View source for Max Weinberg

{{short description|American drummer, member of the E Street Band (born 1951)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
|name                = Max Weinberg
|image               = Max Weinberg Springsteen-12 (cropped).jpg
|caption             = Weinberg in 2025
|image_size          =
|alt                 = Max Weinberg on drums
|birth_name          = <!-- unsure: see Talk page -->
|alias               = Mighty Max
|birth_date          = {{birth date and age|1951|4|13}}
|birth_place         = [[Newark, New Jersey]], U.S.
|death_date          = 
|instrument          = Drums
|genre               = {{flatlist|
* [[Rock music|Rock]]
* [[jump blues]]
* [[big band]]
}}
|occupation          = {{flatlist|
* Musician
* bandleader
* [[session musician]]
}}
|years_active        = 1964–present
|label               = [[Columbia Records|Columbia]]

| current_member_of   = {{flatlist|
* [[E Street Band]]
* [[Jimmy Vivino and the Basic Cable Band#The Max Weinberg 7|The Max Weinberg 7]]
* [[Jimmy Vivino and the Basic Cable Band#Max Weinberg and The Tonight Show Band|Max Weinberg and The Tonight Show Band]]
}}
|website             = {{Url|maxweinberg.com}}
}}

'''Max Weinberg''' (born April 13, 1951) is an American drummer and television personality, most widely known as the longtime drummer for [[Bruce Springsteen]]'s [[E Street Band]] and as the bandleader for [[Conan O'Brien]] on ''[[Late Night with Conan O'Brien]]'' and ''[[The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien]]''. He is the father of former [[Slipknot (band)|Slipknot]] and current [[Suicidal Tendencies]] drummer [[Jay Weinberg]].

Weinberg grew up in suburban [[New Jersey]] and began drumming at an early age. He attended college planning to be a lawyer but got his big break in music in 1974 when he won an audition to become the drummer for Springsteen. Weinberg became a mainstay of Springsteen's long concert performances. Springsteen dissolved the band in 1989, and Weinberg spent several years considering a law career and trying the business end of the music industry before deciding he wanted to continue with drumming.

In 1993, Weinberg got the role as bandleader of [[Jimmy Vivino and the Basic Cable Band#The Max Weinberg 7|the Max Weinberg 7]] for ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien''. Weinberg's drums-driven [[jump blues]] sound and his role as a comic foil prospered along with the show, giving him a second career. In 1999, Springsteen re-formed the E Street Band for a series of tours and albums; Weinberg worked out an arrangement that allowed him to play with both O'Brien and Springsteen. In 2009, Weinberg moved to the short-lived ''[[The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien|Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien]]'' as leader of [[Jimmy Vivino and the Basic Cable Band#Max Weinberg and The Tonight Show Band|Max Weinberg and The Tonight Show Band]]. Upon that program's conclusion, Weinberg declined to follow O'Brien to the new ''[[Conan (talk show)|Conan]]'' show. Weinberg has continued playing with Springsteen, and in 2014 was inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] as a member of the E Street Band.

==Early life==
Weinberg was born on April 13, 1951, to a [[Jewish]] family in [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]], New Jersey,<ref name="santelli">{{cite book | last=Santelli | first=Robert | title=Greetings From E Street: The Story of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band | publisher=[[Chronicle Books]] | year=2006 | location=San Francisco | isbn=0-8118-5348-9}} p. 33.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://jewishstandard.timesofisrael.com/jersey-boy/|title=Mighty Max Weinberg|last=Leichman|first=Joey|date=October 30, 2015|website=[[Jewish Standard]]|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-10}}</ref> to parents Bertram Weinberg, an [[Attorneys in the United States|attorney]], and Ruth Weinberg,<ref name="benarde-238">{{cite book | last=Benarde | first=Scott R. | title=Stars of David: Rock 'n' roll's Jewish Stories | publisher=[[University Press of New England]] | year=2003 | isbn=1-58465-303-5 | page=238}}</ref> a high school [[physical education]] teacher.<ref name="schleier"/> He has three sisters, Patty, Nancy and Abby. He grew up in Newark as well as in the neighboring suburban towns of [[South Orange, New Jersey|South Orange]] and [[Maplewood, New Jersey|Maplewood]].<ref>Radio interview by Sherry Ross of Max Weinberg during second intermission of New Jersey Devils/Phoenix Coyotes game on Thursday March 12, 2009.</ref>

Weinberg was exposed to music early on, attending [[Broadway theatre|Broadway shows]] weekly from the age of two and liking the big sound put forth by the [[pit orchestra]]s.<ref name="nsl-int-2"/> He then liked the rhythms of [[country and western music]].<ref name="nsl-int-2"/> He knew he wanted to be a drummer from the age of five, when he saw [[Elvis Presley]] and his drummer, [[D. J. Fontana]], appear on ''[[The Milton Berle Show]]'' in April 1956.<ref name="nsl-int-2"/><ref name="benarde"/> Decades later, Weinberg said, "I think anybody who wanted to develop a life in rock 'n' roll music had a moment. That was my moment,"<ref name="nsl-int-2"/> and Fontana became a major influence on him.<ref name="benarde">Benarde, ''Stars of David'', p. 237.</ref> Weinberg received a child's [[conga]] drum from his father after he watched a TV show featuring bandleader [[Xavier Cugat]]. In a 2020 article in ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', Weinberg described the drum as having a "... a real calfskin head and a white strap.  I played it all over the house."<ref name="WSJ">{{cite news |last1=Weinberg |first1=Max |title=Between Rock and A Family Hard Place |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/max-weinberg-was-born-to-drum-11595341883?mod=searchresults&page=1&pos=1 |website=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|date=July 21, 2020 }}</ref>

Weinberg has also acknowledged [[the Ventures]] as a major influence on him in a TV interview in 1988 to celebrate that band's 30th anniversary and he actually sat in on drums during the performances.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxT5sfhP_Y0| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211116/MxT5sfhP_Y0| archive-date=2021-11-16 | url-status=live|title=Hawaii Five-O - Ventures 30th Anniversary with Max Weinberg|date=September 3, 2011|access-date=March 30, 2019|publisher=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Weinberg started playing at the age of six.<ref name="schleier"/> His first public appearance came at the age of seven when he sat in on a [[bar mitzvah]] band playing "[[When the Saints Go Marching In]]".<ref name="benarde-238"/><ref name="schleier"/><ref name="WSJ"/> The bandleader, Herbie Zane, was the leading act for bar mitzvahs and weddings in the area; he was impressed with young Weinberg and brought him along on other engagements as a kind of novelty act.<ref name="schleier">{{cite news | title=E Street to Conan, Max Weinberg keeps on drumming | author=Schleier, Curt | newspaper=[[Jewish Bulletin of Northern California]] | date=February 6, 1998}}</ref><ref name="nsl-int-2"/> Weinberg thus became a local child star, drumming in a three-piece mohair suit.<ref name="nyt062900"/> He gained an appreciation for [[Showmanship (performing)|showmanship]] and was a fan of [[Liberace]] and [[Sammy Davis, Jr.]]<ref name="nyt062900"/><ref name="hilburn">{{cite book | last=Hilburn | first=Robert | author-link=Robert Hilburn | title=Springsteen | publisher=[[Rolling Stone Press]] | year=1985 | isbn=0-684-18456-7 | pages=74, 77}}</ref> He grew to idolize drummer [[Buddy Rich]]<ref name="nyt062900"/> and become a fan of [[Gene Krupa]]<ref name="rs-max-bb">{{cite news | url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/17386/113564 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100613031107/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/17386/113564 | url-status=dead | archive-date=June 13, 2010 | title=Max Weinberg on His Future With Conan and Bruce | author=Greene, Andy | magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] | date=June 10, 2010 | access-date=June 13, 2010}}</ref> and saw drummer [[Ed Shaughnessy]] of [[Doc Severinsen]]'s band on ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson]]'' as having an ideal job<ref name="nyt112893"/><ref name="nsl081309"/> as well as admiring the level of playing and serious sartorial style of the Tonight Show musicians.<ref name="nola-prof"/> Weinberg stayed with Zane until junior high school and learned rhythms such as [[Cha-cha-cha (music)|cha-chas]], [[Merengue music|merengues]], [[polka]]s, and [[Hora (dance)|the hora]] and playing everything from [[Dixieland jazz]] to [[Acker Bilk]]'s "[[Stranger on the Shore]]".<ref name="nsl-int-2"/>

Weinberg attended Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel, a [[Reform Judaism]] congregation in South Orange, where he was inspired by a local rabbi and had what he later described as "a wonderful Jewish background."<ref name="benarde-238"/> He would later say that the Jewish concept of <!-- this dablink should stay-->[[seder (disambiguation)|seder]], meaning order, became key to his vision of how a good drummer serves his band's music.<ref name="benarde"/> Witnessing his father lose two summer camps in [[Pocono Mountains|The Poconos]] impressed upon him the fragility of economic success and led to a strong [[work ethic]].<ref name="nyt062900"/> His father's financial setbacks also provided a reason for Weinberg to find steady work as a drummer, while still in his teens and attending high school, to help his family pay bills.<ref name="WSJ"/>

When the [[British Invasion]] hit in 1964, [[the Beatles]] and their drummer, [[Ringo Starr]], became a major influence on Weinberg.<ref name="santelli"/><ref name="benarde-238" /><ref name="nsl-int-2"/> He began playing in local New Jersey rock bands, playing the music of [[The Rolling Stones]], [[Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels]], and [[The Young Rascals]].<ref name="santelli"/> While a member of the Epsilons, he played at the [[1964 New York World's Fair]].<ref name="santelli"/> He attended [[Columbia High School (New Jersey)|Columbia High School]] in Maplewood;<ref name="chs"/> there he knew [[Leigh Howard Stevens]], who would become a famous percussionist in his own right.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.pas.org/experience/halloffame/StevensLeighHoward.aspx | title=PAS Hall of Fame: Leigh Howard Stevens | author=Weiss, Lauren Vogel | publisher=[[Percussive Arts Society]] | access-date=November 8, 2010 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101126214621/http://www.pas.org/experience/halloffame/StevensLeighHoward.aspx | archive-date=November 26, 2010 | df=mdy-all }}</ref> Weinberg graduated from Columbia High in 1969.<ref name="chs">{{cite web | url=http://www.publicschoolreview.com/school_ov/school_id/53053 | title=Columbia Senior High School | date=April 27, 2023 | publisher=Public School Review}}</ref> Another band he was in, Blackstone, recorded an eponymous album for [[Epic Records]] in 1970.<ref name="santelli"/>

