Episode Transcript
[00:00:08] Speaker A: All right, we're back. We got the Mr. Brian Rigby. He is a. He's a comic. He's a very, very talented musician as well. He is the guy who did the music for the podcast, the intro music and the outro music that you hear.
And he's. He's a wonderful, wonderful. One of the. One of the few people in comedy where I'm like, he's. He's an okay guy. He looks a little creepy, but that's, you know.
[00:00:32] Speaker B: Thank you, Ellen. I appreciate it. Lovely you've done with the hair. It's nice. You know you didn't dance, but I guess you don't do that for the podcast. It was just the show.
[00:00:40] Speaker A: Just the feet out, dude. Just feet sluts.
[00:00:43] Speaker B: That's right.
[00:00:44] Speaker A: Brian has his socks on today. Sorry, guys.
[00:00:46] Speaker B: Is that a rule?
[00:00:47] Speaker A: No, it's not a rule. You don't have to do it. I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable.
[00:00:52] Speaker B: Well, your neighborhood already did.
[00:00:54] Speaker A: Dude, this neighborhood's a good neighborhood. It's, it's. It's safe. It's. It's family friendly. It's far, but still it's.
[00:01:01] Speaker B: You know what's bizarre about it? I was, as I was walking, it's a beautiful day, it's sunny, but the people are cloudy.
[00:01:07] Speaker A: Dude, they're all from the Soviet Union.
[00:01:09] Speaker B: Why are all their eyes sunken? Like they can eat more than just carrots now they're here?
[00:01:13] Speaker A: No, dude, they still. They like to live that way because it keeps them. Keeps them, you know, sharp.
[00:01:18] Speaker B: Well, they seem slow.
[00:01:20] Speaker A: They are a little slow, but they will fuck you if they can, any way they can. That's the Russians are. They don't fuck around.
[00:01:26] Speaker B: Those dirty potato peeling bastards.
[00:01:29] Speaker A: Yeah, those motherfuckers. But I want to talk to you about last night.
You went on a date?
[00:01:35] Speaker B: Kind of. So.
[00:01:36] Speaker A: Well, you were supposed to go on a date.
[00:01:38] Speaker B: Yeah, I was supposed to go on a date. This girl from Long island that, you know, was gonna meet her like halfway in like the Lynbrook Rockville center area.
[00:01:46] Speaker A: Oh, wow.
[00:01:46] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:01:47] Speaker A: How far in Long Island? If that's the halfway point, it's only.
[00:01:49] Speaker B: About a half hour on larr wasn't that bad. But yeah, we said a day and time, set a place, you know. But then I didn't hear anything from her. I was like, you know, we're adults. It's in the calendar. And I was just like, hey, you good? And I was already like, on the way. I'm like, fuck it.
And I'm waiting and just like, hear Nothing. I messaged her. Didn't hear nothing.
Luckily, there was a White Castle right next door.
Dude, I wish I. I saw that on the map when I was choosing a place. I feel like subconsciously I chose the date spot because there was a White Castle, assuming there was gonna be failure.
[00:02:26] Speaker A: Okay, and how'd you meet her?
[00:02:28] Speaker B: Just through Hinge.
[00:02:29] Speaker A: Through hinge. Okay. And what was the spot that you're supposed to go?
[00:02:32] Speaker B: Just some. Just kind of just bar, restaurant, random. Okay.
[00:02:36] Speaker A: And she. Everything seemed fine when you were chatting.
[00:02:38] Speaker B: Everything seemed cool. It was just like. There's just radio silence.
[00:02:41] Speaker A: And then when you got there and you're waiting, what. What, did you text her or.
[00:02:45] Speaker B: Yeah, message her. And I was just. Yeah. Just gave it, like, 20. And I'm like, all right. I got the crave.
[00:02:55] Speaker A: And that was it, man.
[00:02:56] Speaker B: That was it. Yeah.
[00:02:57] Speaker A: God damn it, dude. See, that's. There's nothing lower. Like, you want to go someone. Okay, that's not right either. But to. To. To just stand somebody up.
That's so fucked up.
[00:03:08] Speaker B: Especially if, like, we didn't have, like, a day and time, like, solidified. Like, it's just, you know, it's like one of those things where, like. Yeah. I don't know. It's hinge. It's. Whatever.
[00:03:17] Speaker A: No, I get it, but you had to travel to fucking Long Island. I mean, the story is not too far, but still that you got to.
[00:03:23] Speaker B: Make sure the city.
[00:03:24] Speaker A: Whatever.
[00:03:25] Speaker B: Either way. Okay, Whatever.
[00:03:26] Speaker A: God damn it.
[00:03:27] Speaker B: See, this is. This is a trend. People defend me more than I defend myself.
[00:03:30] Speaker A: Yeah, you don't know. Don't defend her. Fuck her, dude. So when you.
[00:03:34] Speaker B: She.
[00:03:35] Speaker A: No responses. She speak to you today?
[00:03:36] Speaker B: No. Yeah.
[00:03:38] Speaker A: What a cunt.
[00:03:39] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:03:39] Speaker A: What a cunt. No, that's. That's shit, dude. That's. And you're such a nice guy. Like, you really are a nice guy. You may have, you know, body in.
[00:03:46] Speaker B: Your closet, but I walked up and said fuck. You were the first word out of my mouth.
[00:03:49] Speaker A: Yeah, but that's different.
[00:03:50] Speaker B: It's me.
[00:03:51] Speaker A: You're nice to people. For the most matter, yes. I don't matter. I don't matter. But that's. That's. I've been. I never been stood up, but I have had, like, a situation on the way. They canceled. When I was on my way.
[00:04:03] Speaker B: They canceled that blow. Yeah.
[00:04:05] Speaker A: But, hey, man, you're out there trying. I haven't gone on a date in very long time.
[00:04:12] Speaker B: That was my first. Yeah. One. Probably since. When did I move?
Probably since, like, last August. Honestly.
[00:04:20] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:04:21] Speaker B: I Had a couple just like, you know, met up with people casually, but like, there's like the first planned date. I've had like over a year. Yeah.
[00:04:27] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:04:28] Speaker B: So welcome back to it.
[00:04:29] Speaker A: I mean, I guess you got. It's. It's a numbers game at the end of the day, right? You gotta just keep. You got to keep trying. And I mean, at this point, I would, if I was you, I'd write to her, be like, all right, well, I was thinking about ending my life and now I definitely am and kind of scare her a little bit.
[00:04:44] Speaker B: She's seen my picture. She knows that.
[00:04:49] Speaker A: That's a solid point. Yeah, that's a solid point.
[00:04:52] Speaker B: Do I look stable?
[00:04:53] Speaker A: No, no, but that's okay. But still, I would. I would.
Or I would write something about, you know, what, like, look, I would mean, I guess. Do you want to give her the. I mean, I guess. Does that give her power, you think? If you write something like, hey, I think it was kind of shitty.
[00:05:07] Speaker B: Yeah. I'm just gonna ignore it. If she messages back. I'd be willing to, you know, I'm willing to give a second chance if it was just like an honest fuck up. She forgot to put in her calendar. Whatever. She didn't, you know, doesn't have notifications on.
[00:05:18] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:05:19] Speaker B: You know, for. Cuz it was all just through hinge or whatever. So. Yeah, it's just. Yeah, it's. It's what it is that she didn't know me anything, you know.
[00:05:26] Speaker A: I guess so. I guess. Are you looking for like a life partner or. No.
[00:05:29] Speaker B: Can you say that in a much more masculine way?
[00:05:31] Speaker A: Are you looking for someone to fuck on a regular basis now?
[00:05:37] Speaker B: Do it sound like you're five' ten?
Yeah, no, I'm just looking for just somebody like that to, you know, to be quite honest with you, I just don't want to be alone around Christmas again.
Just have just, you know, somebody that I care about, who cares about me. I don't care about the label of it.
[00:05:55] Speaker A: I understand that.
[00:05:56] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:05:56] Speaker A: Do you go to. I mean, you're. So your family's in Pennsylvania, right?
[00:06:00] Speaker B: Yeah, spread out, but yeah, my parents are in Pennsylvania. My sister's upstate in New York.
[00:06:04] Speaker A: So do you go to see them?
[00:06:05] Speaker B: Yeah, holidays, yeah.
[00:06:07] Speaker A: Okay. But do you want to bring someone to your family?
[00:06:09] Speaker B: No, it's been around that time of year in general. Yeah.
[00:06:12] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[00:06:13] Speaker B: That was just an example. But yeah, just. It's nice to have somebody that, like, you know, you just walking through the city, everything's like kind of like just all nice holidays, but it's just like, just looking at a sea of couples and like I'm going on two and a half years single.
[00:06:27] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:06:28] Speaker B: After all the horseshit and it's just like. Yeah, it'd be nice to have somebody, you know.
[00:06:32] Speaker A: Do you feel like your life has gotten better, though? Because you were saying you, I mean, you were, you're one of the, you were one of the, the most hard working guys in comedy that I know because you were traveling from Pennsylvania to New York every fucking day back and forth and has. I know that you were stressing out about that, but like your life has gotten significantly better, I'm sure, since moving into the city.
[00:06:54] Speaker B: Yeah. No, like, literally everything snapped into place. Like, otherwise, besides just like the dating shed. It's just like. Yeah. Everything else is tremendous.
The fuck is that?
[00:07:06] Speaker A: That's a good question.
[00:07:07] Speaker B: Is that the ghost? Okay, so maybe the girl is dead.
[00:07:09] Speaker A: That girl, she better be dead. I don't know.
[00:07:12] Speaker B: And that's her ghost saying, I'm sorry.
[00:07:14] Speaker A: God damn it.
[00:07:15] Speaker B: No, it's okay, Lauren.
[00:07:17] Speaker A: She had a very light pulse. I don't know if I thought it was. He thought it doled out, but.
[00:07:21] Speaker B: Okay, she may be alive.
[00:07:23] Speaker A: All right, get back in the fucking closet.
[00:07:26] Speaker B: Anyway, we all know it's a dude.
What were we talking about? Genuinely, you were, you're.
[00:07:35] Speaker A: You're moving back here.
[00:07:37] Speaker B: Yeah. Like I said, everything's fallen into place. Just like, you know, finally, like money is no longer like an issue of just like trying to pay back the car repairs for the three people listening. I spent nine grand on car repairs. Just one after the other. Every time something got fixed, the next thing fucking broke. And I was trying to get here for work every day from Pennsylvania. So I was kind of stuck in this cycle. Now I've got, you know, I just got a loan to cover the credit cards and I'm able to sell my car now. So, like, everything's like, you're back.
