Recommendations of the Editorial team
Stephen Colbert has one more night before he says goodbye to The Late Show. Shortly before the series finale on May 21st, the host welcomed one of the show’s last musical guests for a fiery conclusion: David Byrne, who performed the Talking Heads classic “Burning Down the House.”
Byrne took the “Late Show” stage with his “Why Is the Sky?” band. The musicians started off in matching blue suits – until Colbert joined them in the same outfit. Behind them, flames blazed across the screen during the performance. A more fitting farewell could hardly be imagined.
CBS canceled The Late Show in July 2025, calling it a “purely financial decision” – although this explanation is difficult to separate from Donald Trump’s repeated attacks against Colbert. Around the time of the cancellation, the broadcaster and its parent company Paramount agreed to a $16 million settlement with Trump over the cut of a “60 Minutes” episode. This came while a merger between Paramount and Skydance Media was still awaiting approval from the Federal Communications Commission.
Springsteen, Strokes, farewell
“The Tonight Show” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live” will both air reruns on May 21, giving Colbert all the late-night spotlight. Details about the final episode of The Late Show have not yet been announced; however, the penultimate episode on May 20 will feature a performance by Bruce Springsteen. Recent musical guests included the Strokes, Michael Stipe, Chris Stapleton and the Foo Fighters, who were the last musical guests on David Letterman’s “Late Show.”
Byrne last appeared on The Late Show in March, when he performed “When We Are Singing” and spoke with Colbert about his latest album, “Who Is the Sky?” spoke. Of the color-coordinated outfits he wears with his live band, Byrne said, “I knew I wanted it colorful. The last one was gray. It wasn’t a sad show, but it was gray. I thought, ‘No, in the times we’re living in, we need color.'”