Weinberg first attended [[Adelphi University]], and later [[Seton Hall University]], majoring in [[film studies]].<ref name="appel">{{cite book | last1=Appel | first1=Mike | author-link=Mike Appel |first2=Marc |last2=Eliot | title=Down Thunder Road | publisher=[[Fireside Books]] | year=1992 | isbn=0-671-86898-5}} p. 117–118.</ref> His general goal was to become a lawyer,<ref name="mdm-int"/> but he was still most viscerally interested in a music career and kept his drum set in his car in case any chances to play arose.<ref name="appel"/> He performed at weddings, bar mitzvahs, and bars,<ref name="schleier"/> then landed a job in the pit band for the [[Broadway musical]] ''[[Godspell]]''.<ref name="santelli"/><ref name="nyt062900"/>

==Success with the E Street Band==
Weinberg was still living at home<ref name="benarde"/> when he met [[Bruce Springsteen]] on April 7, 1974, when his band, The Jim Marino Band, were Springsteen's support at Seton Hall.<ref name="bb74"/> Springsteen had parted ways with his drummer, [[Vini Lopez|Vini "Mad Dog" Lopez]], earlier that year, and the replacement, [[Ernest Carter (drummer)|Ernest "Boom" Carter]], lasted only six months before leaving with pianist [[David Sancious]] to form [[Tone (jazz-fusion band)|Tone]]. Weinberg answered a Springsteen ''[[Village Voice]]'' newspaper ad that famously requested, "no junior Ginger Bakers,"<ref>{{cite book | last=Alterman | first=Eric | author-link=Eric Alterman | title=It Ain't No Sin to Be Glad You're Alive | publisher=[[Back Bay Books]] | year=2001 | isbn=0-316-03917-9 | page=69}}</ref> in reference to [[Ginger Baker]]'s reputation for long drum solos. Weinberg auditioned with Springsteen and the core E Street Band in mid-late August of that year<ref name="bb74"/> at the SIR studios in [[Midtown Manhattan]],<ref name="santelli-aud">Santelli, ''Greetings from E Street'', pp. 32, 34.</ref> bringing a minimalist drum kit with him consisting only of [[hi-hat]]s, a [[snare drum]] and a [[bass drum]].<ref name="nyt012801"/><ref name="nyt062900"/> He knew one Springsteen song from the Marino band, "[[4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)|Sandy]]", and played it.<ref name="santelli-aud"/> His drumming on the [[Fats Domino]] song "[[Let the Four Winds Blow (Fats Domino song)|Let the Four Winds Blow]]" sealed the position as his.<ref name="bb74"/> A week later, he was offered the $110 per week job (US${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|110|1974}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}}), and he quit college immediately, about six [[academic credits]] short of a degree.<ref name="appel"/><ref name="santelli-aud"/> Weinberg's first public performance came on September 19, 1974, at [[The Main Point]] in [[Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania]].<ref name="bb74">{{cite web | url=http://brucebase.wikispaces.com/1974#190974 | title=Bruce Springsteen 1974 | publisher=Brucebase.wikispaces.com | date=November 23, 2008 | access-date=May 28, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120904124318/http://brucebase.wikispaces.com/1974#190974 | archive-date=September 4, 2012 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[File:Max Weinberg and Bruce Springsteen.jpg|thumb|240px|right|During his tenure with the [[E Street Band]], Weinberg's gaze remains locked on Springsteen throughout each show. |alt=Middle-aged man with glasses wearing a dark shirt sits behind a drum kit on a riser with his right hand and stick about to hit a snare drum; he his looking directly at another middle-aged man in front of and slightly to the left of him, dressed in dark clothes with an electric guitar strapped to him, left hand on the frets, right hand flying away after playing a chord, eyes shut in an expression of conveying musical intensity of some kind]]
Weinberg rose to success as the drummer for Springsteen's E Street Band, as his powerful yet controlled beat<ref name="benarde"/> solved the E Street Band's drumming instabilities. On ''[[Born to Run]]'' (1975), Weinberg's drumming evoked two of his idols, [[Ringo Starr]] and [[Levon Helm]], and he covered his [[snare drum]] with heavy paper towels to capture some of the [[Memphis soul]] sound.<ref>Hilburn, ''Springsteen'', p. 68.</ref> While travelling on tour, Weinberg became known for his exact requests, such as specifying the particular brand of paper towels to use for his drums or the standards for his hotel rooms.<ref name="mus-81"/><ref>{{cite book | last=Marsh | first=Dave | author-link=Dave Marsh | title=Glory Days: Bruce Springsteen in the 1980s | url=https://archive.org/details/glorydaysbruces00mars | url-access=registration | publisher=[[Pantheon Books]] | location=New York | year=1987 | isbn=0-394-54668-7}} p. 22.</ref> Weinberg never adopted the "rock and roll lifestyle"; he treated his music seriously and kept to the mantra, "Show up, do a good job, and give them more than their money's worth."<ref name="nyt012801"/> One compromise Weinberg did have to make was sometimes playing on the [[High Holy Days]].<ref name="benarde-238"/><ref name="schleier"/> During shows, Springsteen built up the personas of his bandmates, and Weinberg was frequently referred to as "the Mighty Max".<ref>Santelli, ''Greetings from E Street'', p. 61.</ref> Weinberg started a long practice of keeping his eyes on Springsteen every moment during the show, even when Springsteen was behind the stage, as he never knew when Springsteen would change a tempo or suddenly deviate from the [[set list]].<ref>Santelli, ''Greetings from E Street'', p. 42.</ref><ref name="rs-2017"/> Decades later, E Street guitarist [[Steve Van Zandt]] would say of Weinberg, "What nobody understands is that not only is Max a great drummer, Max reads Bruce's mind. You can't learn that."<ref name="rs022309">{{cite news | url=https://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2009/02/23/van-zandt-on-max-weinbergs-busy-dance-card/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090226132326/http://www.rollingstone.com//rockdaily//index.php//2009//02//23//van-zandt-on-max-weinbergs-busy-dance-card// | url-status=dead | archive-date=February 26, 2009 | title=Van Zandt on Max Weinberg's Busy Dance Card | author=Greene, Andy | magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] | date=February 23, 2009}}</ref> Weinberg bought a house overlooking the water in [[Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey]], triggering a lifelong interest in real estate and home design.<ref name="wsj041108">{{cite news | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB120787592935506791?mod=todays_us_nonsub_weekendjournal | title=Born to Renovate: Springsteen's Drummer, Max Weinberg, Has a Real-Estate Obsession | author=Casselman, Ben | newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]] | date=April 11, 2008 | access-date=April 4, 2010}}</ref>

Tempos slowed to an oft dirge-like pace on ''[[Darkness on the Edge of Town]]'' (1978);<ref>Hilburn, ''Springsteen'', p. 117.</ref> rehearsals and recording of the album stretched out over a long period, with Springsteen and bandmate and co-producer [[Steven Van Zandt]] experiencing a prolonged frustration over their inability to capture a more resonant drum sound.<ref>{{cite video | title=The Promise: The Making of "Darkness On the Edge of Town" | publisher=Thrill Hill Productions| people=Zinny, Thom | medium=Motion picture | date=September 14, 2010}}</ref> Weinberg soon regretted not playing faster on "[[Badlands (Bruce Springsteen song)|Badlands]]",<ref>Hilburn, ''Springsteen'', p. 74–75.</ref> and tempos did speed up on that number and some others during the accompanying [[Darkness Tour]]. He did later say that "It was a ballsy thing to play a single stroke roll through the entirety of 'Candy's Room{{'"}} and that it was the kind of choice a session musician never would have tried.<ref name="rs-2017"/>

Weinberg suffered an acknowledged "drumming slump" around 1980, and his time-keeping skills were criticized by Springsteen.<ref>Hilburn, ''Springsteen'', p. 194.</ref> What could pass unnoticed in concert became apparent on record, and Weinberg practiced drumming components for months in order to regain a fine sense of timing.<ref>Marsh, ''Glory Days'', p. 114.</ref> Weinberg also suffered from [[repetitive stress injury]] and [[tendinitis]], eventually requiring seven operations on his hands and wrists.<ref name="nyt012801"/> He studied for a while with noted jazz drummer [[Joe Morello]]; Weinberg credited Morello for helping him to learn how to play with the tendinitis.<ref>{{cite news | url= https://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/08/nyregion/jersey-footlights.html | title=Jersey Footlights: Where the Teacher Hangs Out on Weekends | author=Nash, Margo | newspaper=[[The New York Times]] | date=January 8, 2006}}</ref> Springsteen and the E Street Band's shows that opened New Jersey's [[Meadowlands Arena]] in 1981 as part of [[the River Tour]] became one of the highlights of Weinberg's career.<ref name="ld102300"/>

