News > Miscellaneous
Conan Goes Out With Style
By Fernando Scoczynski Filho
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Last night marked the final Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, and likely Conan’s last night on NBC after over 20 years working for the network. As you may be aware, after Jay Leno’s primetime show crashed and burned, he decided to take over Conan’s slot, which prompted the ginge to leave his show altogether. And Conan went out in style.
Conan has been known for bringing in a plethora of amazing musical guests throughout his career, often clearly displaying a true rapport with the artists. What more can you say about The White Stripes “reuniting” specifically for his last Late Night Show? So last night, supporting the usual funny interviews (Tom Hanks and a surprise appearance by Steve Carell), the musical guest was Neil Young, who, according to Conan, was the first who volunteered to perform on his last show, and who, after his song, thanked Conan for everything he’s “done for new music.”
Viewers were aware that Will Ferrel would be present in the show somehow, they just didn’t know how. Turns out that it wasn’t an interview, but a musical performance: He fronted the Tonight Show band, joined by Billy Gibbons, Ben Harper, Beck and Conan himself on guitar for a performance of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s epic Freebird. Probably an attempt to make things not too cliché, they went for the most possibly cliché song. Would it have worked for anyone else? No. But it worked for Conan.
A thousand stabbing daggers to your face for beating me to the punch on this story. I’ve watched and loved Conan since I was a little kid – it was sad to see him go, but I’ve got a damn strong hunch that he’ll be handing Leno his ass in the ratings from another network within a year. Here’s my full-throated take on the whole Leno/Conan/NBC clusterfuck, if you care. If anybody knows where to find Conan’s little rockabilly jam of “40 Days” from his Late Night show a few years back, I’d be forever grateful. But I doubt you sucker perpetrators can track it down.
Show last night was amazing. Sad to see him go but he is gonna bounce back with a vengeance. It is gonna be awesome watching Leno go down in flames leaving NBC stuck wondering what the hell they were doing. Was surprised we didn’t see Jack and Meg at some point during the last week.
The show was great, Conan has had his ups and downs, but he’s been nothing but awesome throughout this whole thing. I thought it had just the right amount of cowbell, and now I can’t wait to see what happens in 7 months
NBC are tards.
Leno should have just gotten the cue to retire.
The Tonight Show will look a like a desert in comparison to Conan’s legacy.
COCO ftw.
Can’t wait for Leno’s ‘new” Tonight Show to be destroyed by whatever Conan decides to do next. His exit speech was nothing short of amazing. He went out with class and left his legacy intact. I hope most of his staff survives another move as I believe that they are a huge part of what makes him tick.
Will Ferrell’s Ronnie Van Zant impersonation was priceless. Right down to the Neil Young t-shirt! And I knew Conan could play guitar but I didn’t know he could tear it up like that. Tasty solo. And with Billy Gibbons next to him on stage, too. Talk about pressure!
I don’t wanna say he upstaged Billy or anything….but that was a damn fine lead break. Beautiful slide work by Mr. Harper too.
Thanks for the clip, and God bless Conan, whatever happens next, and I can’t wait to watch his new show when he gets one.
I have always loved Conan. Late Night was a bit “late” for me, but would insert q-tips to hold my eyelids open whenever I could. Figuratively. Some people don’t get him, but I suppose they are the Leno fans.
I respect the hell out of Conan for standing up for his convictions and saying “NO” when pressured by NBC to change time slots. That is a man with integrity, and Leno is man with none. I don’t like to wish people ill will, but, as they say: what goes around, comes around.
I can’t wait for Conan to come back around. I, for one, will be reading a book at 11:30, with the tv turned OFF.
GODS SPEED Conan O’Brian. His short-lived take on the “Tonight Show” had it’s ups and downs but wherever you go, you will be successful, minus the clusterf**k drama. LONG LIVE CONAN, WITH MORE COWBELL!!!
We Love Ya!!!
[...] Late night TV has been somewhat cold and lifeless since January, back when Conan O’Brien hosted The Tonight Show for the last time. [...]