Conan O’Brien Must Go: Austria Roundtable Discussion

Summary

Conan O’Brien Must Go: Austria Roundtable Discussion – Detailed Summary

Episode Release Date: May 22, 2025

In the episode titled "Conan O’Brien Must Go: Austria Roundtable Discussion," Conan O’Brien delves into the behind-the-scenes experiences of producing his third installment in the "Conan O’Brien Must Go" series. This episode offers a candid look into the challenges and memorable moments that shaped the Austria segment of the series.

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1. Introduction to the Austria Episode

Conan introduces the episode with enthusiasm, highlighting it as a personal favorite filled with "foolishness, inanity, and insanity."

Conan O'Brien [01:46]: "This one may be a personal favorite of mine. It is Austria and it is jam packed with foolishness. It's inanity and insanity."

He acknowledges the unique circumstances under which the episode was created, setting the stage for a heartfelt discussion.

2. Assembling the Team

Conan introduces his dedicated team members who played pivotal roles in bringing the Austria episode to life.

Conan O'Brien [03:18]: "It's my team, my squad, my girl squad who helps me with all of these episodes."

Team members Mike Sweeney, Jesse Gaskell, and Jose Arroyo join the conversation, bringing their perspectives to the discussion.

3. Overcoming Personal Tragedy

The production of the Austria episode coincided with profound personal losses for Conan, significantly impacting the filming process.

Conan O'Brien [04:15]: "Halfway through when I got a call that my father had passed away."

Shortly after, Conan faces another devastating loss with the passing of his mother, leading to a "double funeral" and a period of chaos and emotional turmoil.

Conan O'Brien [04:15]: "Two days after arriving, my mom passed away. And so it was this very powerful, strange time."

4. Team Support During Crisis

In a touching display of camaraderie, Conan's team members Mike Sweeney and Jeff Ross, along with others, attended his funeral, providing much-needed support during his grief.

Conan O'Brien [05:21]: "Mike Sweeney shows up with Jeff Ross with Sonam of Cession... But that meant a lot to me."

Mike humorously mentions the complexities of attending the funeral.

Mike Sweeney [05:21]: "I had Celtics tickets."

5. Resuming Production Amidst Grief

Despite the emotional setbacks, the team demonstrates resilience by returning to Austria to continue filming the series.

Conan O'Brien [06:22]: "And I think I was sillier during those three days."

Conan reflects on how the personal challenges influenced his on-screen persona, making him "extra crazy, silly, and free associating."

Conan O'Brien [07:00]: "I was in a fugue state."

6. Highlights of the Austria Episode

The Austria segment is rich with cultural references and unique set pieces that showcase Conan's versatility and humor.

a. Sigmund Freud's Home and Office

Conan visits the iconic home and office of Sigmund Freud, adding intellectual depth to the episode.

Conan O'Brien [27:15]: "We visit the exact spot where Julie Andrews did the opening for the Sound of Music."

b. Snow Globe Museum

Another standout segment involves a whimsical visit to a snow globe museum, blending nostalgia with humor.

Conan O'Brien [27:15]: "There’s also a snow globe museum."

c. Singing with the Vienna Boys Choir

Conan culminates the episode by singing alongside the renowned Vienna Boys Choir, highlighting his musical talents and playful nature.

Conan O'Brien [27:15]: "Singing with the Vienna Boys Choir. So those are all ones where I felt very much at home."

7. Behind-the-Scenes Anecdotes

The team shares amusing and challenging moments encountered during production, adding depth to the storytelling.

Conan O'Brien [22:06]: "We started this show in Zurich... And there was a random tourist who got on the bus, thinking it was a tour bus."

Conan recounts a mishap involving a Japanese hairdryer that caused a power outage at the hotel.

Conan O'Brien [24:09]: "I plugged in my little hairdryer, and I turned it on. I heard every light... It will never live again."

8. Technical Challenges and Solutions

Conan discusses the technical difficulties faced during filming, such as coordinating drone shots and ensuring visual continuity.

