The Comedy Cellar: Live from the Table - The 5 Families

Episode Date: January 19, 2017

Chris Mazzilli is the owner of Gotham Comedy Club. Al Martin is the owner of Greenwich Village Comedy Club and Broadway Comedy Club. Rebecca Trent is the owner of Creek and the Cave comedy club. [Guest Host] Paul Mecurio is a standup comedian and regular performer at the Comedy Cellar. He has appeared on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and his own Comedy Central special.

You're listening to The Comedy Cellar, live from the table on the Riotcast Network, riotcast.com. Hey everybody, welcome to The Comedy Cellar show on Raw Dog, channel 99. My name is Paul Mercurio and I've been asked to host this show this week. It's a special show that Noam Dwarman, the owner of The Comedy Cellar, sort of initiated and invited a bunch of comedy club owners from New York in to talk about the state of comedy in New York and the state of comedy in general and the boom and all that other stuff.

So I'm going to go around the table here and introduce everybody. To my left, Al Martin. He owns Broadway Comedy Club and Greenwich Village Comedy Club. Noam Dwarman, Comedy Cellar. Dan Natterman, very funny comedian. Rebecca Trent, The Creek in the Cave has a lovely outdoor patio that I highly recommend.

Chris Mazzilli did not bring his car to give me a ride, owner of Gotham Comedy Club. And Kristen Montella, who worked at the comedy seller for years and is the host of this show and all of that. So welcome. So let's just sort of talk about you know there's this been this i think everybody see well and maybe except we'll be talking earlier we're talking about the comedy

boom of sort of of sorts and um how why do we think that's sort of come about and sort of what um do we do we have do you guys have any sense or how do you get a sense where that thing turns back the other way, if at all? I'll just throw it out there. Well, I think part of it, it's all generated by the internet. You know, people have a lot more access to comedy. And actually, you think about what we were saying earlier before the show, how long a lot of us know each other, 20, 25 years. And some of us were stand-ups.

This is Chris Mazzilli, by the way. You know, there was no internet. There was no way to put your stuff out there. Now, as a comedian, you could build up a following, and social media is a big part of what people do. Yeah. You know, and even for the clubs. Yeah.

You know, so to have access to people. Well, I... Never mind the fact that every jackass now has a platform. Well, that was the thing I was just going to say. So, like, everyone can call themselves an entertainer in some capacity. It feels like at the beginning of the social media boom, it was, like, really good for clubs. And I know clubs use it right like you use it do you think it's just as effective now as it was say five or seven years ago or eight years ago when it was sort of more

new because it feels like there's so much out there i think it's changing you know i mean the types of social media what you're using kind of changes you know i mean because if you think about a few years back email was huge and not that it's still you know what I mean? Because if you think about a few years back, email was huge. And not that it's still not a big part of what we do, but think about how many emails you get. People get bombarded with them. They opt out of lists, you know, or they don't open the email. You know, so you have to kind of stay ahead of the curve in what you're doing.

Al, do you do a lot with social media? You're running two clubs. We do a lot with social media. You know what's impacted us a lot is Brexit, surprisingly so, at least for the last, this past summer, I noticed a lot less people from the UK in New York City, which is a decent amount of the people, they love comedy. People in the UK love comedy.

And because of re-exit, I think a lot of them panicked and a lot less of them in the city this year. And I mean, how does Times Square, I mean, there's these street teams we're talking about and who, I mean, who here uses them? Who doesn't use them? Why don't you? Yeah. I'll tell you in the last year actually

tell you tell us what street team is i don't think everybody knows uh yeah for those listening basically some clubs hide there there are people that literally go on the street and they solicit people just walking down the street to go to a comedy club and they'll still send sell them that's what the people like that hover around the comedy cellar line on mcdougall street yeah exactly that's the way to put it. Go ahead. Well, you guys are right down the street from each other. Go ahead.

And I want to know. We will talk about that because. No, I don't. I'm here. Hey. You can look at Noam. Go ahead. No, we have no.

But so, yeah, finish up on that. But I want to talk about that. Yeah. I mean, I'm not sure you're aware but in july the city of new york passed a law um a licensing law for people on street teams which i am very happy about actually because uh there's been situations more in times square than around here but in times square it's a cesspool i mean you've got total scam artists a lot of scam artists walking around tell them the story about the ball and you tell them the news oh yeah i mean last year've got a lot of scam artists walking around. Tell them the story about the ball.

Tell them the New Year's Eve story. Last year, there was a comedy club in the heart of Times Square that was selling people for $500, at least some $1,000, whatever they can get. It wasn't the club, although I don't know. Maybe the club might have been involved. I'm not positive. But they were selling all access passes to watch the ball drop

for a thousand dollars people would walk into the club uh walk up two flights of stairs wherever this club is and they would find out it was an empty room with like 20 people they had to still buy in two drinks you need to get those guys licensed and working for you, Al. No, I mean, you know, there are guys out there that actually print tickets, you know. It sucks, though, because it puts dirt on comedy's name.

Of course. It makes it hard to get to it. They're not going to get burned twice, so they're not even going to go to a club again if they get burned the first time. That's true.

This is Rebecca of the Creek in the Cape. You don't use street teams never have. No, I don't. And actually, our community board has started to complain

about the other comedy club in my neighborhood that does use barking. They do bark outside. And it's kind of crazy. I mean, the stuff that they say to people and the way they try and lure you in. Bark is like you're right out front. And sometimes they'll have the comics do that as barter to get stage time. Exactly. You want to come in?

You want to come in? It's a cheap ticket. I mean, here's really what is happening out there. You've got this law that was just passed that these people need to be licensed. They go out there. They get their license. And now the city... So what is this?

Is there a test you pass? What is the license? What do you do? It's not difficult. You can go down there and get it in 10 minutes. I promise not to scam anybody. I think it's a promoter's license is what they call it, right? It's a ticket seller.

Oh, a ticket seller license. These guys are one step from homeless most of these street teams yeah a lot well that's the problem some some people for some clubs just don't want to get licensed they don't want to be on the radar i mean there's a child support issues uh back child support uh open warrants for their arrest paying taxes yeah i mean god forbid you know i mean but listen i don't like the lying open warrants for their arrest. Paying taxes? Yeah. Paying taxes. I mean, God forbid, you know? I mean, but listen, I don't like the lying. I don't condone it. If you've ever stood in my box office on a Saturday night and, you know, you got a lot of people lined up outside

ready to come in, and there's one or two people that got scammed or three people or four, and they're scammed, and they're yelling in the lobby, I want my money back. Someone told me Tina Fey and such and such is going to be here for $5. First of all, check a website. When someone's telling you 17 comics...

But if you're having that issue, you really feel you need to use it for your club to generate? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because to me, you're at 53rd, right? It's a 200-seat room. Right, but you're essentially right on the fringe of Times Square. It's really busy. Correct.

You don't feel like there's enough foot traffic and social media is not as effective for you? No, I mean, social media is okay and it drives business. What do you do for social media? Well, we put our shows up there and we... Facebook, Twitter. You boost the posts and all that stuff. Yeah, yeah, sometimes we boost the posts, but you know what, I think that's overrated personally.

You know, I, I just will say that for my particular businesses, it works, you know. To address Noam's point about my guys around hovering. That's a good business model. No, I mean. So people understand understand al has a club in the east hang on so people understand they have context uh we're here on mcdougall street above this comedy cellar and this is uh down the street uh al opened a club correct very close and uh and i'm gonna make the argument a little bit of uh. Let me say, if I'm saying it in a way that's not fair to you, you can correct it.

He has a street team there, and they're strategically set up to make contact with everybody that's coming to the comedy stores. And so people understand, people stand in line. I'm not even sure how all those goes on. So they stand in front of the pizzeria, and they'll say, checking in for comedy? Checking in for, well, no, I'm going toizzeria and they'll say, checking in for comedy? Checking in for, well, no, I'm going to the comedy. And they will say, oh, there's comedy sellers over there. They're probably sold.

If it's sold out, come see us. And then, and it's on literally triangulating so that everybody who's coming to the comedy seller, they get a crack at them. I don't know. I got used to it. It used to infuriate me and now I'm. Have you guys talked about it? Now I want to have a drink with you.

Wait, have you talked about this yet? Yeah, yeah, we talked about it. So what happened? We talked about it. We had coffee to it. It used to infuriate me, and now I'm... Have you guys talked about it? Now I want to have a drink with you. Wait, have you... I'm going to tell Noam. Have you talked about this yet? Yeah, yeah, we talked about it. So what happened? We talked about it. We had coffee over it. We drank. And it didn't change at all.

Well, what happened is I didn't know there was a new law saying that these guys had to be licensed. And now I can... That really makes a difference. Well, now I have something to... Yeah, yeah.

