The Comedy Cellar: Live from the Table - Getting to Know Comic Gray West

Episode Date: August 31, 2024

Dan Naturman and Periel Aschenbrand are joined by comic, Gray West. West is originally from Alabama, has performed all over the United States and frequently MCs shows at The Comedy Cellar. In this episode, they discuss the differences between hosting and doing spots, how your style on stage affects your persona and West shares some personal anecdotes.

This This is Live from the Table, the official podcast of the world-famous comedy cellar coming at you on SiriusXM 99 Raw Comedy and also available where you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Dan Natterman here. Without Noam, Noam is in Japan. He's on vacation. I guess he doesn't feel like Zooming in.

That's fine. We can discuss things of a less political nature this week because he's not here. We have Perrielle coming at us via Zoom from some location. Where are you, Perrielle? I'm in South Carolina. Okay. Well, welcome. What are you doing down there? I'm on a family vacation. Okay, family vacation. And we have with us in studio

also a Southerner, not also a Southerner, but a Southerner, and not from South Carolina, but from Alabama. Gray West joins us. Hello, Dan. Hey, y'all. Thank you all so much for having me today. Hello, Gray. Gray is a new, relatively new comedy seller comedian. He's part of our Get to Know You series, where I get to know comics that are newly working at the comedy seller.

By the way, Max Marcus is also with us. He's behind the wall there. He does our sound. He has a date after the show. And if we find ourselves running out of things to discuss, we can certainly inquire because I think Max's dating life could be of interest. It could be, yeah.

Is this a first date? A second date. Oh, it's a second date. Okay. Well, if you've got a second date, that's the, because that's the tough part, right? Getting past the first date. In any case, by the way, before we get to gray, speaking of serious satellite, did I mention that they rejected all of my tracks that I submitted to them? Numerous times. Okay. Yeah. Um, I, I did a recording here at the comedy seller for tracks to play on serious.

And I sent it in and they rejected all of them. And I don't, my, my contact with serious says it's because the audience wasn't sufficiently enthusiastic. Uh, but that leaves open the court. What's that? Well, we discussed this though and we said that you should just re-tape it in like a hotter room and it would probably be perfect the question is is is did they like the jokes but say to themselves these are great jokes but the audience really isn't responding or did they say to themselves because the audience wasn't responding they just decided that they weren't good jokes

that's a very important distinction because they will influence where to go from here in other words if i do the same jokes that they've already heard and decided because they didn't hear laughs that they decided that these can't possibly be good jokes and then i resubmit them they've you know what I mean so it's so I don't know the idea is that you want to have laughter as part of the trap I mean I think that that's standard but did she but I'll repeat it because apparently my point fell on deaf ears did they say to themselves these are great jokes where the laughs or did they say to themselves well we're not hearing laughs I mean I don't know you know there's probably aren't very good jokes so those are

very two different scenarios in any case um you want an answer to that well you don't work for sirius but but uh you can certainly hazard a guess i actually do work for serious because the show is on serious okay okay so i think that the jokes are by all accounts great jokes and part of standard operating that doesn't mean that serious sees it that way they don't hear laughs they're like i don't know why don't you just try re-recording it since it wouldn't be that big of a deal to do that it's a big deal because why because to record 45 minutes to an hour means that i have to get the room for an hour and and fill it sufficiently so that the laughs are good that's no easy feat or i can do like just string together the sets that I do normally, I guess, which requires some editing wherewithal.

Anyway, I don't want to belabor that. Gray West joins us. Yes. Hello. How are you? How are you, Gray? Gray. There's a laugh.

Gray, as I said, is a new comedian here. Relatively new. I don't know, a year, six months. I don't know. Yeah, I joined the Comedy Cellar in January, the end of January. So it was like January 27th, I think. And have you been working in New York for a while? Or did you just come to us right off the bus stop from Alabama?

I did used to. i worked in new york i lived in dc since 2013 and i started doing comedy there in about 2021 and i started sneaking up to new york like maybe once a month and would do shows at like random bar shows I would also work at like different other clubs um but then uh I've fully uh I got into the comedy cellar in January and then I started I moved up to New York in May at the end of May and started living here full-time but I was taking the bus back and forth every weekend so I was on to something regarding the bus yes you were i would always used to show up with my suitcase um here when i first got in and i would come in with like my rolling suitcase on uh thursday nights and then i would do the show and then i would leave and go over and crash at my friend's house and then on sundays when i came to the club i would have my suitcase with me and

after i got done with the show i would get back on the bus and go back to D.C. Gray is is is well, every time I see you, you're emceeing. Yes. Yes. So I don't know if you just emcee or you're doing actual regular spots. I only emcee. And this comes up like so much all the time which is it's probably like once every three days a comic here at the club will come up to me and be like when are you gonna do spots like oh you gotta do some spots go do some spots and I'm like and you know as well as anybody we're not in control of that and like I trust like the booker I trust like the owner and everything. They have a vision. They have a plan when they make the lineups. And I think right now in my career, they have me. I'm seeing, I enjoy it.

I have so much fun. I think there's something beautiful about starting, like starting the party and getting them ready and have like setting up this success, like setting up a successful room so that the other comics can do well as well and go in good atmosphere. Well, as far as you not being able to control,

I mean, if you say to Esty, the booker, you know, what about, I don't really want to MC, because she needs MCs. So as long as you're willing to MC, you're going to get that. But if you say to her i kind of tired of emceeing i just want to do spots i mean that could move things in that direction but it also could jeopardize everything and you might not get anything at all that's the thing and so that's

but as long as you're willing to emcee i don't think she's ever going to say oh enough with emceeing let's get your regular spots i don't know that that's ever going to say, oh, enough with them saying, let's get your regular spots. I don't know that that's ever happened in the history of the comedy cell. Right. It might. I just don't know. I I've never heard of it. Right. I don't know. I'm new here. So I've just, I've never heard of like anybody being told. Yeah. Yeah. Enough. You're right. Enough. I'm saying with you, just get you. As long as you're willing to MC.

