Joe Rogan podcast. Check it out.

>> The Joe Rogan Experience.

>> TRAIN BY DAY. JOE ROGAN PODCAST BY

NIGHT. All day.

>> David Joseph.

>> Good to see you,

>> dude. I haven't seen you in a long

[ __ ] time. When was the last time we

were actually in a room together?

>> I Well, I was trying to think of that. I

don't know. I would imagine post news

radio we hung out at some point at some

show somewhere

>> somewhere.

>> But I don't know. But I do remember uh

cuz I did News Radio a couple times and

we we hung out. I remember

>> I think we both No, just you had more

hair than uh I was probably already at

this point.

>> I was fighting to keep it. I was hanging

on.

>> Are you Do you shave or is that it? Is

that

>> Oh, it's I mean I'm bald. If I didn't

shave, I'd be bald all the way up here.

But I got a hair transplant

>> and it was useless.

>> Yeah.

>> I I did a joke about it. I go having a

hair transplant is like taking people

that are healthy and moving them into a

neighborhood where everyone's dying.

>> This is just like where did Bob go? He

just [ __ ] flew off the face of the

earth.

>> So, uh yeah, you So, you've just

accepted it and said, "Fuck it." Yeah.

>> I should have done it a long time ago.

It's so much better. And I don't have to

talk to a barber. I don't have to listen

to boring [ __ ] stories while they

hold you hostage with a pair of

scissors.

>> That's what That's what this is. Uh,

this gets me I I don't like shaving. I

don't It's kind of a pain in the ass.

And I also I look like a kind of a tur I

look like a turtle, you know, when I

shave. And I don't like it. Um, and it's

not attractive to me and I jerk off to

me all the time. So, I want to keep

things fresh. Uh, but uh I this I

probably don't have to. I could probably

get clippers and stuff, but I go to, you

know, one of my guys around the corner

where I live and uh

>> and I I have this experience where

I'm I'm I want that. I want to get in

and out, right? Because of what you were

saying, a lot of chitchat.

>> And there are a couple guys, very quiet.

Hi, how you doing? Good. Fist bump,

whatever. You got you know what I want.

Get get out of there. There's one guy

who

just talks all the and and then they

have that um the blade, you know,

>> the the what do you call that? The

>> you know the

>> blade blade straight razor. Thank you.

And um

>> and they got it right there. So you got

to be polite. It's on your It's by your

>> Yeah. you know, and uh

I know I could avoid it if I just get

some clippers and just do this thing,

but I don't. I don't know. That was

boring. And sorry,

>> as I was there's no point to it.

>> Barely has anything to do with what we

were talking about. I there's something

about a beard though that makes you

distinguished or at least have

experience

>> or or look like a homeless, you know, uh

alcoholic. I mean, there are plenty of

those guys, too.

>> Yeah, there's a lot of those, too. But a

beard is like there's some there's a is

a statement with a beard. Like a full

beard like yours, white. Mine is just

you know I don't like shaving like you

know and again I I I

do like I only gain weight in two places

stomach and right here and if and and

also I have a kind of a thin frame so

it's it's really not attractive. It's

not attractive.

>> So the beard sort of

>> it's it's more laziness. It's uh I don't

have to worry about it.

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah. No, I I hear you.

>> And this, you know, I just I go, I don't

know, six, seven weeks and then I just

shave it once it gets out because this

my hair doesn't grow down or it just

grows out like a clown, you know? It

goes this way. All of it. Even this too.

And uh and once this starts filling in,

it it just looks goofy.

>> Yeah. I have a friend, my friend Assan.

He used to shave his head and now

purposely to look goofy, he lets the

sides go out and it's madness. It's just

it's all [ __ ] crazy thick hair

>> and bald on top.

>> And bald on top. Yeah.

>> And he does a joke on stage about it. He

doesn't imp he's Indian. This is my

impression of an Indian [ __ ]

>> Well, and is he just like not concerned

about getting laid or? Yeah. I think

he's just embracing, but he still gets

laid, you know, cuz he's really he's

really funny. I think he just embraces

not giving a [ __ ] There he is.

>> Oh, he looks familiar to me. Okay.

>> Very funny guy.

>> All right, cool.

>> He's uh one of the upandcomer Well, he's

from LA originally. He was one of the

doormen at the comedy store.

>> Okay. He looks very professorial.

>> He's very smart.

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah. But uh doesn't give a [ __ ] about

his hair.

>> Who's that? Art Bell.

>> I was gonna guess Art Bell. I swear to

God.

>> Yeah.

>> I swear to God. I don't even know if

I've ever seen him coast to coast.

>> Yes. Yes.

>> Holy [ __ ]

>> From the Kingdom of Nigh.

>> Wow.

>> I [ __ ] loved that show. That was the

show that I listened to coming home from

Hollywood cuz I lived out in the valley

and I would drive home at night and I'd

listen to Late Night with Art Bell. The

best.

>> Coast to Coast with Art Bell. I used to

do a whole bit about

uh the like um because who's the new

guy? George Nordy. George Nordy, right?

>> And I'm going to uh digress for one

second. Did you ever uh do you play

video games at all?

>> Yes.

>> Well, I try not to,

>> but I used to play a lot of them.

>> Did you ever play Prey?

>> No, but I know what it is.

>> A great underrated underrated game. Got

ripped off. uh or just people bit

certain things that they um started. But

one of the coolest things, so it's about

like this uh it takes place on a uh uh

reservation like you know uh in the '9s

I guess or something like that and

there's a bartender and her boyfriend

and and it takes place in this bar and

then aliens come and

then this guy goes on the alien ship to

uh go rescue her. But um they did this

really cool thing. So first they have

this in the video game right at the bar

there's a TV and as you walk towards it

it there it's playing it's like staticky

until you get closer to it and then as

your character gets closer to it it's

art bell talking about aliens and stuff.

>> I know I know I'm not doing it justice

but it was such a cool smart idea and uh

God bless him. He was the OG.

>> Yeah. And and the just some of the guy I

one thing that cuz I listen to it a lot

too cuz sometimes

you know you're listening and you're

like this is insane. This is crazy. And

he would always

always treat the guest with difference

you know respect. And I I that must have

been

because there there were things that

were, you know, if you go back to all

the episodes that were kind of

contradictory in a sense, you know, like

wait, you think all these things happen?

You think there's a a a place in the

middle of the ocean that has like it's a

community of people that live there and

and and then but you also think this

like all these different things. It'd be

like, huh, interesting.

>> Yeah. Yeah, he would let you go.

>> He'd let you go. Yeah,

>> he'd give it some air.

>> Uh, but he was Yeah, he was never rude

or

>> No, never. You call him up. He had a

time traveler line where you would call

specifically if you were a time

traveler.

>> What if But if you were calling from the

past, they didn't have that technology

yet. How

>> That's mostly people from the future, I

believe.

>> Wait, like Art, I'm calling from seven

minutes in the future. Listen, I think

his his whole deal was if you are here

in this current era but you are from

another time, you could call because you

know the idea was like he would have

these remote viewers and oddballs on and

they would talk about that we we have

had the ability to time travel for a

long time.

>> Oh yeah.

>> You know there are wormholes that exists

and they explain the quantum dynamics

involved and time travel has been

breached by the CIA in the 1960s.

>> Yes. And uh you'd have these people call

up, but Art would always like give him

air. Like, let him breathe. Let it

breathe. Y

>> Yeah. Art, I'm a werewolf. Interesting.

Tell me more. Like it it didn't matter.

No matter what it was, it was a fun

show.