[00:08:12] Speaker A: Money front.
[00:08:12] Speaker B: Yeah. And it's just.
Yeah, my commute is a half hour as opposed to three hours.
[00:08:18] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:08:19] Speaker B: And that's just. That was. It turns out that was the biggest problem was the commute.
[00:08:22] Speaker A: Was the.
[00:08:23] Speaker B: Yeah, the commute was just like taking away every part of my humanity.
[00:08:27] Speaker A: You know, they say that. I've read articles that the. The most stressful part of people's day is their commute. Like, the shorter your commute, the better your life is a lot of the time. Yeah. Because the other shit you're always gonna have to deal with, but you could change your commute time by moving, which obviously could costs money and so on. But I've read that that is the like the killer like people's. It just destroys them.
[00:08:48] Speaker B: Yeah. Especially when you can't get out of that situation. It's just like this is just like just my reality and it's just like there's no way out until like I was finally had the money to move back.
[00:08:59] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:08:59] Speaker B: And it's just. Yeah, it's just that it was killing me. Yeah. It just made me a completely different person because like how I am normally is just kind of like. Just bubbly, goofy. There's obviously some darker like.
[00:09:10] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:09:10] Speaker B: Tones just because that's just what I find funny. But it's just like. Yeah, I was a miserable piece of shit for the past year and a half.
[00:09:16] Speaker A: You wouldn't know it though, honestly, like having your communicate. Because I see. I see you at least once a week and you. I would never have known that you were miserable. I know you were dealing with a lot, but you managed to hide it really well.
[00:09:29] Speaker B: Irish.
[00:09:30] Speaker A: I guess so. That's a good point.
[00:09:31] Speaker B: You know, just. You just kind of bottle up. Luckily I've got outlets. Like a lot of it came out in my comedy.
Even as an instrumentalist, like just on gigs. Like that's just where I play very heavy, like, especially when I'm playing keys. And I think a lot of it like comes out like almost like I'm like working a punching bag.
[00:09:48] Speaker A: So that's interesting.
[00:09:49] Speaker B: There is something in here that I'm allergic to. I feel like.
[00:09:52] Speaker A: Really?
[00:09:53] Speaker B: Yeah. My left eye is just about to explode.
[00:09:55] Speaker A: It could be the incense that I had on that.
[00:09:58] Speaker B: Oh yeah, that could be.
[00:09:59] Speaker A: Oh, shit.
[00:09:59] Speaker B: My bad.
[00:10:00] Speaker A: Are you alright?
[00:10:00] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, no good. It might just have something in it.
[00:10:02] Speaker A: But if you need to stop, let me know.
[00:10:04] Speaker B: Now we're good. It's good content.
[00:10:06] Speaker A: It's.
Yeah, dude, the music I. Because I mean you've made. I've seen you play before and you, you do like.
I mean, what you made for the podcast is. I mean I. I obviously was like, you know, you understood who I am and I, I gave you kind of like a very, very rough like just play and have a good time. But like this is the, the framework.
But I didn't. When I've seen you play, you go hard, dude. Like you're.
[00:10:30] Speaker B: And.
[00:10:30] Speaker A: And you've been playing for how long?
[00:10:33] Speaker B: I mean professionally. I'm going on like 15 years as far as just playing instruments.
I picked up guitar when I was like 13. I picked up piano when I was like, 15 or so.
[00:10:43] Speaker A: Yeah. And what do you think is harder, comedy or music?
[00:10:48] Speaker B: It depends on the context. Once you get rolling with music, it's not the hardest thing in the world. It's just like, it's a much slower growth thing. And comedy is so much more of, like, a mystery, I feel like. Okay. Or I should say it's less tangible. Okay. Like music. It's like if you do, you know, one plus one plus one, it's gonna equal, like, almost three every time. You just need a little bit of finesse to actually make it a solidified three.
[00:11:16] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:11:17] Speaker B: Whereas comedy is like one plus one plus I got no idea equals who knows?
[00:11:23] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:11:23] Speaker B: And that's like. That's why I love comedy. Yeah. Because it's just like, you have no idea how the set's gonna go at any point. You have no idea when you write a joke, how people are going to take it.
You can have a joke that's been killing and just all of a sudden it doesn't.
[00:11:39] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:11:39] Speaker B: And I think that's what makes it difficult. It's much less of a guarantee of success.
But it's definitely more fun. I think it's less predictable. Yeah.
[00:11:50] Speaker A: Cause I guess when you have a song down and you're gonna perform it, you know the song and it's like, if people, you know, people aren't gonna get outraged by music unless you're like, singing like a slave song or something.
[00:12:02] Speaker B: Or like a Johnny Rebel.
[00:12:03] Speaker A: Yeah, but.
[00:12:06] Speaker B: Yeah, like. Or unless you just play poorly. But if you're playing well, even if you're having, like, an off night, if you're a professional, there's still a level that you can just even phone in and that translates to a good show.
[00:12:18] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:12:18] Speaker B: Whereas comedy, like, you can be just, like, firing on all cylinders. And, like, if something doesn't work and you have no idea what it is, that's.
[00:12:26] Speaker A: Yeah, dude, it's a.
Would you. Would you prefer, like, if you had your choice? Right. Let's say someone said you're gonna make it either way. Would you rather make it as a musician or as a comic?
[00:12:37] Speaker B: It depends on what I'm doing well at. If I'm having a good week in comedy.
[00:12:40] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:12:41] Speaker B: I'm always like, fuck, I wish I could do this with music, too. But then when I'm having a good week with music, I'm just like, yeah, but I wish I could make comedy work like this. It's just. I flip flop because I'm in both worlds, like, pretty evenly.
[00:12:52] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:12:53] Speaker B: It's a. I just assume I'm never going to be happy.
[00:12:56] Speaker A: Well, that's. I mean, that's a comics brain, I feel like. And probably music or artists in general, where there's just this never.
[00:13:02] Speaker B: It's. You're.
[00:13:03] Speaker A: The void is always open kind of thing. Like, it's never going to be full.
But I just.
I always wanted to be like a rock star. Like, that's what I wanted more than anything was to be like a fucking. Like, you see the Rolling Stones and, like, they're just going ham.
And I knew I could. I could never sing, and I never took the time to learn an instrument, so. And I couldn't. There's no way I'd ever be able to read music, which I know you don't need to know how to read music to, like, for those guys, at least.
And I was like, well, what else.
What else is there that's like, performative and entertaining? And comedy just was like, all right. Like, I.
It's. It's just me. I. I could figure that out. That seems.
Not when you're on a professional level, but when you want to start something, it seems easier, if that makes sense. Like, sitting down and learning an instrument seems harder to me than going up and performing comedy. Does that make sense?
[00:13:59] Speaker B: Yeah, I'd say so. Like, the getting started, there's like such a physical barrier. Yeah. Whereas comedy, it's kind of just like, you know, you can. You can get up on stage at any point, and even if you suck, there's still a way to make it funny and fun. Yeah, but it's so hard to get great at comedy. Whereas, like, once you're already very good at music, it's. It's like, that's when it gets easier.
[00:14:20] Speaker A: Yeah, that's.
That's the thing, dude. I see. I.
I guess it's because we do comedy so regularly. When I go to see musicians play, I'm always a little envious. My God. That's because there's nothing cooler than the guy playing the guitar on stage. Like, the women are just like. The comic is. Yeah, it's entertaining and funny, but there's going to be like. Let's say there's 10 women in a crowd. There's going to be one that thinks it's hot. Like, oh, that's a sexy thing that you're doing. But if you're playing the guitar on stage, nine times out of 10, I feel not all 10 women are gonna be like, that's hot. You know what I mean? There's just Something sexier about it. The music.
[00:14:55] Speaker B: Not when you don't have hair anymore.
[00:14:58] Speaker A: That's you, Brian. Yeah, that's. That sucks. You just got fucking.
[00:15:02] Speaker B: That's the thing I noticed the second I, like, even when I had, like, hair and it was just I was cutting it short because I knew I was going bald. It was fine. The second I was the bald musician. Yeah. It was so funny. Just like, watching, like, me, like, have a. Like, just a ripping set.
And like, people are like, going crazy. Girls are going crazy. The second I'm off stage, I am a ghost.
Because I used to have a full, like, fro. I used to have a long, like, kind of Carrot Top looking thing. And that's when I was just like, oh, attention. And like, it worked now. Yeah. And then comedy, same thing. I get off, I have a great set. And, like, I see the girls laughing. Even in my head, I'm just like, naturally, like, oh, they're interested.
And then I walk off and it's just like, nothing.
[00:15:45] Speaker A: Well, Moby was bald, right? He's a musician.
[00:15:48] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:15:49] Speaker A: Is he gay?
[00:15:49] Speaker B: No, he's a different type. He's like. I think he makes cooler music. Okay. Cause I'm like a dig your shoulder in rock, like, you know, Bruce Springsteen type of thing where it's just like, you know, very singer, songwriter with like a heavy rock undertone.
[00:16:05] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:16:06] Speaker B: Which just women don't like, I think is the.
[00:16:11] Speaker A: Some women do. I mean, do you write 50 if.
[00:16:13] Speaker B: They'Re like 50 and over?
[00:16:15] Speaker A: No, I think. I think there are some way, like, they're grungy, they're grungier women out there.
[00:16:18] Speaker B: I think there are. But they're the ones that smoke inside. I think that like those kind of women. Yeah. That's the thing we got.
[00:16:26] Speaker A: Yout like you.
[00:16:26] Speaker B: I like girls who ghost me in Lynbrook.
[00:16:29] Speaker A: I like the girls who look like a ghost. They just sunken in and just fucking.
[00:16:34] Speaker B: They've had it. If you want to walk back with me to the train, I saw a couple. Yeah, all right.
[00:16:38] Speaker A: Maybe I'll hit it.
But yeah, man, it's.
It's a weird thing. I mean, I don't think.
Do you ever think about going to Turkey to get like, the.
[00:16:47] Speaker B: No, I rock this.
[00:16:50] Speaker A: I'm comfortable with it.
[00:16:51] Speaker B: Yeah. No, I lucked out. I got a good bald head. I once I. I was more self conscious as I was balding.
[00:16:58] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:16:58] Speaker B: Because it's kind of just like. It was more of like a fuck. One day I'm just gonna come into work with no hair. Yeah. And it's more of a social anxiety thing than it is, like, the anxiety about the hair. But the second I shaved it and I walked out of the bathroom, and, like, my girlfriend at the time was just, like, it was good. I'm like, all right. Yeah, it was kind of. That was it.
