NEWS: The Roots to Leave the Road For Late Night

In a rather shocking move, hip-hop band The Roots will stop touring at the end of the year to be the new the band on Late Night on NBC when Jimmy Fallon takes over. E Street Band drummer and longtime Late Night bandleader Max Weinberg will go to Los Angeles with Conan O’Brien when he takes over The Tonight Show.

The “announcement” was made by Roots’ drummer ?uestlove during a backstage interview in Chicago. There was a video of the interview on YouTube, but it was promptly removed. I think ?uestlove let the cat out of the bag a little early.

Read a portion of the interview after the break:

Yeah its hard to make this announcement cause its not like we wanted to pull the heartstrings on some “this is our last tour” cause we will forever do gigs….I mean people east of Chicago shouldn’t fear and I’m certain that on weekends we could trek to an occasional Seattle or Diego. But obviously Europe and abroad could miss out.

I see the possible chance of this being a “bigger” move…but on the real? I don’t know if i want to be 40 on the road and single no more. And with the kids my group has now getting older, its harder for the guys to leave more than it was when the kids were two and three and I can’t even start to go on that path ’til a woman takes me seriously and ain’t no one taking a man serious who is in his own home for only three months out the year. I been in my crib since 2006 and I still ain’t unpacked everything yet.

I pray this show don’t take the Chevy road just yet. Imma love my new home at 30 rock. Two visits and I’m already on first name basis with the SNL cats.