Ted Alexandro

[00:00:00] What you want, when you want it, where you want it. This is The Mesh.

[00:00:08] Hello and welcome to another episode of I Guess Ill Do It with Pat House. Today I am super excited

[00:00:33] to have a repeat guest. I've been doing this podcast for four years now and today's guest was my second guest on my third episode. There's so many TV appearances, his own specials, the Ted Alexandra show. Today I have Ted Alexandra back back on the podcast. Thank you buddy. Where do I stand with regards to like most frequent guests? Is this my is this my second appearance? This is your second appearance and you are my second repeat guest.

[00:01:03] Yes, and oddly enough this is just pure coincidence. My first repeat guest was my first guest ever. So you would think I'm like going, you'd think I'm like going in an exact rotation but that is not the case. But you are my. I wanted to be on the repeat list. Well always good to spend time with you buddy. Thank you. Happy to have you back and I listened to our episode yesterday and like I said, that was my second time and ever interviewing anybody on a podcast and I hope I'm a little bit better now.

[00:01:32] I had to carry you. I remember I had to carry you had to carry one thing I was like, why am I speaking so fast? I don't know if it was a nervous energy or what because I was brand new to it but I was like even in my own car listening to our episode yesterday I was like slow the fuck down man.

[00:01:50] Well, God bless you for listening back, you know, because that's one of the hardest things to do. It is. It really is. So first things first, how are you? How you been?

[00:02:00] I'm good buddy. I'm in the midst as I was telling you, I'm in the midst of a whirlwind tour. I'm on a bus tour with Jim Gaffigan. That is awesome.

[00:02:11] There were ten cities in ten nights so we just left San Antonio last night and we just arrived in Fackerville, Oklahoma where we're playing a casino tonight.

[00:02:21] I'm with Jim. His son Jack has been doing sets with us and Philly's own Todd Glass. The legend is with us as well so it's a good time.

[00:02:34] I know Todd very, very well. He's been on this podcast before. Todd is an absolute hero of mine. He's also out of his mind.

[00:02:41] I can sign off on all of the above. He's great. I mean he's so much fun to travel with, you know, because he's always up for a good time and he's always playing jokes and pulling things on people. So yeah, he keeps things interesting.

[00:02:57] Yeah, that's certain there's never a dull moment ever. So how is the tour going? You guys are doing arenas and big leaders.

[00:03:05] Yeah, it's a mix. Last night we were in an arena. The arena where the San Antonio Spurs play so that was fun. That was probably about 10,000 people.

[00:03:18] Yeah, they gave us, let me show you. They gave us Webinyama jerseys. We all got, we all got Spurs Webinyama jerseys so that's pretty cool man.

[00:03:29] That's my third jersey of the tour because we also played a couple of minor league. I think Pensacola, Florida. They gave us like a blue angels hockey. I guess they call it sweater in hockey ballads.

[00:03:43] And we also got one from Savannah. The Savannah ghost pirates is another minor league hockey team. So I need another suitcase by the end of this tour man. They just keep giving us stuff. It's great.

[00:03:55] What's the lineup on these shows?

[00:03:57] Well, I typically tour just Jim and I. So he said to me, would you be open to kind of hosting the ceremony? So I do five up front. I bring up Jack and he does about three.

[00:04:14] And he's been killing because he just kind of shows dad the whole open like set in an arena.

[00:04:20] Right? Yeah, it is pretty special. He's 18 years old. So to do, I mean he's toured with us before so this isn't like his first time on stage or anything.

[00:04:34] But yeah, to go from, I mean, I can't imagine doing that in my early going to be in front of 10,000 people. No, but he always rises to the occasion. You know, he hasn't had a bed.

[00:04:47] He hasn't had a bed said yet. And the crowd is always rooting for him because they know it's it's.

[00:04:52] Of son, it's a young kid. But yeah, he rises to the equation and he's got jokes.

[00:04:59] That's awesome. You can't you there's no there's no better cushion for an audience in that situation. You can't even fathom a better situation.

[00:05:07] No, it's it is perfect. Yeah, he's he's getting spoiled a little bit but he's but he's killing it and then and then Todd comes on for about 10 to 12.

[00:05:18] And then I come back for about 10 after Todd. Oh, okay. Yeah. And then so yeah, I do about a total of 15 altogether. And then Jim comes for you know, he does probably about 70 75. Wow.

[00:05:34] That's an awesome lineup. That is such an awesome lineup. Are you guys coming through it all? No, this is this is Southern, you know, like we started and yeah, yeah, we were in New Orleans for a couple nights.

[00:05:52] Did you get arrested at this time? No, no, this this time I was on my best behavior. Okay. Yeah, but I did I did remember that. You know, I had my memories there. Did you pull that bit out that night?

[00:06:04] No, because I honestly, I don't even know if I could remember that but it's so long ago. Yeah, I could have mentioned it but I did mention because I have more recent memories of that my wife and I honeymoons there. Oh, okay. Yeah, we did a week in Jamaica and then we did like five days in New Orleans because I had dates with Jim. So I kind of just you know bookended it to go right into those shows.

[00:06:32] That's really cool. I've never been to that city. Never been it's all my list. I want to do stand up in all 50 states, but I've never even been to New Orleans period. So I have to do stand up there. But that would also you know knock that off my list. Oh, yeah, you got to you got to move that to the front of the list man. That's I've heard that from so many people especially lately.

[00:06:52] I mean, you know, between just the spectacle of it all the food, the music. Yeah, you have to do that for sure. And I've, you know, stand up the crowds are always good.

[00:07:08] I've done you know, what's funny is like I started touring with Jim like nine years ago. And I was in the midst of a Southern tour when he kind of called me out of the blue. I was just doing this like be room tour that like some comedian friends had put together so we were doing like mobile Alabama.

[00:07:29] You know, Jackson, Mississippi. We were doing these like at the bar type things. And and one of them was in New Orleans also. And I was in the lobby of a holiday in.

[00:07:41] And Jim just called me out of the blue. You know, like it's it wasn't like we were friends so I was you know, I had his number but we didn't talk that often. And he said I'm doing a 30 day bus tour.

[00:07:52] Do you want to do it? So that was nine years ago and now you know here we are full circle doing another 10 city bus tour. That's awesome. That is awesome.

[00:08:03] So you're doing a five minute set and a 10 minute set in an arena. So there are thousands and thousands of people. What does your set consist of right now? Are you doing new stuff and old stuff just new stuff. How do you approach the two different sets in that setting?

[00:08:18] Yeah, it's all new stuff. You know, like talking about about family, you know, because I have two kids now. So there's some some family stuff. There's some stuff about moving out of New York up to Connecticut.

[00:08:34] There's some stuff about I don't know if you so I posted a new like joke about team names changing but only the only the losing teams have to change their name.

[00:08:50] Yes, you know, the chiefs and the briefs get to get to hang on until it's really funny bit. I actually watch it this morning.

[00:08:59] Oh thanks. Yeah, so yeah, I have some sports related stuff. So yeah, it's kind of like those those are the three. Those are the three chunks. You know, but it's interesting because I'm used to doing 15 to 20 minutes when I'm opening for Jim.

[00:09:13] So you you have that flow in mind. Yeah, 15 to 20 in one set in one shot. Yeah, so so when you're doing five there has to be a bit of a flow and you have to almost get them a little quicker too because I want to like get the show moving bring jack up.

[00:09:32] I want to set him up so that they're warmed up, you know, so yeah, it's a little bit of a different task but it's cool man. You know like I I'm down with like anything that you have to kind of figure out, you know, I anything that takes you out of like maybe a little complacency or a little what's normal is always good because you have to use different skills.

[00:09:54] So many comics are performing in arenas now has the sound and stage set up gotten better. Do you think overall because I remember seeing arena shows maybe eight or nine years ago and I thought the sound was like muffled it was very it was kind of new but now that you have sagura and Bert and Nate and Amy Schumer and a ton of other comics that do arenas like has has the overall production gotten better for that kind of environment.

[00:10:21] So that's a weird question. I think it has, you know yeah because I think like you said there was probably a learning curve with all of that and I think initially for a lot of these venues like they almost took comedy is like a night off.

