Reunion gigs can often be a band’s most successful run, with fans jubilantly celebrating a return to form from their favorite musicians. Sometimes it’s on a smaller scale than that, though, as in the video below, for which famed drummer Max Weinberg made an appearance on Conan for a truly unexpected reteaming with his former host.
Fans of Conan O’Brien’s late night antics over the years know that Max Weinberg was the leader of the Max Weinberg 7 for Late Night with Conan O’Brien, starting in 1993 and ending when the show did in 2009. He hung on with The Tonight Show for a while before that project also went kaput. So it’s been around five years since O’Brien and Weinberg shared the stage together for TV audiences. But that sad streak ended tonight, and I’m certain there was a masturbating bear out there somewhere paying a little more attention than usual.
The video starts off humorously enough, with current Conan drummer James Wormworth heads out to an “old abandoned mine” and falling in. And who happens to be in the crowd holding drumsticks, absolutely ready to head over and assist the show? MAX! I’m not entirely convinced that he wasn’t the person who invited Wormworth to go and check that mine out in the first place.
Weinberg hasn’t lost touch with his skills, as he’s also the drummer for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. He looks perfectly natural sitting back there behind Jimmy Vivino. (James Wormwhatnow?) Perhaps he jumps the gun a bit, immediately showing off his solo skills before Conan even gets a chance to talk about who’s on the show, but I don’t think he was bothered too much. It’s kind of sad that it had to end at some point, just like their real life partnership. (Sobs into snare drum head.)
It isn’t a sign that things will revert back to the way they were, but it would be nice to see Weinberg fill in for Wormworth on occasion. Even with Andy Richter there, it would still be possible to relive some of the old schtick. Just check out the video below, in which Weinberg calls out Britney Spears for keeping her vagina hidden.
Catch Conan every weeknight on TBS, and keep your fingers crossed for more musical fun in the future.
