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Some of the best news of the week was delivered via Twitter Thursday: Conan O’Brien is coming back April 12.
Though no deal has been done for the fiery red-headed pompadour to return to network television, O’Brien will be touring 30 cities as part of a national tour.
The "Legally Prohibited From Being Funny On Television" tour will see O’Brien, sidekick Andy Richter, former bandleader Max Weinberg and The Max Weinberg 7 on stage, bringing the laugh.
The Web site promises "a night of music, comedy, hugging and the occasional awkward silence."
I received a series of texts from fellow fans – including former The Daily Athenaeum "Celebrity Beans" writer and Editor-in-Chief Leann Ray – showing the excitement toward O’Brien and one of his tour dates.
Among the tour’s stops include DC – close enough to road trip with a bunch of other Team Coco loyalists.
O’Brien first announced the tour via his Twitter account (@ConanOBrien).
"Hey Internet: I’m headed to your town on a half-assed comedy & music tour," O’Brien wrote. "Go to http://TeamCoco.com for tix. I repeat: It’s half-assed."
Tickets for the show begin at $39, with options at $59 and $79.
Sadly, due to the Web site being overwhelmed by traffic and more eager fans, I was forced to pay a higher end figure listed there.
Given the show is "half-assed," I hope it to be the O’Brien of yesteryear – the days before NBC forced him to tone down to make himself more accessible for the average viewer.
Not much is known about the show other than a statement released by the host through Team CoCo.
"It was either a massive 30-city tour or start helping out around the house," he said.
Additional dates have been added throughout the country, including Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver and Los Angeles, though nothing has been mentioned about the currently sold-out performance in DC.
Naysayers may think it a little insane to voluntarily pay to watch something that used to be taped for free in New York City.
It was almost impossible for me to get tickets to O’Brien or even manage to get there. Knowing friends were able to acquire tickets has given me a much-wanted opportunity to see his "show" in person.
Reported terms and conditions of O’Brien’s exit from "The Tonight Show" on NBC state the company owns all of the show’s former characters, such as the Masturbating Bear.
If they were to appear on stage, it would be one of the greatest performances ever, worthy even of a Tony award.
As O’Brien wrote on his Twitter, the show will be "half-assed." That’s exactly why the show will be worth the price of admission.
Tour information is available at www.teamcoco.com. Ticket information is also available from Ticketmaster.com.
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