[00:10:37] You know because they're usually doing these big theatrical shows where they're loading in like all sorts of backdrops and lighting and pyro and resetting up for Adele or like green day or something.

[00:10:50] Yes, yes. So then when we come in there like a great you know we don't have to do anything today.

[00:10:55] So sometimes that there was a learning curve for it like they had to you know make sure that everything was on point even though there was a lot less for them to do.

[00:11:06] So sometimes we run into that but but I do think overall it has gotten a lot better and like you say this is kind of like the golden age for comedy in that you know.

[00:11:18] It used to be making the jump from the clubs to theaters was where it kept up.

[00:11:24] Yes, yes and you see the occasional you know maybe like someone who is a phenomenon like Steve Martin or Eddie Murphy like you know just these these you know meteoric rises to the top.

[00:11:38] But now like you say it's it's it's almost like the trajectory like if you get big enough either through touring or television appearances or podcast.

[00:11:49] Yeah right it's created these other avenues to reach that big an audience so it is really cool to see it's crazy that there's probably I would say 12 to 15 comics out there that are arena acts now and that's a big number.

[00:12:05] It is it is I mean even when we walked in today I saw the ads for the upcoming show that was like Kevin Hart.

[00:12:12] It was time felt yeah so there are you like you say there's there's a solid number of people that that's pretty much all they play.

[00:12:22] That's Kevin Hart is from Philly and a couple years ago he played at Lincoln financial field where the Eagles play and 55,000 people like outside.

[00:12:32] And I know Larry the cable guy filmed a special in Nebraska at the Cornhusker stadium and that just absolutely blows my mind.

[00:12:42] Yeah it is it's great for comedy.

[00:12:46] I mean for comedy the word you know the category I don't know if it's great for comedy the experience because I haven't done it yet or seen it I know Bill Burr did and we far away.

[00:12:57] Gabriel Iglesias did Dodger field last summer Dodger stadium.

[00:13:01] Yeah yeah so I'm sure like it's a fun night out but I just wonder I mean the people said the same thing about arenas right like oh you know can you still have a good time like well comedy translate.

[00:13:15] And it does obviously also they have all these huge screens to like last night in San Antonio they have all of the jumbo trams yes above the stage so a lot of people are just watching that.

[00:13:29] I know people do tend to watch the TVs more even in a theater it's really because you're so small but then with a comic like you were Jim where facial expressions are involved.

[00:13:39] In order to really get the full experience they kind of have to watch the screens.

[00:13:43] Yeah yeah I think it's you know it's human nature that if there's a screen on your your eyes start to wander that way.

[00:13:49] So even at the stress factory I find myself watching the TV's indoors.

[00:13:55] Yeah I don't like those TVs in comedy clubs like because I feel as though like come on we can't like focus on the person in the room.

[00:14:06] Yeah in a room of 200 people yeah you still have watching a TV that like that to me doesn't make sense but whatever if you know I guess if it enhances people's experience then God bless them but yeah I want I do wonder with like the larger ones now now that they're playing football stadiums and you know baseball stadiums.

[00:14:24] I wonder how people feel when they leave I mean you know if you're seeing someone you love chances are you're going to leave happy anyway but I wonder for people a lot of comedy.

[00:14:35] Is it is it preferable and I feel like with each act that becomes an arena act they just tweak it to find ways to make it a little bit better for the audience and a little more not intimate like a comedy club but as best as they can to make it feel like you're at an intimate comedy club.

[00:14:52] Are you guys performing in the round or are you on one end.

[00:14:57] We were on one end last night.

[00:15:02] Last time we told San Antonio it's funny bring that up I remembered we were in the round the last time but this time we did it at one end which is my preference having done enough of both you know I mean in the round is fun because you're like in the belly of the beast but

[00:15:20] I like them I like just facing out you know and not having to pivot and you know make sure you're back to certain people even if it's for only a small amount of time your back is to still a lot of people.

[00:15:34] Yeah yeah so that I don't think that's ideal but again like those TVs to help with that too like you know people can if you're back as to them they can they can watch the screen.

[00:15:46] That's cool is Jim out there watching you guys every night or is he just doing his own thing or is he still listening to see what's going on in the room like any headliner wood in a club.

[00:15:56] You know how you just kind of wait standing in the back or just listen not listen to what the comics are saying but listening to what's going on in the crowd.

[00:16:04] Yeah well with this since his son comes on right after me he's been coming like side stage to either shoot the sets with his phone or to listen so yeah he's been out there right from the start because he likes to see how Jack does.

[00:16:22] But typically you know when it's just Jim and I touring he's usually in his dressing room just getting ready for his set you know he's I mean I do have to say he's like he's probably the hardest worker that I've ever toured with I you know I'm toured with a lot of you know great comedians and hard working comedians you know Louis and Lewis black and Craig Ferguson Craig yeah.

[00:16:49] Yeah a lot a lot of like just talented funny people who work hard but Jim is like another level as far as his preparation he always listens to his sets he's always writing you know he'll bounce ideas off me so I help him with some stuff too and it's just like yeah he's relentless as far as you know he's shooting another special next month his 11th like.

[00:17:17] Just going to ask you how many numbers is that up to now wow yeah 11 specials so this one's going to be in Boston at the Wilbur oh I was just there last month with Dan Soder oh nice I absolutely love the Wilbur I have been there a couple times open for a cigarette there Brad Williams dance odor it is one of my absolute favorite venues and the it's the Wilbur is comedy heaven.

[00:17:43] It is yeah because it's intimate and it's like old school it's a theater but it's intimate still like the front row was right there on top of you like a comedy club and the balcony isn't that deep so even though they're in the balcony on a second level there's still kind of forward.

[00:18:00] It's yeah such a cool venue when are those shows I'll plan a week and trip those are if you check my website or Jim's website it's end of the day.

[00:18:13] April I think it's probably maybe the 20th through the 26th it's like a six night run I'm pretty sure it's nice and those last two nights will be the the taping.

[00:18:26] Nice now you live in Connecticut will you be going home each night is that a drivable gig for you.

[00:18:32] Uh you know it is in the sense that it's you know like two and a half hours maybe from where I live but that's a no that's a no yeah no we know the fans.

[00:18:43] Family is going to come to me you know they'll my wife and kids will come up for probably half the week.

[00:18:49] Oh cool well I'm making a note of that right here and if I can swing it I would come up for a day or two because I also love Boston.

[00:18:57] Yeah yeah it's a great great city and yeah we're gonna just make a week of it and my wife has family in Vermont so they're gonna come down and she'll come up and yeah

[00:19:07] We'll just it'll be fun man and also the taping of the special is always a fun occasion a fun energy and a different there's a different kind of feeling in the air.

[00:19:18] Yeah it's like graduation day you know it's it's just special so yeah I mean and with him it is mind boggling you know 11 hours like who else really has it like did Carlisle even have 11 he may have

[00:19:30] I don't know I mean I really don't know 11 is a big big number it's a big number what about like Robert Klein I feel like maybe some of the you just said

[00:19:43] Carlin I feel like maybe some of those old school guys because Klein had the first HBO special I believe and

[00:19:50] those older guys like him David Brenner the other really guy yep he did a ton of of TV spots you know so maybe if

[00:20:00] you add all of those up but I don't know how many of them recorded them as proper specials you know I

[00:20:07] The hour wasn't as prevalent as it's become you know and I feel like the hour and I would love your opinion on this is the hour on the

[00:20:15] decline I mean Netflix is putting out people's you know five comics for 12 minutes which I guess I did in the past with

[00:20:21] Rodney Dangerfield and all those specials but even like it seems like

[00:20:27] YouTube specials are now geared towards like 30 maybe 40 minutes tops

[00:20:33] Have you noticed that trend I have and I think you know

[00:20:38] I'm up two minds with that like you need the hour as a touring comic

[00:20:43] Absolutely to be able to entertain a room full of people whether that's a comedy club of a couple hundred people

[00:20:51] Or it's a theater of a couple thousand or it's an arena

[00:20:56] You need as a live entertainer to be you to have that hour that is honed

[00:21:02] And solid and it's an experience and you can bring that hour anywhere

[00:21:07] You can bring it anywhere and and make your living touring with it

[00:21:11] But then as far as people consuming it

[00:21:14] At home or on their way to work or you know on their phone on their laptop