>> He had I loved it. Craziest people from

[ __ ] Bigfoot people to alien people,

>> everything. And and then a lot of people

uh ex-military, right? You know, you get

that like

>> whistleblowers. Um, I was uh stationed

in uh

>> yeah,

>> you know, outside of uh a remote island

that uh I can't go into off of Singapore

and uh I witnessed some things or that I

still have difficulty believing and uh

and then he Yeah. What happened?

>> It was great.

>> Yeah.

>> So fun.

>> And and you So did you also listen to

Phil Hendry?

>> Yes.

>> Oh god,

>> he was the best.

>> Super genius. The best thing about Phil

Henry was the people that didn't

understand what was going on that would

call in and be really upset.

>> The first the first two times I heard

him, I didn't understand what he was

doing. He's he's that good, too. Then I

and I would be like, "This is crazy,

this guy." And then eventually you're

like, "Oh, he's doing characters." Uh

>> because he'd, you know, repeat

characters and stuff, but I I got the

chance to watch him do a show. So he's

got he's he's got the he's got three

mics I want to say

like two mics like this and then a phone

mic or you know a phone like a hand a

oldtime you know cradle phone and he was

doing himself uh the the woman who's uh

runs the uh HOA or whatever that uh

whatever her name was that that

character and then somebody

calling in like he did somebody calling

on the phone and it was uh

>> I mean it was like a magic act. It was

crazy to watch how without missing a

beat and I

>> could see uh you can see how he

strategically takes breaths

>> so that he can go from one character to

another and interrupting each other.

>> Yeah.

>> You know it it it was fascinating. But

he's a genius. It's the only thing that

caught I right away I was like, "Oh,

wait a minute. There's no cross talk."

Like right one of the early times I

listened I was like, "I think this is

the same guy."

>> Yeah. Well, he's he bumps it up like

he's really good at at uh you know,

making it sound as if like uh cuz he'll

interrupt himself and go and I

>> okay, but you know, and stop and then

just go right into the other voice. It's

[ __ ] phenomenal. and and completely

original. Like I don't know of anybody

else that did anything like that.

>> No. Did you ever um he used to put out

stuff for charity like uh CDs and things

and he has uh I don't know

what it would be called, but it was one

of the one of the things he put out for

charity that was um

a guy called into the station. I he was

probably super high, but he called in

thinking it was Pizza Hut and

he [ __ ] with this guy in the best way

where he's like uh and who's the what's

the woman character he does? It's kind

of like uh like a black woman who's like

honey, it is the be I don't know.

Marjorie, I think maybe. Uh but he

then he does that woman answering the

phone uh at you know Pizza Hut and then

he does the automated uh thing like

she's like I'm going to put you on uh

it's easier to do the automated uh

thing. And the guy's like, "Uh, okay.

All right." And and then he gets on.

He's like, "Thank you for calling Pizza

Hut the best pizza in a threeb block

radius. And if you want if you want uh

I'm not doing it justice. You got to go

do it. Hear it. Listen. Can you

>> Yeah, you got it. I think so.

>> All right. Headphones.

>> Okay. It's so brilliant. Wait.

>> Uh, whichever the largest 16inch deep

pan dish. You got the dish pan deep or

extra deep?

>> Just a regular large

16inch thick crust on a deep dish. You

want puff dish?

>> No.

>> All right. You want a uh any of them

puffy cheese balls? Anything like that?

We got a special on buffalo wing. Uh we

got a special on um uh Damn, I forgot

the other thing. We got a special on.

All right. What do you want? What kind

of cheese you want? Blue Swiss cheddar

monster.

>> Okay. I think I'm going to have the

wrong uh location here.

>> All right, hold on.

>> And he's

>> Thank you for calling pizza. Your call

is being transferred. Please have all

credit card information available for

our operators.

>> Yes, Pizza. Hello.

>> Hi. Yes.

>> Hi.

>> Hi. Which location are you at?

>> We are at the corner of Lafienica and

Venice.

>> Okay. I'd like to place an order for

delivery.

>> All right. Can I put you on hold? We'll

put you through our automated system.

Hold on, please.

Thank you for calling pizza. If you'd

like cheese pizza, press one. If you'd

like a meatball pizza, press two. If

you'd like sausage, press three.

Press two.

>> Oh, it goes on and on and on. He goes,

he eventually gets the guy a fish pizza,

and the guy's like, "No, man. this. I

don't want um it's it's really funny,

but that's him. That's Phil doing all

those voices and that's not set up. A

guy had called into the studio thinking

it was pizza and they're like, "Take

this call."

>> Did you ever meet him?

>> I did briefly at when I got to see him

do his he did a live show at uh Aspen

Comedy Festival.

>> Oh, long long long time ago.

>> I did something with him, Bob Odenkirk

and Doug Stanh Hope.

>> Oh, wow. and and Adam Corolla. I don't

remember where it was. I want to say it

was somewhere in Canada, but it was some

sitdown. We were talking about the

process of going through cuz he was in

the middle of doing some sort of a

television show pilot.

>> Yeah. Yeah.

>> So, we were talking about the process of

creating a pilot and what it's like

trying to get a pilot to an actual

finished television show and get it

approved and what the struggles are. It

was very

>> Canadians. I don't think it was for It

was It was like one of those Montreal

Comedy Festival things.

>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Makes sense.

>> Where they had some It was like some

weird talk. It It was a long time ago.

It was like God, it had like 2001 or

something like that.

>> Yeah. I vaguely remember when he was uh

there was going to be cuz he would talk

about it doing this uh sitcom.

>> Yeah. Did it ever happen?

>> I don't think so. No.

>> He was a really nice guy though. Not

what I expected at all. I expected him

to be [ __ ] insane. just like just to

be able to do that every night and not

get bored with just completely [ __ ]

with people every day.

>> It's It's got to be exhausting, too.

Like mentally, cuz you're you've got to

remember. It's like really great improv

guys where you have to remember all

these details, bring them back 30

minutes later, right? And you're you're

doing multiple characters. You ever see

TJ and Dave?

>> No.

>> Oh, dude. The best.

>> Yeah. What is it? It's TJ uh Jatagowski

and Dave Pasqueuezi who were like the

kings of that stuff in uh out of

Chicago. And they come they tour around

uh and they're just they're two guys who

uh it starts off, you know, it's none of

it's planned, none of it's uh and they

have like a dedicated cult following.

When they're in New York, it sells out

like that. And you got to go to uh at

least two shows to see how wildly

different it is. I mean, there are two

guys that come out on stage. Usually

there's like three chairs and it'll just

start with like uh you know,

how's it going? Good, good, good. Are

you in line? No, no, no. And it and it

you watch it like, oh, they're in line.

Where are they in line at? Do they know

each other? and and then it it turns out

they're at the DMV, but they're not.

It's like a room outside of the DMV, and

then they will leave and come back and

be somebody else, right? A kid that was

mentioned or a wife or something. Um or

be in a car. And and it all

wraps up. It's all a big story. and and

I have seen I've probably seen them 30

40 times and I've seen

uh shows where that were more that were

funnier and more poignant than some

plays that have been worked on for

years, you know,

>> completely improvised.

>> Completely 100%.

>> Wow.

>> Oh, they're they're I mean

I uh do you know Tim Meadows?

>> Yeah.

>> So Tim was a guest. Sometimes I'll have

a third person.

>> I know who he is. I don't I don't met

him.

>> Yeah. So, uh I was and Tim's been, you

know, uh

>> SNL.

>> Yeah. And then sconced in that Second

City uh uh world for decades. And he

said it was the most terrifying thing

he's ever done because you're they're

like genius level.

