Thursday Conan report Maureen Ryan -- The Watcher (Chicago Tribune web log) -- May 11, 2006 The following report on Conan O'Brien's Thursday show was filed by my Tribune colleague Kevin Pang. Are there still any doubts as to who has the best band on late night television? Of all the post-10:30 p.m. ensembles -- Jay Leno’s "Tonight Show" Band, David Letterman’s CBS Orchestra, Jimmy Kimmel’s Cleto and the Cletones, Craig Ferguson’s CD player -- it’s the Max Weinberg Seven that has been heir to Doc Severinsen’s throne, which he occupied for so many years on Johnny Carson. And while Weinberg (the longtime drummer for Bruce Springsteen’s E-Street Band) and crew have been comedy fodder on Late Night, it’s easy to forget just how solid the band is. They handle Count Basie and Peter Gabriel arrangements with equal panache, creating a wall of sound with little more than three horns and a rhythm section. The crowd during the Chicago tapings has been especially receptive with the band. Trumpet player Mark Pender received a standing ovation for holding a note for nearly two minutes [Note from Mo: Pender did his trumpet trick Tuesday and Wednesday too]. And guitarist Jimmy Vivino traded solos capably with Wednesday’s musical guest John Mayer, during their performance of “Sweet Home Chicago.” O’Brien himself is no music slouch (a pretty good guitar player in his own right). During commercial breaks, he tapped his feet, played air drums and snapped his fingers in rhythm while the Max Weinberg Seven burned through a few bluesy numbers. Spoiler alert: If you don’t want to know what comedy bits will appear on Friday’s show, stop reading. On Thursday, they pre-taped a sequence in which O’Brien -- on tonight’s show -- will take his desk for a drive around Chicago. The camera ran down the center aisle, and everybody was asked to clap and wave. John C. Reilly on Chicago winters: “Your face stops moving, your nose hair freeze, then you just start muttering obscenities.” No Wheel of Wendt! Nevertheless, the funniest bit Thursday night had announcer Joel Goddard once again visiting famous movie sites set in Chicago. He visited the Home Alone house in Winnetka, tried to break in like those robbers and proceeded to get shot, and killed. An NBC spokesman said some 300 people in the standby line were turned away at Thursday’s taping.