Tammy Pescatelli

[00:00:00] What you want, when you want it, where you want it, this is The MESH [00:00:22] Hello and welcome to another episode of I Guess Ill Do It with Pat House, the comedy podcast [00:00:27] where I talk to comedians about the crazy shit we do. Today, I am very excited to have my guests here [00:00:33] Tonight's show, last comic standing, women of a certain age, Netflix, Showtime, so many accolades [00:00:39] and her own podcast which I recently discovered and love, The Cop and the comedian [00:00:44] today I have Tammy Pascattelli [00:00:46] Oh thanks so much, I appreciate it. When everybody puts together your list of credits sometimes [00:00:53] I don't know, does this happen to you like I feel like I should have it? [00:00:56] I don't have any career [00:00:58] Wait a second, I should have a better house, I think somehow. What happened? [00:01:04] You know, okay so I would never expect you to remember this but I hosted for you at Helium [00:01:10] maybe 15 years ago, one of my first hosting weekends but I remember our weekend particular [00:01:15] because I had hosted three or four times, I was brand new to MCing [00:01:20] but your week was the first time I had a great set every single show [00:01:26] and I was like, oh that's cool [00:01:28] it may have literally been my first awesome weekend where there wasn't one dud in the bunch for me [00:01:34] and I remember that [00:01:35] Yeah, I'm glad, I'm sure then I had the bad set [00:01:42] because someone on the show has to have a bad set, it's just never always perfect [00:01:47] There's always a dud, right? [00:01:49] Yeah, duds are definitely out there but I remember feeling like validated as a comic [00:01:54] like oh my god I had seven shows last weekend and every single one was good [00:01:58] I vividly remember that [00:02:00] Seven shows, that must have been when I was selling a ton of tickets [00:02:04] It may have been five or six, I think it was a Wednesday to Saturday kind of deal [00:02:09] but I do remember that being the first week [00:02:11] and I've been a fan of yours forever, I've always been a lifelong stand up fan [00:02:15] but you were on Mark Maron and I loved your episode [00:02:20] Thank you [00:02:21] You guys had such a great chat [00:02:23] and then you mentioned your podcast, The Cop and the Comedian [00:02:26] so I immediately dove into that [00:02:28] and it was just an awesome awesome chat [00:02:30] and I think I texted you the very next day [00:02:33] Well thank you, I've been so many people, it's funny [00:02:36] you can do a lot of television [00:02:39] and you don't get the response that I got from Mark Maron's podcast [00:02:42] like he's so loved and respected [00:02:44] and just what a solid nice guy [00:02:46] now do you know that he made phone calls for me on my behalf? [00:02:50] Now nothing happened [00:02:52] but he went out, that's not his fault, that's more on me [00:02:56] they didn't want me [00:02:58] but he went out of his way to call on my behalf [00:03:01] that doesn't happen [00:03:03] Wait, to have him, to have you on his podcast? [00:03:05] No, he called other people [00:03:07] Oh okay, it was like weird he's calling other people [00:03:10] Yeah, he called down to Rogan [00:03:12] and to tell Joe you gotta have Tammy on [00:03:15] you remember like we all were together [00:03:17] Now that doesn't mean that Rogan isn't probably booked for the next century [00:03:21] Once out, yes [00:03:23] So who knows, maybe we'll hear from him one random day [00:03:26] but it's not like the old days [00:03:28] Had I stayed in LA I think things would have been different too [00:03:31] because everybody was starting their podcast [00:03:34] or whatever it was this weird zeitgeist of [00:03:39] Hey, let's just talk on the computer thing [00:03:42] and I remember Mitzi Shor telling me [00:03:45] What a waste of time [00:03:47] use your creativity on stage [00:03:49] because I was like do you think I should get one? [00:03:51] You know [00:03:52] Wow [00:03:53] Yeah [00:03:54] Who knows how, nobody had any idea how much it would [00:03:57] change the whole entire industry [00:03:59] in so many levels, in so many ways [00:04:01] Yeah, and you know they kind of started as a little bit like [00:04:04] I remember Joe had a camera crew following him around [00:04:08] anywhere, it was like a doc [00:04:10] It was like what we call them vlogging [00:04:12] and you know what I mean, like a video [00:04:14] Yeah, I remember hearing vlogging before I remember [00:04:17] hearing of podcasting I believe [00:04:19] Yeah, it was like a vlog [00:04:21] and I think that was a very bizarre time [00:04:24] I've tried at different attempts to have [00:04:27] a podcast in the past couple years [00:04:30] but nothing ever [00:04:32] I felt like I got enough of me [00:04:34] on stage [00:04:36] and I'm like I'm not bringing anything new [00:04:38] if I talk to comics, other people talk to comics [00:04:40] what am I [00:04:41] and I kept trying and then [00:04:43] finally this hit because [00:04:45] Laura, my friend that I do the podcast with [00:04:47] is a cop, we've been best friends [00:04:49] since we were like 5, 6 years old [00:04:51] there is so much crime and comedy [00:04:54] you could never believe it [00:04:56] That's the best part of it, that's what I wanted to tap into [00:04:58] exactly so [00:05:00] briefly tell us the premise of your podcast [00:05:02] I want to hear it coming from you [00:05:04] awesome [00:05:05] well it's called the cop and the comedian [00:05:07] a true friendship crime podcast [00:05:09] and basically we talk about all the crime and comedy [00:05:11] which obviously from our two, I mean she became [00:05:14] a cop when I became a comic [00:05:16] and we're like these women [00:05:18] in these male dominated fields [00:05:20] so we're both experts [00:05:22] to whatever degree [00:05:24] we know what we're talking about [00:05:26] but you are both absolutely experts [00:05:28] in every sense of the imagine in both your fields [00:05:30] and by the way [00:05:32] you're ten times funnier than me [00:05:34] you say that every episode too [00:05:36] she really is, because she's got a natural [00:05:38] listen if we went to go do a set [00:05:40] and you paid money [00:05:42] of course I would hope that I'm the one that makes you laugh harder [00:05:44] however she's got that [00:05:46] naturally constantly funny [00:05:48] I'm sarcastic [00:05:50] I have what [00:05:52] happens when girls [00:05:54] aren't as genetically strong [00:05:56] as boys when they become teenagers [00:05:58] you know what I mean [00:06:00] my brothers got stronger and faster than me [00:06:02] but they could never outrun my mouth [00:06:04] I have sarcasm [00:06:06] I have that where I can knock it [00:06:08] like at me and a heckler [00:06:10] it's just not going to work for you [00:06:12] if you're the heckler like [00:06:14] you need to go home [00:06:16] rewrite your material and come back later [00:06:18] like it's just not going to [00:06:20] as Eminem would say here's a pencil [00:06:22] like it's just not going to work [00:06:24] but we started talking about [00:06:26] how hard it was [00:06:28] and I was talking about [00:06:30] odds are I'll probably never really retire [00:06:32] because [00:06:34] financially I only made [00:06:36] 50 cents on the dollar for the first [00:06:38] 20 years in my career [00:06:40] as guys [00:06:42] and then it just is what it is [00:06:44] I'm not complaining I didn't know it [00:06:46] no one knew it so it was what it was [00:06:48] and then second of all [00:06:50] I mean like I love what I do still [00:06:52] so I just don't want to travel as hard [00:06:54] you just [00:06:56] in us like I'm never going to not do [00:06:58] stand up yeah like I can scale it [00:07:00] back I know a lot of comedians as [00:07:02] you know they get older has scaled it back [00:07:04] but they're still going to do it [00:07:06] yeah you definitely and when something [00:07:08] happens like I'll never forget the night [00:07:10] of September 11th [00:07:12] at the comedy store [00:07:14] there was no audience okay [00:07:16] but as comics our little gang we didn't [00:07:18] know what to do so we [00:07:20] went to the store because it was your touchstone [00:07:22] right yeah that's where you meet up [00:07:24] we were all stand there I mean there was probably [00:07:26] with people [00:07:28] work there and not maybe [00:07:30] 20 30 of us not you know [00:07:32] just the gang [00:07:34] but we were getting [00:07:36] on stage just talking it [00:07:38] through because that's what we it's like [00:07:40] if you've ever been to a meeting [00:07:42] it's like that was our therapy and I remember [00:07:44] that night [00:07:46] Roseanne came in [00:07:48] I was just going to ask who is the 9-11 comedy [00:07:50] store crew yeah like Roseanne [00:07:52] well it was me [00:07:54] Brad Ernst [00:07:56] Joey Diaz John Caparulo [00:07:58] guys some other people like you [00:08:00] wouldn't necessarily know [00:08:02] but Brodie Stevens was there [00:08:04] Ella and R. Kerrigan was there as [00:08:06] Oh Ellen we're a very good friend of mine [00:08:08] I'm Philly also but she was a waitress [00:08:10] then she was actually a wrestler then [00:08:12] um a women of [00:08:14] wrestling right she's been on the pod [00:08:16] we talked about all of that yeah she's amazing [00:08:18] um [00:08:20] I yeah I maybe Joe came [00:08:22] down I mean [00:08:24] I think Andrew Dice Clay came down [00:08:26] another Philly got no he's Brooklyn [00:08:28] right he's