I've talked to like some older comics in that, that used to MC. And then after a couple of years, some slowly transitioned into like doing spots. But I think you've got to lay down the law. Maybe, but I don't know if I'm at a place right now. You've got to wait at a certain point if you're big enough. Right. You know, and I'm having fun. Then you could say, look, I got I'm up to 200,000 followers and whatever the, whatever the, whatever would be the, the, you know, um, would be the criterion, right. You know, uh, for you to

have enough muscle to say, yeah, I don't MC no more. I don't know if you heard the news, but I don't do that no more. Right. And, but right now I feel like I'm just listening to opportunities and that's the one I'm getting. So I'm trying to capitalize on it, but I'm also making sure I'm not resting back and just being like, OK, let's just emcee and like do the just like do we have any birthdays? Are we doing this? Like I still want to work on like the art of comedy. And so within that, I'm trying to build a half hour right now, but when you're given the light at eight minutes every night, you're like, how do you do that? And it's, I try and like, I try, I do have like my jokes that I use within a host set that are like, Oh, I hate to use the word, but I feel like they're a club trick.

And then I feel like other jokes are more about like who I am and stories. And I'll put those in there. On top of that, I had try and put in one liners. And then I do a little bit of crowd work just so that like the audience's ear is ready for the different types of jokes that they'll hear on the lineup. I mean, this is the question that I is Perry out with us. I thought I.

Okay. on the lineup. I mean, this is the question that I, is Perrielle with us? I thought I, Perrielle, are you with us? I am. I am with you. The question I ask myself over and over again is, you know, what, what, what is the art of emceeing? Does it make a difference if it's a hot crowd um you know is that really the the the main um the main factor or can a good mc make a hot crowd or you know if an mc does all jokes and no crowd work does it help or hurt if an mc does all crowd work and no jokes does it help i just in my observation i haven't come to a clear conclusion i don't know i think that um if you want i think that there is definitely an art to emceeing and hosting a show and if you watch somebody like i don't know james maddern um you're like wow like you really lean into um your your obligation to not necessarily your own jokes but making the show great right james creates an environment like here's a party we're all invited on the but how much does that factor into how well i'm gonna do after he goes on or me or any other comic

i i haven't done it I haven't done a meticulous study of this. I do know that when I hear James, I feel like this is a party and we're all invited. Yeah. I think that, I think that an MC needs to be generous and not, and not selfish, right? Like you're not thinking of yourself. You're thinking of setting up the next person right yeah that's what I try and do I try and set up everyone so like if there's if there's like darker people or like people who have darker jokes on the show sometimes I'll slip in like a darker one just to be like hey get like get your ear ready this will happen or this is um you know if I um just just to like loosen up the audience to get different ways and then also you can get a gauge because like i can go through like the first three or

four jokes and then if i'm just getting like a heartbeat monitor boop boop boop laughs i'm like this is something so how do we get the like car started? And so, so I, cause I remember one night it was like a couple of nights ago. I was just, I went through it and it was like little chuckles. And I looked at the guy on the front row and I said, what's up glasses. And you would have thought it was the greatest joke ever. Like people were just like dying laughing. I'm like, oh, oh, you want to be talked to. Okay.

And so then I did more talking to where then sometimes if you go in the front row arms are crossed lips are pursed you're like okay like you got to loosen them up a little bit but don't keep i try not to keep picking at a scab if it's there i'm like okay just pull like shift gears pull back into material and then let it ride to the light max i forgot are you a comic or not yeah i do stand up okay all right where do you do you uh mc no i mean not here i know i host other places i've hosted my own show before well feel free to jump in if you have any uh oh yeah any any mc uh tidbits or thoughts or whatever. Well, I know they always like, oh yeah, you go, Perrielle.

No, no, go ahead. I was going to say that one of the things I've heard a lot is that you should do more crowd work, but then I've also heard that, you know, if you're not a big crowd work person. Well, I've heard comics say that if all you do is crowd work, their ear is not tuned to jokes.

So, I mean, and again, I don't know, you know to what extent that that's true i mean it sounds like it should be true for me if as mc i try and do a little bit that touches it's like the appetizer but all like you get a little bit of each. And so I, cause if it, what I love when I first started comedy, I didn't know, like I was at open mics, just talking to people. Like I had the jokes written. Cause I went and watched comics for like a while before I started. I watched like everyone in DC for like three months, but like I hadn't picked up a microphone. So I would just show up in like jeans and a t-shirt, send the audience and watch and when I first started I was like oh you have to say something

different like every time you step on stage and then after watching three months of like the same people I'm like oh it's an act oh you you build like an act and then so I like built some jokes but then I just I found more joy in creating a spontaneous moment that's like organic in the moment with someone and then it was like four or five months in people started saying like oh gray is a crowd work comic gray is a crowd work comic and I'm like what does that even mean and they're like oh you talk to the audience and I'm like oh okay yeah we're supposed to they're like no you write your joke because DC can be very regimented in the style of comedy um i feel like there's maybe i get pushed back on this but whatever leave it in the

comments um there's probably like three or four comedians in dc who crowd work successfully and so i think that i think it but it's such a well uh they on the other hand they do produce great joke writers and like great structure here to me is the key to crowd work yeah uh lack of anxiety yeah um you have got to be the reason i don't do crowd work um mainly is because number one i just don't prefer it as a artistically, but number two, you have to be relaxed because you don't know if shit's going to come to you. So you have to be able to say, where are you from? Oh, we're from Alabama, you know? And if you don't get anything with that, you got to say,

what do you do in Alabama? Which is sort of the standard thing that comments a little tired at this point, but comics will say, what do you do in Alabama? Oh sort of the standard thing that comedy it's a little tired at this point but yeah comics will say what do you do in Alabama oh I am a you know I'm a mechanic right oh okay well what do you do and you got to keep doing that until you get something that triggers a joke and you don't know when that's going to be and so you have to be relaxed enough to be able to keep going and not panic and say, shit, nothing's coming. Right. Which is my main reason that I don't do it.

But some comics are completely relaxed and they'll let it go, you know, however many questions they need until they get the right combination of information that will lead to a punchline that's serviceable. Right. And that's sometimes the toughest part, especially in like the beginning of the show is their ears are still getting adjusted they're still ordering drinks some are looking at the menu so like if i i would love normally in other places i would do um different like more in-depth crowd but here sometimes you just have to hit with the quick what do you do where are you from so that that baseline is already set for the show on the front row.

So we have like a little bit of like, oh, they're dating. But what if nothing comes to you after? What do you do? Where are you from? Shift gears and pull back into material. Keep the car. Yeah, I mean, that doesn't really happen if you're I don't know. I think that be doing like hosting and emceeing, like it makes you

really sharp because you have to be ready to catch anything. Well, you can also have shit like, I mean, the only crowd work I generally do is when I know the, I already have a place that I'm going to go anyway. Like I have a joke about going to Canada.

