Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade - RE-RELEASE - Fred Armisen

Episode Date: July 1, 2026

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Fred Armisen is our special... Applaus, yes. Yeah, our special republished. One of the most liked over there, he's just such a quirky, hilarious dude and everyone seems to light up and get along with this dude, including myself, including you.

Oh, yeah, he's super easy. And he's a drummer. He's a musician, so you can see that in his comedy work. But yeah, he's one of my favorites whoever did that show for sure. Something funny about him. You know, I don't think we talk about the Californians.

We're going to take out with five or something. And the way he did it and how committed he was. So weird. Yeah. Bill Hater and everybody. And Kristen, yeah. I saw him on a flight recently. And when it's funny, these guys that I don't know well,

I'll walk up and immediately go into bits. You know what I mean? Like I walk up and grab my, sir, you can't be in this aisle. Yeah, yeah, totally. and they get it right away and then they answer back. They go along with it and it's like, we don't even say hi, it's just you go right into a bit.

If there's an on switch, yeah, that equip from a peers on switch. Yeah, okay, we're joking around here. Yeah, we're going into something. Just go with it. So enjoy this republish. It's a fun interview. Fred Armisen. It feels like Fred, you're the first cast member.

Are we starting or is it where it's... Start this shit. Wait, can you hear me okay? Like, is the mic working okay and all that stuff? I can hear you. Unfortunately, yes. Can you hear me? Fred?

Yes. Crystal clear. Can you hear Spay? Can you, can you? Me? Now, Fred. Oh, God. Can't trick a trickster.

Bits? Of all the cast members of S&L, you had the widest range of ethnicities, what if the word would be, that you could play. Like, you could play like anything from all over the world. What was that about? It's just that, um. Keep your answer to one hour exactly. My mom's Venezuelan, and my dad is half Korean and half German.

So I think that they're, you know, they're immigrants. So I think somewhere in there, as far as DNA goes, that's how it worked out. You're all over. Yeah. But you're not offending anyone because you're a part 1% of something. So, yeah, that's a good idea. And it just, that's just how it worked out. And you know how it is over there?

Like when they have, you know, a role for you in one of the, the sketches, you just, you know, try to do it, you know. I played Tony Montana in a sketch, you know. I don't know if I could do that now. I was, whenever I do that, because I enjoy doing Scarface, the Tony Montana accent. I go, I'm doing Al Pacino's bizarre Cuban accent. And that seems to relax people. Like, I'm not making a statement about people from, from Cuba.

It is, it is tough if you're just trying to mimic something or mimic a look, which is the whole thing. and some are offensive and some aren't when you're just going, I'm just trying to do my best to represent that person, whatever that is, voice, hair, face, wigs. And then sometimes a wig will be counted as offensive. Or something about it will be offensive. And then more and more as time goes on. With me and Dana, not as bad.

With you, maybe it was a little tougher. A little, but then I think it just got tougher as the castes kept going. So as the years kept going, that kept changing. And it probably will keep changing. I'm just getting tougher for sure. I think so. But I think there's stuff I've looked up with other, I call them bandmates, your bandmates from, you know, that era with, you know, line them up.

It was as good as any cast by far. I mean, you had Maya, you had Amy, Youseth. You had Billy Hater. Yeah. You had Jason Sadeke. So you had an All-Star. Andy Sandberg. And you guys could get away with a lot in 2005, I think.

Yeah. Not so-called getaway. You could expand your comedy appetites, and then it did evolve into wherever it is. And get away with stuff. And get away with it. It sounds kind of negative, David. No, but listen, first of all, I apologize, my voice is so sexy, but I think I might, I don't know. What?

You may have COVID? No, I don't. I don't because I did. No, Fred, stop spreading the rumor. I went to James Gordon yesterday and they gave me a test. I don't have it, but I just feel, you know what, I just, I'm a hard worker. That's my crime. Oh.

I work so hard. I'm going to do my. Fred, you get it. My Christoph Waltz, I'm doing my new Christoph Walt's impression talking about that. So you're a hard worker. That's when I was in Duzoldoff people would say I look like a crazy person on the street. And this is just him in real life. He's not even, he's like, you're like, you're kind of like him, Fred in a way.

Like you, you hit these rhythms. them, you do stuff that makes me so happy. And I, you know, I don't like rankings anymore because people ask us, what's the best? What's the second? I'll just say you're one of my favorites because you're, you never pushed there all such quirky stuff. And even you and Bill Hader's Italian, a fake Italian guy, which I love that sketch, just how you, you just, you're playing it so real. It just says the guy eating, like I can listen to that. Forever. But shall we go back to the beginning? But Dana, coming from you, I mean, you know, like walking the halls of S&L, you just came up all the time as like the gold standard of how to have like an incredible first year.

I cannot believe even your first year. Oh yeah. He came out of the gate. We had cold open and never look back. Once I had the lady, I was, I was okay. But you came in as a. a feature player. So, and also, it was different back then. The show, there was only six of us.

Me Phil John. Jesus. What? And of, of main players. God. Just. No wonder you got fed.

Six little birds in the nest. Yeah. You got so many worms. Spirit. Michael Winslow. You fucking made fun of me on camera. I'll talk to you after the class. I did it once.

because you're a fan favorite on Kimmel. And then every time I did it, they laugh. So, you know, I'm a comedian. So I'm like, it's like, okay. I go, I'm David's, I'm sad. That's pretty good, actually. Anyway, but David, I didn't mean, also, I, I, doesn't, I didn't want to overlook the fact that you, how great you were on SNL as well. Thank you for swinging back.

Just, you didn't want to gloss over that. No, thank you, buddy. will give it up that data was the gold cent. When I got there, he was already crushing it. And then he just continued to mow down. Yeah. Thank you. We're recording, right?

This is recording. Okay. Good. We'll put it for your clip reel. This is called gold. No, but I don't know where to start with you. And I want to get to a lot of things. I hope you don't have much to do today.

I have like, I think four minutes and then we got to wrap it up. Oh, you got a hard, fast. I have a question for him, Dana. Before he gets, before you get to really young stuff, He hasn't really answered anything yet. We just talk over him. But Fred, one of my favorite things that I did not see live, but I saw today was such a great monologue when you acted out,

you doing a play about how you got us and L? Yeah. Like a one man's son. Yeah, it was so weird and quirky and interesting. And I loved how Dana. He does Lauren's voice in it. And of course, he does it really horrible. and nothing like the lawn.

Yeah, like a mafia boss or something. Yeah, you guys. I went to his office and he's like, hey, kid, come on. That's all written by Seth Myers, that monologue. Oh, for real? Top to bottom.

He just, oh, it was great. I thought, I just, you know, when you do that, I picture it at read through.

Sometimes monologues are people at home don't get put up at read through because they're not even written until Friday. Right. But if you do it at read through, I was thinking, fuck, he's got to move around and stay up.

That read-through is where you move, around are tough. Yeah. You can lose the crowd quickly. Also, Dana, you go like this. And the performance on Wednesday. Fred would go, because you walked off the stage and you went up to someone in the audience. Yeah.

What did you ask her? Don't answer. You know, like, what do you think? Yeah. What do you think? What do you think? What do you think? What is a real person, right?

