Conan O’Brien has spent decades interviewing musicians, but on Friday night at the Teragram Ballroom in downtown Los Angeles, he was one of them. His cover band, the Vigodas, had only played about 10 shows around Southern California since their August debut, yet the room was packed with fans who knew him mostly from television and his podcast. The Conan O’Brien live band project gave the late-night legend a chance to chase a dream he had shelved since college.
From Podcast Chat to Band Practice
The band began with a conversation on Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend. When singer Norah Jones appeared on the podcast in May 2023, she asked about his guitar playing. O’Brien admitted he had no one to play with and wanted someone to push him. Jones introduced him to guitarist Jason Roberts, who had spent five years in her band. Roberts started giving O’Brien lessons, and the two bonded over a shared obsession with the Beatles.
About six months before the Teragram show, O’Brien asked Roberts whether they could form a band. Roberts said he knew the right players. Within a week, they were rehearsing in Hollywood. O’Brien described the feeling as floating.
A Name With a Mug
The group took its name from actor Abe Vigoda, a frequent guest on O’Brien’s late-night show. O’Brien said Vigoda, known for The Godfather and Barney Miller, appeared in hundreds of bits and was both sweet and hilarious. His face became the band’s logo.
Rockabilly Roots and a Set of Adrenaline Songs
O’Brien, 63, told the crowd that in college, while classmates were discovering U2 and Oingo Boingo, he was deep into hardcore rockabilly. He said he had the hair for it. His set drew on the raucous sounds of Jerry Lee Lewis and early Elvis Presley, along with songs by Elvis Costello, Bo Diddley and John Lennon. The band ran through more than a dozen covers, a mix of rock and roll from the 1950s through the 1980s.
One number, Ronnie Hawkins’ version of “40 Days,” has followed O’Brien for years. He called such tracks adrenaline. His fondness for speed earned a memorable compliment from Keith Richards, who told him his Chuck Berry cover sounded like an auctioneer. O’Brien agreed.
A Crowd of First-Timers
Most of the audience had never seen the Vigodas before. Some knew O’Brien from Late Night, others from his podcast, and a few were young enough to have only seen clips of his network heyday. They stayed engaged through the hour-plus set, singing along and doing small swing dances in place. O’Brien beamed as he played with four musicians roughly 20 years younger, all of whom he had met only months earlier.
He never joined a band as a teenager. For years, he said, the only reason he wanted a late-night show was to have a band. He used to jam with the Max Weinberg 7 and later Jimmy Vivino and the Basic Cable Band during rehearsals. The Vigodas finally gave him a stage of his own.
The Kooky Backstage Tour
Playing small Los Angeles venues has been part of the fun. The Vigodas’ first show was a surprise guest set at Permanent Records Roadhouse in East L.A. after Fred Armisen’s regularly scheduled performance. Since then, they have played the Troubadour, the Lodge Room and the Moroccan Lounge. O’Brien called himself a connoisseur of kooky backstages and recalled Bob Newhart’s advice that no matter what you achieve, there is always a piece of dead brown lettuce on the dressing-room floor.
At the Teragram, O’Brien wore tight black jeans and a custom black jacket with the band’s name. The joy on his face suggested the lettuce was beside the point.