So I say, hey, any Canadians? Oh, yeah, I was just there. I didn't, you know, I actually didn't have, you know, I got a bad vibe up there. They usually laugh at that. And then I just do a joke. But I just try to make it like a conversation, but I know exactly where I'm going.

Right. So, you know, any Europeans here? Well, there's two types of Europeans. Europeans that speak English and Europeans that don't speak English. Right. So if they speak, if they're from England, I do my joke about, oh, yeah, England, you know, that's why we speak English here. And then I do my joke about how we popularize the English language. But if they don't speak English, I'll say, oh, so you speak French and I guess you speak English because you're here. And then I do my joke about how Americans

are unilingual. So either way, I'm covered. Now, if they say Scotland or Ireland, then it's like, that's the worst possible. Because then I can't really say, you know, we took your language because the Scotch I guess had their own language and the Irish had their own language. But then I'll usually just say, yeah, you, all you speak English there too. Do you speak the same English that we speak? And then I'll do my joke about how we abbreviate everything. Like I'll say, do you say perf instead of perfect? And then I got a joke about that. So,

so I'm covered whatever they say. That's been the hardest part. Definitely. One of the harder parts about working here is the, it's amazing because you get people from all over the world come and come to the comedy cellar every night on different times and different days. And they're filling up and you never know where they're coming from, but then coming from a background of like small town, Alabama, like getting to know the crowd, they're mentioning countries.

I've like never heard of. And I'm like, and so like I could sometimes feel myself choking up and that. But well, but you could just say I'm from Alabama. I don't know. And that's what I've started doing and then have like, but I'm hoping to travel more in 2025, get out, see the world. Well, that's as good a segue as any to get into uh more in-depth uh deep dive if you will about mr gray west comes from alabama which is interesting in and of itself because other than the late uh vick henley i don't know if you knew vick vick died during covid he died of pulmonary embolism. And I don't know if that was related to COVID or not, but in any case, it was quite sudden.

He was a comic from Alabama. But other than that, I don't know any Alabama comics or Alabama people generally. So right there, that's kind of interesting. Were you from Muscle Shoals? No, I grew up in Huntsville. I grew up in Huntsville, a town outside of Huntsville. I grew up in Madison, Alabama. Lived there for about 18 years.

Two of those years we lived in Memphis, Tennessee, but then we moved back. And then went to University of Alabama for two years. Was that the Tide? Yeah, the Crimson Tide. And then it sucked because, the crimson tide. And then it sucked because, well, it was actually kind of awesome because my parents, I went to college and then two weeks later, they moved from our childhood home to Biloxi, Mississippi, which is a awesome town, so much fun. And so it was kind of wild going home from college for Christmas and stuff.

I'd go to this house that I never knew, never grew up in, but it's on the coast with like 20 casinos and beaches and everything. And so that was like an adjustment. And then once I graduated from college, they moved to Nashville and now they're in Georgia. But so yeah, after graduating college, I wanted to leave Alabama. I just wanted to get out. Um, I knew a lot of people that moved to New York city at the time, but then I saw like the pattern of them always moving back eight months later and working at like the Best Buy or Ruby Tuesdays. And I was like, I don't know if I want to move

to New York. And like, cause the pattern I saw in like day to day was the moving back. And I was like I don't know if I want to move to New York and like because the pattern I saw in like day-to-day was them moving back and I was like I don't want to come back so I looked at like smaller cities and I had a friend that lived in Washington DC so I decided I was like hey I'm gonna go there it's a smaller city it's more manageable I can understand it and so I took off and did that now we people you know they know, the Northern stereotype of Alabama, of course, you know what that is. And you play on that somewhat in your act. Yes. But was it that way growing up?

I had a very supportive family. Like, it is the, it has the stereotype, especially like, oh, gay in the South. Like, oh, you must have, like, like you know been kicked out of the house when you came out and everything like no my parents were like really understanding very loving and I was more nervous to tell them about it because I had heard all the stereotypes of just like oh well you know like you could be disowned you'll be kicked out and I was like oh no and so I told my brother's wife at the time about it I was like hey I like this guy and then she's like okay and then my brother saw the message and he was like hey just want to let you know I love you no matter what

you're amazing like I'll always be there for you I said thank you I really appreciate that he said wonderful you have two weeks to tell mom and dad or else I will. And I'm like, no, like, this is not like looking back. That's like toxic or whatever. But it happened. It was a bandaid that got ripped off. And so I remember it was like the end of the two weeks and I went home to like pick up books and I just told him I was like, mom, dad, like, I'm gay. And they're like, OK, well, well, they they they likely knew i'm not saying i'm not saying you're outrageously flamboyant but any parent that i imagine your parents are somewhat sophisticated people because you're a somewhat sophisticated person right would have to pick up on it they live with you you know every day i guess so uh they i want to say they were kind of, they were more shocked than we thought, but that

is what it is. Were they? They were. Yeah. They, I, they didn't know. Everyone else in my life, I told, they were like, yeah, Gray, like we knew, but like I was the last one to say it. Like, and then every, yeah, I had really supportive friends.

They were like, we know. How old were you? I came out late. I came out senior, second semester, senior year of college. So yeah, I was just like in the closet, bopping around, like trying to, trying to make straight work. But it didn't, it's just like. So, so in high school.

And you went to high school, I guess, in the 2Ks? Yeah, I went to Bob Jones High School in Madison, Alabama. Is that a Christian school? No, no, no relation to that one. It was Bob Jones was a senator from Alabama. And so I graduated 2009 from there. Wow. Yeah.

Now, was there any? Because when I was in high school, the teachers would make gay jokes. I mean, this was the 80s. And you, if you were gay, you stayed in the closet. You fucking did not crack that door of that closet open.