Yeah, that was a real person. Yeah. Yeah. And then she doesn't want to say. So she finally goes, you think I'm blind. You think of life. She goes, no. And you go, don't answer, please don't want you.

Part of the show. And then you keep asking her. And she just said something else. And you go, God damn, you ruin it. You walk back. All that was so funny if you want to look it up. Thanks. But what I was going to ask you guys is where at readthrough,

what space did you go to to do stuff where you had to walk? Because you know how difficult it is around a table? Where were you when you had to sort of act something out? It was kind of over by Cheryl Hartwood on the piano. There was just a little wedge of a space there. And I did one once. I really didn't like to do it because it felt. like you're trying too hard, but I didn't want once

with Ben Stiller playing Bono. I was playing the edge and Dolly Parton had to stand up and we stood and did our little sketch there. That was the one I remember for you. Did you stand up a lot or move around in the... I'm the same. Like I did not like to do it because it was

just also, you know, of three sketches before it, you're sort of thinking, okay, where do I have to go? Where do I want to? But it was sort of over by kind of by the piano, but in between between those doors, there's like a main, these two main doors before you go into that, that writer's room in there looked like, looked like a little bit of a stage, kind of.

Yeah. But, God. Oh, the entrance to the writer's room. Yes. Kind of, kind of, in front of it towards the table. But we had so many fucking people jammed and read through room. I mean, it was, if people at home can picture like a big sort of square where everyone sits around all the main cast and Lauren and the host.

Yeah. Host and Lauren were by the window. I got to sit next to the host when Dana left. but before that I think I sat behind Dana. And then do you know where you were in that thing? Because it was like three deep. Like people were stacked in there. At the table, I was diagonally across to the left.

And I think I was at the same place every year, which I like. Yeah. Once you pick a place, you kind of stay there. And, you know, for people at home again, it's like three or four deep. And you have every department. You have a rep from every department. So Wigs will be watching a sketch like you do. And you see him scribbling going, oh, this is going to fucking suck.

This guy needs eight wigs in here. And then music, if you need them, Cheryl hits the piano or maybe GE's in there, and they help a bit. But you're right. You know what? You don't want to be sweaty. No. And so if you get up to do a bit, everyone's like, this better be three times as funny

as it when sitting down. Yeah, because you've got to walk up to that spot. That's the hard part. You've got a five-hour read-through. And everyone's like, what are you doing? Because you're snaking through with your little script. And, oh, he's moving up there now. And now he's going to perform.

With a ukulele and, oh, it's, it's, if it bombs, it's even 10 times more sickening. Awful. Dead silence. Yeah, that was on a nerve scale one to 10. I mean, where was read through compared to the actual show? I mean, it had its own terrors. I mean, you know, it went so long that sometimes it just got, you know, you just get sleepy as it's going. Five hours, right?

Yeah, yeah. So that kind of dissipates after a while. But it's the buildup up to your sketch that, you know. Oh, you see it coming and you're like, oh, no. And then something kills right before it. Oh, my God. Just fucked me. Oh, my God.

Yeah, I'd see it like right before it. It's like Adam's new song. I'm like, no. Come on. Give me a chance. Or something where you think it's brilliant. Something that you think is brilliant. And then when you get there, it's the exact opposite.

And that silence is the worst. Yeah. When they don't bite in the first joke that you think is, really great. You think the premise has been set up and you hit your first thing and it's it's less than nothing. No. There's disdain so consciously in the room.

You're not nine pages of pain. Yeah. When Tom Davis, well, no names, but when Tom Davis would write like a 17 pager and some of them really worked. And if it doesn't work by page four and you feel the whole wave just tap out and one leans back. Yeah. And you just go, oh, and if you're in it or if you're in it or if you,

you wrote it and you're like, please, God, let me just more and just go to the next one. Don't even, don't do this to me because I don't want to be like, yeah, da, da, they're just swinging hard and everyone already just said, no, not on this one. No, nobody. Even your best friends are like, it's not clicking and they kind of were quietly going. Yeah. So Fred, you, since we're on SNL, because you were on it, so you come in as a feature and then in two seasons, they, you go to the main company.

Like, how is that journey? How did that change? And what, what, what, what, we got that? I, well, I felt lucky to even be there at all. You know, even that first show, I didn't know that I was going to get on, you know. So, um, whatever it was, I kind of liked, there was like less pressure to be a feature player. Just this is kind of like, it's okay if on a couple of shows, I play an elf or something. Right.

So it's, well, you're not on at all. That, that happened. That happens a lot. Yeah. And we had a lot of cast members. So it's kind of nice. I kind of liked sort of easing into it. And then, you know, however many, that was like two years later, it was like a nice, I don't know, it's like it's a good feeling to, oh, I guess this, I'm actually part of the cast.

But it all felt like just a lucky break every step of the way. You know, even and not exaggerating, even the audition, even the audition, just being there up on, you know, just the, you know, where people do the monologues, even I was like, I cannot believe I got this far. I can't believe that, like, I'm actually on this. stage in front of Lauren Michaels. I was starstruck by when Michaels. And they sit in those little seats like where the audience at home sits during the monologue and the little chairs in front. Yeah. And the theater's empty. The studios dead empty. And it's a death march. What were the, like I don't really know your journey, just to go back a little bit. Because I want to talk about your music career and your musician. Musicianship. I just had a little pop earlier. He's a musician.

And then you start. How did you get your? How did you get your? your stuff together that ended up auditioning. Were you going to theater groups for three years? Or what was that journey from the music to comedy? I was doing music for a long time. Like all through my 20s, I was in a band and that's all I was going to do. We broke up. And then I started making videos of me interviewing bands and stuff as different characters. Yeah, I'm sure they were weird. It was weird. And I knew the band. So it was just a little, it was kind of. And all of a sudden that video, and it was on VHS, like sort of made the rounds. And I started to, I would be asked to be on some variety show.

You know, some like Cornelius, Cornelius Street, you know, something where there's a couple of comedians and some music. And I just started doing characters. I did this one character who I auditioned with Féricito, like a timbali player. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I, yeah, I. Yeah, that one. And then somewhere in there, like, it fit into stand-up shows.

So there would be, like, all these regular stand-ups, and in it, there would be this one weird thing. I would just, you know, do a character. I don't think there were any jokes. And that was something that I could sort of use as an act. And then Bob Odenkirk, so I started doing this at Largo in L.A. And I would do Fadesito. I did the self-defense expert. I did a bunch of, um,

characters and you know this scene was like where like zach galafanacus was nick swardson oh largo's great yeah largo is amazing it was kind of like the only place i performed at and then bob odencirk uh had me on uh a pilot for a variety a sketch show called next for fox it was just a pilot and i did these characters and you know there were sketches without you know everyone there was like you know a cast and everything but i had enough the pilot didn't go but i had enough video to send to SNL. So we sent it. Did Odenkirk help you with that?

Because he's a big deal at SNL. He really, he's responsible for me having all that, all of that together. Before that, I was just, just at Largo. He was the one who sort of made the work that I did legitimate to be on a Fox pilot. Sure. And he could spot that you were good. He, yeah, he was. He's great, too.

He knows all that shit. He goes and does like three other great sketch shows. Yeah. Yeah. Incredible. Yeah. And then from that video, we sent it into S&L and Marcy Klein saw it. She sorted it to Lauren. And the next thing I know.