We'll try to get the city to enforce it because we've tried to have that done, too. But here's the thing. First of all, two points I want to make on this. One is a lot of times, Fridays and Saturdays, we're sold out the day before. And online sales and stuff like that.

So why are you guys still out there on Friday, Saturday nights? Because we've got to sell the 1230 show, you know. But they're out there early. I don't know. You know, I don't know. And the second point is, Al Martin has single-handedly made the comedy seller more money in their history. My argument is, until I came on to McDougal Street,

one club, downstairs, that's it. Now he's got the village underground. He's got the black pussycat, the black cat pussycat. He may be right. Did I inspire you? He lit a fire in my ass. That's right. I lit a fire on his ass.

I could not stand the idea of any customer that I couldn't fucking accommodate going to his place. Exactly. So I tripled my seating. I lit a fire on the gnome's ass, and he's doing better than ever, right? But let me ask you this question. I just want to make one quick point about the street team, and my problem with the street team, which has nothing to do with Noam's bottom

line, is they don't know who the hell I am. Every time I walk past these people, they say, hey, you want to see comedy? They've been on that street corner for two years, and they see me every single day, and they don't know who the hell I am. Now, I know I'm not famous. I've accepted that. But for God's sakes, man, I see me every single day, and they don't know who the hell I am. Now, I know I'm not famous.

I've accepted that. But for God's sakes, man, I see you every day. So, Al, you need to hand out my headshot to these people so that they don't harass me. I think one guy finally figured out not to ask me to come see a comedy show. But anyhow. So, now, Rebecca's club is...

To add a little levity to this. All these clubs are in the borough of Manhattan, and Rebecca's club's out in Long Island City. So now Rebecca's club is... To add a little levity to this. All these clubs are in the borough of Manhattan, and Rebecca's club's out in Long Island City. So far away. Which is Queens. It is. It's in Queens. It's one stop on the 7 from Grand Central.

And do you feel in some ways... What are the advantages and disadvantages of your club being there versus here? Well, I'm the redheaded stepchild of all of the club. No, you're not. No, I really am, because it makes it a lot harder to get people to come over the bridge. I mean,

it took an act of Congress to get Bobby Kelly to come to the Creek in the cave. But once he came, he was like, Oh, this is so close. What the fuck? You know what I mean? And now he's been there like 10 times.

So it, it's, it's a bigger challenge to get people to come out the first time. You know what I mean? I have to lure people out. People are begging to come to them. Do you know what I mean? Like it's a, it's a completely different thing get people to come out the first time. You know what I mean? I have to lure people out. People are begging to come to them. Do you know what I mean? Like it's a completely different dynamic.

And what is the lure? How do you do that? What are you saying? I offer them more stage time than anybody does. Yeah. Generally speaking, I try and be strategic about my asks. So I pay attention to when they're doing what, where. So like if there's a special coming up, I know they want to warm up.

I offer them anything they want. So it's artist first. If they want to do a no invite, no up, I know they want to warm up. I offer them anything they want. So it's artist first. If they want to do a no invite, no advertise, I don't care. That's totally fine. Shows can be free or they can charge. I don't care. You know what I mean? It's anything goes that's going to help them.

Because I want the folks that are sort of the elders, the ones that have been there for a while, to think of the Creek as their dojo, to come in and just sort of like you brush up and get on you know what i mean but that's how colin used it when he was developing on constitutional and that was like one of the most effective uses of the space it's the reason why i bought the place do you find that your regulars are regulars now i mean you having like oh yeah but you don't want to be a manhattan i mean doesn't every girl dream? I mean, I don't know.

Sure, I would love to. I'm sure that that comes with a tremendous amount of challenges as well. I mean, I sit on my community board in my neighborhood. I love Long Island City in particular. I wish that I could preserve it because I don't like sort of like the road it's headed towards. But, I mean, yeah, I would prefer to be in Manhattan. It would make it a lot easier for me if I had a spot that was

a block away from the stand and I could put a street team in front of their place. I'll make the argument. Because Al can tell you how to find them. It all comes back to Al. The whole city of Manhattan, you couldn't find another location. You had me there for a minute. You were talking about

the comedy boom, and then we kind of got off that. Is there a comedy boom, and then we kind of got off that. Is there a comedy boom, and do we expect it to last? I thought that ended with fine. I make the argument, no, there's not a comedy boom right now. Why do you feel that? I think there's far too many comedy clubs in Manhattan. Way too many.

Over-saturation. Way over-saturation. What there is is a comedy seller boom. Yeah. And Noam is in the middle of it, and to him it looks like a tremendous boom because he's adding on to his house. Not giving any money to his friends.

And that's another discussion. Why is the comedy cellar booming? Why do you think it is, Noam? That's what I'm inquiring about. Is there an industry-wide boom? A week ago, I don't know. I think when Greenwich Village was sold out, people come to the cellar.

Let's get Chris in on this. I mean, Chris, where are you in terms of the, are you feeling pretty steady business? Is there a boom in your mind? Yeah, no, it's been steady and it's growing. I mean, it's tough to know if there's an actual boom because every club is different, but yeah, it's been good.

Yeah. You know? Chris, you know, way back in the day, you decided on a headliner format as opposed to, you know, Al's rooms and Noam's rooms, which are, you know, a showcase that everybody does 15 minutes. Yep. And there's maybe five people. Whereas you have a headliner come in, do 45 minutes, and with a couple of opening acts.

Correct. And why did you decide on that particular format when you were going into it? Economics. You know, I mean, at the end of the day, in the old location, you know, we were selling out every show. So it got to the point, I said, this is crazy. I can only seat 140 people here, and I'm turning away business left and right. And I happen to know a real estate broker and the time was perfect.

He said to me, hey, you know what? The space coming available, would you be interested in expanding Gotham? And I said, yeah. And when I looked at the size of the room, I said, you know what? This room is more conducive to doing headliners. Why is that?

Just size-wise. I'm asking honestly, why is that more conducive? You can draw more people that way? Is that what you mean? Yeah, I mean, 300 seems to be the magic number for headliner rooms, you know 300 draw more people that way is that what you mean yeah i mean 300 seems to be the magic number for headliner rooms you know so just kind of in other words there's a there's a bigger you can sell more tickets with a headliner than you can with showcase format well if you got the right head yeah yeah i mean it's it depends on who it is have you ever had second thoughts about moving to the bigger room? No.

No? No. I mean, it's a good space. I'm comfortable there. It's on 23rd Street. So, yeah, I mean, I'm happy in this space. There's a lot more flexibility with that space too. And you're using it for TV too.

You have the AXIS show, which is a nice form of advertising. Yeah, listen, it helps. And it was built that way it's you've got the height for the cameras yeah exactly because tv we put the lighting grid in so it just it was easy you know so so people understand this your club on 22nd street was tucked away in the middle of a fairly like mellow block when i was always and i don't mean this is a joke but like what were you doing to get that place to that point where we're so busy all the time because it's not like a lot of foot traffic it's not a destiny it's it's not a destination

at night for people to go hang out other than the one club down the street you know what it was just uh putting on good shows giving people good service you know that's really it yeah you know paying attention what was going on you know yeah um you know and look it was a lot different 21 years ago i mean there's a lot more clubs now, you know. I mean, 21 years ago, there wasn't a lot, you know. There are at least three clubs in the city right now that I would think, you would think would be in serious financial problems, you know, based on the attendance that I hear about and what's going on.

Which three? You know, I mean, listen, there's three. There's two on the east side and one on the west side, I guess we could put it that way. And, you know, it's just comic after comic will come in and tell me, oh, it's quiet, it's quiet, it's slow. You could tell by the format of what they're doing at some of the clubs. It's like virtually every show now is mixed with headliners and a couple of the bringer comics. Just to quickly explain what a bringer is, that's when a newer comic has to bring, say, three or more,

or whatever the number is, friends to sit in the audience. And that's just a way for newer comics to get on stage. It's also a way for clubs to get asses in the seats. They're relying on the comedians to invite their friends. So this is a way that a club that might not be booming gets asses in the seats. How is the city with you guys in terms of supporting? Can you go for city support, like financial, like, you a small business between the building department the fire department every time you invite the city to write you a check they also will invite all of their inspectors to come check the place out first city is an ever a good idea and

the buildings run every single building in new york city is currently crumbling it's uh the climate in manhattan and i'm sure in the long island city it's hard i mean you know the rents are through the roof yep you know insurance is through the roof and it's only getting a good broker by the way if you need one anyway good i finally found a good tourist broker go ahead sorry no i appreciate that um you know's hard. I mean, you sometimes talk to people that think about opening a comedy club in the city and it's like, listen, good luck. You know, I mean, it's a minefield. It's a hard business. Talk about comics.

There was a C-O-M-I-X. There was a club on 14th and the meatpacking district. Rest in peace. Yeah, they put a ton of money into it. It was a beautiful club. I bought their chairs. Did you really? At auction, I did.