Right. Because it may be in New York City. It was different. But in the suburbs, as I said, we had teachers making gay cracks. You just did not dare. Well, and I don't know what it was like in high school in the two K's in Alabama. I find I found my tribe in like the theater department at Bob Jones high school. And we had like amazing teachers and there were people who were out at the time that, uh, were amazing people as well. There was also that battled with, so I was being gay and you had the internet too. It was just starting. So like, I wasn't able to, like, there weren't the resources, the best resource I had were like friends that were and and

I went to a church at the time and like gay was considered a sin and like all of that but then also part of coming out like I did talk to my dad and I think this was like good advice I was like dad like do you think I'm going to hell because I'm gay and he's like gray we're not gonna know until we get to the pearly gates well that's not that's not a no yeah right it's not a great answer well it's but I guess

supportive and he was like as long as you live your life like you know the best you can and love then you know well gray i'm here to tell you the good news is you're not going to hell yes the bad news is you're not going to heaven either i know the problem there's just nothing out there do the best we can every day that's the thing it's just the bay as far as i'm concerned the only hope for life after death is reincarnation i think that's a possibility right follow my reasoning yeah we came into

existence once we know that right right okay so why can't it happen again that's true you know i mean i was i came into consciousness i mean i was born in 69 but i came into consciousness maybe about 72 when i actually was awake. So that happened. Right. So why can't it happen again? Happened once. And that's my reasoning. I don't know if it makes any sense at all. So deep. I mean, it might, there's a lot of like different, I mean, there's many paths up the mountain, but we don't know like what's, but as far as like clouds and heaven and winged angels. Yeah.

I don't, I don't know subscribe i don't subscribe to that right i just try yeah i just try and live like every day because we don't know and so i try and live every day like the best i can and make good decisions because i made tons of bad ones in the past and so now i'm just kind of like and that's almost like when I started doing comedy was to just um just bring it sounds so corny every time I say it and people are like what but like I just to bring joy to people like that's what I wanted to do and just to make people laugh at like its core and um that's just like what I got into it because Cause I've failed. I've been fired from jobs. I've failed out of school. I've done like, I've done horrible things, but the pro the flip coin of it is along the way. I've always made people laugh. Even when they were like the maddest at me. What was the best job you got fired from? What was your best? Chief of Thoracic Surgery at Mount Sinai. The best job I got fired from?

I'm trying to think. Now I got put on the spot. I'm trying to think. I remember I walked out of a job in high school because we were playing in the kitchen and they had, they had these sesame seeds and I was pretending to be Mary Poppins feeding the birds, throwing them around the kitchen, singing free the bird or feed the birds. And they were like, what are you doing? And I was like, what?

Like I'm being married, like feed the, you know, feed the bird. But I was throwing them in a kitchen during like rush hour. And they're like, what are you doing? But I was making people laugh doing it. And they're like, go home. And I was like, OK. And then they never had me back. But it was funny. Well, so so other than making people laugh, which is noble. Right. But, you know, in terms of your career, will you be content with simply making a living, making people laugh? Or do you aspire to some level of fame and or fortune and or notoriety? I think right now I'm taking it day by day. I know I know there's a lot of opportunities out there for me. I just can't hear them yet or see them.

And like, this is the perfect example of one. Cause like the way I got into, you know, how my like audition process went through here. Well, I know how audition processes usually go, unless yours was any different. It was, I, so I never auditioned in McDougal. I just, just for those who may not know but the comedy seller has several rooms yes and mcdougall street is the original room so i

like i'm the comedy seller i knew of but i never was like oh this is like i it was such a goal but then we were doing um opening night of rodney's um and then Rodney's comedy yes Rodney's comedy club we did opening night I was hosting and I remember um we were all the comedians were just sitting around laughing joking and then Gnome, Esty, and Liz walked in and I didn't know who they were um I didn't know like I saw what they look like I saw them walk in to the thing but I but every comic there and like the mood everyone immediately dived into their notebooks they're just like writing and like kind of split off and they were like oh they're that's like the owner booker like they're they're they work at the comedy cellar and I'm like oh whoa that's cool

and so um I went on stage did my thing at Rodney's I did fine the mic went out halfway through the set so in my mind I was like come on keep it up keep it positive and just kept it going had a good show had a fun time um was there was like after reception because it was opening night and I saw them there and I don't know they were talking to everybody else and. And I was like, I don't know that I should introduce myself, but like the moment never came up and I had to catch the bus back home, back to DC. So I was like, all right, let's go back. And I left and I was like, okay, that was cool. Um, that was a great experience. And then, um, the seller started following me on Instagram on Sunday and I was like oh that's that's kind of cool and then I next I had another show at another club that Thursday so I came back into town

and I was like I was like I'm gonna go to Olive Tree and just like eat and like get like you know something to eat and check it out see what it's about because I've seen shows here but only at the fat black pussycat location and um I ran into gnome and he was like hey you're great and I was like yeah and he was like I was at the um opening of Rodney's wonderful job great stuff and I was like oh thank you thank you he's like do you want to come downstairs and see a show and I was like no I can't right now. Cause it was like 15 minutes. So I had to go host somewhere else. And he was like, I was like, no, but you know,

if you have any opportunities here, I'd love to do it. And we exchanged emails. And so the next morning I sent him my stuff. And then that afternoon SD emailed me and was like, please put in a veils. And so, but she didn't say put in a veils for emceeing. She just said, put in a veil. She just said, put it said put in and then you did and then she said can you emcee no never she just uh she just said please put in a veils and then i called uh one other comic that

i felt comfortable here and asked him like what does this mean how does that look like what is all this and like he was able to walk me through it and i just put in the dates and then i got the dates back and it was all mc spots and i was like okay cool so i just did it so if that's what she needed me to do i'm here to do it i'm surprised that they didn't initially say to you oh is m seeing something you'd be interested in doing i think uh no, they never did. And we will. But also on the other side, they did see me and see Rodney. So maybe in their mind, they're like, oh, you see.

But also, I don't mind it. I know some people do have a stigma about it, but. Well, it's it's not really a stigma. It's like at a certain level, you don't emcee. You know, at a certain level of fame and or fortune and or whatever. Right. And or follower count or whatever it would be. There's some level that you just don't emcee.

Right. You know, it's no longer appropriate to emcee. Like one time there was Rich Aronovich, who's an MC here, couldn't make it. He got confused. There was a misunderstanding, whatever. So Liz or somebody, I guess it was Liz, said to me, Dan, can you MC around the corner? And I did.

How'd it go? It went fine. I don't love MCing. Did you level the place it go? It went fine. I don't love emceeing. Did you level the place? No. It was okay. It was at the Fat Black Pussycat Bar. Wow, wow, wow.

But the point is, she felt perfectly comfortable asking me to emcee. Right. Which is an insult in a way. Why do you think that's an insult? Well, insofar as she wouldn't ask let's go through the list here um there's people that she simply wouldn't ask right so you are so ridiculous i mean really is it an entire line of let me finish let me finish let him go basically what you're saying to me is you're not famous which i guess you could regard as an insult or simply a truism and was giving me an opportunity to make an extra $125 or whatever it pays.