Marcy, who's going to be on our podcast soon? She's coming on. Yeah. She knows where all the bodies are buried. Oh, yeah. I mean, she really, you know, made sure that Lauren saw it, the video. Yeah. And from there, then I just, you know, came into audition.

And I just did the same. Was that like five years? Sorry, just that timeline of what between musicians and. Like four. It's like four. So let's of, yeah, something like that was 2002 is when I got on the show. And then 99 is like kind of when I was making those videos. Like 98, 99.

So yeah, whatever that is. And then. Were you ever a straight, I'm sorry, a straight standup or was always like, never. You just came on. I don't want to say Variety Act, because it sounds like you're reducing it too much. So as characters, you'd go on and do. But that's hard to find stage time. if you don't go in and say I'm a stand-up.

They don't know what to do with you, right? Yes, but there are venues and shows going on that where it works for the show. So if there's like, if, you know, Pat and Oswald and Paul F. Tompkins and Karen Kilgara for doing a show, it's like the one little weird thing at the end that kind of works with the rest of the show. So that was like my...

Little paprika at the end, yeah. Yeah. That was like my sweet spot. So I did the audition as Fidesito, that timbali player, and I did him doing it. impressions and characters. So this way, there's like a way in. It does Liberace.

Yeah, yeah. I did, I did Sam Waterston from Law and Order. Can we hear a time? Yeah, I can't even picture. That's such a subtle one, is it? The trial judge heard the testimony. Why didn't you call 911? Why didn't you call the police?

Like this, you know. Oh, yeah. That's awesome. He just has something like his teeth. something. There's a way that it's in his, it's in like his skull. It's very trebly too and almost garbly.

Yeah. I love it. I kind of want to ask you, because these are things that pop up in my head. It's like your musicality and you're all that. How do, I mean, it's obvious it's informing your comedy.

And is that, uh, how do you find that connection? Like when I, when I was a guest host, you wrote a really funny musical thing we're in. And I was watching you just tap it out on some little computer and. Yeah.

Just like, I don't know if there's been a cast member. It was really a musician like you were and a brilliant drummer. So we'll get to that later. But how does that inform your stuff? Or is it just a completely separate part of your brain? No, no. It's just intuitive. It's completely, it was the only thing I knew, you know, like being in bands for that long.

That's all I knew was music. And, you know, I did have aspirations to, you know, I definitely had ambition to be on TV. but I was just in bands for so long that that's the only that's all I had was you know I could do parodies of songs or of a style the one that we did that you're talking about was like a parody of just like new wave music the sketch was that there's a Super Bowl party they're watching a Super Bowl and then they pause it because like let's let this new wave band play so everyone's really upset and it's really new wavy and uh kind of like uh yeah soft sell or the pet shop boys or something.

But it's just all I knew. And just the same way that some people, you know, could talk about their families or whatever or do impressions. For me, it was just music is like a crutch. It's like my only way in. It's a big plus on SNL if you can weave in music into something. They love it. But like, you're Sam Waterston is musical.

You know, it's extenuating him into these musical rhythms. You know, that's a rim shot. And he's like doing a speed, you know, he's like performing for the court, you know. Yeah. But picking that out. One of, yeah, nay, dain, dain, d'i, you know, it's like you're playing a cow bill. It's one of those impressions where you don't know there's an impression and then you do it. And everyone goes, oh, right, okay.

Yeah. Those are good because it's hard to break, it's hard to break ground and impressions and just come up with a new one. But I think that, like, Lauren is a really musical person. In fact, it's like, it was like the first, oh, like, oh, hello. It's, it's a, uh, hello, Fred. Hello. Hello, Daniel. Do you mean as an impression of him or as a person?

No, as a person. As a person, I think he's such a music fan that that's where it was easiest for me to connect with him as a person. So for me to talk to him about all the musical guests he's had on the shows. Interesting. It's such a quick, easy conversation to talk to him about all those music, which I love talking to him about, you know, all the bands that he booked. And it's just easy. And he's into it. of those were his decisions booking a lot of those bands. Fred, what do you think of Eagle Eye Cherry?

Should we do it? I don't know if the year, but yeah, I did, when I hosted it, it was Eagle Eye Cherry, and I go, Marcy, why do I get, I mean, not, no offense, but I didn't know who that was. And then the next time I didn't, and they go, the formula is big host, we don't need a huge music act. Are you saying I'm a big host? They're like, well, in this situation, it's a little different. I'm way. No, no, no, I like the first, I don't want to be the exception. to the rule. No. So yeah,

it's fun to have. I always wanted a big band, but. I remember when both, both of you hosted, those were both really, did we do something with me, you and Maya?

And we were like, and we were dressed like very snooty and I came to your house or something. Yes, we were, we were this design couple. Yes. Like this Danish design.

So we had all these chairs, but the whole job is like the design of the chairs. Yeah. God, I love Maya. Maya and I did a song too. who cares. But back to Fred.

Fred, you're going to get to talk toward the end of this. But I do have another sketch I like, Dana. I'm going to tell Fred just to, you know, boost his ego. Sure, let's hear it. Yeah. Have you ever had someone zone out?

A couple. Yeah, a couple of, no, I don't think so. We always have to scream at them for interrupting me and Dana talking when it's their show. So you had one called Cocheck, but was that really cut? Is that really wasn't on air?

Yes, that's a set. Wesley strong one. That's a great one. But they put it online, which is kind of the same thing now. Oh, it's great. I mean, I wish we had fucking online. Oh, my God. I know.

Best of dress. We wouldn't have thought about stuff getting, can you imagine? We used to joke about best of dress. Oh, that'll be on best of dress because it never gets on. But she was your girlfriend in it? Yeah, so good. Girlfriend. Wow.

Okay. Remember when she kept saying that? You go, hey, we're a couple now. She goes, couple. Wow. Okay. It's so good. That was a really weird one and it was perfect because it was pretty simple.

And Dana, he kept asking for his coat. It's hard to explain. Yeah. And like, this is not my coat. Does this not make of a coat I would wear? God damn. You know how it is. I mean, but it would seem like it was working.

But I do feel like it made its way on. I mean. Oh, well, the fact that I saw it, like, that's great. If anyone can just see it. Yeah. And I think they put it online the next day or something. So it's, it had had its own life for sure. But it was brilliant.

Sometimes dresses are a little rough run the edges because you don't even know the fucking lines. You haven't done it since Thursday or something or Friday. No. And you're just doing it live. You're like, I rehearsed this once, two days ago, and we're already in front of a crowd. It's dressed, but you're still like figuring it out

and you're remembering the blocking in the air. You kind of go, okay, I know it a little better. Yeah, yeah. That's the fun of dress. I like that. Yeah. So, I mean, there are those times where you don't quite understand what's happening in the sketch.

Like, where am I, what am I in this? Yeah. Do I have an accent halfway through? I did a Jack Handy sketch with Robert Mitchum. And neither of us knew what the sketch was about. He was a beekeeper in the Himalayas or something. Jack Handy, you know, so brilliant. Did Jack Candy stay around for you guys or no?