On June 22, 1981,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Weinberg |first1=Max wedding |title=1981-06-22 location-east-orange-nj |url=http://brucebase.wikidot.com/gig:1981-06-22-unknown-location-east-orange-nj |website=Brucebase |access-date=28 December 2019 |ref=max drummer in band}}</ref> Weinberg married Rebecca Schick, a [[Methodist]] who had grown up in [[Tinton Falls, New Jersey]], and whom he had met through a mutual friend.<ref name="schleier"/><ref name="nt100307">{{cite news | url=http://newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2007/1003/Front_Page/040.html | archive-url=https://archive.today/20130102185042/http://newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2007/1003/Front_Page/040.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=January 2, 2013 | title=A good cause for purrs and paws | author=Meggitt, Jane | newspaper=News Transcript| location=Monmouth County, New Jersey | date=October 3, 2007 }}</ref> Springsteen and the band played at their wedding,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Launer |first1=Pat |title=Mighty Max |url=http://sdjewishjournal.com/sdjj/september-2011/mighty-max/ |website=SD Jewish Journal |date=August 31, 2011 |access-date=28 December 2019 |ref=August 31, 2011}}</ref> which was officiated by the same rabbi that Weinberg had while growing up.<ref name="schleier"/> Becky Weinberg worked as a high school history teacher.<ref name="marsh-will"/> They had two children, daughter Ali (born c. 1987)<ref name="nt100307"/> and son [[Jay Weinberg|Jay]] (born 1990).<ref name="nsl-int">{{cite news | url=http://www.nj.com/entertainment/music/index.ssf/2009/05/jay_weinberg_speaks_hockey_dru.html | title=Jay Weinberg speaks: hockey, drumming and the E Street Band | author=Lustig, Jay | newspaper=[[The Star-Ledger]] | location=Newark | date=May 8, 2009 | access-date=May 16, 2009}}</ref>

In 1984, they bought a {{convert|5|acre|ha|adj=on}} farm in [[Monmouth County, New Jersey|Monmouth County]]; after feeling taken advantage of in the deal, Weinberg became a scrupulous researcher in real estate matters, often spending days at town halls looking over obscure zoning regulations.<ref name="wsj041108"/> While on tour, he studied books about architecture, and dreamt of building houses in the style of [[Frank Lloyd Wright]] or [[Richard Meier]].<ref name="wsj041108"/> 

Weinberg made a full recovery from his injuries in time for ''[[Born in the U.S.A.]]'' (1984), which featured an [[aerobics]]-timed beat on some tracks<ref>Hilburn, ''Springsteen'', p. 182.</ref> that also owed something to the popular [[Hugh Padgham#The "gated drum" sound|Phil Collins drum sound]]. Weinberg's own experimentation since the ''Darkness'' days had also led to a more reverberant sound.<ref name="nsl-int-2"/> Overall, Weinberg's more fluid drumming combined with [[Roy Bittan]]'s use of synthesizers and better overall production to give Springsteen a more modern sound, resulting in the album becoming Springsteen's best-selling one ever and spawning a [[List of Billboard Hot 100 chart achievements and milestones#Album achievements|record-tying seven Top 10 hit singles]].<ref>Marsh, ''Glory Days'', pp. 195–196.</ref> Springsteen later said of the album, "Max was the best thing on the record."<ref name="benarde"/> Weinberg's most well-known drum part came on "[[Born in the U.S.A. (song)|Born in the U.S.A.]]", where his snare drum paired against Bittan's signature synthesizer riff on the opening and throughout the main part of the song.<ref name="marsh-busa">Marsh, ''Glory Days'', pp. 116–118.</ref> The recording then descends into improvised chaos; Springsteen had told Weinberg, "When I stop, keep the drums going."<ref name="marsh-busa"/> Upon the restart, intentional drum breakdowns matched bass swoops and guitar feedback; Springsteen subsequently said of the performance overall, "You can hear Max – to me, he was right up there with the best of them on that song."<ref name="marsh-busa"/> Weinberg said it was one of his most intense musical experiences.<ref>Santelli, ''Greetings from E Street'', p. 66.</ref>

On the subsequent [[Born in the U.S.A. Tour]], Springsteen generally interspersed hard-rocking song sequences after every three or four numbers in order to give Weinberg's hands a chance to recover.<ref>Marsh, ''Glory Days'', p. 314.</ref> Weinberg's wife Becky unintentionally triggered one of the tour's most celebrated episodes.<ref name="marsh-will">Marsh, ''Glory Days'', pp. 254–257, 260, 263.</ref> She was a fan of the ''[[This Week with David Brinkley]]'' television program and invited panelist [[George Will]] to the Washington-area [[Capital Centre (Landover, Maryland)|Capital Centre]] show.<ref name="marsh-will"/> After seeing the band perform, Will became convinced that they were exemplars of hard-working patriotism and traditional American values; he wrote, "... consider Max Weinberg's bandaged fingers. The rigors of drumming have led to five tendonitis operations. He soaks his hands in hot water before a concert, in ice afterward, and sleeps with tight gloves on."<ref name="marsh-will"/> Will further decided that Springsteen might endorse [[Ronald Reagan]] in the [[1984 United States presidential election|1984 presidential campaign]] and talked to the campaign, which later led to Reagan's famous extolling of Springsteen at a stop in [[Hammonton, New Jersey]], and Springsteen's subsequent negative response.<ref name="marsh-will"/>

In 1984, Weinberg published ''The Big Beat: Conversations with Rock's Greatest Drummers'', a series of interviews conducted over two years with drummers from various eras, including Starr, Helm, [[D. J. Fontana]], [[Charlie Watts]], [[Dino Danelli]], [[Hal Blaine]] and others.<ref name="benarde"/><ref name="santelli-book">Santelli, ''Greetings from E Street'', pp. 61–62.</ref> The book captured drummers revealing more about their musical approaches than they normally did to the press and was thus considered an important addition to the rock literature.<ref name="santelli-book"/> In 1986, Weinberg began taking a one-man show "Growing Up on E Street" to college campuses around the country.<ref name="usenet-faq"/> It contained some short films that Weinberg produced as well as a question-and-answer session.<ref name="usenet-faq"/>

For his efforts, Weinberg was named Best Drummer in the ''[[Playboy (magazine)|Playboy]]'' 1985 Pop and Jazz Music Poll and Best Drummer again in ''[[Rolling Stone]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s 1986 Critics Poll.<ref name="benarde"/> The adulation got to him a bit as he aligned with the Mighty Max persona and went to fashionable parties.<ref name="kansan-smarsh"/>

Weinberg had a reduced role on Springsteen's 1987 album ''[[Tunnel of Love (album)|Tunnel of Love]]'', replacing Springsteen's [[drum machine]] parts on a few tracks,<ref>Santelli, ''Greetings from E Street'', p. 76.</ref> but the full band was in place for the 1988 [[Tunnel of Love Express Tour|Tunnel of Love Express]] and [[Human Rights Now!]] tours. Weinberg called the latter tour's visiting of many third-world countries around the globe one of the most rewarding things the band had done.<ref name="santelli-brk">Santelli, ''Greetings from E Street'', pp. 79–80.</ref>

Weinberg also played as a [[session musician]], enjoying particular success in connection with songwriter and producer [[Jim Steinman]]. He drummed on the 1977 [[Meat Loaf]] album, ''[[Bat Out of Hell]]'', playing on the Steinman-penned tracks "[[Bat Out of Hell (song)|Bat Out of Hell]]", "[[You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth]]" and "[[Paradise by the Dashboard Light]]". At a point in 1983, Weinberg was featured on the number one and number two songs on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]], [[Bonnie Tyler]]'s "[[Total Eclipse of the Heart]]" and [[Air Supply]]'s "[[Making Love Out of Nothing at All]]",<ref name="benarde"/> both Steinman creations. Weinberg also recorded with [[Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes]], [[Gary U.S. Bonds]], [[Ian Hunter (singer)|Ian Hunter]] and [[Carole King]].<ref name="benarde"/>

On October 18, 1989, Springsteen unexpectedly called Weinberg to say he was dissolving the E Street Band.<ref name="mdm-int">{{cite news | title=Back on E Street | magazine=[[Modern Drummer]] | date=October 1999 | author=Flans, Robyn}}</ref> As Weinberg later said, "That's why they call him the Boss."<ref name="schleier"/>

==Breakup and career choices==
The news from Springsteen left Weinberg "a zombie for about six months".<ref name="kansan-smarsh"/> Even before the band's breakup, Weinberg had returned to school at [[Seton Hall University]] in early 1989.<ref name="mdm-int"/> The band breakup occurred during his second semester at Seton Hall, on his way to completing the remaining 21 credits needed to obtain his bachelor's degree in [[Communication studies|communications]].<ref name="mdm-int"/><ref name="santelli-shu">Santelli, ''Greetings from E Street'', p. 78.</ref> He graduated from there later in 1989.<ref name="usenet-faq"/> He then briefly attended [[Yeshiva University]]'s [[Cardozo School of Law]],<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-22541552.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026130622/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-22541552.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=October 26, 2012 | title=From E Street to 30 Rock | author=Jaeger, Barbara | newspaper=[[The Record (Bergen County)|The Record]] | location=Bergen County, New Jersey | date=April 3, 1994 | format=fee required}}</ref> but withdrew after six weeks.<ref name="nyt062900"/> Weinberg asked [[Ringo Starr]] for advice on how to go on when the band that had made one's life had broken up.<ref name="ap020199"/> Weinberg and Springsteen remained on friendly terms during this period.<ref name="mdm-int"/><ref name="santelli-brk"/>

In 1990, Weinberg began offering motivational seminars oriented towards corporations to augment his one-person college show business.<ref name="usenet-faq"/> He received the HERO Award from [[Big Brothers Big Sisters of America]] in October 1990 for his work for that organization.<ref name="usenet-faq"/> ''The Big Beat'' was republished in 1991.

