Demi Adejuyigbe’s Last Earth, Wind and Fire ‘September’ Celebration Is His Most Elaborate Yet
Comedian Demi Adejuyigbe has released the latest, and what will sadly be the last, of his September 21st celebration videos, set, of course, to Earth, Wind and Fire’s “September.”
Adejuyigbe made the first of these videos in 2016: A clever one-minute skit where he danced around his home in a “Sept. 21st” T-shirt (with “That’s today,” written on the back) to a remix of “September” he’d made where the only vocals were the first line — “Do you remember, the 21st night of September?” — chopped and repeated. With each year, the bit grew more elaborate, incorporating confetti, balloons, a children’s choir, a mariachi band, and a replica of a bedroom built inside of the back of a truck.
For the final installment of the series, Adejuyigbe delivered a clip with professional production values and a meticulously choreographed dance sequence in which, at one point, it looked as if he was shimmying up the walls of a bathroom. The video also featured, for the first time, the full version of “September,” and ,at the end of clip, the members of Earth, Wind and Fire popped up to give props to Adejuyigbe and thank him for using their tune to raise some money for charity.
As the series grew in popularity, Adejuyigbe started using the occasion to direct donations to various causes. This year, he’s raising money for Imagine Water Works’ Hurricane Ida relief efforts, the West Fund’s work to provide abortion access to people in West Texas, and the climate advocacy group, the Sunrise Movement. To raise some additional money, Adejuyigbe is raffling off a commemorative September 21st painting, as well as some custom September 21st basketball jerseys.
As to why Adejuyigbe decided to end the videos, a joke early on in this last video offers a bit of insight. The clip opens at a bar where Adejuyigbe’s conversation with a friend, played by Addie Weyrich, is interrupted by the clock striking midnight on yet another September 21st. “It’s September 21st,” Weyrich exclaims. “Are you gonna do that video thing that you do? The thing where we don’t hear from you for like four, five months because you’re like, ‘I have to do this,’ but no one’s forcing me to do it, and you just really overwork yourself?”
Adejuyigbe offered a more earnest farewell to the series at the end saying, “Thank you so much for watching these videos, everybody. It’s been a very fun six years making them, and even though I won’t be making more, I hope we can use this last video to do some good and let the charm and goodwill of this day extend to people who can really use it.”
