Why Did Conan, Stewart, and Kimmel Cover the White Stripes? the True Story Behind the Fest Reunion
To understand why this specific track mattered on that stage, one must trace the relationship between Jack White, Meg White, and Conan O'Brien. In the early 2000s, while mainstream television hesitated to embrace the stripped-down, raw garage rock revival emerging from Detroit, Conan gave The White Stripes an open platform on NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien. In April 2003, the duo did something virtually unprecedented for a late-night talk show: they took up a full-week residency, performing five consecutive nights at Studio 6A in Rockefeller Center.
Conan recognized the genius of the duo's red-and-white minimalist aesthetic, Meg's driving, primitive drum beats, and Jack's explosive blues virtuosity. Jack White reciprocated that loyalty. Over the ensuing years, Jack frequently credited Conan with introducing their music to a broader, nationwide television audience when mainstream radio still treated them as an underground curiosity. That mutual respect transformed a standard working broadcast relationship into a genuine personal friendship.
