Fred Armisen's Comedy for Musicians | Public Record

Long before he was known as an in-demand funny man, this famous comedian and actor was immersed in the Chicago indie rock underground. We’re talking of course about Fred Armisen. He’s best known for his work on Saturday Night Live, Documentary Now, and the satirical TV series Portlandia, but before all that Armisen was a member of the ‘80s punk band Trenchmouth.

That’s far from his only musical work—Armisen has also appeared on records by Les Savy Fav and Matthew Sweet, drummed for Seth Meyers late night 8G Band, and he’s a member of the Ramones cover band, The Return of Jackie and Judy, with his Portlandia co-star Carrie Brownstein and her Sleater-Kinney bandmate Corin Tucker.

The Return of Jackie and Judy will be on tour in July and September, but Fred is also striking out on his own with a new comedy/music presentation titled Comedy for Musicians (But Everyone Is Welcome). On Wednesday, October 21, 2026 and Thursday, October 22nd, he’s bringing this new show to the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix.

The new special follows last year’s hilarious release for indie label Drag City, 100 Sound Effects, which features tracks such as the classic “Basketball Bouncing” and gems like “Keyboard Not Working at First at a Music Store.”

Looking for more Fred? Catch his special later this year, and visit our sponsors Hello Merch for Portlandia** and Return of Jackie and Judy** merch.