Soon to be gone are the days of musical guests gracing Conan’s stage.
Starting in January of 2019, there’ll be no more Neko Case tambourine throw-downs, Lake Street Dive kiss-and-tells or moody Johnny Marr deliveries on the TBS late-night program. In conjunction with Conan’s imminent paring down to a half-hour run time, the show will say goodbye to regular musical guests, leaving more time for comedy.
Producer and music booker Roey Hershkovitz, who has worked for Conan ever since he interned with Late Night with Conan O’Brien in 1999, is exiting along with the music, Variety reports. The 30-minute trim was announced back in May, when Conan O’Brien said, “A half-hour show will give me the time to do a higher percentage of the comedy in, and out, of the studio that I love and that seems to resonate in this new digital world.” Hershkovitz’s departure and the new digital platform leave room for the occasional musical performances and potential collaborations, but performing artists and bands will no longer be part of the regular programming.
For more Conan musical memorabilia, check out this Daytrotter playlist compiling the best of his shows’ performers.