>> I mean, the the detail you have to

remember. And then and then on top of

it, if one of them is, you know, I'm a

marine biologist or whatever, it slips

out, then that person has to know about

the real person playing the fake marine

biologist has to know enough about

marine biology to keep the thing going,

you know, and it's just next level. It's

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Well, I I'd imagine that's like a muscle

that you just get really strong with

like ranters like like Tim Dylan is the

best at ranting on a podcast alone. He

doesn't he doesn't have anybody with

him. Most of his podcasts are just him

ranting. And I've watched the

development of it. I'm like, that's an

amazing muscle to develop because you

just get accustomed to that kind of

scenario, that situation where it's just

and your mind just gets used to

producing content just

>> and like old school AM late night radio

guys, right? Who don't have people

calling in who are like

>> talking about whatever and they got to

do it,

>> you know, four or five times a week for

three hours

>> by themselves.

>> Yeah. I used to always like to listen to

them. I used to like to listen to those

crazy right-wing angry political talk

shows because I don't I didn't know

anybody like that. So, I was like, "Oh,

what what is this guy doing?"

>> I Well, uh

that's that was the bulk of the radio. I

mean, that's why, you know, you have

like Art Bell and Phil Henry like a nice

like, "Oh, okay." There because I got

all this. I got Mark Leavvin and I got

uh

>> you know uh uh what's his name? You

know, the Rush Limba.

>> Rush Limbaugh. Yeah. And uh and when you

when you first start listening or when I

first started listening uh and I came

out to LA from Boston, you know, and

people were like, there's this guy out

here who's [ __ ] nuts, you know, and

uh uh I'd never heard of him in Boston.

And then and you're like, does he how

much of this stuff does he believe? Does

he really believe? And how much has he

come to believe? Does that make sense?

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah. And uh and those guy that was a

whole fascinating thing. And Wally

George. Do you remember Wally George?

>> I do, but I don't remember much about

him. I remember the name. What did Wally

George do?

>> He was the guy who originated

what I mean now it's really familiar. He

remember Morton Downey Jr. He was a

little after

>> Oh, that's right. That's right. Uh,

>> and he would look at 83 and he was and

it was a super lowbudget like uh cable

access type thing back when that was a a

whole thing and

>> he'd get the audience would be hooting

and hollering and he'd have people on

like

>> somebody who and sometimes they I I

think because it became popular sort of

like with Morton Downey Jr. where people

came on to quote unquote [ __ ] with

W-ally George. Like I'm going to pretend

to be a, you know, a a furry with and

I'm going to, you know, have gauges and

and you know what I mean? Like just the

archetype of the thing they want to yell

at. And uh and I think people started it

was there were some [ __ ] people on

there, you know, people lying about who

they were. But he would have people on

and then and then kick them off. It

would happen all the time. Like come on,

sit down. uh what the [ __ ] do you think

you're doing? And everybody would yell

at the person. They'd start talking and

like get the [ __ ] out of here. And that

was that was the show. We're like, you

know, and uh here's something really

crazy.

Uh and tell me if this is rumor. Uh look

up your magic computer. Rebecca Deou's

dad, the actress.

>> That's Yeah.

>> Wally George.

>> Yes.

>> No.

>> Yeah. Look it up.

Casey, right?

>> Jamie.

>> Jamie. I'm gonna call you Casey.

>> Who is I forget who Rebecca Deou was

>> from uh um RISKY BUSINESS.

>> OH, WOW.

>> WOW. Her dad.

>> Yeah.

>> Is Wally George. Wow.

>> Isn't that crazy?

>> Married multiple times. Shocker.

Probably 10 potentially 10 times. Had at

least six children.

>> Holy [ __ ] Look at how many times he was

married.

>> One. Two, three, four.

Wow.

>> Possibly 10.

>> Possibly 10.

>> You imagine just keep [ __ ] signing

up.

>> I don't. Yeah, I just read um literally

the the other day uh Fleetwood Mack guy

getting married for the fifth time. He's

182 and he's getting like what? Stop.

>> You know, why do you want to keep doing

that? They believe.

>> They really believe this is it. This is

the one.

>> You have to say those vows and mean it

each time.

>> Or not.

>> Yeah.

>> Or just say this is just a fun thing

that I do to keep a a lady happy.

>> Yeah. Or just have a party, I guess.

>> Yeah. Have a party and pretend that

you're normal now.

>> And you're married?

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah. How long you've been married?

>> 17 years.

>> Oh, nice.

>> Yeah. Um, it'll be 14 in October for

>> If I get divorced, that's a wrap.

>> What do you mean?

>> Like, I'm happy, happily married. I

don't want to get divorced. Not saying

that, but if I ever get divorced, I'm

never

>> Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, same here.

Yeah.

>> Oh, I feel the same. I don't

>> silly. I'm not having any more children.

So, if I don't have any children, it

makes no sense.

>> Yeah.

>> To legally be bound to some person.

Can't we just hang out?

>> I am 100% with you. I I and I was I was

never a um anti-marriage guy, but I just

didn't think I'd get married cuz I

didn't want I didn't want to. And then

eventually I met somebody who I wanted

to marry, you know?

>> Yeah. It's like you just have to it has

to I mean that's the thing. It has to be

the right person. Everybody always says

that except Wally George. But the idea

of doing it 10 times is [ __ ] insane.

Yeah. Yeah, like that. That's a they're

doing a different thing.

>> I think once you get I'll give you three

and let's say one of them was there's

some fishy circumstances. I'll give you

three. Once you get on your by the time

you're going to be on your fourth or

fifth or sixth or Rbert Murdoch

marriage, like I what is the point? And

why does that woman believe you? What

does it say about the lady?

>> Well, what about ladies that do it? I've

been here for 6 years and I know one

lady while I've been here. She's been

married twice. Married and divorced

twice and now she's on the third guy.

>> Yeah. I would look I I mean that says

something about the guys, right?

>> I guess.

>> Yeah, man. Come on. If you

you wouldn't ever think like you meet

somebody, you like them, and then you

find out they've been married twice

before in six years,

>> right? and

you and you were like starting to fall

for her. You wouldn't think, "Wait a

minute. What's wrong?"

>> You would unless she was hot.

>> Men are dumb. Well, if if she's hot and

she's sexy and you really like being

around her, you're like, "Who cares? She

made mistakes."

>> Yeah.

>> Who cares?

>> I guess you're right. If the sex is that

good, too.

>> Yeah. the sex is good. She's hot and you

love being around her and that's what

she wants and you want to make her

happy. Like, okay,

>> I'll get I'll do I'll say this. You

should find out. You should go talk to

the other guys and have a sit down and

find out why. You know,

>> the other problem is some guys, they'll

want to mess it up for you. So, they'll

lie.

They might not be accurate.

>> You know, they might paint a dis. Also,

they might have been the [ __ ] up and

they want to blame it on her and then

you'll get a distorted perception of who

she is.

>> But then then it's back to her that

she's marrying people,

>> right,

>> who are [ __ ] up. Just I guess the

point is that we're both making is don't

get married.

>> You know, it is a weird thing. It's a

weird thing to do. Do you have children?

>> I do.

>> Yeah. It's a weird thing to do if you

don't have children. Not weird like you

shouldn't do it, but it's a different

thing.

>> Yeah. Completely.

>> Yeah.

I I and I

I would say that um

not that we, you know, my wife and I

have any, you know, real issues, um but

I would

uh behave myself and stay and work at

the marriage because of the kid.

>> Oh, absolutely.

>> Yeah. Absolutely. It [ __ ] kids up when

people get divorced. What's your what's

your background in?

