A Saskatoon band is hoping to capitalize on what can best be described as a coincidental thank you from Jimmy Fallon.
The Pistolwhips are aiming to build on the momentum of a stock photo chosen by The Tonight Show host for his weekly “Thank You Notes” segment.
“It was a pretty funny coincidence,” Pistolwhips frontman Rylan Schultz said.
Fallon’s thank-you note segment sees the host cheekily thank anything and everything from long underwear and summer barbeques to President’s Day and fitness-tracking devices. The photo of Schultz popped up as Fallon thanked cold, frosty breath.
“Thank you, seeing my breath in the cold during winter, for making me look like I’m constantly vaping,” Fallon jokes.
Schultz, 32, says the picture was likely chosen at random by Fallon’s team.
The photo was taken years ago for Schultz’s personal portfolio by a friend who, at the time, was employed by a company that partially worked with stock photos. The pictures that didn’t make the cut for Schultz ended up in the photographer’s stock portfolio.
“It was just kind of funny to see it,” Schultz said.
The Pistolwhips lead singer didn’t view the segment until a friend posted a screenshot onto his Facebook page.
The shot quickly racked up comments and shares from Schultz’s family and friends, and the band elected to ride the momentum in hopes of grabbing the attention of the show’s producers.
“It’s still just a shock. You just got to take a chance when you get it,” Schultz said.
Schultz and his bandmates started a hashtag, #pistolwhipsonfallon, and filmed a short video for Facebook to grab the attention of the show.
“Thank you, Jimmy Fallon, for using a picture of me in your ‘Thank You Notes’ segment,” Schultz says in the video. “Only bad thing is the picture didn’t have the rest of the band in it.”
The video has earned more than 25,000 views in less than 24 hours. The band, which starts a tour Friday and is set to release a new album in May, is still holding out hope for its Tonight Show debut.