I don't know if you've been to it or ever saw it. Comics? Yeah. The name of the club was C-O-M-I-X Comics. And on paper, it seemed like it made sense. Incredibly busy down in that area. The right kind of demo of customers you would want. And they couldn't get out of the scene.

So you guys are the experts what what didn't work there the problem there it had what i call south beach florida exactly south beach florida south beach florida syndrome south beach hip area the demographics you talk about everything but people going to south beach the last thing they want to see is comedy they want to hit nightclubs they want to hit nightclubs. They want to hit clubs where they can party. They were too cool for school. Comedy is not cool in that sense.

The people that come to see comedy are many, many are tourists. Right. Many are comedy fans that are not in the meatpacking district going to fancy clubs like that. Exactly. And plus the fact that the rent,

I guess, was ridiculous. And they tried to make it very, it was a beautiful room and the comics enjoyed it. I didn't think it was beautiful. They put so much money on the room. Well, in any case,

it was an expensive, very well appointed room. I gotta tell you, that showroom, the main showroom was well done. It had a really nice flow to it. It was very well built

but it was so much money. One might argue that the best comedy room is low key and more, you know, intimate and homey. But they found a way for people listening, I think Dan would agree, the best comedy room is low-key and more intimate and homey. But they found a way, for people listening,

I think Dan would agree, the best rooms for comedy tend to be wider than deep, low ceilings, intimate, and they made a 350-seat room, and they made it feel like the Comedy Cellar room or your room. They're out of business, Noam. You can say nice things about them.

But it was way more sprawling than that. It was more closer closer to Caroline's. They're out of business, Noam. You can say nice things about them now. No, I mean, but it was more, it was way more sprawling than that. That's right. It was more closer to how Caroline's is, but bigger. It looked like a law school

classroom. A larger stage, I mean, a bigger stage. It looked like a law school classroom. It did. It was a Rena style.

Yeah. And they built it that way to film. But Dan, you played it. What did you think of it? I like it, first of all,

for a couple of reasons. Number one, Noam wasn't using me at the time. So, and they were, and I was grateful foram wasn't using me at the time. And they were. And I was grateful for anybody that was using me at the time.

But I also, they were very nice to comics. I believe they had a 100% off menu until they decided they could no longer afford that. And it was 50% off. He had a South Beach syndrome. But it was good food, and it was a nice place. And they always managed to hire very attractive waitstaff, which is a critical component of comedian happiness. Look, at the end of the day, they were nice guys. They loved comedy and they wanted to open a nice room, which just didn't work out.

You know, and there are a lot of reasons. And the guys who bought bought that out and took the name up to Fox was and I mean, he and son are doing well. But the other thing they banked on and it got Caroline's upset from what I understand is they were going after big corporate business like they created a kitchen like the size of a football field and their idea was their business part of it was we're going to get why is Caroline I think their thinking was why is Caroline's the only

club in the city that's tapping into corporate for people listening a lot of times corporations left seminars a couple of days they want entertainment so they use comedians and Caroline's is set up really well to serve that kind kind of thing well there were two i think chris's room is is in that market as well now you were yeah but but but you know it's like that for some reason they thought they could tap into that right i don't know right yeah i mean i i think a lot they they tried to buy their way into it and they hired good people and look if you looked at it on paper

where they were going to be, what they were doing, it made sense that it was going to work. Why do you think it didn't work? Well, I think Al made a very good point. The people that go out in the MEPAC district are too cool for school. They weren't interested in the comedy club. And I think actually being in that area hurt them because it was so crowded down there. The people actually that wanted to go to the comedy club. Detered them. You know, the traffic was so bad, you couldn't park anywhere. So that hurt them, you know.

And then you're coming into a market with, Caroline's was very established and already had a lot of the headliners booked. You know, we were open for already at that point 11, 12 years. Right. Had relationships with comedians, you know. So heads only getting a foothold with the best talent. Right. You'd have to buy your way into the market, you know, so. So they're only getting a foothold with the best talent? Right, you'd have to buy your way into the market, you know.

So let's say you had a headliner that was making $5,000 a weekend. Well, if you want to get that guy to leave Carolines, maybe you have to pay him $10,000 or $15,000. So if you're overpaying for talent, $5,000 or $10,000, and you're doing it every weekend, you start adding that up, it's costing you $500,000, $70,000 a year more than you should be paying you know so it's not a sustainable business with headliners i wanted with headliners i never i never fully understood it and i've thought about it because we thought about doing headliners from time to time is i always wondered if you're building

a reputation for the club or it's just attached to the headlines like Madison Square Garden so if if Natterman plays Gotham then he draws that crowd but then the following year he plays comics those people go to comics as opposed to what what I try to do which is on our brand is the is the club people don't even know who's performing there when they when they decide they want to come well Chris if I'm wrong tell me but I mean i had like hold on and you might have benefited from both in the sense that you started with a smaller room and then grew into a bigger room you know man you're right there was already a name brand there um you know also part of it wasn't just like i want to use a headline to bring people in just who if somebody

likes a particular comic and wants to see him do a longer set see him do an hour an hour and five why not but you already had goodwill as gotham which they had to try to hit the ground running and some headliners will fill the room with their fans and other headliners maybe you know uh i mean i headlined gotham a while back and i'm pretty sure most of the people weren't there for me i think they were there because gotham has has that reputation and uh and also nobody was going to comics except based on the name of whoever it is yeah but the what are the but that's a good point because the other issue with comics in the beginning was they weren't booking the room properly they were booking like headliners that you book on the road that didn't really kind of connect exactly it was almost like a road room in New York City.

And then they figured that out, but it was too little too late. I was going to say, and I think he's right. Go ahead. What was I going to say? You were going to say how many people can really fill it? Yeah, that's what I was going to say. How many? All right.

Well, you're right. How many, yeah, how many, Chris, headliners really in New York City can fill your room? In New York City or just in general? Well, listen. In your room, York City, can fill your room. In New York City or just in general? Well, listen. In your room, how many comics can fill your room? The business wasn't built on having to sell out every show because some headliners make $2,000 a weekend

and some make $100,000 a weekend. So you can make more money with a guy you're paying $2,000 to. Let's say he's averaging $200 a show, $250 a show. Well, you don't need to do this $300 show because you're not paying the guy a lot. And you're doing good money in liquor and food and all that other stuff. Yeah. The problem with meatpacking, too, is that all the places that are successful down there. This is Kristen, by the way.

Well, our listeners certainly know that Kristen's loving meat. Well, based on the illusion of exclusivity. And that does not work in comedy. You're not making a comedy club that is being very restrictive of who they're letting in the door. Aside from people who are drunk or whatever. But in terms of appearance, etc. So if you're going to fit into that mold in me packing, to me, right away, comedy just does not mesh with that. You need Steve Rubell outside the door yelling at people exactly you know those guys were smart

guys you know i know them fairly well i i think you know they love comedy they built a beautiful club but just you know the timing was off and uh you know it was difficult because listen they didn't know at that time that i was moving i'm gonna do headliners too right listen, they didn't know at that time that I was moving and going to do Headliners 2. They didn't know that. They thought, well, Caroline's

the only game in town. Let's give them a run for their money. Well, also, I think a lot of people, I think those people that opened comics, I believe they made

a lot of money in another business, I think, if I'm correct. And I think sometimes people, when they make money in one business, they think that they're

geniuses at every business and they say, well, I could do a comedy club. I could be president. And I think sometimes people, when they make money in one business, they think that they're geniuses at every business. And they say, well, I could do a comedy club. I could be president. And they don't realize that a comedy club is tricky. And there's also the allure of entertainment and being around people you see on TV. And that could be part of it, too. Now, just to be clear,

the people that run comics and own it now, it's a different group of people than the guys that owned it before. But yeah, you're right. I mean, there's sort of like, hey, if I conquer this, I can conquer that, you know? And then they get their head handed to them

in a major way. Yeah. When you do get a chance, I do want to throw out to the floor this feud that I'm having with the guys at the stand. Oh, you do? Okay.

Well, let me just reset here. For those listening, this is Raw Dog Channel 99, the Comedy Cellar Show. Well, he said I shouldn't. And we say he says i shouldn't bring okay and we are uh we are having a really cool conversation with i don't think it's ever happened before right where you guys have gotten together so the major club owners in new york city the last time was when uh the comedians were going on strike and they wanted more money that's the last time we were all together yeah we're gonna

get to that right uh that's noam Dorman owner of the Comedy Cellar I have Al Martin we have Broadway Comedy Club and Greenwich the village screw up the name Rebecca Trent the Creek in the Cave Dan Natterman Kristen Montella

and Chris Mazzilli owner of Gotham you want to get into the Stan thing now well you really think I shouldn't why not sure sure Chris Mazzilli, owner of Gotham. Why don't we, you want to get into the Stan thing now? Well, you really think I shouldn't? Why not? Why not? Well, you know. It's your show.

