roots. As part of his preparation for the move, Weinberg consulted with Doc Severinsen, the Tonight Show band leader during the Johnny Carson days. As was the case on Late Night, Weinberg temporarily left the Tonight Show on occasion to tour with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Jimmy Vivino took over as bandleader in this instance, and Wormworth moved over to drums. Ronnie Gutierrez was also brought in to cover for Wormworth on percussion. In the open, announcer Andy Richter referred to the group as "The Tonight Show Band", and the graphic was changed to acknowledge Weinberg's absence. Also, as a result, a skit was born that whenever Weinberg appears on his last show before leaving, O'Brien would note that Weinberg deserves a 'proper send-off' and the band would start playing, as suddenly his pedestal would begin to drive itself outside the studio with Weinberg still playing. The pod would then move into the streets of Los Angeles where usually something absurd would happen such as Weinberg being pulled over or hit by a speeding truck. The band left The Tonight Show along with O'Brien after O'Brien's last show as host, which aired January 22, 2010. The Legally Prohibited Band In April 2010, Conan O'Brien began his The Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour. While the rest of the group was part of the tour under the moniker The Legally Prohibited Band, Weinberg was not, though he did appear at the tour's New York stop. Weinberg later revealed that he had undergone complex open heart valve repair surgery two weeks after the conclusion of The Tonight Show and had taken three months to recover from it. Jimmy Vivino and the Basic Cable Band It was initially unknown whether Weinberg would be joining O'Brien when his new late night show on TBS began in November 2010. Most or all of the rest of the band were expected to follow O'Brien, alongside his other non-musical staff and crew, to the TBS program. By September 2010, it was clear that Weinberg would not be part of the show, now named Conan. Jimmy Vivino was now the leader of the band, with Wormworth full-time on drums, and the band was firmly ensconced in Los Angeles as a base. Upon announcing Weinberg's split from O'Brien in September 2010, O'Brien said, "Max has been a huge part of my life for the