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June 15th, 2010
12:53 PM ET
Conan's tour ends with a bang in AtlantaWhen Conan O'Brien took the stage of Atlanta's Fabulous Fox Theater on Monday night, he vowed to the audience that this show, the final stop on his "Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television" tour, would be the best. He wanted them to come away from the show thinking the three-hour musical comedy extravaganza was "sort of worth it," a phrase which was soon chanted by the audience as O'Brien reacted in mock horror. "Team CoCo" was out in full force, filling the theater, and the crowd practically ate out of the palm of the comedian's hand. O'Brien's trademark schtick and taped pieces (including a riotous one featuring Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, with Atlanta and landmarks from the city dubbed into his dialogue) got the biggest reaction from the audience.
Coincidentally, O'Brien winding down the tour in "Hotlanta, Humid-lanta, Unlivable-lanta" meant he was in the hometown of his new network, TBS. (CNN and TBS are both owned by Turner Broadcasting and are units of Time Warner.) He made reference to TBS on more than one occasion (the official Twitter hashtag was "#tbyes"), joking at one point that they would regret hiring him while watching the opening monologue for his show. When Conan wasn't on stage, announcer/sidekick Andy Richter, Jimmy Vivino and the band and former "Tonight Show" writer Deon Cole were also well received by the audience. Needless to say, devotees of Jay Leno would probably not have had quite as much fun at this show. One theme of the night was just how grateful O'Brien was for his fans and for the warm welcome he received in Atlanta (he ended the show by running into the crowd, including the "cheap seats" high up on the balcony). The comic came across as quite generous, giving up-and-comer Cole a shot to deliver his material, as well as opener Reggie Watts, one of the most bizarre comedians/performance artists since Andy Kaufman. It's clear that O'Brien has a fan base that is more committed to supporting him than ever. How that will translate in the fall, when he's competing head-to-head with his friends Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, will be interesting to watch. Did you catch O'Brien and crew on any of their tour stops? Share your review of the show in the comments below, and in the meantime, check out former O'Brien announcer Joel Godard, speaking exclusively to a puppet iReporter.
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Saw his show in Atlantic City, Conan was really funny and the bits he did throughout the show we're all pretty good (the Walker, Texas Ranger bits were awesome!). I really was concerned, because the opening guy was AWFUL! My fiancee literally fell asleep, and I had to wake her up when Conan was about to come out to the stage. Really enjoyed the show, worth every penny to see him line, just wish I could have been a few rows over to get a picture when he came into the crowd...
Absolutely cannot stand Conan. I kept him on after Leno, but usually could not watch it all. Give me Jimmy Fallon any day of the week. I think he is too silly as I thought at the time Letterman was also. When I went to switch to Letterman when Conan took the Tonight show, I thought then that Letterman acted like a very old man. Conan-childish . Letterman-old man . . Jay - friendly
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIlgPqCAoKs&hl=en_US&fs=1&]
Oh...I forgot...that opening act that Conan had–Reggie Watts–was absolutely great and very different. Really cool stuff.
I caught him in NYC while visiting my cousin (who had passes to sound check) and then had to get tix for the ATL. I knew he played guitar some, but I never knew he could sing and drum and play keyboards. Unbelievably talented guy. Also, it was amazing how much different original stuff they created for each city. But the best part was all the different kinds of comedy – pre-recorded stuff, Triumph, stand-up, funny songs, reworking Late Night characters to get around legal constraints, impromptu joking with the audience, and just sheer inventive off-the-wall stuff. Both shows were really, really great. I hope he finds time to go back on tour after his new show airs.
I can't believe anyone at NBC would look at one of these shows and honestly think they made the right decision. They must be shooting themselves.
I saw he show in toronto, it sounds like a lot of the material is the same in each city (although I'm jealous NYC got to see Trey Anastasio come out), Reggie Watts was awesome (proof what you can do with a 4track/boomerang device), and Conan was entertaining beyond just being funny (hes a decent musician or at least fakes it well).
Would happily attend again again, just a great show and really one of a kind.