Conan O'Brien [21:54]: "They used a real helicopter with Julie Andrews... We recreated it with a drone."

Team member Mike Sweeney highlights the meticulous work involved in post-production.

Mike Sweeney [21:42]: "Chris Weller painted them out."

9. Team Appreciation and Future Prospects

Conan expresses deep gratitude towards his team for their unwavering support and dedication throughout the production process.

Conan O'Brien [29:06]: "I appreciate the work that you guys have done for this show."

He also hints at the potential for future bonus content, keeping listeners intrigued about upcoming releases.

Conan O'Brien [28:46]: "There's a surprise. There's a bonus episode tucked into it."

10. Conclusion

The episode wraps up with heartfelt acknowledgments and a reflection on the human aspects of production, emphasizing the importance of teamwork and resilience in the face of adversity.

Conan O'Brien [30:09]: "Are we alone? Are we not? We'll never know. But we call this place Earth."

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Key Takeaways:

• Resilience in Adversity: The episode underscores Conan's ability to navigate personal tragedies while maintaining professional commitments, showcasing the strength of his bond with his team.

• Cultural Exploration: Through visits to significant cultural landmarks and interactions with local talent, the Austria episode offers viewers a rich tapestry of Austrian heritage infused with Conan's signature humor.

• Team Dynamics: The discussions highlight the indispensable role of the production team in overcoming challenges and bringing creative visions to fruition.

Notable Quotes:

• Conan O'Brien [04:15]: "Halfway through when I got a call that my father had passed away."

• Conan O'Brien [07:00]: "I was in a fugue state."

• Conan O'Brien [27:15]: "Singing with the Vienna Boys Choir. So those are all ones where I felt very much at home."

• Conan O'Brien [30:09]: "Are we alone? Are we not? We'll never know. But we call this place Earth."

This episode offers a compelling blend of personal reflection, cultural exploration, and behind-the-scenes anecdotes, providing listeners with an intimate glimpse into the making of "Conan O’Brien Must Go: Austria."

Transcript

[Conan O'Brien]

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[Sona Movsesian]

I would, Conan.

[Conan O'Brien]

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[Conan O'Brien]

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[Sona Movsesian]

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[Conan O'Brien]

Hey, Conan O' Brien here. And this is our third 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 it is jam packed with foolishness. It's inanity and insanity. I'm a man who's never been afraid to put on a fake mustache or beard. You'll be seeing plenty of that in this episode. Yeah, I am very happy with this episode. And it was a little bit of a strange one. For circumstances, I will explain, but first I'd like to tell you who's here with me. It's my team, my squad, my girl squad who helps me with all of these episodes. The nuclear corps behind all the travel shows, going back to Conan Without Borders on tbs. And now the MAX show. You got Mike Sweeney. Hello, Mike.

[Mike Sweeney]

Hello, Conan.

[Conan O'Brien]

And you also have Jesse Gaskell. Hello, Jesse.

[Jesse Gaskell]

Hi, Conan. Thanks for having us.

[Conan O'Brien]

Of course. Hi, Jose Arroyo.

[Jose Arroyo]

Hey. Hi, Conan.

[Conan O'Brien]

And this is Austria.

[Jesse Gaskell]

That's the episode.

[Conan O'Brien]

The. And this one was a little bit strange because 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. Late November, I got the call about hosting the Oscars. I said, yes, I would like to do that. And then we asked Nina Rosenstein at Max. At Max, is it okay if we do that? And she said, yes, we're thrilled with you doing the Oscars, but we do need you to finish up the last travel show. That would be great if you could do that. And we said, of course. So we immediately rushed off to Austria to start shooting, and we were working our way across the country, and I think we were maybe halfway through our travel show.

[Mike Sweeney]

We were exactly halfway.