>> My parents were split up when I was five

and my mother remarried when I was seven

and has been with my stepdad ever since.

>> Oh, that's good.

>> Yeah, they have they have a great

relationship. I just saw them this

weekend.

>> And where did you grow up?

>> Florida.

>> [ __ ] everywhere. I was born in New

Jersey, moved to San Francisco when I

was seven, lived in San Francisco from 7

to 11

>> in the height of the Vietnam War. Um, in

hate Ashberry, like hippie town. And

then uh Florida from 11 to 13.

>> That's the opposite of San Francisco.

>> Oh my god. Yeah. That's the first time I

found out about the n-word. I didn't

know what it meant. And I remember I had

to ask my mom. Yeah. I had to ask my

mom. I never heard it in San Francisco.

Never heard it.

>> Wow.

>> San Francisco in the 1970s, uh, when I

was, you know, between 7 and 11 was kind

of a wild amazing time. It was really

weird. It was because we were in the

middle of like the counterculture

move

>> Berkeley all that stuff.

>> Yeah. We lived right down the street

from Lumbard Street. So we're you know

we were like in the middle of it all you

know and uh it's funny because it was

during that time that the Vietnam War

ended when I was I think I was When did

Vietnam end?

>> 74.

I think 74

>> officially 7 April 3075.

>> Okay.

>> US withdrawal 73.

>> Yeah. So that was like how old was I?

Whatever the the point is like at that

time I remember thinking thank god they

figured out war is bad. We're never

going to do this again. I lit literally

had that thought however old I was.

>> What a naive child.

>> Oh I was like because uh my stepfather

had um he didn't get drafted. He got

lucky. He he just didn't get picked. And

uh I knew a guy, some guy that was a

friend of the family that moved to

Canada. He's like, "Fuck this." He took

off to Canada. So I was aware of that.

Like, "Oh, people are leaving the

country so that they don't have to go to

war." Like this is cuz you're a little

kid. Everything's [ __ ] scary.

Especially if you come from, you know,

broken home and you know, like is this

>> Yeah. And the concept of a draft or

conscription. The idea like, oh, you may

have to go and we're you're going to

learn how to shoot a gun and then go

shoot strangers, kids, you know, like

that has got to be terrifying if you're

a kid.

>> No, it was insane. And it was also there

that was also the time where um you

know, my stepdad was a hippie and my

parents were hippies and when that

>> I was going to ask why why did your uh

sorry to interrupt, but why did they

move around so much? My stepfather was a

computer programmer initially and then

he wanted to become an architect. So he

went to school in San Francisco and then

um uh University of Florida in

Gainesville and then Boston

Architectural Center. So we we moved to

Boston when I was 13.

>> So that was what it was. It was him

becoming an architect,

>> right?

>> And so uh like they they didn't like

sports. They weren't into anything like

that. And then when Muhammad Ali was

opposing the Vietnam War, he became this

like counterculture hero.

>> Sure. Yeah.

>> And I remember it was my parents

sat down and watched Muhammad Ali versus

Leon Spinx because he was trying to win

his title back.

>> Mhm.

>> And they were rooting for Muhammad Ali.

I'm like, this is crazy. Like this guy's

stance on the Vietnam War has made my

parents fans of his to the point where

they're going to watch boxing. Like they

never watch box. They didn't want to

have anything to do with anything

violent.

>> They hated it.

>> And but they wanted to watch

>> one boxer

to watch if you were anti-, you know,

hitting or boxing or whatever. It was

Muhammad Ali. He was a a strategist. You

know,

>> he was. But quite honestly, by that

stage of his career, he had slowed down

considerably and he he just wasn't

>> I remember the Leon Spinx cuz he

>> Leon beat him and then he beat Leon in

the rematch,

>> right? This is the rematch, right?

>> And that was the big one that we were

all glued to the TV. But I remember

thinking, "This is crazy. They're

watching boxing

>> because of this guy's position on the

Vietnam War."

>> Have you seen When We Were Kings?

>> Yes.

>> Yeah. It's great. It's amazing.

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah. It's amazing.

>> Yeah. He was a God, you want to talk

about a unique human being,

>> like a oneof one.

>> Yeah.

>> You know.

>> Yeah. And

you know, outside of, you know, Mike

Tyson, there was never any kind of

uh

figure like that in boxing, you know.

No. Um

>> I mean there was minor

>> sugar Leonard a little bit but not

>> not to that extent because he wasn't a

cultural figure. Right. Muhammad Ali

represented something during the civil

rights movement.

>> And he changed his name to Muhammad Ali.

>> Right. Right. That was a big thing too.

People were terrified of Muslims. Yeah.

>> At the time and still.

>> I was going to say at the time. Yeah.

But it was a different kind of Muslims,

>> you know, that was um

>> well the the they were the

>> you know the government was really good

about uh portraying every black urban

person as like potentially you know

Muslim Brotherhood.

>> Uh 12 Tribes.

>> Right. Right. Right. Right.

>> Those guys they're still around. The

Israelite 12 tribe.

>> Oh those guys. Yeah. They used to be uh

they used to hang out and hang out.

What? They used to be in Time Square

like you know yelling and uh and

preaching.

>> I hung out with those guys one day. I

wrote a a piece about it for my website

cuz uh I went I was going home uh was

when I was living in New York and I was

walking down the street and there's

these guys standing there with like a

microphone, a little speaker. Yeah.

>> And they would read things from the

Bible.

>> Yep.

>> And they would translate it and they had

this very bizarre translation. Everybody

was black. George Washington was black.

Everyone was black. They were explaining

to me, you know, what the the so-called

Jew there, black Israelites, the

so-called Jew was the thing that they

would always think,

>> well, they're Jewish. Yeah, you don't

have to say the so-called.

>> Yeah, it was very odd.

>> It was um but their their whole thing

was there was a a a 12th tribe of the

Israelites that were black that have

been, you know, his written out of

history. Mhm. Yeah, that was their

thing. Yeah. They also informed me that

I'm not white. That was a relief.

>> Was

>> Cuz I'm Italian. They were like, "Oh,

you ain't white." I was like, "Oh, oh,

it's like the the

>> cuz they hated white people." So, I was

just talking to this cuz I was bored,

you know. I was just So, I was talking

to this guy. I was just having him

explain everything to me and he informed

me, "Don't worry, man. You're not

white." I was like, "Oh, okay. That's

good. That's good to know.

>> So, you can hang out.

>> I can hang out with you guys. You don't

hate me." But it was uh very odd. Very

odd. They were all dressed like

superheroes. They all these crazy like

Avenger costumes on.

>> Yeah. And and uh like jewelry, like big

>> Yeah. Huge medallions around their neck.

Yeah.

>> Very odd stuff.

>> They're still You don't see them like

you used to, but they're still out

there, you know.

>> Oh, yeah. Yeah. They're out there.

>> But I mean like in literally in New York

at the periphery of Time Square.

>> Yeah. Last time I was in Philadelphia, I

saw them. Yeah,

>> they were out there on the street with

the microphones deal. Yeah.

>> Yeah.

>> It's an odd group.

>> When were you in New York?

>> I was in New York. I moved to New York

in

911.

Yeah. So, I started standup in ' 88 in

Boston and uh I got picked up by my

manager who I'm still with when I was

essentially an open micer.

>> Who was that?

>> Jeff Susman.

How do I not know Jeff Susman?

>> He handles Kevin James.

>> Was he a Boston guy?

>> No, he was a New York guy.

>> Okay. Okay.