I mean, to start out with it, there is a, this kind of polite pretension that we're not competitors. And I, I mean, do you think we're competitors, Al? Yeah, absolutely. Chris, do you think we're competitors? Yeah, I mean, listen, we're in the same business in the same city. So, yeah. I mean, but me personally speaking, I'm not out to compete with any particular club. My feeling is, look, I'm going to run my business the way I run my business.

And if I run it the right way, I'm going to make money. Not that I'm not aware that there are other clubs or what other clubs are doing, but I just focus on my own house and taking care of my house and doing the best i can do in that particular place i agree with you but what i what i'm i guess what i mean is that when you have a four people two couples they want to let's go see comedy tonight they survey the the landscape of available comedy choices one of them is going to be gotham one's going to be new York. One's going to be the comedy seller. Correct. And then we're all competing. We want them to decide to go to us. So if they decide for me,

that's bad for him. And so that makes us competitors. So there was a thing with The Stand. The Stand didn't want to come on the show. And I like those guys. Just to back up, The Stand, some people listening,

The Stand, someone can correct me if I'm wrong, a couple years ago, kind of came into being. Five years ago. I feel like they were. Is it long? 2012.

It was the same year as Greenwich. Five years ago. So they are not terribly far from, they're sort of on the east side of their lower part of Manhattan in the 20s. They're not terribly far from Comedy Cellar, yeah. So I invited them to the show and they didn't want to do it. Is it because I'm on? No. That's what I heard.

So what happened was that like a year and a half ago, they somehow became the bookers for The Tonight Show. That's correct. Yeah. This is just, I love this. Keep going. Rebecca said. So, you know in in the sense that we're competitors i i mean i have nothing personal against them i don't there's no character

aspersions nothing it's just oh they they're going to be booking this a night show that's not necessarily a good thing for the comedy seller because that can give them a foothold and an energy and a momentum among talent and that that absolutely that's terrifying that can lead to something more at the expense of the people at least okay hang on a second i don't understand that a little bit only because you guys don't have an exclusivity thing with us right so you're not saying that dan aderman dan if you work the stand you can't work here and they're not saying that either. So what I don't understand is if they start booking the Tonight Show...

I'm Italian. That's what happens. If they start booking the Tonight Show, I don't know how that gives them any extra momentum business-wise. With the comics, it does. But I'm not going to not work your club. They'll prioritize that club over the other clubs.

Thinking they'll get discovered there for the Tonight Show or whatever. And it has a synergy. The public begins to follow. This is the club where the people go to see the people on the Tonight Show. I mean, a lot of it's smoke and mirrors and magic. That's what PR is, you know? But it's just...

So, I mean, I wasn't panicking about it, but so then they contacted me and they wanted to know if... A pretty famous comic, I don't say his name could do five minutes at the cellar someone who's works at the cellar for years and traditionally just called up SD and we put him on so they wanted us to put him on for five minutes to run his tonight shows set and I didn't want it I was uncomfortable with that because I was afraid of it. I was uncomfortable with that

because I was afraid of it becoming, I thought it kind of positioned us below them in a way, and I didn't want to become, as he put it, a cog in their wheel where they get together, and then they'll be able to secure you sets of their own thing. I said, for whatever reason, I didn't want to do it. So I wrote them a text message, an email, and the answer was, we didn't want to do it. So I wrote them a text message, an email, and the answer was,

we should meet in person to discuss. I'm extremely reluctant to become involved in your enterprise with The Tonight Show. I'll be in tonight if you want to talk. That's what I wrote, for better or for worse. And this apparently quite insulted them. Did you know it at the time? No, I just found out when they didn't want to do this

show right and in that they said that uh well uh uh you you can't be nice or or have social grace the way chris and lou do i guess i'm probably lou from from caroline's but that's the way you are i'm like all right so now I'm just wondering if everybody thought that I am wrong there. Now listen, at the end of the day, it's your room, you can do whatever you wanna do. And if you felt uncomfortable, you wanna have a conversation, that's your prerogative.

Was it wrong to ask them to, they feel like we shouldn't have to meet you. I'm like, I didn't say no, I wouldn't have dragged you down. I would've, I know myself, what I would've done was agreed to it, but registered, look, I don't want this to become a regular thing. Setting a precedent. Yeah, but I wouldn't drag them down for a meeting and say, no, I don't want this to become a regular thing. You're setting a precedent.

Yeah, but I wouldn't drag them down for a meeting and say, no, I just want to tell you in person. And that's what I wanted. And you wouldn't charge them for the food, right? How I look at this is it's like sports. The Mets play the Yankees. The Mets play the Nationals. They compete with one another.

I don't dislike anything in this room. It's good, healthy competition. We're in a great business. I happen to like what I do, and I'm sure the people sitting around me do too. That's why we do what we do, right? So, yeah, I recognize the fact that we're competitors, but I don't have any issue with you or Al or her or anybody else for that matter, or any other club.

And it's your right, owning this club, to put people on if you want or question things. That's okay. There's nothing wrong with that. Do you understand why they might have been insulted, even though you don't feel it to be a rational response? He didn't say irrational. Well, I don't know. Do you kind of understand why they might have been insulted by Noam's reluctance to put on this person?

Listen, you know what? I mean, I understand everybody's feelings. Because for me, it wouldn't have affected me, but I i'm not them and i don't know what's in their head you know i happen to know those guys i think they're decent fellas you know i mean this is chris mazzilli have you ever felt threatened in any way in your no no well i mean no when i they're all strapped you gotta watch out i mean could it be no in the in your business for 21 years have you been in this position where you might feel threatened in a position that you didn't want to be in you know listen there's always competition in the business you know and

uh you want to win that's it right you know and it's like so threatened no but i'm aware like perfect example we're talking about comics earlier you know i could tell you that was the last fucking thing i wanted to happen when i'm going to open a new room and i find out that somebody else is opening a room similar in size and it's going to try to do the same thing that i'm doing was i thrilled about it no but you know what they have a right to go do that and if that's what they want to do then i got to run my business that much better you you know, to compete with them. Well, you know, in microcosm, I don't know if that's the right word, but, you know, as comedians,

of course, we're in competition. Me, you, Mr. Mercurio. There's X number of spots at the Comedy Cellar. For every spot you do, I'm necessarily not going to do. And for every TV role you get, I'm necessarily not going to get. Right.

And for that reason, I hate you. I asked you to be in my HBO thing, and it was to play, just can I say aside, I was in this HBO sports comedy series, and I called you up, I was on the road, and I'm standing in a hotel. Yeah, I remember that. And I needed you to play the Jewish guy around the table with various minorities. And he said to me, I'm really, no, it's too Jewish for me. I'm trying not to do too many

jewish roles and i had to say to you you look and sound fucking jewish like what i mean it was and so you had a role i offered you well i remember it i don't recall i think i read it and felt that it was too over the top jewish um you know what it is maybe it could have been you know it depends what mood you get me and now i remember once vh1 called me up, it could have been, you know, it depends what mood you get me in. Now, I remember once VH1 called me up for their Jewtastic weekend.

You know, VH1, I don't know if they still do, is that even on the VH1? Is that existing? Yeah, it's still a channel. But they used to do

these things where it was like Best Week Ever where they had talking heads or I Love the 80s. Now, nobody loves the 80s more than me, but they didn't give a fuck

and I never got to do that show. Right. The only time they, but everybody else, you know, they had Michael Ian Black and he, you know who who has contempt for the 80s it was clear but but because that's his ad i love the 80s why didn't you ask me to do i love the 80s the only time they called me up was to do their jewtastic weekend they called me up said we want dan to do

our jew test i said okay i would have done your stupid jewtastic weekend but the only time you call me up is to do your jewtastic weekend you can go fuck yourself yeah but wait did you give me one but hang on if i were your manager i'd be like you know what i know you're pissed and you don't want to do this but go in my manager crush it crush my manager and they'll use you other ways but you know i don't believe in the crush it you and use you in other things uh i don't believe in that theory i believe in the come to me with respect if you treat me like i'm shit to begin with in in your mind, I'm shit, and I'm never going to prove otherwise. But why are you shit?

It's very hard to change perception in this business. Why are you shit? Because you only call me. I don't want to get too into this because it has nothing to do with the discussion. For the same reason you don't want to be cast as the Jew all the time. He doesn't want to be cast as the Jew.