I think Atl_Soci_Nerd had tickets for the wrong show. My wife and I were at Conan's show in Atlanta last night, it was absolutely hysterical! I've never heard an audience of that size laughing so hard, so continuously throughout a performance. I agree with Kathy, the show truly exceeded my expectations! I can't wait until we get Coco back in our living rooms. TBS may be "Very Funny" now, but they're soon to be "Extraordinarily Funny" come November!
Did you actually GO to the show, Atl_Soci_Nerd? He hardly mentioned Leno at all!
I did have tickets. I went with people who were big fans and even they said they were a bit let down. However, they still liked it. I didn't.
I saw Coco in Washington, DC. He was so funny!! I loved everything, from Triumph to the Chuck Norris World Police Lever! At one point someone yelled "**** Leno." Everyone in the audience gave a standing ovation. I can't wait for Coco's show in TBS.
TEAM COCO!! (I love how Tom Hanks gave him that nickname!)
I saw him in Los Angeles and never laughed so hard in my life. The show exceeded expectations. It was great was to see so much fan support from the audience, as well as the numerous celebrities who also came out to show their support. I'm really looking forward to his new show on TBS. Team CoCo all the way!
He is a definite must see. I never realized how talented he was.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaVR1nPwTxA
"Was" is the operative word here...
This one is better. http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=iIlgPqCAoKs
The Boston show was fantastic. I cried laughing at so many points. It made me so nostalgic for the old days of watching Late Night. I missed Conan! Go Team Coco!
His show in Philly was great! I laughed all night and continuously! I am not even that big of a fan of Conan. I barely watched his show. Sorry you didn't have fun Atl. 🙁
Last night's (Atlanta) show was NOT funny. He kept talking about what happened between him and Leno. Is that the only thing he is going to continue to take about for years to come? The best part of the show was his guests (minus Andy) who were all funny or interesting in their own right. I don't know maybe I just didn't get it, but for me his show did not translate from the tv to the stage all that well. Also, his fans were a bit too cultish for my taste (Did you see the guy who died his beard and his hair bright orange during the groupie came? Come on!). I will watch a few episodes of his new show but if this tour is anything like his talk show, then I am not going to watch it.
I'm mystified that anyone could have been at that show last night and not thoroughly enjoyed themselves. The energy in that theater was infectious, and if you didn't "get it," you really missed out. Maybe your night would've been better spent at the High Museum's "Allure of the Automobile" exhibit - the audio tour guide is Jay Leno.
then why did you pay money to go?
*Sniff*: I smell a plant. Last night was not intended to be like Conan's television programs, and how could a live show be like one, anyway? I will say that as a fan of Conan's since the early days of "Late Night," I thoroughly enjoyed last night's show. I'm not a huge fan of live music in closed venues like that because it is just too much noise for my sensitive ears, but even with the abundance of musical numbers and the bizarre comic stylings of Reggie Watts, I thought the night was a smashing success.
He really did not actually talk much about what happened with TTS and Leno; in fact, I was expecting a much larger portion of the show to be devoted to that topic - humorously, of course - but one must remember that the tour started out as a way for Conan to connect with his fans and communicate to them about this specific event while he was banned from doing so on television. In the weeks after the '60 Minutes' interview, that aspect of the show might seem less relevant to some, but to we who were outraged by the shabby treatment Conan received at the hands of NBC, Leno and that moron Zucker, it will always be a point of connection, humor and, to some degree, anger.
You must also remember that we who bought tickets to last night's show three months ago are hard-core fans who buoyed our man while he was sinking. We are the group of people who appreciate Conan in a way that is deeper than just wanting a re-do of a television program. I would venture a guess that nearly as many of us would have showed up to hear him speak seriously about his experience; maybe even more would have. So, perhaps you should bear in mind that last night was as much about the unspoken admiration we have for Conan O'Brien the man as it was about our appreciation for his silly, awkward brand of humor. I would have paid to watch him come out and read a children's book. Because for me, it was about saying to Conan, to Leno and to NBC that although you think this guy deserves to be publicly banished and treated like refuse, we're on his side.