Conan O'Brien Must Go: Austria Roundtable | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

Hey, Conan O'Brien here and uh this is. our third uh podcast episode about my. Max series, Conan O'Brien Must Go. This. is the third because today our third. episode of Conan O'Brien must go drops. and this one may be a personal favorite. of mine. It is Austria and uh it is. jam-packed with foolishness.

um inanity uh and insanity. Um I'm. I'm a man who's never been afraid to put. on a fake mustache or beard. Uh you'll. be seeing plenty of that in this. episode. Yeah, I I am very happy with this. episode. Uh, and it was a little bit of. a strange one. Yes. For circumstances, uh, I will explain. But first, I'd like to tell you who's.

here with me. It's my team, my squad, my. my girl squad. Um, who helps me with all. of these episodes. Uh, the nuclear core. behind all the travel shows going back. to, uh, Conan Without Borders on TBS and. and now the Max Show. You got Mike. Sweeney. Hello, Mike. Hello, Conan. Um, and you also have Jesse Gasco. Hello, Jesse. Hi, Conan. Thanks for having us. Of course, Jose a Royal. Hey. Hi, Conan.

Um, and uh this is. Austria. That's the episode, the. Reichster. And. this one was a little bit strange. because um not to get too heavy, but I. just think it's worth, you know, noting. how we did it, which is quite unusual. We went to Austria. Uh I'll back it up. Late November. Um I got the call about hosting the.

Oscars. I said, uh yes, I would like to. do that. And then we asked uh Nina. Rosenstein at uh Max at Max um is it. okay if we do that? And she said, "Yes, we're we're thrilled with you doing the. Oscars, but we we we do need you to. finish up uh the the last travel show. Um that would be great if you could do. that." And we said, "Of course." So we. immediately rushed off to Austria. Mhm. to start shooting and we were. working our way across the country and I.

think we were maybe halfway through our. travel show. We were exactly halfway. halfway through when I got a call that. my father had passed away. Um and. so immediately we dropped everything. I. jumped in a van, flew a couple of flights back to Boston, got there, and then 2 days after. arriving, uh, my mom passed away. And so.

it was this very, uh, powerful, strange. time. Um, uh, and it was this double. funeral and everything was, uh, sort of. chaotic and, uh, hard to process. And. then a really lovely gesture I'll just. pass along is that uh um. suddenly at the funeral in Boston, Mike. Sweeney shows up with Jeff Ross uh with.

Sonum Obscessian with Jason Chalemi with. Adam. Um and if I'm forgetting anyone, uh tell me. But I was that meant a lot. to me. So I want to thank you guys for. for doing that. You then uh charged me. for your airfare. I had Celtics tickets. I had. You had Celtics tickets. Anyway, that blew my mind when you guys. walked into the church. That was uh I'll. never forget that. And Jesse, I don't. know why you weren't there. Um. I wasn't invited. They didn't tell me.

they were going. Yeah. And actually, you came and I had a. bouncer out front. I was the only guy that has a bouncer at. a wake at an Irish Wake. It's a private party. Um Yeah. And um but anyway uh it was um. so that happens and then uh suddenly. we're into it's Christmas then the. fires. Oh my god. Then um dislocated from my home and. we're working on the Oscars. I'm in I'm. living in a hotel craziness. And then.

uh. the Mark Twain. then the Mark Twain thing happened after. the Oscars. And then uh it was. immediately the day after the twain, the. next morning we all jumped on planes. Yes. And flew to Austria to continue the. Austria show. Was like, pick it back up. Exactly. And um. you're running out of excuses. You're running out of excuses. No more dead parents. But I'm getting another award. We're sick of you and your madeup. awards. Um I'm getting the Oh Henry.

award. And there's a twist at the end. where there's no award. So anyway, uh we. go to back to Austria and uh it was. the first time we've ever done that for. three days. to wind it up. But was very interesting is that because. of all this stuff that had happened. before and because I was kind of running. on fumes, I think I was sillier during. those three days. Oh my god. I was I was extra crazy silly. preassociating uh like someone on drugs.