No, he was gone already. Have you heard about him? Yeah. I mean, also his deep thoughts. It's amazing. You know, that really stood the test of time. It's almost like a fake guy. You hear deep thoughts of Jack Handy.

and people go, wait, is it a real guy? That's what I thought when I got there. Visit BetMGM Casino and check out the newest exclusive. The Price is Right Fortune Pick. BetMDM and GameSense remind you to play responsibly. 19 plus to wager. Ontario only. Please play responsibly.

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and access better data across the business. The result? Less time spent on operations, more time connecting brands with the moments and fandoms that matter most. Learn more at Accenture.com slash Spotify. Oh, your camera went, uh, David, your camera went dark. I know. David, David, what are you doing? Heather.

Did your lights go out? Did your lights go out? I had worked out front. They probably cut through the fucking. Oh, there you are. You're like, you're like fading in. But your sound is good. Jesus.

Heather made it worse. Wow. Oh, there you go. There you go. Ferreicito. I didn't think that was possible. You know what? Hashtag mansion probes.

Hey, Fred, did you, what was your, your team stuff? What was your favorite? Like, you know, I know you had the Californians, which I was watching that, like that maybe three weeks ago. And you came in and there was, you did it so earnestly. Yeah. Your guy. And it just, I don't know, that sketch really kills me.

And I guess the arbitrariness of that, like, I think Bill said you got on the soundstage and suddenly you were doing that guy, or was it in read-through? It was, it was, really, it was a bit also we would do at the table. You know that moment before you're actually reading the sketches? We did, like, we would, you know, everyone goes to L.A. in the summer. So when we came back, we would just start talking, like, where were you? Were you in, oh, I was in L.A.?

Like, did you go up bar them? Did you make a left on? And then they sort of, you know, built up and built. We kept doing it. And then I worked with this writer James Andrews. and I was like, what do we do with this Californians? What can we do with these directions? And he was simply like, why don't we just make it a soap opera?

It's such an odd call, though. I know, but that's kind of like the magic of, this is so corny. It's the magic of working with writers that, like, I never would have thought of that. And just to have someone say, let's make it a soap opera and then it's done. But for standups who write their own material for utterly, and when you get on SNL, and suddenly somebody is handing you something. And you go, wow, this is great. Yeah.

And it just got handed to me. That was relevant to me. Like, wow. Or taking your idea and greatly improving it. Like, oh, this is so much better. Yes. So it was exhilarating, really, to collaborate. You go knock on anyone's door and you go, we read this once.

We have a second. And they go, even down, he goes, you know what, what I might? what I might do is at the end, there's something funny about if you just don't ever say that. And I'm like, oh, okay, yeah, yeah, yeah. And then that's all you get. And then you go and you figure it out. But if they can give you anything, just fresh eyes, you know,

and they're all smart. So they're all thinking, what's the best for this? That's such a gift. It's hard to get people to write with you. And they care. They care about the peace being good. Right. So their advice is always the best advice.

Oh, I'd see them. If you came off something that's, someone else had written and it worked. There was like a little, quick little party. Yeah, they love you. Kind of backstage, like, hugging. Oh, man, it crushed it. So that was a real high for them.

And I didn't really realize till later that, at least back then, at least half the writing staff wanted to be performing as well. They were in the writer's box for a while. And then they, you know, like Bob OdeKirk, you know. Yeah. And then he got out of that. Yeah, they were both on our. Conan as well.

They'd write themselves in just little things in it. it wouldn't seem to work. They would just, not that they weren't good, but they would be replaced. Maybe we had too many cast members, and it was very hard. It was because I was a feature player, very hard to get on.

We had too many miles to feed, and I think that's sort of the norm now, just too many. How many were in your cast? You were in, like, different casts. I feel like you were. Yeah, he was overlapped to me. Yeah.

Yeah. It was tough when I got there because these guys were, everyone was a fucking, you know, know, first ballot Hall of Famer. And so you got, you know, you're going to do something instead of Phil Hartman, no chance. You know, Lovitz was even there for a little bit. Dana and Dennis Miller and Jan Hooks and Nora Dunn were both unreal.

Mike. They were great. So, and then they influxed Farley and Sandler and Schneider's, very good sketch guy. Chris Rock. Chris Rock and Tim Meadows. So, you know, it's just not enough to go around. It's just that's the way it is. But that's your memory.

of it as a viewer, I never thought of that. I was never like, oh, David Spade isn't getting enough. I was like, I was always like, did you see the thing that he did on update? Yeah, all you needed something for them to remember, yeah. Yeah, and then that's like the, yeah, that's the main memory from it. Never did I think that you. And it's better to be in almost less than just make them try to work because I told Dana that the first show I came into, they brought you in a day early and to watch the show.

And Lovitz was all depressed. He's only in two things. And he goes, well, Dana's in six. and I go, I said what you said, I said, I've never seen this show and thought someone was light. Still, I just think, there's that guy I love. Oh, that's funny. He's in that.

Couldn't even, was never counting lines or sketches. And then when I got there, I fell right into it. I preferred personally, like, to be in two things maybe. Totally. You know? Or a third as a supporting character. Yeah. But to shepherd a sketch, even one where you're kind of the executive producer of your sketch,

is very nice. That's why, and I was going to ask you about when you hosted S&L, the difference in that, because you have to really let it go. You're kind of in, have to prepare 13 or 14 sketches and then six or eight get cut. So what was that like emotionally for you when you came back? You did 11 seasons at the time as long as anybody, right? Huge run. And then you come back and host and you come out and do your monologue and they're screaming.

I mean, it's surreal, isn't it? How did you feel about it? I mean, I loved it so much. You know, like, what a highlight in life, just in general. Yeah. But the experience, you know, of handing everything over. Like, I really was like, I was still in the mode of like, oh, man, I got to take care of all these sketches, make sure I write this much. And you're doing so much other stuff that everything is taking care of for you.

So all these writers are coming up with stuff. I didn't even have time to think. And then it just turned out great. on its own. So I really like that part of it of just trusting everyone and then that worked out. And then laser focused on you. Yes, and they know you. They know what you like to do and what, you know, what's going to work. It's such a big transition on the show when you, the audience starts to be familiar with you. And I don't know how many shows it takes, but you see people all the time who come on, unknown. And then they turn it, turn it better, better, better. The audience

goes, I like you, man or woman. Yeah. And then it gives you so much more confidence. Yes. Because you can feel that they're on your side already as opposed to, is this guy going to make it or is this woman going to make it on the show? And so when did you start to feel that? Like four years in, three years in? That's what I was going to say.

I was going to see like three or four years in. I did this judge, what was his name, Judge Seidlin or something? And something, he was like the Anna Nicole Smith, judge, you know. Oh, yeah. Something in there felt like I had to work less, meaning like it was like, oh, please, please like this. It felt a little more like I could come out and update and it was okay.

And you're right. Like there's a feeling of being familiar that I really liked. But something in there, I don't know, three years or something. Yeah, that I think is pretty typical. And when you were out there with your different bandmates, it seemed like. Like you, you know, obviously had Garth and Cat with Kristen Whig, who's supernatural sketch performer. And then you and Bill Hader, just to me, just had a symbiotic thing as well. We did.

We just mixed really well. And we see someone new when you got out there and the band's playing, you get there doing your tie or whatever it is. And you see Bill, he calms you down. I mean, where were you on the nerve scale? I was kind of okay on the nerve scale. I don't know why. I just, you know, I just enjoyed it and had such a great time. But being with Bill really felt like I was really with my friend.

