Andy Frasco's World Saving Podcast - Patton Oswalt on the meaning of life today, mushroom stories at Bonnaroo, his best advice, and much more

Episode Date: December 16, 2025

Patton Oswalt joins Nick & Andy for a really great interview that ranges from silly to profound.  The meaning of life today Did Trump perform fellacio on Bubba? Todd Glass stories Grief and getting back on stage Living in a hallucination Eating mushrooms at Bonnaroo Patton's best advice Biggest mistakes Backlash to Patton's IG photo with Dave Chappelle Neal joins to ask Patton about roller coasters 👉 Subscribe for new episodes every Tuesday 📲 Follow Andy on Instagram and TikTok: @andyfrasco and @worldsavingpodcast Call and leave us a message and we might respond to you on the show: [phone] The World Saving Podcast is part comedy podcast, part music podcast — with raw musician interviews, funny podcast clips, and highlights from Andy's adventures on the road. Each week features musicians, comedians, athletes, or everyday legends. Watch this episode now on Volume.com & YouTube. If you like this podcast and want more, sign up for OnlyFrasco exclusively on Volume.com. They also have tons of live streams, concert recordings, and unique artist experiences. For all things Frasco, go to: AndyFrasco.com

In January of 1994, I did a weekend in Seattle, and it was one of the best weekends I'd ever had up to that point. Like, everything I did clicked. It was explosive. In my mind, I felt like I have broken through. It's Lenny Bruce and George Carlin and Bill Hicks. And I think maybe me now. I think it might be me. I think I'm on Melrose and I'm talking about.

And then I was so in my head about that and so high on that weekend at every set from that point on, because I was so in my head and I was so I am bringing the truth to the people that from January until April of 1994, and I remember this so clearly, I could not buy a fucking laugh on stage that my energy was so off and the audience could tell I am thinking of a, I'm so self-conscious up there of this is now part of my legacy. Nothing ruins you quicker than legacy and cool and reputation. Those things will fucking destroy you. We're live, Andy Frasco's World Saving

Podcast. I'm Andy Frasco. How's your heads? How's your minds? How is your love life? We are having a special dating show tonight with our base player who finally showed up to work. Floyd Kellogg, everyone. Thank you so much for coming to this

show, Floyd. Grab a mic. Thanks for having me, I guess. What's going on? Thanks. What's going? right now i'm working on something i see i you could tell when i'm working on something i have all what are you working on that isn't this ban you're on the clock with this van and you're working on something else i'm working i'm working on uh yeah i have our material pulled up currently

floyd i'm worried about you you don't look healthy what why i don't know you came you came to the tour kind of fragged you looked at me yesterday or i'm like play the fucking no and you went like this you like i didn't i didn't i didn't look I'm like, play the fucking... I didn't do that. And he looked at me like this. Like, I was like a... Like, you're being like an angry teenager.

Stop adding drama. Just to gain viewers. Did you see it? Feets? What? I said, play the fucking note. And he... And to gain fans don't add drama.

Oh, you mean, he just stared at you with his little beady eyes. He's like this. He stares at me. He like, he like wants to do something about it. I'm like, I'm right here. Let's do something about it. So now you all know why I'm not doing well.

It's this type of shit right here. Hey, I'm not saying anything. Yeah. Thank you, Andy. I'm worried about you. By the way, it's a season finale, and we have Pat and Oswald on the show tonight. Big show tonight, big show.

Yes, Pat and Oswald. I don't know which one is, but I'm my... Hopefully that's the right one. Floyd, seriously, what happened in Rhode Island? What, just because I have to, like, take a shower or something? No, like, are you okay? Like, are you... Life's fine.

Are you over this band? No. Okay, cool. Not yet. Thank you, Floyd, for being on the show. Oh, wait, wait, wait, wait. What? Yeah, I also show the people what you got. You guys, you got...

I got these. Rayban glasses that you're basically spying on us. It's a space gate. Well, I just don't know what. I might have to have, you know, video evidence of something. What? I don't know what. I don't know what. I want to make sure I got it.

Everything covered. I got, you know. Got covered. He thinks I'm abusing him. You think I'm abusing you? What? You think I'm abusing you? These are,

these glasses are designed for people who are being abused. That's how they market them to the world. It's also designed for P.OV sex for you guys in the bus. That's really why he bought it. Oh, we could, while we're having sex, we could have that? We could do that? Have you, have you had sex with your wife? It's a prison, folks.

welcome. Hey Floyd. Welcome to the Andrew Mitchell-Frasco Penitentiary. Boy, tell me about your love life. Tell me about your love life. Hi, we're done here. We're done. All right.

Big of applause. Here we go. Thank you. Andrew Cooney, come to the hot seat, please. Andrew Cooney is here as well. This is a band opening. What are those? You got nachos for the table?

Come on, get over here. Oh, where'd you get those? Andrew Cooney. Really? We have Pat and Oswald. We have Andy Oliver. We got the whole band here. As you can see, we're just hanging out in the green room.

I just took a shower. How you feeling? Say hi, Sam. Hi. I'm feeling good. Everyone's here. Cooney. Cooney left us for his cover band, actually.

He left us for a week. This show was scheduled before you pretended to have me in your band. Oh! How was your cover show? How you got to say it like that? That's how he gets under your skin, dog How's I get under your skin? It was great.

So it's, yeah, it's called Casimir Christmas. It was the third one this year. It's, I'm actually, I'd say it like that because I have fun because I had so much fun last year. I ate a fucking raw ham. Yeah, you did. Gross. With the juices coming out. It's like filling out.

Well, no, those things are cooked. Yeah, they're cooked. But it's cold and gross. It was like sitting out all day. Oh, God. Oh, yeah, yeah. Also got Santa to crowd surf during break stuff, which is pretty happy. We did.

I'm just having fun-off. Nothing happened like that this year. It wasn't a... But it was great. We had Lyle and he crushed as usual. Nice. And it's just like Denver's finest, you know? All the music companies from Denver and play a bunch of covers, a bunch of bangers, a

nostalgic bangers. Are you happy that you picked us? Yeah. Yeah. Why am I feeling so insecure? I don't know. It's one of those days. It's like one of those gloomy days.

