Video: White Stripes Disappoint on Final Episode of 'Conan'
Video
Meg and Jack White on Conan
The White Stripes played in public for the first time in nearly two years on Friday night's final episode of Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and while the show's outgoing host bathed the appearance with praise, the band's wildly unpolished rendition of "We're Going to Be Friends" didn't amount to anything approaching a triumphant return.
More White Stripes:
>> Jack White on 'Bond' Duet: We "Screamed and Moaned"
>> White Stripes Scrap U.S. Tour
>> The Raconteurs, Consolers of the Lonely
With Jack playing an ornate acoustic guitar and Meg timidly strumming an electric, the Detroit-bred duo ended Conan's 16-year tenure at New York's studio 6A with a shaky version of the cutesy classic from 2001's White Blood Cells. Meg seemed to know it sucked, wearing a guilty-as-charged smirk from start to finish.
The gig on Conan was the Stripes' first since the summer of '07, and also the first since the band canceled a lengthy U.S. tour later that year due Meg's "acute anxiety." However, it certainly wasn't their first appearance on Conan: The duo are a favorite of the former Late Night host. They performed a four-night residency in 2004, including a cover of Dolly Parton's "Jolene," and Conan appeared in the band's Michel Gondry-directed video for "The Denial Twist." Watch all three videos below.
Watch: The White Stripes on final Late Night, "We're Are Going to Be Friends"
White Stripes, "The Denial Twist"
White Stripes, "Jolene" on Conan
- Posted By wurlitzerheart
02.23.09 5:26 PM
since when was there a 'right' way to play a white stripes song? they're not perfect. that's why we like them.
- Posted By t1616
02.23.09 5:26 PM
with all due respect william, you did an extremely poor job of explaining why the song was "a mess." the fact that meg is even up on stage right now with her anxiety disorder is a very promising thing. i think that the song choice was perfect for the last show and a very gutsy move to do this unique rendition. maybe if you listened to their music a little more you could actually understand their relationship better and appreciate the song for what it is instead of just trying to be a critic and a cynic when for many white stripes fans, that performance was a pretty special thing.
- Posted By nitrayn
02.23.09 7:18 PM
I guess the genious from Spin calling this version a mess and commenting on Megs grin, did not realize that:
THEY PLAYED THE SONG TO THE TUNE OF CONAN'S LULLABY SONG THAT HE DOES.
Obviously they did it as a tribute to him, and I thought it was very cool and emotional. Was it as good as the original arrangement...no it wasnt, but it was neat and for Conan. What should they have done jerked off to there own greatness in a 7 min version of Ball and Biscuit?
- Posted By AudioSuede
02.23.09 10:48 PM
Yeah, seriously, I cannot see where this reviewer is coming from. They re-tooled an extremely simple and cutesy song to be slower in a way that perfectly fit the mood of the last show. Though, in response to another commenter, was it really the lullaby song? I can hear it. I'm just not 100% sure.
But yeah, I get the distinct impression that whoever wrote this piece doesn't like The White Stripes and is accentuating that point by throwing in a bold, attention-grabbing headline (with exclamation points!) and railing on the performance in a way that sounds like "See? See? They're overrated! See?"
Whether or not it's a dissapointment is up to the viewers and to Conan. And, of all the stuff I've heard about this last week of shows, this is the only article of any kind I've seen that would make such a ridiculous claim.
- Posted By nitrayn
02.23.09 11:09 PM
yes, Conan somewhat regularly would do a comedy bit where he would sing a lullaby, which was the identical arrangment that The White Stripes did We Are Gonna Be Friends in on the show
Any die hard Conan fan will know what i'm talking about
- Posted By alexa
05.04.09 12:23 PM
I saw the Raconeurs at ACL a couple years ago and was actually quite impressed so maybe he just hates Conan and Bonnaroo.
epilare
- Posted By Julien-Pier Bélanger
09.30.09 8:35 PM
Okay... I was REALLY ready for a utter mess, but what I've seen is a shy and cute Meg and a confident Jack (booth as we love 'em) playing as we know them : Meg in a very basic way and Jack... trying new things!
It didn't worked for you, but it did for me (tho it is not my favourite live performance by them).
So man... if you don't like it, don't listen to it!!!
I've enjoyed seeing them both on stage after not having a chance to see them live in my life!!! It's gave me hope of, maybe, one day, i'll be the witness of this awesomeness... LIVE!!!So keep it cool, they're great through their try (and those who never try never fails... but they don't win either so...)
02.23.09 1:43 PM
Oh stop it, you. It's ragged like Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash's version of "Girl From the North Country."