and that. So when you guys put the show. together state. I was in a fugue state. Um. perfect for Vienna. No, it really was. And uh. it's I think all of that combined makes. it a very interesting travel series and. one that I mean I watch it and I know. that it's like bifurcated. It's divided. between this is before I hear about my. parents. This is a this is much later.

afterwards. I'm back. Um, but the viewer wouldn't. know that, but it's just interesting. And we. also weather exact exactly the same four. months later, more or less. Well, it was Christmasy. There was some. Christmy vibes, some decorations, but. and then um but yeah, pretty much you'd. never know. Uh I just brought it up because I. thought people like Inside Baseball and. that is something that's happened in. that show that's never happened. We've. never had to leave a country and then. come back to it a couple of months later. to finish one show. Um, but there's so.

many silly little ideas in that show. You guys go. We went back. We went back specifically. to have you record in Vienna because we. had done other parts of the country. already. and then uh we paused it when we we were. in Linds and you got the word about your. dad. and uh. I remember you came down to the. breakfast area and you just and it was. just you and me and you said um there's. no easy way to say this but my father. passed away and then uh Mike Sweeney and.

Jeff Ross came in and you just said I. know one thing I won't be taking a. yodelling lesson today. Yeah. Because that was on the schedule. That. was on the schedule. I was going to meet up with a fan and. learn how to yodel. I know one thing. And I and I and I just knew that like. you can't if you hear about you were in. the right head space. If you hear about your Well, but also I. knew that if you hear about your father. passing away unexpectedly and you go, "Right, okay. Time to yodel.". Yeah. Yeah. In leather shorts. Exactly.

That is the definition of a sociopath. sociopath. You were a more evolved sociopath and. you took a car to the airport and you. went home. So, you know what was weird is that you guys. were very nice and you were like, Conan, you need to pack and and and of. course Jeff was great. He was like, you. know, we and Chmi, they were like, we. got a car downstairs. It's going to take. you to they scrambled. you're going to. take this airline to this, you know, city and then to that city and that's. going to get you to Heathrow and then. you're going to go and I'm acting like.

I'm altogether like, oh yeah, no, no, that's okay. And look, these, you know, these things happen and and I'm putting. a watch on, just a watch, a regular. watch. And I kept putting it on upside. down and backwards. And I kept I did that like five times. I didn't my I was so on the surface I. was acting like Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Well, I. appreciate that. and we can pick up this. later. And but in total sort of Irish Catholic. denial about whatever I'm feeling. And.

the way I knew it was that I kept. putting my watch on and then I'd look at. it and it was facing down and away like. this. And then I'd do it again and it. would be on this side and I and I was. like. I suddenly didn't know how to do the. most elemental thing in the world which. is put a watch on. Um. well it's nice to know you're human. It's I mean really. or he has a human side. Oh, okay. I guess that's right. Exactly. Exactly. How do we know that? I. just don't know how to put a watch on.

He's watching. You look at me and I. I've got this tangling from my earlo. Well, see you later. That wasn't a sign of mourning. Um but. we went back specifically to get the. capital city which is what you know we. had sort of waited for you. Exactly. Nice. Nice. Nice. We spent a couple um after you left the. first time, we had to cool our heels in. Vienna for a few days. And while we were there, we were there.

alone with Jordan. Uh we shot stuff with him, which is Dante's eighth layer of hell, six through eight. And uh we shot. something with him and uh. Jordan, which we ended up using. Uh so that that. worked out and but it was it was we went. back to Vienna. the fan who was supposed. to meet us in Linds where he lived. and had him meet us and it worked out. great and he was wonderful. Uh. yes to. and I did yodel. and he did learn to yod did yod. and your watch went on correctly.