Weinberg thought his career as a musician was over and considered himself retired as a drummer.<ref name="ap071795"/> He went into the music business instead, joining a distribution company as a business partner. He worked as an executive for the Music Master label.<ref name="schleier"/> He formed his own record company, Hard Ticket Entertainment,<ref name="santelli-brk"/> in 1990.<ref name="usenet-faq">{{cite web | url=http://www.faqs.org/faqs/tv/conan-obrien-faq/ | title=Conan O'Brien Faq, v.3.1 | publisher=[[Usenet]] alt.fan.conan-obrien | date=January 19, 1997 | access-date=September 6, 2009}}</ref> In 1991, they issued an album that he produced by a group he formed, Killer Joe, called ''Scene of the Crime''.<ref name="santelli-brk"/> He had sought out this career path because "I didn't want to continually be competing with 'Mighty Max',"<ref name="kansan-smarsh"/> but he found business life unfulfilling. Because of that, and for personal reasons as well, he needed to return to performing. Weinberg later reflected, "I felt at times, after the E Street Band broke up, so anonymous it was painful."<ref name="ap071795">{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XVogAAAAIBAJ&pg=1208,2221425&dq=max+weinberg+never+maniacs&hl=en | title=Former E Street Band drummer enjoys role with Conan O'Brien | agency=[[Associated Press]] | newspaper=[[The Southeast Missourian]] | date= July 17, 1995}}</ref>

He looked through the [[Yellow Pages]] for jobs and played at [[bar mitzvah]]s for $125;<ref name="nyt062900"/> he later said "[I] was glad to do it."<ref name="nyt012801"/> Weinberg became the live drummer for [[10,000 Maniacs]] in 1992 after their drummer [[Jerry Augustyniak]] was injured five days before a five-week tour.<ref name="ap071795"/> He went after that assignment once he heard it was open and later said, "I lived on a bus and had a roommate. Not exactly like the E Street Band, but I loved it. It reminded me that I am a drummer and I'm good. I was put here to play the drums. To turn my back on that ability was wrong."<ref name="nyt012801"/> He played at the January 1993 [[first inauguration of Bill Clinton|inauguration of Bill Clinton]].<ref name="kansan-smarsh"/> Weinberg auditioned in 1993 to be the principal drummer on the Broadway show ''[[The Who's Tommy]]'', but was selected instead as the second substitute.<ref name="nyt062900"/> Despite the very low pay, Weinberg was nevertheless happy: "I'd buried drumming so far into my psyche. I felt I'd resurrected it."<ref name="kansan-smarsh"/> Of Springsteen's work, Weinberg felt "that I would never get to play these songs again."<ref name="cpd040101"/>

==''Late Night with Conan O'Brien''==
[[Image:Max-Weinberg7.jpg|right|thumb|257px|alt=Several men are playing instruments, including trumpet, saxophone, trombone, and guitar, behind bandstands; at a higher elevation to the right of them is another man behind a drum kit and looking over at the band members; the bass drum is labeled "The Max Weinberg 7"; behind all of them is a paster sculpture wall and a series of vertical curtains, some translucent with a painted cityscape behind them|Weinberg leads [[The Max Weinberg 7]] during a taping of ''[[Late Night with Conan O'Brien]]'' done on the road in Chicago in 2006.]]
In July 1993, Weinberg had a chance sidewalk meeting outside the [[Carnegie Deli]] with newly selected [[Late Night with Conan O'Brien|''Late Night'']] host [[Conan O'Brien]], where Weinberg spoke about his ideas for music on the show. O'Brien promised Weinberg an audition.<ref name="mdm-int"/> Within a few days, Weinberg put together [[the Max Weinberg 7]], recruiting musicians he had worked with during his career, including on the Killer Joe project, starting with guitarist and arranger [[Jimmy Vivino]].<ref name="mdm-int"/> Weinberg decided a muscular, drums-driven [[jump blues]] vibe, partly derived from the Killer Joe sound, is what he would use as a starting point for the group's sound.<ref name="nyt112893"/><ref name="mdm-int"/> At the early August audition, the outfit impressed O'Brien with their ability to play not just rock but also rhythm and blues, soul, jazz, pop, and big band swing;<ref name="santelli-brk"/> Weinberg was so anxious to land the job that he threw up afterward.<ref name="mdm-int"/> After a final meeting with executive producer [[Lorne Michaels]], they were hired as the house band.<ref name="mdm-int"/> The band performed on the show every night since its premiere on September 13, 1993.<ref name="max-site-bio">{{cite web | url=http://maxweinberg.com/max-weinberg-bio.html | title=Bio | publisher=Maxweinberg.com | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080810223220/http://maxweinberg.com/max-weinberg-bio.html | archive-date=August 10, 2008 | df=mdy-all }}</ref> O'Brien later said of the Weinberg choice, "The energy and enthusiasm of his music coincided with the show I wanted to do. Plus, his tan offset my ghostly complexion."<ref name="nyt112893"/> Weinberg held the title of music director on the show,<ref name="nyt021894"/> while Vivino did most of the arranging.<ref name="nyt112893"/> Of his career rebound, Weinberg said simply: "I grabbed the brass ring twice."<ref name="kansan-smarsh"/>

In the early phases of the show, Weinberg was involved in occasional comedy bits, but mostly focused on his musical responsibilities, including the selection of walk-on music for guests.<ref name="nyt112893">{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/11/28/arts/television-leaping-from-e-street-to-late-night.html | title=Leaping From E Street to 'Late Night' | author=Keepnews, Peter | newspaper=[[The New York Times]] | date= November 28, 1993}}</ref> The band got a 30-second featured spot each night after O'Brien's opening monologue.<ref name="nyt021894">{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/02/18/arts/critic-s-notebook-surveying-the-talk-show-tunescape.html | title=Critic's Notebook: Surveying the Talk-Show Tunescape | author=Pareles, Jon | newspaper=[[The New York Times]] | date=February 18, 1994 | author-link=Jon Pareles}}</ref> O'Brien often received poor notices during the early years of ''Late Night'', and [[Jon Pareles]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' pronounced the Max Weinberg 7 as the "saving grace" of the show.<ref name="nyt021894"/> Weinberg established an image by dressing in high-quality suits and a tie; he said, "I like us to look sharp and play sharp,"<ref name="nyt062900"/> and "I don't want to look like the audience, I want to look different."<ref name="nyt012801"/> Weinberg became a television celebrity, and his visibility and stature grew from ''Late Night'' and established an image for him beyond Springsteen.<ref name="santelli-brk"/> Indeed, much of the show's young fan base, and some of the staff on the show itself, were unaware of Weinberg's past role in the E Street Band.<ref name="ap071795"/>

In 1994, [[Rhino Records]] released ''Max Weinberg Presents: Let There Be Drums'', a three-volume set of CDs that highlighted drumming that Weinberg admired on songs from the 1950s through the 1970s.<ref name="benarde-239">Benarde, ''Stars of David'', p. 239.</ref> Recaps in 1998 of the first five years of ''Late Night'' concluded that the band had been an important element in the show surviving, with Weinberg's personality providing a foil to O'Brien's<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/09/06/arts/television-in-five-years-a-nobody-becomes-somebody.html | title=In Five Years, a Nobody Becomes Somebody | author=Carter, Bill | newspaper=[[The New York Times]] | date=September 6, 1998 }}</ref> and with "the Max Weinberg 7 [leaving] television viewers wishing they were in the studio to hear more."<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/09/16/arts/television-review-coming-on-topical-comical-and-relevant.html | title=Coming on Topical, Comical and Relevant | author=James, Caryn | newspaper=[[The New York Times]] | date=September 16, 1998}}</ref> Their sound also fit into the [[swing revival]] going on during the late 1990s.<ref name="nyt012801"/>

In 2000, O'Brien sidekick [[Andy Richter]] left the show, and Weinberg became the "[[second banana]]".<ref name="rs022309"/><ref name="nyt062500">{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/06/25/arts/television-radio-richter-leaves-and-sidekickery-goes-with-him.html | title=Richter Leaves, And Sidekickery Goes With Him | author=Barron, James | newspaper=[[The New York Times]] | date=June 25, 2000}}</ref> Weinberg continued to present an obvious visual foil: as O'Brien said, "If you looked at this guy you would never know he was the drummer in a huge rock 'n' roll band. You would say he was the guy who did the band's accounting. But Max is the authoritative, buttoned-down adult in the midst of all this madness."<ref name="nyt012801"/> Weinberg reveled in O'Brien's youthful audience: "To be 49 and appreciated by 14-year-olds again? What a thrill!"<ref name="nyt062900"/> Weinberg engaged in stare-downs with O'Brien and gave scripted screeds about newsmakers.<ref name="nola-prof"/> Additionally, Weinberg was comically presented as a twisted character with sexual fetishes and homicidal tendencies in comedy bits. When O'Brien was host of ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' on March 10, 2001, his monologue featured a visit from the ''SNL'' studio to the ''Late Night'' studio (only a few floors apart in the same building, [[30 Rockefeller Plaza]]), where O'Brien discovers Weinberg engaged in sexual intercourse on his desk with a woman played by Max's real-life wife, Becky. Weinberg says of his comic persona: "[I]t's playing against type. I've been happily married for nearly 30 years, with two wonderful children. It's not what I portray on the show, and that's funny."<ref name="nola-prof">{{cite news | url=http://blog.nola.com/davewalker/2009/02/audio_cut_for_max_sunday_story.html | title=Percussionist Max Weinberg, performing tonight during the Super Bowl with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band | author=Walker, Dave | newspaper=[[The Times-Picayune]] | location=New Orleans | date=February 1, 2009 | access-date=September 5, 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090207192104/http://blog.nola.com/davewalker/2009/02/audio_cut_for_max_sunday_story.html | archive-date=February 7, 2009 | url-status=dead }}</ref> Weinberg continued his one-man college shows, now titled ''E Street to Late Night: Dreams Found, Lost, and Found Again''.<ref name="kansan-smarsh">{{cite news | title=Born to drum: Weinberg endures | author=Smarsh, Sarah | newspaper=[[University Daily Kansan]] | date=March 2001}}</ref>

Weinberg returned to the E Street Band briefly when Springsteen re-grouped the band in early 1995 to record a few new songs for the ''[[Greatest Hits (Bruce Springsteen album)|Greatest Hits]]'' release.<ref name="santelli-95">Santelli, ''Greetings from E Street'', p. 82.</ref> The regrouping was only temporary and the band returned to inactivity.<ref name="santelli-95"/> Also in 1995, Weinberg drummed on two of [[Johnnie Johnson (musician)|Johnnie Johnson]]'s songs: "I'm Mad" and "She Called Me Out of My Name," on Johnson's 1995 album ''Johnnie Be Back''. Weinberg spent two years building an {{convert|8900|sqft|m2|sigfig=2|adj=on}} house in [[Middletown Township, New Jersey]], that they moved into in 1999; he picked up many of the furnishings for it from locations around the world during subsequent tours.<ref name="wsj041108"/><ref>DeMasters, Karen. [https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F60B11F83C5B0C7B8EDDA80894D9404482 "MUSIC; For Springsteen, Bar Mitzvahs and Conan, This Drummer Sets the Beat"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', January 28, 2001. Retrieved May 10, 2007. "I actually played at bar mitzvahs after the band broke up and was glad to do it," Mr. Weinberg said in a recent interview in his home in a tony section of Middletown Township."</ref>