[00:17:15] Speaker A: I don't think. I think there are certain people. My buddy, when I saw him actually last night, he went bald, and he just shaved it one day, and I was like, I can't imagine you with hair now. Like, you look good. You rock it good.
And that's rare, dude. Like, if I went bald, I don't got the head for it. I don't think. I think I'd look frightening.
[00:17:31] Speaker B: Yeah, you would be like, what does he have?
[00:17:33] Speaker A: Yeah, cancer, Lymphoma. That's what he's got. It's.
It's one of those things, dude, that. Where, like, it just works. Uncertain. I would be on the first plane to Turkey for sure. I would take out a loan if I. I don't care how much money I'd owe. I'd go to Turkey and I'd get it done.
[00:17:48] Speaker B: Yeah, I looked into it. It's like. I forget per strip of, like, thing. It's like, I think 300 bucks per, like, graph.
[00:17:55] Speaker A: And how many do you need?
[00:17:56] Speaker B: It depends on how bald you are.
Let's use you as say, for me, because I've got a receding hairline as well as, like, the, you know, male pattern baldness in the back.
[00:18:04] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:18:05] Speaker B: It would probably be in America, 10 to 20 grand.
[00:18:10] Speaker A: Okay, what about turkeys? Like, 30?
[00:18:12] Speaker B: Probably, like, 8 grand or so.
[00:18:13] Speaker A: Okay. That's not terrible.
[00:18:14] Speaker B: Yeah, it's like, I would have to take a loan out. It'd be like paying a car off.
[00:18:18] Speaker A: Yeah, but it's a car that's worth it. You know, it's.
[00:18:22] Speaker B: See, but that's the thing. You have to keep getting it done. That's something that people don't. What about. Yeah, just because it's like, that hair is fine, but it doesn't mean you're not still balding. So, like, your other, like, follicles, like, there's people who've gotten the top done, and then, like, the hairline is, like, going, like. Like they're still have, like, a bald spot that's going further back. Or if, like, they don't, you know, they don't get the full thing, like, done here because there's already hair here. Yeah, those hairs fall out. Then they. They have to get replaced.
[00:18:49] Speaker A: That's a nightmare. Okay. I thought you just kind of like. I. I thought if it. I mean, if you're not going bald in other places, I mean, I guess you can go bald at some point in other places, which is. Yeah. God damn it. What a waste. Dude.
[00:19:02] Speaker B: It's kind of like Lasik, you know, at a certain point, like, your eyes are just going to be shitty again.
[00:19:07] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. You know, that scares the out of me, that Lasik.
[00:19:10] Speaker B: Oh, really?
[00:19:11] Speaker A: Yeah. Dude, you ever. You ever consider getting it?
[00:19:13] Speaker B: Yeah, I want to so bad.
[00:19:15] Speaker A: Really?
[00:19:15] Speaker B: Now that I'm not, like, you know, doing rock eggs as much. It's. It's not a big deal because I used to, like, you know, playing for three hours and having to, like. Oh, yeah, push the glasses up. Yeah. Kind of blows. I used to have contacts, but those kind of just irritate your eyes, especially if you're touring. It's just like, you know, you're getting sweat in the eyes, you're not getting enough sleep, and then you're just having to put, like, a contact in. Yeah. Just like, blows. So I've definitely thought about it, but it's just. Yeah, I feel like I look weird without glasses.
[00:19:42] Speaker A: I can't imagine you without them, dude.
[00:19:44] Speaker B: Yeah. I used to religiously wear contacts for a long time.
[00:19:47] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:19:47] Speaker B: And then. Yeah. Just. I kind of.
I think I got chubby at a certain point. And then my eyes were more closed than they should have been.
[00:19:55] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:19:57] Speaker B: I mean, I've just kept it.
[00:19:59] Speaker A: But, I mean, that's. Yeah. I mean, I, Like, I remember when I first saw you, you had those glasses. Obviously, you're bald. And I remember looking. I was like this. Those are like the white supremacist glasses.
[00:20:12] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:20:12] Speaker A: Like from the 60s.
[00:20:13] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah.
Well, I had the other frames, too. Like, the thicker, like, Ray Ban type of frames.
Those kept breaking off of my head.
I got a giant head, dude. They don't make glasses, like, my size wide enough.
[00:20:27] Speaker A: You mean? Yeah.
[00:20:27] Speaker B: Like, unless I get, like, you know, $300 special order. Like, I do. I buy direct, which is like, you know, $15 frames.
[00:20:35] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:20:35] Speaker B: But. Yeah, those. Those kept just snapping off randomly throughout the day.
[00:20:38] Speaker A: Oh, fuck me. Dude.
[00:20:40] Speaker B: It happened like I was driving. So that's why I got these because they look racist. But they.
And they. They're flexible. So. Yeah, I kind of. I'm kind of stuck. It's just big head problems, dude.
[00:20:52] Speaker A: I mean. Yeah, that's. I mean, they. They. But they look good. Like, when I first. They. They.
They work on you. I like them.
[00:20:59] Speaker B: You know, I've been Told that they give me eyebrows because I don't really have.
[00:21:03] Speaker A: You want to know something? That's the truth. Yeah, that's.
[00:21:06] Speaker B: It gives me an expressive eyebrow to people who are more than 10ft away. Yeah.
[00:21:10] Speaker A: And how bad is your vision? Like, if they fall off during a set, let's say, like, you're playing the piano. Can you see the keys? Or is your eye. Your vision fucked?
[00:21:17] Speaker B: Yeah, I mean, like, it's fucked. It's mostly just, like, the clarity and, like, the depth perception. Yeah. So I'm severely nearsighted, but it's, like, the type of thing where I can see, like, shapes. I can tell, like, what things are, but like, even, like, from here, like, I can't see your face. Like, really, I can tell it's you because I know you.
[00:21:34] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:21:34] Speaker B: But, like, it's just, like. It's just all very blurry.
[00:21:37] Speaker A: Wow.
[00:21:37] Speaker B: So. And what that does is, like, I've tried to do gigs, like, where, like, I didn't have contacts, and, like, the glasses were, like, kind of just, like, annoying. And it's like I get dizzy almost because it's like the depth perception is kind of gone. Yeah. So. And, like, I'm, like, afraid I'm gonna, like, wander off the stage by accident. Like, that's, you know, that type of thing. So it's to that point. But if I'm just sitting playing keys, like. Yeah, that's. It's not really a bother. If I try to focus on something, it'll. It'll strain my eyes a little bit.
[00:22:03] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:22:03] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:22:04] Speaker A: Have you. Have you. Did you have a band at any point, or. No.
[00:22:07] Speaker B: Yeah, so that's. I've been a side guy now for a few years, but my main. What's it.
[00:22:12] Speaker A: What's a side guy?
[00:22:13] Speaker B: Someone who's, like, plays for another artist. Okay.
[00:22:15] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:22:15] Speaker B: Okay. Sideman, Hired guns. Kind of like the terminology. But for years, I was a singer songwriter.
[00:22:21] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:22:22] Speaker B: So I toured and produced my own music, was managing my own group. Like, I was a solo artist with a backing band.
[00:22:30] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:22:31] Speaker B: And then probably around, like, 2018 or so, I was trying to get more work because, like, just being a singer, songwriter, and artist just cost money. You don't really make money. Like, on a good day, you break even.
[00:22:44] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:22:44] Speaker B: So I started gigging for other artists on, like, bass, keys, and guitar. And then coming out of the Pandemic, I started hitting that harder.
[00:22:51] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:22:51] Speaker B: Playing for other artists and just kind of built a network of people that I could play with pretty regularly for cash and that.
[00:22:57] Speaker A: And you make decent money.
[00:22:58] Speaker B: I'm sure decent enough. Yeah. It definitely contributes, like a decent amount of my income. Yeah.
Like, I would say right now because, I mean, I've got a better job than I did, you know, you know, five years back. But, like, right now it's still probably about 10, 15% of my income.
[00:23:15] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:23:16] Speaker B: Before, like, when I was only making like 25k a year from my day job, it was like, you know, almost half. Yeah.
[00:23:24] Speaker A: Of it.
[00:23:24] Speaker B: So, yeah. It's definitely contributed a lot.
[00:23:26] Speaker A: And do you play, like, weddings and shit like that?
[00:23:29] Speaker B: I was. I wasn't a wedding man for a little bit.
[00:23:31] Speaker A: What's that like?
[00:23:32] Speaker B: Horrible.
[00:23:33] Speaker A: Yeah. It's gotta be rough, right?
[00:23:35] Speaker B: Yeah. Cause like, all the other artists I play for are original.
[00:23:37] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:23:38] Speaker B: Which are great. Like, that's. That's my favorite thing to do.
Wedding bands, you're just playing covers that you've been playing forever that you can play with those original bands. If somebody requests that, you're like, yeah, fuck it, we can kind of knock this out.
[00:23:53] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:23:54] Speaker B: That the wedding band leader will be so stringent about how it's played that it's just like. It's not fun. And it's just one of those songs like, we know how to fucking play this song.
[00:24:02] Speaker A: Stop treating us like children. Yeah.
[00:24:04] Speaker B: But like, it's just like that harmony was off and it's just like, you know what you're talking about. Yeah. So I was in a few groups like that.
Or even just like, you know, the work. Just it. That makes music feel like work. Yeah. And it's just like you're making much more money, but it's like, it's. The quality is not any better.
[00:24:23] Speaker A: I understand.
[00:24:23] Speaker B: Yeah. And then, like, wedding bands, there's a lot of drama. It's like its own little world. Yeah. It's kind of like cruise ship comics.
[00:24:30] Speaker A: Oh, okay.
[00:24:31] Speaker B: It's like that type of vibe where it's just like they're.
You can't really take them out of that context easily. Yeah. And have them succeed. And then at the same time, you can't come out of your context and go over there and you could probably succeed. You just would be really miserable.
[00:24:46] Speaker A: That's. That. Dude, that sucks. I. I've heard stories about people who, like, who do weddings. And it's like, they say it's. I feel like for comedy, it's probably like doing your. Your set that. Like that 10 minutes that you're so sick of, but you're like, yeah, it works. And I've been doing it for a while. It's A similar thing, I feel like.
[00:25:03] Speaker B: And it's not even that. It's more so like if you just had to do hack material.
[00:25:08] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:25:08] Speaker B: Get laughs. That's kind of what it's like because it's all just like, you know, signed seal delivered, but too fast got, you know, or like, you know, just like material like that, like, never going to give you up by Rick Astley. Yeah, it's like. But like too fast. Like that's. It's kind of like you can't really be an artist when you're playing in a wedding band because, like, you're trying to just play the exact song the exact way, but faster.
