Jaunted

It's once you arrive in line that the cattle call commences. Have your I.D. ready, secure your paper wristband, and fall in with the rest of Señor Conando's diehard fans. The outdoor holding area is shaded, and they've installed mist machines to keep audience members cool at the height of summer.

Around an hour later, you'll be herded in small groups into the studio, instructed to march single file, which might inspire flashbacks to elementary school field trips. Before you head inside, take note that you have one chance, and one chance only, to use the bathroom before the taping lets out. Taking this emergency break does mean forfeiting your spot in the security check queue, so it's up to you to decide whether nature's call or prime, first-come-first-serve seating is a priority.

Take a seat, please

After passing through the requisite metal detector and tossing out that half-consumed bottle of water you were holding onto in line, show docents—detectable by their matching grey suits—will show you to your seats. You don't have a choice of where you'll sit, so don't try to argue otherwise, but be comforted by the fact the studio is small and the only "bad" vantage point we saw was on the second tier, right behind a cameraman.

Hopefully you brought a cardigan, because they pump the set with freon-happy cold air. Until the warm-up comedian appears to rouse the audience to laugh (painful jokes about where people are from abound), you'll sit tight and chat with your fellow guests.

Mark "The Loveman" Pender and Conan's Right-Hand Man

Said warm-up comic leaves the stage after giving you vital information about when to clap and explicit instructions to stop Twittering while in the studio. Soon afterward, Max Weinberg and the Max Weinberg 7 hit the stage, with trumpet player Mark "The Loveman" Pender doing his signature jazzy wail while running up and down the audience seating stairs. Introduced pre-show, too, is Conan's recently reunited right-hand man, Andy Richter, who is now the show's announcer rather than the host's quippy couch buddy.

"And here's your host..."

The moment of truth comes when Conan is introduced in all his coiffed, string dancing glory. It's now that you're probably hoping for juicy details about what happens in-between celebrity interviews and so on, but the truth is that a show taping unfolds almost identically to the pace you see at home. This isn't to say that attending a taping isn't worth the trip—far from it—but The Tonight Show is run like a well-oiled machine. Set changes and vignette setups are smooth and uninterrupted, and Conan is usually busy chatting with his guests or talking with a show producer during scheduled commercial breaks.

However, there is always an air of unpredictability swirling around the set. For instance, no one could've predicted Conan would be bumped by a horse's backside during a a Noches de Pasion skit, which we were lucky enough to bear witness to. And there is a possibility The Tonight Show will treat you with an audience extra, like the preview of a Triumph bit we were given the day before it aired on television.

The affable, red pompadour-ed O'Brien is a gracious and kind host. He'll of course thank you for coming, and will often crack jokes at the end of the show while shooting three day-of promos. The opportunity to see him in action live is well worth the walking, waiting, and contending with a chilly studio. We've submitted our next ticket request already.

Related Stories
· The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien [Official Site]
· How to Score Tickets to Conan O'Brien's Tonight Show [Jaunted]
· Three Months Into The Tonight Show, Conan Goes Native In LA [Jaunted]

[Photo: NBC]