( CNN ) -- Jimmy Fallon left us with great memories after five years on `` Late Night , '' but the pressure was on for his first time hosting `` The Tonight Show '' on Monday . Yet at the end of the hour , we were left with a `` Tonight Show '' that offered both surprising moments and big laughs , although it might 've included a lot more than we 'll see on an average night , since it was Fallon 's first show . Will Smith was the night 's guest , U2 provided some music , and house band the Roots was as sharp as ever . ( As Fallon said during his opening monologue , they 're `` the most talented band in all the land , '' and he `` could n't do the show '' without them . ) That alone was a set-up for a great show , but Fallon also called on celebrity friends like Tina Fey and Stephen Colbert to help him get his version of `` Tonight '' off to a good start . Jimmy Fallon 's 'Tonight Show ' debut : New show , same Jimmy . The effort paid off , as early reviews have been quite positive , with TVLine calling the show `` vibrant and fresh '' and USA Today saying Fallon was `` easy to like . '' Fallon was a hit online as well , with tweet after tweet praising his performance , even from Jay Leno fans : . If you missed the premiere or want to relive some of the best moments , here are our five favorite scenes from Fallon 's first `` Tonight Show . '' 1 . Will Smith and the `` Evolution of Hip-Hop Dancing '' Right away , it was clear that several of Fallon 's `` Late Night '' staples were n't going anywhere , including his occasional `` Evolution of Dancing '' sketches . Fallon 's first guest , Smith , helped him during an `` Evolution of Hip-Hop Dancing '' sketch , with both performers wearing '90s-style overalls and gamely showing off a number of hip-hop moves like the `` Running Man , '' `` Kid N Play '' and -- of course -- `` the Carlton . '' Smith was on fire during the whole episode . He later gave Fallon some heartwarming words of wisdom : . 2 . A family affair . Fallon 's dad , whom he jokingly referenced in his final `` Late Night '' episode as being disappointed in him , showed up along with the 39-year-old comedian 's mom . Seeing his parents in the audience was a sweet moment for a guy who probably only dreamed he might ever host `` The Tonight Show '' as a kid . It was a nice way to start the show before getting into the typical monologue jokes . 3 . The parade of cameos . Moments after sitting down to his desk for the first time , Fallon made reference to a `` buddy '' who owed him $ 100 after betting he would never host `` The Tonight Show . '' The next thing you know , Robert De Niro ( Fallon 's first `` Late Night '' guest ) showed up with a $ 100 bill . Then Tina Fey followed with yet another $ 100 bill . And then Joe Namath , Mariah Carey , Lindsay Lohan , Tracy Morgan , Seth Rogen , Kim Kardashian , Lady Gaga , Mike Tyson and Joan Rivers ( not seen on `` The Tonight Show '' since the Carson years , when she was banned ) also showed up to slap down their Benjamins . Finally , Stephen Colbert arrived with $ 100 in pennies , took a selfie and announced `` Welcome to 11:30 , b***h ! '' It was a jaw-dropping moment to say the least , and we have to say we agree with this viewer : . 4 . U2 at the Top of the Rock . All of these moments show how Fallon is planning to make `` The Tonight Show '' his own , but none presented his perspective quite like having U2 perform on the roof of the Rockefeller Center . The band set up came even before Smith was officially brought out as the night 's guest . The sunset above the New York skyline during U2 's performance looked beautiful , and it made for an original and unexpected moment . 5 . U2 , unplugged . Yep , U2 was so awesome on Fallon 's `` Tonight '' that the band is taking up two moments on this list . Fallon said that if he ever had them on the show , he 'd have them perform a song stripped down , with just acoustic guitars and Bono singing . On Monday night , U2 did just that , performing the Oscar-nominated `` Ordinary Love '' for the audience in a memorable , fitting end to the very first `` Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon . '' Fallon 's 'Tonight Show ' : A throwback or new guard ?
Jimmy Fallon 's first night as host of ` ` Tonight '' was well - received . Critics have called him ` ` easy to like '' and ` ` fresh '' Online , social media were filled with praise . Some of the night 's best moments included Will Smith and U2 .