Like we made each other laugh so much. And we just identified with each other, supported each other. There was something in that relationship where it just was really supportive and fun all the way. God, he made me laugh all the time. I mean, everybody did. But there was something with him that I felt like we were going through, I don't know, the same experience. You know, being a favorite writer? James Anderson because we wrote so much together.

We just always ended up writing together. But you know, someone. Yeah. Yeah. But, you know, but when you're there, I mean, there's so many people who are so prolific. I remember when I first got there, seeing Tina Faye's work ethic was incredible. That changed. Just to see how focused someone could be on writing without ego, that was like a real.

It kind of, I was like, that's the way to be. That's the way to be a writer. She was, God, she was so good. She can just write great jokes, just one after the other. Yeah, I don't know. She has some kind of frequency that just they come to her. She reminds me as Steve Martin in many ways. I don't know why.

She's kind of put them together in some ways. You know, they write great books. Yeah. They're intellectuals, but they don't wear it on their sleeve at all. No, there's a humility to it. Yeah. But it's still effortless somehow. They just sit down and then all of this stuff starts coming.

out week after week. I couldn't believe it. So yeah, she goes, but everyone, Seth Myers is also sort of selfless and works really hard. Like he just worked throughout the whole night. Were you hired as a writer performer? No, I was just feature player. Just feature player, but you know how it is. We just, we write here. Sure. I'm just saying as Dan and I, we asked people because I was a writer performer. I didn't want to be a writer and they wanted me to be more than they wanted me to be a feature player and Schneider same thing we hired together but Dana was hired straight cast because he's such a home run hitter and then but no writing but that kind of sucks because everyone writes yeah so

it's like who decides it's a weird decision to go you're not a writer especially feature because you're just scrambling to get on so you have to write an update or something no one even knows you yeah we just accepted it I mean it's really just the platform of being on SNL. If you were a main player, Phil did get a writing credit because he had written Peewee's Big Adventure with Peebe Herman.

But I never added that. A problem with it, but I... What one? Remember when he goes, I'm a bad, bad apple rotting of the core. Oh, yeah. That was me. He was in jail all the time.

So do you mind if we go back a minute and just talk about your drumming? Sure. just a big fan of drummers and I have favorite drummers and I loved your special stand-up for drummers. For drummers where you just go through at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. Yeah, yeah. And all the kits set up and you did all the styles.

Yeah, yeah. So, so great. Do you get a lot of feedback from other musicians and drummers about how? It's like exactly, first of all, thank you. That's very, very kind of you. And, you know, I love drumming so much. it's like the biggest part of my life. And, you know, that's how I got into and whatever, show biz or entertainment.

I just still love watching drummers. I still love playing. And the things people have said to me is, it's like, that was my goal. I was like, I just want something where, like, drummers can come up to me and feel like they're part of an inside joke that they can, you know, have like a really heartfelt conversation about like, oh, man, I'm a drummer. And I know exactly what you're talking about. And it's really, that's really gratifying.

And that whole thing with the drum kits was just like it visually looked cool just to have all these old kids and go to the 80s. And you go one after the other and play all these styles. I mean, it's such a singularity as a stand-up special. It's like completely its own thing. But thanks. Thank you. I love the way you play. I just would call you just very musical.

You have a heavy foot. You're very light on it. You're very organic with it. I just like to watch you play. Some drummers you can kind of work with them a little bit. Like, are they going to make it with you? I feel very relaxed. Wow.

What a thing to say. That's so, so funny. I just, all sincere, I just wondered the drummers that inspired you stood out for you. I mean, people, Pepsi Coke, it's always, for my generation with a friend of mine, it was Ringo Star or Rolling Stones. Charlie Watts. Charlie Watts. Charlie Watts, are you?

Like, you have to be one or the other. You're either Charlie Watts or Ringo Star. That was like back in the 70s. And who was some of your favorites? Well, my favorite, like the guy who, like, I really emulated was Clemberg from Blondie. And the first time I ever saw him was on S&L. Whoa. And he's like, because, you know, he's, he dresses like in a little suit.

Like, he looks like a mod. And his drum kit is set up, like, it's like this red sparkle kit, like, very flat. Yeah. And so the aesthetics of how he was. I was like, that's a great way to be. So he was like, he's like my favorite drummer. But to your point, I love Ringo. I think everybody loves Ringo.

I think there's like a myth that, like, there's some controversy about it. He doesn't have a bad rap, right? He doesn't rap. He's not good, right? What's the myth? No. The myth is sort of like, well, you know, he's people talk about him like, you know, he's actually a great drummer. Every drummer I know loves Ringo.

Even privately, they'll go, no, those are expressive fills. He's great. Everyone loves him. Everyone loves him. You put on She Loves You on YouTube, a live, mix. And the way he goes to the lower Tom, I know he's at left-handed drummer, just this little fill. Yeah. Like he did these little fills and they were so electric. And he gets shinier and brighter, just like the whole band does. For me, personally, I think that it was such a wave that is still

hitting the sand. We were trying to comprehend why and how that happened. Yeah. That much great music in 72 months with these four guys. Yeah. He was perfect for them. And everyone knows. that sound. Everyone knows. You just, you can picture, you can hear his drumming in your head when you think of any of their songs, you know. Yeah. He's stylized to the, to the, to the, to the song. So when you're playing with your bands and you came up, like, you know, kind of divo clash. Yeah, yeah, yeah, all that stuff. That type, that type of sound. Yeah. And what is the, I'm doing, divo going, don't, don't. And you're, you're kind of probably a ride the pocket guy with, with, with, with some fills or you just know, how would you describe

your stuff. Ride the pocket guy. Right the pot. Well, the ride the pocket is a yeah. Like fewer phil, there's this thing that happened. Yeah. Say again, you integrate the fills into the beat. Yeah. That's, yeah, it's exactly what I was going to say that in new wave and in punk, they had this thing where they would do these busy beats, these beats that were like, that had Tom's in them, you know, throughout. Yeah. So it wasn't a fill. It was just like, that, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, bampa. So the Tom's were in it without like, like a crash at the end of it.

It was just like, that's what the beat was. And that's how I learned. Alan Myers from Devo played like that. So, yeah, it was just part of the beat. But it was all, none of it was complex time signatures. They were all four-four. So I'm really into like four on the floor, just keep the kick drum going.

I like the simplicity of that. But, yeah, it's like busy, but those aren't fills. Can you play to a click track in a studio? Does it throw you or does it help you? It helps. It's frustrating. I'm like, I actually, I don't think I'm great at tempo. I think I speed up.

So sometimes I have to, especially during the pandemic, there was like a lot of stuff that I had to do to a click. But now I'm used to it. So it's frustrating. People don't know. It's like that in your headphones. And on the fourth beat, you come in. Yeah.

And it sounds like this on the headphones. Is it like looping? It's just so that you don't lose the, the tempo. You know Lederman over there at Seth. Yeah, yeah. Yes. He's like the producer.

Do you find yourself drumming, like if you're driving a car or just drumming with your mouth? Yeah. Or tapping away. All the time or tapping on your keyboard, fingers, just doing a beat and stuff like that. Yeah. Yeah. When you're driving. I just love rhythm.