[00:25:32] Speaker A: Why faster?
[00:25:32] Speaker B: It's just an energy thing that every wedding band leader wants.
[00:25:35] Speaker A: You need to just pick up the pace, like to get people jumping a little.
[00:25:38] Speaker B: Yeah. I don't know what it is. It's just, you know, it's when white people play soul music. That's all it is. When white people play soul music, they have to take it like 12 clicks faster.
[00:25:47] Speaker A: That's annoying.
[00:25:47] Speaker B: Yeah, they can't, like, just chill in a groove. Like when you're playing in an original band who like plays bars and stuff like that, like, you'll take something and just flip it over completely. Yeah.
Like in my band, we used to toss in Dear Prudence by the Beatles.
[00:26:03] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:26:03] Speaker B: But I made it like a kind of funkier, like, kind of Stevie Wonderish type of thing. Dragged it back a little bit.
[00:26:10] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:26:11] Speaker B: And I would just randomly, like, I would point to the bassist and just go like this. And that meant, like, you know, solo for a while.
[00:26:16] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:26:17] Speaker B: And like, we would just kind of just come out of it. I inserted at one point because it's a similar chord structure.
Miami 2017 by Billy Joel.
[00:26:24] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:26:25] Speaker B: I just added that piano part in there, like something like that where you can kind of just like take bits and pieces. It's almost like doing crowd work, but really good, elevated crowd work.
[00:26:34] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:26:34] Speaker B: But like, it's just in a musical sense and then, like, people will have a blast. And then like you go into an original, you can do anything with it. There are originals that I've done that are full band, and then I'll just strip it down and just do it solo.
[00:26:48] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:26:49] Speaker B: Or Bruce Springsteen's got a great version of one of his songs, 10th Avenue Freeze, out of the Born To Run record, where it's like a fun, just like kind of up tempo funk tune. Yeah. But then he does it, like as a ballad on this one live record that is like just it's like chilling, it's haunting and it's just like, oh, wow. This song that is just a fun song now has some sort of like deeper meaning. And it's just like, yeah, it's just, it's so much fun to do that. You can't do that in a wedding band.
[00:27:17] Speaker A: Okay. And, and I mean, and being in a band in general, I mean, that's the beauty of comedy where it, there's a double edged sword with comedy. It's. You don't have to answer really to anybody, obviously the club, you know, the book or whatever. But when you're up there, you're up there, you choose what you want to do. Whereas in a band you got to deal with the egos of other people. You got to make sure you're in time with, with those people.
But there's also a loneliness aspect to comedy. Like if you hit the road as a comic, sure, you'd hope to have an opener that you could bring with or like a friend that you can go on the road with, but you know, that may not happen. And then you're on your own.
And there's this sense of extreme loneliness because you go, you entertain people, you make them feel good, you feel good, you're high. And then, you know, you go, where do I go now? I go to the motel room and just sit there. Whereas in a band you can shoot the. With your buddies after.
[00:28:06] Speaker B: Yeah, dude, the van hang is the most fun. You really just, you're just driving around the highway for eight hours. And like there, there have been times where I've driven 16 hours.
[00:28:16] Speaker A: Wow.
[00:28:17] Speaker B: In one shot with the band. And it's just it. But it's like some of the most fun I've ever had. Yeah. In my life. And yeah, that, that's one thing with comedy. It's like, that's why I like the club atmosphere. And like even just last night, I just went with a buddy of mine to the Olive tree above the Cellar.
[00:28:31] Speaker A: I love that.
[00:28:32] Speaker B: And just watching, just like the comics just hang out, it's just like, all right, they're lonely on the road, but like they come back to that, which is cool.
[00:28:38] Speaker A: That's what, that's what I've heard. It's like during the week they're all here and then they done the weekends when they hit the road, they, you know, there's a sense of they come back, they have their home base wherever they're from, whether it's in New York or LA or whatever. Like, could be the seller, could be the Store.
But I've thought about that a lot because I've, I've done some road gigs and I go, I'll open like this one comic in particular, Jake and Louie. You know the.
[00:29:01] Speaker B: Yeah, the Pepper guy? Yeah, he's actually good. Yeah, yeah.
[00:29:03] Speaker A: He takes me on the road with him and I'll open for him and we hang out. We're different personalities, but we shoot the shit and we talk. But there are moments like I get off stage and I'm in Hanover, Pennsylvania and I'm like, wow. Like, this is like, I killed. I killed. I had a great time. And I go, like, I could see, you know, 20 years. Even if you're doing it for a living, there's a sense of like, depressiveness. Like I, I could see myself, I wouldn't do it. Going to my hotel room and hanging myself kind of thing. Not. You know what I mean? Like, there's this just like, wow. I. You entertain this room full of people and you'd give everything. You give them everything you got and you're, you're either exhausted or you're excited and then you're alone. It's really weird.
[00:29:49] Speaker B: Yeah. I don't know. It's. Yeah, it depends on. Yeah. How you look at it. I, I kind of like solitude.
[00:29:56] Speaker A: Me too.
[00:29:57] Speaker B: I, you know, I do like kind of going to, you know, the few times I've traveled alone, kind of going back to a hotel room alone and just having like me time.
[00:30:07] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:30:08] Speaker B: Especially like, you know, we live in the city and we're constantly surrounded by people. Yeah. Yeah. I think you have to frame it to yourself like that. I'm just like kind of looking at it as like a social vacation.
[00:30:18] Speaker A: That is true. That is true.
I think my problem is because you don't drink. Right.
My problem is like when I'm feeling good, like I get off stage, I'm feeling, you know, the engines are roaring and my instinct is, let's more pleasure, more. How do I get. Okay, I'm done with that on stage. How do I feel? Keep feeling better. And my thing is to like, I'll. I want to drink. And most times I know, like, if I'm alone, I won't do it because it'll get self destructive.
[00:30:45] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:30:46] Speaker A: But that's usually my headspace. And if I'm with people, the drinking isn't as self destructive. It's more of like we're hanging, we're recapping.
[00:30:53] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:30:54] Speaker A: But being alone, you go, that's sad. You know, going out and drinking by yourself. That's I mean, it could be fun if you meet a girl or something like that.
But I like me time too, you know, I mean, I like living alone. I youi know, being in New York and living here, I have a lot of alone time. When I go to the club and I see you guys, it's my social time, but most of my day, like, I yeah, sure, I have co workers and stuff, but I'm in a car alone, I'm working alone, I come home alone, so I get a lot of that, but I don't know where the fuck I was going with that. I enjoy I enjoy me time.
[00:31:32] Speaker B: I do. But I could see if I was living like this. Yeah. I could see it being different. Yeah. Like, my job, I'm surrounded by people and noise constantly because I work at a music school. Yeah. You know, traveling on the train, just being shoulder to shoulder with people. And then like, I've always had roommates.
[00:31:48] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:31:48] Speaker B: Of some sort. And it's just like. Yeah. It's just like I love getting to a hotel, just putting a movie on.
[00:31:55] Speaker A: The iPad and just like, chilling.
[00:31:57] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:31:58] Speaker A: What do you think is worse?
Being alone and surrounded, like, surrounded by people or Being alone.
Yeah. And surrounded by people or being alone and there's nobody.
You know, I'm saying because there's a loneliness aspect to New York City. It could feel like the loneliest place in the world, but you're surrounded by everyone. Yeah.
[00:32:19] Speaker B: That's kind of how last night felt. That's, that's. There are times like that were like, I'm just looking at a sea, like what I referenced earlier. Like, they're just like, oh, look at all these people. Look at all, like, the camaraderie or just like the relationships that are, like, playing out in front of you.
[00:32:32] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:32:32] Speaker B: But you're just kind of just there, like, observing and watching. It does kind of make you feel like an alien a little bit.
[00:32:38] Speaker A: It does, right?
[00:32:39] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:32:39] Speaker A: I have that a lot, man. I have that a lot. Where I just go, wow. Like, there's But I To me, it feels worse when I see it all. I'm like, holy shit. When I'm completely alone, like, it doesn't feel as bad, but it also switches every. You know what I mean? But that's why people have such a hard time moving here their first year. I tell people, I'm like, it's hard. It is so hard.
But once you get past year one and, you know, you start to really go, okay, no, no, no, I found you. You find a group, you find some People, but it takes time.
[00:33:17] Speaker B: Yeah. I got lucky when I moved back here because I lived in Virginia for about two years.
[00:33:22] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:33:23] Speaker B: Because it's where my ex was from. And I moved in with her.
And when I got back here, luckily I got a job at guitar center, just like teaching. And like, those are like, the most fun dudes on the planet. Like, I still keep in contact with all them.
[00:33:35] Speaker A: Super chill.
[00:33:36] Speaker B: And it was just like an immediate. Just like, oh, this is a great hang. Yeah.
And then I still have, like, my music circles where I can like, kind of. And I met new people through that. But, like, you know, you just kind of like. I immediately got in there. If you're, like, working a normal corporate job where you can't be yourself. Yeah. And. Or like, you just, like, there's nowhere for you to be, like, intimately social. Like, where you, like, you, like, you know, if you're surrounded by comics, let's say, like, you. You get to know each other quick because your material. Yeah. And then you're able to kind of just like, you know, goof around, pal around, and you find friends pretty quick.
[00:34:10] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:34:11] Speaker B: But if you're just like a normal person. Yeah. That's fucking miserable.
[00:34:15] Speaker A: It's tough, man. Like, that's. That's the beauty of coming here and doing comedy is immediately you find. You find people like a year, like, okay, you know, if all this fails, I don't make any other friends. I know I could see Brian at, you know, Judy Z's or whatever you see, you find your group.
[00:34:29] Speaker B: But even though you're never there.
[00:34:31] Speaker A: No, I don't come there anymore. It's not cuz I don't want to. All right. It's cuz it's fucking early and I just works been killing me. Sorry. Alec and Steve.
[00:34:39] Speaker B: Yes. He really wants to make it.
[00:34:41] Speaker A: Fuck face. I still go to the mics every day. Not those mics. I got a different one. Scumbag. All right.
But yeah, man. So you live in infrastructure. Virginia, dude. What the fuck is it like over there?
[00:34:52] Speaker B: It was the town I was living in. They're a lovely place in Virginia. I just wasn't there.
[00:34:58] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:34:58] Speaker B: It felt like a better Call Saul episode.