>> So, the story was he had um what was his

name? [ __ ] the guy who had all the

crazy costumes. He was on the Rodney

Dangerfield special. Bob

>> Oh,

>> Bob Nelson.

>> Bob Nelson. Yeah.

>> So, he handled Bob Nelson.

>> He the Cleveland Browns.

>> Yeah. He put the helmet on. He had

boxing gloves. He did Jippy Jeff's gym.

He had brain damage. He did a bunch of

different characters.

>> I remember.

>> So Bob, who is a a big act, you know, he

had a HBO special, the whole deal at the

time. Um he found Jesus.

>> Oh.

>> And uh

>> where was he?

>> In his basement, I guess, or something.

It was in around the neighborhood

somewhere.

>> Okay.

>> But

>> he uh had this guy who was his prayer

partner that was going to take over as

his manager. And so this was my

manager's big client. And so he's like,

"Fuck, like, I got to I got to go find

some other

>> Did did he just stop doing standup?" Cuz

>> I don't know. I think I don't know if he

still does standup. I don't know. I knew

his career. My manager is really good

and he's very smart and he did a great

job guiding Bob. But I think sometimes

when people like have like a big

religious moment like that like maybe

that becomes more of their life than he

was all in.

>> He was all in with Christianity.

>> And so um my manager said, "Well, I kind

of know most of the comics in New York.

Let me see if I'm not missing people in

Boston." And so he traveled to Boston

with a friend of his, one of the guys

that uh owned Governors. And uh they

came

>> Well, Governors was was Bob's room,

wasn't it?

>> Yes. Long Island. One of the rooms that

he worked at. Yeah. And so they came

down to Boston and I just randomly went

up one night at um

Duck Soup. Remember Duck Soup?

>> Duck Soup.

>> Duck Soup was it became the improv after

a while. It was um

>> I don't remember that. Billy DS and um

>> Paul Barklay.

>> Paul Barkley. I think it was actually

Billy split. I think it was Paul's

thing. So they

>> split at that point.

>> I think I'm not sure about that. But but

what what it was is it was Paul's idea.

I believe it was a much more high-end

room. Like it was really nice and it was

right across from Nicks. So it was in

the below area where the Wilturn is.

>> Okay.

>> So you know where the Wilturn is which

is now the big you know where Bill

Blumenright does comedy connection show.

>> Wilbur, right? Yeah. Is that it?

>> The Wilbur.

>> It's the Wil. Okay. I'm thinking the

Wilton's LA.

>> Wilton's LA. I know what you're talking

about.

>> The Wilbur. Right. You're right. So

downstairs the Wilbur. It was you'd go

down and it was a really nice room.

>> Okay.

>> And uh I was a limo driver at the time.

I was driving limos and uh

>> driving a limo in Boston.

>> Oh yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

>> Jesus.

>> Yeah. Yeah.

>> Oh man.

>> That's what I was doing for a job.

That's [ __ ] I mean I just mean the

literal streets of Boston are

>> tough to navigate with any vehicle, but

a limo add add a extra half a car to it.

That's

>> Yeah, it was it wasn't that bad. It was

mostly airport pickups,

>> you know. And a lot of it was town cars,

pick people up in town cars, but uh when

you drive around a lot, that's when I

would come up with my best ideas. And uh

I had an idea for a joke and I called

God I can't remember who the guy was

that [ __ ] I can't believe I'm blanking

on his name. He was a really cool dude

who was the manager of the club and I

could call him up and say, "Hey, can I

get a guest bot?" And he gave me a guest

spot that night. I wasn't even supposed

to be on the show and my manager just

happened to be in the room. And if id

known he was in the room, I probably

would have been nervous and I probably

would have bombed

>> and I had no idea he was there. And then

he came up to me afterwards and gave me

his card and he said, "Can I see you

tomorrow?" I said, "Okay." And then I

>> He just went for a ride to the airport.

>> So I did a set at the connection the

next night and then he asked me to come

to New York and audition there and then

wow

>> next thing you know I was living in New

York. It was like three years later.

>> Very cool. And then

>> yeah it was crazy crazy story.

>> And uh and when did you move out to LA?

94 93 like uh first came out in 93 and

then moved in 94. I came out to 93 for a

pilot. I did a pilot on Fox called

Hardball with Jim Brewer and uh a bunch

of other people. It was a baseball

sitcom on Fox that got cancelled. It was

terrible. Yeah.

>> And then uh I the only reason why I

stayed I hated LA. But the only reason

why I stayed was because I had got an

apartment and I had a lease for a year.

So, I was like, "Fuck, like, I have to

stay here." And so, I stayed for a whole

year and then I got a development deal

for NBC and um they I was they were in

the middle of this whole development

deal and then they said, "We have a

pilot that we already filmed, but we're

going to fire one of the cast members.

Uh we want you to audition for this."

And that was news radio. So, I got to

watch.

>> Who uh did you replace?

Well, fortunately,

it was Ray Romano, who was a good friend

of mine, was fired during the pilot and

so they replaced him with another guy

and that guy got fired.

>> Oh, wow.

>> Yeah. So, it wasn't I would have felt

terrible. Yeah.

>> If it was Rey, but it was Rey being

replaced. So, I was like, "Good [ __ ]

that guy. I'll I'll do it for Ry."

>> Do you remember who the other guy was?

>> I do not. He was just an actor, some

guy. And I mean, I never met him. Sure,

he's a nice guy, but uh luckily for Ray,

he goes on and does Everybody Loves

Raymond. It becomes huge.

>> And I just stumbled into this [ __ ]

show with no acting experience.

>> That was a fun set. I remember

>> cuz I did it a couple times. And uh

and also like that was not my first but

one of the first experiences I had with

multi- camera sitcoms. You know, you're

like uh this is literally the easiest

job on planet earth.

>> Oh yeah,

>> it is the you have one full day. You

have like a full I think Thursday,

right?

>> Yeah.

>> And then Friday is like half a day.

>> Yeah.

>> Monday come in, listen to the read the

script, go away. Yeah, it's the filming

day that's the long day. And it's not

that bad. I mean, especially once we got

loose. The first season was hard.

>> The first season was 12, 14 hour days

cuz it was like they were trying to

figure out what the show was.

>> But once it got rolling, it was pretty

amazing. So, I had only been doing

standup for six years. I'd only been I

had done no acting. I had they made me

get an acting coach for a little while

in New York, which I think was

counterintuitive. news

>> for a pilot. For the pilot, the Fox

pilot.

>> Oh,

>> yeah.

>> Well, how's how's an acting coach going

to help you with a sitcom? It's about

It's about instinct. It's about

>> Well, they were giving me a lot of

money. They gave me like $150,000.

Like, you have to learn how to act. Do

you know how to act? I' like I've never

acted.

>> I'm just saying like to deliver sitcom

lines is you don't need an acting

teacher.

>> Now, Joseph, let's limber up the body.

>> Yeah. You're not Daniel de Lewis. You're

not doing

>> There Will Be Blood. It It was a

>> It was weird cuz it wasn't anything. I

think the reason why it worked out so

well is cuz it was never anything that I

wanted.

>> So, there was no weight to it. It wasn't

like, "Oh my god, this is it. I am on a

sitcom. I'm acting." It was more like,

"This is crazy. I can't believe I'm

doing this."

>> You know, it was more like, "Wow, I

can't believe I get to do this." But um

you know the real thing for me was to be

able to be in LA and go to the comedy

store. That to me was more that was more

huge than like when I got passed at the

comedy store that to me was like way

bigger than being on a sitcom. I was

like holy [ __ ] like cuz at that you know

like at six years in I was like am I

even is this gonna work out? Like I

don't even know this is gonna work out.