Yeah, yeah. What about you? Who is your favorite drummer? I don't know. I think. over time there is a the most mesmerizing thing I watch a couple times a year

there's so many Buddy Rich solos there's one I think it's in black and white whatever to me his just technical skill is so mesmerizing and that solo that he does and he did it over and over again but it builds a certain way and he's got the snare going from super fast to like just down to nothing

and then right back again and then he's doing all the fills and all the stuff But, you know, I was listening to Fleetwood Mac the other day because I have a car stereo that blows my mind. And I just go, man, I love Mick Fleetwood. He has a sound and a pocket that's so simple, but it really waits all that brilliant melody. So I kind of, I go for the band. Yeah, it's so bassy. I mean, obviously, John Bonham, everyone says him.

I still don't understand him. I don't know where he got his sound, like his kick drum. the value of that with his snare blows my mind, you know, just the sound of it and how it was I know. People keep trying to explain it. People keep trying to explain him his style or how he got that sound. And I've heard so many different explanations. So I've heard people say, well, he's actually very jazzy and he plays lightly.

It's the way he tuned his drums. And I have no idea. I'm the same. I have no idea how he got to be that way. Keith Moon, I love. Keith Moon, I can listen to. forever. Love Keith Moon. Just couldn't imagine

anyone better. Who's next? The way he is so busy, but it's so part of the music. Yeah, he's like a genius. He's fun. It's like it's fun to listen to him. Playful and fun. Yeah. Oh, David, I feel bad. We won't talk about

drummers. I just, I'm sorry. Jesus. Let's talk about Tinder and how to meet a gal. Oh, David. I'm kidding. I'm looking at it. It's Google. Fear of Heights and he feels bad for everyone he's gone out with. I think I have one of those. Are those your quotes?

These got quotes, yeah. Fear of fear of heights and feel bad for... Not any... I feel less that way. I mean, that quotes... Oh, good. So I feel less that way of as, you know, as time has gone on.

I feel like I'm not married, so I feel like I'm not nailing it somehow along the way. That's not true. That doesn't have to be the end point. Because some people do get married, and it doesn't work out. Yeah, I know. So go easy on yourself on that.

I thank you because it is tough because it is, it is, if you really think about it, it's very hard to sync that up perfectly. It's very hard. I would say that's true. Yeah. And Dana did it right. And that's why I got to deal with Dana

because he, he's had the same beautiful wife. I was a terrible single person. It's just, I would feel so sorry because no woman who wanted to be with me, was carnal about it, if they wanted a boyfriend, he's cute, you know. And if I was there for other purposes.

But I really enjoy being married. I like having a friend. You meld into each other. She listens to the podcast. Yeah, she's our eyes and ears. She's my confidant, like I run everything by her just because she knows me since 1979. Oh, that's so nice.

And she enjoys this podcast. And I go, really? Because I can't listen to myself, blowviate. But Fred, can I, you're... Bloviate. You're an emotional character and your sensitive character. And I remember you, like we all are. We're clowns that are wounded, but whatever it came from.

But I want to ask you first, you sent me an email after you left S&L and you kind of said, how do you process no longer being on the show? Speak to that. Yeah, because like, like, I like, I like the experience. of being an ex-cast member, because we all get to go back and do stuff. But, you know, that feeling, because I used to, or still do, admire ex-cast members. I like how they go on to do other stuff. You know, there's something about that tradition, whatever it is, movies, other TV shows.

I was like, what is that life like? And, you know, just seeing how Molly Shannon was afterwards and she didn't keep working on stuff. And then just watching your career, same thing. I was like, what does Dana Carvey do afterwards? And then every year there's a new feeling. Like, okay, I'm still kind of there. I know a lot of those cast members. Then I'm talking about SNL.

Right. And then it just turns over. A couple more of cast members. And in about four or five years, all of a sudden, it's all new people. And you start to see people you do not know. And so that feeling, that's what I was asking you about. I was like, what does that look like? What does that feel like?

I kind of like it. But every year that goes is just like you're further and further away. You know, from like the actual, you know, the blood, the meat of the show. Well, how about hosting when you don't know anyone? It's just so much different because you go, I wish I could host when it was on the show. And you go, I know how this thing works. I know how everyone is and be perfect. First of my host is, I knew a few people.

second time, I didn't know one person. And then you feel scared like, oh, I feel like a real host where what does everyone do? Who's that person? You know, people talking to me. I don't know if they're a cast member. I don't know if they're a writer. How do you handle it, Fred? Feel alone.

When people or other performers or people come up and sort of, you know, tell you very, very flattering, sincere things. Like you're in that mode now. I'm sure if you run into cast members now, somewhere they would be, Fred Arverson, I got to tell you, that sketch you. did. And it's all, it's all a surreal circle and it's still going. And the fact that we're, we're part of the continuum is sort of where the gratitude comes in. But how do you handle people just, Fred Armerson, get out of town? It's so nice. And people are really kind. People are so nice

about it. They say all the right things to remember, all the sketches that, that I love. They love doing deep cuts. Someone will mention, you know, a dress rehearsal, sketch. Yeah. I love it because that's the way I was when, you know, I got to meet whoever, Chevy Chase, you know, whoever it is, Lorraine Newman, I'm the same way. So I like that. I like that tradition. And just people are just, are cool. I don't know what it is.

When they get excited, it's nice. Also, they're, while they're talking to, they're figuring out other things you've done or other sketches. Yeah, yeah. And you also do. Yeah. Because when I walk away, they go, oh, I didn't even think that. But that's cool.

Like, I just saw your new girlfriend sketch where you played Regina or something. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. God damn. That was funny. Also with James Anderson. That was like an intellectual. I just like, you know, someone, it's that, that's, that's, um, people who don't like to do small talk. Like every conversation has got to be deep. Yeah, exactly. I know. See, like that, that premise is, uh, just so great. And it's well done. You know, rather than just church lays out there. She's in a religious nutball. No, no, it's fine. I mean, every era has its own. Yeah, yeah. It's just evolution. It's just evolution. Once you get to SNL, even back when I was there, you're going, fuck, Every sketch has been done, you think, in your head. Right.

And then it's been 20 more years of just new sketches, but it's hard to crack the code. It's like writing a song. You go, this is kind of like that one they did. This is kind of like, it's hard. I know. And the game of which cast was the best. Yeah. Forget all that.

Yeah. The current cast is always the best. I agree. And also, for every cast, there's always great enough people in it that you could pick out stuff that is, you know. Yeah. That's fantastic. And I still watch writers. They still look at, I know Dan Bool is a writer there.

That's the only one I think I know. But these guys come up. I watch the sketches. Even if somehow it doesn't work, I look at the writing and go, shit, man, that was a good idea. They did it pretty well. They're still good stuff. And they probably get hammered right now about it.

Because like every present cast, people are mad because the old ones gone. Yeah. But I watch all the time. If you can do, like you were kind of like a jazz player. I'm just using it where it's loosely, but if you can do dry smart stuff and make it kill with like huge laughs,

you know, that's always a real rush. Some things are more rock and roll and more high energy and on base and pushed and some are kind of subtle and a little different, but when you hook the audience

on S&L and one of those, it's really fun. I got it with Carson. That was, it was a very, for my part in that sketch was very dry. Did you have some favorites,

kind of? It's hard to ask people their favorites. No, that's okay. I don't mind. Like, the way you envisioned it and the way it turned out, you know. I think because the thing is like as much as I could take credit for it, I got to give credit to Lorne.