But, okay, so Jim Norton, obviously, she wouldn't have asked that. Micah Biglia, she wouldn't have asked. Sam Morrill, she wouldn't have asked. I'm just going through the list here. What about, like, hosting? Ryan Hamilton, she probably wouldn't have asked. Ryan Hamilton is, like like right on the border. We are saying.

But she wouldn't have asked him. He's he's over the border. She wouldn't have asked. But what if you were asked to emcee? Chris Redd, obviously she wouldn't ask. That goes without saying. Dan. Did it ever occur to you that maybe she asked because you're like... Jordan Jensen, I don't think she would ask Jordan.

I think Jordan's got half a million followers on Instagram. I think she wouldn't ask. But anyway, what was your point? Yeah, go ahead. You were about to say. I was saying that you're out of control and I think that I'm just saying those people should

you'll grant me. She would not have asked those people. I'm not sure. I would say that there's another possibility. It's red MC. I mean, maybe I don't know if she was if Chris Red were as close to the comedy seller as you are. The other possibility here is that, you know, you've been here for so long and you're really part of the family that she was in a bind and she felt comfortable to ask you to do it.

And also because she knew you would do a good job. All of those things could be true at the same time. I'm part of the family. I do a good job. All of those things could be true at the same time. I'm part of the family. I do a good job. But it's also true that were I at a level of, you know, of whatever you want to call it, she wouldn't have asked. Max, can you please set Perrielle straight? Yeah, I mean, I think that there's something to that.

She's not going to get like for Biglia to host. But I also agree that there's other people at the club who you know it does say something that she would go to you and trust you for that well i don't might have been the only one that was there that wasn't already like had another because i was our old i don't know whatever you know um the the point is is how do we get to this? Oh, you said stigma. I think it's not a stigma, but it's not a stigma. All it means is you're not famous. You can regard that as a stigma, but that's what it means. I think you're not famous. I think it's a skill set. I don't think it has to be. I agree with you, Gray. I think.

Yeah, but at a certain level of fame, no matter what your skill set is, you're not going to emcee. That's it. Yes, you will, Dan. No, no, no. OK, so who, so the Oscars just run by itself? No, I'm talking about here at the Cellar. Oh. You're not going to emcee at the Cellar. But emceeing at the Cellar might lead to emceeing at the Golden Globes. And once you emcee at the Golden Globes,

you will never emcee at the Cellar ever again. Maybe. Unless you drop in and say... Well, if you drop in and say, I'd like to emcee, they'd say, oh, oh well that's bizarre but okay maybe yeah you know but it would be unusual but if if you put if chris rock wants to mc they'd be happy to have them right but they're not gonna ask them yeah you know so okay so i think we're all in agreement then we're in agreement that maybe they thought I would do a good job and it's a compliment

on that side of the scale. But it also means that I haven't reached the level at which they wouldn't ask. So did you tell jokes or did you do crowd work? Jokes, because like I told you, I don't really do crowd work because, as I mentioned, I just don't feel comfortable asking enough questions. Like you got to keep asking questions. Right. You know, until you get until you get whatever you need. And you got to be relaxed because if you're not relaxed,

the jokes aren't going to come in an improv capacity. Yeah. And I just am too anxious for that to work. That doesn't work for me. So I have to just rely on the the jokes that i know work right um i have a question yes caller you say what i say that i've never in all the years that i've known you seen you in a t-shirt that color before what's going on well this is a tie-dyed shirt for those of you who are listening uh with audio only this is like a yeah i i wear this shirt i don't wear it on stage because i don't feel it conforms to my character you're right it's a colorful shirt splashes of pink and light blue and

some yellow it's very happy and good mood ish again not my character and also my character is I don't know how you describe it gray maybe you have some

maybe you know coming from the outside maybe you you could describe i don't know how i would describe my character but it's not this shirt right no i don't see that that's that shirt looks like you're being cool like yes this is you being cool right cool relax i'm relaxed yeah relax it's your hosting shirt you So there you go. Nice. Nice. Well, maybe. Well, we've discussed, we've discussed that when you're on stage persona reflecting in your outfits. Yes.

And you've suggested that I go and, and you're not wearing a suit. Maybe a suit. I've heard that episode. Maybe a suit. Yeah. I mean, I'm not, I'm not against, I I mean I think the idea is a good one I just hate I hate wearing suits and I don't like you know being confined to to a particular uniform but but you're not wrong that that might accentuate I mean of course gray I don't know if you put

thought into your outfits or you just that's what you would wear anyway I know I don't know if you put thought into your outfits or you just, that's what you would wear anyway. I know I don't. I normally I'm in like jeans and a t-shirt. Um, but I do wear, I typically wear, um, this black jeans, boots, cheetah shirt and a black, um, uh, jacket. I started off doing it because one, everyone, and when I first started watching comedy at the local scene, everyone kind of looked the same. It was just like jeans and a t-shirt, hoodie and a t-shirt. And then I was getting people confused. I'm like, oh, that's so-and-so.

They're like, no, it's so-and-so. And I was like, huh. And I was like, well, and part of me was like, no one's really like dressing up for comedy, like in a way. And so I was like, I want to start dressing up I want to look good on stage so that way even if I'm bombing I still look good and then but I was also didn't have that much money so I just kept wearing the same outfit because I'm like well you know maybe one day when I have money I can buy nicer outfits and look better. But then it kind of stuck. They're like, oh, Gray West wears that.

And then I saw a quote from Lady Gaga in her Vanity Fair look back video where she was talking about she wore one of like five outfits her first three years in New York just so people would remember who she was and so and I figured that out because a lot of times when the audience leaves they don't know your name they remember how they remember how you made them feel if they're coming in like raw not knowing like any comic anybody and so afterwards they'll be like either oh the gay guy or oh the guy in the leopard shirt or oh the da da da but if they come back and see you then i found then that's when they like know my name but like beforehand i was like oh cheetah shirt and i'm like yep there we go so

that's kind of why i do it well i mean i think if you're on stage i don't practice what i preach but i think if you're on stage, I don't practice what I preach, but I think if you're on stage, you know, that's just you should make some sort of visual impression as well as as well as an impression with your jokes. Yes. And it doesn't have to be looking good. If good looking good is not your character. Right, right, right, right. And that's the thing, because there is because there was a night here my clothes didn't dry in time and so I wore just like a red t-shirt and jeans and Lev Furr who's been on the pod he he called me a target employee I was like I do but I was up there hosting I was running through it and I tell you but I was up there hosting. I was running through it. And I tell you what, I can neither confirm or deny that I did well that night. And we'll just leave it at that.