[00:21:19] That's a different thing. They're not going to sit there for an hour like that's it's none of us do

[00:21:25] Yeah, yeah, it may be the older generation still has that mindset of like let's sit down and you know

[00:21:31] And they're not looking at their phone the whole time

[00:21:34] Yeah, I mean I had a joke about like you know how actors now

[00:21:38] You know even academy award-winning actors poor their their selves into their roles and their preparation

[00:21:45] And then like we we sit and watch it on the couch like oh yeah, that's a good performance

[00:21:49] You know like we're scrolling like sports scores so play in solitaire

[00:21:59] While there's no such thing. It's like undivided attention

[00:22:04] It's like I get mad at it

[00:22:05] But I'm also guilty myself

[00:22:08] And I'll be heavily invested in a documentary or like a nature series I'm watching and I'm still just fucking scrolling

[00:22:16] But but I'm interested in what I'm watching

[00:22:18] I just cannot give it 100% of my attention. I'll give it like 75

[00:22:24] Yeah, no, it's human nature so so to your point yeah

[00:22:29] It's a good thing that you know and I think it's it's good for more comics too that you know that maybe don't have an hour

[00:22:35] That they're and that's a lot of them you know

[00:22:39] Yeah, yeah sure. Yeah, you know that they're giving them maybe

[00:22:44] 15 minutes or 30 minutes on Netflix whatever it winds up being

[00:22:48] So I think it is smart for comedians you know and also in the age of social media right that you can chop up your clips

[00:22:56] It's smart to explore you know like whatever is gonna get you

[00:23:01] More people seeing even if it's a one-minute joke, you know something pop

[00:23:06] And then you know you don't know what's gonna make you a draw no not at all and it's it's that's the thing

[00:23:11] It's such a wide open field there are no bounds. There's no industry to monitor it

[00:23:15] You could put a joke out there that you don't even like

[00:23:19] Just uh this is this is funny

[00:23:21] But it's not nowhere near my best stuff or my favorite stuff

[00:23:24] And then that's the thing that could pop and you're like I don't even like

[00:23:27] That's a throw away joke that I forget to do most of the time

[00:23:32] Absolutely. Yeah, it's wild

[00:23:36] Touring with Todd too is a good reminder because he

[00:23:39] He's got almost like these two strains of his career with the stand-up

[00:23:44] But then he's also like with TikTok and Instagram. He does characters. He does like the

[00:23:49] The Airbnb character who is like you know very intrusive and you know just annoying the people that stay at his place

[00:23:57] So yeah, he's got like a lot of

[00:23:59] Character stuff that he does too, you know, which is another reminder of like if you have an idea for a sketch or something

[00:24:06] That that could pop too and you just throw it all out there

[00:24:09] I mean it which is throw it out then i'm trying to have more fun

[00:24:13] Excuse me utilizing social media, but it's also just so exhausting

[00:24:18] I see the benefits and I feel good when a video of a joke gets like tens of thousands of views

[00:24:24] But uh, it's just exhausting

[00:24:27] It's just exhausting

[00:24:29] Especially when like what do you say?

[00:24:32] I'm off social media right now like I go through phases where I'm

[00:24:36] Totally in it and you know, I've even had

[00:24:40] Social media managers where I just send them my stuff and they I have voted or they stole

[00:24:45] You know, I have that right now

[00:24:48] Yeah, yeah, and it's helpful. I'm not gonna say you know like I'm not gonna say one or the other is better

[00:24:54] But for the last like eight months. I've been off

[00:24:57] Other than posting one joke like maybe my month like for the Super Bowl

[00:25:02] The cheese joke is what you posted. Yep

[00:25:04] Yeah, but other than that I've been I've been entirely off social media for eight months and

[00:25:10] It's great man like you know again. I'm not saying like it's forever

[00:25:14] Uh, but for now like you just realize how much time you just reach for your phone to scroll at nothing

[00:25:22] Yeah, at nothing. Well, let me ask you this

[00:25:25] When you tour with Jim do you notice you gain more of a social media following like people will follow you after the show

[00:25:31] Oh my god, that guy was funny. Let's follow him right now

[00:25:34] Yeah, I don't know honestly right now because I'm not on it

[00:25:37] But in the past that's been the case where you know they they announce

[00:25:42] Our names at the end and they say follow Ted Alexandra

[00:25:45] You know, we say follow Todd glass jack f

[00:25:49] So yeah, there there tends to be some people that that do follow

[00:25:55] Or I'll get messages you know that from people saying I saw you in Pensacola or whatever

[00:26:02] But yeah, I you know, I've been off for so long now that you know, I just don't

[00:26:07] I feel as though like

[00:26:10] Let me let me put it this way. I always had this sense

[00:26:13] And I think this is what social media creates

[00:26:15] This anxiety that I don't want to miss a message. I don't want to miss a potential gig

[00:26:20] I feel that a million percent right just by you. Yep. Yep. Yep. Yep. Yep

[00:26:24] You know, but let me tell you something after being off for eight months

[00:26:28] And then when I went back to post that sheepstroke because I wasn't even like I wasn't checking my messages

[00:26:32] I wasn't seeing like did anyone try to get in touch. I was just off

[00:26:36] um

[00:26:37] So then when I went back I'm like I'm gonna have like a thousand messages

[00:26:40] I'm gonna have all these missed gigs that I should have taken whatever

[00:26:44] It was not it was it as many as I thought it was gonna be

[00:26:48] It was kind of

[00:26:51] I could go away, you know, it's like it was almost like looking at my mortality and then um

[00:26:56] And then the second part of it was it wasn't like I had a ton of like there was some things like do you want to do my bar show

[00:27:02] Or do you want to do this or that but it was like no significant significant work that I missed because I was out of social media

[00:27:10] It's

[00:27:11] That's I feel all of that you know like uh I

[00:27:16] So there's a lot of good comics that I open for on a regular basis that I tour with and I'm also getting

[00:27:22] More and more headlining work each year and I feel like

[00:27:25] I greet the crowd after the show. I hand out my card

[00:27:29] I have a dot card with a QR scan they can go right to my social media

[00:27:33] And it's just funny when you have a full weekend of five sold-out shows

[00:27:37] You greet hundreds of people and then over the weekend I get seven new Instagram followers. Thank you

[00:27:44] Seven people out of 1200 and I mean, I'm glad they're there

[00:27:48] But it's just like how was that not at least 70 each weekend

[00:27:53] Yeah, no, I know. I know

[00:27:55] So in an arena

[00:27:56] I would imagine that would be whether you're on it or not

[00:27:59] I would hope that that's an amazing opportunity for people to

[00:28:03] Immediately become a follower because that's an arena show you're opening for Jim bam

[00:28:09] Easy follow yeah

[00:28:11] No for sure um

[00:28:13] Yeah, I mean you know how people are though like half the time

[00:28:17] Unless they know me from something else

[00:28:20] Half the time they'll be like

[00:28:22] The usual thing where oh that first guy was funny

[00:28:25] Does anyone remember his name like no nobody remembers comics whether it's in the club or anywhere

[00:28:30] Nobody remembers comics

[00:28:31] I've had somebody tell me recently. Oh, I saw this woman. She was so funny

[00:28:35] I was like what was her name she was actually wearing like a white blouse

[00:28:37] Like they asked what she fucking wore like

[00:28:40] You're describing her to me by what she wore that night and I was not there that happened to me very very recently

[00:28:47] Yeah, we're not in the witness protection program you can go up to the front desk and say who's the first comic

[00:28:53] You know like it's not impossible information to attain but people will always remember bands or singers

[00:28:58] I've noticed that people will oh I saw this bit the great band last night. They were called

[00:29:02] Ted Elves andro in the bookshelves

[00:29:04] I don't know but nobody ever. I'm looking at you and I'm looking at my bookshelf

[00:29:09] um

[00:29:10] Maybe that's what I need to start marketing myself is Ted Elves on the bookshelves. I'll just put a bookshelf behind me

[00:29:16] But how many

[00:29:18] But how many millions of times have you heard in your career? Oh, I saw this amazing comic don't know their name

[00:29:23] It's it's so it's such a slap to every comic out there

[00:29:28] Yeah, I don't know what it is that yeah

[00:29:31] You know they just have room in their brain for like five comics and the rest of us are like you know that first guy