We're cool. We're cool. Everything's cool, dude. Speaking of cool, let's get the new guy in here. Mr. Mike Ganser. I think he's washing his balls. Come on, Mike. No, he's here.

He's here. He's here. Mike. See here, Mike. We need to interrogate you a little bit. Yeah, you sit on his lap now. Yeah, you sit on my lap. Hi, Daddy.

Hey, Mike Ganser. Formerly from the band Aquez, now in the U.N. How's it going? It's going pretty good. How you doing? I'm doing well. Do you think we're a bigger drug addicts and we actually were.

It seems like you're slightly less of drug addicts than the last time I saw you, but I... I think you're still on the spectrum of drug addicts stuff. Progress is progress, baby. Progress is progress, baby. What are some things that you thought was going to happen and actually you're surprised

that actually it's pretty good out here in the frasco you in streets? I think, you know, when you come into a new group, you're never sure of the dynamic and where you fit in it. And with you guys, I felt an immediate kinship and a lot of connection. And there's sort of a levity, a silliness that exists underneath everything you guys do. And that is really fun. Cut the bullshit, Ganser, they want the dirt.

What I mean to say, what improvements can be made, ganser. You're all sick. And it's really hard to be around you. I can't wait to go home. Oh, my God. Oh, shout out to. Mike Ganser, is it public, the news? Oh, yeah, it's public, it's public.

Mike Ganser's having a baby, ladies and gentlemen. Let's go! Do you want any advice? No, thanks. Oh, my God. No, no, no, no. No, that's all right, Floyd. Floyd, give a newly dad some advice of being a dad in a rock band.

I got none. You're liars. No, I would say, all right, for real? Yeah. Because everyone, when I was about to have a lot, a kid that you'd ask people and they're like, I can't give you any advice. It was always like that.

And you ask everyone, they're like, I can't give you any advice. I would say one piece of advice is keep a connection with your person because that's how you got. That's how you- He's choking on his fucking words. Whoa, what's happening for it? That was what?

Notcho went down the wrong hole. Even the universe doesn't want you to say this. Keep a connection with your person because that's how you had the kid in the first place. And usually that's like the thing people love to like abandon first. And it's like that's, to me, that's like the top of the, you know, totem pole or bottom of the pyramid. Whatever the fuck this thing is. That's good advice.

Floyd, thank you. He needs a hug right now. All right. All right. No, no. Mike's like, I'm not fucking. Where are my glasses? Where are my glasses?

Oh, Floyd. That's romantic of you. And it's true. Why you're out here watching. to degenerate shit while you play video games. Don't forget to tell your wife you miss, sir. That is literally exactly what's been happening, by the way. Yeah.

I play video games. You guys do drugs, but we all have a nice time. Thank you. Mike, it's going to play. Lloyd has his glasses on. He's trying to interrogate everybody. It is the end of the year. Do we have any resolutions to make us better people for the end of the year?

Everyone's going to go once before Pat and Oswald takes the stage. Starting with Sam. More sleep. Just listen to my body. More water. Listen to my body. More sleep. And stop fucking with Floyd, a little less.

Okay. That was nice. Procrastinate less, a lot less. And fix my ADD. That ain't going to be fixed, big dogs. Unfortunately, that ain't going to be fixed, dog. Sorry, no medicine could fix that fucking thing. Mike, what about you?

Less phone time. Less phone time. Yeah. My resolutions is I'm going to be more present I'm going to be less trying to make viral videos Which shout out to everyone for getting me to those viral videos But also I am also going to be less mean to the people that I love in my life

Like Floyd like Andy like Andy like Andy like Andy like Andy like Andy Sam Mike everyone boom I'm going to be nicer to the people Knowing that No fuck gone so I'm just kidding Unless you got some five grand

Our bus And it's a $5,000 deposit So now this is $12,000 of deposits For him crashing into trees and shit So he's on the shit list So Anyway We're supposed to be

We're supposed to give everyone A slack So yeah I'll do that with Gonza too Anyway Be safe out there Have a happy holidays Pat and Oswald

This is one of the best interviews Of the fucking year What do you got Funny dude He's a funny dude He's a great dude. Great interview. Mystery Science Theater 3,000.

Come on, he's a go. Fucking legend. Let's sing him out. We wish you a Merry Christmas. We wish you a Merry Christmas. We wish you a Merry Christmas. And a happy New Year. This place is a prison.

This is a call to action. You guys love this podcast. This is your way to support us. Head over to volume.com slash Andy Frasco and support the podcast. It's five bucks a month. You're going to get extra podcast episodes, extra Nick episodes, Monday morning motivations.

The whole nine keeps his podcast going because I love doing it and I want to just be part of this forever. We just need your help. So head over to volume.com slash Andy Frasco. Subscribe to our only Frasco podcast because without you, Nick will be on the street. And do you want Nick to be on the street? No.

I don't want him to move into my house either. Okay, so you either subscribe to this. or Nick will be on the street. All right, bye. Wow, big show tonight. Big fucking show tonight. Pan Oswald, how you doing today? I am doing great.

What's the meaning of life today? The meaning. Let him finish his snack before he has got the meaning of life. No, no, I just, I love the today. Like, that's actually very realistic. Yeah. It does change every day. The meaning of life today is getting through today.

I've been doing nonstop press since Monday morning, and I fly back to L.A. tomorrow, so I am going on pretty much like five hours of sleep a day, and if I just need to get through this, get to the car in the morning, and somehow get home, the meaning of life is last until Friday evening. That's the meaning of life right now.

See, I don't understand these press circuit weeks, where it's like by the fifth by Friday, you're saying the same shit. You're tired, you're like irritated. Like, how do you get out of your head to like still keep going on the last fucking day of press? I mean, either they plan it so that they do the ones on the last day where maybe that's when you're so raw

that you'll maybe slip and say something so horrifying that it'll be really clippable and really, You know, they hope that you'll just totally lose it and go, all entertainment should burn to the ground. I don't care anymore. You know, like, because then you can put it with the little AI picture of me, like going like that and watch Pat and melt down, like on YouTube or something. But yeah, I don't know.

