Conan O'Brien bids a heartfelt farewell to his house band on their final episode

Conan O’Brien’s the best talk show host we’ve still got, but he sees the writing on the wall. As we previously reported, his TBS series will pivot to 30-minute episodes when it returns next year, focusing less on guests and music than comedy. That means no more musical guests and, sadly, no more La Bamba or Mark Pender. Last night’s episode marked the last with Jimmy Vivino and the Basic Cable Band, and TV’s favorite ginger bid the outfit a heartfelt adieu before jamming out with them one last time.

Calling the band “a daily source of joy in my life,” Conan reflected warmly on how the band playing his wedding in the bitter cold of Seattle in January, and also how they stuck by him “at the most perilous moment of my career when I was left without a show and feeling pretty alone.”