[00:35:00] Speaker A: Oh, that's fucking eerie.
[00:35:02] Speaker B: I lived in the meth capital of the East Coast.
[00:35:05] Speaker A: Really?
[00:35:05] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:35:06] Speaker A: That's fun.
[00:35:06] Speaker B: So I lived in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Go Dukes.
I dropped out, but yeah, it was just. It was sad. So essentially the. The reason I moved down there, my parents moved from Jersey to Pennsylvania. That happened in 2018. And I was commuting to Jersey for work. I had two jobs at the time, plus gigging.
[00:35:26] Speaker A: So from Pennsylvania to Jersey.
[00:35:28] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:35:28] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:35:28] Speaker B: And that was like, you know, with traffic in the morning, like two hours, I'm like, this is killing me.
My girlfriend decided to stay at the college we both went to and to do grad school. I was like, you know, let me give it a try. I had some leads on a job down there.
An acquaintance of mine had a. Like a marketing company. Yeah, like a marketing startup. And I was like, okay, yeah. He said, like, you know, there's a place for you here, so come on down. And then I started working at a club as the talent buyer.
But then the second I got down there, my buddy filed for bankruptcy. No, the club I was working at, the.
The booker, he wanted my opinion on things on the club to like, make it a more suitable place for national touring acts.
[00:36:11] Speaker A: This is music, correct?
[00:36:13] Speaker B: Yeah. And I just kind of gave him like, Yeah, I think, you know, if we do this with the sound system, if you get like a dedicated backstage area, just like constructive feedback that he asked for every time. Everything I said, he came back with, like, some sort of. Just like, well, we can't. Cuz this. This is why I want it like this. And it's just like, what the fuck is the point? So then he didn't let me book anything, and I actually had Drake Bell on the hook for a gig there.
[00:36:39] Speaker A: Really?
[00:36:39] Speaker B: I was trying to book Drake Bell and then the owner of this place wouldn't let me lock it in. He didn't approve it.
Come like a month later, like after, like, just not allowing me to book anything. I was like, all right, I'm just not working for you.
[00:36:54] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:36:54] Speaker B: He had an outside booker who. He paid more money, bring Drake Bell in for two shows. That would have been like two months of rent for me. Yeah. Just from one show booking with my commission.
And then from there I was just. I was working at like, Kohl's in the warehouse, like, unloading trucks in the morning, working overnights. Then I started working at social services.
[00:37:14] Speaker A: Oh, no.
And that was in Virginia.
[00:37:18] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:37:18] Speaker A: Fuck.
[00:37:19] Speaker B: And that was crazy because, like, the clients weren't like, you know, bad. There's people who were, like, hurting. These needed, like, you know, assistance with like, you know, Medicaid really was like, a big thing.
[00:37:29] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:37:30] Speaker B: But then there were people, like, the. The people that worked there were just horrible people. Some of them were great. Like, I'm still in touch with them, but, like, there's a lot of people. You get 45 days at the time to process a Medicaid application.
[00:37:43] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:37:43] Speaker B: If the client was a person of color, there were people who were, like, outspokenly, I'm waiting until day 45.
[00:37:48] Speaker A: Really?
[00:37:49] Speaker B: Yeah. Or people, like, who were, like, genuinely eligible for, like, SNAP food stamp benefits.
[00:37:54] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:37:55] Speaker B: Or tanf, which is, like, family Assistance, like, welfare. Who. Not an inkling of fraud. It was just if they were a person of color or, like, you know, say, if they were, like, gay or something like that, they would wait until day 30 to process those.
[00:38:07] Speaker A: That's fucking disgusting.
[00:38:08] Speaker B: So just, like, it was a lot of that. There were people who brought guns in, even though it's, like, illegal. Like, they were like, well, if somebody acts out, I'm coming and shooting. It's just like, what you would expect out of rural Virginia.
[00:38:18] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:38:20] Speaker B: Then from there, I started managing a liquor store.
[00:38:25] Speaker A: Wow, dude, That's a bunch of odd jobs.
[00:38:27] Speaker B: Dude. It's. I lived a life like Forrest Gump, but I'm much less endearing.
It's just like, you know, I kind of lived multiple lifetimes throughout that.
[00:38:38] Speaker A: But then that stuff is great for comedy. Yeah, that stuff is. You need that. Like, I see young cats.
Not that we're old. I mean, what are you, 29?
[00:38:47] Speaker B: 29? Yeah. Okay.
[00:38:50] Speaker A: I see kids who are, like, 21, 22, 23, doing comedy. And it's like, you haven't.
You don't have a whole lot of experience to draw back on. And, sure, you could write good jokes, but there's something about living a life and, like, being treated like shit and having it and seeing the stuff that you've seen, where you go. It just makes you way better on stage, I think.
[00:39:08] Speaker B: I agree.
[00:39:09] Speaker A: I haven't heard any of those. Like, you didn't talk. You don't talk about that on stage.
[00:39:13] Speaker B: Yeah. You know, I'm.
I'm waiting till my writing chops get to a certain place for certain bits of material.
[00:39:19] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:39:19] Speaker B: Cause I'm trying to. I do have a method to it when it comes to stories.
[00:39:24] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:39:24] Speaker B: I wait until I've got a bunch of punches before I can do the story on stage. I don't want to just do the story without the punches ready.
[00:39:31] Speaker A: Really.
[00:39:32] Speaker B: I'm very. And this is how I was with music. I wouldn't try a song on stage until, like, I knew I had it down.
It's never done. It's always gonna get better. But there was a certain threshold of, like, you know, just a kind of standards of excellence with that current thing or with that particular thing that, like, just in my Mind. I'm like, it has to be here for me to be proud of it.
[00:39:56] Speaker A: See, I'm the opposite. That's an interesting thing. I'm like, I'm gonna tell the story, and if I'm up there, I. Maybe something will come to me. Maybe it'll be funnier. Maybe if I'm just kind of thinking through it. But I also wasn't always like that. I was like, let me write everything down and then perform it. Do you. Do you write like, you write and then you go word for word kind of thing?
[00:40:16] Speaker B: No, I get it close.
[00:40:18] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:40:19] Speaker B: And then where I deviate is just what feels naturally physically. Yeah.
Because I don't want there to be any, like, physical resistance with the. With the words. But, like, I'll get, like, tags where I'm just like, say for every tag that you hear, for me, there was probably 10 others.
[00:40:37] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:40:37] Speaker B: So I just. I just write a bunch of tags for it, and then I kind of work through, like, my favorite three or four, and then I whittle it down to whatever the one. It's got to be.
[00:40:46] Speaker A: Okay, that makes sense.
[00:40:47] Speaker B: On reactions. I'll just keep trying it and see what works best.
Just because. Especially just with the past year and a half of, like, having pretty limited stage time and, like, I just wanted to make everything count.
I'm very kind of strategic with it.
[00:41:01] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:41:02] Speaker B: I wanted to make sure that, like, you know, and I didn't hit all the time. Obviously, you've seen it. But, like, you know, I wanted to make sure that to the best of my ability, I was coming out swinging as hard as possible.
[00:41:14] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:41:15] Speaker B: Because I didn't want to waste any stage time on just, like, a whiff, really.
[00:41:19] Speaker A: Oh, that's smart. See, I don't. I've never.
Now more than ever, I just was. I'm kind of like, if I think there's. The story's a funny story in general. Like, we're just talking stories, right? I will go up and just. I mean, you've seen. I sometimes just fucking ramble about bullshit.
Because I.
Sitting down, I can only think so much. You know what I'm saying? Like, I'm, like, sitting. There's no pressure.
I'm just, like, at the table, and I'm like, well, nothing is coming to me right now. If I smoke a little weed, then it'll change things. But when I go up, there's a pressure of, like, my brain is just working way better, which for some people, it's the exact opposite.
[00:42:00] Speaker B: They. They.
[00:42:00] Speaker A: They clam up.
But It's, I, I, I've come up with some of the best tags for stories because I'm, I'm just in the zone kind of thing, even if I'm not, you know, so that's interesting to hear because I, I can't, I'm like fucking retarded, dude. Like, I, I sit down and I'll write, you know better than anyone sometimes. That's why I love when you host the mics, because I'm like, you're sitting there and I know if no one's gonna laugh at this. I know you will. Because it's like, dark and twisted.
[00:42:31] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:42:33] Speaker A: But, yeah, man, that's so interesting that, like, even a story that you've lived, you want it to be whole.
[00:42:39] Speaker B: Yeah, I want it to have. Because my thing is, like, if it doesn't have bones, it's gonna take much longer for that to work on stage. And we only have five minutes.
[00:42:47] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:42:48] Speaker B: So it's like, you know, once again, it's never gonna be perfect when I bring it out, but, like, I just wanted to have, like the, to be the most settled in before I get up there with it.
[00:42:55] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:42:56] Speaker B: Because then if, like, say, like, something does hit where I'm like, oh, it's a great, like, tag that I just improvised.
[00:43:01] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:43:01] Speaker B: You know, then I just replace whatever tag with that that you or I just added if it works as an addition, because then it just, it makes that joke even better.
[00:43:11] Speaker A: That makes sense.
Well, in acting school, they did teach us one thing that was like, I've dealt with actors who were, who have said, oh, I don't like to rehearse too much. Like, I don't want to be over rehearsed so I could be free. And the truth of the matter is, it's the exact opposite, which I know, you know, I'm sure as a musician, the more you rehearse, the more free you are. Because then when it comes time to when, when you know it so well, that's when you come up with something crazy out of, out of your head.
So I understand that too.
[00:43:42] Speaker B: You know, the last song I recorded as an artist, it's called See Me Again. It's on Apple Music and Spotify.
[00:43:49] Speaker A: See Me Again by It's Brian Rigby.
[00:43:51] Speaker B: Correct.
[00:43:51] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:43:51] Speaker B: That's actually one of the few songs I'm, like, proud of. So stream it. Don't.
[00:43:55] Speaker A: I'm gonna listen to that.
[00:43:55] Speaker B: Don't listen to the other shit. But that's one where, like, I wrote it in 2018, I think 20, maybe a little Bit earlier.
[00:44:04] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:44:05] Speaker B: Didn't. It didn't see the light of day for years. I just kept practicing it, kept kind of getting it down, kept changing certain things.
And then I finally recorded it in 2023. Three. Okay. I think.
Didn't release it till, like, 2024, but I remember, like, not going into the studio because it was such a good song structurally, and I was really proud of it that, like, I'm, like. I want to make sure that, like, say, my voice is able to, like, actually carry this. My piano playing is up to snuff. And then I've got all the parts solidified. And I practiced every part because I recorded everything except for drums on everything that I did, like, you know, post pandemic. So I wanted to make sure every part was there.