But I definitely was like, oh, not doing this again. But there's some people that do go up there and like level the room in jeans and a t-shirt so it does it but I think it's like whatever makes you feel like the most comfortable well if you look at David Tell you know his character is sort of this you know dirtbag right basically you know a creepy

guy yeah if David Tell came in and like a three piece suit and everything I'd be like yeah you know for his for what he's he's doing trying to do on stage it wouldn't like translate yeah oh yeah so um so I don't think that you need to wear a suit

I think that there is an outfit that is just particular that could really work with your act I don't think that I think you would have to be I think you would have to be comfortable in it. Well, when you come back from my. Have to be I think you would have to be comfortable in it. And when you when you get back from Myrtle Beach, we can we can perhaps go shopping.

Well, I would I would be happy to take you shopping, although I'm not in Myrtle Beach. I'm on Kiowa Island, which is Kiowa Island. What's Kiowa Island? That's we used to vacation there like every did there for 10 years i would always go to the kiwa island kids camp that pavilion there by the swimming pool and the reptile center have you been to the reptile center there i do there are i mean there are literally just like

alligators gallivanting around everywhere as though it's reasonable. And they have the best bike paths there on Kewa Island. I remember that just like we would rent bicycles and they'd be like shaded and like with all the willow. It was it was it's really beautiful. I just spent a week in South Dakota. So that was part of your family vacation with South Dakota. Yeah, we went to the Badlands. And I will tell you

that after spending a week in South Dakota, South Carolina feels like Italy. Oh, I bet. I'm trying to visit a gay bar in all 50 states with my fiance. And we went to St. David's in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. I recommend every

gay listening to this. They're going to be like, what? That sounds crazy. But like we went there during happy hour and the happy hour was $2 top shelf. And I said, wow. And then I looked at the bartender. I was like, what do you mean? And they were like $2 top shelf. So I pointed at the gray goose and I was like, I'll have a goose and soda. And they poured it $2. And St. David's was the name of the gay bar.

St. David's. And then it overlooked when he went out to the balcony. It overlooks the falls like Sioux Falls. It's not like the most. I didn't know Sioux Falls had falls. Yeah. That makes sense. Yeah. That's what it what listen to me i want to tell you something that we went like on a big

family trip with like close family friends and our kids and one of the couples of our best friends is two gay guys and they have three kids and um we had this whole long conversation saying that there were no gay bars in all of south dakota so i will be so happy to report back to the two it's called club david club david i just looked it up club david um is south dakota there are two states that do not have a gay bar can you guess well or you know this for a fact that they don't have a gay. I know for a fact one just built one, but it's not a traditional gay like bar. It's more of a LGBTQ space that serves alcohol. Wait, this is going to be a good guessing game. OK, Dan, you go first.

Don't tell us if we're right or wrong. There's two gay states that you say don't have any. They don't have any gay bars. It's hard to believe a state would not have any gay bars, but you say you were going to give us a hint? Okay, yeah. Do y'all want a hint? No, first just guess. Well, because I can't, I mean I can't begin. I would, I'll just throw a couple out. No, just

think, like me, like you know, educated. I can't I'm at Mississippi. Mississippi has my favorite gay bar, Just Us in Biloxi. It's open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can still smoke cigarettes in there.

And they do Drink or Drown Wednesdays. On Wednesday, it's $10 cover. All you can drink from 9 to 12. I officially love this game. West Virginia. Nope. Vice versa in Morgantown. And then

Stonewall and Charleston. They have two. So there's no guessing because there's no reason any of this. Alaska? No. Alaska has the, I think it's called the Raven. It's in Juneau. Nebraska.

All right. You're going to have to give us a hint. The hint is, think the most liberal state and the most conservative state. Well, the most liberal state

I thought was Massachusetts, but more liberal. Minnesota. Even more. liberal. Minnesota. Even more. Vermont. Correct. Vermont doesn't have a gay bar? Nope. Because all the bars are so inclusive, there is no need for a gay bar.

That is what they say. Okay, that is fucking ridiculous. I agree, too. But there is one that opened. Yeah, that seems like. The one that opened just a seems like uh just a while but it's more of like i don't want to like talk crap and then and then you said the most conservative state doesn't also have a game well it's very conservative but their their biggest city is 45

minutes outside of a large liberal city so it makes sense like why would you build one there if you can just ride into the other city oh so in other words it's in another state yeah there's a big city in another state right that has it's right on the border yeah no so uh missouri no kansas nope kansas has one in wichita we just went to which was fun the other one is um wyoming i think i was going to guess what cheyenne wyoming is about like 45 minutes outside denver and then uh the rest of wyoming is just barren so it's barely you get bars and there doesn't don't rupaul and his husband have like a giant ranch in wyoming giant ranch a lot of people do like i think something one of

the kardashians i know jeffrey star i think just like land is like cheaper there i mean as far as why they have a giant ranch. A lot of people do. Like, I think one of the Kardashians, I know Jeffree Star, I think just like land is like cheaper there. I mean, as far as there being no need for a gay bar in Vermont. It's ridiculous. Of course, there's a need for a gay bar because when I walk into a bar, if I'm a gay man,

I want to immediately know that everybody in there is gay so that I can be like, oh, I can hit on people here. Yes, without having to worry about is this guy gay yeah but then they're like well no it's all inclusive like so everyone's welcome to every bar and i'm like that's just that's that's absolutely ridiculous the logic like circled back around if that you know what i mean it, no, I mean, I guess like there are no gay bars in or near

Rapid City that that I can tell you there are no gay bars anywhere. Yeah. I mean, there's only one only that's only Club David. And you know what else, Dan, I'm sorry to have to, you know, make every show Jewish, but there are only three hundred and fifty Jews in the entire state of South Dakota. I'll be honest with you. I thought it was, I'm surprised there's that many. Well,

there were more when I was there. What about gay bar names that are, you know, these gay bar names, like you had the toolbox up on the Upper East Side, like those kinds of names. Do you have any of those on your list? I like the saloon, but that's not a gay Side. Yeah. Like those kinds of names. I think you have any of those on your list. I like the saloon. But that's not a gay name. No.