The Max Weinberg 7 released a self-titled album in 2000 on [[Hip-O Records]];<ref name="nyt012801"/> Weinberg said he waited until then because "I wanted to change my style of playing and hone my style before I committed to a record."<ref name="ld102300">{{cite news|url=http://livedaily.citysearch.com/news/2048.html |title=Max Weinberg pushes E Street Band to the background |author1=Bob Grossweiner |author2=Jane Cohen |name-list-style=amp |publisher=[[Live Daily]] |date=October 23, 2000 |access-date=September 6, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030513065015/http://www.livedaily.citysearch.com/news/2048.html |archive-date=May 13, 2003 }}</ref> He was especially proud that the band had successfully backed [[Tony Bennett]] during a late 1990s appearance on ''Late Night'': "Two years ago if you'd asked me if I could play with Tony Bennett, I would have said absolutely not. I'm not in his league. But we played with him the other night, and it was wonderful. We swung."<ref name="schleier"/>

==Reformation of the E Street Band==
[[File:MagicTourHartfordRN.jpg|thumb|right|257px|alt=A large arena stage is seen from above with about ten musicians, including a drummer on a stand, as video screens show the singer and green lighting shines on the stage and audience|Weinberg behind the drums as "[[Radio Nowhere]]" opens the [[Magic Tour (Bruce Springsteen)|Magic Tour]] at [[Hartford Civic Center]] in 2007.]]

Springsteen reunited the E Street Band in 1999 on a more lasting basis, for the [[Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Reunion Tour]]. This posed a dilemma for Weinberg, whose greater loyalty was to O'Brien and [[NBC]].<ref name="ld102300"/><ref name="ap020199">{{cite news | url=http://archive.southcoasttoday.com/daily/02-99/02-01-99/c02ae077.htm | title=Max Weinberg able to enjoy the best of both worlds | author=Bauder, David | agency=[[Associated Press]] | newspaper=[[South Coast Today]] | location=New Bedford, Massachusetts | date=February 1, 1999 | access-date=September 6, 2009 | archive-date=October 16, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016154048/http://www.southcoasttoday.com/section/archive | url-status=dead }}</ref> Indeed, up until then Weinberg had never missed a ''Late Night'' show, appearing in over 1,000 in a row.<ref name="ap020199"/> However, allowing Weinberg to tour for one of the highest-profile reunions in rock history was thought to be of long-term benefit to the television show's appeal, and an arrangement was worked out wherein Weinberg took a leave of absence from ''Late Night'' in order to go out on this and subsequent tours.<ref name="ld102300"/><ref name="ap020199"/> When he was tied up with Springsteen, drummer James Wormworth took his place, and the band was led by [[Jimmy Vivino]]<ref name="ap020199"/> ("Jimmy Vivino and the Max Weinberg 7"). When the Reunion Tour was extended in length, shows were generally restricted to weekends, so as to permit Weinberg to fulfill his ''Late Night'' responsibilities.<ref name="ld102300"/> At NBC, the coexistence between the drummer's two bosses was known as the Weinberg-Springsteen Rule, and was not typically extended to other talent at the network.<ref name="rs022309"/><ref name="rs-cover">{{cite news | title=Bringing It All Back Home | author=Fricke, David | magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] | date=February 5, 2009 | url=http://www.shorefire.com/media/R1071Bruce_20090123_113016.pdf | author-link=David Fricke | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090325122048/http://www.shorefire.com/media/R1071Bruce_20090123_113016.pdf | archive-date=March 25, 2009 | df=mdy-all }}</ref>

While Weinberg did not forget the breakup and long separation,<ref name="ld102300"/> he viewed it as "at the same time the most horrifying experience I've ever been through and the most liberating."<ref name="ap020199"/> In any case, he immediately felt comfortable playing with Springsteen once more: "Right from the first downbeat of the first rehearsal, it was there again."<ref name="cpd040101"/> His drumming for the E Street Band was more relaxed and mature than before, showing more confidence and finesse, and his hands and fingers were in better shape for having done the daily ''Late Night'' work.<ref name="mdm-int"/><ref>{{cite news | title=Ace drummer Max Weinberg is happy to serve two bosses | author=Huff, Richard | newspaper=[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]] | date=January 10, 2000}}</ref> When the tour concluded with ten shows at New York's [[Madison Square Garden]], on several days Weinberg taped the Conan show at [[Rockefeller Center]] in the late afternoon, put his hands in ice and changed from his suit into jeans and a vest, and played with Springsteen at night.<ref name="nyt062900">{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/06/29/nyregion/public-lives-a-drummer-on-a-roll-revisits-his-past-life.html | title=A Drummer on a Roll Revisits His Past Life | author=Hoffman, Jan | newspaper=[[The New York Times]] | date=June 29, 2000}}</ref> The experience of doing both left him "professionally speaking, as alive as I've ever felt."<ref name="cpd040101">{{cite news | title=Springsteen, band to play your living room | author=Soeder, John | newspaper=[[The Plain Dealer]] | location=Cleveland | date=April 1, 2001}}</ref> Of his position on the drum platform behind Springsteen, he says, "I have the best seat in the house."<ref name="nyt062900"/> His energy level was no less, as he could be seen jumping a foot off his seat during some songs.<ref name="nyt012801">{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/28/nyregion/music-for-springsteen-bar-mitzvahs-and-conan-this-drummer-sets-the-beat.html | title=For Springsteen, Bar Mitzvahs and Conan, This Drummer Sets the Beat | author=DeMasters, Karen | newspaper=[[The New York Times]] | date=January 28, 2001}}</ref> His daughter Ali joined the band on keyboards several times during the tour.<ref name="nyt012801"/>

Weinberg's steady drumming helped power Springsteen's 2002 comeback album, and the first E Street Band studio recording in 18 years, ''[[The Rising (album)|The Rising]]''.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/14/arts/music-his-kind-of-heroes-his-kind-of-songs.html | title=His Kind of Heroes, His Kind of Songs | author=Pareles, Jon | newspaper=[[The New York Times]] | date=July 14, 2002 | author-link=Jon Pareles}}</ref> Weinberg took more time off from the Conan show to participate in the long and successful 2002–2003 [[The Rising Tour|Rising Tour]]. In the early 2000s, Weinberg was at the center of annual holiday benefit shows at [[Asbury Park Convention Hall]], billed as Bruce Springsteen, the Max Weinberg 7 and Friends.<ref name="nyt012801"/>

Weinberg was a member of the board of trustees of the [[Monmouth Conservation Foundation]]<ref name="hi051403">{{cite news | url=http://independent.gmnews.com/news/2003-05-14/Front_Page/Springsteen_drummer_gets_his_subdivision.html | title=Springsteen drummer gets his subdivision | author=Van Develde, Elaine | newspaper=[[Holmdel Independent]] | date=May 14, 2003 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://archive.today/20130124071520/http://independent.gmnews.com/news/2003-05-14/Front_Page/Springsteen_drummer_gets_his_subdivision.html | archive-date=January 24, 2013 | df=mdy-all }}</ref> and won a conservation award in 2002.<ref name="nyt120703"/> Nevertheless, during 2002 and 2003, he got into a prolonged local controversy over his plans to subdivide a portion of his {{convert|65|acre|ha|adj=on}} [[Middletown Township, New Jersey]], property into lots for new homes.<ref name="wsj041108"/><ref name="hi051403"/><ref name="nyt120703">{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/07/nyregion/our-towns-neighbors-unhappy-with-a-drummer-s-day-job-jersey-shore-developer.html | title=Neighbors Unhappy With a Drummer's Day Job: Jersey Shore Developer | author=Jones, Richard Lezin | newspaper=[[The New York Times]] | date= December 7, 2003}}</ref> Some of his neighbors strongly protested the move, and they and some in the press accused him of hypocrisy; Weinberg defended himself by saying the conservation foundation was not against all development, just thoughtless development.<ref name="wsj041108"/><ref name="hi051403"/><ref name="nyt120703"/> A scaled-down version of the plan was approved by the town's zoning board,<ref name="hi051403"/><ref name="nyt120703"/> and in 2008 Weinberg went ahead with plans to sell the lots.<ref name="wsj041108"/> Weinberg generally avoids political comments,<ref name="nyt062900"/> but did campaign for [[John Kerry]] in the [[2004 United States presidential election]].<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/02/nyregion/rebuffing-bush-seems-to-be-primary-goal-of-new-york-voters.html | title=Rebuffing Bush Seems to Be Primary Goal of New York Voters | author=Slackman, Michael | newspaper=[[The New York Times]] | date=March 2, 2004}}</ref>

Springsteen himself also made appearances on ''Late Night'' in 1999, 2002, and 2006. Weinberg participated in the 2004 [[Vote for Change]] tour then drummed on Springsteen's 2007 album ''[[Magic (Bruce Springsteen album)|Magic]]''. There, he was part of a core rhythm section comprising himself, Springsteen, bassist [[Garry Tallent]], and pianist [[Roy Bittan]], who did the tracks first; other members' contributions were added later.<ref name="rs-esb">{{cite news | url=https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/25556603/the_band_on_bruce_their_springsteen/print | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090125013657/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/25556603/the_band_on_bruce_their_springsteen/print | url-status=dead | archive-date=January 25, 2009 | title=The Band on Bruce: Their Springsteen | author=Fricke, David | magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] | date=January 21, 2009 | access-date=February 7, 2009 | author-link=David Fricke}}</ref> Weinberg then took more time off from the Conan show to do the 2007–2008 [[Magic Tour (Bruce Springsteen)|Magic Tour]].<ref name="rs-esb"/> Weinberg repeated his role in the core section in recording Springsteen's ''[[Working on a Dream]]'' album. Weinberg also fulfilled a long-time dream by going to [[Super Bowl XLIII]] in February 2009 with Springsteen and the E Street Band's half-time performance,<ref name="nola-prof"/> where he was joined by some of the other members of the Max Weinberg 7.