Brooklyn yeah I can't remember [00:08:30] you're a lot yeah [00:08:32] Ari Shafir was it like we were [00:08:34] all kind of there just like idiots [00:08:36] Roseanne came down uh [00:08:38] Paul Moody brought down Eddie Murphy [00:08:40] now Eddie didn't get on stage [00:08:42] and he was kind of rarefied [00:08:44] air like no one really wanted to bother [00:08:46] Eddie but it was like [00:08:48] you know it no no one knew what [00:08:50] to do we just didn't know what to do [00:08:52] but that's a beautiful thing that everybody knew where to go [00:08:54] yeah well [00:08:56] it was home I guess yeah [00:08:58] you couldn't get home and you couldn't get to your people [00:09:00] and you couldn't figure out like what to do [00:09:02] now granted by the way I went out [00:09:04] and bought filled up my [00:09:06] tank with gas I've always been a prepper in my [00:09:08] brain went and bought two two [00:09:10] things of gas to fill that up [00:09:12] took every dime which was not much I mean [00:09:14] I think I think I only had like [00:09:16] 400 bucks to my name but took it all out of [00:09:18] the bank and cakes the bank systems [00:09:20] like crash like [00:09:22] wow psycho filled up [00:09:24] my tub with water I just didn't know [00:09:26] alright so we're talking about the store now [00:09:28] let's backtrack because the whole premise [00:09:30] no no no the whole premise of my podcast [00:09:32] uh we will we [00:09:34] comedians we go on so many tangents it's [00:09:36] it's inevitable I know I didn't even finish [00:09:38] I'm that stupid the podcast basically was [00:09:40] about I stayed with a convicted [00:09:42] rapist yes the whole [00:09:44] VINCH CHANCE story which you told [00:09:46] that story on WTF [00:09:48] and that was fascinating to me [00:09:50] and then when I found out about the podcast [00:09:52] I was driving home from Raleigh in North Carolina [00:09:54] from Good Nights and I [00:09:56] binged every episode you guys had so far [00:09:58] and VINCH CHANCE story was a was wild [00:10:00] and I was a huge huge [00:10:02] Phil Hartman fan growing up [00:10:04] so like that episode really touched me as well [00:10:06] episodes there was two for that one [00:10:08] well thank you we're gonna try to go back [00:10:10] and redo some of them because [00:10:12] I didn't have a studio I don't have a producer [00:10:14] I didn't know what to do so we just [00:10:16] recorded them ourselves I taught myself [00:10:18] editing as things when and you'll notice [00:10:20] that the production value got better and better [00:10:22] so I'm gonna try to get those remastered [00:10:24] or whatever we can do to [00:10:26] fix those so I apologize [00:10:28] because some people are like [00:10:30] oh it's unbearable to try [00:10:32] to listen to because this volume [00:10:34] or the mics but it you know [00:10:36] when you're just starting I don't know how to do it [00:10:38] so I eventually taught myself [00:10:40] I still don't that's why I have moose help me [00:10:42] I still no idea what I'm doing [00:10:44] we're starting a new season [00:10:46] next week and we're gonna start get this [00:10:48] with the different strokes [00:10:50] um trilogy which a lot of people [00:10:52] know about but we're breaking [00:10:54] it down per Gary Coleman [00:10:56] uh did you know Todd Bridges [00:10:58] did stand up this is what got us into [00:11:00] the different strokes I did not [00:11:02] yeah neither did I [00:11:04] so we're doing Todd Bridges [00:11:06] Dana Play-Doh and then Charlie Chaplin [00:11:08] and those are just some of the ones that kick off [00:11:10] this new season so oh Charlie Chaplin [00:11:12] I read a book on him a couple years ago [00:11:14] and he was a [00:11:16] horribly miserably depressed person [00:11:18] yeah and you know [00:11:20] he may [00:11:22] which not surprising being in stand up [00:11:24] and knowing a lot of stand ups [00:11:26] but like people are so surprised but he was [00:11:28] really really known [00:11:30] for being miserable off camera [00:11:32] yeah well he had horrible horrible beginning [00:11:34] I mean he was kicked out [00:11:36] his father never really [00:11:38] claimed him and he was out on the street at age [00:11:40] six so that doesn't leave a lot [00:11:42] to be desired yeah [00:11:44] um and back then kids you know [00:11:46] they the back in England [00:11:48] they would take you in and [00:11:50] give you food and shelter but you'd be [00:11:52] in a workhouse so that's [00:11:54] the little kids would be in the factory so [00:11:56] yeah and he may or may not have been a pedophile [00:11:58] but he definitely was found to be an enemy [00:12:00] of the state [00:12:02] in the you know that was not in the book [00:12:04] that's it [00:12:06] and he went out [00:12:08] what's so interesting [00:12:10] he went out [00:12:12] he went overseas to promote a film [00:12:14] and they locked him out of the country [00:12:16] they revoked his visa so [00:12:18] he could never come back in [00:12:20] even though he married an American woman [00:12:22] oh [00:12:24] well I'm looking forward to that episode [00:12:26] well we're just having fun [00:12:28] with it [00:12:30] yeah we [00:12:32] we're not making fun of the crimes [00:12:34] I mean we were making fun [00:12:36] of each other nine times out of ten [00:12:38] you know yeah you're presenting the story [00:12:40] yeah yeah there's nothing funny [00:12:42] about the vinch champ stuff [00:12:44] no but you know [00:12:46] but in the course of a conversation [00:12:48] you're going to make each other laugh naturally [00:12:50] yes what is funny is that it [00:12:52] like I [00:12:54] ironic is that so many people didn't know [00:12:56] about it here's this guy [00:12:58] who was the winner of star search [00:13:00] and he was one of the biggest [00:13:02] serial rapists that this country has [00:13:04] ever seen [00:13:06] yep and you had to share the same comedy [00:13:08] condo for just one night correct [00:13:10] I saw him two different times [00:13:12] but one night [00:13:14] and when we say comedy condo [00:13:16] like as we've [00:13:18] I've explained before but just for your audience [00:13:20] they're like flop houses that's like pretend [00:13:22] that you had a shared [00:13:24] air B&B [00:13:26] there's nothing glamorous or yeah there's [00:13:28] no and you have no control [00:13:30] over [00:13:32] who's coming in or who's coming or a hostile [00:13:34] for example like you know [00:13:36] you just get your space so I [00:13:38] didn't know and he happened to [00:13:40] assault a woman the night that I [00:13:42] stayed there so it was just a game changer [00:13:44] in my life because [00:13:46] I you know when you find out [00:13:48] about that of course but then the FBI [00:13:50] thought I was his girlfriend because there weren't a lot [00:13:52] of women in comedy [00:13:54] back then it was just a bizarre [00:13:56] thing that is one of [00:13:58] literally one of the craziest stories I've ever [00:14:00] heard in comedy and [00:14:02] like I said when I heard you tell this on WTF [00:14:04] and talk about your own podcast [00:14:06] I texted you the very next day [00:14:08] yeah I wish I would have joined the Russian mafia [00:14:10] like Bert it would have been easier for me [00:14:12] yeah [00:14:14] all right so [00:14:16] I love getting into people's [00:14:18] backstory I love finding out why [00:14:20] all my friends and favorite comedians got [00:14:22] into it and I know your set [00:14:24] is autobiographical which I absolutely [00:14:26] love because I've taken my [00:14:28] act there more in recent years but let's go [00:14:30] back to the very very beginning like when you were a child [00:14:32] or a teenager what was your interest [00:14:34] in comedy in general did you [00:14:36] discover stand-up young or was it movies [00:14:38] or TV [00:14:40] I didn't discover stand-up young [00:14:42] because I really am [00:14:44] 100% Sicilian and we're a miserable [00:14:46] people [00:14:48] they're just miserable like they don't [00:14:50] you can't laugh too hard they are worried [00:14:52] about getting the Maloik [00:14:54] they call it the evil eye but [00:14:56] then we laughed at [00:14:58] the most inappropriate things [00:15:00] we laughed at funerals and the uncles would [00:15:02] come and everybody be laughing at funerals [00:15:04] so it was such an odd dichotomy [00:15:06] and I loved the sound [00:15:08] because it's easy to translate [00:15:10] that even a child can figure that after [00:15:12] someone is laughing [00:15:14] they're in a better mood [00:15:16] right yeah my mother was [00:15:18] happier my father was happier everybody [00:15:20] was happier [00:15:22] after funerals weirdly [00:15:24] so it kind of clicked in my brain [00:15:26] a little bit [00:15:28] yeah [00:15:30] and then I liked [00:15:32] TV show comedy [00:15:34] right [00:15:36] Laverne and Shirley yeah like [00:15:38] Fred Sam or you know [00:15:40] Samford and son the Jefferson's [00:15:42] things like that I didn't know [00:15:44] too much about stand-up until [00:15:46] I started staying a lot [00:15:48] my mother got sick [00:15:50] and I started staying with my grandparents a lot [00:15:52] and I spent a lot of time like I basically [00:15:54] lived with them [00:15:56] and my grandmother [00:15:58] couldn't sleep at night and she would watch [00:16:00] the tonight show and she would let me [00:16:02] listen to Johnny Carson's monologue [00:16:04] like you're a kid [00:16:06] and you don't really understand [00:16:08] all