You turned it down because you were doing too many Jew things? If every time they call, I was casting it. Have you been listening? Oh, no. I created a show for HBO. He's still thinking about the stand. If every time you got called for a role, and I know people who are in this position,

now this wouldn't necessarily apply to you, but I know a guy, every time they call, every single time, we want you to be an Italian thug. Every single time. I bet you're like, you know what? Enough. Yeah, but you say every single time like you're getting

called left and right. You're the only person who... The only time they call me up. Let's go back to what we were talking about. Let's talk about this on our show. But if you have a role for a handsome fraternity, big man on campus, I'm there.

I'm calling you. So how do you see this thing with the stamp playing out? No, I don't know, I just, I was actually, I always liked those guys, and I was really taken aback. Stephen knows, and. By the way, Stephen Calabria is here, I'm sorry to introduce you, he's off mic, but he worked with Noam to put all this together.

And I was really surprised, and then I began to think, well maybe, maybe I did do something wrong, you know, maybe I wasn't able to see it as it was interpreted, and that's why I brought it up. Well, your business has never been better. Do you at all feel threatened by that club on some level? Of course.

Listen, I said recently. Maybe that's not the right word. All the big famous companies that see falls, that see their business pulled out from under them, at some point became arrogant and overconfident, and they didn't fully respect the threats on the horizon. So I take everything very seriously. I'm not pessimistic.

He's what I call a financial hypochondriac. He knows nothing about me. It's not financial. One must be vigilant, but if you go to the doctor every week with a tumor, because you think you have cancer, that's not healthy either. And I think that Noam

feels the end is near every week. If Colbert... But a business in New York City feels like it's built on a house of cards. Do you understand? It feels like one mistake, one drunk person having a heart attack in a room, and I don't know what could happen.

No. I mean, it's terrifying. If the Colbert Show wanted us to start booking their comedians for them, I would feel very awkward about calling Chris and saying, hey, you know, can you put this guy in for five minutes for me? Because he'll be like, you know, he's not going to, why do you want to do that for me? It's like, this is my thing. Would you respond that way, Chris?

No. I'd say, yeah, put him on. But I don't even think I would ask. You're such a dick. No. Could I ask if the comic had asked instead of the boys, would you have said yes? Yeah, the comic asked.

I'd be fine. So what's the difference? It was creating a new middleman between someone who we already had a relationship with, always performs at the cellar. Yeah, but that doesn't mean after that this person was always going to go through them to just come in and do a spot just to do a spot. No, it's just the perception of it.

I can understand what he's saying, though, because once he does it the first time, there could be a second call and a third call. Before you know it, it's a routine. Before you know it. We book you and now you have five minutes at the cellar, five minutes here and five minutes there. I don't want that. Before you know it, Noam is back. This is the kind of business book you and now you have five minutes to tell her five minutes here and five minutes there. I don't want that. Before you know it, Noam is back.

This is the kind of business you give an inch and people take a yard. You know what I mean? Every kind of business. But I find it funny that last week, or was it two weeks ago, we were talking about this and Noam said, you've got to be vigilant.

You know, to quote Bob Dylan, the loser now is later to win. Noam felt he's got to be constantly vigilant about his position slipping. That very night, Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, Amy Schumer, and Aziz all performed at the Comedy Club, and it was in all the papers. So I just thought that was kind of a funny juxtaposition. Noam's saying the sky is falling.

And now he's on the ground. You said the sky is falling. All right. You can't explain. I think only people who own businesses get what I'm saying. I understand what you're saying, but I also think you need to be a little bit comfortable. Remember when Obama said you didn't build that and business owners went crazy?

I think you need to be a little bit less, a little bit more comfortable in your position, a little bit more, realize a little bit more the strength of your position currently. Listen, I don't know if you did not have to read the text. I didn't say no. I said I think we should meet in person. I wanted to express where my head was at. I didn't say no. But you also said that one of your reasons

is that companies always have to be vigilant and can never rest on their laurels, which is... People want to get on in the cellar. I don't want this to be a conduit. I don't want to be involved in anyone else's business. At the point where it becomes a regular thing, where some other

organization is booking comics into the cellar for the Tonight Show. I am now the odd man out, and they're using and benefiting from me, and I don't want to do it. But the comic that they came to you with, and we're not going to mention his name, can work here any time he wants. Well, that's what happened. He eventually called Estee himself, and he went on. But that part of your— Which is a much better outcome for me.

But that part of your argument doesn't hold water because it wasn't gonna that kid wasn't that guy wasn't gonna get here only through them he was he can get he could just pick up the phone on his own so i think that's what i think that was the point though is that they already have the relationship it's like it's like if my if jermaine fowler called uh had his agent or manager call me for a spot instead of him just calling me he uh he was on uh he was at arlene's grocery uh last week so when you say a house of cards like any any minute rebecca you were like this is a house of cards having a business like this in the city because i mean because you're fighting that and also like the just the the regulations the inspectors the fire department the i mean how we're living in a city where the

where the damn manhole covers explode and buildings are you know what I mean Harlem like a whole block in Harlem just second avenue

just gone you know what I mean like so we're and Long Island City is also suffering from major infrastructure fatigue because we've grown

so big in such a short period of time our broker Calabria believes that your club is the future of comedy

well I appreciate that is that club is the future of comedy. Well, I appreciate that. Is that true, really? The future? Talk about that. Why do you feel that way? You said something

like that. He's backpedaling. I'm not being facetious. Tell her what you said. What I said was that if there is any legitimate threat to the establishment

that is the comedy clubs in Manhattan is probably going to be something out in Brooklyn or out in Long Island City because those places are developing so fast yeah and it would follow that it would be something like Creek or Union Hall right in Park Slope yeah I didn't I don't think I put it that it is specifically going to be free. I'm the future of comedy, just to be clear. Now you're a gnome site.

He's backpedaling. Did it. He's backpedaling and I'm going to find, you continue, I'll find it for you. You're the new stand in his view now.

But that said, you know, that said, we're in a room now here with about 70 years of comedy club experience. So, you know, it is tricky. House of Cards may be overstating it,

but, you know, Mazzilli's been making a good living, I assume, for 22 years. Al's been in the game 30 years. Noam, this club's been around for, you know, since 1982. Yeah, Rebecca's 11 years. I mean, you guys aren't dummies. I mean, I agree with Dan. I mean, I know every business is a house of cards,

but I think you guys all have pretty solid businesses. I mean, we're outsiders looking in, but... You know, I want to ask... Comedians are like that, too. We always think next year, you know, this year we did okay and we paid our bills, next year we're going to make, and yet 20 years later, somehow...

Still trucking. We're still doing it. I know, I know. Kristen, you worked at the Comedy Cellar. From your perspective, and you've been involved, you've been part of it for years, why do you think this club has really been booming lately and now has three rooms from the way it's run on the inside?

As much as it really pains me to give Noam personal compliments, as he knows, I will say... It does pain. It really does pain. She just threw up in her mouth. It's really hard for me to see. I got off a clump there. I think a large part of it is just his personal involvement in the business. You see, I don't see it that way. Yeah, I don't see him doing anything. Dan, you can't say that. I or i can you cannot say that i worked with noam side by side for almost 10 years and he is he eat breathes and sleeps the business i mean you could

reach him it's been it's changed more recently now the torches a lot of it has been passed to liz who doesn't sleep but before this is herati she's the GM. She's sitting here. Before kids and before, you know, Noam's blossoming family. No, I give Noam credit for the decisions that he's made, but not necessarily for the hours that he's put in. I think he's worked smart, but not necessarily. What does it matter? That's the man. I mean, what does it matter?

He works hard either way. Time. It ain't coal mining. That's the point. Okay. In addition to that, I think everybody here works hard at their business and I give you that. So there's got to be other other other things on top of that like so or what is

it that he does in particular that you think has been the difference maker in terms of the the comics as well i think there's a line of kind of at least when i was here i always saw there were always you know the more established comedians around the table and then you always had like this side table where the lesser known comics kind of sat and then slowly but surely those people would feed into the bigger, you know, the more established table and new people would join. So there seems to also be a sense of, I don't want to say family because that sounds so cliche, but there were, I noticed a lot of more established comedians recommending lesser known comedians to Esty. Esty's another big part of it.

I mean, I think she... She's the booker of the comedy. Right. And she, no one will... Esty's a huge part of it. Yeah, she's a huge part of it. So I think there is a sense of just kind of, it doesn't get stagnant. The talent doesn't get stagnant.

I mean, from, you know, when I was here 10 years ago, I don't even see, you see once in a while, one or two names that are the same that were on the lineup then. And it's not that those people aren't successful. It's just that there's constantly a flow of new talent and the shows are different from,

you know, the- There is an adamant theory that it's just dumb luck. No, no. And then there's the theory that we have something to do with it and probably the truth is somewhere in the middle you know we've been real estate well i i never denied you i never denied location i never denied your role but i also think there are a lot of serendipitous factors that were involved and i like to rib you obviously that's part of our shtick

but um listen i do think it's a lot of very jewish though i i do think that there is thank you paul i do think that there is there were Paul I do think that there is there were several serendipitous factors and we've discussed that what were they? number one is this it started off as a restaurant before it was a comedy club

and then Bill Grunfest came in one day and said hey let's do a comedy club here so the idea that there was a restaurant upstairs and a comedy club downstairs was pretty much just serendipitous. And that restaurant creates an environment where comics like to hang out. So if a comic wants to do a comedy club, they want to go to a place where they can hang out.