==Move to ''The Tonight Show''==
The ending of the O'Brien ''Late Night'' and beginning of ''The Tonight Show'' coincided with the start of Springsteen and the E Street Band's 2009 [[Working on a Dream Tour]].<ref name="rs022309"/><ref name="bs-max09">{{cite news | url=http://www.backstreets.com/news.html | title=Max Watch '09: A Tale of Two Bosses | publisher=[[Backstreets.com]] | date=January 16, 2009 | access-date=February 7, 2009}}</ref> O'Brien told a ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' reporter at the time of the announcement that he hoped that Weinberg would follow him to Los Angeles and that he also hoped an arrangement could be worked out to let Weinberg go on the road with Springsteen as had been done for past tours.<ref name="bs-max09"/>

[[File:Max-Weinberg.jpg|thumb|250px|right|alt=Middle-aged man with slightly graying dark hair and glasses wearing black shirt sits behind a silver-colored, gold-lit drum kit with his left hand and stick about to hit a cymbal and his eyes fixed straight ahead.|Weinberg performing in [[Valladolid]], Spain on August 1, 2009, during one of the portions of the [[Working on a Dream Tour]] that he could attend.]]
Whether Weinberg would stay with O'Brien and move or not became a subject of conflicting news reports.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/04122008/tv/max_to_keep_beat_in_la_106128.htm | title=Max to Keep Beat in LA | author=Buckman, Adam
|newspaper=[[New York Post]] | date=April 12, 2008 | access-date=February 7, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/02042009/tv/tonight_tries_to_woo_max_153486.htm | title='Tonight' Tries to Woo Max | author=Kaplan, Don | newspaper=[[New York Post]] | date=February 4, 2009 | access-date=February 7, 2009}}</ref> 
Nevertheless, O'Brien confirmed on February 18, 2009, that Weinberg and the band were indeed coming with him.<ref name="e022409">{{cite news | url=http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b101432_conan_andy_back_together_tonight.html | title=Conan 'n' Andy Back Together for Tonight | author=Serpe, Gina | publisher=[[E!]] | date=February 24, 2009 | access-date=February 24, 2009}}</ref> Weinberg had not missed an E Street Band show since joining the outfit in 1974, and E Streeter Van Zandt said that no amount of rehearsal by another drummer could replace Weinberg's "intuitive understanding" of Springsteen's performance gambits.<ref name="rs022309"/>

The conflict was resolved when son Jay became a substitute drummer for his father during parts of the Working on a Dream Tour that Max could not make due to commitments to the O'Brien show.<ref name="mst050909"/><ref name="rs032009">{{cite news | url=https://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2009/03/20/max-weinbergs-son-to-sub-in-at-a-handful-of-springsteen-gigs/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090322030038/http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2009/03/20/max-weinbergs-son-to-sub-in-at-a-handful-of-springsteen-gigs/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=March 22, 2009 | title=Max Weinberg's Son to Sub in at a Handful of Springsteen Gigs | author=Greene, Andy | magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] | date=March 20, 2009 | access-date=March 20, 2009}}</ref> Springsteen said, "Once again, I want to express my appreciation to Conan O'Brien, and everyone on his team, for making it possible for Max to continue to do double duty for both us and for him. We promise to return him in one piece."<ref name="sfm032009">{{cite press release | url=http://www.shorefiremedia.com/index.php?a=pressrelease&o=2821 | title=Statement About Tour Personnel | publisher=[[Shore Fire Media]] | date=March 20, 2009 | access-date=March 20, 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716063729/http://www.shorefiremedia.com/index.php?a=pressrelease&o=2821 | archive-date=July 16, 2011 | url-status=dead }}</ref> The younger Weinberg began playing during segments of the tour's shows, and got a very positive response from audiences and reviewers as a spark plug for the band.<ref name="gnr050409">{{cite news|url=http://www.news-record.com/content/2009/05/03/article/3_hour_show_rocks_steensboro |archive-url=https://archive.today/20090505165230/http://www.news-record.com/content/2009/05/03/article/3_hour_show_rocks_steensboro |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 5, 2009 |title=Review: 3-hour show rocks 'Steensboro' |author=Puterbaugh, Parke |newspaper=[[News & Record (Greensboro)|News & Record]] |location=Greensboro, North Carolina |date=May 4, 2009 |access-date=May 10, 2009 }}</ref> Max Weinberg said Jay's segments allowed him a "total out-of-body experience. For the first time in – I've been with Bruce for 35 years – I've been able to go out in the audience and enjoy a Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band concert."<ref name="mst050909">{{cite news|url=http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/music/44553222.html |title=The beat goes on |author=Bream, Jon |newspaper=[[Star Tribune]] |location=Minneapolis |date=May 9, 2009 |access-date=May 11, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090513095431/http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/music/44553222.html |archive-date=May 13, 2009}}</ref> In one case, Jay did one show of a two-night stand on the East Coast and Max then took a [[red-eye flight]] back from Los Angeles to do the second.<ref name="nyt060509">{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/06/arts/television/06max.html | title=For TV Band, Jet Lag Is Part of the Job | author=Steinberg, Jacques | newspaper=[[The New York Times]] | date=June 5, 2009 | access-date=June 21, 2009}}</ref>

''[[The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien]]'' premiered on June 1, 2009, with the Max Weinberg 7 now expanded to eight and referred to as Max Weinberg and the Tonight Show Band. [[Andy Richter]] was back as an announcer,<ref name="e022409"/> making Weinberg's role as a foil a little uncertain. Gradually, Weinberg and the band's roles in the comic aspects of the show began to assert themselves.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://blogs.courant.com/roger_catlin_tv_eye/2009/06/conan-night-three-things-come.html | title=Conan Night Three: Things Come Together | author=Catlin, Roger | newspaper=[[Hartford Courant]] | date=June 4, 2009 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://archive.today/20120701173718/http://blogs.courant.com/roger_catlin_tv_eye/2009/06/conan-night-three-things-come.html | archive-date=July 1, 2012 | df=mdy-all }}</ref> On June 25, Weinberg departed ''The Tonight Show'' temporarily for four weeks to join Springsteen and band part-way through their European leg; this was conveyed on the show via a comedy bit that had his drum riser turn into a [[Float (parade)|float]] that took him outside the studio and purportedly to the airport. Weinberg returned to the show on August 3, after flying back from a Springsteen show that had ended early into the same morning in Spain. Of being ''Tonight Show'' bandleader, he said, "I think one of the biggest thrills in my life was seeing my name in the same sentence as Doc Severinsen, who, in my view, is the gold standard for 'Tonight Show' bandleaders. There's never been anyone who did it quite near the class and the brilliance of Doc Severinsen in the original Tonight Show Band. I used to think when I was a kid what a great job that must be – you know, same place, every time, everyday. Lo and behold, here I am 40 years later, doing it. That sounds deep, deep, deep, deep, deeply satisfying to me."<ref name="nsl081309"/> On September 25, Weinberg left ''The Tonight Show'' again for two months to join Springsteen and band for the final, American portion of the Working on a Dream Tour. The same drum-riser-to-float comedy bit was used, except this time the float was "hit" and demolished by a truck just outside the studio (and airing of the segment was delayed a few days due to O'Brien legitimately injuring himself during the same show). The tour wrapped on November 22, 2009, in [[Buffalo, New York]]; Weinberg was back on ''The Tonight Show'' the next day. With no E Street Band projects in sight for at least the next year or two,<ref name="bb091709">{{cite news | url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/267371/springsteen-e-street-band-taking-time-apart-after-tour | title=Springsteen, E-Street Band Taking Time Apart After Tour | author=Graff, Gary | magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | date=September 17, 2009 | access-date=September 18, 2009 | author-link=Gary Graff}}</ref> Weinberg was left to concentrate on his bandleader role.

Even though Weinberg was living in Los Angeles for ''The Tonight Show'', he retained his home in New Jersey and considered that his permanent residence: "I'm not really moving. I'm living out here, but it's more like an extended road trip."<ref name="nsl081309"/> Regarding his decision to stay in music rather than pursue the legal profession, he has had no regrets: "The world needs more drummers and fewer lawyers."<ref name="nsl081309"/>

However, Weinberg's stint as ''Tonight Show'' bandleader was not to last long. The [[2010 Tonight Show conflict|2010 ''Tonight Show'' host and timeslot conflict]] erupted, and after an intense period of public turmoil, the last O'Brien show took place on January 22, 2010,<ref name="nola012110">{{cite news | url=http://www.nola.com/tv/index.ssf/2010/01/conan_obrien_signs_departure_d.html | title=Conan O'Brien signs departure deal with NBC | author=Walker, Dave | newspaper=[[The Times-Picayune]] | date=January 21, 2010 | access-date=January 21, 2010}}</ref> finishing with Weinberg propelling a guest-filled seriocomic rendition of "[[Free Bird]]".<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.pbpulse.com/tv/late-night-tvtalk-shows/2010/01/23/obrien-refuses-to-be-cynical-as-he-ends-tonight-show-run/ | title=O'Brien refuses to be cynical as he ends 'Tonight Show' run | author=Tully, Jonathan | newspaper=[[The Palm Beach Post]] | date=January 23, 2010 | access-date=January 23, 2010 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100715092311/http://www.pbpulse.com/tv/late-night-tvtalk-shows/2010/01/23/obrien-refuses-to-be-cynical-as-he-ends-tonight-show-run/ | archive-date=July 15, 2010 | df=mdy-all }}</ref> While O'Brien negotiated a settlement deal with NBC for himself and his staff, Weinberg as well as Richter had to reach their own agreements with the network.<ref name="nola012110"/><ref>{{cite news | url=https://variety.com/2010/tv/features/nbc-o-brien-agree-45-mil-exit-deal-1118014097/ | title=NBC, O'Brien agree $45 mil exit deal | author=Schneider, Michael | newspaper=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | date=January 21, 2010 | access-date=January 23, 2010}}</ref>