the but some of them are basic [00:16:10] and funny you know who the president [00:16:12] is and when they're making fun of the president [00:16:14] it's fun yes you know [00:16:16] it's not political it was just funny [00:16:18] and just goofy things so [00:16:20] that started me on [00:16:22] a laughter and I told a joke [00:16:24] I'll never forget I told this back then [00:16:26] you could tell ethnic jokes everybody [00:16:28] told it everybody got it [00:16:30] every ethnic group told them about the other [00:16:32] group and it wasn't racial [00:16:34] it was just like okay [00:16:36] if you know if you knew [00:16:38] someone of another ethnic group [00:16:40] you went to them and you told them that joke [00:16:42] and then they turned around and told you a joke right [00:16:44] but I'm a little kid so [00:16:46] I told a Polish joke [00:16:48] to my neighbor at 6 years old [00:16:50] Mrs. Suplinski who [00:16:52] S.K.I [00:16:54] right and [00:16:56] she literally beat [00:16:58] the hell out of me all the way [00:17:00] home to tell my mother who then [00:17:02] was embarrassed and she hit me [00:17:04] but I realized that it like evoked emotion [00:17:06] so I would always [00:17:08] try to say something funny [00:17:10] whenever I could from that point on [00:17:12] you know I found Eddie Murphy [00:17:14] I was like [00:17:16] in eighth grade and a [00:17:18] friend of mine's older brother had the tape [00:17:20] and I asked him to dub it for me [00:17:22] and went and listen to it in my [00:17:24] house and that was it like I was hooked [00:17:26] Bill Cosby sadly [00:17:28] Philadelphia but [00:17:30] Temple University I met Bill Cosby [00:17:32] a week before I started doing stand up [00:17:34] I met him when I used to do [00:17:36] I was for while I was [00:17:38] doing I did an open mic [00:17:40] I'm skipping it but I and then [00:17:42] sponsored by radio station and I was doing [00:17:44] morning show and learning how to be a house [00:17:46] MC and we brought him in [00:17:48] to talk to us and he was very nice [00:17:50] and he was very kind [00:17:52] and [00:17:54] he told me that [00:17:56] if I started to travel [00:17:58] never let the end [00:18:00] was on television never let them made in your [00:18:02] room because they'll see [00:18:04] you on TV and think that you're rich [00:18:06] and still [00:18:08] you're stuff because they think you have money [00:18:10] and he invited me to the show that night [00:18:12] but I couldn't go because [00:18:14] I had a station obligation [00:18:16] so maybe I'm saved [00:18:18] I don't know that's some unique [00:18:20] advice I heard something very similar [00:18:22] one time somebody told me if you [00:18:24] you know if you're doing a high paying gig and you get to [00:18:26] the hotel asked to switch rooms [00:18:28] so [00:18:30] the people that booked the gig [00:18:32] don't know you're in the room that they had [00:18:34] booked for you I've never I've never done that [00:18:36] I've never had to do that [00:18:38] that's those old that's if you get paid [00:18:40] in cash and that's that was probably [00:18:42] given to you by 20 years ago [00:18:44] yeah by an older comic [00:18:46] yeah who makes a lot of money [00:18:48] probably [00:18:50] so what was your very first open mic or [00:18:52] what was the moment where you said oh I'm going to try [00:18:54] this I just go I just want to try it [00:18:56] that's why it's called I guess I'll do it with [00:18:58] Pat House because it's the I guess I'll do it [00:19:00] every comic has that moment where it's like [00:19:02] I'm gonna do this that's true [00:19:04] I guess my [00:19:06] I guess I'll do it moment was I [00:19:08] was hanging out with my family they had moved [00:19:10] from Ohio [00:19:12] right after college I was supposed to go to [00:19:14] New York at a fashion design degree [00:19:16] and I was supposed to go there [00:19:18] and do an internship so I'd like that three [00:19:20] months and that three months [00:19:22] at age 21 [00:19:24] in a new place you don't really know [00:19:26] anybody it's hard to meet you know friends [00:19:28] I was trying to make some money [00:19:30] and I went to they had a comedy [00:19:32] club and I thought well let me go there [00:19:34] I love stand up let me go [00:19:36] in and I'll [00:19:38] be the world's worst waitress and but [00:19:40] make some money maybe I'll make some friends [00:19:42] and a woman came through and that's kind of [00:19:44] was like a weird you know that moment [00:19:46] when girls are [00:19:48] in the vampire movies and they [00:19:50] look at them they go what are you [00:19:52] um [00:19:54] it was my kind of what are you moment because [00:19:56] I was introduced to [00:19:58] the three person show the MC [00:20:00] the feature and the headliner [00:20:02] and a woman came [00:20:04] through and she was like [00:20:06] I at the time I'm 21 22 [00:20:08] right 22 [00:20:10] uh she's probably not much older [00:20:12] 24 25 [00:20:14] and she's the [00:20:16] MC and God bless her but I did [00:20:18] not think that she was that funny and [00:20:20] honestly neither did the audience so I'm not [00:20:22] and uh but been there [00:20:24] a million times right we all [00:20:26] have had and you know I don't [00:20:28] I also don't know how far she was into her [00:20:30] career clearly she couldn't have been too far [00:20:32] and I also know how hard it is now at [00:20:34] that I it's the hubris [00:20:36] of not knowing what you're talking [00:20:38] about and just talking out loud [00:20:40] and uh [00:20:42] she I said I went home [00:20:44] and my brothers everybody's asked me like how was [00:20:46] it who's who's there this week and I'm like well [00:20:48] there's a girl there and [00:20:50] uh I think I'm as funny as she [00:20:52] is and then they were like [00:20:54] bet and then for [00:20:56] I did the open mic the following Monday [00:20:58] and it was [00:21:00] by a radio station [00:21:02] did you have stuff written or do where you just [00:21:04] riffing I had a few things written [00:21:06] uh [00:21:08] because everybody does I always [00:21:10] say this to people when they go I can't do what [00:21:12] you do you might not be able to do it to [00:21:14] what I do at this level but everybody [00:21:16] has a few of those funny [00:21:18] stories that they tell at parties or [00:21:20] comebacks or [00:21:22] you always have some stuff in your back pocket we all [00:21:24] do yeah and I was the queen of [00:21:26] the comebacks I literally was [00:21:28] you know I mean you have to remember [00:21:30] I'm 22 years old so we're talking [00:21:32] about 1994 [00:21:34] right 93 94 [00:21:36] and I'm like [00:21:38] uh you know [00:21:40] I'm a big I have a big nose [00:21:42] big eyes big lips big boobs I do just [00:21:44] and but a lot of women didn't have that back then [00:21:46] it was way before everybody got a boob job [00:21:48] for graduation [00:21:50] and uh you know graduation [00:21:52] and uh [00:21:54] they literally people would say to me at a [00:21:56] nightclub are those real guys you know and I'd be like [00:22:00] don't you think if I had that kind of money I'd have [00:22:02] my nose fixed first [00:22:04] and then it took this weird [00:22:06] moment into a funny [00:22:08] moment and then I [00:22:10] could it was like my boom and I could walk [00:22:12] away from an idiot you know what I mean [00:22:14] and so I started that was one [00:22:16] of the jokes I I told [00:22:18] and then I told the story that's a great [00:22:20] that's a great [00:22:22] that is a great line for someone who's [00:22:24] new into it it's creative it's original [00:22:26] it's personal that's just a great funny [00:22:28] line yeah and I start thank you [00:22:30] uh so my first open mic [00:22:32] was really good it was only [00:22:34] like three or five minutes it wasn't [00:22:36] very long whatever time they give you [00:22:38] and then the radio station that sponsored it [00:22:40] asked me to come in and like be the sidekick [00:22:42] and laugh it was so bizarre like my [00:22:44] opportunity right off that first time [00:22:46] yes however [00:22:48] my experience of what the hell that I [00:22:50] went through was ridiculous [00:22:52] because you know [00:22:54] you don't you think that trolls are [00:22:56] bad now they used to have to dial [00:22:58] you know [00:23:00] 9 digits 10 digits make a phone call for [00:23:02] it phone call right with 7 I don't [00:23:04] think even think that there was the area code involved [00:23:06] then and so by the time [00:23:08] they finished dialing they were really pissed to [00:23:10] tell you how stupid you are because you [00:23:12] pronounced Greenwich village [00:23:14] like Greenwich because you're reading and [00:23:16] it's 5 30 in the morning and I have been out [00:23:18] since 3 30 [00:23:20] where was this first open mic because you're [00:23:22] Cleveland based right I'm Cleveland [00:23:24] born and raised but my parents had moved [00:23:26] to a place called the Quad Cities while I was [00:23:28] away at college which is [00:23:30] Iowa and Illinois [00:23:32] border so it was in David [00:23:34] they lived in Davenport Iowa but my [00:23:36] show was 15 minutes [00:23:38] across the bridge in Moline Illinois [00:23:40] okay yeah and then [00:23:42] I did that I was the house emcee at the funny bone [00:23:44] was owned by the same people that own [00:23:46] the Cleveland improv I was like I'm going to [00:23:48] move back to Cleveland and I [00:23:50] went downtown Cleveland [00:23:52] I did that for like two and a half years [00:23:54] and then I moved downtown Cleveland and I was there [00:23:56] until I moved to LA in [00:23:58] 2001 so [00:24:00] was hilarities around then [00:24:02] yeah hilarities all of them I [00:24:04] was very lucky because I could [00:24:06] it was still Nick Nick is one [00:24:08] of the his name has come up a lot on this podcast [00:24:10] he is one of the absolute nicest and best [00:24:12] people to ever own a club yes fantastic [00:24:14] Nick and Mitch [00:24:16] Kutash who owned all those and I was [00:24:18] very lucky because [00:24:20] they allowed me to be the house emcee [00:24:22] in Cleveland and then immediately they [00:24:24] owned all these funny bones at the time they [00:24:26] were all connected I think they were like 24-25 [00:24:28] so I [00:24:30] could go out two or three times a year as [00:24:32] an emcee now granted [00:24:34] I'm not going to lie to you I only made like seven [00:24:36] grand my first year in comedy [00:24:38] but I've worked [00:24:40] like 38 weeks which can you [00:24:42] imagine back then huge [00:24:44] that is huge and also especially [00:24:46] when you're like emceeing like emceeing [00:24:48] makes you good you bite the bullet [00:24:50] you eat it up front the crowd hates you [00:24:52] you fuck up the headliners intro [00:24:54] but you learn like you learn [00:24:56] I know and 38 weeks [00:24:58] is amazing for an emcee [00:25:00] and you that's that's an awesome [00:25:02] grind right off the bat it was [00:25:04] really really tough but [00:25:06] it I mean and I met everybody [00:25:08] like the people that I met some people when [00:25:10] I was in the Quad Cities and at the radio station [00:25:12] and working at that funny bone [00:25:14] and I'd bring them in and talk to them [00:25:16] and then I'd also so when I moved to Cleveland [00:25:18] and I'd see them they were like [00:25:20] okay she's really doing it and then those [00:25:22] people really you know [00:25:24] down my rare there are people I wouldn't have a career [00:25:26] if it weren't for them [00:25:28] down down has my [00:25:30] first couple years in stand up monumental [00:25:32] to me yeah [00:25:34] he brought me to a couple heliums [00:25:36] and I was in the stress factory [00:25:38] he would have me emcee for him at helium [00:25:40] year after year he was [00:25:42] one of the people from the get go [00:25:44] who has been very good to me yes [00:25:46] I mean those there are people like that [00:25:48] that change that are game changing your life [00:25:50] John Pannette was another one of those for me [00:25:52] God rest his soul [00:25:54] phenomenal lived in my neighborhood never met him [00:25:56] but we he literally lived three minutes from my parents [00:25:58] wow must be the filly thing [00:26:00] then [00:26:02] let's see who else took me [00:26:04] DL Hughley took me out [00:26:06] George Lopez like people [00:26:08] you know I was just really [00:26:10] really lucky to have some help [00:26:12] where people were like hey come come open [00:26:14] for me every single [00:26:16] comic I've had on this podcast has had [00:26:18] a story where [00:26:20] somebody took them along for the on [00:26:22] the road or just got them gigs when they [00:26:24] came through town and it's just the best [00:26:26] feeling in the world when [00:26:28] the headliner brings [00:26:30] you you know gives you the weekend shows [00:26:32] or even better just be like hey [00:26:34] how about Phoenix and Kansas City with me [00:26:36] and you're like what and [00:26:38] there's just no greater compliment [00:26:40] to when someone in those [00:26:42] early days picks [00:26:44] swoops you up yeah well [00:26:46] it's number one it's a letter [00:26:48] of recommendation number two back in [00:26:50] my day like when we started [00:26:52] the nice part [00:26:54] the great part about the comedy condos [00:26:56] was the camaraderie and if [00:26:58] you would you know most of us were driving [00:27:00] who weren't headliners so a bunch of us [00:27:02] MC's and features who worked [00:27:04] parallel would get together [00:27:06] on the Sunday or Monday or Tuesday [00:27:08] that things were closed somewhere [00:27:10] and we'd all cross going different directions [00:27:12] but we'd be somewhere for like [00:27:14] a day I'd have a [00:27:16] VCR they'd have a VCR we'd make tapes [00:27:18] because you had to make tapes you had to have two VCRs [00:27:20] dub tapes you had to share [00:27:22] the contacts the addresses for the club [00:27:24] who do I send mail this [00:27:26] mail boss to it yep [00:27:28] so when someone would pay [00:27:30] you to go out to these clubs [00:27:32] they actually were [00:27:34] it was like literally they [00:27:36] not only paid you for that week but they really [00:27:38] were investing in your career they didn't [00:27:40] realize what they were doing because [00:27:42] it allowed you to get in front [00:27:44] of those people which probably brought you work [00:27:46] you know I mean it for me [00:27:48] I was lucky it definitely brought me work [00:27:50] Wow okay [00:27:52] so Cleveland LA that was your next career move [00:27:54] yeah 2001 [00:27:56] I think I'd done everything I could do [00:27:58] plus I was just ready [00:28:00] I think if I'd have went to LA any earlier [00:28:02] I would have got burnt out you know [00:28:04] but I had worked my way up I was like a split [00:28:06] week feature in [00:28:08] e-rooms or you know in a rooms [00:28:10] I was split week feature in b rooms [00:28:12] I was headlining but you know we're talking [00:28:14] low money [00:28:16] $800 a week like [00:28:18] 50 million shows [00:28:20] and it was probably stupid to move then [00:28:22] in a weird way because [00:28:24] in order to [00:28:26] stay a comic I had to really go [00:28:28] out on the road since that's how I was paying my bills [00:28:30] I would suggest if someone was a new comic [00:28:32] they'd go a little bit [00:28:34] earlier where it's not [00:28:36] fully just comedy like I mean I had a million [00:28:38] little things I did to supplement [00:28:40] my income back in Cleveland [00:28:42] you know I made their Italian [00:28:44] cookies called put sales before there was [00:28:46] coffee chains and [00:28:48] yeah I would take them to these coffee [00:28:50] shops and give them some say [00:28:52] if you sell them let me know and I take order [00:28:54] and then I was making like a thousand cookies [00:28:56] a month you know like [00:28:58] sitting there like [00:29:00] putting them in tubs making them [00:29:02] and bagging them up and taking them to [00:29:04] but I moved out there [00:29:06] and I was very lucky [00:29:08] because I had been an improv [00:29:10] in Cleveland girl and some of the other [00:29:12] improv club I was immediately [00:29:14] able to be a regular [00:29:16] at the Hollywood Improv [00:29:18] and I didn't just jump to [00:29:20] LA for three years prior [00:29:22] I would go out there for stretches [00:29:24] at a time so I was [00:29:26] already a regular at the Hollywood Improv [00:29:28] which was great then [00:29:30] I got passed at [00:29:32] the comedy store in the Laugh Factory [00:29:34] and in the Ice House in Pasadena [00:29:36] was part of my rotation [00:29:38] too and then you go down to [00:29:40] promote the comedy and magic and that's how [00:29:42] it kind of gets a little bit better in comedy [00:29:44] for you to stay home and pay your bills a little [00:29:46] bit. When you first moved to LA [00:29:48] it was like your tight crew of friends. [00:29:50] Oh gosh [00:29:52] well I mean [00:29:54] the comedy store became my home [00:29:56] and it really was you know Craig Robinson [00:29:58] Brett Ernst [00:30:00] Brett and Sebastian Maniscalco [00:30:02] were like my day ones [00:30:04] Steve was using. Sebastian has been very good [00:30:06] to me over the years I was with him a [00:30:08] lot when he was [00:30:10] at the tail end of clubs [00:30:12] jumping into theaters he used me a lot [00:30:14] around that time. Oh that's fantastic. [00:30:16] It was wild to see even from my perspective. [00:30:18] Isn't that crazy? [00:30:20] Yeah. Dom Iraira definitely [00:30:22] and Dom always [00:30:24] he had a fiance that was my best [00:30:26] friend there was a woman who [00:30:28] was the [00:30:30] booker at the Hollywood Improv her name is Rita Piazza [00:30:32] at the time she was dating Pablo [00:30:34] Francisco they were like my family [00:30:36] Bible you know Carlos Mancilla [00:30:38] was good I'd always get invited to his [00:30:40] kids birthday parties [00:30:42] I mean the nice part [00:30:44] was just that you always had [00:30:46] if you were at the club you always had [00:30:48] someone that was your love [00:30:50] Kathleen Madigan was one of my best [00:30:52] friends for the longest time so we just [00:30:54] had a really tight crew [00:30:56] That's awesome and then [00:30:58] okay so where did last comic standing [00:31:00] come in because I was a stand up fan [00:31:02] I watched all the premium blends and [00:31:04] Comedy Central presents but I loved last [00:31:06] comic stained because I was introduced to new people [00:31:08] how I discovered you [00:31:10] and so many other comics I still love to this [00:31:12] day like I absolutely love Bonnie [00:31:14] McFarlane and Gary Gullman [00:31:16] yes and both of them [00:31:18] I know very well [00:31:20] and it's just that show [00:31:22] in particular really [00:31:24] escalated my [00:31:26] interest and love of