[00:29:37] Yep that first guy

[00:29:39] Dude all right, so I gotta tell you this when you and I go way way back

[00:29:42] We've probably known each other almost 20 years now because yeah, I remember

[00:29:46] um seeing your presence your comedy central prevent presents before we met and

[00:29:52] um you came to helium when the club first opened in Philly before they even had a liquor license

[00:29:58] Uh, yep, I was there for I think all of those shows probably but um

[00:30:03] When I think back to when I

[00:30:05] My early days in standup my two favorite albums were David Tells Gangs for the memories

[00:30:10] Which still holds up today. It's still a fucking masterpiece and also your first album as much as you want

[00:30:17] I

[00:30:18] Listen to that album a week ago getting ready for this podcast and I still left so hard at that album man

[00:30:26] I hope you're still

[00:30:28] Happy with that because I gotta tell you I left I probably haven't memorized to be honest with you

[00:30:34] Because I saw you we worked together a lot in those in those days too

[00:30:38] And I mean, I gotta tell you kudos because that album is still way way up there on my list

[00:30:44] Oh, thanks Pat. Yeah, man

[00:30:46] I mean your other stuff

[00:30:47] But I mean that album was monumental when I was brand new and I was learning stuff and watching you

[00:30:53] Watching you get physical with an actor use the mic stand or contort your body or even sing a line

[00:30:58] I'm like, oh that's really cool and you have all of that on that album

[00:31:03] Yeah, yeah, you know what's funny about that was um

[00:31:08] That album as much as you want was kind of a combination of my two comedy central presents

[00:31:16] So I was lucky enough

[00:31:18] That I got my first one

[00:31:21] I guess it was like maybe six years into my career that I got the first

[00:31:26] Presents which that blows my mind can I cut you off real quick because when I was under the impression when all these

[00:31:30] Presents were coming out and I was devouring every single one

[00:31:34] I thought every single person that had one was like a 20-year vet

[00:31:38] And looking back I realized there's a lot of five and six-year people that got one

[00:31:44] And it's just it's that blew my mind because I did not know that

[00:31:49] 15 20 years ago

[00:31:51] Yeah, no looking back. I'm sure we pissed off more than a few 20-year vets that you know like we were getting the

[00:31:57] You know how it is because now I'm on the other end

[00:32:00] So like yeah, I'm sure there were 20-year vets who were like who the hell's this guy jumping around the stage

[00:32:06] So yeah, I you know the first one I was I can't remember I guess I was

[00:32:11] I was maybe six six maybe seven years in but early enough and then

[00:32:17] The second one I got maybe three or four years later

[00:32:21] So anyway the the album you're talking about was a combination of those two half-hours

[00:32:28] So it really is like even I can listen back to and and

[00:32:32] It's great stuff. I mean, I love it and makes me laugh

[00:32:35] But but the thing I left about is like how thick my New York accent was and

[00:32:40] How different my energy was

[00:32:42] Both of those have stood out to me as well when I was listening

[00:32:45] I was like he definitely doesn't sound like that anymore

[00:32:49] Yeah, I yep. I recognize both of those

[00:32:53] Yeah, I think it was due to the fact that I hadn't traveled a whole lot

[00:32:56] I was from Queens you know and until I really started touring

[00:33:01] um, you know, I guess it kind of it wasn't like I worked within you know

[00:33:06] Like some sort of elacution you know coach or something to rid myself

[00:33:11] Of my Queen's accent, but it just happened over time

[00:33:14] You know, I do find that like if if you listen back to your early stand-up

[00:33:19] Do you do have like a thicker Philly accent or anything? The accent never stood out to me

[00:33:24] I noticed that I don't speak as quickly as I used to I'm more deliberate with my wording

[00:33:29] And I have a bit of a slower pace which I like

[00:33:31] But I recently went back within the last year and relistened to my first album which is 11 years old

[00:33:38] And I thought I was going to cringe

[00:33:41] And it was kind of the opposite. I was like man

[00:33:44] There's some really funny stuff. I forgot about that I can bring back or still use again

[00:33:48] And there was a couple jokes. I was like oh, I could never imagine saying that but I really was like

[00:33:54] That's not bad. That's actually that's not bad

[00:33:58] Yeah, and that's a nice feeling right like it's also 10 years in the making too for me so like

[00:34:04] I have been doing stand-up 10 years

[00:34:05] So I did have a good hour in my arsenal but looking back 10 years later

[00:34:10] I was pleasantly surprised and I did not hate it

[00:34:14] Yeah, no that it is a nice feeling to you know now is as a 55 year old man who's been doing stand-up 30 plus years

[00:34:22] To look back at my early stuff

[00:34:24] I almost feel like I'm looking at a like a son or a kid you know like oh that kid

[00:34:30] You know he was he was good, you know like that's funny stuff

[00:34:34] But it feels like another person you know

[00:34:36] I love I love the progression. I can see like with each of my albums

[00:34:40] Each just getting more personal and more honest

[00:34:43] Like I just discover yourself more and you find a way to make it funny as opposed to just like

[00:34:47] jokes and jokes you know what I mean

[00:34:50] So like the every every comic kind of has that natural progression

[00:34:52] Unless you're truly strictly a joke writer as Stephen Wright and Mitch headberg

[00:34:56] You know right right yeah, no there there is for me like

[00:35:02] the progression of

[00:35:04] Shedding the things that maybe you're hiding behind you know or that are a crutch

[00:35:10] or a barrier to

[00:35:12] To like revealing yourself in some way or you think this is too personal or too deep to talk about

[00:35:17] I can't bring the song stage and that could be your golden ticket

[00:35:20] Yeah, sure sure yeah storytelling or whatever the different things are you know

[00:35:27] Or maybe just even things that have some silences

[00:35:30] That have a payoff at the end rather than you know that rhythm of joke joke joke

[00:35:36] Because when you're starting out you're you're terrified to

[00:35:38] To go too far without without a laugh, you know

[00:35:42] Yeah, I do really enjoy taking them for a ride and a lot of my stuff now is three minutes or more

[00:35:49] So I really enjoy a build where there is the payoff and I love when

[00:35:54] You're doing the setups and the crowd is totally silent because they're hanging on every word

[00:35:59] I love when you know they are great listeners in addition to being great laughers

[00:36:04] The great listening part is just as exciting and powerful as when the punch line hits

[00:36:10] Yeah, you know, it's just a different rhythm and

[00:36:13] You learn that you can do really whatever you want to do as long as you have a plan and you're committed to it

[00:36:20] Because people listen differently

[00:36:23] To different types of jokes if if you go into the rhythm of a story

[00:36:27] They adapt to it, you know, they're not like oh this is you know boring like you know, where's the next punch line?

[00:36:34] There's there's no listening

[00:36:36] um so yeah, you have to almost kind of

[00:36:38] um

[00:36:39] You have to learn that there are different rhythms and you can explore

[00:36:45] All of them. You don't have to you know commit to just one style

[00:36:50] So yeah, that's something that I think I grew into

[00:36:53] So what times when I did like stories and stuff

[00:36:56] You have to learn to plant your feet

[00:36:59] To allow for the different moments the different colors

[00:37:02] But like you say then there's a payoff that comes from you're taking them through a different ride than

[00:37:08] Set up punchline. I love it. I love it

[00:37:12] What's your writing process like right now? Do you write every day? Do you try to do it tell me how you

[00:37:20] Do your work right now?