associated enough to yodel again. Yes, everyone's going to check how you're. wearing your watch in these this show. It. was a very musical episode and it's very. musical. and it's perfect. One of my favorite. things is a a segment where we. uh we visit the exact spot where Julie. Andrews did the open for the sound of. music. Yes. And um Jose Aoyo. which was not easy to coordinate. No. No. Not easy to coordinate but but. but it's the exact exact spot like. literally down to exactly where I'm.

standing. It's secret that you have to get. we had to go through a lot of different. channels. You have to go to Jul. you have to talk to all the actors who. played the children and they have to be. lined up on a staircase goat herd. public is not allowed there and the it's. on private property and the owner is. very reticent. to because 10 years ago they let uh ABC. shoot there and I I I think they felt. like um it overpublicized it or. something. Well, it was an episode of Lost. Exactly. And I think that. they were just mad that it didn't wrap.

up. But you were going to say Jose. Oh, Jose. Jose wrote this song which is all about. us not being able to clear the sound of. music. Get the rights. Of course, you can't get the rights. So. you wrote a song about that which is in. a similar vein but not of course not and. no art no lawyer could could find any. similarity but um it was. uh it's really. uh great work Jose and uh and very. creative and and the way it's shot and I.

was very. every now and then we get to do a little. set piece like one of my favorite travel. shows from the TBS days was the Italy. show because we do a little Italian. movie. Every now and then we get to do a. little and and I really love those. I. mean, I love the sp nothing nothing will. ever beat spontaneous fun moments that. we have. uh with and and I'll say that for my. late night career and just in general. and nothing will ever those are my. favorite moments, but every now and then. there's just a little moment to have a. set piece where we get to really shoot.

it like cinematographers and choreograph. it a little bit and you wrote this music. and we kept and when we get into those. things I'm obsessive about if Jose has. put this much effort into it, I want it. to be just right, too. So, I'll ask for. multiple takes. I I I won't say, "Hey, we got to go." I want to make sure it's. just what you have in your head. Thank you. You were in later hos. and it was cold up on that mountain top. and we had a drone shot. You know, Julie.

Andrews, it was a helicopter of course. in 1965, but. drone. that that she shot it. It came out in '. 65. Yeah, they shot it in ' 64. Right. But I thought people would relate. more to when the movie came. I think people relate to the truth. Get a room, you two. Okay. Anyway, when they shot it, they used a. real helicopter. Who gives a. Um I they they used a real helicopter. with Julie Andrews. And true story, the helicopter, they didn't know how to. get the shot. And the guy who was like.

directing the movie said, "I'll do it.". and he got in the helicopter and he's. like hanging out of a helicopter, but. the helicopter has to come really close. to Julie Andrews. And um the backwash from a helicopter is. a serious deal. So it's a it's you know fans of that. movie who know the behind the scenes. know that when she's going the music is. swelling and she's walking up the hill. as I recreate. We're doing it with a. drone. She was doing it with a massive. like Vietnam era helicopter. Um, she got. flattened a couple of times by the just.

the wind. She got knocked down and and. they kept making her do it over and over. and over again. And apparently at one. point, I've heard Julie Andrews lost her. temper. What the I just pull this. together. I'm you. I got. knocked down like 15. times. But she did it at the highest register. with a beautiful multi- octave ring. you. They also trucked like there's a scene.

where she walks along a brook. and and through some popular trees they. that was all trucked. They built a. stream. They ran a Yeah. All that was. that was all that was manufactured. But. anyway, um that was. Oh, you know what else? There was ski. lift. We had this great drone shot. There's a a ski lift to one side and all. these new buildings. So, our our great. graphics artist uh painstakingly Chris. Weller painted them out. Yeah. He also uh painstakingly.

repaired my face. so that I appear to be late late 30s and. a male. You lowered the hem of your later hosen. by 3 in because there was an issue there. with standards. Um beautiful shot. That was really fun. And there's some. there's a great moment that I think made. it into the trailer so people would have. already seen it where I'm in uh Vienna. and this fan comes up to me and she's. like um I'm from Kazakhstan and she's. talking to me and then I'm talking to.