[Conan O'Brien]

Halfway through when I got a call that my father had passed away. And so immediately we dropped everything. I jumped in a van, flew a couple of flights back to Boston, got there, and then two days after arriving, my mom passed away. And so it was this very powerful, strange time. And it was this double funeral, and everything was sort of chaotic and hard to process. And then a really lovely gesture I'll just pass along is that suddenly at the funeral in Boston, Mike Sweeney shows up with Jeff Ross with Sonam of Cession, with Jason Chalemi with Adam. And if I'm forgetting anyone, tell me. But that meant a lot to me, so I want to thank you guys for doing that. You then charged me for your airfare.

[Mike Sweeney]

I had Celtics tickets.

[Conan O'Brien]

You had Celtics tickets. But anyway, that blew my mind when you guys walked into the church. That was. I'll never forget that. And, Jesse, I don't know why you weren't there.

[Jesse Gaskell]

I wasn't invited. They didn't tell me they were going.

[Conan O'Brien]

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.

[Jose Arroyo]

It's a private party.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. And. But anyway, it was. So that happens. And then suddenly we're into It's Christmas. Then the fires.

[Jesse Gaskell]

Oh, my God.

[Conan O'Brien]

Then dislocated from my home. And we're working on the Oscars. I'm. You know, I'm living in a hotel. Craziness. And then the Mark Twain. Then the Mark Twain thing happened after the Oscars, and then it was immediately the day after the Twain. The next morning, we all jumped on planes and flew to Austria to continue the Austria show.

[Mike Sweeney]

Pick it Back up and you're running out of excuses.

[Conan O'Brien]

You're running out of excuses.

[Jesse Gaskell]

No more dead parents.

[Conan O'Brien]

But I'm getting another award. We're sick of you and your made up awards. I'm getting the O. Henry award and there's a twist at the end where there's no award. So anyway, we go back to Austria and it was three days. The first time we've ever done that for three days.

[Mike Sweeney]

I wind it up.

[Conan O'Brien]

What 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.

[Jesse Gaskell]

Oh my God.

[Conan O'Brien]

I was extra crazy, silly and free associating someone on drugs and that. So when you guys put the show.

[Jesse Gaskell]

Together, I was in a fugue state.

[Conan O'Brien]

I was in a fugue state.

[Mike Sweeney]

Perfect for Vienna.

[Conan O'Brien]

No, it really was. And 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 much later. Afterwards I'm back. But the viewer wouldn't know that. But it's just interesting.

[Mike Sweeney]

Also weather exactly the same four months later.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, exactly. More or less. Well, it was Christmassy. There was some Christmasy vibes, some decorations and then. But yeah, pretty much you'd never know. 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. But there's so many silly little ideas in that show. You guys go.

[Jose Arroyo]

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 we paused it when we were in Linz and you got the word about your dad. And I remember you came down to the breakfast area and it was just you and me. And you said, there's no easy way to say this, but my father passed away. And then Mike Sweeney and Jeff Frost came in and you just said, I know one thing, I won't be taking a yodeling lesson today.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, because that was on the schedule.

[Jose Arroyo]

That was on the schedule for.

[Conan O'Brien]

I was going to meet up with a fan and learn how to yodel.

[Jose Arroyo]

I know one thing.

[Conan O'Brien]

And I. And I. And I just knew that like you can't. If you hear about.

[Jesse Gaskell]

You weren't in the right heads if.

[Conan O'Brien]

You hear about your father. But also I knew that if you hear about your father passing away unexpectedly and you go, right, okay, time to yodel.

[Mike Sweeney]

Yeah, yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

In leather shorts.

[Jose Arroyo]

Exactly.

[Conan O'Brien]

That is the definition of a sociopath.

[Jose Arroyo]

You were a more evolved sociopath and you took a car to the airport and you went home.

[Conan O'Brien]

So, you know what's 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 Chalemmy, 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 all together, like, oh, yeah, no, no, no, that's okay. And look, these, you know, these things happen. 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. I was so. On the surface, I was acting like, uh, huh, huh. Well, I appreciate that and I guess we can pick up this later. I should go home. 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.

[Jesse Gaskell]

Yeah, well, it's nice to know you're human.

[Conan O'Brien]

It's.

[Jesse Gaskell]

I mean, really.