So that way, when I got into the studio, I went into the studio knowing, like, this is gonna be a very good record. Okay. And then whatever else happened on top of that is just a bonus.
And, like. So then I went in there, and there's a guitar solo I played on there that I'm like, fuck, I didn't even practice that part. That's a completely different thing than what I composed, but it works so much better. I did an organ solo that, like, was just one of those, like, the best organ line that I've ever played. It's very. Just a simple, short one, but it's like, that fit the texture perfectly vocally. Had one of the strongest vocal performances I've had in my life with some different melody lines than what I had already had. Yeah. And I think that comes from the confidence of going in with knowing once again, this is gonna be a very good record with how well I've prepared for it. And then everything, like, just kind of when you're that comfortable, everything kind of happens around it because, you know the pressure's off because you did your work, you did your homework, and that's kind of how I approach comedy. It's just like, I know this is gonna be at least a good set because I put the work in. I know these jokes work. I know these tangs. I've tested these out. And then whatever happens on top of that is a bonus.
[00:45:48] Speaker A: Okay, now let me ask. When you're writing a song, right? Cause I know nothing about this. Do you. You write the lyrics first and then the music? Like, then you do the music, or. It depends.
[00:45:56] Speaker B: It depends on the song and depends on the thing. Like, there's some stuff that I've written that I haven't released that I Purposefully wanted to write lyrics first with just very simple chords. Okay.
Kind of like. I'm not sure if you've ever listened to Towns, Van Zant, or like, Steve Earle.
[00:46:10] Speaker A: I know him, but I don't really listen.
[00:46:11] Speaker B: They're like, kind of old school, like country artists, but they're very folk in their. In their lyricism. Yeah.
And the music always takes the backseat to the lyrics with them, which is what they're great with.
[00:46:23] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:46:24] Speaker B: So to become a stronger lyricist, I started doing that as an exercise. Yeah. But primarily, I always wrote. I always had a musical idea in mind. And I love Billy Joel. He's one of my favorite artists of all time.
And I kind of mimicked his style of just like, let me get, like, a majority of a song written musically and then let the words kind of fall in to where they are naturally. Okay.
Because I wanted the music to be a little bit more, like, just comfortable for me.
[00:46:50] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:46:51] Speaker B: So I always kind of made sure the music was like, where it was. Because I'm a stronger player than I'm a singer.
[00:46:56] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:46:57] Speaker B: So that way, the singing, I kind of was just like. I knew I can kind of going to be mode with my playing to focus on the singing.
[00:47:02] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:47:03] Speaker B: If that makes sense.
[00:47:04] Speaker A: Yeah, it does.
[00:47:05] Speaker B: I overthink things.
[00:47:06] Speaker A: No, no. I mean, you definitely do, but it's. It's an interesting way to see it. I. You know, I read the Rick Rubin book and I like Rick Rubin. I. You know, just because he's. Whether or not you think he's a fucking nut or whatever he has.
[00:47:19] Speaker B: I just think he's fucking useless and got so lucky.
[00:47:21] Speaker A: But maybe. Maybe that is the case. But he has produced some of the greatest albums ever made.
[00:47:25] Speaker B: Correct.
[00:47:26] Speaker A: And so, like, whatever you want to think about him, he's still attached to great music.
And he was talking about Deftones and how he was gonna work with them and the way that they made the music. It wasn't like I think it was.
And I may be fucking this up, but I think that they basically made the music and then wrote the lyrics. And the lyrics are kind of, like, meaningless. They just.
They didn't. There was no meaning behind the song, but it sounded really good. And I think for him, he said it was a very. He couldn't work with them because he didn't understand that way. Like, would you ever write song, like, make the music and then write lyrics that they don't really mean shit, but they sound nice? You know, I'm saying, for me particularly.
[00:48:08] Speaker B: No.
[00:48:08] Speaker A: Yeah, I wouldn't either.
[00:48:09] Speaker B: Because that's just my personality. Like, I don't discount songs of that. Like, I equally love Paul McCartney and he's kind of like that where there's a lot of it that is meaningless. Yeah. I said the song Jet. That's just a. He just saw his dog running through the yard. Like he made that song. But it's like one of my favorite songs of his.
[00:48:24] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:48:25] Speaker B: Me personally, as an artist, I'm a little bit more as a per. Even as a human being, just a little bit more intentional. Yeah. With everything that I do.
So just like musically and just writing wise. Yeah. I follow him with that. So that type of thing where the song doesn't make sense to me, if it's just meaningless, I could still work with that. Yeah. I just don't particularly work that way.
[00:48:44] Speaker A: Yeah. Because I don't even listen to. Like, if I. When I listen to a song, I will read the lyrics along. Like if it's the first time I'm hearing it, I'm like, I gotta look up the lyrics and I gotta like, oh, wow. Cuz sometimes you can't understand what they're saying. But it sounds great.
[00:48:55] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:48:55] Speaker A: So I read along and then I will look up. Oh my. What's the meaning? Like, why did he write this? And when it's like I was going through a really rough breakup, to me, automatically the song is that much better. Yeah. Because it has some sort of like, oh, this guy went through something. And I can, you know, relate to that. You know what I mean?
[00:49:12] Speaker B: 100%. I think if it, if it. If the meaning is not there, but the lyricism is like spectacular. Yeah. Then I think that that's what matters a little bit more to me. Yeah. Okay. Like if there's an actual craftsmanship to the lyrics, even if, like the meaning's not as strong. Yeah. You can make something like that song I just referenced, See Me Again. That's. That's a. One of my few songs that's not autobiographical. It's got some things that could be okay because I wrote the lyrics in such a way that they could be. But like, that just came from just a.
Just a small little idea of just like building characters off of just two people I met randomly on vacation years ago.
[00:49:52] Speaker A: Well, that's also cool though. That's also interesting if, you know, if I was listening to your song and I saw this, I go, oh, so this, this came from a real life. Not situation, but an idea of like you said character. There's still story in there. It's not maybe not like your story, but it's a story that you thought, oh, because, I mean, when you look at someone on the train, you create ideas about people.
[00:50:13] Speaker B: Yeah, of course.
[00:50:14] Speaker A: So that's relatable, too.
[00:50:15] Speaker B: Yeah, in a way. But, like, as far as the meaning goes, it really is meaningless. Like, there's no emotional attachment to the characters. Yeah, yeah, but like. Which is kind of worries me. Cause I went like, it made it emotional. Yeah, somehow. But, yeah, no, I think that it really depends on just. Words are one of the most powerful things, like, man has ever created, you know, in the sense of art, where, like, you can do so much with it. It's the most malleable, you know, thing you could work with as an artist, I think. Yeah. And even though they're simple, they're words we use every day, you can use them in such a way that other people can't as an artist that, like, some people just don't know how to use those words in a way like that. So I think that's. That's what strikes me when it comes to lyricism and writing more so than the actual, like, meaning behind it is how can you create meaning out of meaningless? I think is a pretty.
[00:51:09] Speaker A: Well, that's comedy also.
[00:51:11] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:51:11] Speaker A: You know, like. And that's that I. I'm a huge fan of words as well. I. And I know I come off like a.
[00:51:17] Speaker B: But no, you can't make me do that twice, dude.
[00:51:22] Speaker A: No, I know, I know.
I love. I love words. Like, it.
[00:51:26] Speaker B: They. They.
[00:51:27] Speaker A: They.
It's how we express things. And like, to define things is also really interesting because really everything is like pillow. We created this. It's not really a pillow. It's just the word we created for. But either way, it's how we express ourselves. It's a really beautiful thing. And that's why I love comedy, where you could take something meaningless and ridiculous and you make people think and you go, wow, that's. Yeah, I didn't look at it that way.
And, you know, my dad actually is.
He. He was artistic, but he didn't, you know, he was a business guy.
He was one of the most gifted writers. Like, if you needed a letter to be written and he would use a fountain pen, like, my dad was, like, old school.
You needed a good letter for, like, professional purposes. This guy.
Or he would. He wrote me a couple letters too. Like, personally, as like, father to son kind of thing. And it was.
[00:52:22] Speaker B: I don't know. You're both around in the 1860s, but okay.
[00:52:25] Speaker A: Yeah, no, my dad I do that. I've done that with women. I've written, you know, wrote a letter. And it'. It's just how I can express my ideas better rather than just like, I'm not saying this right. I'm fucking this up. Let me sit and just put it on paper for you.
[00:52:37] Speaker B: It's like Thomas Jefferson, kind of.
[00:52:39] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:52:39] Speaker B: That's why there's a bunch of, like, half black kids that's.
[00:52:43] Speaker A: They need to stay in there.
But my dad was a gifted writer, and I would look at this and go, holy shit. Like, this is. It's incredible. Like, the vocabulary, everything. And it was.
And I'm not saying I'm a gifted writer, but it did definitely help watching that. And then when I would write, I would. I would. He helped mold it writing for me and made it like I understood the importance of words because of him. Yeah.
But it's difficult, man, in comedy to make you take. I'm trying to think, who does it?
There's certain people we know or, you know, who does it. Like, well, I'll use, like, Mitch Hedberg, like, these wildly ridiculous things that you just. They're like, oh, my God. You know what I mean?
Funny. They make it funny. Not like, oh, my God. Because his is more like a little ridiculous. But yeah, man, it's. It's.
I.
I come off, like I said, a little. But I have.
I do have, like, the artists. Like, there's. There is that in, like, the idea of the artist when, as a comic, if you do that, you're. You're automatically like, look at this fucking gay guy.
[00:53:50] Speaker B: You know, We've all seen your stories. It's okay.
[00:53:53] Speaker A: Yeah, I'm gay sometimes on my stories.
But I. I do still. Always in my, like, deep, you know, inside of me is like, there is. There is an artistic value to all this. Yeah.
And I think it's cool, like, to hear you talk about it, because most comics are gonna be like that, you know, like, whatever. Like, they'll. They'll laugh it off.
[00:54:12] Speaker B: Yeah. But there's a lot of thoughtful comics out there, you know, yourself included. And it's cool. Like, I see some parallels. Even if it's something like, say the title of the joke is like, you know, just something like a weird split dick. Like, just something that. Where it's like, oh, my weird split dick joke. Like, the way some comics, like I said, including yourself and a lot of the people we associate with, they think about those things. They talk about it in the way, like, when I'm talking to the band about, like, you know, what order we should put our set in and, you know, stuff like, we're just like.