[00:37:22] Well, it's a mix, you know because I have two toddlers

[00:37:26] So it's not as easy as they would like

[00:37:30] And yeah, not as easy as I would like in terms of like finding time every single day because also like you know

[00:37:35] I'm a way

[00:37:37] Now for like 11 days in a row

[00:37:40] So then when I get back I want to spend time with them. I want to give my wife a break

[00:37:45] So I'll go into dad mode where you know, I'll spend a bunch of days in a row where I'm doing the lion share of

[00:37:53] You know just taking them places and being with them

[00:37:57] so it's it's kind of fits and starts and

[00:38:00] You know, or I'll say to my wife. I need a few days in a row where I get like two three hours

[00:38:05] And you know, so it's just that kind of negotiation of figuring out schedules

[00:38:10] Which wasn't the case when I was you know single up until age 48

[00:38:15] But it's great, you know, I like this phase of life and

[00:38:20] My style now is just kind of finding those pockets

[00:38:23] Still the same discipline of sitting and writing for I try to make it like

[00:38:28] At least an hour two hours is more of a sweet spot because then you can you know get get into a flow or

[00:38:37] Maybe get over a hump where like nothing's coming for the first hour

[00:38:42] Yeah, but also just the process of always having the antenna up always you know just

[00:38:49] Saying something into your phone of a note that occurs to you

[00:38:55] And and more most importantly always trying things out, you know like

[00:39:00] Because that's the most important thing. I know I can do you know

[00:39:05] Like on this tour for instance

[00:39:06] I can do a five minutes set. I can do a ten minutes set

[00:39:10] In my sleep

[00:39:11] But I don't want to be in my sleep. I want to be present

[00:39:14] I want to try the new thing. I want to be a little bit

[00:39:17] Nervous about the new idea

[00:39:19] That's awesome

[00:39:21] Yeah, that's really cool that you're so loose in that setting because I didn't know

[00:39:25] You know if you're doing an opening five are you doing the same set verbatim every night because it's a strong opening five

[00:39:31] Or you still loose with it because you're so comfortable in your career

[00:39:35] Both makes sense to me

[00:39:36] But like if you're doing five in an arena opening you have a very serious job to do

[00:39:42] Yeah, yeah, but you also um, you know

[00:39:46] You have enough experience that you know, like I'm not going

[00:39:51] I know I'm not gonna tank in the five minutes. I'm up there and I I have a sense of

[00:39:58] Okay, I have to like shift to a higher gear and you know if something's not working

[00:40:04] But um

[00:40:06] Yeah, you know

[00:40:07] It's almost like you realize there's nothing to be afraid of you know

[00:40:11] It's

[00:40:12] If you're going up there with ideas and trying things out

[00:40:16] You see how it goes and if it doesn't go well you shift to something else

[00:40:21] Well, that was gonna be my next question

[00:40:22] I mean you're touring with

[00:40:24] Jim doing all these arenas these crowds are there to see a great show

[00:40:29] They're in a great mood

[00:40:30] But is it still like a comedy club where certain sets are better than others? You're like who that was uh, that wasn't great

[00:40:37] Yeah, yeah, there's always nights where you feel like oh

[00:40:42] Maybe I didn't bring it or that crowd wasn't great or whatever

[00:40:46] But it but it is it just becomes what you're playing now, you know like I'm opening for Jim

[00:40:54] A good portion of my dates. So

[00:40:58] So my job is to warm up the crowd for his audience

[00:41:03] But also you know to keep doing my own thing, you know and Jim is very supportive of that

[00:41:07] It's not like he he's like oh, you know you have to kill or you have to do this or that

[00:41:12] You know because he's always working on new stuff so he gives

[00:41:16] Yeah, he gives me the liberty, you know, he's he doesn't put any kind of constraints

[00:41:20] On what I trust you to totally do your own thing

[00:41:24] Yeah, yeah, which is great

[00:41:27] Today's podcast is brought to you by Magic Mind

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[00:42:21] You know, I did want to talk to you about this we didn't really discuss this too much the last time you were a guest on my podcast

[00:42:26] But you like myself come from a musical background

[00:42:30] You

[00:42:31] played the piano as a child

[00:42:34] And still as an adult do you still play now?

[00:42:37] I do we have a piano in the house. We got one

[00:42:41] I guess within the last two years

[00:42:43] So that's been nice to play and to play with my kids, you know

[00:42:47] Because they had like their little instruments guitars drums tambourines

[00:42:51] So we play we've been playing a lot of credence clear water revival lately

[00:42:55] That's kind of like the the favorite

[00:42:58] That's awesome what songs do the kids prefer to play from credits

[00:43:02] Bad moon rising and bad moon on the rise. I guess it's called um

[00:43:07] Down on the corner

[00:43:11] So which kid plays which instrument what's the what's the partridge family dynamic here tell me about Ted

[00:43:16] Alexandra in the bookshelves and the

[00:43:20] Yeah, the bookshelves are they're good. I think they're gonna go solo

[00:43:25] my son

[00:43:26] Nico plays the guitar

[00:43:29] And then Goldie has a ukulele so she's either on the ukulele

[00:43:33] Or shelgrab

[00:43:35] I'm right here. Oh there you go. Yeah, yeah hers is pink but it's essentially the same

[00:43:40] And shelgrab like a recorder type thing

[00:43:44] So yeah, we have one of those as well, you know as a former music teacher

[00:43:48] I have plenty of recorders around

[00:43:50] That is hilarious now these

[00:43:53] Do your kids understand your occupation at all

[00:43:58] Yes, and no, I mean they've come to the theater on a couple of occasions for soundcheck

[00:44:05] You know so they'll be there they'll they'll hold the microphone. They'll you know say check one two

[00:44:12] But they haven't been in the room when I'm performing because usually you know like the shows are after their bedtime

[00:44:19] Yeah

[00:44:20] Yeah, so they they haven't been in the room. They've seen videos and they understand that like I you know

[00:44:26] I say things and people laugh

[00:44:29] Yeah, but they don't really grasp what's yeah, you said their toddler if I was gonna ask if your kids have heard your recorder bit yet because

[00:44:38] When they get older and understand that they're gonna laugh so much more with the fact that they are

[00:44:44] Blast in that at home

[00:44:46] Yeah, yeah no they don't fully grasp it yet. They know that I'm away too much. They know that

[00:44:54] But yeah, they they have a sense that I'm performing. I'm in front of people

[00:44:59] To your to your earlier question about music. I think music was really my

[00:45:05] My entree into the arts and to the world of the arts and also planted the seed of

[00:45:11] wanting to

[00:45:13] Find a path in the arts because I would play the piano

[00:45:16] I took lessons from the time I was about six I guess and

[00:45:20] I would play at school assemblies

[00:45:23] I had my repertoire of like you know if it was a rainy day

[00:45:27] One of the school aids would be like okay. We're not going out for for lunchtime today

[00:45:31] Ted can you come and play some piano? So I would play for you know like a couple hundred kids

[00:45:38] I'd play like the theme to the peanuts or like the theme to Rocky

[00:45:42] I had my repertoire of songs that I would pull out

[00:45:45] So yeah, that I was in front of a lot of people and performing and and and loved it

[00:45:50] You know

[00:45:51] And then that kind of

[00:45:53] Segwayed into doing a lot of theater

[00:45:56] In high school and college and then sketch comedy. I was a music major. I studied jazz piano in college

[00:46:01] So I just didn't know like how can I forge some sort of path in the arts because I loved being around creative people and and and the arts

[00:46:12] but eventually that just wound up being

[00:46:15] sketch comedy and then duo comedy with with my friend Hollis James and then eventually

[00:46:22] Decided to try to do it solo so yeah, that was how it just kind of came about organically

[00:46:27] It's such an awesome path man. That's that's so cool that you were playing piano for crowds that size

[00:46:32] Like when you were a kid because I've been playing guitar for over 30 years

[00:46:34] But I like just do it at home

[00:46:37] Yeah, I love it more than anything. I put it's just strictly like nobody's that's nobody's gonna see that

[00:46:43] Nobody very few p very few times. I've played publicly

[00:46:47] I just know it's the guitar and public is not for me

[00:46:50] Would you ever unless I've had a couple Jameson's in me then I'll like hop into band

[00:46:54] I will not sing I will not sing I'll do stand up in front of 10,000 people

[00:46:58] But you can now not pay me to sing into a microphone

[00:47:00] But now is that because you don't like the sound of your voice or you're just self conscious

[00:47:05] All of the above and I don't know if I'm positive. I do not have a good singing voice

[00:47:09] Like I just don't have a good singing voice

[00:47:12] I like mouth along as I'm playing guitar and like totally sing along with a band

[00:47:16] But I'm not putting my mouth up to the microphone

[00:47:18] But then I'll go talk about my dick in front of 5,000 people every night doesn't bother me at all

[00:47:23] Well, what if what if you had a funny idea for a song and you're like

[00:47:29] I'm not doing it as Pat House. I'm doing it as this character or whatever

[00:47:33] Do you think you would ever do that either is like a TikTok video or

[00:47:37] Could you make that that show?

