Ep 1. Will Ferrell, Pearl Jam

On June 1, 2009, Conan O’Brien took over the reins of The Tonight Show as the new host and began his first episode with a bang. The guests for the evening were the hilarious comedian and actor Will Ferrell and the legendary rock band Pearl Jam. The episode was aired live from the NBC Studios in Burbank, California, and marked the beginning of a new era in late-night television.

Conan kicked off the show with his trademark humor, high energy, and long-legged dance moves. He talked about his long-awaited dream of hosting The Tonight Show and thanked his fans for supporting him. He then introduced Will Ferrell, who came to the stage dressed in a T-shirt and shorts, ready to make the audience laugh.

Will and Conan exchanged some banter about the show and how it was going to be different from when Jay Leno hosted it. Will joked about how he was surprised to be invited to the first show, given that he thought he was only going to be offered jobs that involved him getting greased up and shirtless. The audience was in splits as he continued to crack jokes about his own appearance and admitted that he hadn't known that Conan was going to host the show until three weeks ago.

After some back-and-forth banter, Will went on to promote his upcoming movie, Land of the Lost. He shared some behind-the-scenes moments from the film and talked about how he had to wear a backpack made of fresh vegetables to simulate a pickup truck. He then treated the audience to a hilarious skit in which he recreated scenes from some of his most famous movies, but with a twist. For instance, he played Ron Burgundy from Anchorman as a clueless news anchor from the 1950s who had to report on modern-day events like Twitter.

Next up was the musical guest for the evening, the iconic rock band Pearl Jam. The band had just released their ninth studio album, Backspacer, and they chose to perform two fan-favorite classics, "Got Some" and "Amongst the Waves," along with a new song from the album, "The Fixer." Eddie Vedder's powerful vocals and the band's tight musicianship rocked the house, and the audience was on their feet cheering and clapping.

After the music, Conan returned to the stage and continued his conversation with Will. The two talked about their experiences living and working in Los Angeles and how their families reacted to their decisions to go into show business. Will also talked about his charity organization, Cancer for College, which offers scholarships to cancer survivors.

Conan then brought out Pearl Jam for a final segment and presented them with a gift of personalized guitars. The band members expressed their gratitude for the gift and joked about what they'd do if they had to share a hotel room. They also talked about their upcoming tour and how it was going to be both a celebration of their 20th anniversary and a chance to connect with their fans in a more intimate setting.

The entire first episode of The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien was a joy to watch. Conan proved that he was the perfect host for the show, with his infectious humor, upbeat personality, and ability to keep the show flowing smoothly. Will Ferrell was a hilarious guest who kept the laughs coming, while Pearl Jam delivered a stellar performance that showed why they are one of the greatest rock bands of all time. Together, they made for a memorable first episode that set the tone for an exciting new era in late-night television.