Oh, yeah. Like, we really do. We are artists. It's just the content is silly. Yeah. But, like, the work isn't.
[00:54:48] Speaker A: It's not. It's not. And it means a lot. I was talking to Eli about it. That, like this, this. It laughing matters. You know, it really does.
[00:54:57] Speaker B: And.
[00:54:57] Speaker A: And the amount of work that gets in, put into one fucking joke is you'd think that this is life or death. Like, the way that we treat this. Like. You know, I sit sometimes outside and I'm thinking about this thing that is ridiculous. But I'm sitting there and I'm going, no. How did. This is like, like a math equation, you know, And I'm. And you obviously, the way you. You just. What you just told me, you really hammer away and you're like, what? And. And that is that there's. There's art to that, even if it's about fucking, you know, Michael Jackson. You know what I mean?
[00:55:31] Speaker B: Yeah. The. The amount of thought I've put into. I got this one joke about Greek people because I live in Astoria.
[00:55:36] Speaker A: I remember that. Yeah.
[00:55:38] Speaker B: You know, just like my landlord is not Greek. Thank God.
[00:55:40] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:55:41] Speaker B: From the people who brought you modern math and critical thinking, we now present kind of small amounts of cash out loud. Like it just like, that's one of those things where I thought about how to frame that joke, how to make that funny.
[00:55:51] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:55:52] Speaker B: And like, so much thought. It's not even like a great joke, but just the amount of mental effort I put into that.
[00:55:58] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:55:58] Speaker B: Is kind of hilarious to think about.
[00:56:00] Speaker A: It's funny.
[00:56:01] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:56:01] Speaker A: But you also. The interesting. The cool part that I don't think people put two and two together is the idea that you had to really look at somebody.
You know what I mean? You really looked at your landlord. You actually, you saw what he was doing.
Even if it is just counting money, which seems ridiculous. But you. You paid attention.
[00:56:18] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:56:19] Speaker A: Which so many people just let things go over their head when it's like finding the little beauty or the little things that are the idiosyncrasies of. Of people.
[00:56:28] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:56:28] Speaker A: That's fucking cool.
[00:56:29] Speaker B: There's an awareness that we have. Yes. Comics. And that's the only difference between a comic and, like an artist in another medium is we're analyzing that. And instead of painting them. Yeah. Or like describing them in a way that's, like, romantic, we're dressing them down and making fun of them, which is amazing.
[00:56:50] Speaker A: It's Great. It's great. And that's. That's the.
It all. It brings you down to.
There's levity. There's levity and these little things. Like, it's. It is refreshing when you go, oh, yeah.
[00:57:03] Speaker B: Oh, wow.
[00:57:03] Speaker A: That. That happens to everyone. Everyone. Like, when you really. When you show it to people, they go, oh, my God. That's in front of my face all the time. And that's the funny thing, because it's there and you don't pay attention, especially.
[00:57:12] Speaker B: With how crazy and negative the world can be. Yeah. I think it's. It's one of the most important art forms for that.
[00:57:18] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:57:18] Speaker B: And that's honestly what. What drove me away from, you know, songwriting and more into this is just like, you know, I'm a much more serious tone when it comes to being a songwriter. I'm not, like, a fun, Like.
[00:57:30] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:57:30] Speaker B: Like, you know, I've got, like, upbeat songs, but the lyrics are tr.
Yeah. You know, and that's like, you know, it's very easy to fall into that. And that's like, you know, I. A lot of my writing influence comes from, like, the late 60s, early 70s, where, like, all my favorite writers were just, like, trying to process Vietnam. Yeah. And, like, you know, we have, you know, maybe not one central tragedy, but, like, life lately in the past 10 years has just seemed like tragedy after tragedy.
So it's like. Yeah. Having the ability to look at the world and find some joy out of it or find a way to just, like, kind of poke fun and enjoy it.
[00:58:06] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:58:06] Speaker B: Yeah. I think it's. It's monumentally important.
[00:58:09] Speaker A: Yeah, man. It's a very.
It's. It's super important. And I don't want to come off as, like, the guy who's like, what we're doing is. It matters. It does. But I.
[00:58:18] Speaker B: This is the Lord's work. Yeah.
[00:58:19] Speaker A: We're not. We're not doing that. And I think that. That when you get close to that, when you border that line of, like, yeah, this is important, it does make people feel good.
People put too much importance on you where. It's like, people are looking to comics for.
I don't know. They're judging what comics say because it's. It. You know what I mean? You got to go. There's. There's such a. You get so close to that line of, like, no, no, don't listen to me. But I am. But it is important. You know what I'm saying? Like, I'm not telling you what to do, but I'm Showing you, you know, comics are not politicians. And I think people sometimes go, well, this one said it. And, like, comedy. You know what I mean? You get what I'm saying?
[00:58:54] Speaker B: Yeah. And that's why I stay away from political humor. Because, like, the thought of either, you know, the thought of Clafter Clappter, it's just like, you know, people clapping instead of laughing.
[00:59:06] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:59:07] Speaker B: And it's just like, no, this isn't a rally. No, that's actually one of my favorite things. I love, like, old school comics. Like, what's his name? I'm blanking on it. He played Mr. Potato Head in Toy Story.
He's like an insult comic, all kind of improvised.
[00:59:22] Speaker A: Gilbert Gottfried.
[00:59:23] Speaker B: No. Older.
I was just listening.
[00:59:26] Speaker A: Wait. Don Rickles.
[00:59:27] Speaker B: Don Rickles.
[00:59:27] Speaker A: He played.
I think it was Pig. The Pig.
[00:59:31] Speaker B: No, no, he was Mr. Potato.
[00:59:32] Speaker A: Really?
[00:59:33] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:59:33] Speaker A: I didn't know that. I love Don Rickles, though.
[00:59:35] Speaker B: He's one of my favorite. I listened to hello Dummy, his album, like, constantly. Yeah, there's just great, like, crowd work that you could tell were, like, bits that he wrote that he has, like, just stored for the perfect moment. And it's just. It's brilliant. But at one point he says something like, you know, shitty, like, he does. But then people were, like, clapping, and he's like, no, no, this is not a rally, you moron. Don't get behind that. Like, it's just like. It's kind of watching him break like that, it's just like. Yeah, that's important to remember. Like, this is. You know, even we're characters. Yeah, it might be ourselves, but we're playing an amplified version of ourselves. It's true, the most part. And it's just like. Yeah, it's. At the end of the day, we just.
The audience has to remember we're just trying to make people laugh. But also comics, too.
Remember, the goal is to make people laugh. Like, we're not here to, you know, change anybody's minds. We're not here to, like, lead a revolution. It's literally all we're there for is entertainment. Yeah. To make someone feel lost.
[01:00:29] Speaker A: I mean, and the. It is cool.
The byproduct of laughing is getting someone to think about whatever it is you're. Even if it's the most ridiculous thing. But it's not to sit there and go, you need to believe what I believe. Where there's a lot of comics who pander to that shit. They love the fucking. The idea of, like, getting on the soapbox, knowing that these people feel the same way. And to me, that's the lowest form of comedy. Yeah.
[01:00:53] Speaker B: My goal with anytime I joke about something, you know, that's like, you know, about the world. Yeah. I want people to look at that thing and be able to giggle at it. And for them to kind of think of like, oh, how can I make fun of it?
[01:01:06] Speaker A: Yeah.
[01:01:07] Speaker B: You know, that's always been, you know, my goal with this too is just like, I don't want. I don't care. I don't want to have an opinion up there. Yeah. You know, if I do, I want the opinion to be silly. But, like, you know, I would love just like with that Greek joke, people just look at like a Greek landlord when they're paying in cash, going, yeah.
[01:01:25] Speaker A: In that moment, that every day to day thing that you wouldn't normally find laughter.
[01:01:28] Speaker B: Yeah.
And it just, yeah. Just makes it so much fun, you know, it does.
[01:01:32] Speaker A: And it's exciting to go against the grain in the sense of like.
It's like if everyone does believe one thing, my instinct, nine times out of ten is like, even if I don't believe the other thing, I'm gonna figure out an argument for that other side. Because it's the underdog side. Yeah. I prefer that. I like to go, you know, I have a joke about rabbis and priests. And I go. And I preface the joke. Now where going? I go, I don't condone this. I do not condone this. You understand? I'm like, but this is a thought. And I go, why aren't rabbis molesting Israel? Many kids as priests. And then I have a punchline and all that. But it's. I know how foreign this thought is and like, how this is like, how could you even want to think that? And it's like the idea of how I want to be able to. The fight is harder. It's a heavyweight opponent rather than a welterweight. And I can go. People will, at the end of it, go.
Kind of makes a. You know, it makes a point, but in the most ridiculous manner.
And that's. I prefer if everyone's like, right now it's happening and I don't do much political stuff unless I think of something really funny.
I don't have much of a stance, but everyone loves Zoron right now, right?
I'm not his biggest fan. And that's a plus in the sense.
[01:02:48] Speaker B: Of like, thinking, once again, we've seen your stories.
[01:02:50] Speaker A: Yeah, I hate him.
But. But now I. It's. It is the underdog to be, to be against him. And like every comic I see up there is like, yeah, we vote for Sauron. We got this. And like, my thing is, like, all right, well, not always will I believe the things that I say, but in this case, I happen to agree with it. So I'm like, all right, it makes it a little more fun. But I don't. I.
So I'll go up there and do the exact opposite and hope to get those people on. On my side. Not because of any reason other than it's harder. And I think that's where a lot of people get screwed up is because they go, he said that. He must believe it.
[01:03:28] Speaker B: Yeah.
[01:03:28] Speaker A: And it's like, I don't. You know, I don't. I'm just. I'm finding a way to talk shit here. You know?
[01:03:34] Speaker B: That's why I just. I steer clear from that. I pick fights with weird shit.
[01:03:38] Speaker A: Yeah.
[01:03:38] Speaker B: Like, I got to. Have you heard my Chet Hanks bit?
[01:03:43] Speaker A: I may have heard it before, because then now that you're saying Chet Hanks coming out of your mouth.
[01:03:46] Speaker B: So. So this is where, like, I'm making fun of Chet Hanks and women who love Chad Hanks in this bit.
[01:03:51] Speaker A: Yeah.
[01:03:51] Speaker B: And that. That's my fight. That's where I choose. And that's where, like, I truly believe in this.
[01:03:55] Speaker A: That's funny.
[01:03:56] Speaker B: But, like, you know, I've got a bit. Like, if a girl follows Chet Hanks on Instagram, like, run for your life. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Cause, like, if you bring this girl home for a family dinner, she's gonna steal from your parents.