[00:47:39] I don't know I have I mean that idea has absolutely floated around in my mind but um

[00:47:46] I don't know I just don't know I don't know that's not maybe another creative barrier

[00:47:50] I need to overcome but like as a character would absolutely soften the blow

[00:47:55] I think people are just fascinated when when people have multiple skills

[00:47:59] So they know they know you as a comedian and then you're like breaking out your guitar

[00:48:04] And it's like oh shit Pat, you know pack and play guitar too

[00:48:07] And you know if you have some funny idea or a character or a song or you know

[00:48:11] I mean sometimes song as you well know

[00:48:15] From seeing musical comedians in the clubs over the years like a song can be a great vehicle

[00:48:22] To to bring a comedic idea to fruition, you know like because maybe it's a parody of a song you already know or

[00:48:31] But it's just like a good vessel for

[00:48:34] For a joke and people have their defenses down because I think music kind of just

[00:48:39] Uh, they're listening differently than they they do to a set of punchline kind of deal

[00:48:45] I never thought about that way but they probably are listening differently

[00:48:49] What are you listening to right now like what's on your playlist or what artist or what do you

[00:48:55] Jam and two on tour

[00:48:57] Uh, well on tour it's a lot of podcasts and a lot of good. Okay a lot of Bitcoin content

[00:49:04] Uh, I'm big into big coin so I've been listening to that

[00:49:08] Like what Bitcoin did and stuff like that but when I'm with my kids

[00:49:13] They they love they have like a playlist

[00:49:17] That uh songs kind of come in and out of but they have great taste so they like I will introduce stuff

[00:49:23] But then it tends to be the classics that's that stick like you know credence john phoagery the Beatles

[00:49:31] Uh, the stones

[00:49:33] Joni Mitchell

[00:49:36] That tends to be the stuff that they they want to keep hearing uh or even like

[00:49:41] Even like classic things like do op like um

[00:49:45] Danny and the juniors singing at the hop you know like it like

[00:49:49] It's like an old 50s do op song, you know

[00:49:52] Uh-huh

[00:49:53] But these classic songs

[00:49:55] Resonate with these you know little kids uh and then if I introduce something else or anything that's like even like a little melancholy

[00:50:03] They're not having it. It's gotta be up. Oh, you know who they love it. They also love the traveling willberries

[00:50:08] That's so awesome

[00:50:11] Yeah, my son, you know he he's he just turned four he's um big Roy Orbis and fan

[00:50:18] He can name all five of the traveling willberries. It's like

[00:50:23] I how many adults you know that that that's got to put him in in less than one percent of the world population that can name all

[00:50:29] All five traveling willberries. I would absolutely agree with that

[00:50:32] I could probably think of a million adults off the top of my head right now that cannot answer that question

[00:50:39] Yeah, yeah

[00:50:40] You know, I mean everyone thinks they're kids special

[00:50:42] But I think that is that is pretty special

[00:50:44] The name you know because Jeff Lennon is the one that I think would stump most people

[00:50:48] They're gonna they're gonna get

[00:50:50] They're gonna get uh Dylan

[00:50:52] Probably

[00:50:54] Tom Petty

[00:50:56] But I think orbison and

[00:50:59] Jeff Lennon would be the ones that would weed out the uh

[00:51:03] You know the men from the boys

[00:51:05] I'm gonna listen to the traveling willberries today. I got some errands to run and just by you saying that that's what's gonna be happening in the car

[00:51:12] Oh such great songs man, you know like you wonder of course you're always skeptical with super groups

[00:51:19] but um

[00:51:19] Yeah, and then you do the deep dive on how the band formed I think it was um

[00:51:25] Was George Harrison was was putting together an album and he's friends with all those guys obviously

[00:51:32] And I think maybe Jeff Lennon was producing because he does a lot of production work too

[00:51:37] Jeff Lennon of ELO

[00:51:39] So yeah, he

[00:51:41] He got them together and

[00:51:43] You know they recorded one song. I think handle with care. Yep

[00:51:48] And then it goes the first one yet, right? And then from there they said let's you know

[00:51:52] It was gonna be a one-off and they were like let's let's do an album. So yeah, I mean that was such great music

[00:51:58] It's not even a traveling willberry song but Roy Orbsons you got it has been a favorite song of mine since

[00:52:04] I was a kid and that's Tom Petty and George Harrison just singing back up

[00:52:08] Like they're back up on that one. Yep. Yeah

[00:52:11] I wonder if that was do you think it was from the same era and it had to have been because that was

[00:52:16] Oh mid 80s

[00:52:18] I guess

[00:52:19] But it's just crazy that there's just this random Roy Orbsons song where just

[00:52:24] Where George Harrison and Tom Petty are just singing back up for shits and giggles

[00:52:27] Like I love about music too is like because as comedians

[00:52:31] We don't really get to do that where you know like I let me sing back up on your on your thing or let me do

[00:52:37] You know like we don't get to collaborate in that way that musicians do I wish we did

[00:52:41] Well in all fairness

[00:52:43] You did the coolest thing in any Comedy Central Presents when you had David tell

[00:52:47] Russman Eve and Todd Barry come out for the hotel Rwanda joke that was awesome

[00:52:53] That is seriously one of the funniest and coolest things I've ever seen in a Comedy Special because

[00:52:59] I love all those guys

[00:53:01] But just the fact that you had four comics come out to do one joke and

[00:53:05] Everybody in that joke is their own personality to the tee

[00:53:10] Yeah, yeah, that thanks man, you know that would I love how'd you yeah tell me about that please

[00:53:16] I love doing that because you know

[00:53:19] I had seen other comedians do things in specials that were you know

[00:53:23] I think like Zach Alphanakis brought out like maybe a gospel choir or he did to sing eternal flame

[00:53:32] So you know I was just thinking like is there anything I can do from my second one

[00:53:36] I was like anything I could do that would feel you know authentic for me

[00:53:40] and then I

[00:53:42] Have a joke about how rappers are always

[00:53:48] Collaborating so then that kind of led into me thinking like oh, okay

[00:53:55] You know like maybe I can work this into actually having guys come out because I was like comedians don't do that like you know where where we have

[00:54:05] uh

[00:54:06] guest stars on our joke yeah, you know so then I didn't even know how to phrase that

[00:54:10] I'm glad you said it for me because I was like how do I what do you call that

[00:54:14] Yeah

[00:54:16] So I I reached out to you know and mind you I was still like I was probably about 10 years in

[00:54:23] I it wasn't like I was a veteran and knew these guys forever

[00:54:27] But I had worked with all I was friends with um

[00:54:30] With Russ Maniv he was he was a peer but Todd was a little bit ahead of me a tell was ahead of me

[00:54:37] uh

[00:54:38] So these guys were they were at a different level than me so I was a little bit uh, you know kind of trepidacious to

[00:54:45] To reach out and say hey, will you be on my comedy central special but I had good relationships with them

[00:54:50] And also another little caveat

[00:54:53] Not not to call out

[00:54:55] To call out Russ, but he was like a last-minute edition because uh Greg Gerardo was it was gonna be

[00:55:02] Gerardo

[00:55:04] uh

[00:55:04] and Todd and

[00:55:07] And uh David's health

[00:55:09] But for so whatever reason Greg couldn't make it

[00:55:13] So yeah, I don't know if you got a gig out of town or something happened

[00:55:16] So they of like did you find out day of and have to get Russ that that day?

[00:55:20] I don't think it was that day, but it was maybe a few days before

[00:55:24] But luckily you know Russ is uh

[00:55:26] Like one of my closest friends and had had his own half hour special

[00:55:30] So I figured like let me let me have Russ do it too

[00:55:34] So yeah luckily he was available came down

[00:55:37] And you know, it was funny because it was a little bit of a fight with these guys

[00:55:42] Because Todd was like I don't know. Is this gonna work? A tell was like

[00:55:46] You know, I don't know this sounds you know the sounds a little gimmicky. I'm like trust me

[00:55:51] Oh, you know because Dave said something like

[00:55:54] Are they gonna react when you know like how are they gonna react when I come out?

