Next year, talk show host Conan O’Brien will see his long-running late-night series move from an hour-long format to a shorter half-hour, as part of the TBS network’s plan to move him into other digital areas like podcasting.
As a result of the new format, he will need to say goodbye to Jimmy Vivino & The Basic Cable Band, the in-house musical group who have been with him since Late Night With Conan O’Brien all the way back in 1993.
Overnight, the last ever hour-long episode of the show aired, and the host bid an extremely emotional farewell to the band, who he called “a daily source of joy in my life”, and he gave them the spot that would normally be reserved for the show’s musical guest.
The band has truly been with him through thick and thin, and he told the audience:
“These remarkable musicians have given their talent, energy, enthusiasm and incredible showmanship to over 4,000 hours … These guys played at my weddig, which was in Seattle in January, and no-one comes to Seattle in January, and they came and they blew the roof off that place.”
He began to choke up near the end, telling the audience “to put it simply, I love these guys”, before throwing to the band for a cover of the Howlin’ Wolf classic ‘Killing Floor‘.
You can watch Conan’s emotional tribute below:
