a while. He figured out how to fool Andy. When he was about to walk back to the studio, he saw Andy walking out surrounded by staff.
"What's wrong? Are you done with the rehearsal?"
Andy said angrily, "What are you doing out there? Don't you like my song that much?"
Karl hurriedly explained: "How could I not like it? I was so moved. I just received a phone call. It's not good to answer the phone inside. So can we leave now?"
"Okay, that's fine. Come back around 9pm to participate in the live broadcast." Andy carried his guitar case, said goodbye to the staff, and walked towards the elevator.
In the elevator.
Carl flattered Andy with a fawning look on his face, praising him for his talent, genius, and classic songs, which left Andy speechless. Joseph and Kenny, who were standing in front of Andy, looked at each other in bewilderment. It was the first time they knew that Carl, who gave them the impression of being smart, would have such a face.
"Okay, okay, what do you want to do now?" Andy glanced at Carl unhappily. In his memory, whenever Carl flattered him, it meant he was going to fool him.
Karl chuckled and said, "I found a new restaurant. The food is good. I'll invite you to try it. You will definitely like it."
"...Haha, this is strange. A vampire is so generous." Andy laughed and teased. He knew very well that the fat man Carl was either in trouble or really wanted to trick him. However, judging from his behavior, the matter should not be serious, so he did not ask any further questions.
After getting on a Cadillac business car, the group, led by Carl, arrived at a three-star Michelin French restaurant in Manhattan called Jean-Georges.
In fact, Carl had reserved a seat long ago, knowing that Andy now had added tasting delicious food to his hobbies. If he wanted to trick Andy, he had to make him happy first. Once he was happy, things might get easier.
Sitting down in the restaurant, the floor-to-ceiling windows let in the sunset glow from outside, overlooking the beautiful scenery of Central Park. Andy smiled at Carl and said, "Since you want to treat me, I won't be polite."
Under the introduction of the extremely beautiful waitress, Andy began to order dishes, including lobster soup, the signature dish of rosemary chicken breast, foie gras, egg caviar, lamb chops, veal, yellowfin tuna sashimi with avocado sauce, and tempura. After ordering more than a dozen dishes, Carl's face became darker and darker, and he cursed in his heart, it's over, I was ripped off by this kid.
Classic egg caviar. Caviar is generously piled on the eggshell, while underneath is a broth of egg whites and cream. With one spoonful, the salty flavor of the caviar blends perfectly with the broth, making it a true classic.
Foie gras is soft, smooth, and has a lingering aftertaste. It is a food that makes one taste the tenderness on the tip of the tongue. Paired with caramel, dried fruits, and fish jelly, it is like a warm and sweet kiss from a lover.
Carl watched Andy eat happily, praising him from time to time, and knew that he could tell the truth.
"Andy, since you like singing so much, why don't you release a record? It will definitely make money."
"Huh? Have you negotiated with Universal Music? It's fine if the conditions are right." Andy couldn't help but laugh in his heart. It was indeed like that, this fat guy.
"Listen to me first, the conditions they offer are really good. You...what? You agree?" Carl heard Andy's vague words and thought he refused. He was anxious and wanted to persuade him. After hearing his agreement clearly, he asked back in surprise.
"Yeah, why would you refuse? This is a good thing. Why not accept it when someone offers you money? Tell me the conditions." Andy said casually while eating.
. . . . .
Weekend Night Live lobby.
Andy was sitting in the lounge watching the show on TV, looking at Carl and Joseph speechlessly, while Kenny was smiling happily. The opening skit was about two couples having dinner in a restaurant, and then a black chef (Forest Whitaker, the fourth black Oscar winner, who was the White House butler) came out to sing songs, and he kept singing, creating a series of funny words and scenes.
To be honest, Andy couldn't quite understand the American people's sense of humor. He had no idea where some of the jokes came from. It was so painful to watch them, and to pretend to be funny was simply torture.
Time slowly came to Andy's performance time. He combed his hair in front of the mirror, put on a charming smile, and walked out of the lounge with his guitar.
There were applause and screams from the audience, and they were very respectful. Of course, Andy is very popular in the United States now. Although he is not known to everyone, he is still very famous among young people. After all, he still has a lot of halos on his head.
The scene became quiet, Andy secretly exhaled a breath, and his originally excited mood slowly calmed down.
The simple guitar accompaniment plucked the heartstrings of the audience in front of the TV, and the trembling voice of the singer touched everyone's soul. The emotions between the lines brought shock and awe to everyone's heart.
The anxiety and contradictory mentality when leaving hometown make one miss home more and dare not say goodbye.
Touched, at this moment everyone was moved by Andy's music.
Applause, warm applause, whether it was a standing ovation from the audience or the enthusiastic applause from the audience in front of the TV.
Andy accepted the applause from the audience. He was unusually calm at this moment because he knew that this was as it should be. After all, as a classic song that had been sung for decades in the previous life and was known as the most covered song, this response was just the beginning.