That's why it's easy to talk about. We do too. He's the guy who, you know, on paper it looks like it's not going to work. And he's the guy who goes, let's put it on and see if it's going to work out. And for me, it was like this comedian I used to do on update who had no punchlines. Like he just would open up a newspaper. and just point out the headline. Can you do that on command?

Could you do 10 seconds of it? It's just kind of like, you know, pick up the New York Times. He interrupts himself. Yeah. And it's just him going like, like, look at this. Congress is going to donate. It's going to have like $8 billion for the Ukraine. You can't.

What? You can't. There's no on any other day. If any of us, and he just keeps going until there's no, you know, there's no, you know, there's no. There's no. There's no punchline. It's just pointing things out and being outraged.

It's really fun. And then another headline. Anyway, God, it sounds like I'm, I don't mean to pat myself on the back about it. I feel bad. You got to like some of them.

Come on. No, that's a skilled thing. If you try to do it yourself, it's difficult. It's kind of a skillful. If you can get a weird bit like that and get it to work, it's fucking huge victory.

Yes. And, yeah, and the fact that they put it on update, I just feel like that would, there's no jokes in it and then, you know. But we,

You know, we do give Lorne credit for stuff, like you just said, that he will go for the really weird dry things. Sometimes he likes the rock and roll things. He likes a mix. He likes big laughs. But he also, let's just see if it works. Everyone has a Lauren impression officially. What's your take? I like doing the one.

I like doing the one of the, of like, the warm greeting. So, like, if everyone comes out to dinner, you know, there's this thing that he does where he does, where he sort of is super polite. And if he saw you, he'd say like, hello, Dana. Hello, David. Like a very warm. Yes, I like that version of them. That's a frequency I've not heard.

Uh-huh. No. Everyone always is doing this. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, do. You know, that's an exaggeration of Lorne backpedaling because you misunderstood what he was saying. Yeah. All I'm saying is that this and that.

Or you mean we shouldn't put it on? No, no, no, no, no, no. And then you get them back. And then you get them back. But you can't imagine S&L without Lauren. I just think he's the, he's obviously the linchpin sensibility-wise. I think the Ivy League guys come in

and they respect his intellect. They respect him as a smart person. And he has that. And he also likes, you know, stand-ups that kind of shoot for the fences. Yeah. Before we go, I always, no, we don't have to wrap up because I'm having so much fun, but I always like to ask our guests three things.

Sure. Just to, I like to put Fred, I'd like to put you at like, you know, eight, ten, 11 years of age. So a toy, and you don't, if you don't have to answer, you don't have, a toy that you remember that you really liked as a kid, a bicycle that you might have got, and any music or television show or film that really blew your mind. those formative years. So you're saying eight, well, like, what grade is that?

Well, I always say five to 12 is the formative years. So like kids, like like being a little kid. Yeah. I had Rock and Sock and Robots to get you started. They didn't last long, but that really blew my mind. Rock and YOLUILOC and robots.

I would say, I think I really liked, I had like six million dollar man action figure. Yeah. And it had, there you go. It had so many details to it. Like you could add so much to it.

Yeah. Like put on little helmets and stuff. Yeah. A little helmets. It's not good. And the eye. And the eye, you know exactly what I'm talking about. The eye, like, you could look through the eye and it sort of like blinked.

It had like a light, but like a sort of lens. And then if you rolled off his skin off of his left arm, there's the mechanics of his bionic arm. Yeah. You know, it was really cool. And you were like 10. It took a lot of imagination because it looks cool, but it doesn't really do much. So you've got to kind of make your own scenarios in your head, which is good. Would you put it in dirt and stuff?

Like a little trench or not be like a little, I don't know, like a rocket ship. Some rocket he was in, you know, I don't know. Yeah. Some vehicle of some kind. So there were a lot of things you could get for it that I really liked. Bicycle, I had like an, I'm thinking of the word Apollo. I had an Apollo something like a yellow one with like a banana seat. Banana seat, yeah.

I grew up in the suburbs of New York and I remember endlessly riding with my friends. I was really young, but there was no sense of like, hey, be careful. None. You tell us where it was just. Not a helmet in sight. Nothing. No helmet. Yeah.

You know, main streets like with traffic and me and my friends were just right around and forever all afternoon. Not even be careful. Nothing. Oh, yeah. Nothing. Yeah. In wipeouts, you just had to get home like squeak, squeak, squeak, your legs bleeding.

Yeah. If you can look back at a sense memory way, when you had your, I had a stingray kind of a knockoff, but you get on your bike and Saturday morning and you start going and the wind in your hair and you're pedaling this bike. And then if you go shoot hoops or run around a park or a school, your bike's just tilted over and you go

and you get your bike with your friends. It's just sort of magic. Yeah. Yeah. And the aimlessness of it. Like also being with your friends and you're just yeah. Yeah. You know. Yeah. Yeah. Going up hills and yeah. Yeah. That's it. Just like laughing with them when it's not a school day and you've got the whole

day, just do anything. It's getting dark. I remember the getting dark part. That's kind of like, all of a sudden it's like there's no lights and your friends look different in the light. You've got to get home. You're supposed to get home and it's getting darker and darker. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

The best. The best. It's funny that there's dirt involved. I feel like there's a lot of dirt like fields. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, a park where there was mud. Someone made a little dirt jump.

Yeah, yeah. I could do a wheelie. I could do a wheelie for like a quarter mile. Really? If you had that loot, kind of a very light chain. Yeah, I had a heavy back tire. I had a BMX bike. So once I got up, I was a skateboarder too.

I don't know if that help it. I could do goddamn wheelie. And I thought it was King Cock. I had a medium dick energy. King Cock. Was that a doll that you had too when you were 10? You know, like. King Cock.

That would have been a great doll. If you want a $3,000 a month payday for life, what would you feel free to do? Maybe take a long weekend, every weekend, or try a bunch of new hobbies. Would you feel free to upgrade and listen ad-free? Don't worry, we get it. Every $20 ticket can win you $3,000 a month for life

and supports life-saving cancer research at the Princess Margaret. Feel free to buy your payday for life ticket today. Raffle number 155-2194. Please play responsibly. So Fred, also just, I like either TV shows or movies that blew your mind between it, 8 and 12, whatever. I don't know if this was 8 and 12. I think it might be.

It could be 13. There's no heart. It's just a conversation starter. For some reason, Planet of the Apes jumps out at me as like, of like the idea that like I thought about Planet of the Apes all the time. So there was the movie, but there was still the sort of, there was still like in my head,

I'd be like, wow, the Statue of Liberty and wow, they took over. And, you know, there were these intelligent, dude, you saw the Statue of Liberty at the end where you're like, what the fuck? Yeah. That was unreal. I was like this. No way. Where are they? I know. Rod Serling, I guess, came up with that.