[Jose Arroyo]

Or he has a human side.

[Jesse Gaskell]

Oh, okay.

[Sona Movsesian]

I guess that's right.

[Jose Arroyo]

Exactly. Exactly.

[Conan O'Brien]

How do we know that? I just don't know how to put a watch on. You look at me and I've got this tangling from my earlobe. Well, see you later. Oh, that wasn't a sign of mourning.

[Jose Arroyo]

But we went back specifically to get the capital city, which is what we had sort of.

[Jesse Gaskell]

Vienna waited for you.

[Jose Arroyo]

Exactly. Nice, Nice.

[Mike Sweeney]

We spent a couple 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. We shot stuff with him, which is.

[Conan O'Brien]

Dante's eighth layer of hell, six through eight.

[Mike Sweeney]

And we shot something with him and then Jordan, which we ended up using so that worked out. But we went back to Vienna. The fan who was supposed to meet us in Linz, where he lived had him meet us. And it worked out great.

[Jose Arroyo]

Vienna. And he was wonderful.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yes. And I did yodel.

[Mike Sweeney]

And your watch went on.

[Jesse Gaskell]

You associated enough to yodel again.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yes.

[Mike Sweeney]

Everyone's gonna check how you're wearing your watch in these. This show.

[Jose Arroyo]

It was a very musical episode and.

[Mike Sweeney]

It'S very musical and it's.

[Conan O'Brien]

One of my favorite things is a segment where we. We visit the exact spot where Julie Andrews did the open for the Sound of Music.

[Mike Sweeney]

Yes, yes.

[Conan O'Brien]

And Jose Arroyo, 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.

[Mike Sweeney]

It's secret that you have to get. We had to go through a lot of different channels.

[Conan O'Brien]

You have to go to Julie and you have to. You have to talk to all the actors who played the children and they have to be lined up on a staircase.

[Jose Arroyo]

A lovely goatherd.

[Mike Sweeney]

Public is not allowed there. And the. It's on private property and the owner is very reticent too because 10 years ago they let ABC shoot there and I think they felt like it over publicized it or something.

[Conan O'Brien]

What was an episode of Loss?

[Mike Sweeney]

Exactly.

[Conan O'Brien]

And I think that, oh, they were.

[Jesse Gaskell]

Just mad that it didn't wrap up.

[Mike Sweeney]

But you were going to say Jose wrote this song.

[Conan O'Brien]

Jose wrote this song which is all about us not being able to clear the Sound of Music.

[Jose Arroyo]

We can't get the rights.

[Conan O'Brien]

Of course you can't get the rights. So you wrote a song about that which is in a similar vein. But of course not. And no lawyer could. Could find any similarity. But it was. It's really great work, Jose. And very creative 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 I really love those. I mean I love the, the sp. Nothing will ever beat spontaneous fun moments that we have with. And I'll say that from 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 at 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 won't say, hey, we gotta go. I wanna make sure it's just what you have in your head.

[Jose Arroyo]

Thank you. You were in. Later, Jose.

[Jesse Gaskell]

I was gonna say it was short.

[Jose Arroyo]

And it was cold. Up on that mountain.

[Conan O'Brien]

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[Aaron Blay]

Drinking one right now. I got the raspberry nectarine and it is tasty.

[Conan O'Brien]

It's very good. Very tasty. Everyone here in the office has been enjoying them. They're excellent. They are delicious. And you know, you say, what's flavor artistry? Some people think. Are you just talking a lot of high class nonsense, Conan? No, it's about custom crafting multi set sensorial flavor experiences of aroma, taste and mouthfeel that make you say wow wow to that sentence. Waterloo waters are crafted, not formulated or off the shelf. Just purified sparkling water and non GMO project verified natural flavors, which I insist on.

[Sona Movsesian]

Me too.

[Conan O'Brien]

With zero calories, sugars or sweeteners. I drink water constantly. I just had a couple of glasses of water and it was just regular water upstairs. And I regret that time. It was boring.