==Departure from O'Brien and start of own bands==
In February 2010, Weinberg underwent a twelve-hour open [[heart valve repair]] surgery to correct a condition he had known about and had been monitoring since the mid-1980s.<ref name="nsl-int-2">{{cite news | url=http://www.nj.com/entertainment/music/index.ssf/2010/11/max_weinberg_on_his_big_band_d.html | title=Max Weinberg on his big band, 'Darkness,' getting the right drum sound, and more | author=Lustig, Jay | newspaper=[[The Star-Ledger]] | date=November 2, 2010 | access-date=November 8, 2010}}</ref><ref name="fancast">{{cite news|url=http://www.fancast.com/blogs/2010/interviews/max-weinberg-open-heart-surgery-influenced-my-decision-to-leave-conan/ |title=Max Weinberg: Open Heart Surgery Influenced My Decision To Leave Conan |author=Buckman, Adam |publisher=Fancast |date=October 7, 2010 |access-date=October 12, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101010123126/http://www.fancast.com/blogs/2010/interviews/max-weinberg-open-heart-surgery-influenced-my-decision-to-leave-conan/ |archive-date=October 10, 2010}}</ref> His recovery took place over three to five months, and Weinberg kept news about the operation private until an interview eight months later.<ref name="nsl-int-2"/><ref name="fancast" />

In April 2010, O'Brien began his [[The Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour]]. While the rest of the group was part of the tour under the moniker The Legally Prohibited Band, Weinberg was not<ref>{{cite news | url=http://weblogs.variety.com/on_the_air/2010/03/coco-coast-to-coast-conan-obrien-announces-his-national-tour.html | title=Coco Coast to Coast: Conan O'Brien announces his national tour (Updated) | author=Schneider, Michael | newspaper=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | date=March 11, 2010 | access-date=March 12, 2010 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://archive.today/20120729193158/http://weblogs.variety.com/on_the_air/2010/03/coco-coast-to-coast-conan-obrien-announces-his-national-tour.html | archive-date=July 29, 2012 | df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2010/04/13/conan-obrien-revives-edgy-late-night-vibe-at-first-live-show/ | title=Conan O'Brien Revives Edgy 'Late Night' Vibe at First Live Show | author=Sepich, Scott | magazine=[[Rolling Stone (magazine)|Rolling Stone]] | date=April 13, 2010 | access-date=April 16, 2010 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100417095312/http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2010/04/13/conan-obrien-revives-edgy-late-night-vibe-at-first-live-show/ <!--Added by H3llBot--> | archive-date=April 17, 2010}}</ref> (except for a brief appearance at one show).<ref>{{cite web |last=Bleyaert |first=Aaron |url=http://teamcoco.com/blog/thank-you-radio-city/ |title=Thank You Radio City!! |publisher=teamcoco.com |date=June 2, 2010 |access-date=June 3, 2010 |archive-date=June 7, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100607032753/http://teamcoco.com/blog/thank-you-radio-city |url-status=dead }}</ref> Instead, he assembled and staged appearances by the Max Weinberg Big Band, a fifteen-piece ensemble with twelve horns that mostly plays the music of [[Frank Sinatra]], [[Buddy Rich]], [[Count Basie]], and [[Maynard Ferguson]].<ref name="rs-max-bb"/> Weinberg's interest in the genre dated back to his childhood and the artists he had seen on televised [[variety shows]].<ref name="nsl-int-2"/>

It was initially unknown whether Weinberg would be part of [[Conan (talk show)|O'Brien's new late night show]] on [[TBS (U.S. TV channel)|TBS]] that began in November 2010,<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.today.com/id/36449262 | title=How TBS outfoxed Fox to land Conan | author=Adalian, Josef | publisher=[[Today.com]] | date=April 13, 2010 | access-date=April 16, 2010 | archive-date=May 14, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140514183728/http://www.today.com/id/36449262 | url-status=dead }}</ref> as no specifics had been worked out for that show while O'Brien focused on his tour.<ref>{{cite magazine | url=http://music-mix.ew.com/2010/04/30/max-weinberg-not-dropped-from-conans-tbs-show/ | title=Max Weinberg NOT dropped from Conan's TBS show... because no one's been added yet | author=Pastorek, Whitney | magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] | date=April 30, 2010 | access-date=April 30, 2010}}</ref> In June 2010, the Max Weinberg Big Band Tour began with a show in [[Red Bank, New Jersey]]'s [[Count Basie Theater]].<ref name="rs-max-bb"/> Weinberg said that he was booking appearances by his big band through 2011 and that with regard to O'Brien, "I literally have not thought about it. There have been no discussions. It's kind of an open question."<ref name="rs-max-bb"/>

In September 2010, it was announced Weinberg would not be part of the show, now named ''[[Conan (talk show)|Conan]]''; Jimmy Vivino took over leadership of that band, with Wormworth replacing Weinberg full-time on drums.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/atoz/2010/09/conan_obrien_tbs_jimmy_vivino_interview_johnnie_johnson_dona_oxford_nbc_tonight_show.php?page=2 | title=Jimmy Vivino Talks Johnnie Johnson, Conan O'Brien, and St. Louis' Role as a Rock & Roll Breeding Ground | author=Schaeffer, Christian | newspaper=[[Riverfront Times]] | location=St. Louis | date=September 22, 2010 | access-date=September 25, 2010 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100926194423/http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/atoz/2010/09/conan_obrien_tbs_jimmy_vivino_interview_johnnie_johnson_dona_oxford_nbc_tonight_show.php?page=2 | archive-date=September 26, 2010 | df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] | url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/17386/209841 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100926230015/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/17386/209841 | url-status=dead | archive-date=September 26, 2010 | title=Max Weinberg Officially Splits With Conan O'Brien | date=September 24, 2010 | access-date=September 25, 2010 | author=Greene, Andy}}</ref><ref name="ew-split">{{cite magazine | url=http://news-briefs.ew.com/2010/09/27/bandleader-max-weinberg-wont-be-following-conan-obrien-to-tbs/ | title=Bandleader Max Weinberg won't be following Conan O'Brien to TBS | author=Jensen, Jeff | magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] | date=September 27, 2010 | access-date=September 27, 2010}}</ref> The split was stated as being mutual, with O'Brien saying, "Max has been a huge part of my life for the past 17 years and he is an incredible bandleader and musician," and Weinberg thanking his band and saying, "17 years – a lifetime on TV ... my association with Conan, his staff, and crew has been a deeply rewarding experience for me."<ref name="ew-split"/> Weinberg subsequently acknowledged that "we both wanted to go in different directions,"<ref name="nsl-int-2"/> but both looked forward to Weinberg occasionally stopping by to sit in on the new show.<ref name="ew-split"/> Weinberg said his health was better than ever but that the "life-changing experience emotionally and spiritually" of the surgery, a desire to remain in New Jersey with his family, and an interest in exploring new musical directions had all played a role in his departure from O'Brien.<ref name="nsl-int-2"/><ref name="fancast" />

Another health scare happened in June 2011 when he was diagnosed with [[prostate cancer]].<ref name="rs-2017"/> He had surgery for it the following month with a favorable outcome, but did not reveal publicly the news of this health situation for another six years.<ref name="rs-2017"/>

In 2013, Weinberg again found himself in a real estate dispute, threatening legal action against Monmouth County in connection with its attempt to repair damage to the [[Henry Hudson Trail]] in [[Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey|Atlantic Highlands]] following damage caused by [[Superstorm Sandy]]. Weinberg claimed that the work done in creating that portion of the trail, augmented by Sandy, had caused significant damage to two properties he and his wife owned there.<ref>{{cite news | title=Suit threat halts work on footpath | author=Hopkins, Kathleen | author2=Pentón, Kevin | newspaper=[[Asbury Park Press]] | date=September 21, 2013 | page=A1}}</ref> The issue was still ongoing in 2014.<ref name="app-quintet"/>

Weinberg played on only a couple of tracks on Springsteen's March 2012 album ''[[Wrecking Ball (Bruce Springsteen album)|Wrecking Ball]]'', but resumed his normal role with the E Street Band on the subsequent 2012–2013 [[Wrecking Ball Tour]], this time augmented by percussionist [[Everett Bradley (musician)|Everett Bradley]], as well as on its 2014 continuation, the [[High Hopes Tour]]. In 2014, Weinberg was inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] as a member of the E Street Band.<ref name="ppg-hof"/> He said of the honor, "when you have that trophy in your hands, I've never experienced anything like that. ... You're walking around with this big heavy symbolic recognition of the work you've done."<ref name="ppg-hof">{{cite news | url=http://www.post-gazette.com/ae/music/2014/04/22/The-E-Street-Band-rolls-into-town/stories/201404220051 | title=Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band roll into town tonight | first=Scott | last=Mervis | newspaper=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]] | date=April 21, 2014 | access-date=July 19, 2014}}</ref> Meanwhile, he continued to play in a jazz idiom on his own, now with the Max Weinberg Quintet.<ref name="app-quintet">{{cite news | url=http://www.app.com/story/entertainment/music/2014/10/24/max-weinberg-talks-jazz-family-e-street-band/17834727/ | title=Max Weinberg talks jazz, family and E Street Band | author=Jordan, Chris | newspaper=[[Asbury Park Press]] | date=October 27, 2014}}</ref> In late October 2014, Weinberg sat in for a surprise guest appearance on ''Conan''.<ref>{{cite news|publisher=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] | url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/watch-conan-obrien-reunite-max-weinberg/story?id=26533704 | title=Watch Conan O'Brien Reunite With Max Weinberg | author=Good, Dan| date=October 28, 2014 }}</ref> In early 2015, Weinberg received the Humanitarian of the Year Award from Temple Rodeph Torah in [[Marlboro, New Jersey]], in recognition of his volunteering in association with multiple local groups; he said he was humbled to be accepting an award that focused on [[tikkun olam]].<ref>{{cite news | url=http://njjewishnews.com/article/26471/still-experimenting-after-30-years-in-pulpit#.VQYvK-EYEsI | title=Still experimenting after 30 years in pulpit | author=Wiener, Robert | newspaper=[[New Jersey Jewish News]] | date=March 10, 2015 | page=4}}</ref>