It's all maximum efficiency and content, content, content. I know. So it is Friday. So do you think Trump really sucked that day? Which dick? Be more specific, please. I love how their defense, when it came out, that email was like, hey, do you have the picture of Trump sucking Bubba's dick?

Yeah. And then everyone was like, oh my God, Bill Clinton, and then their only response was Bubba doesn't refer to Bill Clinton, like, hmm, just owned you there. Gotcha, it's a different dick. He sucked the different Bubba. Maybe let's all calm down. Could have been one of six guys, actually, idiot.

Why do you feel like we need to have comedians tell the news these days? Well, you know why? Because the news has completely collapsed. It's when comedians are our truth tellers and our news disseminators, that means your society has, that means we're back in the dark ages. And the gestures are now. Because the gestures don't become the king after they insult the king. The gesture is there so the king can go,

hey, I'm going to rape your daughter and send your kid to war, but here's corn cop the farting dwarf to call me fat. See, everything's even. Comedians should not be telling the news right now. I know, that's what I'm saying. It's kind of scary. I mean, the only, and it's like the only way I get my news is through, like, Janus Popp's fucking Tim Dillon and fucking Todd Glass.

I mean, Todd Glass is my best friend. You know, that's like one of my closest friends. And when I hear him get all create... Oh, by the way, thanks for putting your name on Todd Glass's presents for his Broadway thing. He wanted us to say that message. Todd Glass is one of the funniest motherfucker. When I... Okay, I'm going to tell you Todd Glass story.

This is Todd Glass in a nutshell. So, as you know, my first wife passed away, and I went through a lot of morning, and it was really rough. And so I kind of didn't leave my house for a couple of months. So then my manager, this guy Dave Rath, who also really knows Todd really well, really good friends, was like, hey, let's go, come out and get dinner with me and Todd. We'll go get dinner.

So I go out, meet him dinner. Todd is there early. He's sitting there. He gives me this envelope. He's like, listen, you can read this later. I just wrote down some stuff that, you know, I think will help. I hope it helps. Don't read it here.

Let's just have a dinner. But I wrote down, you know, I just hope this helps you. I know you're going through a really hard time. And then we had a really fun dinner. and stuff. I get home, I open the fucking envelope.

He has torn the corner off of a single page of like yellow legal paper and he just wrote high patent on it. I knew it's gonna be something. And it made me laugh so hard

and it brought me out of some of my funk. Like him being such a frigging goofball. Oh man. He's the best. I mean, he's been my closest friend forever. He's the one who got me.

I scored Gary Goldman's film the Great Depression stuff and he got... Oh, no kidding. Yeah, it's like he's got me in with the comedians and like,

he's like the first, my first real fan who, like, you know, a lot of musicians because I'm like a theatrical type show. So the comedians dig our show more than musicians do.

And he kind of woke me up. I was like, fuck these musicians. Like, they don't need to fuck. You have us. And that's what made me think about like, everyone talks about the bad parts of comedy. But like,

what do you think are the guys? good parts of comedy in today's era, you know? Well, there's a lot of good in comedy, especially for the fact that I think people that have been in comedy long enough, we know how hard of a freaking struggle it is. And especially that you have good days and bad days, good sets and bad sets. And just because someone is on a bad streak at the moment doesn't mean they're not going to redeem themselves later or do something good. And if you've seen how good they can be, there's a lot of just people that are like, I will help carry you along until you're good again or until things are, you know. And also,

there is a lot of, I try to be very evangelical about comedians that I love because I am, maybe it's for selfish reasons, but if more the stuff that I like gets out there, then it'll make things more fertile for me to do stuff. Right. Because you make so, when I, you know, see someone like a Maria Bamford or a Todd Glass or anyone, or a Josh Johnson, who certainly doesn't need my help talking about him, but you're like, oh, there's really good people doing this. Most of the people that do comedy really care about comedy and love it and they want it to

be good. They don't want, you know, they don't want shitty people doing it. So they try to uplift the people that are doing it. something really good. No, totally. I hear that. And like, how do you get through that, like, especially when you're going through your,

the, your passing of your wife, how did you, who are the guys who got you through that to like kind of wake yourself up to be funny again? Or how hard was it to be funny when you're going through such a fucking hard time? Well, directly it was my friends, my circle of friends,

people like Blaine Capatch and Dana Gould and Brian Possein, who were really funny people and also genuinely really sweet people, you know, that will help you. And then, not that it was directly, they weren't doing it for me,

but I really turned to a lot of absurdity to get, when things are that bleak, and then I sort of watching a lot of Tim and Eric and Eric Andre and stuff like that where just absolute nonsense will really, really help get you out of a funk,

like in a profound way, like in ways you can't even imagine. Yeah. Were you suicidal? during that time? That definitely helped. Were you suicidal at all at that during that time? Or like, I wasn't, here's what,

I wasn't suicidal only because I had a daughter. Like I can't, like, that option wasn't open to me. I have a daughter that I love and I want to, but I never felt suicidal, but I did feel like I was dead. And when I say I feel like I was dead, there were times when I was like, maybe I've died and the horror of me dying

is so awful that my brain can't accept it. So it's created this, like this is my, apparently when you die, your last brain cell, it takes a long time to die, and you can live in that moment for a long time. Yeah. So maybe I'm living in this moment that my brain has invented, so I don't have to deal with the horror of my body dying. What's the next worst thing I could think of?

Well, that'll be losing the love of my life. So it's creating this whole scenario where I'm struggling. But there were moments when I got, I mean, moments of real psychosis where I'm like, I think I might be dead right now. I think I'm actually dead. And no, this is. So that's, you know, hard to write a bit about that.

But, um, that's a thing. Like, what was it like your first time going back on stage after that? Like, what were you going through? Tell me, tell me, just terrified. Day by day. Or the play by play on that thing. I didn't go back on stage until August of that year.