[Sona Movsesian]

You'll never get that back.

[Conan O'Brien]

I'll never get that time back. Three full glasses of water. I wish it was Waterloo and I could have had. What did you have? Raspberry. You know what, what's that one cracking.

[Aaron Blay]

Open a peach right now.

[Conan O'Brien]

Okay, well, you should. You could have offered that to me. You just ate it. Second when I haven't had one.

[Jesse Gaskell]

Oh, sorry.

[Conan O'Brien]

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[Sona Movsesian]

What?

[Conan O'Brien]

I'm not a poet or anything, but it's a season of renewal and quality rest.

[Sona Movsesian]

That's nice.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, really good rest. You know, winter's been so cold. It's hard to sleep in all that cold. And the wind's howling.

[Sona Movsesian]

That's wind?

[Conan O'Brien]

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[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah. You go in a plane and then you stream your podcast.

[Conan O'Brien]

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[Mike Sweeney]

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[Conan O'Brien]

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[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

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[Sona Movsesian]

Right.

[Conan O'Brien]

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[Sona Movsesian]

Yeah. You FaceTimed me before from another country and it was crisp. She was clear.

[Conan O'Brien]

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[Jesse Gaskell]

Yeah, yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

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[Sona Movsesian]

So many cool people.

[Conan O'Brien]

There's so many cool. Yeah. So cool. I have the coolest friends. Cheers to 50 years of Miller Lite. The greatest tasting light beer for people who love beer since 1975.

[Jesse Gaskell]

Yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

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[Sona Movsesian]

What?

[Conan O'Brien]

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I didn't.

[Conan O'Brien]

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[Conan O'Brien]

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[Mike Sweeney]

You know, Julie Andrews, it was a helicopter, of course, in 1965. But 64, with a drone that she shot it. It came out in 65.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, they shot it in 64.

[Mike Sweeney]

Right. But I thought people would relate more to when the movie came out.

[Conan O'Brien]

I think people relate to the truth.

[Jesse Gaskell]

Get a room, you two.

[Conan O'Brien]

Anyway, when they shot it, they used a real helicopter.

[Mike Sweeney]

Who gives a fuck?

[Conan O'Brien]

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 directing the movie said, I'll do it. And he got in the helicopter and he' like hanging out of a helicopter. But the helicopter has to come really close to Julie Andrews. And the backwash from a helicopter is a serious deal. So 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. She got flattened a couple of times by just the wind. She got knocked down 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.

[Jesse Gaskell]

I was like, what the fuck?

[Conan O'Brien]

Let's just fucking pull this shit together. I'm fucking. I got fucking knocked down like 15 fucking times. But she did it at the highest register with a beautiful multi octave range. Fuck. Fuck you fucking assholes.

[Mike Sweeney]

They also tried, like, there's a scene where she walks along a brook and. And through some poplar trees. They. That was all trucked in. They built a stream, they ran a. Yeah, all.

[Conan O'Brien]

That was all it was manufactured. But anyway, that was.

[Mike Sweeney]

Oh, you know what else?

[Conan O'Brien]

There was a ski lift.

[Mike Sweeney]

We had this great drone shot. There's a ski lift to one side and all these new buildings. So our great graphics artist painstakingly.

[Jesse Gaskell]

Chris Weller.

[Mike Sweeney]

Chris Weller painted them out.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. He also painstakingly repaired my face so that I appear to be prettier than a late. Late 30s and a male.

[Jose Arroyo]

You lowered the hem of your lederhosen by 3 inches.

[Conan O'Brien]

Because there was an issue there.

[Jose Arroyo]

Yeah, yeah.

[Conan O'Brien]

With standards.

[Aaron Blay]

Can I say one thing, which is.

[Conan O'Brien]

This better be good.

[Aaron Blay]

Well, well, speaking of.

[Conan O'Brien]

And we should identify. This is Aaron Blay. Otherwise we call him Blay. Hi.

[Aaron Blay]

You know, we started this show in Zurich. You know, 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?

