In only 90 seconds, Julia Scotti blew us away on America’s Got Talent. We talk about just how hard it is to be funny and make an impression in that short amount of time, auditioning for clubs in the 80s, taking a break from comedy and coming back even stronger, and of course, I make her share some horror stories from hell gigs. 

“Are we delusional? Crazy? Stupid?” Joe DeVito asked me. “All three,” I said. Originally a musician, Joe didn’t try stand-up until he was 32. Joe and I worked together a lot in my early days, and we have a great conversation talking about those early shows, breaking down set-ups, punchlines, the relationship between music and comedy and we dissect our favorite Dave Attell jokes.

No one did more for me in my first few years in comedy than Big Jay Oakerson. Jay got me started in comedy – so you can either thank or blame him. When I was 19, Jay performed at my college and I laughed my balls off. He mentioned being from Philly, so after the show, I told him I was interested in trying stand-up; he told me where to go, who to talk to, and … I did my very first set a week later. We talk about the night we met, his early days in comedy, driving from Philly to NYC with Kevin Hart every day, and share some cool memories of shows we did together when I was brand new.

Laurie Kilmartin has always been one of my favorite comedians. Her stand-up and her books are phenomenal, and her tweets genuinely make me laugh every day. We chat about her early days doing comedy in the Bay Area, day jobs, working the road, and writing for Tough Crowd and Conan.

Jackie Kashian is a fantastic comic with a unique style of quick and punchy story-telling. I opened for Jackie in 2012 and I still remember a specific piece of advice she told me that week. She’s the only comic I know of who did her first set, then immediately started performing every single night for almost a year. We chat about her early days starting stand-up in Wisconsin, her quick NYC stint, her move to Los Angeles, her own podcast (The Dork Forest) and I recall a story from 2012 that pretty much foreshadowed me starting this podcast.

Todd Glass cares more about stand-up than anyone I’ve ever met. From the pre-show announcements to the lighting in the showroom to the vibe in the green room, Todd takes control and lets you know you’re in for an experience. Todd started stand-up at 16 and loves all the little nuances that the audience (and other comics) might not even realize. We talk about those nuances, his writing process, anger, and Jager (we’ve done A LOT of Jager shots together.)

BONUS EPISODE! Natalie Windle Fell has dabbled in stand-up, but that’s not why she joined me on my podcast. Her first book, “Rude Awakening: A Mixtape” was released and, within days, every copy Amazon had in-stock was sold. We chat about the journey that led to her awakening, the importance of music in our lives, her writing process and (OF COURSE), I ask her about her short stint in comedy.

Mary Santora is a fantastic comic out of Cleveland, who just released her debut album, ‘Hillbilly Boujee.’ Mary’s first set was an unusual one with hundreds of supportive people in the crowd – that’s basically unheard of. Unlike most comics, she does a lot of her writing live, on stage. We chat about different writing styles, dealing with grief through jokes and doing stand-up while bartending and waiting tables.

Monroe Martin is a fantastic comedian and an even greater podcast guest. As soon as we start talking, he immediately starts complimenting me. Big fan of when episodes begin like that. Monroe and I have been on countless shows together as we came up through the Philly scene, and since his move to NYC, he’s been on Comedy Central, “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” and “Last Comic Standing.” We share some Philly stories, talk about comedy homework and wearing suits on stage.

Creator of Showtime’s “Funny Women of a Certain Age…” comedian Carole Montgomery sits down with me for a comedy chat covering everything from her early days in NYC to her laundry-list of credits including “Tough Crowd,” “Politically Incorrect” and one of my favorite long-lost gems, “VH1’s “Stand-Up Spotlight.”