My wife passed away in April. And I went on stage to the end of August at some little. open mic. I think I just showed up. I don't even think I booked it and just tried to see if I could get on stage and talk and then and it was not funny and I, you know, was just kind of struggling with shit and I just wanted to see if I could still do it on like a basic level and and I could stand on stage but I couldn't be funny and then there was a a lot of back and forth. I mean, I don't have a real timeline of it but I do remember there was a there was a back and forth between, well, I've got to talk about this.

And then, you know what, I shouldn't mention this at all. And then I shouldn't be doing this at all. Oh, my God, this is so insulting. Why would I do that? I did keep going. So there was that thing of like, I do need to talk about it because I realized very quickly when I would go up and I wouldn't mention it at all, it would creep the audience out like, why isn't he talking about this?

Like, we know this happened. And then I had to get over, I had to get over myself. and go, these people have problems you don't even know about. They came to a comedy show, hoping to get entertained. And you have a chance. The best way to get yourself out of a depression or out of helplessness is to help somebody else. I'm not saying that I was bringing the cure to cancer up on stage, but I was giving people a couple of laughs.

And it makes you feel like you exist again to do that. So, you know, it was almost like in defiance of death, like, Yeah, I'm going to tell. That's why my special annihilation, which I talk about my wife says, I ended on the dumbest, dirtiest joke I could think of because that's the kind of shit that Michelle loved. She's like, I love, when things are at their worst, I love the dumbest, most X-rated shit because it's such a embracing of the life force of like, even in the face of death,

someone's going to write a dirty, gross, stupid joke. And so I did that. Like that was my celebration of that. And also what do they expect? Like you're just getting back on stage. Like my wife died. Hello my darling. Hello my baby.

You know, like what the fuck you want me to fucking do? Like you're getting out there to release. You know? Right. We're artists. Yeah. My wife just passed away. But these Star Wars prequels.

Now folks, let me get my slide with a little. You want to talk about depressing. Now that's sad. Like, no, you can't. You just have to. I mean, but again. And that was that every time I've really done any comedy that I really like, I was talking honestly about whatever I was going through,

whether it was something that I loved or something that I hated or something I was confused about. Well, now here's something that I'm sad about. I still got to talk about it. Like I'm still going to, you know. And we've seen now, like, especially with like Tignitaro's special and Mark Marin special, like you can look. And Chris Gethar did a whole special about suicide.

And Gary Goldman, of course, like going into. real darkness. So, you know, you can, if, I'm going to quote Todd Glass again, if you can mock it, you can manage it. Yeah, that's 100%. I mean, Todd has helped me through depra. I was very depra. I've been doing 250 shows a year for 15 years and I, you know, sometimes I wake up on a Tuesday. As a musician or a comedian. Yeah, we're musicians. Yeah. So we're in a ban. But sometimes on a Tuesday, I'm like, fuck this, dude. I mean, Kansas, I don't want to fucking be here.

It's Tuesday night. It's Tuesday fucking night. 35 degrees. Yeah, 35 degrees, the half full room. And Todd's like, you have to appreciate that you are the 1% to get to fucking do this. It's not the little shows, you know? Yeah, and by the way, the little shows can end up being amazing. Amazing things can happen at little shows that you don't know about until later on.

Someone could be in that room. It's like, it was a Tuesday. night and I didn't know what the hell I was going to do and I went to some little half-filled room in Kansas. It was 35 degrees out and these goofballs went on stage and I don't know how they did it but they brought me right out of it man like you are you just don't know the nights that you're doing it. You don't know the nights that it really is landing. So every night has a potential to be that. So what was the night that you finally felt you got your groove back during the passing? Like do you remember the exact show? You're like, oh shit, I got it back.

Yeah, I did some shows at the Beacon Theater in New York early the next year, and that really felt like, oh, oh, okay, I can be a comedian again. And it also went along with some, there were some other parents at my daughter's school who had lost their significant others, and they were all saying, it's going to feel like despair for a long time. Then it's going to feel like nothing, and you're going to be relieved that it feels like nothing. You're going to be so happy like, oh, I can just exist in this, nothing.

and then you'll be able to feel joy again. Like you'll actually feel all. So in a weird way, that's the exact same thing that happened with my stand-up. I went up and it felt like absolute darkness and despair. And then I could just kind of go through the motions and tell jokes, but it didn't. And then those shows at the beacon were like, oh, I was embracing all of it, the sadness of it, and then the joy, and then especially the absurdity of it all. and then that led to the special.

But again, it took a while. And people that are like, well, that seemed to go by pretty quickly. I mean, yeah, it did, but also keep in mind, I have been doing stand-up for, you know, 30 years at that point. You know, you can kind of fast forward some stuff in terms of like, oh, I know how things work on stage. Hopefully I can, you know, hopefully get through this. It won't take a decade only because I've been doing.

doing it so long. You're not learning and healing. You're just healing. No. Yeah, you're right. It's like when they talk to Alan Moore and they go, wow, you don't even outline when you write it anymore. He goes, the reason I don't outline is because I've been doing this every day of my

life for 50 years. He's like, yeah, shut the fuck up. If I still have to, if I still have to outline at this point, I probably shouldn't be writing. You fucking quit as you quit. Yeah. Hello, everyone. It's Adi Frasco, your local drunk.

We're here to support Gardanista. Garden Easter, our sponsors. I've been substantiating this from Jameson because I like the idea that there's ginger, lime juice, and green herbs in this. So I kind of feel healthy drinking this. I mean, they got all these different ones.

Like, I was kind of nervous about this bourbon cocktail, but it's bourbon whiskey, green herbs, lime juice, ginger, and jalapagia. Got a little spice to it, but you put some ice in it and it's actually a cocktail. And like, I'm not really good at proportions. So it's already made for you. Look at this.

It's cute too. You could be on your table. You're like, oh, look at you're sophisticated. Do you want pop off on your kitchen table or do you want something that's pretty? Gardinista, vodka cocktail. Grab it. Tell them Frasco sent you. Was that, so you talk about this nothingness going to new jokes.

Was black coffee and ice water kind of that nothingness or did it feel like you had to really push to get this thing out? Well, this was a weird combination of because I've been in a weird, I wasn't crazy about my last special because I wasn't embracing the sheer absurdity of this time we're living in. I was still trying to put some logic to it and it felt a little forced. Yeah. And I didn't really embrace the fact that we are living in a hallucination right now. Yeah. This is just a shared hallucination and we're seeing whose hallucination is going to win in the end.

