Seth Meyers’ Big Time Homecoming

photo courtesy NBC

By the time this issue of New Hampshire Magazine hits mailboxes, Seth Meyers’ extended summer break will be a fading memory.

When we caught up with the Manchester West High alumnus in late September, Meyers was enduring the fifth month of an unplanned sabbatical prompted by the Writers Guild of America strike, which was coming to an end just as we went to press.

The former “Weekend Update” anchor for “Saturday Night Live” and current host of “Late Night with Seth Meyers” spent part of his down time co-hosting the “Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers” podcast with his younger brother, Josh.

Meyers returns to the Granite State on Nov.  4 to perform a benefit concert at SNHU Arena for Court Appointed Special Advocates of New Hampshire (CASA) and the Granite State Children’s Alliance. (Visit casanh.org/seth-meyers for ticket info.)

The former Bedford resident called us from his home in New York City, where he quickly turned on a movie to keep his sons Ashe, 7, and Axel, 5, busy for a little bit so their dad could do an interview. Meyers and his wife, Alexi, also have a daughter, Adelaide, 2.

This is the second time you’ve raised money for Court Appointed Special Advocates New Hampshire and the Granite State Children’s Alliance. What’s special about that connection for you?

I’m really lucky to have parents who still live in New Hampshire, who still love the state and who are still connected to the community. They have been involved with Granite State Children’s Alliance. They’ve been involved with CASA. They’re always telling me what great work they do and what special people they are.

This is something we were talking about doing summer of 2020, and then COVID hit. It’s taken us a while to get the idea back up and running again. But I’m so excited and enthusiastic about doing a show in Manchester, of all places, too.

I love the local references in the “Family Trips” podcasts. Have you guys unearthed any memories that you had forgotten about?

I do feel like there are times where I think, “Oh, that’s it. We’ve run out of vacation stories.” And then you talk to a guest and they mention something about whitewater river rafting, and then all of a sudden you remember you did do that once as a family. It’s been a nice tool to unearth memories that I hadn’t given much effort to uncovering over the years.

I was just watching an episode of “Late Night” from March with Wilco. You recruited (Wilco leader) Jeff Tweedy to write the theme song for your podcast. Would you consider that one of the best perks of your job?

I kind of still can’t believe it. He wrote a very catchy theme song, which I then find myself humming. And then I have to remind myself that one of my favorite singer-songwriters wrote a song that he then sung that has my brother and I in it. As perks go, that’s a pretty special one.

You published an illustrated children’s book last year. What were the origins “I’m Not Scared, You’re Scared”?

It was sort of born out of the pandemic, having a little bit more downtime due to not having to go to the office every day. My kids were at the age where I was reading them picture books every night. I had the opportunity to write one.

I was mostly just thinking about that idea of how you talk to your kids about fear, especially when you live through a pandemic, the things you decide to share with them and the things you sort of shelter them from. Living that every day gave me the idea for the book. And I was just so happy someone else did all the drawings.

Also available on Amazon by Seth Meyers — “Dr. Seth’s Love Prescription: Overcome relationship repetition syndrome and get the love you deserve.” But by that’s by another guy with the same name. Have you seen it?

I am familiar that there’s another Seth Meyers who writes books about relationships, and I can assure you that my wife would want you all to know I’m not that guy. I’m not the expert-on-relationships Seth.

Wouldn’t that be a great name for a band if you had a band? Dr. Seth’s Love Prescription.

I think in that sense I would just go out and do a two-hander where it’s an hour of stand-up comedy, and then he comes out and says, “OK, now let’s really talk about it.” And he just comes out and says to me, “Do you think this is a healthy way to deal with relationships? Telling jokes about your wife onstage?”

We heard through CASA that your dad wanted us to make sure we didn’t use any archive photos of you wearing a jacket and tie because you’ve gone casual. Can we say with certainty that Seth Meyers is done with suits?

I think we feel pretty good about being done with suits. I never want to say never, but I’ve really enjoyed doing the show in clothes I’m comfortable with because I think when you’re doing a show at 12:30 at night, comfort is how the people watching you want to feel. They want to feel comfortable. It’s been it’s been a nice fit, and I don’t really miss the suits.

Anything else you’d like to share before we say goodbye?

Last time, we did the shows in Concord, which is a wonderful place. And a few years ago, I got to do a show at the Palace Theatre. But to be doing a show at SNHU, which is so obviously close to West High — it’s the street I used to buy my comic books on — I’m really excited to be doing a show there. And I know I’m going to see a lot of old high school friends and a lot of old friends of my parents. It’s going to be a really cool night.