stand up so I would love to hear [00:31:28] you know how that [00:31:30] meant for you well I had [00:31:32] really not I mean [00:31:34] I had not done much [00:31:36] I had worked my butt off [00:31:38] in the grassroots campaign [00:31:40] out on the road [00:31:42] but you know when I got to [00:31:44] LA in 2001 [00:31:46] I did [00:31:48] just for laughs and I got an agent [00:31:50] and stuff finally in [00:31:52] 2002 agent and manager [00:31:54] and then I'm doing the tonight show [00:31:56] I had one credit to my name I had never done any television [00:31:58] until I did the tonight show that was my first [00:32:00] TV thing [00:32:02] and I had won a contest [00:32:04] that was supposed to give me a premium blend [00:32:06] and they didn't end up giving me the premium blend it was so [00:32:08] stupid it was the Bud Light Ladies of [00:32:10] Laughter in [00:32:12] 2000 and [00:32:14] which should be called the Bud Light Ladies [00:32:16] of Laughter on my Wikipedia but [00:32:18] idiots change it to the Bud Light Ladies of Lather [00:32:20] so [00:32:22] yeah it's so stupid [00:32:24] that's why you can never believe Wikipedia [00:32:26] so [00:32:28] I was really [00:32:30] you know I didn't know [00:32:32] what I was getting into with [00:32:34] with last comic but I had [00:32:36] seen season one [00:32:38] and those guys did well rich [00:32:40] and Chris Porter [00:32:42] and Cory Cothney [00:32:44] I was just with Chris last weekend he's a good buddy of mine [00:32:46] we just affiliated together [00:32:48] and Ralphie and Dat and they like they did [00:32:50] very well [00:32:52] and I wasn't sure I wanted to you know reality [00:32:54] was new I didn't know if I wanted to be on but when I saw [00:32:56] the caliber [00:32:58] it was Kathleen [00:33:00] think about our season you mentioned [00:33:02] Bonnie and Gary Todd Glass [00:33:04] they're from Philly Cory Holcomb [00:33:06] Alonzo [00:33:08] Bowden John Heffron [00:33:10] London aunt [00:33:12] and me like that was like the [00:33:14] craziest goodbye had the least amount of credits of anybody [00:33:16] in that [00:33:18] in that whole group so I was really excited [00:33:20] to be part of it is J London [00:33:22] still around he is the only [00:33:24] name I [00:33:26] why watch the show and I know [00:33:28] every single person you just mentioned but [00:33:30] a London is the only person [00:33:32] I haven't even heard of [00:33:34] in forever and he had incredible [00:33:36] one liners which is an art form into itself [00:33:38] brilliant I mean [00:33:40] everybody will quote to me [00:33:42] at some point [00:33:44] within two times three times a year someone [00:33:46] will come up to me go hey how's that guy [00:33:48] the latter guy and you're the joke was [00:33:50] this is my [00:33:52] step ladder I never knew my real [00:33:54] ladder hysterical [00:33:56] I always think of you [00:33:58] may recognize me as third from the left on the evolution chart [00:34:00] yes and they [00:34:02] off when they did that caveman thing [00:34:04] they they play [00:34:06] we ripped him off I was so hurt for him [00:34:08] I mean [00:34:10] like the Geico commercials [00:34:12] well no when they did the [00:34:14] Geico I don't know if Geico did it [00:34:16] but because they had the it's so easy caveman [00:34:18] could do it I wonder if that was connected at all [00:34:20] I remember I don't remember if it was [00:34:22] that or if it was like the [00:34:24] promo for remember when they had [00:34:26] the caveman TV show [00:34:28] I can't remember but they really [00:34:30] yeah [00:34:32] but [00:34:34] I haven't seen Jane a long time [00:34:36] he was a comedy show brother [00:34:38] and [00:34:40] a Dublin's guy we all went to [00:34:42] Dublin's on Tuesdays and crushed it all out too [00:34:44] I haven't seen him [00:34:46] long time but I did speak to him I guess [00:34:48] somewhere between now and the pandemic [00:34:50] and just called him out of [00:34:52] nowhere and he answered the phone and [00:34:54] I just wanted to hear his voice and [00:34:56] I was like oh well [00:34:58] I'm glad he's still around [00:35:00] around yeah I don't know [00:35:02] he had put comedy down for a little bit [00:35:04] but he said that he was going to get back into it [00:35:06] you know [00:35:08] do you keep in touch with the other cast members at all [00:35:10] or just in the normal comic way where you [00:35:12] cross paths and [00:35:14] months go by then you catch up and then [00:35:16] it's like you never you know [00:35:18] I'm always [00:35:20] always owing Bonnie a phone call [00:35:22] I to catch up [00:35:24] Evelenzo and John Henofrann and aunt [00:35:26] the most [00:35:30] I just [00:35:54] you're thumbing through it. [00:35:55] I did buy it, I just, do you know what's happening to me [00:35:58] is I'm just gonna be really honest. [00:36:00] My eyes are changing and I love to read [00:36:04] but I refuse to put on those cheater glasses [00:36:08] because I already have such horrific vision [00:36:10] that I have to wear like a context 24 hours a day. [00:36:13] I'm literally like Velma from Scooby Doo. [00:36:15] Oh, you? [00:36:16] You know, yeah, it's bad. [00:36:18] Like literally I told you I'm kind of like psycho [00:36:22] and prepping things that when the whole thing went down [00:36:25] with COVID in the lockdown, I went and bought out [00:36:29] there was a eye doctor place that was closing [00:36:31] and I bought their entire, [00:36:35] their entire like lot of contacts glasses [00:36:38] that aren't my size, aren't my prescription, whatever [00:36:41] but I bought them because I said if things go down [00:36:44] and there's an apocalypse people are gonna need to see [00:36:47] and I will be specs in the apocalypse. [00:36:50] I'm gonna trade these for currency. [00:36:52] And you have my mouse, if anyone's listening [00:36:55] they're in a storage unit that has all my other stuff in it [00:36:58] and you're not gonna get it so there you go. [00:37:00] I think you're the first Doomsday prepper comic [00:37:02] I've had on here. [00:37:03] I don't know that I'm a Doomsday prepper. [00:37:05] Well, you did say apocalypse, [00:37:07] it's kind of the same shit. [00:37:08] I guess you're right, you're right, you're right, [00:37:10] you're right, I guess you're right. [00:37:12] I just, you know what it is? [00:37:13] Once you live with the serial rapist for the night, [00:37:16] like you share a home like that on purpose [00:37:19] but whatever like you realize that you've slept next to that [00:37:22] I think you're just always, you know. [00:37:25] Prepared, I can't even imagine what happened. [00:37:28] I'm like I better find my exits and you know [00:37:32] it just changed my way of thinking like. [00:37:35] Brush up on my star search knowledge [00:37:36] in case I run in another former. [00:37:41] So true, so true. [00:37:43] All right, this episode is brought to you by Magic Mind [00:37:48] like most comics, like most people [00:37:49] I struggle with being productive just sitting down [00:37:52] and doing the work. [00:37:53] I am fidgety, I shut, I open the notebook [00:37:56] and then do 55 things, but the people at Magic Mind [00:37:59] have a great thing to help. [00:38:01] After my morning coffee, I take it. [00:38:02] It gives me the perfect little afternoon chill [00:38:05] while also allowing me to be productive. [00:38:07] Little tiny bottles perfect for one shot. [00:38:10] They have energy and they make you feel calm [00:38:13] and relaxed. [00:38:14] I know that sounds crazy, but it's true. [00:38:16] You can get 56% off when ordering in the next 10 days [00:38:21] by using promo code DOIT20. [00:38:23] That is DOIT20, all caps at www.magicmind.com. [00:38:29] Make sure you check them out. [00:38:30] It is a part of my daily routine. [00:38:34] Your episode of Women of a Certain Age [00:38:36] was absolutely fantastic. [00:38:38] You were with an absolute killer lineup. [00:38:39] Thea, Julia Scottie and Carol Montgomery [00:38:43] is a very good friend of mine. [00:38:45] She is almost like a comedy mother to me. [00:38:48] Her and I go way, way back [00:38:49] and I love when her and I cross paths. [00:38:51] That was awesome. [00:38:52] Caroline Ray was on that. [00:38:54] Caroline is, Caroline Ray is a murderer. [00:38:58] And people forget that because they see her [00:39:00] as Sabrina the Teenage Witch. [00:39:03] The sitcom stuff. [00:39:04] Yeah, they forget, like, cause she's so castable [00:39:07] and it's so funny, but yeah, she's just a murderer. [00:39:11] All of those murderers. [00:39:13] I've seen Julia Scott. [00:39:14] I mean, she's also local here. [00:39:16] She's New Jersey, but Philly enough. [00:39:18] She, we have done shows where she fucking [00:39:20] ripped the room off of the place. [00:39:22] That's awesome. [00:39:23] And Thea, I've actually, I have a crazy Thea story. [00:39:27] I was on vacation. [00:39:28] I was officiating a friend's wedding on a cruise [00:39:31] and I'm on vacation. [00:39:32] I have to officiate the wedding, [00:39:33] but I'm on a cruise ship with a bunch of friends [00:39:35] and I am off. [00:39:36] I am not doing stand up. [00:39:37] I am on vacation. [00:39:39] First day on the ship, I'm like, is that Thea? [00:39:41] We're walking down the hallway facing each other [00:39:43] and I introduced myself like, hey, I'm a comic. [00:39:45] I grew up watching you. [00:39:47] Huge fan. [00:39:48] And next thing you know, we're having lunch every single day [00:39:50] talking shop in the middle of the