I'm saying a name that like just says this is a gay bar because our name is Bee Bob's was one. Woody's. Yeah. Woody. Woody's and Philly. Woody's is a name that, you know, you would say, oh, that's Sidewinders. That's not that good. That's not that good. Oh oh blazing saddles in iowa that's a fun one um there was one there was a great one in washington dc called secrets yes it closed down yeah it closed down during the pandemic it was it was like a draft it was like a it closed down because nobody knew it was there

it was secret was the secret part which was so there was like some log that was like grandfathered in that you you could be fully naked but you had to wear socks yes that was it

now naked but you had to wear socks yes that was it now um is it you know i had a joke about gay bars having those kinds of names yeah uh but so i but it doesn't seem to me that that uh maybe maybe that's a stereotype that really isn't real maybe most gay bars don't have those kinds of names like Gay bars like open and close so quickly. Sometimes it feels like I say quickly, but I mean, like within like deck, for a gay bar to stay open more than 10 years, I feel like is, is an accomplishment because also a new one opens all the time. And I feel like people run to like what's new and what's shiny

and then they'll run there. Well they do that in New York with ice cream parlors. Yes. Yeah. They just opened one on McDougal. Anita's in my neighborhood I mean I can't believe how long these lines are for Anita's. Wow. I mean it's good ice cream but I've been wanting to go to Surreal across the street

from Olive Tree for like months. Surreal? Is that an ice cream joint? Yeah but I, I don't have like the biggest sweet tooth, but. Anyway, let, you know, I do want to talk. Yes. We have an incredible amount of time, but you just laid on us that you're engaged. Yes. You just dropped that on us. Yeah, yeah.

Well, I didn't know that. Yeah. And I don't think you mentioned it on stage, at least when I've seen you. No, I have, I have a joke that's not working, so I don't use it. It's it's it's almost it's almost ready, but it's in the works. But yeah, no, I we've been dating for nine years. We've been engaged for two and we got I met him in D.C. He's an amazing guy. And then, um, he also works for Sirius XM, uh, shout out,

but, um, he, uh, yeah, we got engaged in New Mexico. I went out there for a comedy festival, cloud top comedy festival, which was really fun. And I was like, yeah, let's like, and New Mexico, I grew up in Alabama and he grew up in Annapolis. And so the idea of New Mexico to us was both like so foreign because like he was used to like coastal ship water. And I'm used to like forests and like, you know, cotton fields. And so to go out to like the desert, we were like, this is like we were just like, this is so cool. I was like, oh, let's get like a hot air balloon. So we went on a hot air balloon. And like when we were in the air looking over like the Rio and everything, I was like asking let's get like a hot air balloon so we went on a hot air balloon and like when we were in the air looking over like the Rio and everything I was like asking to marry me I was

like I loved it like because I just love adventure well where did you meet him on like uh tender which was crazy yeah yeah because tinder is like you know that's of all the apps that's sort of the one most associated with just casual hookups I think think. Well, I think like what it was back in the day too, is that Grindr was you, the gay app Grindr was used for hookups and then for gays, Tinder was used for actually having like a date and like a relationship. I don't know now I haven't been on the apps in a while. So I might, I might be dating myself, but but i've heard i've heard from people now tenders

just like all hook up everybody so maybe which brings you skipped over like the most romantic part of that story oh i'm not i guess you didn't even acknowledge it i guess what does that say well what does that say about me i got engaged in a hot air balloon hot air balloon uh where'd you hook up at that's such a beautiful yes yeah yeah yeah i asked him but did you plan it out like let's get engaged well i knew i was gonna do it um so we woke up and then we were to do like a private balloon was like a thousand five hundred dollars and i was like we're gonna do the one that was like 200 each so we did that one and it was fine there were like other people in the basket so there was probably like 10 of us in there I think but it was cool because this like when we landed they pop champagne and then they take the cork and the

wire and they twist it. And so when they turn it upside down, it looks like a little hot air balloon. And they were like, oh, um, they pop two bottles and they're like, we're going to give one to this one woman who was pregnant. So she wasn't able to go on the balloon, but they booked it before she was pregnant. So her husband went and she just waited at the bottom. And so they were like, oh, here you go. I know. I didn't know pregnant women can't go on balloons.

Right. I guess not. I guess it's a risk. But then they had the other one and they were like, is anybody celebrating anything here? Because like we kept it quiet, like up there. Because I didn't want to be like, attention, everybody. Like, I didn't want to like, you know. It's not that big a balloon. Right. It was a small basket. I don't know these people. Like, yeah, I didn't want to be like, attention everybody. I didn't want to It's not that big a balloon. Right. It was a small basket. I don't know these people.

Yeah, I didn't want to be like So everybody must have heard you. I whispered it. I was like, do you love me? He was like, yes. Well, but who in a gay relationship, obviously in a straight relationship, the man is typically, I guess with exceptions, asks the woman's hand

in marriage. But in a gay relationship how do you decide who asked who well i didn't know i talked to we had the conversation and he was like growing up i always envisioned myself being proposed to and i said okay well i've never thought about it so i guess i'll do it like i've just kind of been like all right but um but does he fit a stereotype of a more feminine uh you know I think he's just him I mean we both have like feminine and masculine traits so which is like yeah what would you say I am Dan Matterman um not outrageously feminine okay but not ridiculously masculine. That's kind of what he is too.

So it's a good match. You know. Oh, so the second cork, the second cork, they were like, oh, is anybody else celebrating anything? And like, as I was like, we're, this girl just screams out, it's my birthday. And like her family starts jumping up and down. And so they got the cork from it and so we were both like ah so i wish we had that cork but we don't so it's out there but it's okay we did get like a certificate at the end that says like you rode in a hot air balloon

and it has the date on there and so we have that framed at home. Max's date, it was not Tinder, Max. You said it was another. Yeah, it's a coffee meets bagels. Now, is that coffee meat bagel? Is that a Jewish app? No, people think it is, but it's not. It's mostly Asian women.