So this one especially, so two things happened. One, I realized that. And a lot of that came from watching other comedians and really seeing the ones that were I thought dealing with our present situation brilliantly. And then also it was audible going, how would you just like to do an album? We're just going to record you.

We don't have to film it. We're going to put it on our platform as a downloadable album. So I'm not being filmed. I don't got to worry about my wardrobe, the lighting. I directed my last two special, so it was very much in terms thinking of, okay, is the lighting right? What angles am I going to use? This is just me on stage talking.

I love it. And it's just going to be the audio. And it took me 10 minutes into the first recording when I realized, oh, I just, all I'm doing is talking. This is just the voice. And it is such a looser, rar special. All the new material is so much more. just pure material rather than, oh, I've got to put all these other considerations into it.

And the second show that I recorded, because then I fully read, it was like, when you have a lucid dream and you're like, I can fly and shoot beams out of my eyes, this is great. Like, that's what that second album, the second recording felt like, like, I could do whatever I want. This is amazing. So you're saying Todd Glass suck Bubba's dick. In your lucid dream. I just feel like, but the only problem is, I think, here's why I don't think Todd Glass suck above his dick, because he would have done such a great bit about it. Like, we would have heard about it.

Right, right, right. He would have done a whole special. And he couldn't have resisted not talking about it. So that's the only thing that makes me think he didn't do that. So if you think we're living in a hallucination, why can we hallucinate something good? You know why? Because it's the same thing in the movie The Matrix

when he said the first Matrix we put you guys in was a paradise and you couldn't accept it. You couldn't accept that it was a paradise. You had to have struggle and toil and vying with each other because unfortunately that is our, it's our biological imperative to struggle and survive. And if we're put in a situation

where there's not some, form of struggling and surviving, we reject that. If this had been completely peaceful and placid, because of our wiring, we would have gone crazy. Now, because of, I think, because of this and the internet and social media, because all that's been sped up, this is now a sped up, hallucinatory version of struggle and survival. This is like when you take Ellistine, there's way too much speed in it. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, you're still hallucinating, but fuck my stomach. hurts. There's too much speed in this. Yeah.

So it's like we are in the should be glorious hallucinatory times, but we can't help feeling the speed slicing into our stomach muscles. And how our back's going to hurt tomorrow. Yeah, and how our backs are. And our backs are. Yes. Oh, my God, is our back going to hurt. So, you know, talking about that, you know, it's like, yeah, I remember when I first

hallucinated. When did you first hallucinate? 19. I took mushrooms. Wow. It was, I mean, now I'd take them every day, but I'd do it for a medicinal person. A microdose, yeah, yeah. I'd do a microdose.

But I remember when I first hallucinated, everything was so fluff. Like, you're totally spot on about that until the speed kicked in. Yeah, yeah. And then I watched my friend like shit himself, you know, like, in my head. Yeah, yeah. I went to a bar. Do you, what, did you used to take any hallucinogens? Were you a guy that took Coke or anything?

Like, Glass loved Coke. No, well, Coke's not a hallucinogen. Coke is just a way to speed up your own ego and sense of worry. beyond what it should feel. But yeah, a lot of mushrooms, a few LSD trips. All the LSD that I've ever had, I've never had access to quality LSD, so it's always cut with something shitty.

So there's always something underneath the hallucination. But mushrooms were always fantastic. And I feel like mushrooms are going to turn into the new corn syrup in about 20 years where everything's going to have lightly hallucinatory mushrooms in it. Lucky Charms. Like you won't, you won't not be able to have psychedelic mushrooms.

Have you ever done, performed a mushrooms? Or do you like being in control? I like being, I've performed drunk, but I've never performed on shrooms. I, the,

the, the most powerful shroom trip I ever took, and this is embarrassing, but I was at Bonaroo. And Bonaroo, early Bonarroos, you could literally just step outside of the VIP tent and go,

I need some drugs, and people would just walk up to you and sell you drugs. So I bought a bag of mushrooms and my, me and some friends. We were back in the VIP area, and there's like a big couch and there's snacks, and there's a huge flat-screen TV that shows you what's on the main stage. So, and we have access, there's a tunnel, there's like a hallway that leads to the main stage. We can, you can sit off stage and watch the shows. So it's the last night and Radiohead's going to perform. So we're like, oh, let's split this bag of shrooms, and then we'll go see Radiohead.

So we put the shrooms, and we're all sitting on the couch, and they're starting to hit, and it's good. Like, it's a solid wave. And we look at the flat screen TV, which is showing what's on stage, and Radiohead is walking out. And we go, nice, radio head. And then we sit there watching Radiohead on this flat screen TV. 400 feet away. We could have walked over. Just watched radio.

And watched them. But it was like, it's radio head, man. And we watched the whole, and right at the end, as they're finishing, we were like, wait, fuck,

no, we could go on this. And we ran down the passageway. And as we were in them, they passed us coming off stage. Like, we forgot that we could, because the shrooms were so good. Yeah.

They were so, and it was a, it was a full body high, and it was a very, very deep mind wave, but it had that really comfortable cushion to it where you could, it's one of those rare times where you could really let yourself hallucinate

and follow tracers and know that if you, but if you need to, bam, it's almost like when you're like at a skating rink and you know that if it gets too crazy, I just go over to the wall and I'm good. So there was like a wall to the hallucinatory skating rink. It was, but it was, it was so sad that it was such good hallucinations

that it made us sit on the couch and watch radio head we could have stood off stage watching them. There is something to be safe for the couch though. Oh my God, at least you're comfortable. Yeah, yeah, the couch. Yeah, exactly. Day four at a music festival, I'm definitely ready for a couch. You know, that reminds me.

But I missed the chance to like kind of angle myself and feel the vibration of the speakers. That would have been something like, especially during cheap plastic trees or something like that. What would that have felt like? Right. You know, going back to, that got me thinking like when we're watching a video versus doing it live, going back to your special and how you did the Audible.