[01:04:05] Speaker A: Yeah. That's funny.
[01:04:06] Speaker B: And it's just making. And I'm also, like, making fun of Chet Hanks in the process. But it's just like, yeah, those are the fights where I'm like, I mean, this from the bottom of my heart. But it's also. I'm sure it's silly. Yeah.
[01:04:17] Speaker A: It's also. It doesn't mean anything.
[01:04:19] Speaker B: But then it's also. That's the type of thing where I want people next time Chet Hanks is in the news. Cause he will be. Yeah. Just to go.
[01:04:25] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah.
[01:04:25] Speaker B: Like, oh, there's girls who like that. Even shout out Elizabeth at Judy Z's.
After I did that bit there, she was like, hey, I like, check Hanks. He's hot. I'm just like, please tell me you don't follow him. And she pulled up her Instagram because she was sure. And she did. I, like, I was celebrating.
[01:04:41] Speaker A: Yeah.
[01:04:42] Speaker B: And. Yeah. Just stuff like that. Or I get a bit about biblical names. Yeah. Do parents who name their Kids, something biblical, like, know the kid's gonna be a piece of shit. Yeah. Or is it an accident? And just, you know, examples and. Yeah, same thing. Just anytime someone meets somebody with, like, a religious name or just, like, you know, people who just think they're pious in any sort of way, just with the association of religion just making it silly. It's my opinion, like, is. I just. I find it silly. Yeah. I don't respect it.
[01:05:09] Speaker A: Yeah.
[01:05:09] Speaker B: But, like, you know, I don't want to sway anybody into that. It's just kind of just like, you know, I want people to just look at something and be able to giggle about it. Yeah, yeah. Like, just from, like, their subconscious, even.
[01:05:23] Speaker A: Of course. Of course. And. But, like, that's the other thing that. The fact that someone would get worked up because someone else believes something different. And it's like, in the context of a comedy club where it's supposed to be outrageous, Even if you don't agree, you should have the intention of, like, all right, whatever. Like, even if he does believe that he's. He's in a comedy, he's. It's supposed to be a little out there.
But, like, I don't care about someone else's beliefs as long as they're not trying, like, genuinely going, like, you know, they're, like, being racist without any intention of being funny. Like, I think racist jokes are funny. If they're told the right way, they could be really funny. But I don't think that.
I think, you know, the intention, like, when you hear it.
[01:06:06] Speaker B: Of course. You know, when I see you putting the blackface makeup on at the Grizzly Pear, I didn't just know it's coming from a silly place.
[01:06:12] Speaker A: It's coming from a fun.
[01:06:13] Speaker B: And that's. Yeah, exactly.
[01:06:14] Speaker A: Yeah.
[01:06:15] Speaker B: That's just because you're not doing the voice. I think that's, like.
[01:06:18] Speaker A: If I did the voice, I'd be wrong.
[01:06:19] Speaker B: Yeah.
[01:06:20] Speaker A: Thank God. I don't do that. I can't do black. Blacks and.
[01:06:22] Speaker B: Yeah. Well, it's just because minstrel shows don't sell. And that's.
[01:06:25] Speaker A: That is true. That's a good point, Brian.
[01:06:27] Speaker B: You're right.
[01:06:29] Speaker A: We've all tried.
[01:06:30] Speaker B: Yeah.
[01:06:31] Speaker A: You know, you got to try. That's the other thing with comedy. You have. If you have an idea, you got to try it. Yeah. You know, but I don't know, man. I think that we're living in some. In a funky time, and it's.
[01:06:46] Speaker B: It's.
[01:06:47] Speaker A: It's just really.
Art is a. It's an important thing, but it Gets so funky when people start going, you know, like Brian Holtzman for example, he says crazy shit. And the fact that you could even like that he says it on stage. He's like, I saw a video this morning about him where he, he did this crazy. And one woman was like, I don't like that. You should get off the stage. And, and he goes, everyone here knows that I'm joking. Except you. Except you.
[01:07:16] Speaker B: Like you're the asshole. Yeah.
[01:07:17] Speaker A: Like what the fuck is wrong with you? I've said horrible shit up here, but everyone knows I'm joking. How do you not like what happened to you? You know?
[01:07:26] Speaker B: Yeah, dude, there's, I'm now in this world, I'm noticing and there's comics who are guilty of this. There are people who either don't have a sense of humor or just don't enjoy humor.
[01:07:36] Speaker A: Which is sick.
[01:07:37] Speaker B: And it's bizarre. Especially when it's like a comic and some of them are actually like great writers and they understand how to make a well crafted joke. But like when it comes to intaking it, there's people that just don't enjoy comedy. And it's just, it's bizarre because they ruin the room when they're, when they're sitting in the crowd because it's just like, yeah, why, why are you here? You're at a place that's marketed as. It's solely for comedy.
[01:07:58] Speaker A: Yeah.
[01:07:59] Speaker B: You're not here for any other reason but you don't enjoy comedy. So why are you here?
[01:08:04] Speaker A: It makes no sense.
[01:08:06] Speaker B: And cuz like there's. Yeah. There's stuff that like, you know, I might not find funny, but like you.
[01:08:12] Speaker A: Could appreciate the thought behind it.
[01:08:13] Speaker B: Yeah. And also like that doesn't ruin the person set for me as a spectator.
[01:08:17] Speaker A: Like. Yeah.
[01:08:17] Speaker B: Just cuz that joke didn't land with me, doesn't mean the next one won't.
[01:08:20] Speaker A: Yeah. You know, you're still open to it.
[01:08:23] Speaker B: Yeah. And I think that that's the problem. But yeah, there's, there's a weird amount of people because like you'll talk to people. I don't watch a lot of stand up.
[01:08:29] Speaker A: I don't either. And really I don't.
[01:08:31] Speaker B: But even like growing up.
[01:08:32] Speaker A: No, growing up I loved it since I started. I don't watch, you know, growing up.
[01:08:36] Speaker B: Yeah. Now it's just like because you're, you don't want to like accidentally pull something but like. Yeah. Just talking like just a general person.
[01:08:41] Speaker A: Yeah.
[01:08:42] Speaker B: I've never really like stand up. It's just like that's A weird person. That's a huge red flag to me. People who don't like to laugh.
Like, I just don't get it.
[01:08:50] Speaker A: I couldn't date a woman that didn't appreciate, like, I like a silly retarded girl. Like, genuinely actually retarded. Full face melt. No, no. I like.
I. A girl who's. Who could be dumb and like, and hear a really twisted joke and go, oh my God, that's funny. You know, I don't like a girl who goes like, it'll never work. It won't work between us.
[01:09:14] Speaker B: What I will take is I. This is my favorite thing. I find this actually very attractive when a girl doesn't want to laugh and.
[01:09:20] Speaker A: She goes, that is the best.
[01:09:23] Speaker B: This is like, cuz, like I won. You were trying.
[01:09:26] Speaker A: You tried so hard. And I got you. I got you.
That is the best. When you see a couple and the boyfriend's laughing and then he looks over to the girl and he's like, oh, shit. Like, she's pissed. And then she's.
And she does that. She does the dude.
[01:09:40] Speaker B: Even socially. Oh, it's out. Outside of comedy, like if like, you know, you crack a joke at work and like the just like the quiet girls, like, nothing's better.
[01:09:51] Speaker A: There's nothing because. Because you. It also, there's a sense of like, this person may like me a little bit for what I just said, which is crazy.
[01:10:00] Speaker B: Which yet they never do.
[01:10:01] Speaker A: But not really. But. Hey, what time is it? So I can.
[01:10:06] Speaker B: Okay, my phone's over there.
[01:10:07] Speaker A: Oh, shit. Is it one thirty already? Hold on.
We've been going. Oh, wow. We've been going wild.
[01:10:13] Speaker B: Oh, shit.
Okay.
And. Wow.
[01:10:20] Speaker A: We went for an hour and ten minutes. That feel like an hour and ten to you?
[01:10:23] Speaker B: Yeah. No, fuck you, dude.
[01:10:25] Speaker A: Go fuck yourself. I'm not releasing this episode, you piece of shit. Fuck you and your fucking faggy music.
[01:10:32] Speaker B: Brian, you're so nice.
[01:10:35] Speaker A: Brian's a piece of shit. I lied.
[01:10:36] Speaker B: He is.
[01:10:37] Speaker A: I was pandering.
[01:10:38] Speaker B: There's a reason I hate myself.
[01:10:41] Speaker A: Well, Brian, you're a lovely guy. I seriously enjoy hanging out with you. I enjoy.
And really when I first met you, I was like, I don't know if this guy is gonna be funny ever.
[01:10:57] Speaker B: And.
[01:10:58] Speaker A: And you're hysterical. You're genuinely like, yo, I remember like the first. From the first time. And obviously people could say that about me. I'm sure it's. No, they don't. They don't think I'm funny still, but I'm trying.
No, I see you host now, dude. You're so quick. You're so funny. You got those one liners. I really like watching you and watching you persevere through.
I know you got a lot of. I wish that we got more into personal stuff, but next time you're.
[01:11:23] Speaker B: You're.
[01:11:23] Speaker A: You're a standup guy.
[01:11:24] Speaker B: Thank you, dude. I appreciate it. Thank you for. You've been supportive since, you know, I met you, I think a week in. Yeah. Doing this. And you've been nothing but supportive. So thank you. I'm really glad that you put me on three months into this, despite making the theme music for it. And that's. I'm. I'm really glad I had to do it.
[01:11:39] Speaker A: I had to let you know that I don't give a. About you. Really.
[01:11:43] Speaker B: Well, thanks for having me, dude.
[01:11:44] Speaker A: Of course. Give. You have any shows and socials, let people know.
[01:11:48] Speaker B: Yeah.
When is this coming out?
[01:11:52] Speaker A: I want to get it out within the next two weeks.
[01:11:54] Speaker B: Okay.
[01:11:54] Speaker A: Will you have a show done already?
[01:11:55] Speaker B: Probably, yeah, I'll have. I've got like three before that anyway.
[01:11:58] Speaker A: Well, mention it because I may push it forward, so.
[01:12:00] Speaker B: Okay. DeVito and friends next week you're probably gonna miss.
Got a couple other things going, some music projects going. I can't remember the dates off the top of my head. My phone's across the room, but. Ryan Rigby comedy on Instagram.
Check out See Me Again. It's the last song I put out before retiring from being a singer songwriter. Proud of it. And then.
[01:12:19] Speaker A: Yeah.
