Before the 2015 debut of The Late Show, Elvis Costello nearly took the stage as Stephen Colbert’s bandleader—a move he now says would have ended in disaster.
In 2015. as Stephen Colbert prepared to launch his version of The Late Show. the role of house bandleader remained a blank slate. While the position ultimately went to Jon Batiste, Elvis Costello briefly put his own name into the ring. It was an impulsive move. born of a private conversation between the two. that nearly altered the trajectory of late-night television.
Costello. speaking on a recent episode of Rolling Stone Music Now while promoting the 49th Anniversary Edition of his box set *My Aim Is True*. recalls the moment he sought the gig. When Colbert asked for his advice on filling the role, Costello didn’t hesitate. He asked, “What about me?” Though he initially thought the host believed he was joking, the ensuing talks were serious. For a time, the idea of Elvis Costello and the Impostors anchoring the show felt like a distinct possibility.
His interest wasn’t purely aesthetic. He had watched the success of The Roots on *The Tonight Show*—having collaborated with them on the 2013 album *Wise Up Ghost*—and admired how they stayed off the road while remaining at a creative center. He saw a personal connection. too. noting his own family history with his father. a radio dance band singer who frequented the BBC. He felt the legacy of musicians like Branford Marsalis. who previously helmed *The Tonight Show* band. provided a sense of continuity for the job.
However, the logistical reality of such a move eventually became clear. Costello was the only member of his band living in New York; keyboardist Steve Nieve resides in France. Relocating three band members to the city would have required a massive financial investment. and the disruption to his bandmates’ lives made the arrangement impractical. Looking back, Costello admits that even if he had been hired, his tenure would likely have been brief.
He suspects he would have been fired by the network within three weeks for saying or doing the wrong thing. He describes the entire prospect as “a dream I had for a minute.”
Despite the “what ifs,” the two remained connected. Costello appeared on the *Late Show* finale on May 21, shortly before the program went off the air earlier this year. During that broadcast. he performed the deep cut “Jump Up”—a song he says he has played in public perhaps four times since 1977—alongside Colbert. Batiste. and Batiste’s successor. Louis Cato. The quartet arrangement was a compliment that Costello found extraordinary. further enhanced by the unexpected inclusion of Paul McCartney. who joined the band to sing a Beatles song.
That finale served as more than just a musical collaboration for Costello. He describes it as his final television appearance. citing the increasing pressures—commercial. corporate. and political—that now squeeze the medium. Standing side-stage with McCartney, watching a show he had once imagined leading, provided a sense of closure. He walked away from the night feeling he had reached a point that could not be topped. fully content to leave the world of television behind.
Elvis Costello Stephen Colbert Late Show Jon Batiste television music news