Singer Charli XCX Recruits Hardcore Punk Drummer for 'SNL' Slot

English electro-pop singer Charli XCX will have a drummer from the heavy hardcore scene supplying her backbeat when she performs this Saturday (Dec. 18) on Saturday Night Live for the late-night sketch comedy show's last broadcast of the year.

That drummer is none other than Luis Aponte of the Philadelphia metalcore outfit Jesus Piece. He's also worked as a clothing model and sales associate for the New York City-based menswear brand Noah.

"Happy to say I'll be playing drums for this," Aponte told his Twitter followers on Tuesday (Dec. 14) while retweeting SNL's teaser video for the upcoming episode hosted by Ant-Man and Clueless actor Paul Rudd.

NME and Stereogum were among the music sites who picked up on Aponte's notice, the latter noting a viral video of the drummer rocking a VFW Hall show got him the gig. Jesus Piece added that Aponte also got the Charli XCX spot "thanks to grinding his ass for years."

Jesus Piece previously went viral in 2019 when their lead vocalist, Aaron Heard, dropkicked a concertgoer who rushed the stage and began grabbing him.

But a drum cam video of Aponte from a Jesus Piece show filmed by prolific punk scene videographer Sunny Singh (hate5six) earlier this year seems to have been the catalyst for Charli XCX's drummer selection.

Singh responded on Tuesday, "holy FUCK this is insane. The drum cam I posted of [Aponte] from [Jesus Piece] a few months ago caught so much momentum that [Charli XCX]'s people saw it and invited him to drum on [SNL] with her. Luis deserves this opportunity so much."

See the tweets and watch the drum cam video below.