Conan’s best bits with the Basic Cable Band

Conan O’Brien is saying goodbye to his band when he returns from hiatus in 2019 with a revamped format. To commemorate, we look at his best work with Jimmy Vivino and the Basic Cable Band.

25 years into his late night career, Conan O’Brien is trying something new. He unveiled plans for a comedy tour, podcast, and travel special set in Japan. But the biggest news from the host was that his TBS show Conan would change into a half-hour long program instead of the traditional hour long format.

There are some positives that will come with this change. Conan will get a chance to focus on his strengths and make the kind of show that he wants. A host as tenured and talented as O’Brien certainly has that right. But with the good also comes the bad.

Not only will Conan no longer feature musical guests, it will also be without a band. After being with Conan in one iteration or another for 25 years, The Basic Cable Band played has played its final show as a late night band. Watch the emotional announcement from Conan and his words of gratitude towards the band, along with a performance:

As Conan himself says, he is a student of late night television so he understands the importance of music to the show. Everything from play walk-up songs, entertaining the audience in breaks, and performing in bits is part of being a late night band. While bandleader Jimmy Vivino never achieved the recognition of a Paul Shaffer or even Kevin Eubanks, his musical talent spoke for itself.

And even so, Conan hasn’t Vivino to be his sidekick when he has Andy Ricther. Conan had that traditional banter with Max Weinberg during the Late Night era prior to Weinberg’s departure and the transformation of the Basic Cable Band.

However, the band wasn’t ignored when it came to comedy bits or off the cuff remarks by Conan during monologues. Involving the band it sketches and bits has been a late night tradition that is notably carried on with The Roots on The Tonight Show, Fred Armisen on Late Night With Seth Meyers and Reggie Watts on The Late Late Show With James Corden. So as Conan says goodbye to his band, we look back at some of the best bits involving Jimmy Vivino and the Basic Cable Band:

More clips like these will become available with the launch of Conan 25, the online archive covering O’Brien’s entire late night career. A separate list of highlights featuring Max Weinberg could certainly be made. But the willingness to do anything for a laugh shows the band’s loyalty to Conan and proves what a major part of Conan they became.