ocean. [00:39:52] It was so cool. [00:39:54] We hung out at least four or five days on that cruise, [00:39:56] grabbed lunch, I watched all of her shows [00:39:59] and I just remember us sitting at lunch one day [00:40:02] going back and forth with our favorite Mitch Hedberg jokes. [00:40:05] That's my favorite Thea memory. [00:40:07] Mitch was so good to me. [00:40:09] That's another living in those condos [00:40:11] I actually, that's another, I mean, [00:40:16] every time I knew I was gonna work with Mitch [00:40:18] I loved being in the condo with him. [00:40:21] It was comfortable, it was fun, it was funny. [00:40:24] And I also started leaving all my clothes in my trunk [00:40:28] because he would have a menagerie of people [00:40:31] that would show up and just sleep on our couch. [00:40:34] He was just such, he was a good hearted guy. [00:40:37] I've met him, I never worked with him [00:40:39] but I had the chance to meet him [00:40:41] and he was super nice but a lot of people [00:40:43] that have come on the podcast [00:40:45] and people that I also know and talk to at comedy clubs [00:40:48] have had nothing but amazing things to say. [00:40:51] He really was a good, it's a true shame [00:40:54] and a tortured artist and hold on, I'll show you. [00:40:58] Yeah, oh yeah, yeah, yeah. [00:40:59] I'll show you. [00:41:02] Let's see. [00:41:06] This is one of my prized possessions. [00:41:10] This is a process for doing the tribute show to him. [00:41:14] It's a box set for those who can't see [00:41:16] but it's a box set of every single one of his albums. [00:41:21] And I had to, I literally, it's in vinyl [00:41:23] and I literally bought a record player to play it. [00:41:27] Oh, that's cool though. [00:41:29] And vinyl's making a comeback, a lot of comics sell vinyl. [00:41:31] Look what else I have, hauling oats. [00:41:34] They're separated now. [00:41:35] They hate each other. [00:41:36] This is probably gonna be worth a lot of money. [00:41:39] For the millionth time, also from Philadelphia. [00:41:42] Wow, who knew? [00:41:44] Who knew? [00:41:45] Who knew? [00:41:47] Were you, all right, this is probably a dumb question. [00:41:49] Were you on that Mitch Hedberg tribute show? [00:41:51] Cause I have a flyer from that night. [00:41:54] I can't remember the names on it. [00:41:55] I would assume so if it was the one in New York [00:41:58] that was put together by the New York comedy festival. [00:42:00] No, this was the one from Minneapolis. [00:42:04] Oh yeah, the no, I wasn't. [00:42:05] Okay, it's the brochure or their little flyers blue. [00:42:08] I couldn't afford when Mitch passed, [00:42:10] I don't think I was, I can't remember. [00:42:12] What year did he pass? [00:42:14] Shortly after I started doing standup, [00:42:16] I think I want to say March of 2005 or 2006. [00:42:20] Like literally almost 20 years. [00:42:22] Yeah, I forgot. [00:42:23] I was just crazy. [00:42:24] That's crazy something, yeah. [00:42:25] So not that I was too busy to go there for a friend, [00:42:28] but also I don't know that people really knew [00:42:30] our friendship as much because it was in the condos. [00:42:33] You know what I mean? [00:42:34] I never get the calls for those. [00:42:36] I was so close with Patrice O'Neill. [00:42:39] He used to stay in my house in LA when he came to LA to work [00:42:44] and I'd be on the road. [00:42:45] So I mean, it's not that I would see him or anything, [00:42:47] but he used to stay at my place. [00:42:50] But I never get called to do the Patrice O'Neill benefit [00:42:53] because I don't think anybody really knew [00:42:54] how close we were because it's not, [00:42:56] you have friends with people that you don't, [00:42:59] you know, you're just friends with, [00:43:00] you know, we did a couple of shows together [00:43:02] and we just always communicated, [00:43:04] but it's not something like you're hanging out [00:43:07] on a random Sunday telling everybody. [00:43:09] It's such a small world. [00:43:11] People don't even realize how tight, [00:43:13] you cannot see anybody for years and years and years. [00:43:15] I mean, we haven't seen each other face to face in years, [00:43:18] but once you get rolling, you know, [00:43:20] there's so many connections behind the stage, [00:43:22] I guess you could say. [00:43:23] Yeah. That's a horrible phrase. [00:43:24] I don't know where that came from. [00:43:25] No, but I know what you mean though. [00:43:26] It really is. [00:43:27] It's just a crazy small world. [00:43:29] It really is. [00:43:31] Kami is super, super, super small. [00:43:34] Although it seems like there's more people [00:43:36] who call them self comedians than ever, [00:43:41] which I do think there are. [00:43:42] Thank you, TikTok. [00:43:44] Yeah. And you know, there's room for that? [00:43:47] There is. [00:43:47] They're gonna stay in it. [00:43:48] But a different market. [00:43:49] Don't call yourself a standup [00:43:52] if you're not live on stage in front of an audience. [00:43:55] Well, I feel also too like TikTok, [00:43:58] there's a woman right now that I saw [00:44:02] that she's like really appealing to Gen X [00:44:05] and she is literally regurgitating any comic [00:44:10] from mine to John Heffron to Greg Warren. [00:44:14] Oh, I know who you're talking about. [00:44:16] I've seen her do it with Chris Porter [00:44:19] and Chad Daniels thing recently. [00:44:21] Yeah, I can't take it. [00:44:22] And I can't be the arbiter of comedy. [00:44:25] I can't go after it again. [00:44:27] I can't believe that no one, [00:44:29] and she actually even just did a whole Joan Rivers thing. [00:44:34] I was appalled, but they don't know it. [00:44:37] People don't know it so they think it's all brand new. [00:44:39] That's what scares me with the onset of AI [00:44:44] trying to tell you jokes. [00:44:45] And then people taking like, you know, [00:44:50] I understand too, there are only so many jokes [00:44:53] in the world, trust me. [00:44:55] I get it. [00:44:56] I get it more than most. [00:44:58] You know, however, it's just the order of the jokes [00:45:01] because that belies the thought process. [00:45:04] It's the word pentameter that makes us who we are. [00:45:07] That's the difference, you know? [00:45:11] Yeah, it's a wild shift in comedy. [00:45:16] I don't wanna say since the pandemic, [00:45:18] but I mean in a way when we all had to do comedy [00:45:21] or not do comedy or in comedy shifted to online, [00:45:23] I guess it all came out of that pandemic era [00:45:25] where shit just got weird. [00:45:27] Well, I was just explaining this [00:45:30] because I would really, right now I have this weird troll. [00:45:34] I don't even know what to call it. [00:45:35] Someone spoofed my account [00:45:38] and went on other people's accounts [00:45:40] like reality show stars [00:45:42] and said a whole bunch of mean stuff. [00:45:44] Okay? [00:45:45] That's not funny, but I just don't understand. [00:45:47] I laugh because I wish I had the time. [00:45:50] Who has the time? [00:45:51] That was the first thing I was gonna say. [00:45:53] I'm not laughing because it's not funny at all. [00:45:55] It's really horrible. [00:45:56] The stuff that they were saying is horrific [00:45:59] and it's absolutely mind blowing [00:46:01] because you can't prove, [00:46:03] it's just, and people are going like, [00:46:05] well how do they spoof a blue check mark? [00:46:07] How the hell do I know? [00:46:08] I don't even know how I got a blue check mark. [00:46:10] Maybe they, maybe it's not. [00:46:11] I don't know what the hell you want from me. [00:46:13] I barely, so I wanted to really like shut [00:46:16] my social media down, but you can't. [00:46:20] And because I have the appropriate number of followers [00:46:26] that will buy tickets for my show. [00:46:29] I don't have like inflated numbers, it's just regular. [00:46:32] But I remember going, [00:46:34] it's almost like you went to sleep during the pandemic [00:46:37] and I had great social media numbers for then, for 2020. [00:46:41] And then I came out of it [00:46:43] and all of a sudden this one's got 100,000, [00:46:46] this one's got a million, this one's got a, [00:46:48] and they're like literally doing 10 seconds. [00:46:51] And I'm like your whole career, 30 years, four hour specials, [00:46:56] hundreds of appearances on talk shows [00:46:59] and that is just boiled down to how many followers you have [00:47:02] and you can't back it up. [00:47:04] The only thing you can do is hope [00:47:05] that the people show up to your show. [00:47:08] Yes. [00:47:08] And then they continue like, [00:47:09] I've often said like, [00:47:10] I don't sell thousands of tickets, [00:47:14] but I have sold thousands of tickets. [00:47:16] Mm-hmm. [00:47:17] Okay. [00:47:18] You're gonna have to phrase it. [00:47:19] Yeah. [00:47:20] And I will continue to sell thousands of tickets [00:47:22] until I finish this career. [00:47:24] So the day I put it down [00:47:25] because I always give my audience [00:47:28] the exact thing that they came to see, [00:47:30] me, new material, my same persona [00:47:33] that they liked enough to come [00:47:35] and hopefully they- [00:47:36] Yeah, you, you. [00:47:38] Yeah. [00:47:39] They're buying tickets to see you. [00:47:41] All right, I wanna bring up one thing here [00:47:43] and you're gonna have to guide me through this [00:47:44] cause I don't know all the details [00:47:45] and I remember seeing you posted about it on social media. [00:47:48] Did you have a show maybe a couple of years ago [00:47:51] where someone