Do you think making a big deal about a special devalues the actual art where instead of like making this thing a spectacular, like a spectacle, just bare bones into the art is more important. That's why you did the Audible? Yeah, listen, there's a lot of things. spectacle in comedy right now. There's a lot of, you gotta be in an arena and there's fire. I don't know what the fuck's going on. I think we need to go through.

Yeah. But we need, listen, rock and roll needed to go through this in the early 70s. You needed your Emerson, Lake, and Palmer and your late Led Zeppelin excess to then have the Ramones come along and go, no, it's just you plug into an amp, it's a guitar, it's a bass, it's drum, boom, here we go.

Yeah. So like that, I think now, especially, again, with people like Josh Johnson is just me and a mic, and cameras, we don't need to do any of this other bullshit, and it's just the material. And I think we're going to get back to that for a while. And that's what it feels like

with this audible thing. It's just, here's the material. You don't need all the other bells and whistles. That's just to distract you. Yeah, I mean, that's the same thing. That's why I'd never hired a light guy. I want the music and my entertainment to fucking show. I don't need a fucking, I don't need fucking lasers.

You are the light show. Yeah, and hydraulic Tupac and, you know. I don't know. Hydraulic. You mean holograph? Wait a minute. Hydraulic, Tulip.

That, all right, wait a minute. I don't know. I'm getting a pneumatic cut on. Yeah. I did in one of my specials, I literally,

because it was like a third last one I did, that was one of my Netflix specials and I opened with me and Boots Riley from the coup were walking down the street and I'm talking about like this cool thing

I'm going to shoot for the opening. And he's like, no one gives a fuck about the opening. Just cut, you walk out on stage, start talking. Just go. Yeah. Start. We started. And then my last special that I did for Netflix, I start the special.

I'm already mid-bit. I'm in the middle of my final bit and I'm doing it. And then I show the title, like I show like a five seconds of me doing the middle of this bit. Then I show the title. And then it just says 50 minutes earlier. And it's me walking on the stage and we're going to go up to that moment. And that's it.

That's really how podcasts are fucking awesome. That's how podcasts are now. You're ahead of the curve on the head. Everybody starts with a clip now. Yeah, everyone starts with a fucking clip now. You're a genius. Like, how do we get here? Like, how are we going to get to this moment?

You know, over the years I've heard some music that, you know, some words of wisdom per se of who really, that really stuck with me. Do you have any of that in comedy that helped you develop and become a better comedian? I mean, the big ones for me was... don't get too high on the highs, don't get too low on the lows. You can destroy yourself dwelling on a bad set as quickly as you can destroy yourself

remembering a good set. When you're done with that set, the world's turning and it's a new world tomorrow, so get up and do your work. And also, in the end, I heard this three-word phrase, which is out-create them. There's going to be people that we're not work in the banking business. We are in comedy and we're in entertainment and we're in the arts.

There is no rhyme and reason to it. I put 10 years into this and this kid that's been doing it a year. Is it the Hollywood Bowl? Yes, that's how entertainment works. I'm sorry. It is not a meritocracy. Sometimes it is just whatever's popular, but in the end, if you out-create them, that's how you last. Anyone can become a comedian.

Very few people can stay comedians. That's the trick. Wow, that's a sustained. And the only way to do that is to out-create them and be excited about creating things. Don't be excited about ticket sales, numbers. don't be excited about things. Be excited about experiences and things that you create. That's what you should be excited about.

Let's fucking go. That's profound. I'm going to go right. I'm going to go jerk off right now. That was unbelievable, Pat. Do you want me to turn my camera off? No, leave it on. Do you need it?

Leave it on. No, that's true. You know, going back to the first part you said, the highs and the lows. Did you take that advice when your wife passed? Wow. Not at first. I mean, again, at first I thought there was something almost noble about wallowing in the lows

because it showed that I was, you know, this is how much I love her and this is how much she meant to me. and she still means the same amount to me, but your loved ones, if I died, I wouldn't want people mourning me and not being able to function. I want you,

I was your friend, I loved you, I was there because I wanted to see you living a life and doing things, and I realized it's not going to help my daughter. I have to raise a daughter. You can't be raised by this avatar of death and gloom, and it's no,

tribute to the love that my wife gave me for 13 years to then give, not only give no love out, but receive no love. So, but again, it took me some time to realize that. And it also took me to, like, those two lessons that I just said, don't get too high in the high, don't get too low in the lows. I'm not able to say that with the confidence I say it without me having failed both of those things and seeing what the effects of those are. Totally. And I've seen that both in my career and in my personal life. There were times as a comedian and as just someone in the world, in love and in loss,

that I got so low on the lows. And then I remember, talk about getting too high on the highs. I did it. I remember this so clearly. In January of 1994, I did a weekend in Seattle. And it was one of the best weekends I'd ever had up to that point. Like everything I did clicked.

It was explosive. In my mind, I felt like I have broken through. I am, and in my mind I'm like, yeah, it's Lenny Bruce and George Carlin and Bill Hicks. And I think maybe me now. I think it might be me. I think I'm on Mount Rose and I'm talking about. And then I was so in my head about that

and so high on that weekend and every set from that point on, because I was so in my head, and I was so, I am bringing the truth to the people, that from January until April of 1994, and I remember this so clearly, I could not buy a fucking laugh on stage

that my energy was so off, and the audience could tell, I am thinking of a, I'm so self-conscious up there of this is now part of my legacy. Nothing ruins you quicker than legacy and cool. and reputation.

Those things will fucking destroy you. And it wasn't until, to the point where the other comedians were like, it was a running joke like, how's Patton going to torpedo his set tonight? Oh, my God. Oh, no way. You couldn't get out of your own way. Could not.