Well, it's al also not um glamorous in

any way. That that aspect of

uh working is there's nothing glamorous

about a sitcom. You know what I mean?

It's not the thing that when you're not

in LA or Hollywood and you're sitting

back and you're you are told about the

glamorous lifestyle, the parties and all

that stuff, it's literally you're

driving to work and you're going to

work, you know.

>> Yeah. But it was glamorous in a sense

that you were on television and that was

very weird to me. It was very strange to

watch it on TV. I'm like that is

actually me on TV. I had zero

aspirations for any acting at all.

>> Yeah.

>> I It never was it never even occurred to

me. When I lived in Boston, I remember

me and Fitz Simmons used to we used to

dream about the day where we could pay

our bills telling jokes. That was all it

was. I I hear you.

>> It was just like, oh god, how I would

see guys like DJ Hazard. I remember I

went to look at this apartment and DJ

Hazard lived in the same building and it

was this uh converted schoolhouse and

the these loft apartments. It had like a

second floor where the like the bedroom

was and looked over the living room. I

like God this he pays for this with

jokes. Yeah. This was like the most

amazing thing. Like that's all I wanted.

I saw these like Don Gavin and Steve

Sweeney. I was like, "Imagine being able

to pay your bills just telling jokes.

>> Untie my ankles in the morning."

Remember that?

>> Yeah. DJ Hazard.

>> Yeah.

>> Um, what was I going to say? Something.

Oh, do you know

uh Fitz Simmons um

Paul Barklay story or Bill DS the watch?

Bill DS? It was Bill Downs.

>> Which one? How's it go? Oh, I I don't

you should get it from him because it's

his story, but and I I don't want to I

feel like it's his to tell, but it's

[ __ ] great. It's genius.

>> It's bringing up something in my memory.

>> So So Bill owed everybody money, right?

And uh like he's still you know those

guys owe me whatever it is at this point

you know what $300 $500 and just and you

go there and they were just

>> everybody was big guy remember?

>> Yeah.

>> I'll pay you soon big guy.

>> Oh the war. And then do you remember

when

Bill adopted the girls?

>> Yes. Korean girls, right?

>> He Yeah. and he would use them like as

because at at a certain point it didn't

help to go to the connection or go to

the clubs and you had to go to their

[ __ ] office if you want it. nobody's

going to call you back or whatever and

you like I got to get on the tea and go

to the go to their office and that's the

only way I'm going to get money is if I

show up and he's in a good mood and it's

not going to happen from a phone call

and I'd go there every single time it's

like dude I got to pay my rent man I

mean I I got nothing and you owe me you

know $385 and back then that was huge

and uh h cross I just listen. So I got

these my kids, one of my kids is sick

and whatever. It's always this [ __ ]

excuse and then and then uh you know

with still the coke residual and the

bottom of the snows and um

>> but so Fitz he owed Fitz Simmons a chunk

of money like

like a significant amount like 1,500

1,800 bucks like something something

meaty you know especially for back then

and

uh you you ask Greg cuz I feel I feel

like it.

>> No, tell the story. I'm sure Greg's told

it to me.

>> Greg and I are pretty close. I remember

it some in in my head. I do remember

part of it, but I don't know the whole

story. I don't remember it.

>> All right. So, Greg was uh booked

>> at this uh you know, some [ __ ] club in

New Hampshire, whatever. And DS was

going to be there. Uh Bill was going to

be there. And uh um and he goes he goes

there and he goes, "Uh oh, Bill, I I uh

I forgot my watch. Um I don't want to go

over. Can I can I borrow your watch?"

And he's like, "Yeah, sure." Um it's

like a Rolex, like some fancy fancy

fancy watch. And And Greg had this all

planned out.

>> Oh, I know the story now.

>> Yeah. And then he had he had like parked

in a specific place and then he and then

he gets uh he's like, "All right,

thanks." And he's like, "All right,

don't forget to give it back." Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. And he does his set. And

then he bolts out the back door, gets in

his car, drives home back to Boston, and

then Bill calls him. Hey, uh, so uh, I

think you, uh, forgot to give me my

watch back. And Greg just basically

goes, "Yeah, you want it back? Uh, give

me the 1,800 bucks you owe me." And then

met him at a restaurant or a diner

somewhere in a public place. Give me the

cash and I'll give you your watch. And

it was just genius.

>> Yeah, that's Greg.

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah, those days were fun. Nick's Comey

stop used to offer to pay you in cocaine

or cash.

>> I Dude, so I I did NYX and the only I'

I've said this multiple times. the only

I I'm extremely lucky that I was in

Boston when I was in Boston because

>> the comedy booms going on and outside of

I don't know three places I just didn't

do that well and I certainly didn't do

well at Nicks. I mean I was the

opposite. They, you know, it had that

the vague feeling of high school where

you're the weirdo and people want to

[ __ ] with you and throw you in the trash

can. And uh and so I got lucky because

there were just spots. They just needed

bodies. So, I worked all the time, you

know, not, you know, not great gigs, but

I had it was all cash, you know, under

the table and and they just needed

bodies to to, you know, go up and do 15

minutes, 20 minutes, whatever, at some

cowboy bar in Fitsburg or whatever. Uh,

Fitchburg. Um anyway, uh so I get this I

get a week at Knicks and um and I am not

doing well at all. I think I'm opening

up for Kevin Knox, so not my crowd and I

didn't have the tracksuit. Um

uh and you know, Knoxy's up there doing

uh hey, you know why you know why uh

Bill Buckner didn't catch the ball or

get the ball? Uh it's 86 World Series

cuz he heard it had AIDS on it.

Okay. All right. Yeah, that's a real

joke. That's a real joke. And they LOVED

IT.

>> WONDERFUL. YES, of course. That eight.

>> Uh 1986.

>> And then do you remember this? What does

eight stand for?

>> No.

>> What?

>> Adios infected dick sucker.

>> Oh, I do remember that. I do.

>> I'm opening for him.

>> Oh my god. and it's his crowd

>> and uh

>> Adios infected dick sucker. Oh my god.

>> Yeah. So,

uh I titled one of the tracks on my

first album, I think first or second

album, uh what if baseballs had AIDS on

them?

>> Just

and I'm I'm [ __ ] eating it, right?

So, they're they're they're peeling back

my uh time as the week goes on. And uh

and I am I mean I if I had done even

okay, I wouldn't have had this feeling.

They're already kind of intimidating,

right? Super mobby.

>> Very mob.

>> Very mob. And do you remember where the

you'd walk into Nicks and there was like

the podium and then behind a little

behind it is this little room with a

curtain, right? And it's uh not big at

all. And I went to go get paid. My the

week was over and I'm and I've just, you

know, eaten it. Eat [ __ ] every single

night, every single show. And um

>> and they're all eating. It's like a

scene from like they're all eating like,

you know, manacotti. Just couldn't make

it any better with the [ __ ] napkins

in their uh you know, in their shirt

like this. And uh and I go uh hey

nervous as [ __ ] Just hey uh so Dom uh I

need to uh uh if I can get paid I uh uh

just for the you know whatever and

Dominic goes to whoever I can't remember

the guy's name uh his kind of lackey

there. And he goes whatever his name was

you know Paulie go pay the kid and he's

I've interrupted his dinner. He's not

happy. [ __ ] napkin off. Takes me

trudges. We go up to the offices

upstairs and there's a safe and it's

open and there's cash and there's a gun.