threw something at you [00:47:52] or there was a crazy crowd? [00:47:55] Or- [00:47:56] Yeah, so. [00:47:57] Okay. [00:47:57] So I think it was- [00:47:59] Yes, walk me through this [00:48:00] because I was attacked on stage one time, [00:48:02] beer bottle thrown at me, punched in the face. [00:48:04] My dad tackled that guy, crazy scenario [00:48:06] and I don't recall the details of your story [00:48:08] but I remember hearing or seeing you tweet about it [00:48:12] or post about it on Facebook [00:48:13] and being like, [00:48:14] oh my God, what the fuck happened here? [00:48:17] Yeah, it was, I think, I can't remember the year. [00:48:20] I think it was 2013. [00:48:22] Oh, we're going that far back, Jesus. [00:48:24] It was way before or some of my, [00:48:26] my son was young because he was at home, okay? [00:48:31] In my mind this was just like two or three years ago. [00:48:33] No, no, that's how bad people have been acting out [00:48:35] for a long time and no one- [00:48:37] Well, true, my incident was 2008 so. [00:48:40] Yeah, they've been acting badly for a long time [00:48:42] and no one takes it seriously. [00:48:44] So on Tuesday of that week, [00:48:47] there was a heckler who stood up. [00:48:49] It was the craziest week for comic [00:48:51] who stood up in the middle of Daniel Tosh's set [00:48:54] and said something about, [00:48:57] there's nothing funny about rape. [00:48:58] Like did the blood boil down? [00:48:59] The rape incident, yes. [00:49:00] Whatever happened. [00:49:01] So then he got, that was on Tuesday. [00:49:04] On Thursday I was in Jacksonville, Florida. [00:49:08] Comedy zone? [00:49:10] Yes. [00:49:10] And those, for those people, [00:49:12] like people picture the story, [00:49:14] you know exactly what I'm talking about. [00:49:15] But when they picture it, they don't understand. [00:49:17] So I'm gonna set the scene. [00:49:19] It's a big room but there's a very small stage [00:49:22] and all the tables are bingo style, [00:49:25] meaning all connected towards the stage. [00:49:28] So if you wanna get up, [00:49:30] you gotta walk backwards through all this stuff. [00:49:33] And there was a woman who was literally sitting [00:49:35] in the front row. [00:49:36] Basically she was on stage [00:49:39] and she was giving a hard time to the MC. [00:49:42] She was giving a hard time to the feature [00:49:44] that she was loud, she was talking, [00:49:46] she was toasting, doing shots on her phone. [00:49:49] Drunk, drunk, drunk, drunk. [00:49:51] It's the worst. [00:49:52] Awful. [00:49:53] Awful, awful, awful. [00:49:55] The world has been ruined by drunk women [00:50:00] who are too old to strip. [00:50:02] It's literally that's what's ruined the world. [00:50:05] That ends the next. [00:50:05] Thank you for phrasing that so perfectly [00:50:07] because you are 110% correct. [00:50:10] They just need so much attention. [00:50:14] I think I'm gonna open glamour shots again [00:50:16] cause I think that's what they need. [00:50:17] I mean, we have only fans but nobody's signing up for them. [00:50:21] So this woman wouldn't stop. [00:50:25] And I'm not, listen, I'm really strong with hecklers [00:50:30] we've already told but I also recognize [00:50:32] that she was too drunk that I wasn't gonna get it. [00:50:35] And they clearly weren't gonna throw her out [00:50:37] cause they didn't wanna walk her down the aisle from- [00:50:40] And really cause a scene. [00:50:42] And they had no security. [00:50:45] That's one of the problems nowadays if you go to a club [00:50:49] and yes, I'm a woman but they had all women working there [00:50:54] not even a guy in the kitchen, no. [00:50:56] And it's just a very different, [00:50:58] sometimes you need the muscle [00:50:59] or you need a really big woman, okay? [00:51:01] Like you're a big woman. [00:51:03] That's it. [00:51:03] That's fine. [00:51:04] Just somebody to enforce some rules. [00:51:05] Somebody who's big. [00:51:07] I don't care what their gender is. [00:51:08] You need a neanderthal of any gender [00:51:11] at least one in every club. [00:51:13] And because they weren't, they just like, [00:51:17] she should have been thrown out way before I got on stage. [00:51:20] And I decided I had some friends from high school [00:51:22] hadn't seen in a long time [00:51:24] and I just wanted to give them a really good show [00:51:26] cause they had just went through something [00:51:28] and my parent had died and it was just rough. [00:51:31] And I was like, I'm not gonna play with this woman [00:51:32] cause I know she's gonna steal it. [00:51:34] Like that's what happens. [00:51:36] People don't understand with hecklers. [00:51:37] They steal your time. [00:51:39] They steal the audience's time. [00:51:42] Like I know a lot of kids do crowd work now, [00:51:44] but that's if you have real material [00:51:47] that people are paying for, [00:51:49] they came to see your material. [00:51:51] They wanna hear about my grandfather. [00:51:52] They wanna hear about my brother too. [00:51:54] They want, you know. [00:51:56] So- [00:51:56] How long you guys been married? [00:51:57] What do you do? [00:51:58] Yeah, I don't have, and that's fine. [00:52:00] It's just not my, it's not mine. [00:52:02] It's not mine either, so I have strong opinions on it. [00:52:04] It's just not my style. [00:52:07] And I also just know that, [00:52:09] let me tell you something, women get confrontational. [00:52:11] I know how it's gonna go. [00:52:13] Like I know that I'm gonna get her [00:52:16] and she's gonna get upset [00:52:17] and then she takes it personal. [00:52:19] And then I'm a, I know that it always ends up with [00:52:22] I'm a bitch and I'm not funny. [00:52:24] That's it. [00:52:25] That's how it always ends up. [00:52:26] Like there's no, it's never been different. [00:52:28] That's the end. [00:52:29] I've seen this movie a million times, okay? [00:52:31] Just the character's different. [00:52:33] The person playing the role is different. [00:52:35] It's like going to see a Broadway play, [00:52:36] they're subbing someone in, but it always ends the same. [00:52:39] Yeah. [00:52:40] So I tried to ignore her as much as I could [00:52:44] because she was annoying the audience too, okay? [00:52:47] Just so you know, like, [00:52:48] and when the audience kind of gets together as a group [00:52:50] and they, you can tell that she's distracting them. [00:52:54] So at one point, she's literally, [00:52:56] I'm ready for the dismount. [00:52:58] I'm 10 minutes away. [00:52:59] And she pulls out her phone [00:53:01] and she's watching something super loud on her phone [00:53:06] in front of me and everybody can see it. [00:53:10] So I say, [00:53:13] hey, can you watch TV when you get home? [00:53:16] You know, I'm like, I'm sure, [00:53:18] I don't know if you pay for like whatever. [00:53:19] I don't know if you pay for cable [00:53:21] or you tap into the trailer next to you, [00:53:23] but like, can you just wait till you get home? [00:53:27] She goes, I'm watching porn. [00:53:30] I said, well apparently you didn't hear all this stuff [00:53:33] because I used to do, [00:53:34] it was a love letter to women, [00:53:35] but I used to do this whole thing [00:53:37] to save a whole project. [00:53:38] And I used to talk about all these things [00:53:40] about class and dignity. [00:53:41] I go, apparently you never heard me talk [00:53:43] about anything about what I said about being a whore. [00:53:45] You should have paid attention. [00:53:48] Everybody's laughing. [00:53:49] I go, that's okay. [00:53:50] And I kind of turned my head [00:53:52] and I just hear this, [00:53:53] I have super human hearing. [00:53:54] I hear this whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. [00:53:56] This woman not only through, [00:53:57] she didn't talk, chalk a glass like the wine on me. [00:54:01] Like you do, like I'm offended. [00:54:03] She chalked her glass at me, [00:54:06] that it spun around, hit the bricks behind me, [00:54:09] only barely moved it, the stem of it, [00:54:11] it shattered, the stem hit me. [00:54:13] I'm soaked in red wine. [00:54:16] I look like, you know, Carrie. [00:54:18] Carrie? [00:54:20] I'm literally having, [00:54:22] like they say you can't hold two thoughts at once, [00:54:25] but I'm thinking, [00:54:26] if I hit her with the bottom of this mic stand in the head, [00:54:30] I'll lose my house. [00:54:32] I see this group of guys who are soldiers [00:54:35] that I had entertained in Afghanistan [00:54:37] that came to support me. [00:54:38] There was a young group of black women [00:54:40] that had been my friends throughout the show. [00:54:43] Like I was making, you know, [00:54:44] you know, I'm on a good time. [00:54:46] They, I see these two groups get up like, [00:54:48] they're gonna converge on this girl, right? [00:54:51] So then I realized I have to be the peacemaker [00:54:54] and I was like, and she sits down though. [00:54:56] By the way, she's sitting. [00:54:58] Like when you just throw it and get up, [00:55:01] like you're making that big of a statement. [00:55:03] She's making it casual. [00:55:05] Yeah, like go on, go on. [00:55:07] You know, you chuckle fuck. [00:55:09] Like I go, oh, that's it. [00:55:12] And I literally, at that point then, [00:55:15] I insulted her from four generations back [00:55:18] in the next three to come. [00:55:19] Like I put a curse on her uterus. [00:55:21] Like I called her every name in the book. [00:55:26] I really, but finally they pull her out. [00:55:31] And okay, they pull her out. [00:55:34] But I then have to do