And then here's what got me out of it. I was on stage at Cobbs and I was in the middle of a joke that was fucking eating it. And then I just went, this joke is fucking dying. so horrible. And I just started laughing at how bad it was. And then because I was present in that moment, that is what got me out of it. I was then able to not just try to do jokes, but then also talk about, I'm not feeling good right now, man. What the fuck? I thought, I think I thought I was doing this really important thing about abortion. And I think I forgot to put a joke in there. Sorry, guys. I really crawled up my own ass on that. Like,

And then once I stopped taking myself seriously, it opened everything else. So it was, but again, that's how I can say, don't get too high in the highs, because I fucking did. Yeah, right, right. I did. And it cost me four months. Yeah. So, I mean, now, like, when you say don't take yourself too seriously, how hard is it not to

take yourself so seriously when everyone's kissing your ass all the time? Well, luckily, what I'm, what I'm very lucky about is I have a circle of friends who do not kiss my ass at all. I have a text thread that I'm on with people, again, like Blank a Patch and Dana Gould. And all we do is call each other on our shit constantly. He's guy Mike Drucker. And there's so much funnier than me. And you got to keep that circle around you that will. And also, look, the one thing I will say about the internet, except for the bots, there are people out there when you do embarrassing shit. I don't know if you remember there was a, I, I took a picture with Dave Chappelle.

Yes. And there was all this outrage from the trans community, of which a lot of them are my friends. Yeah. Because they were very afraid about some of the stuff he was saying. And because they're very afraid right now. They're fucking terrified. Yeah. And I did the duchiest fucking thing.

I wanted to write an apology. The apology, of course, was I still think Dave Chappelle is a genius. But when I've also learned that one of minorities. group goes, hey, we're getting fucked with. It's pretty good idea to not ignore that. Like, it usually turns out to be true. But what I did was I posted this picture. I posted this picture on my Instagram,

but me writing out the note in a fucking notebook and just got rinsed rightfully. Because it was so fucking pretentious and dushy. And just like, yes, I'm bringing. But my friends that were contacting me in my defense were really, really scared and terrified and freaked out. And I was like, oh, shit, I should, you know, show that I care. But I did it in the clumsiest fucking way. And again, still friends with Dave Chappelle.

What's your friends say about that? They fucking rinsed you? What'd your friends say about? They rinse you or what? Oh, my God. They were just like, oh, somebody called me, wait a minute. Somebody called me, oh, oh, look, it's, wait a minute. It's sorrowful the wizard on top of Apology Mountains

writing a fucking spell. I've never forgotten that. But again, in your career. Yes. The only thing would be worse if he's dipping a feather in ink. To whom it may concern. I shall, I shall, when they see me, they shall stop this madness. Just so, but again, if you look at anyone's career that you love,

of anyone that you worship and idolize. Not that anyone worship. I'm talking about like the actual icons that the Lenny Bruce is and the Richard Pryor's and stuff. Everyone does embarrassing shit. Everyone has their time in the barrel. It's okay. It's not fatal.

You're going to go through it. Let it happen. And that's going to be one of the things on the minus column at the end of my... Oh yeah, that was that stupid thing he did. Yeah, yeah. But then he also did this thing. It was good.

And then it all, people will sort that out later. But again, reputation, posterity, and cool will always fuck you up. Yeah. It's all about the art. So don't think about that. Go out and make big fucking mistakes. Yeah. Go out and do something like, oh, shit, that didn't work.

Okay. What was the biggest mistake you made? I think one of the biggest mistakes I made was I wasted way too much to, well, I mean, look, I made a lot of mistakes. Well, the Instagram picture was a huge mistake because it took all the focus off of what I wanted the focus to be on and it gave all these, a lot of these right-wing grifter douchebags the chance to go, see, he threw his friend under the bus. That's what I'm like, you didn't even read what I wrote.

I said, I think Chappelle's a genius. I still think he's a genius. He'll always be a genius. What did Chappelle say? What did Chappelle say? Huh? What, did Chappelle say anything? Yeah, he texts me.

He's like, I don't know what. He goes, dude, you're in the barrel now. You're just going to be in the barrel. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm like, yeah, I know. I've been in a barrel before. It's okay. It'll be someone's turned now.

So, yeah, but tell me about your biggest mistake. I interrupted you. No, it's okay. That was your biggest mistake, by the way. Ah! Sorry. No, the, um... I love you, Pat.

You're the fucking guy. I, I, when I, when I started, it off, I was way too worried about what other people thought of me. And I don't think you should completely disregard the audience, but I was doing that thing right when I started getting professional work. And maybe every comedian has to go through this, where I would try to anticipate what I thought the audience wanted to hear and where they wanted punchlines to land in terms of what my opinion was on things and when you pre-anticipate a crowd you're not giving them a chance to surprise you and you're taking away your chance to surprise them if you if you do the shit that you actually like and

here just here's how i fucking feel maybe because i've had i've been in front of plenty of conservative crowds and that have gone i don't agree with that but that's fucking funny you know what i mean like that that kind of thing and you don't and you rob them of the chance to to do that. So it wasn't until I got to San Francisco in 92 and saw comedians that truly didn't care what the crowd thought. And again, not in a mean way, just in this, here's what I'm doing. Here's what I want to do. Like, if you talk, I know that there's some genuinely edgy comedians out there, but if you've been back there back in the day and seeing people like Bob Rubin and Jeremy Cramer, you talk about making things difficult on an audience and being so out there.

Oh my God, it was just the shit they would do was insane. And so once I saw that kind of freedom, I'm like, just do what you want to do. You have to have fun first. If you're not having fun up there, the audience won't have fun and the whole evening goes down the toilet. Right. So I wasted a few years doing that. I'm going to be honest with you. You're the first community that I ever wanted to do, be an entertainer and be funny.

So you're one of my first guys. I saw your special when I was a kid. I just, I, you're the goat, man. And I'm like, this is like a full circle moment now that I'm like deep in my career and I'm like making people laugh and I'm making people cry and I'm making people think. And I'm like, I think about the first time I watch your special. And that was exactly what I wanted. I wanted a full circle, I wanted a full circle entertainment show. And you're the reason why I did that.

And you're my favorite cartoon rat. And yeah, you're next favorite cartoon rat. Wow. Wow. Take that all in. Suck it, Todd Glass. Suck it. Pat was first.

Yeah. Take your Charlotte's Web bullshit and hit the road. I'm the best cartoon rat. You know, without... Where did you grow up? I grew up in L.A. I grew up in L.A. Oh, you grew up in L.A.