Weinberg once again hit the road with Springsteen and the E Street Band for [[The River Tour (2016)|the River Tour]] in January 2016, which in its various phases lasted until February 2017. He appreciated the shows on the first leg of the tour, where they played the entire 20-song ''The River'' album in sequence, because "when you play something night after night you really get to dig into the material, just as an instrumentalist."<ref name="rs-2017"/> He attributed his ability to keep playing during some of the longest shows in E Street Band history to his keeping in top physical condition, including exercise by swimming, and to his love of playing with Springsteen.<ref name="rs-2017">{{cite news | url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/max-weinberg-on-bruce-springsteen-health-scares-slipknot-w470361 | title=Max Weinberg Talks 43 Years With Bruce Springsteen, Health Scares | first=Andy | last=Greene | magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] | date=March 7, 2017}}</ref>

Once the tour was over, Weinberg said he would continue to appear with his various own bands, including doing weddings and bar and bat mitzvahs just as he had earlier in his career.<ref name="rs-2017"/> He also liked to watch his son Jay play with [[Slipknot (band)|Slipknot]], although he conceded he did so from a safe zone where he would not get knocked down by the audience.<ref name="rs-2017"/>

On December 14, 2021, Max Weinberg indicated that he felt a tour with Springsteen and the E Street Band was very likely in 2022 saying “Until the bus pulls up at my house, figuratively speaking, I’m not quite sure but I’m pretty convinced ... (that) myself, my colleagues and the people who are interested are going to be very pleasantly surprised in 2022. I don’t make plans for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band but I feel very good about the next 18, 24 months."<ref>{{Cite web|date=December 14, 2021|title=Max Weinberg talks about upcoming Jukebox shows, Springsteen tour and holiday magic|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/max-weinberg-talks-about-upcoming-jukebox-show-springsteen-tour-and-holiday-magic/ar-AARNWWV?ocid=BingNewsSearch|access-date=December 16, 2021|website=MSN|language=en-US}}</ref>

==Equipment==
For many years, Weinberg's gear included [[Slingerland Drums]], [[Ludwig-Musser|Ludwig]], [[Pearl Drums]] and [[Zildjian cymbals]];<ref name="mus-81"/> he subsequently switched to [[Drum Workshop|DW Drums]],<ref name="nsl081309"/> but continues to use Zildjian cymbals. He also uses [[Remo]] heads and, previously having used [[Regal Tip]] drumsticks and brushes, he now uses [[Vater Percussion|Vater]] drumsticks, notably the 5A Nude wood tip model and Wire Tap brushes.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.vater.com/#!/artists/676 | title=Max Weinberg | publisher=[[Vater Percussion]] | access-date=May 20, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.facebook.com/VicsDrumShop/posts/1399322456805399 | title=VicsDrumShop | publisher=Facebook | access-date=May 20, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://home.arcor.de/mkuklik/drumset.htm |title=Max Weinberg's Drum Kit |publisher=[[Arcor (telecommunications)|Arcor]] |access-date=May 20, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030426051901/http://home.arcor.de/mkuklik/drumset.htm |archive-date=April 26, 2003 |url-status=dead}}</ref> His setup has always been simple, mostly consisting of a [[snare drum]], [[rack tom|mounted tom]], [[bass drum]] and [[floor tom]], while his usual cymbal setup consists of two [[crash cymbals]], a [[ride cymbal]] and a pair of [[hi-hat]]s, with an occasional third crash: "I've got four drums. Anything more is redundant. Besides, I tend to trip over things."<ref name="mus-81">{{cite book |title = The Rock Musician: 15 Years of the Interviews – The Best of Musician Magazine|editor-first = Tony|editor-last = Scherman|publisher = [[Macmillan Publishers]]|year = 1994|isbn = 0-312-30461-7|chapter = Bruce Springsteen Has No Price|first = Dave|last = Marsh|author-link = Dave Marsh|pages = 43–73|orig-year = February 1981}}</ref>

==Personal life==
As of July 2020, Weinberg and his wife Becky live in [[Delray Beach, Florida]].<ref name ="WSJ"/> Among his valued possessions is the conga drum given to him by his father in 1957.<ref name ="WSJ"/> During a 2020 interview with ''The Wall Street Journal'', when asked why he still looks forward to touring with Springsteen, Weinberg said, "A chance to prove I still have it. Playing with Bruce and the E Street Band is the height of what I do."<ref name ="WSJ"/>

Weinberg keeps strong ties to his native New Jersey. He and his family are fans of the [[New Jersey Devils]], and played ice hockey on the {{convert|2|acre|ha|adj=on}} pond in front of their house.<ref name="nyt012801"/> They were season ticket holders for the Devils until the children became too old and busy to attend games.<ref name="nsl081309">{{cite news | url=http://www.nj.com/insidejersey/index.ssf/2009/08/new_gig_same_beat.html#more | title=New Gig, but Same Beat for Drummer Max Weinberg | author=Tsai, Martin | newspaper=[[The Star-Ledger]] | location=Newark | date=August 13, 2009 | access-date=September 5, 2009}}</ref> 

Weinberg's son [[Jay Weinberg|Jay]] became a drummer as a teenager for local punk rock and metal bands without much instruction from his father but using Max's old gear.<ref>{{cite news|title=Springsteen's 'Secret Weapon': How Jay Weinberg Scored a Spot in the E Street Band |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2009/03/27/springsteens-secret-weapon-how-jay-weinberg-scored-a-spot-in-the-e-street-band/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090329101225/http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2009/03/27/springsteens-secret-weapon-how-jay-weinberg-scored-a-spot-in-the-e-street-band/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 29, 2009 |date=March 27, 2009 |access-date=May 15, 2009 |author=Greene, Andy |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]}}</ref><ref name="mst050909"/> From 2015 to 2023, he was the drummer of the [[nu metal]] band [[Slipknot (band)|Slipknot]]. Max's daughter Ali is a journalist, starting as an assistant to [[NBC News]] reporter [[Chuck Todd]]<ref name="nsl081309"/> and later appearing on the [[MSNBC.com]] blog "First Read".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/08/31/2047921.aspx |title=First Thoughts: Back to Health Care |last1=Todd |first1=Chuck |author-link1=Chuck Todd |last2=Murray |first2=Mark |last3=Montanaro |first3=Domenico |last4=Weinberg |first4=Ali |publisher=[[NBC News]] |date=August 31, 2009 |access-date=September 5, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090903152934/http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/08/31/2047921.aspx |archive-date=September 3, 2009 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> {{As of|2023}}, Ali is a foreign affairs producer for the ''[[PBS News Hour]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/author/ali-rogin|title=Ali Rogin |website=PBS NewsHour|accessdate=2023-09-08}}</ref> Weinberg played drums on the first album recorded by his sister Nancy Winston, a professional pianist and singer in New York City, known for her regular appearances at [[The Pierre|Cafe Pierre]].<ref name="ers">{{cite web|url=http://www.empire-rehearsal-studios.com/music-blog/tag/max-weinberg|archive-url=https://archive.today/20110710191241/http://www.empire-rehearsal-studios.com/music-blog/tag/max-weinberg|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 10, 2011|title=Max Weinberg|publisher=Empire Rehearsal Studios|date=February 28, 2009|access-date=September 4, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/winston | title=Nancy Winston: My Shining Hour | publisher=[[CD Baby]] | access-date=April 4, 2010}}</ref><ref>[https://query.nytimes.com/search/sitesearch?query=%22nancy+winston%22+%22cafe+pierre%22&more=date_all Cabaret listings from ''The New York Times''] showing Nancy Winston playing at Cafe Pierre on a regular basis in the 1990s and 2000s.</ref>

==Tours with Bruce Springsteen==
* [[Born to Run tours]], 1974–1977
* [[Darkness Tour]], 1978–1979
* [[The River Tour]], 1980–1981
* [[Born in the U.S.A. Tour]], 1984–1985
* [[Tunnel of Love Express Tour]], 1988
* [[Human Rights Now!]] Amnesty International Tour, 1988
* [[Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Reunion Tour|Reunion Tour]], 1999–2000
* [[The Rising Tour]], 2002–2003
* [[Vote for Change|Vote for Change Tour]], 2004
* [[Magic Tour (Bruce Springsteen)|Magic Tour]], 2007–2008
* [[Working on a Dream Tour]], 2009
* [[Wrecking Ball World Tour]], 2012–2013
* [[High Hopes Tour]], 2014
* [[The River Tour (2016)|River Tour/Oceania '17]], 2016–2017
* [[Springsteen and E Street Band 2023–2025 Tour]], 2023–2025

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*{{Official website|http://www.maxweinberg.com}}
*{{IMDb name|0918136}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-media}}
{{succession box|title=''[[Late Night (NBC)|Late Night]]'' bandleader|before=[[Paul Shaffer]]|after=[[Questlove]]|years=September 13, 1993 – February 20, 2009}}
{{succession box|title= ''[[The Tonight Show]]'' bandleader|before=[[Kevin Eubanks]]|after=[[Kevin Eubanks]]|years=June 1, 2009 – January 22, 2010}}
{{s-end}}

{{Bruce Springsteen}}
{{Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes}}
{{2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame}}

{{Authority control}}

{{good article}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Weinberg, Max}}
[[Category:1951 births]]
[[Category:Adelphi University alumni]]
[[Category:American rock drummers]]
[[Category:American jazz drummers]]
[[Category:American session musicians]]
[[Category:American television personalities]]
[[Category:Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes members]]
[[Category:The Tonight Show Band members]]
[[Category:E Street Band members]]
[[Category:Jersey Shore musicians]]
[[Category:Jewish American musicians]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:The Max Weinberg 7 members]]
[[Category:People from Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Entertainers from Middletown Township, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Musicians from Newark, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Columbia High School (New Jersey) alumni]]
[[Category:People from South Orange, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Seton Hall University alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century American drummers]]
[[Category:American male drummers]]
[[Category:American male jazz musicians]]
[[Category:Drummers from New Jersey]]