This is just just open, right? And he

gives me he gets the money and he gives

it to me and I just pick it up. I want

to get the [ __ ] out of there. And I pick

it up and he's like, "Are you going to

count it?" "Uh, no. I'm good. I trust I

trust you." And I just bolted. I never

went back there again. But it was I was

so [ __ ] intimidated. And

>> that was an intimidating place.

>> Oh, dude. The whole thing about it.

Every the Dominic, all those guys.

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah. And there everyone's doing blow.

And you know, the performers are at

least. You know,

>> it was a maniacal time where all those

there was one time where Nicks was

running three consecutive shows. So they

had their main room upstairs. There was

a dance club down in the bottom and

there was one other room somewhere in

that building and guys would go like

guys like Don Gavin and Steve Sweeney

they would go and do a set a set a set

set a set a set and these guys were just

raking in money.

>> Oh yeah.

>> And constantly doing blow

>> and not paying their taxes.

>> Yeah. Yes.

>> And that's what got them all.

>> Yeah. That Well, they I mean back in the

heyday and it went it went on for years.

It was years and years of this. I mean,

you you could go down, you know, 128 and

do callons or whatever and then do just

hop all the way back, hop in to these

>> Chinese restaurants or whatever,

>> right? Giggles and sas.

>> Yeah. And do just go in a straight line

and go back and forth and do nine

[ __ ] shows and and make a [ __ ] ton of

money. Cash under the table, tons of

blow.

>> Yeah.

>> And Yeah. It was a wild place because

there was so many comics and it was such

a Boston's not a big city,

>> you know, and to have so much comedy all

come out. You've seen um France

Alamita's documentary?

>> I haven't. I got to.

>> It's really great.

>> Stand up stood out.

>> Yeah, it's really I I got to It's really

great. It's really great. And it goes

all the way back to Crims and the

Ding-ho. And I I that was before my

time. I started in ' 88, so the ding-ho

was already gone. Yeah. You know, you

heard legendary stories from the

>> Dingho. Did you see Call Me Lucky?

>> No.

>> Oh, you got to see that. It's Bobcat's

uh documentary about uh Barry.

>> Oh, no. Wait a minute. I did see that.

>> It's [ __ ] great. I did see that.

>> It's really well done. I I don't mean

just like if even if you don't know

Barry, just the story and the way he

>> lays out the the path of the

>> the film is it's great.

>> I had Barry on like right after it came

out. out. I had him on the podcast

>> and yeah,

>> he's he's a he's a legend and you know

huge inspiration.

>> He was intimidating guy.

>> Yeah,

>> that was the guy that I was scared of

because he was like

>> he was the guy who was sort of the

standard like he made sure there was no

hacks. He made sure there was, you know,

like he set the standard, you know,

>> and he was really equitable, too.

>> Yes. You know, and

>> um very politically active, even like

way back then, like really knowledgeable

and like really understood what was

going on in the world. And

>> did you ever see his uh or one of his um

State of the Union shows?

>> No.

>> They're [ __ ] amazing. So he would go

I saw a couple of them at the the old

stitches and he would go up and it was

dur when the the state of the union w

was happening. he'd go up and he'd do

his state of the union. It was just him.

And he would go on and he'd have like um

you know, it was pre PowerPoint, but it

was whatever the equivalent of, you

know, a screen behind him with stuff. Uh

and he'd go up there with a a cooler,

like a legit big cooler of beer cuz that

[ __ ] could drink. and uh and he

would just start he had a podium and he

would just crack beers and just down a

case of beer or half a case of beer and

just do his stuff, you know, uh uh

extemporaneous stuff. I mean, stuff

prepared, but about, you know, the State

of the Union and all that. It was and it

would always be packed like and you'd

see Dennis Liry and, you know, every

single comic would be there, you know,

trying up against the wall because it

was packed. But it was great. I mean,

legendary.

>> Well, he I mean, I think he was really

responsible for a lot of what Boston

comedy became, you know, because he was

the guy that was kind of the gold

standard and

>> and he started the Ding-ho. Yeah. You

know?

>> Yeah. Yeah. And he it's like becoming

friends with him was like like such a

relief cuz I was terrified of him when I

was a young comic. Like if that guy

thought I sucked, if he hated me, I was

like I'm [ __ ] doomed. Yeah.

>> You know, because he was this character.

He would go on stage with a sport coat

on and reach into his inner pocket and

pull out a Budweiser like for every

show. You remember that?

>> I don't, but I mean I know he drank a

lot.

>> Yeah. But he would bring his own beer.

It was part of his thing. He would go on

stage just reach into his pull out a

Budweiser and set it down on the stool.

>> I He only drink American beer.

>> Is that true?

>> Yeah, he would drink Budweiser.

>> I wonder why that is.

>> I don't know. Was like kind of a

patriot.

I I he doesn't seem like he would the

kind of guy who would have denied

himself.

>> Well, I mean, maybe it was performative.

I don't know. Was there Medela even did

it exist at the time? But yeah, he was

uh he was the only guy I would say that

uh and to your point like all these

other legendary comics, you know, Lenny

Clark and Don Gavin and Steve Sweeney

and all those guys, it was the only guy

that those guys were kind of walking on

eggshells. Yes. The only

they'd give all each other [ __ ] like and

and mean [ __ ] too. Like, you know.

>> Oh, they would fight.

>> Oh, yeah. Barry was the one guy they

wouldn't [ __ ] with.

>> Well, he was different than all of them

and that he was incredibly well read.

Like really well read, really

knowledgeable about all sorts of things

with economics and the way the world

works, the injustices of our society,

>> but really funny [ __ ] comic, too.

like great jokes, great writer,

>> you know, and just like he was the

standard. He was the glue that held that

scene together because they all looked

at him to be like like you can't kind of

step out of line like you don't want to

get catch Barry's R.

>> Yeah, it's it was absolutely true. And

uh and then when

uh the revelation he had of uh being

abused as a kid and then he dedicated he

spoke in front of Congress. He did uh um

about

>> AOL.

>> AOL.

>> Yeah. That was during the early days of

AOL. For people that don't know, they

had all these chat rooms and sexual

predators were using these chat rooms to

find children. Yeah. and also to

exchange pornographic material.

>> Yeah. And that was that was that becomes

a big part of uh Call Me Lucky, you

know?

>> Right.

>> Um.

>> Right.

>> And yeah, he like dedicated his life

basically to just uh going out and

catching these [ __ ] and and and

helping, you know, uh the the people who

would pose as kids and stuff. And that

was you know that was his and he was

also uh

you know lapsed Catholic and when all

the especially in Boston that the

Catholic church and dascese and all that

stuff was coming out he was I mean that

was his [ __ ] focus is

>> getting these [ __ ]

>> caught you know exposed. Well, I I think

it took someone like him that was

he was levels above most of the other

comedians in terms of his understanding

of the world and his ability to

articulate it and also a great comic. So

that like people looked at him like,

well, this guy's like he's clearly

smarter than all of us. He's he's also

like super dedicated to the craft of

comedy. Like meant a lot to him. like

the integrity of comedy, like what it is

to be a comic,

>> you know, and he came from

uh and I think this is kind of specific

to Boston, too. He came from a jock

world. He was a minor league uh or or

whatever sub minor league uh catcher. He

played

uh was at Syracuse University and he he

played for like the Cape Cod League and

and you know the things that eventually

you get to minor leagues hopefully. Um

but and he came from that hard drinking

you know and and Catcher is arguably the

smartest guy on the baseball team.

Right.

>> Right. He's the guy making the calls for

the pitches,

>> seeing everything, defensive lineups. So

he came from that world too, which I

think helped

>> his cred.