Yeah. So in that sense, it's kind of Jewish. So your date is with an asian woman yeah there is a there is a um i mean the most uh famous example of course is mark zuckerberg and his wife but asians and jews have a sort of a there's a sort of a thing there you know yeah not an unusual pairing no you're sort of sort of the model minority achieving, you know, whatever. So they have that in common. Yeah. So this is your second date, which is once you get past the first date,

Perrielle, I'll ask you as a woman, if you give a guy a second date, it's pretty much he's getting laid, right? Well, I mean, that could be on the first date, too. It could be. You don't have to wait for the second date for that you don't have to but i'm saying if you do give a guy a second date you as a woman in your mind what's going on um i mean i guess you're willing well you either really liked him the first time or you're not sure and you're willing well you either really liked him the first time or you're not sure and you're willing to find out okay so uh so so getting laid is not a guarantee no but you know i i don't know

i don't think that getting laid is a guarantee but you know who's to say that you didn't get laid on the first date and you're going out again oh you know yeah that's true and i did for some reason i just assumed maybe because max is so mild-mannered that i just didn't think that that happened on the first date but then it wouldn't even be a then it's not a date though why not you can't go out on the date with somebody it's not a date it's just yemi and his chick that I'm smashing or getting together. I don't think it's a date once you've had sex. OK, well, when we go shopping, we're going to get back. Do you have anything to say? Gay world's different.

Gay world is different. And we have sex and then you go on the first date. OK, so. Well, some of us in the straight world do that, too. Well, well, well, well, Perry, I'll famously. All inclusive bar. Everyone's welcome, just like Vermont. Perrielle met her husband as a one-night stand.

Is that correct, Perrielle? I believe you said- That is correct. And then decided that- So that's the stereotype about gay guys is- I didn't want to bring it up, but you brought it up. So we'll follow through. Is that gay guys are promiscuous? It's sexist. Doesn't mean as much. It's not as important. And they tend to like have extra, you know, extra marital or extra relationship affairs.

And it's no big deal. Oh, I'm boring. I'm like traditional. Just close behind bedroom doors traditionally yeah I don't think that it's more I think that they just don't subscribe to the same set of like misogynistic there's also no risk of pregnancy right there's that I mean this ideology of like know, you're not supposed to have sex like on the first date is just ridiculous. It only applies to women like straight men like that doesn't even exist. Well, I don't know if it's an ideology or if if if women. Of course it is. You're you're a slut. If you're a woman and you have sex on the first date they say you're a

slut nobody would ever say that to a straight guy no but no but um first of all i think times are changing a little bit with that with regard to that but also maybe women don't want to have sex early on because they they they have a tendency perhaps to get emotionally attached after sex and don't want and don't know okay maybe you know um well that's what i've heard anyway so they to protect themselves from that they would they would refrain from sex until they think there's something real going on i think that historically speaking i agree that it's probably changed that, you know, women or girls are taught that, you know, that's not proper behavior or you're not supposed to be promiscuous or you're supposed to, quote unquote, save yourself. You know, all of this nonsense. Right. But to what extent is that, as I said,

women wishing to protect themselves from from being being hurt because if they have sex with a man and then and then there's no follow through that that could be emotionally difficult for them? Well, only because when the emotions attached to it, how can men are, you know, nobody says that to boys. Because we don't attach the same emotional weight to sex. Hey, this is a longer conversation. OK, well, we can maybe we'll have it another time. But I think there's something to that. I mean, it's not just cultural i don't think

i have a question yeah go ahead yeah go ahead so when you became part of the comedy cellar did you cut did you you auditioned well no my my trajectory is it was different because i started here when before the comedy cellar was what we know today is the comedy cellar it was just a club like any other there was no distinction oh the comedy cellar now is like you know the top of the pyramid and then there's you know the other clubs in those days comics i was no different you go to the comic strip you go to the i mean what else was there at that time um stand-up new york whatever it was the comedy cell i didn't wasn't any higher up on the food chain and they used to have when i started here late night after midnight

uh sort of an open mic kind of thing it wasn't you had an audition but not for esty for this guy named uh who was it i was at mike royce i think at the time um who ran and but everybody passed the audition i don't think there was a single person that didn't pass the audition. And that's how I started here. And then Esty, I guess, saw me and I I didn't. So I got in that way. OK, yeah. So I never I did emcee, but not initially.

I emceed in later years, like 10 years ago, because I wanted to make a little more money. So I said, Esty, I'd like to emcee. OK, and so I emceed a little bit, but I didn't like it. So I stopped. Oh, yeah. So I don't know if that answers the question. Yeah, no, I was just wondering if like you ever like what your path was here. So that was my path. I just got in. So I got in here when any idiot could get it. Same way I got into the University of Pennsylvania. That's when any could get it. But now it's much harder. It was, it was hard then, but now it's ridiculous. Yeah. Yeah.

But it was easier now. It's like, forget it. Oh yeah. Now it's much harder from what I hear. Right. You know? So yeah. So that's, that's, I got in like before it was anything. Okay. I never knew that. Yeah. And then it became, it's, I mean, as best as I can recall, it started to become considered kind of higher up maybe late 90s you know when it started to be like oh this club is you know is and then the early 2ks and a long fucking time how long were you doing comedy before you not long because i i

again any idiot could pass you oh it was so i was like two years in okay when i started doing the late night it was like after midnight whenever whoever happened to be left over after the shit you know because like i get i don't know if they made an announcement i think they made like an answer like okay now we're doing like i think they changed mcs they would do like uh like this is the book show Yeah, now if you want to hang out, you know, this is the late night portion. Like, yeah. Didn't it used to be one long show?

Didn't it used to be one show? It used to be a show, one long show, and then the late night. And then it became, then they stopped the late night. And it just became one long show. And up until I don't know, 2005 or something like that. Wow.

What audience members during the week and the weekend, it was always what it is today. Would the audience members just get up and come and go or would they sit for the long show? I think they came and they, yeah, they would, they would go when they wanted to go. Oh, okay. So it was a whole night was one show.

It's just like, let's go downstairs, grab a drink, sit. Yeah. And they would go whenever they went yeah yeah um and this story has been told a billion times but sometimes there'd be nobody left in the room and they would have the waiters and waitresses sit down just so like when people came in there'd be people there it'd look like it would look like you know just to keep the place going so this was and again like i think in the starting in the early 2000s, it started to become more a prestigious place. Nice that and

then that just become more and more so and anyway. Okay, well, I guess that's, that's our time. Well, thank you. We have time, but you know, I figure let's leave them wanting more. Yes. And thank you, Gray, and we'll see you, I'll see you, you know, next time you're hosting the show that I'm on. Thank you. Thank you, Perry,

for joining us and enjoy the rest of your vacation. Thank you. Quinoa Island. Thank you, Matt. And that's it. Comments, questions, suggestions, podcast at comedysour.com. Bye-bye.