Did you notice after the spaceship crashed that they walked across the desert for like 20 minutes having philosophical arguments? Charleston and the two astronauts? And then they reveal the monkeys riding horses. Yeah, with the nets and they're all grabbing them. With the nets and the music. Yeah. That was, you know, Bill Hader, your bandmate, he mentioned his one was text. driver.

What? As the movie that blew his mind, he saw it when he was young. I mean, I did not. Very dark. No, I saw it. No, I was a, I was a grown-up. I was a grown-up writing. I wouldn't understand how crazy that was.

I didn't, it made me scared or sad or something. Yeah. Bill would have been like 10, 10 years old or something, but he always, you know. I was like powder, you know. I'm like very sensitive, so I couldn't handle those movies. Yeah, I saw a taxi driver. I can't have blew my. mind.

No. Bill Hater. Yeah. I know. No. I don't know. His voice is so interesting. And then he went into a Daniel Day Lewis in there will be blood that his voice was so transformed.

Because his speaking voice, you wouldn't imagine he'd have such a range that he has. Yeah. Because he goes kind of like, hey, how are you? Yeah. I have a subpocharting problem. It's not enough that I... But, um, now, what do you think goes on in, in Bill's skull? Like, where, why can you do that?

Like, what can, why can he do that with his voice? That he can go that deep, but he talks up here. Yeah. That's, uh, unique. I think that's kind of unique. That's a real physical. It's like, there's talent, but there's something physical going on. Like something's wrong with him.

Yeah. Yeah. Because he can go into Howard Stern, like really deep. Yeah, like he goes really basing. I found that really hard. And I found, which a guy you did too, Obama difficult for a long time. Oh, your Obama is great. The basins is, but I finally got it.

That's what we got to do. The thing about Obama, you got to stay calm. That's, we're going to be fine. There's no reason to panic. No one's got to do a thing. So I finally do them now. And now I feel like I got him. But back in the day, it was like so bur-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-down here.

We didn't know him. as well, I guess. No, when I first four years, I did him, didn't work at all. Even his second term, a little more. But I can do him now and everyone, he's successful. We love him. He's no drama, Obama. So he's just, to me, he's just the coolest guy.

That's what he was. Save the drama for Obama. Did you watch any, for music, since you're a musician, one last question. What was your first, like, record you bought or the love? You mean as a little kid? Is a little kid. I bought Do You Want to Know a Secret as a 45 in 1960? Yeah, because I want to hold your hand was sold out.

Yeah, it was, do you want to know a secret? And I don't know if it's please, please me. I don't know, anyway, 45. Yeah. Wait. Listen. Do do do you want to know a secret. Do you do.

Wait, where did you grow up? I, from Montana, but I grew up in the peninsula, San Carlos, 20 miles south of San Francisco. and the Beatles came on Ed Sullivan and I went down to this little record store I must have stole some quarters from my dad's pants from I don't know where I got I think it was 50 cents for a 45

and I remember I was disappointed because I wanted I want to hold your hand and I saw her standing there but I had three older brothers so they probably had them already I don't know why I just picture you for you I picture you buying LPs for some reason later yeah in the very beginning

we were buying both but all of us were buying albums later. And my brothers were, they were older than me. So, but in the beginning, it was a 45. Wow. Kind of hip. I know I'm, I'm so old, Fred. I'm really, you wouldn't believe it, Fred.

I go way back. Don't let this face fool you. Wow. So you were getting 45s. In early days. And I, we bought the Beach Boy album with my brother. We had a band called The Surfers. And my kick drum was a clothes hamper.

and my Hardy Boys book was my snare drum and I stole drumsticks from Mickey Hart's drum store the guy who was in The Grateful Dead. Wow. Yeah, welcome to my podcast. What's your first drum set, by the way? Like a weird mix, I think a Japanese made sort of, I think it was like a knockoff of a Gretsch.

So it had that sort of, you know, Pearl, inlay to it, but it was like fake and cheap. But it was, but it was great. I loved it. I loved my kid. It was like a, you know, we got it used. My dad got it for me. And first record, I think my parents got me the Candyman by Sammy Davis Jr.

Oh, really? Yeah, yeah. That's like the first memory of like, I mean, I think I was really little. The Candyman, can. Yeah, it's a great one. Yeah. It is great. Yeah.

Oh, yeah. Sammy Davis was genius. There's a documentary on him, you know. And so such a great drummer and great tenor. Talk about. Entertainer. And then my parents would get me Beatles albums during the 70s. Like they were already broken up, but then I'd get solo albums and stuff like that.

Which one rocked your world? Ram. Ram. Yeah. Palm McCartney. Ram. Ram is, that's my favorite album ever. Really?

That's a masterpiece. Yeah. Wow. Yeah, it is brilliant. That is probably his best solo. McCartney? He had gems on every album. I don't.

to know Ram, and I love McCartney. That's how much. Yeah. It's this 1971 album that is, boy, that blew my mind. I still listen to it. It's like a weird, it's like a hip, it's like a weird, like countryish hippie, kind of, it's experimental album, I would say. And he won't play those on his tour, right?

No, I don't think I've ever heard one song from that album. Are you familiar with Arrow Right Through Me from Back to the Egg? I think that's... Ooh, baby. It's one of his best songs. Because that horn part, the horn part at the end is insane. Wow, this is making my day, Fred. Because it turns around weird.

Like it doesn't land on the... Yeah. Yeah. Arrow through me. God, it's so good. Oh, God, Fred, you made my day. Someone else knows back to the egg and arrow. Oh, come on. Come on.

Jeez, that's awesome. Just the greatest podcast ever. Anyway, Fred, we love you. We just say that now. I'm old enough now. I just say I love you to grow up. I love the both of you. I admire the both of you.

I look up to both of you and I love hanging out with you guys. Thank you for chatting, buddy. It's a lot of laughs. And let's have a lazy dinner one of these nights in L.A. somewhere. We'll run into it at Largo. Yeah, I feel like we, I feel like the three, both of you, I feel like we do run into each other once in a while. I bet we, yeah.

Through Largo and this sushi restaurant we go to right near Largo. I like you never say it. Well, I don't know if I'm supposed to say it. There's no one there. If you go with Sandler or Conan, there's nobody on the street with cameras. It's just very mellow. Great place to have a conversation and hang out. Fred will go and Dana will buy.

Okay. Please do. It's fair. Oh, baby. Thank you, Fred. I love it. And you did the horn part of the end. Oh, I love that part.

Yeah. So much fun, Fred. Thanks for asking me to do this. This was awesome. All right. Love you, brother. Love you. Okay.

Bye-bye. All right, listen, if you're enjoying the fly on the wall, of course, hopefully you are, click follow. We don't want to be desperate, but obviously smash that goddamn button on your favorite podcast app. Smash. Leave a review, a good one. Leave a five-star rating, nothing else. Whoops.

And maybe even share an episode with a friend. If you're watching this episode on YouTube, please. Subscribe, Dana. What do you think? I'm going to tell you this right now. Hit me now and I'll believe me later. Fly in the Wall, believe it or not, is presented by Odyssey. And executive produced by Hold for it, Dana Carvey and David Spade.

Or David Spade and Dana Carvey. We don't write those stuff. San Toro, Greg Holtzman, and Leah Reese Dennis. The show is edited by Evan Cox, with production support from Phil Sweet Tech. Talent Production and Booking by Sophia Lippor.