her cuz I get very excited to meet. people from other countries. I'm very. happy and then she says well anyway I. need to go nice to meet you. and nice to meet you. She cuts it off. Uh which is such a funny unique uh I'll. talk about myself in the third person. for a second. Conan O'Brien experience. where I get excited and I'm talking to. fans and this has happened more than. once and more than eight times where. they're like, you know, Conan, I got to. go. I've got things to do. On second thought,

my wife has seen it many times. Yeah, Conan, that's great. Listen, I got. to go. Don't you want to stop? You want to hang out later? Can I can I say one thing, which is um. Oh, this better be good. Well Well, speaking of fans, we should identify this is Aaron Blair. We call him Blair. Hi. uh you know we started uh this show. in Zurich you know we we landed and we. started in Zurich we spent the night in. Zurich and kind of these on these shows. we have a local crew and so we're. meeting these people for the first time. and does anyone do you want to talk. about kind of what happened the first.

story. the first day so we're kind of running. around uh Jose was in the bathroom so. we're kind of waiting for Jose. Jose's always in the bathroom. and we're all we're all we're like. where's Jose where's Jose and we're all. in the bus ready to go and we're going. to drive I He's he's seated on the. toilet urinating. Yes. But I think Sweenie we were going. to drive to Austria. We're driving. driving to the town of P from. Switzerland. And so uh finally and I kind of get off. the bus and here comes Jose and we're. like okay we're all ready to go and we.

start going and we're traveling. driving driving driving for a while and. then in the very I'm kind of sitting. towards the back. 40 minutes. 40 minutes. A good a solid 40 minutes. and this recounting of it better be not. as long. That's right. Go ahead. And then I hear behind me. there's some talking and our drone guy. stands up. He goes, "Where where you. know are we going to the city center?". And everyone's kind of talking and then. uh we go, "No, we're driving to Felic. Church." He goes, "I can't I have to go. to the city center. I can't go to Felk. Church." And it just happened that he. was not our drone guy. He was a random.

tourist who got on the bus. He thought. it was us getting on a bus. Thought it. was a tour bus. And he drove it a hotel. shuttle bus. way out of our way, way out of his way. and he suddenly realized that he's part. of a Conan O'Brien must go shoot that's. taking him to god knows where. He's. probably going to have to. I I'm with Stanley Tucci. Yeah, I'm supposed to be with Ava and. we were driving for like almost an hour. Yeah. Oh, and he looked quite upset. He was upset. Um and it's not our fault. I think.

someone at the hotel said I think he. said, "Is that the bus to the city. center?" And someone at the hotel went, "Yeah." You know, and so off he went. But uh the other thing. dropped him off at a gas station. He literally was 40 minutes away and we. totally left. He was in a wheelchair. He was not. Well, he was on a respirator though. Um, I also want to point out that my first. memory of I wake up. in uh someone had gifted me this cool. little I like travel gear and someone.

had gifted me this really cool small. hair dryer. um that's like folds out. I think it's. Japanese. It it folds out. It's kind of. got a sleek cool robotic ray gun look. And I was like, "Oh, cool. I'm going to. bring this on my to to Austria." So, uh, that morning that we got up in Zurich, I. look out the window. Oh my god, it's. Zurich. I take a shower. I get out of. the shower and I plug in my little haird.

dryer and I turn it on. I heard a. every light, not just in my room, but I. think on my floor went out and I smelled. that smoke that no you there's a smell. that an electrical appliance has, which. means it will never live again. and it. cannot be repaired. And so that smoke. drifted up and I looked down at this. cool little neat Japanese and folded it. up really neatly and dropped it in the. trash can and then went downstairs and.