[00:55:58] I'm like Dave

[00:55:59] They're gonna react like where the rolling stones, you know like they're gonna love it when you come walking out

[00:56:05] Because they're not gonna expect it during a comedy's special. Yeah

[00:56:08] You know so sure enough

[00:56:10] When he when they come out there's like a you know a 20-second applause. Yes

[00:56:17] Because it's Todd Barry that's hell and Russ

[00:56:20] and

[00:56:22] So we had a wait we had to like take a beat and then you know, and then the rest of it like you said the hotel Rwanda joke

[00:56:28] So that was the second part of it. I was like okay if I'm actually gonna do this what joke can I break into

[00:56:34] Four parts so that like Todd takes one line Russ takes one line and a tell takes one

[00:56:41] So the hotel Rwanda joke was enough of a almost like a set-up punch where it was the joke was

[00:56:48] I saw the movie hotel Rwanda

[00:56:51] So I delivered that line and then

[00:56:55] Todd said

[00:56:57] I think something like

[00:57:00] I don't know I don't know who financed that movie and then it you know

[00:57:05] I'm I'm I'm chopping it up wrong, but we each had a line and then a tells final thing was

[00:57:10] I don't know who finest finance that movie, but I think it may have been the holiday in Rwanda. Yes

[00:57:16] You know and that sounds like that could even be part of a David Telljoe himself

[00:57:20] That sounds like a line he would come up with yeah, it does right? It does

[00:57:24] so

[00:57:25] And then another thing that kind of made it more of an annoyance for Dave was

[00:57:30] Comedy Central messed up the like the director messed up the recording of his shot or the audio or something

[00:57:37] So Dave had to come back to the theater the next day

[00:57:41] For a close-up

[00:57:42] To you know, so as if he didn't say the one line

[00:57:46] Yeah, as if he didn't do me enough of a solid he had to come back and reshoot his line

[00:57:51] So if you ever watch that special or I don't know if it's probably online somewhere

[00:57:55] It's on all the presenter on Hulu

[00:57:57] And I find myself watching them to like relive my childhood and all the episodes that that

[00:58:03] Got me in this yeah

[00:58:05] Yeah, so Dave had to come and redo his thing and then another interesting caveat was that

[00:58:11] Comedy Central wouldn't okay it because they would have had to pay those guys

[00:58:16] So I said well

[00:58:18] Can I pay them out of my salary and they're like yeah, you have to pay like the the day rate or whatever it is

[00:58:24] I'm like fine whatever it is

[00:58:26] To me, it's worth it to have these guys do the joke in my special

[00:58:30] So I had to take it out of my thing because Comedy Central wouldn't wouldn't put it in the budget

[00:58:36] Please tell me other comics appreciated that though

[00:58:38] Because it's so

[00:58:40] Fucking well done and so funny. I just really hope that was well perceived amongst your peers

[00:58:46] Oh, yeah, yeah, I think it made it memorable

[00:58:48] You know again because like when you're doing these half hours and there's so many of them coming out

[00:58:55] Anything that kind of marks it as different or special and especially something like that that it actually lands and it is effective

[00:59:04] Yeah, that's what I was going for I was going for something that was different

[00:59:08] And would mark it in a slightly different way, you know

[00:59:11] Yeah, to that has always stuck with me man

[00:59:15] I wanted to ask you a couple years ago you had a bit lifted by snl

[00:59:21] Your zillow bit whatever came of that long story short you have an amazing bit about how you and your wife do not sext

[00:59:27] But you send each other zillow

[00:59:30] As properties yeah properties

[00:59:32] And then snl made a skit about it and it was coming clear as day lifted from your bit

[00:59:39] um

[00:59:41] Whatever came of that

[00:59:43] You know

[00:59:45] Nothing is the short answer the

[00:59:48] Feeling yeah, it wasn't like I pursue any legal action

[00:59:53] But what I did was I kind of took it as an opportunity

[00:59:57] To just have some fun on social media and call them out

[01:00:01] and um

[01:00:02] I chime in I chime in I was retweeting for you. I was posting my own opinions and yeah

[01:00:07] I remember this

[01:00:09] Well a lot of comedians have disdained for for snl because they have a long history of doing that kind of thing

[01:00:16] So I think a lot of people didn't hesitate to chime in and you know and condemn them

[01:00:21] but uh

[01:00:23] But it coincided with Super Bowl weekend

[01:00:26] So I kind of had fun with it and I said I'm going to do a press conference at halftime of the Super Bowl

[01:00:33] Uh, so I went live like you know, so it was just like

[01:00:37] I it got a lot of press and then press was you know contacting me and saying oh we want to do an interview with you

[01:00:43] And so you know

[01:00:44] I took up a bunch of things with like whatever it was and I don't I can't even remember what the outlets were

[01:00:51] But um

[01:00:52] Yeah, it just took on a life of its own

[01:00:54] So with these things sometimes the best thing you can hope for

[01:00:58] Is that it gets attention and it gets you more followers and people are aware of like you know that your joke was

[01:01:05] Was stolen by snl. Yeah, the

[01:01:07] Thievery and making sure you know you were the credit bar

[01:01:10] You should be the credit behind it at you know, it was your idea

[01:01:14] You capitalize on that so that at least people are aware it's your joke

[01:01:18] Uh, and also like I didn't want to be doing the joke on state because snl is such a huge institution

[01:01:24] I don't want people thinking like if they see me do the joke in a club. They're like oh, that's you know

[01:01:29] He took that from us. I stole it from them

[01:01:32] Right right fucked up so yeah, but yeah, you know

[01:01:37] I didn't really care in the in the long run

[01:01:40] But I but I did want a public record that you know, this is my joke yeah

[01:01:46] Um, does that stem from like writers hanging in the comedy clubs who are also comics who also write for snl

[01:01:52] Kind of the genesis of that happening in the past

[01:01:56] Yeah, I mean there's a distinct possibility because there's always a few stand-up comedians on staff there as writers as performers

[01:02:03] And it's such a doggy dog world

[01:02:06] Competitive environment there of just trying to get ideas through

[01:02:11] That you know and trying to justify their spot on the staff that I'm sure in a moment of panic

[01:02:18] They're you know either intentionally or

[01:02:21] You know, not they'll throw out ideas that they've seen somewhere

[01:02:25] Um, you know, maybe they're not consciously saying I saw Ted do this last night and I'm gonna you know

[01:02:30] But but maybe you know who knows yeah, well

[01:02:35] They say Robin Williams had that kind of mind where he didn't even know. I mean

[01:02:40] Huge amazing talent, but also notorious joke thief

[01:02:43] And Ed but they say I mean, I don't know whether true or not so I cannot confirm or deny

[01:02:48] But they say his mind was so quick and so rapid and he would just hear stuff and retain it that sometimes

[01:02:53] He did not even know he was stealing and when he was confronted

[01:02:57] He was he would pay people off and like was very polite about it

[01:03:01] But yeah, he there was there's a lot of a lot of stories with him when it came to that

[01:03:06] Yeah, yeah, I don't think it was malicious intent

[01:03:09] You know, I mean, I met him once at the seller

[01:03:12] He seems very sweet nature and almost retiring by nature

[01:03:18] um

[01:03:20] But yeah, obviously had that that gear that he would shift when he was on stage

[01:03:24] And I'm sure back in the the drug haze of the 70s and 80s, you know like that takes it another level where you're not totally

[01:03:32] Conscious of things you're saying and doing yeah, there was some other factors at the time. I'm sure

[01:03:38] Yeah, yeah, but yeah, I you know for comedians

[01:03:41] Obviously our jokes are you know, that's everything to us

[01:03:45] You know, so you have to you have to at least in in today's era you have to make that public

[01:03:52] kind of declaration of like

[01:03:54] That's mine, you know

[01:03:57] Yes, especially with social media is very big on

[01:04:00] Well for the most part. I guess getting the right source now is you know

[01:04:04] It's definitely gotten better with that kind of stuff

[01:04:07] Well, you know, there's an interesting thing. I don't know if you've ever seen this pat where there's a french comedian

[01:04:11] Who went back through like all of the half hours like you were talking about

[01:04:16] And there's a compilation video on YouTube if you look up french comedian stealing bits

