The White Stripes & Conan O’Brien at Hall of Fame
Conan O’Brien is set to appear at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony this weekend in Los Angeles, likely inducting The White Stripes. Conan has a history with The White Stripes, as the band’s last performance took place on his final episode of Late Night with Conan O’Brien on February 20, 2009. Conan personally asked the band to play “We’re Going To Be Friends.”
Conan remembered, “Cut to rehearsal and the thing with Jack is he always has to be different, that’s what I love about him, it’s also what’s scary about him. It’s got to be a tightrope act. So he decided that Meg will play the guitar on the song, and he will sing. I didn’t know Meg played the guitar, then I’m watching the rehearsal, which is about 90 minutes before my last Late Night show, and Jack is showing Meg how to make a G chord.
I thought, ‘What, how is this going to work?’ I knew that Meg didn’t really play that song, but nobody else knew it. I watched Meg play guitar, maybe for the first time. She didn’t know the song, but she did it, because she’s Meg, she’s brilliant. They did the song, it was such a fantastic moment, and such a great moment in my life.”
Conan said Jack and Meg gave him a Gretsch Penguin as a gift after the performance. “It’s been hanging in my office ever since.”
Conan’s history with The White Stripes has fueled hopes that Meg White could attend the induction ceremony and reunite with Jack White to give an acceptance speech onstage. Jim Carrey will induct Soundgarden, so Conan inducting The White Stripes would be perfect.
Twenty One Pilots will perform
Twenty One Pilots are set to give a performance paying tribute to The White Stripes, and the way they worded their announcement on X, specifically mentioning Meg White, further fueled hopes she may attend.
Twenty One Pilots wrote, “meg and jack. thanks for having us be a part of your induction to the rock and roll hall of fame..no group more deserving than the freaking white stripes..josh and i are working on seven nation army now, and hope to give it every bit of justice it deserves..nov8.”
It’s unclear if Meg White played a role in choosing Twenty One Pilots as performers. Meg White has remained out of the public eye in recent years, with her last major public appearance with Jack White being at the premiere of The White Stripes concert film, Under Great White Northern Lights, at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 18, 2009. The film documented The White Stripes’ final tour, which took place in Canada in 2007 to promote Icky Thump. Meg White’s anxiety issues canceled further touring plans, ultimately ending the band in 2011.
