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Conan O'Brien has a new rock band called 'The Vigodas'
Conan O’Brien’s unveiled his latest side quest earlier this week when he and his new rock band The Vigodas played their first-ever show at in Los Angeles. It wasn’t some sort of elaborate O’Brien gag, either, but an actual rock band putting on a show.
On Monday, August 10, former late-night television stalwart and current podcast host Conan O’Brien surprised the crowd at Permanent Records Roadhouse in Los Angeles with the debut of his new band, The Vigodas, taking the stage as vocalist and guitarist.
Alongside Conan, The Vigodas features Jason Roberts on guitar, Erik Kertes on bass, Ben Alleman on keyboards, and Josh Adams on drums. Between them, the musicians have played with artists such as Beck, Shakira, Michael Bublé, Norah Jones, Jenny Lewis, Social Distortion, Grace Potter, and more.
Conan O’Brien debuted his new band The Vigodas, named after the late actor who became one of the most beloved recurring characters on his Late Night show
Their debut at Permanent Records Roadhouse set featured a mix of rock and rockabilly songs, including a cover of Elvis Costello’s song “Radio Radio.”
“This is our first show ever,” Conan told the crowd. “Be kind!” he joked before kicking the set into gear.
Conan O’Brien debuts with his new rock band The Vigodas! pic.twitter.com/qEx6386vbx
— Rock Photography (@Photomusicrock) August 12, 2026
As for the band’s name, Abe Vigoda was a veteran character actor best known for his roles in The Godfather and Barney Miller, who became one of the most beloved recurring figures during O’Brien’s time on TV.
Back when he was hosting Late Night, Conan’s writing staff would find increasingly absurd uses for Vigoda — including “Abe Vi-Yoda” (Vigoda in prosthetic Yoda ears), a “Vigodal Eclipse” in which he passed in front of the camera like a celestial body, and a sketch in which he interviewed himself.
Vigoda appeared on Conan’s final Late Night episode in 2009 and passed away at the age of 94 in 2016.
While The Vigodas may be O’Brien’s first official foray into the music business, he has been showing off his talents with a guitar for years now, as he played plenty of it throughout his 2010 Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television tour and has jammed with the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Lou Reed, and Jack White over the years.