And that's part of it. Another part of it is a location. It's a tremendous, tremendous location. Location's not everything. Then from that, then Louis put it on his show. Now, part of the reason Louis put it on his show was because it was a successful club. But then it became more successful because Louis put it on his show.

And then I think, you know, so I think those are some of the more luck factors involved. And then Noam did a lot of smart things as well. And Noam's father did a lot of smart things. Just real quick, this is Raw Dog Channel 99, the Comedy Cellar show. This is a special show,

I guess we could call it, with all the comedy, most of the comedy club owners in New York City. Al Martin, Broadway Comedy Club. Noam Dorman, the Comedy Cellar owner. Dan Natterman,

comedian. And Rebecca Trent. I can't find it. I remember with text or email, but what Steven said was, and he's a hipster, so I take him. No, really.

Calabria is not a hipster. To me, he's a hipster. As much as I want to dismiss him, I try to listen to it and take it seriously because he may have his finger on the pulse of things in a way i don't at my age he said that he thinks in five years that this part of queens which he said

is basically north brooklyn now he said basically considered north brooklyn is going to become is going to grow to the point where it's competitive with manhattan and the village and that you are spawning a whole new generation of comics who are likely to feel their loyalty towards your place once they've hit it big and that could make you at like a center of gravity there and then is that correct yeah so that's so that's why I said I characterize that as a future of comedy I didn't think I was story well there's not that many in Long Island City actually but there are a ton in Astoria there's a time I comics who live in Astoria and Long Island City well there's not that many in Long Island City actually

but there are a ton in Astoria I'm not sure why he didn't want to spell it out but that's what he said it seemed like it made him very uncomfortable

it did right I don't know it's a nice thing I don't know but thanks anyway I think part of the issue though when you talk about comics and where they're living

people can't afford to live in Manhattan anymore no you can't the rents are going up and up, although it may start to change now because retail drives a lot. I have friends that are brokers

and with the way online sales are now, Black Friday alone, sales were up 3.6 or 3.8 billion over last year. I mean, online retail sales. Online retail sales. So what's happening is like a lot of your brick and mortar stores are going away. Yeah, they don't need storefronts anymore.

And if you look around the city now, there are a lot of stores rent, a lot. Just take a walk on Bleecker. I mean, I've never seen so many empty stores in my life on Bleecker. Well, I almost lost my place on 3rd Street two years ago because the landlord wanted to raise the rent and I negotiated a deal where I agreed to leave early

in the upstairs bar. Don't get too complicated about it. I gave them a year to market it because I was just so sure they weren't going to get and luckily it worked out for me and then I ended up getting the place back at a better deal than I would have gotten if I had tried to buy my own place back from the landlord. So they tested the market and weren't able to get the rents that they thought they could get. So it might have happened just at the right time.

He's absolutely right. It was that article that Larry Summers wrote. It says, how many people are going to build malls and retail space now in the age of Amazon? How many people are going to build hotels in the age of Airbnb? How many people are going to build manufactured taxi cabs in the age of Uber? It's like everything is changing. But does that affect you guys? I understand that someone's not going to go to Macy's maybe to buy a sweater anymore,

but they still want to go and be entertained. Well, my landlord on 53rd Street owns a decent amount of property, and he said to me that things are softening up. Things are softening up in terms of the market in Manhattan. It's bad news for you. Yeah. That's very bad news for me. You mean Rebecca.

Why is it bad news for Rebecca? Because it levels the playing field. People are going to stay in Manhattan. People are going to go back to Manhattan because everybody wants to be in Manhattan. Most of the people that live in Long Island City, especially when I first moved into that neighborhood, were angry folks who weren't able to make ends meet in Manhattan.

They compromised. They were like, at least if I go to Long Island City, I can get a fucking dog. That was what they were doing. It was couples with dogs. We're talking about retail rent, not residential rent. I don't know the residential rent.

It's all related. I think what they're saying, if I get this right, I think what you're saying is if people aren't going out to shop more, there's less chance they're going to be around to walk in, to be walking traffic for you guys. Is that the issue? No. I mean, where I was going with this.

Yeah, my total destination. Eventually, it's going to, like, I don't know when Al leases up, but it's going to help out, you know, wherever. And I think you guys own this building. We own this building and I rent. I just got a brand new lease around the corner, but I rent around the corner. So at the end of the day, if the retail market is down, that's good for us because our rent will be less money. And it's been trending up for a long time. I mean, I'd say the past 20 years, you know, it's been trending up for a long time. I mean, I'd say the past 20 years, you know, it's been trending up.

And in my neighborhood, I run the risk of somebody coming to my building, the guy who owns my building, and just saying, here, I want the development deal, and they're going to tear it down. I think this is what's happening to at least one of the comedy clubs on the east side. If you look at that property from the outside, it's one of the last pieces of avenue in Manhattan where all the buildings on the block are railroad buildings, railroad flats. So you look at it, and the block is pretty desolate, except for this one business and maybe another small one on the corner. It looks to me like the landlords or someone is warehousing.

Yeah, and you should explain what warehousing means. It's basically they don't rent the apartments out, and they're waiting to sell the building and knock it down. Right, exactly. The higher floors are going to have a gorgeous East River view. So you can almost see it getting ready to happen. Two things I want to say. I don't want to be like the guy in Seinfeld

who tells him to build a restaurant, a Pakistani restaurant. But I would think if I were in your situation. You're talking about Rebecca? Yeah, I'm just, listen, I would never presume to say this except that it's a show like we're kind of kicking things around. I'd be like, I'm defying gravity in a location which by rights should not be sustaining a comedy club the first opportunity i get i'm going to move this or at least open another one in the proper location where i can have a count on more of a secure future because you don't know what the hell yeah there's a flip side to that and sometimes some businesses are more successful there's being a little bit smaller a little bit i didn't mean bigger but yeah yeah you know and

they if her rent is good in that location, now she comes into Manhattan, it's maybe a different game that... Of course it's a different game. A lot more rent, a lot more competition. You don't know. How do you, as comedy club owners, it seems almost like a, you know,

almost like a commodity business. That is to say, like the airlines. You know, you don't care, most people, what airline they fly. They just, whoever's to say, like the airlines. You know, you don't care most people what airline they fly. They just, whoever's going there at the best price. It almost seems like it's hard to distinguish yourself.

It's hard to create a product that's fundamentally different. And, you know, so how do you do that? I guess is what I'm saying. How do you create, how do you make your product different than all these

other products? And, you know, I guess it goes to booking. Sure. I mean, we have more Natterman. In the comedy, the real comedy boom, let's say, when the cellar opened or even before that,

what did you have? Five clubs in Manhattan? You had the strip, Stranger Fails, Improv, Catch, you know, and the downtown room here but you didn't you know five six clubs eight million population in new york is new york that much more than eight million but now it's got three times the amount of clubs more with two of them being mega clubs right yeah i mean yeah i mean cast cast who here um represents talent as well as books on do you you guys manage

yeah is that is that a difficult is there a conflict of interest I think the stand yes they suffers from a conflict of interest in an argument could be made yeah what would be the conflict of interest from their perspective because it gets difficult like if you're booking the night the if you're if you're booking the Tonight Show and you're and you represent comics and you own a club now you have this sort of like right it's a snake that eats itself they're not they're not booking the tonight show anymore do you still no no that was a one year thing yeah but do you still think if you're managing and on a club there's a conflict of interest i mean i i have i have gone back and forth on that over and over and over again i think

that it i think that it depends on what kind of club you're running. I also think it depends on who the person, like, look, when you talk about a conflict, what specifically is the conflict? Meaning that we would show favoritism to the people that we manage? Is that what? Right. What's wrong with that?

No, the ultimate cancer of the conflict of interest is when you end up sacrificing the quality of your show in order to give the people you're managing stay that's a valid point but and and and then the other something flip side of that like Barry Katz did that at Boston but his whole goal was to to catch lightning in a bottle I have one of these guys hit it huge and because it's ten times or a hundred times more money to be made that way right then in running a club right so some people actually doing it and maybe that's what they're doing saying they're just they're just doing this until one of the consumed later one of these guys will hit it big well first

of all I know if Sony's not ready to go in the club I know we don't have a big roster and they don't go into the club that's it you know and some of the acts that I represent don't even live here. It's a moot point. The funny thing is one of the guys I represent actually works here

more than he works at Gotham, Leonard Utes. Dan offered him $100,000 for his career. This is true. If I had that kind of liquidity,

I would certainly and I could trust him, I would pay him $100,000 and just for 10% of his money over the next 10 years. I think anybody would. He's taking your 10%. He got that for free. Well, or whatever. Actually, Dove kind of jokingly offered it to him,

and I concur that that would be a great investment. Everybody sees this guy as a rocket ship. I just don't think there's any way that he can't make good money over the next 10 years, a lot of money. But Chris, your point was what? I won't compromise the stage. That's it. I won't.