[Mike Sweeney]

That's the first story, the first day.

[Aaron Blay]

Well, anyway, so we're kind of running around. Jose was in the bathroom. So we're kind of waiting for Jose.

[Conan O'Brien]

Jose's always in the bathroom.

[Aaron Blay]

And we're like, where's Jose?

[Conan O'Brien]

Where's Jose?

[Aaron Blay]

And we're all on the bus, ready to go. And we're going to drive. I think he's.

[Conan O'Brien]

He's seated on the toilet, urinating.

[Aaron Blay]

Yes. But I think, Sweeney, we were going to drive to Austria.

[Mike Sweeney]

We're driving to the town of Pilgrim from Switzerland.

[Conan O'Brien]

Right, right.

[Aaron Blay]

And so 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, driving, driving, driving for a while. And then in the very. I'm kind of sitting towards the back.

[Mike Sweeney]

40 minutes.

[Aaron Blay]

40 minutes. A good solid 40 minutes.

[Conan O'Brien]

And this recounting of it better be not as long as. That's right. Go ahead.

[Aaron Blay]

And then I hear behind me there's some talking. And our drone guy stands up. He goes, where?

[Conan O'Brien]

Where?

[Aaron Blay]

You know, are we going to the city center? And everyone's kind of talking. And then we go, no, we're driving to Feldchurch. He goes, I can't. I have to go to the city center. I can't go to Feldkirch. And it just happened that he was not our drone guy. He was a random tourist who got on the bus.

[Conan O'Brien]

He saw us getting on a bus, thought it was a tour bus, and he drove.

[Mike Sweeney]

He thought it was a hotel shuttle.

[Conan O'Brien]

Way out of our way, way out of his way. And he suddenly realized that he's part of a Conan o' Brie shoot that's taking him to God knows where. He's probably gonna have to yodel.

[Jesse Gaskell]

I'm with Stanley Tucci.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. I'm supposed to be with Ava Laundry.

[Aaron Blay]

But we were driving for, like, almost an hour.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yes. Yeah. Oh. And he looked quite upset. He was upset, 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 the other thing, he dropped him.

[Jose Arroyo]

Off at a gas station. He literally was 40 minutes away. And we totally was in a wheelchair.

[Conan O'Brien]

And he was not. Well. He was on a respirator, though. I also want to point out that my first memory of. I wake up in. Someone had gifted me this cool little. I like, travel gear. And someone had gifted me this really cool small hairdryer that's like, folds out. I think it's Japanese. It folds out. It's kind of got a sleek, cool, robotic ray gun look. And I was like, oh, cool. I'm gonna bring this on my. To Austria. So 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 hairdryer, 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 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 major explosion on the third floor. And I said, someone was using a Japanese hairdryer. But it was later explained to me that you have to bring a. Just using the con, just using the converter isn't enough. 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.

[Mike Sweeney]

Right.

[Conan O'Brien]

And there have been many casualties and.

[Mike Sweeney]

He'S been sued by the family of the. That dead tourist. Yeah, died at the gas station.

[Conan O'Brien]

Okay, that's not, I, I don't like that we've took that too far. And I apologize to everyone. Or not far enough. Yeah, but so very musical.

[Jose Arroyo]

And you, you, you encountered really 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.

[Jesse Gaskell]

That's what brings us there. And then we, Exactly.

[Jose Arroyo]

We're motivated by.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's always meet the fan. And then the fan is my reason, is my way in. And I use them, I use my fans. You do, you ring the dry, then you pivot. And then 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 think to a degree it's me. I don't know what happens to me, but if you put me in a classic Conan, if you put me in a certain outfit or a certain milieu, I start babbling. And one is at the Sigmund Freud's home and office that I visited and the other, there's also a snow globe museum.

[Jose Arroyo]

Yes, you were riffing a lot in that one.

[Conan O'Brien]

And then there's finally singing with the Vienna Boys Choir. So those are all ones where I felt very much at home, like, this is me. If I was put on this earth for any reason, it was to do this. And that's both the good news and the bad news.