[01:04:21] It's a lot of French is that exact I'm writing it down now. Is that the exact wording french

[01:04:27] I'll find it more or less like yeah

[01:04:29] comedian stealing should be those yeah, we still joke steals bits from comedy central or half hours

[01:04:36] So I was one of many and then they they put them side by side so you can see like so he stole my cop on a bike bit from

[01:04:45] Years ago, which is a pretty like distinct bit

[01:04:48] Uh, about you know like what's next a cop on a pogo stick and then I'm like jumping around

[01:04:54] Uh into the etch a sketch line and yeah

[01:04:57] Yeah, yeah, right. It's like comparing the a sketch artist to an etch a sketch artist

[01:05:03] Like you know, was he going downstairs by chance? So this guy this french guy

[01:05:09] Was stealing bits verbatim and of course nobody knew because this was just like the advent of the internet

[01:05:15] But he was his whole act was lifted so they show like you know Kevin Brennan

[01:05:21] And this guy side by side at tell

[01:05:24] Headburg, you know, he was just stealing from everybody and he was very successful french comedian

[01:05:29] And he was like oh, I did not know you know, but yeah, he just like he made a quite a name for himself by stealing everyone's jokes

[01:05:36] Dude, I don't know how that got by me. I did not know that and I'm pretty privy with uh

[01:05:43] A lot of stuff within stand-up. I'd never heard that story, but I'll absolutely look it up

[01:05:48] Yeah, you're gonna love it. It's it's it's entertaining

[01:05:51] All right one more thing and then I want to let you go dude

[01:05:53] I've been a fan of yours forever

[01:05:54] You're one of the comics when people ask me who should who should I listen to who should I check out

[01:05:59] I always mention you and I've been a fan of your whole career

[01:06:02] I'm curious to know what is what um what other creative endeavors do you see yourself getting into down the line?

[01:06:10] Hmm

[01:06:11] Other creative endeavors. I mean, you know with again with a life in the arts

[01:06:17] You you never really can predict what will come up

[01:06:21] Uh, let me let me give you a for instance

[01:06:24] Jim got a gig a couple months ago

[01:06:28] hosting this event for music cares music cares is this non-profit that helps

[01:06:35] The music industry or people in the industry who are struggling

[01:06:39] Maybe with bills or medical bills or whatever you know whatever it might be

[01:06:44] um

[01:06:45] So Jim was was asked to host this event and they're you know, they honor a different person every year

[01:06:53] So they were honoring John Bon Jovi as their person of the year

[01:06:58] This particular year

[01:07:00] So Jim asked me to help him write his monologue and write the bits and all this stuff

[01:07:05] So you know, we had a week so I had to like cram all my knowledge of

[01:07:10] Of John Bon Jovi and you know, I mean, I know his music

[01:07:13] But you know, you have in order to write jokes about someone that are funny

[01:07:18] But also don't cross a line you have to you know do your research so it's a fine line

[01:07:23] Sure, so to learn about him his family

[01:07:26] You know great family man and has been married to the same his high school sweetheart

[01:07:32] And they do all this philanthropic work

[01:07:34] But my point is

[01:07:36] You know this gig kind of came out of nowhere where Jim was like help me write this

[01:07:40] And next thing we know

[01:07:42] It's a table the front table is Bon Jovi his family

[01:07:47] Paul McCartney Bruce Springsteen

[01:07:50] um

[01:07:51] Yeah, just insane

[01:07:54] And uh and the gig went great you know like and the the the bits that I wrote for Jim and the the gags that I came up with

[01:08:01] Um for Jim to do because like a lot of it was spoofing

[01:08:06] A lot of Bon Jovi's like early style choices and the hair

[01:08:10] The outfits and then Jim came out at one point because I kind of said you got to do this

[01:08:15] He came out in like short like Daisy dukes because there was a poster of Bon Jovi where he was wearing essentially like

[01:08:20] Daisy dukes and a and a belly shirt

[01:08:23] So I said to Jim, I was like if if you have the balls to do this

[01:08:27] I think it'll it'll go over

[01:08:29] You know he wore the wig he wore the Daisy dukes the belly shirt he went out

[01:08:34] And the whole night was like a big hit and then I got to meet um

[01:08:38] You know Bon Jovi his wife and kids. I got to meet um Bruce

[01:08:43] um

[01:08:44] Melissa ethridge

[01:08:45] So it was just such a cool night and such a a cool experience

[01:08:50] To to be able to write jokes about John Bon Jovi that he loved and he was you know

[01:08:54] He came up to me

[01:08:55] He's like were you responsible for for some of it? I was like yeah, I wrote I wrote a lot of it

[01:09:00] But that it that it made him laugh and um that it made a room full of pee

[01:09:05] You know because those things could be hit or miss like these kind of

[01:09:09] benefit type environments. Yes

[01:09:12] But it really brought the room to to life and everybody had a good time so

[01:09:16] My you know my larger point is you just don't know what is coming next

[01:09:21] And the people you might cross paths with

[01:09:24] So yeah, I just kind of try to keep an open spirit to

[01:09:28] You know hoping that another cool thing comes down the pike and

[01:09:33] Also recognizing that the engine for all of it is my act and my jokes

[01:09:39] So so putting my effort into that

[01:09:42] Because then all of the ancillary things that come along

[01:09:46] Are really driven by by that

[01:09:49] Well, whatever you do I look forward to seeing it man did did you mean Poma Cardney

[01:09:54] He walked by but he was kind of in a rush at the end of the show

[01:09:59] So I you know, I he walked right by me and that was it that was enough

[01:10:03] um

[01:10:04] But yeah, but I got to shake hands with Bruce and his mom had just passed like that day before

[01:10:11] So it was kind of a surprise that he still was able to do it

[01:10:15] Um, but yeah, I got to shake hand and just say thank you for everything. You know everything

[01:10:20] Yeah, yeah

[01:10:22] And uh and bon Jovi I got to speak with for a good, you know few minutes

[01:10:27] And that was cool too. It's just he's just a good guy, you know like

[01:10:30] It wasn't like bon Jovi was like my band or anything

[01:10:33] But if you grew up when I did

[01:10:35] You grew up loving

[01:10:38] You know a lot of their music and hear and hearing it all the time yeah well

[01:10:42] When you think in me in my mind being from Philadelphia with Jersey being next door Bruce and bon Jovi are the two Jersey representatives

[01:10:49] So even if Bruce's mom passed a day before I feel like he would have to be there

[01:10:55] Because those two names are synonymous in my mind as

[01:10:59] Yet they are new Jersey. Yeah, it was kind of yeah, it was kind of a surreal

[01:11:04] Uh event in that way it was a surreal night

[01:11:08] Uh, you know, I'm from Queens so all of these things are not there

[01:11:12] You know, they're not that far away obviously Jersey

[01:11:15] Philly or you know, we're all the northeast and uh

[01:11:20] To be in a room and also like it kind of almost spans your lifetime like because bon Jovi you know

[01:11:25] He's not that much older than me. He's probably 60 or something

[01:11:28] but um

[01:11:30] To to it almost it's almost like a this is your life moment because I was in high school in college when

[01:11:37] When that band first broke and you know slippery when wet and you know

[01:11:42] Living on a prayer and the phenomenon that all that was so yeah, so here I am now

[01:11:48] Just talking to the dude just talking to the dude and and and and really over the course of that week

[01:11:54] Really truly growing to uh have a deep respect for him and his wife and the family that they've built and

[01:12:01] The career and the way that they use their celebrity. They do so much good. So yeah, it was just like a really cool

[01:12:09] Um moment in time really

[01:12:11] That's awesome dude Ted I can't thank you enough for being here

[01:12:15] Thank you for coming back on the pod. It was great to talk shop and get the stories out of you and

[01:12:21] When the day comes down the line, you will be my first three-peat

[01:12:24] Yeah, baby

[01:12:25] I look forward to being the three-peat and Pat

[01:12:27] It's always great to spend time with you buddy. Uh keep keep doing what you're doing

[01:12:31] Thanks man. Hopefully we cross paths this year and maybe even do some gigs together down the line

[01:12:35] That'd be great

[01:12:37] Ted Alexander

[01:12:38] Hello everybody

[01:12:40] Thank you

[01:12:46] You

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