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Actor and comedian Joel McHale returns to the podcast to discuss his band the Vogotas, his habit of giving Conan increasingly illegal weapons as gifts, and hosting Fox's game show The 1% Club. The conversation veers into absurd historical tangents, including elaborate fabrications about trying on Abraham Lincoln's blood-stained coat and doing a robot dance in a museum. Throughout, Conan and McHale trade deadpan insults, debate the merits of oysters, and examine their respective marital dynamics.
Listeners get a masterclass in absurdist banter as Conan and McHale escalate stories from mundane talk-show promotion into complete nonsense. The episode is worth listening to for the physical comedy of unwrapping a California-illegal sword cane on air, and the sheer unpredictability of McHale's asides that leave both Conan and the production crew in hysterics.
The episode opens with a brief ad for Liberty Mutual and Granger, followed by Joel McHale’s introduction and a playful studio banter.
Joel recounts how he met guitarist Jason Roberts, formed a band, and the evolution of his side project, the Vogotas.
Discussion of the Vogotas’ live shows, setlists, and the decision to name the band after Abe Vogota, including merch plans.
Joel and his guest discuss game shows, the 1% Club, and Joel’s aversion to hosting, interspersed with playful banter about oysters and prizes.
Joel welcomes his friend, a comedian from Community, and jokes about obsessive coffee drinking before diving into the main interview.
The conversation turns to Joel’s collection of unusual gifts—sword canes, knives, and other weapons—delving into their legality and the humor surrounding them.
The pair recall Joel’s brief fraternity experience, college football, and the cultural differences between fraternities and sororities.
The hosts joke about traveling, visiting Iceland, and the absurdity of wanting to try oysters while avoiding them.
Joel shares memories of Seattle’s theater scene, improv experiences, and the quirky gum wall at Pike Place Market.
Conan reminisces about a trip to Halifax, describing the friendly locals and the scenic beach walk.
Conan and Joel talk about each other's collection habits, joking about military trucks and personal quirks.
Conan promotes his show Animal Control, mentioning upcoming seasons and the network airing schedule.
Starting the show with gigglesstory
Conan opens the episode by noting people are giggling in the studio for multiple reasons, which he decides to just roll with alongside his contractual buds.
Unpacking an illegal sword canestory
Joel McHale gifts Conan a carbon-fiber sword cane, which Conan is thrilled to unwrap despite it being illegal to possess in California.
Getting kicked out of a fraternitystory
Joel reveals he was forced to leave his college fraternity because it was too dirty, prompting him to move back home.
Buying glasses like Jeff Goldblumstory
Conan explains how meeting Jeff Goldblum in a voiceover booth led to an intimate encounter and an expensive addiction to Jacques Marie Lamarche glasses.
Trying on Lincoln's coatinsight
Conan spins an elaborate, completely fabricated story about museum curators letting him try on Abraham Lincoln's shot coat and do the Charleston.
“Owning a car or home comes with responsibilities.”
“I do that all the time. I'm like, oh, these bills, these bills.”
“I was feeling like I was getting stagnant on guitar.”
“And I do vocals and rhythm guitar and occasional goofy solos.”
“I love Seattle. I really do. And you, um, you got sort of your start in Seattle because you did theater games.”
“He was lovely. Incredibly smart, whip smart. So.”
“In 2025, AI fraud spiked 1,210% and cost Americans $893 million.”
Actor, comedian, and television host Joel McHale feels blank about being Conan O’Brien’s friend. Joel sits down with Conan once more to discuss solo spousal vacations, adventurous palates, his early days performing theater sports at Pike Place, and absurd internet impulse buys. Later, Conan ponders which president he could portray while he and the team Review the Reviewers. For Conan videos, tour dates and more visit TeamCoco.com. Got a question for Conan? Call our voicemail: (323) 362-2295.
14,285 words · 8 speakers
Speaker names marked are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.
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