[Jesse Gaskell]

Well, that's amazing that that feels so comfortable for you because I think, I don't know, I watch and I think, wow, that would be a lot of stress to be thrust into this situation. And we often do. I mean, we throw you into these shark infested waters a lot of times. But then it's like, that's.

[Conan O'Brien]

You guys gave me a beard and a cigar and let me speak in a corny Viennese accent.

[Mike Sweeney]

And you looked, I have to say the transformation was amazing.

[Jose Arroyo]

Very funny.

[Conan O'Brien]

Well, I'm very happy with, I was very happy with. I mean, I enjoyed making this season Austria, despite the complicated emotions involved in that show might be my favorite for just, you know, I don't know. It has.

[Jesse Gaskell]

It's so funny. It's so surprising. Yes.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yeah. Maybe blowing off steam. There's something. Something's being off, gassed or vented.

[Mike Sweeney]

Oh, and there's a surprise. There's a bonus episode tucked into it.

[Conan O'Brien]

Tucked into.

[Jose Arroyo]

That's right.

[Conan O'Brien]

Wow. Okay. That might be promising too much. A whole bonus episode, but yes. Or maybe we'll take it out. No, it really is. No, no, no, no. Leave it in, Leave it in.

[Mike Sweeney]

Well, bonus in quotes. I thought that was understood.

[Conan O'Brien]

I'm going to wrap this up, but again, I want to thank my intrepid team, Mike Sweeney.

[Jose Arroyo]

This is where I hold up a sign with my name on it.

[Conan O'Brien]

Jose Arroyo.

[Jose Arroyo]

Close enough.

[Conan O'Brien]

Jose Arroyo and Jesse Gaskell. And I want to tell you that if you. This Max show is out now. The third episode. Conan Braun must go Austria. And if you would like to be considered to be one of the fans that I visit anywhere in the world, it's pretty simple to reach out to us. Just go to teamcoco.com apply once again, that's teamcoco.com apply and maybe I'll come visit you wherever you are on this spinning blue, lonely globe called Earth.

[Jesse Gaskell]

So get ready. I mean, you should wake up every day, assuming Conan might show up at your door.

[Mike Sweeney]

Dress camera ready.

[Jesse Gaskell]

Yes, exactly.

[Conan O'Brien]

I had a beautiful ending that ended with the image of the Earth spinning in the black void. And I'm. And then you guys came in.

[Jesse Gaskell]

We could end it there.

[Conan O'Brien]

No, I just want to say that I appreciate the work that you guys have done for this show. As can I mention this, microscopic inhabitants of this tiny blue spherical speck that drifts alone in an 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 sweet. Go for it. You have to do it. Go for it. You had one more thing to add.

[Mike Sweeney]

Gas station.

[Conan O'Brien]

Yes.

[Jesse Gaskell]

I knew it.

[Matt Gourley]

Conan o' Brien needs a fan. With Conan o' Brien, Sonam of Session and Matt Gourley Produced by me, Matt Gourley Executive produced by Adam Sachs, Jeff Ross and Nick Leow Incidental music by Jimmy Vivino.

[Conan O'Brien]

Take it away, Jimmy.

[Matt Gourley]

Supervising producer Aaron Blair Associate talent producer Jennifer Samples Associate producers Sean Doherty and Lisa Berm Engineering by eduardo Perez. Get three free months of SiriusXM when you sign [e-mail] Conan Please rate, review and subscribe to Conan O' Brien needs a fan Wherever fine podcasts are downloaded.

[Jimmy Vivino]

This episode is sponsored by E Trade from Morgan Stanley Dive into the market with eTrade's easy to use tools and now there's even more to love. Get access to expert insights from Morgan Stanley to help navigate the markets. Open an account and get up to $1,000 or more with a qualifying deposit. Learn [e-mail] terms and other fees apply. Investing involves risks. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC Member SIPIC E Trade is a business of Morgan stanley at Carl's Jr. Lake birds get.

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[Conan O'Brien]

Price may vary.

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