And if I'm representing somebody and they feel like they're entitled to get on stage, it's two separate businesses, totally. Sorry, go ahead. I wouldn't do that. So we're talking about booking. If you don't't mind each of you talk about your theory of booking your clubs now you're all a little bit different ones in a different location than the others you're chris is a headliner club but i mean now like what is your what is your theory of booking your club and what works for you it's always very simple with me if they're getting if i can hear them in the bar which is at broadway two

thick solid walls away then the guys the guy or the girls the woman is killing and killing and that's what's important to my audience credit's not so important well listen credit usually is what gets them there you know and you know you i think all club owners, whether they'll admit it or not, in this day of the Internet, they're looking at websites. They're seeing who's hot, who's not, who's getting up. I'm not at all. Neither am I. I don't know.

They won't admit it. What's that? You're not the poker. No, no, but Esty's not. Esty's not doing that. Esty still has a dial-up connection. I was going to say. But, you know, I think as a club owner,

you hear who's hot and who's not, and you hear it from other comedians. And if they're on my stage and they're killing, that's all I want. You know, some people, they want the next sitcom star. They want this. That's all nice, but that's not satisfying my audience

on a saturday night at 9 45 p.m right they want to be entertained after working a 40 50 60 hour week so there's somebody who's hot which by definition means they've they've got credits they're on tv or film credits you always talk about that hot to me means that man what does it mean to you you're an act if someone says an act is hot what does that mean to you? You're an act. If someone says an act is hot, what does that mean to you? Well, credits, but not the Tonight Show. I mean, not credits that used to mean a lot, like, oh, he's done a late-night talk show. Oh, he's on a sitcom.

It's currently well-rated. First of all, Paul and I have had this argument before. That's why he's skipped over me on it. No, I was going to come in. He thinks that credits are important, and I think you're making a logical error. i think you made a logical error there in the sense that i suppose it's unlikely to be hot without having any credits right but just because you have credits does not make you hot oh we are concerned certainly want to book people who are hot but the fact that

somebody can say you know but i'm the star of the i'm like nobody cares but then you cannot me, which we've had this conversation, we never care about credits because you do when you book somebody who's hot. If you're hot, by definition, credits. Correlation is not causation. We care that they're hot. No, but. And you can be hot. I think you can be hot. But if somebody is.

There's a buzz. That's course. If somebody is famous, the audience enjoys seeing famous people. That's right. Irrespective of, you know, being funny, of course, is the most important. But sometimes an audience just likes to see famous people. I agree with you. But famous, hot, and credit are all the same thing to me in this conversation.

Okay, so you're defining hot and famous, and I would define it the same way. Yeah. And Noam and Esty will use somebody that's famous because they know the audience enjoys that. It's enjoyable to see somebody famous. But it's not the only litmus test. Of course it's not the only litmus test. Most of the people at the Comedy Cellar are anything but famous. I can tell you when Esty and I do the lineups on Tuesday, it never comes up.

It's never mentioned, oh, this guy has crap. I mean, the truly. But somebody who's truly famous. The truly famous, we're not booking them on the lineup. They're walking in. And among the mortals that we're booking, and some of them are pretty well known, none of them rise to the level of being so well known that it affects our booking. Let's say a Michael Che who's sort of in that mid-zone between.

He's not a household name, but he's. Only because he's funny. Because we were giving him. We gave him no extra credit for being Michael Che. We were giving Michael Che a lot of spots before he was well-known based on just...

He was unbelievably funny. So he was passed at the Cellar before Saturday Night Live or after? Yeah, he was... Before? He was writing...

It was like six months before. He was still writing, but he wasn't cast. It was right before he was writing at SNL and then he was writing and then he left SNL. Yeah, he was passed at the Cellar a long time ago. Yeah, that's right. Then he was over at the Daily Show. before he was writing at SNL. And then he was writing, then he left SNL. Yeah, he was past the show a long time ago.

Yeah, that's what I thought. Then he was over at the Daily Show. But he was a juggernaut. And he had no credits when he was past at the Cellar. That's what I'm saying. And we gave him an enormous amount of spots because he was killing. I mean, killing. And he was killing in a way that I think made people feel they were seeing somebody special,

someone who had a future, someone who might be a star of tomorrow. That matters as well. There's a vibe to that, this young, handsome kind of hip guy. I feel like that's how it was with Mulaney. Mulaney too, yeah. A bunch of years ago. John Mulaney, yeah.

When he was here. I think you're somewhat, my opinion is you're subconsciously, to some extent, influenced by the buzz. Subconsciously. as a booker i always felt like the seller was pushed a little bit more by the buzz that the comics create about other comics than than about it being you know what i mean that's that's kind of what it felt like to me like and i know that when comics start i pay attention to when the comics down at

the bar put their beers down and want to go upstairs and watch the show like i pay attention to when the comics down at the bar put their beers down and want to go upstairs and watch the show. I pay attention when the comics are really stoked to see somebody because then that tells me that there's... That's what he does to me. I have pulled the plug on some pretty important comics who just weren't going over. I'm like, we just can't anymore. We can't.

So, Rebecca, what is your... Sometimes comics, comics, comics, comics, the comics that a comic might like, an audience might stare at and go, what the heck? Well, they're called back of the room comics, meaning the staff and the other comics really like them. Yes, exactly.

They'll love them or her, and then the audience is like, what the heck is this? So how do you feel like that's art versus commerce, right? So what do you do there? Like you want to have the guy or the woman that's really sort of on the cutting edge creatively but isn't necessarily going to help you resell tickets.

Where are you on that, Al, or any of you in terms of looking at that person? I'm personally about making the audience happy. I mean, there's spots that I can give someone like that, maybe a later in the night spot where the audience is small anyway. But, you know, know you got a full room on a saturday night you want you want the big guns going that you know are going to get the laughs yeah i would agree with al i mean i think the first responsibility is that to the audience you know and not that we don't want to put it somebody that's hip or smart but if it's it's too above

what the audience is getting no matter how funny the comedians find, it's not good for us, you know? So Rebecca, what do you think? That's how we make our living, is pleasing customers. Rebecca, what is your approach to booking? I like the concept shows, the stuff that's gonna be really out of the box. Like I like doing stuff that is gonna make people wanna come back monthly to a particular show, not just come to a room.

I mean, it's come to a room. It's a very different approach. My approach is way more artist-forward because we're training the audience more than the artists in a lot of ways. That's a good point. To what extent is a club getting the audience? In other words, you talk about we want to please the audience and we put the comics on to please the audience. To what extent is the audience coming because of the comics that you put on so that maybe

if you put on different people, you'd get a different audience? Yeah, I mean, that's completely accurate. That's what you're... I mean, I feel like my room is completely different from night to night, depending on what I have booked. And I have shows that are themed, and then I have some that aren't, and I have some that are variety shows, and I have some that are like... I like I mean when we first started out it was in the middle of Long Island City nobody had there was no comedy in Queens at all the whole borough I mean we we had to do improv mostly just so that

we could avoid doing bringer shows pretty amazing that you guys pulled that off I mean it yeah I mean it it got a little bit difficult I mean there's a club now that's 300 feet from me as the crow flies that makes it very difficult and as the Crow Flies that makes it very difficult and they actively poach shows which makes it very difficult. They actually, actively poach? Poach shows,

yeah. I mean, they sent people over to try and like come and like get my comedians to like go and perform over there and thank God

I had enough loyalty built up and goodwill built up that that wasn't successful. This is the thing, you know, Al and I have this beef but but i i won't book anybody that works at the club really i won't book anyone so it's either or

that's got to be such a such a wait wait wait a second let me respond to that because i found greenwich village comedy club's lineup from two years ago and a lot of them are now at this club it's not a lifetime it's not a lifetime lifetime ban. I won't do it simultaneously. I'm not mad at them. So while they're in rotation with you, they can't be in rotation with you. And some people have stayed without because he was giving them a lot of spots,

and I'm like, I can't promise them anything. Right. All I know is that I don't want his flyer guys to be able to say, well, actually, we have the same guy that they have there tonight, except it's half the price. I understand well, actually, we have the same guy that they have there tonight, except it's half the price. I understand that.

