Just saw Nico Vega perform a set for the late night show “Last Call With Carson Daly.”  It will air Friday night on NBC…technically early Saturday morning, but for all intents and purposes, Friday night.  Their set was great, it sounded amazing and the energy was high.  This is a band that I have seen many times and they always put on a good show…I hope that their presence translates to TV…it should.

Cheese

I do have to tell you the best part about the performance was that it was not at all what I expected.  I thought I would sit through a Carson Daly taping, and have to watch his monologue and interviews all the while trying to stay awake for the musical finale.  However, the stage was outdoors, I didn’t even enter the studio, and the band played 3 songs.  It will be determined later which one will air, but Carson Daly was nowhere to be seen.

[A side note: Before Nico Vega performed, Chris Cornell (Sound Garden, Audioslave) played four songs which I did not see.  Remaining from that show and standing next to me was a woman that may have been the biggest Chris Cornell enthusiasts ever.  (Based on the previous statement: Do I really need to explain that she was exceptionally odd?)  I should let you know that I, the captain, have a very honest face and people tend to tell me things whether I ask them to do so or not.  So, for this reason the woman decided to tell me a story about the time she saw Audioslave and Chris Cornell came on stage with out a shirt. "He hardly ever takes his shirt off," the woman said emphatically. "I was so excited." Then she gave me a crooked smile and proceeded to tell me about how she could see down the crack of his ass and could almost spot his junk down the front of his pants, but "his damn guitar was in the way."

All the while, I had to be polite and listen to her, because when you are packed in a crowd, you can't make a fast getaway.  Who knew if this woman had a knife with her amongst her pounds and pounds of Chris Cornell Memorabilia?  The captain was not willing to take that chance.]

Honestly I felt a little bit like a dork saying that I actually chose to go see a taping of “Last Call With Carson Daly,” possibly the worst late night host that Jimmy Fallon is trying desperately not to become.  Yet, if Carson wasn’t there, does the taping of “Last Call With Carson Daly” that I went to actually count?  I am going to say no just so that I can save face for my readers, but mainly for myself.

As for Jimmy Fallon, I DVRed the first episode to witness “television history,” yet I was unable to make it to the first interview.  I was turned off by the fact that he actually had a segment about licking something and getting $10.  There were 3 contestants and they all licked some random bullshit…a lawnmower, a photo copier, and a fish bowl.  This is the first episode!!!! Don’t you have paid team of talented writers that can come up with a better idea? A sixth grade basketball team could probably come up with something better.  It was almost mildly entertaining for the first one, but by the time the second contestant licked their item, my minimal interest had waned.  How long can someone watch Jimmy Fallon poll the audience about where someone should lick something?

The Roots

“Should he lick here…or OVER HERE!?!”  Oh the drama!  The only saving grace for that show is the fact that it has The Roots as its’ house band.   The Roots are an exceptionally great live band and whatever bet they lost to end up on this show must have been worth it.  I will tune into the show in about a week or so and if it’s any better maybe I will watch…I actually had to struggle through the monologue.  Seriously, Carson Daly has a better opening monologue and Jimmy started as a stand up!  What happened there?  He was so shifty during his jokes that I had to take a dramamine just to keep down my lunch.  Why did Conan need to be replaced?

As for Conan, he will be missed.  I was not a consistent watcher of Conan O’Brien’s show, but he was entertaining.  If I was up, and “Late Night With Conan O’Brien” was on…it was what I was watching.  It was as show, where I stayed up to watch an interview with some B-list reality star that I hadn’t even heard about rather than going to sleep.  That was a show that made me laugh. I will miss that show.  I hope to see Conan on TV sometime soon.

Well, enough ramblings.  Here’s a video showcasing the reason I actually started this entry.