another 15, 20 minutes [00:55:38] because I see they have the cops out there [00:55:40] and everybody's gonna pass her. [00:55:41] And I'm trying not to create more of an issue, right? [00:55:45] Cops, Zip Locker put in the back of the, [00:55:47] is zip tie or put her in the back of the- [00:55:49] I prefer Zip Lock. [00:55:50] I like zip lock too, right? [00:55:53] And they put her in the back of the car. [00:55:56] And then all of a sudden the sergeant comes, [00:55:58] they cut her loose and the sergeant, [00:55:59] I go, what's going on? [00:56:00] And he's like, well, what do you want from this? [00:56:04] And I go, what, I don't want anything. [00:56:06] He goes, are you looking for money? [00:56:07] I go, no, she just, she assaults. [00:56:11] I blast in my eye. [00:56:13] Like he goes, you should expect this at your job. [00:56:16] I go, wait, he goes, you work in a bar. [00:56:19] Okay, first of all. [00:56:22] Just when do you think it couldn't get worse? [00:56:23] It was horrific, horrific, horrific. [00:56:27] I go, well, I want a citizen's arrest then. [00:56:30] And he goes, she, we're not doing that down here. [00:56:33] This is, this is Jackson. [00:56:35] He goes, you've got a problem with it. [00:56:36] Go see the county solicitor tomorrow. [00:56:39] And I just like went back to my room like an idiot, [00:56:42] called a couple of people, called that guy who, [00:56:45] one of the guys who was an owner in the Buffalo Improv [00:56:49] at the time, or this Buffalo funny bone, [00:56:52] talked to my friend Kathleen, like everybody, [00:56:55] and then everybody started calling me going, [00:56:57] you gotta go there. [00:56:58] You gotta set a precedent because what the club owner [00:57:02] told me was if that stem wine glass would have hit a patron, [00:57:08] then they'd have been liable. [00:57:09] Like we'd all been liable and they don't want [00:57:11] to set that precedent. [00:57:13] The club should have thrown her out, [00:57:15] but then now I could be ensued. [00:57:17] It was like insane. [00:57:19] So, oh, by the way, the cop also said to me, [00:57:22] what did you say to her to get her angry? [00:57:24] I said, I didn't, listen, stop. [00:57:27] I go, I mean, I called her everything, but after. [00:57:30] Meanwhile, I'm drenched by the way, okay? [00:57:33] I'm not looking like fresh, like I didn't shower [00:57:37] and speak to her. [00:57:38] Hey, you're covered in Cabernet. [00:57:39] Okay. [00:57:41] And I saved this broad from getting her ass handed to her. [00:57:46] So I end up going the next day and they don't want to hear it. [00:57:50] The solicitor went and see me, sent me with an assistant, [00:57:54] told me that should I not expect this at my job? [00:58:01] Again, they did that, asked me if I was drunk, [00:58:04] had I been drinking? [00:58:06] I said, are you like what reasonable expectation? [00:58:11] I said then, so why do you then, [00:58:14] why is there assaulting a police officer? [00:58:16] Shouldn't they expect that at their job? [00:58:17] Like, and you know, clearly my best friend's a cop. [00:58:21] My best friend's a cop. [00:58:22] I'm totally, it's not, I'm a law enforcement enthusiast. [00:58:25] Like I'm not, but I just don't understand [00:58:28] what was happening down there the next day. [00:58:31] So they don't even want to take it. [00:58:32] They take the thing, whatever. [00:58:33] The next day that, or that night, [00:58:36] Eddie Griffin, something happens to him on stage [00:58:41] and he ends up, so like all of a sudden [00:58:44] the New York Times is like what's going on? [00:58:46] They get ahold of it. [00:58:47] I had wrote a whole thing on my Facebook about it. [00:58:51] They pick all that up. [00:58:53] All of a sudden Howard Stern's talking about it. [00:58:55] The views talking about it. [00:58:56] And I get a phone call from the solicitor going, [00:58:58] okay, what do you want us to do? [00:59:00] And I go, well, I want a restraining order against this woman. [00:59:03] And I want you to charge her with something. [00:59:06] I don't care what it is, you know, [00:59:09] because they told me that if I would have hit her, [00:59:11] cause that's what I said at the solicitor, [00:59:12] I go, I should have just hit her then. [00:59:14] And they say, oh, that's inciting a riot. [00:59:16] So then they told me they had no witnesses. [00:59:19] So I just had to get on and go, [00:59:21] Oh dude. [00:59:22] Yeah, here's all the people. [00:59:23] I just put an all points bulletin out. [00:59:25] We're at the show. [00:59:25] Let's talk about, and by the way, [00:59:27] no one forgets when they see the comedian [00:59:29] that they came to see. [00:59:30] Be getting assaulted. [00:59:32] Yeah, they're just not. [00:59:33] So anyway, I don't know ever know what happened. [00:59:35] Turns out she was a confidential informant. [00:59:38] She'd been arrested hundreds of times on soliciting [00:59:41] and she probably lived on Epstein Island for all I know. [00:59:43] I don't know. [00:59:45] I just remember you posting about that. [00:59:46] And I had an incident as well. [00:59:49] I'm not going to get into the whole entire thing. [00:59:50] But I am true when comics have shit like that go down, [00:59:53] like with Ariel Elias and at Uncle Vinnie's Comedy Club [00:59:57] like when shit goes down like that, [01:00:00] I am all in because it's shit happens in the comedy clubs. [01:00:05] But some comics have dealt with some extra fucking crazy. [01:00:10] But you know what it is to like sometimes [01:00:13] you can't stop that from happening [01:00:15] cause I know at Uncle Vinnie's Dino is on it. [01:00:18] He Dino doesn't like it. [01:00:19] He's fantastic. [01:00:21] That place they should have stopped it. [01:00:23] I know they didn't have, [01:00:24] they didn't know, they didn't have the wherewithal. [01:00:26] They weren't on it. [01:00:28] But there needs to be a time where now I'll play with people. [01:00:33] I put Roadhouse rules in it. [01:00:35] Like I'm good until I'm not and you'll know that [01:00:39] because I will then literally play, [01:00:42] try to get them on my side, try to get them to calm down. [01:00:45] Literally put your head down and rest. [01:00:46] I don't care. [01:00:47] I don't need you to like me. [01:00:48] This is not, I don't care. [01:00:50] Just don't disturb other people's time. [01:00:52] Don't ruin it for everybody else. [01:00:54] And I will literally now just go, [01:00:56] there comes like if it seems like it's gonna not go anywhere [01:01:00] it's like lights are up. [01:01:01] I go turn the lights on. [01:01:02] I wanna make sure everybody sees their face and get them out. [01:01:06] And as soon as they're out, [01:01:07] we'll get back to what we need to do. [01:01:08] I'll give you an extra few minutes [01:01:09] to make up for the time that it takes them out [01:01:11] and literally 10 out of 10 times. [01:01:14] If they're bothering me, [01:01:15] they're bothering other people too [01:01:16] and you get the clapping. [01:01:17] I mean, I have a letter that it's disturbing [01:01:20] that I ended up getting a letter to my home. [01:01:22] Somehow my address is out there, [01:01:24] but of a woman I just had to throw out [01:01:27] and her friends collectively got together [01:01:29] and wrote me a letter like handwritten letter [01:01:31] apologizing for her. [01:01:34] Wow. [01:01:35] Yeah, nuts. [01:01:36] Wow. [01:01:39] Comedy. [01:01:41] Always. This is what we do. [01:01:43] All right, Tammy, thank you so, so much for being here. [01:01:46] I've been looking forward to this episode for a while [01:01:48] and it was a blast. [01:01:49] Real quick, one last thing, [01:01:50] just plug all your stuff to where people can find you. [01:01:52] Pescatelli.com is the best place. [01:01:55] I am gonna be doing a show at the Keswick, [01:01:58] which is by you over there. [01:01:59] If anybody's in the area with no apologies [01:02:02] with Tom Cotter and Jim Florentine, [01:02:05] it's either this summer or the fall, [01:02:06] but definitely come out and see it. [01:02:07] Oh my God, well, I will absolutely be there. [01:02:09] I live a half hour away. [01:02:10] Oh my gosh, definitely come out and hang. [01:02:11] That'll be fantastic. [01:02:12] Is that through Dino? [01:02:15] No, we do this show called No Apologies, [01:02:18] the three of us. [01:02:20] I love Tom. [01:02:21] Tom is another comic I was on vacation [01:02:22] on a cruise and he was the comic on board that week. [01:02:24] Wow, Odd Dicotomy, the two of them. [01:02:27] Yeah. [01:02:30] Yeah, I would have never pictured Cotter and Florentine [01:02:32] on the same lineup to be honest with you. [01:02:33] Oh no, it's fantastic. [01:02:35] We all fit in the blue blend so well. [01:02:37] Like it's the three of us, it's like, [01:02:40] I feel like it's we're, [01:02:41] I'm the sister that never shuts up. [01:02:43] You got the one brother that's like always grumbling [01:02:46] and complaining, the other ones just going, [01:02:47] come on, fuck them. [01:02:50] And with that gravelly voice, [01:02:52] well I will absolutely be there. [01:02:54] Tammy Pasquitelli, thank you so much for being here. [01:02:56] I can't wait till we cross paths [01:02:58] and I will be there that night. [01:02:59] Thanks for having me, you got it. [01:03:20] You've been listening to The Mesh, [01:03:24] an online media network of shows and programs [01:03:27] ranging from business to arts, [01:03:29] sports to entertainment, music to community. 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