went I think I just shorted. They were. running around downstairs like there's a. a major explosion on the third floor. And I said someone was using a Japanese. hair dryer. But it was later explained to me that. you have to bring a. just using the just using the converter. isn't enough. You need you need a. voltage transformer which I didn't have. So my apologies to the hotel in Zurich, which is still, I'm told, without power, right? And uh there have been many casualties.

and he's being sued by the family of the. that dead tourist who died at the gas. station. Okay, that's not I I don't like that. we've took that too far. Um and I. apologize to everyone. Far enough. Well, we're not far enough. Yeah. Uh. very musical. And you you you. encountered really uh great fans there. as well. And that's that's part of our. homework, which is, you know, finding. the people that you get to see when you. get to the country. That's what brings us there. And then we. Exactly. We're motivated by Yeah. Yeah, it's always meet the fan and then uh the.

fan is my reason is my way in and uh I. use them. I use my fans. you you ring. then you pivot and uh and then we um. there is a segment that I'm there's a I. think there are the two segments that we. shot in Vienna that I'm really happy. with because I I think to a degree. um it's uh it's me. I don't know if what happens to me but. if you put me in.

classic Nebraska. if you put me in a certain outfit or a. certain millu uh I start Um, I start. babbling and one is at the, uh, Sigman. Freud. Mhm. Uh, Sigman Freud's home and office that. I visited. Uh, and the other there's. also a snow globe museum. You were. riffing a lot in that one. And then, uh, and then there's, uh, finally, uh, singing with the Vienna. Boys Choir. Uh, so those are all ones where I felt.

very much at home like this is me. If. I've put up was put on this earth for. any reason, it was to do this. And. that's both the good news and the bad. news. Well, that's amazing that that feels so. comfortable for you because I think I. don't know. I I watch and I think, wow, that would be a lot of stress to be. thrust into this situation and and and. we often do. I mean, we throw you into. these sharkinfested waters a lot of. times, but then it's like that's.

You guys gave me a beard and a cigar and. let me speak in a corny vianese accent. Yes. And you looked I have to say the. transformation. Yeah. was amazing. Very funny. Well, fantastic. I'm very happy uh with. I was very happy with I mean I enjoyed. making this season. Um, Austria, despite. the, uh, complicated emotions involved. in that show, uh, was.

might be my favorite for just. Yeah. Uh, you know, uh, I don't know. It has. It's so funny. It's blowing off. Yes. Yeah. Maybe blowing off steam. There's. something something's being offged or. vented. Uh, and. Oh, and there's a surprise. There's a a. bonus EP episode tucked into it. Tucked. into that. That's right. Wow. Okay. That might be promising too. much. A whole bonus episode. But yes, or. maybe No, it really is. No, no, no, no.

Leave it in. Well, bonus in quotes. Um, I thought that was understood. I'm going to wrap this up. But again, I. want to thank uh my intrepid team, Mike. Sweeney. This is why I hold up a sign with my. name on it. Jose Ario. Close enough. Jose Royo and uh and Jesse. Gascal. And uh I want to tell you that. if you. um this Max show is out now, the third. episode uh Konobus Go Austria. And uh if. you would like to be considered.

uh to be one of the fans that I visit. anywhere in the world, um it's pretty. simple to to to reach out to us. Just go. to teamco.com/apply. Once again, that's team coco.com/apply. and maybe I'll come visit you wherever. you are on this spinning blue lonely. globe. called Earth. So, get ready. I mean, you should wake.

up every day assuming Conan might show. up at your door. Dress camera ready. Yes, exactly. I had a beautiful ending that ended with. the image of the Earth spinning in the. black void. Sorry. And I'm And then you guys came in with. that end there. No, I just want to say that I appreciate. the work that you guys have done for. this show. as microscopic inhabitants of this tiny. blue spherical speck that drifts alone. in a inky void. Are we alone? Are we.

not? We'll never know. But we call this. place Earth. I know you want to say something. Go for it. You have to do it. Go for it. You had one more gas station. Yes, I knew it.