>> Yeah. Well, it's just such an unusual

town in what happened there that these

guys became these local legends where

they never had to leave and they kind of

did the same act for decades, which is

also kind of crazy. That to me was

like I knew there was definitely a

uh as I started to separate from that

world a little bit and uh and just kind

of evolving as a comedian and there was

like the catch scene and um catch a

rising star and uh that was a thing that

was an early

>> I just didn't get it like why are you

doing the pain it there's no joy in it.

And then you you would drive some of

these guys cuz they get [ __ ] up and

you were happy to have all the work and

you'd go up and do 15 and they do a half

hour. He'd get in the car and go

somewhere else and and these guys doing

Mike Dunan doing he would do his

remember Rosie the bounty the quicker

picker uper the bounty.

>> Yeah.

>> Okay. So he had there was a

So the commercials were like Rosie

uh and it was like the scrappy uh

waitress at a diner. remember it was

like a character that was in all the it

was like the

>> the you know mascot of whatever B bounty

the quicker picker uper and

>> her character was kind of like feisty as

in these commercials ran for years you

know different like ah you don't do this

do this and his bit was about taking a

gun out and shooting her um and it was

funny you'd see it the first time but

it's like dude that hasn't been on the

air in [ __ ] 10 years and he's still

doing this. Uh, yeah, Rosie, I got

something for you. I got a I got some

advice for you. Shoot. Like, what the

[ __ ] And there was Okay, wait. Joe, did

you were you there?

So, uh, Ed the Machine Regime.

>> Oh, yeah. I remember him.

>> So,

>> he wear the suit.

>> Yep. Well, yeah. And he his headsh shot

was four different his head shot was

like four squares and then he different

characters.

>> Yep. Tina Turner

>> and uh guy the the like mob guy. I can't

remember the rest of them. And then you

know whatever.

>> I think he had a turban in one of them.

>> I'm sure he did. Uh

so he goes to jail for rolling back

>> odometers.

>> Odometers. Yes.

>> So he go he gets caught

>> and he was uh you know car salesman I

think out of in Rhode Island I believe

and he got caught rolling back the

odometers. He goes to jail for a year

and a half.

And I uh I was shooting this movie. This

is decades later. I was shooting this

movie and it was on a cruise ship. And

the cruise ship uh Ed the Machine Regime

is the headliner at the comedy venue on

the cruise ship. And I'm like, "Oh [ __ ]

that's crazy. I haven't seen this guy in

forever." And he's he's back doing

comedy. Okay. And I go there and he does

I don't know 40 minutes the same [ __ ]

act from 15 years ago. It's like you

don't have one you you spent 18 months

in prison. You don't have one joke. You

don't have one [ __ ]

observation.

>> Even if you lie and say, you know, you

know it' be weird if you were in prison

and whatever you you don't have

anything. It's weird. It was a weird

thing and it it only existed with them.

>> Most comics in the country were writing

new material all the time.

>> It it was I remember that feeling of I

must be different

because I'm not I don't that is such a

distasteful thing. Like I wouldn't want

to do that, you know?

>> Well, there was two I saw two traps

there. One of them was that and the

other one was never leaving.

>> Yeah.

>> They never left Boston. And when they

did leave Boston, they had so much local

material that their act was like cut

down by like 40%. And there were a lot

of people,

their peers, who would give them [ __ ]

like uh and it was all just kind of

resentful, jealousy, small-minded, small

town kind of like, oh, you think you're

better than us, which is a Boston thing,

too, that

>> um oh, you think you're so think you're

so hot now that you uh you're hot shot,

you go you get some you go to Hollywood,

you go there. Yeah, [ __ ] you. This is,

you know, it was a real provincial

working class kind of

>> Yeah.

>> attitude, you know, they look down on

and, you know, they would give Ly [ __ ]

all the time, you know, like Sell Out.

This is [ __ ] Weird.

>> Sellout's a weird one because they were

all sold out. It just wasn't available.

>> Well, they were all mad at Steven

Wright. Like, were they?

>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Cuz So, Steven Wright

was like this.

>> How can you get mad at Steven Wright?

Well, not mad at him, but bitter because

of his success, cuz he went and left.

Yeah,

>> he went and left, did the Tonight Show,

became huge, so unusual, so different.

And they came to Boston. The Tonight

Show came to Boston to look for comics.

And Steven Wright was the one they

chose. And all these other guys were

like, "He's a [ __ ] middle act. Like,

this is bullshit." Like, that guy bombs

half the time. cuz his act his act to me

was a lot like

>> Hedber

>> in that if you didn't know what he was

doing and you came to see specific kind

like if Hedber there's a famous story of

Hedber was on the road in Ohio and they

had this guy who was an opening act who

do like back flips and [ __ ] sing rap

songs and it was it was a disaster and

Hedber kept bombing and so they switched

them and made Hedberg the middle act and

tried to [ __ ] him on the money and

Stanho got into it with the owner of the

club and

>> became a big thing But once Hedberg got

an audience, then people knew what they

were coming to see and then he was

amazing and then everybody wanted to see

that. That was kind of the same with

Stephen Wright. Like if you expected if

you're on a show with Steve Sweeney and

Lenny Clark and all these big energy

[ __ ] Boston guys

>> and then you know I used to work at a

fire hydrant factory couldn't park

anywhere near the place you know like it

just for whatever reason

>> you know. Well, it's awesome.

>> So it that other comedy is and I'm not

taking anything away from those guys and

the the bits were great, but the that

other comedy is a little easier. It just

you get it. Yes.

>> And Steven Wright, you got to think

about it for a second.

>> It was abstract. It was lowkey. It was

all non sequittors. It was one to

another. It was

>> And so when he left and took off, a lot

of guys apparently were like, "This is

[ __ ] [ __ ] like when's my turn

gonna happen?

>> Yeah, I I can see that easily. Yeah.

Yeah. I mean that was

>> it was so

I mean no other scene had that kind of

weird provincial

>> you know and that thing like you said

they wouldn't leave.

>> No, they never left. Well, they were

huge there. So if they lived there, they

could make like a couple hundred,000 a

year just running around and cash easy.

>> Yeah. And not ever have to worry about

anything. And they played golf all day.

So there's two things that scared me.

One of them was golf cuz I saw that when

you play golf, you kind of stop trying

with your comedy.

>> It's a slippery slope. It's a gateway

drug.

>> Well, it's you're you're out there for

[ __ ] eight hours a day. Like Noxy was

always playing golf. And then the other

thing was like if if you never left, you

had no chance of developing like a

national audience where you could go to

a club in Philadelphia. You can go to a

club. They couldn't do the road.

>> And I I remember thinking, "Oh, this is

a trap." Yeah, for sure. Absolutely.

Yeah. I mean, and as you said, they

>> half of their standup was like, you'd

have to know about, you know, Storow

Drive or [ __ ]

>> Johnny Most,

>> you know?

>> Yeah. Remember Dunovan's bit about

Johnny Most? It was amazing. But it was

like he was doing that bit long after

Johnny Most was dead. So like 20 people

in the audience would be howling,

laughing, and everybody else like, "Who

the [ __ ] is Johnny Most?"

>> God.

>> Yeah. It was it was weird because that

it was like a velvet prison. It was like

how I describe like really great comics

that get jobs in a writer's room and I'm

like you got to be careful. Like that's

a velvet prison because if you get stuck

in that writer room and you never do the

road, you never put out specials, you're

never going to get an audience. You're

always going to be beholdened to an

employer. You're always going to have to

have a job. And there's great comics

that got trapped with that. I But

wouldn't you say that