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Conan O'Brien brings his road show to Washington, D.C.

The former "Tonight Show" host performed his "Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television" show at the D.A.R. Constitution Hall on June 8, 2010.

Comedian Conan O'Brien, former "Tonight Show" host, performs beneath a huge video screen at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. O'Brien has reemerged with his bitterness stowed and his lack of dignity intact. This is a very good thing, judging by the antic, amped-up and often hilarious road show that O'Brien brought.

Comedian Conan O'Brien, former "Tonight Show" host, performs beneath a huge video screen at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. O'Brien has reemerged with his bitterness stowed and his lack of dignity intact. This is a very good thing, judging by the antic, amped-up and often hilarious road show that O'Brien brought.

Bill O'leary-Washington Post

The "Legally Prohibited" band warms up the crowd for O'Brien.

The "Legally Prohibited" band warms up the crowd for O'Brien.

Bill O'leary-Washington Post

Trombonist Richie "LaBamba" Rosenberg walks through the audience during a song to introduce Conan O'Brien.

Trombonist Richie "LaBamba" Rosenberg walks through the audience during a song to introduce Conan O'Brien.

Bill O'leary-Washington Post

You know the hashed-to-death context of this tour by now. O'Brien flopped as host of NBC's "The Tonight Show" after seven months on the job, then quit rather than suffer the indignity of having to move to a later time slot to make way for Jay Leno's hasty retreat back to late night. To soothe his wounds, NBC handed O'Brien a $32.5 million severance check and extracted a promise that he wouldn't bad-mouth the network and its executives.

You know the hashed-to-death context of this tour by now. O'Brien flopped as host of NBC's "The Tonight Show" after seven months on the job, then quit rather than suffer the indignity of having to move to a later time slot to make way for Jay Leno's hasty retreat back to late night. To soothe his wounds, NBC handed O'Brien a $32.5 million severance check and extracted a promise that he wouldn't bad-mouth the network and its executives.

Bill O'leary-Washington Post

With a bit of free time on his hands before he starts a new talk show on TBS this fall, O'Brien launched his 32-city "Legally Prohibited From Being Funny on TV" tour, which winds up next week.

With a bit of free time on his hands before he starts a new talk show on TBS this fall, O'Brien launched his 32-city "Legally Prohibited From Being Funny on TV" tour, which winds up next week.

Bill O'leary-Washington Post

O'Brien was as loose as his look -- bearded, tieless, untucked -- in hosting what amounted to a freewheeling variety show of video bits, standup comedy, skits, musical interludes and familiar elements from his late, late TV shows.

O'Brien was as loose as his look -- bearded, tieless, untucked -- in hosting what amounted to a freewheeling variety show of video bits, standup comedy, skits, musical interludes and familiar elements from his late, late TV shows.

Bill O'leary-Washington Post

"This is the first time in my entire career anyone has ever paid to see me," he told a hall full of CoCo-nuts on Tuesday. "Don't get me wrong. They paid to make me go away."

The quip may be key to appreciating O'Brien's brand of humor, which admittedly is a minority taste, given his disastrous "Tonight" ratings.

Bill O'leary-Washington Post

O'Brien was more likely to go for self-referential putdowns. His new beard, he said at one point, made him look like "Paul Bunyan with an eating disorder" or "the Brawny paper towel man before his bone-marrow transplant."
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To the pleasure of the nearly sold-out hall, the show trotted out such Conan standbys as sidekick Andy Richter, ludicrous clips from "Walker, Texas Ranger" and a taped segment from Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, who made fun of standup comics who drop smarmy local references into their routines.

O'Brien was more likely to go for self-referential putdowns. His new beard, he said at one point, made him look like "Paul Bunyan with an eating disorder" or "the Brawny paper towel man before his bone-marrow transplant."

To the pleasure of the nearly sold-out hall, the show trotted out such Conan standbys as sidekick Andy Richter, ludicrous clips from "Walker, Texas Ranger" and a taped segment from Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, who made fun of standup comics who drop smarmy local references into their routines.

Bill O'leary-Washington Post

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This Story At DAR, a show of Conan-may-care attitude Article \| After a little bit of career unpleasantness back in January, Conan O'Brien has reemerged with his bitterness stowed and his lack of dignity intact. This is a very good thing, judging by the antic, amped-up and often hilarious road show that O'Brien brought to DAR Constitution Hall on Tuesday night. Conan O'Brien brings his road show to Washington, D.C.		Network News X Profile View More Activity TOOLBOX E-Mail This Reprints		More on washingtonpost.com • More Photo News » washingtonpost.com
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