Max Weinberg and the E Street Band

I was really surprised a while back when Conan O’Brien announced that Max Weinberg wouldn’t be on the show for a while because he was touring with the E Street Band.

Has he always been part of the band? I saw Springsteen and the Band in concert a couple times back in the 80s, but didn’t know any of the members except for Clarence Clemmons.

If he wasn’t always part of the band, how would he have gotten the gig?

Springsteen has used different permutations of the E Street Band, but Weinberg was part of it for the most important albums.

Then maybe the question should be why is Max Weinberg on Conan when he’s a member of the E Street Band. :wink:

Thanks for the help.

Because the E Street Band was disbanded for a decade or so. Springsteen only started playing with them again in the last few years.

And besides, the Conan gig is a sweet one. It pays decently, he gets to wear snazzy suits, he’s got a drumset with his name on it, the camera zooms in on him during the post-monologue music (twice, every single time, from two different angles, by contract) and he gets to be the butt of ridicule.