Yeah. Calabasasas, West Hills. Oh, wow. And then what brought you out to Denver? Just so I could fly... Because we're still doing 90 fly-in date, so everything is three. hours away. So I could fly everywhere from Denver.

Wow. I love that you like almost militarily situated yourself for maximum, maximum efficiency in terms of flying. That's brilliant. Oh, yeah. I for sure didn't do it for the ketamine. It's a town. It's a fucking.

It's also great weather. It's a nice town. Yeah. But yeah, I'm like, I'm so diligent about working. I'm obsessed with work. Like you got like glass. Me too. I know you are.

That's why you were. That's why it broke my heart when you were just not in the fucking, with your wife passing, which is, I told you you had to mourn, but I know how much you loved work and I know how much, I mean, like, I'm a fucking fan of you, man, and I knew that just, and I didn't know you, and I didn't know you, and I just wanted to give you a hug, you know, because you're the, you got me, you got me going, you know, when I was a kid, when I was fucking sad. Yeah, that's, that's an interesting thing about the work. You know, it took me a while to realize.

there are certain people in this business. There's not a lot of them, but there are people that are all about, I'm going to make a huge killing and get the fuck out of it. They don't have any idea or desire to just have this massive body of work. So I try to pattern myself on people like Questlove and Jack White, and now Seth Rogan, who clearly, they have a whole bigger, more massive project of work they want to do rather than can I just get one big

fucking hit song and I'm like I'm not using comedy to get anywhere I'm where I want to be I've arrived this is where I want to work I'm not trying to get anywhere else all the other stuff is just incidental and gravy I'm happy to get to act in movies

and I get to write intros to books and edit things and but and I'm going to be directing very soon but I it'll always be, I want to keep doing this kind of work. Me too. Forever.

Yeah. And I did a show with you at the Largo with Goldman and Maria Blanford. Bamford. Banford, yeah, sorry. Blanford. Yeah, I dated Catherine. I dated Catherine Blanford, son.

I got that mixed up. They all start to run together. Yeah. But I wanted to tell you that at the Largo. Did we just find, did we just find the thing that's haunting Frasco? Yeah, yeah. Blanford.

Yeah. The one thing. Yeah, the one thing. It's more like a house of horrid. Shut the fuck up, Nick. Shut the fuck up. Simpson Tree House of Horrors. I know we only have till, I know we're out of time here.

I just wanted to say, thank you. You're the man. I'll always be your friend. I know, and with Todd, I know I'm going to see you in person and we're going to hug it out. But this was, hey, let me know when you're going to be in L.A. Send me an Instagram message. Yeah, I will. I'll let you know what I'm going to be in Denver.

This was a genuinely good conversation. I appreciate it. So I would. And I don't say this to every podcaster, I would love to hang. Anytime you want. And I mean that. Yeah, I know you've been gangbanging all these interviews. So us being last.

What was it like on King of Queens? Did you get to meet Jerry Stiller? Did you laugh every day on that set? Was it fun being fun for money? Yeah. Yeah, I'll shoot you a message. So we, our last question is we bring our podcast producer in here who hasn't listened to any part of the interview because he doesn't fucking listen to the interview.

So, Neil, come on in here. You're going to talk to Pan Oswald for a goat. Yeah. It'd be a fucking good question. It'd be a good fight. This guy's a goat. Say hi, Neil. Here we go.

Hey, man. Good to see you. Good to see you, man. All right. You're a roller coaster guy? How's riding the railroads been? Those box cars comfy or? It was a tough one today.

There was no room left. Those rail yard bulls. or they'll chase you, man. They're the worst. What's your question, Neil? Are you a roller coaster guy? No, not anymore. I used to be, and now something happened

and I go on roller coasters and I immediately throw up. Oh, man. Okay, well, was there like a really scary? Was there a spectacular roller coaster vomit situation that you can tell us about? Yes. Oh, fuck. Okay.

I did a, when I, last time I took our daughter to Disney land. We went to California Adventure and we went on... This is sort of... This counts as a roller coaster. We went on the Guardians of the Galaxy ride, which is that...

It's like a Tower of Terror. They drop you, you know? And this is a bit of a brag, but the guy that was running the ride recognized me. And so it's me and my daughter and her friends. And they were like,

hey, do you guys just want to, like, ride on this a few times? And all... She and her friends were all like, yeah! And we did it once. I mean, that's right. It's really, like, didn't mess with you.

Yeah. And then I did it twice. After my second one, I was just like, oh, this is not, this is not good. This is not good. And then the girls are all like, again, again, again. And I was like, Daddy's going to wait out here for you. I'll just wait in the thing. And then they think they were like five more times completely unaffected.

And I didn't throw up, but there was a trash can there because the bathroom was too far away to get to and then get back to get them. So I was like trying to strategically, if I had to like try to angle it into this trash can, like how was I going to do it? Like it was there and then it didn't happen. So, but it was a weird like having to wuss out in front of my daughters

because I'm like, oh, daddy doesn't have the inner balance that he used to have and is going to throw up. Way to make our guests feel fucking vulnerable. Get the fuck out of here, Neil. God damn, what the fuck is wrong with you? Get out of it. The 515 is leaving. Yeah, the 515 is leaving.

All right, Pat. I love you, buddy. I'll shoot you a message. Keep the good five of up. Yeah, I'm in L.A. I'm in L.A. all of, for 10 days next week. I don't know if you're in town, if you're, if you're performing or anything. I'm in town, but it's, I'm not performing.

It's all Thanksgiving stuff, but I am. Shoot me message. doing a screening of a movie that I bet you would love to come see. I'm doing the Q&A. Oh, I'd love that. So send me a message. I'll bring grass. We do Thanksgiving. Oh, yeah. We take mushrooms the day after Thanksgiving and we just talk for four hours. Of course. You mean Todd talks. He means Todd talks for four hours. Todd talks for four hours. I just listened to his therapy for fucking. Yeah, yeah. All right, buddy. Have a great day. Keep the fight up. Shoot me a message.

I love you. Good meeting. Good meeting. Bye, man. Bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, thank you. Bye, guys. Oh, man. He's the best.