I don't have any restrictions like that because we're working with a different sort of level, you know what I mean? For me, I feel like the comedians that are participating in both, I've recently become heartbroken when I realized that a couple of my favorite comics that are at the Creek almost every day

now are hosting shows at the Creek almost every day Now are hosting shows and that at the other club And it I I have to figure out what I'm gonna do about it because at some point it's too much It's just too much overlap and the shows that they're doing over there. I Don't like that their their bookers come and sit in the back of my room You know what i mean like it it and it's one of those things but then at the same time i'm a crazy because i'm running people out or i am paranoid because i i won't let you know the guys from the other clubs come in and and and hang out i think that people are always going to try to make you feel crazy you know the truth like an overprotective parent but you're protecting yourself i have to i have to protect the business

because i also have employees you know what i I mean? It's not just me. But I also... You was enough. With those guys coming into the neighborhood, and this club has now since had one turnover, I consider that... I take that competition really seriously. And it does make our jobs harder

when somebody's putting on a show that's so different from yours and they think that's the definition of comedy. And in Long Island City, where we are dealing with a lot of first timers we are training the audience when they go see that show or that go to that place and have that experience they won't come to they'll be done do you know what i mean do you guys all have used bookers or how involved are you in the talent that goes up on on your stage like you see them beforehand? So my place is run different, and I'm getting ready to change it a little bit. Right now what I do is I take pitch meetings

from people who have shows that they want to do, and I book those shows, and then they can book who they want for those individual lineups. Now they're going to be operating, every new show that comes in going forward is going to be operating with a list of people who I want to work with, basically.

By the way, do we use bookers? I don't know what you do. I wanted to ask Chris another question. Go ahead, answer her question about the booking. So yes, we have a booker, Sean Flynn, but we have an approved list. So we talk about it often. So if he wants to add someone or he thinks that,

then does that person audition for you? No, you know what I mean? Does he have autonomy? We've been working together so long, you know, if he passes somebody, I'm not worried about it. And Al? We have a booker at Greenwich. At Broadway, we have a weeknight booker at Greenwich at Broadway on the we have a weeknight

booker at Broadway for the 9 o'clock show I book the 11 o'clock and the weekends over there and then as far as the talent you see

you see everybody what's that? How many harassment suits do you have against you? As far as the talent you see everybody first hand before they

ever get stage time yeah yeah yeah we don't we don't put anyone I got uncomfortable before about talking about the recent success that the sellers had, but I believe that Chris Mazzilli is actually sitting on a web of comedy corporate empire, and I've never really untangled it. I don't know if it's something you can talk about. You have Gotham, right?

And then you have another company that manages, and are you also associated with like levity live and these places all and then that's associated with the improvs all over the country is that all correct so yeah there's like 30 improvs and how much did you make last year not enough um so we have a management relationship with Levity. So we manage talent with them. And then Levity... When you say, who's we? Gotham? My brother and I.

Your brother and you. Yeah. And what's the name of that company? It's Levity Entertainment Group, LEG. Okay. They're based on the West Coast. Your brother and you go by the name Levity Entertainment Group? No, that's the company we work with to manage talent.

Do you guys have a... your entity have a name? You and your brother? Well, a management company, yeah. I mean, but it's kind of an overall thing. And then we own a part of Levity Live Comedy Club up in Rockland County. Not Levity the... Which is a good room.

Yeah, it's a good room. Yeah, it's a nice, we built out a nice room up there. And then we have a production company where we produce TV shows. Any truth to the rumor, Chris, and you can say no comment, that you introduced Seinfeld to Judah Friedlander and Seinfeld said,

oh yeah, the world champion. That doesn't get old. What the fuck is that? Oh my God. champion that doesn't get old it's possible to be honest with you I don't remember it okay yeah I heard that I don't know if it's true but you and Seinfeld are our buddies I'm told you're like hang out together we've become good friends we have some some mutual interests and then like likes you guys are car people that's it yeah he loves cars i love cars so we talk about that stuff a lot can i go back

to something and i don't know how you dan i'm going to start with you on this this when there is a like you know gnome said you work you work al's room down the street you can't work right and i don't know how you feel about like it's some you feel a little bit in between two parents arguing and like it, you know, it, it sort of, it hurts us. And does that seem fair to you? Um, I, you know, it's, it's, I don't see a fairness. I do work Al's other room uptown and on 53rd street. No, but let's say, let's leave that aside. Let's, you know what I'm talking about? Because it doesn't just happen in New York with those two rooms. You go to, there's clubs all over the city there's two competing clubs that happens

in uh in colorado between the comedy works and the improv you work one you can't work the other and they're third you know they're 30 minutes apart so it's bullshit in terms of overlap of audience and it seems unfair to put us you know and we're like working comics we're not big stars we're trying to make money and support ourselves and our family. If there's enough to go around, why? Can I interject on that? We're not communists. And I have specific knowledge of like we're talking about in Denver with the comedy works and the improv.

So what's different there, it's a headliner room, right? So for them to say, you know, I don't want a comic to headline both clubs, it's really the market's not big enough. And, you know, 30 minutes away for a headliner room, it's too close. You know, and that's, you know, like, you know, Caroline's does what we do. You know, I don't go and try to post to Rax. And if an accident, well, I want to headline there and headline with you guys. You can't do it.

And I just use that one city as an example. I agree with Chris. And I'll be honest with you. Initially, when I found out that there were comics that felt pressured about working Greenwich because they didn't want to jeopardize their relationship with the seller, I was a little miffed at first because some of these people were people I had long-term relationships. But I'll be honest with you, I found out recently that there's another room in the area that has some of the acts

that I'm paying money to, and these same acts are going up for free and working out their stuff. So now for the first time, I'm understanding how he's feeling, and I'm saying to some of's asked, wait a second. It's like that scene in the Goodfellas Casino. You're skimming the skim. Same thing here. Good for you, Al.

I actually think that one of the biggest problems in the world, in our politics and everything, is the inability of people to put themselves in other people's shoes. I mean, you think it's unfair. It's not unfair to you. There's nothing unfair going on there. I disagree with you. You're not in my shoes. I mean, you think it's unfair. It's not unfair to you. There's nothing unfair going on there. I disagree with you. You're not in my shoes.

I'm not in yours. That doesn't mean, fairness is a different concept than it doesn't work to your benefit. I'm not here. Nobody's there to have to, well, how's it going to affect Paul Mercurio? No, I get it.

I have to do what's right for me and my business. And we have how many shows a week now like 40 shows a week and we're giving four times as many spots to comics as we used to as a result of my unfair policies and that's just pocketed, well that's just a status

quo now but if he doesn't want me to have one more spot down the block at all that's unfair to me it's not unfair to you at all. You don't have to come to work at the comedy cellar, do you? Is that unfair to me if you don't want to work at the cellar? No, I'm not.

Why is that not unfair? But I could use you. Why is it not? You should have to come work for me, right? It's not fair. I guess. I'm not sure. What I'm saying is that because you do something that's best for you, it may work out to my detriment. I'm not sure. What I'm saying is that because you do something that's best for you, it may work out to my detriment. I may not get Paul Mercurio. I would never think, Paul's not being fair to me.

He has to work. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do. One could make the argument that the two clubs, instead of having this issue with the talent, each respectively work more creatively to generate business and let those acts work both clubs one could make that argument i think what paul is saying is that is that he disagree he he understands that you're you're enacting policies to to maximize your business

but he i think what he's saying is he disagrees that in fact those policies do help your business and let me let me just let's just put a fine point on it because it gets, I even forgot it. Maybe that's not what Paul said. No, no, I'm sorry. My only demand from Al was that he not put his flyer guys surrounding my line.

I offered to lift the ban on people working both clubs so long as there was no poaching going on of my line. So then was the ban, so then that worked out the band was lifted and no so so alan and you know what can i do say they feel that it's not worth the trade-off they have their guys right near the comedy cellar line okay so there's no choice yeah but you said the pizza place right they have a no i said the pizza place part of the comedy cellar i said

i said within ear or eye shot of my line the pizza place is of the comedy cellar? No, in his line. I said within ear or eye shot of my line. The pizza place is a strategic place because people park and come out of the garage and come out of the subway and turn that corner. And the way they approach them is a kind of, you know, it's not the most on the up and up sales pitch I ever heard checking in for comedy because a lot of people say, yeah, they assume it's the seller so that's and I don't think that you put those words in their mouths but that's the tactic they use again because I'm sure it it works for them and I get a certain number of emails every month from some customer who made a reservation for the seller

who wound up in your club and didn't realize right right? And he's describing a place, oh, they went to Greenwich Comedy. Oh, really? Yeah. Well, I'm just telling the truth. I've also gotten people, you know, I'm just going to give you the other end of it. Before our regular shows, we have shows where people are privately producing,

and somehow they wind up at the cellar. That's good. You know? I'm just saying, it happens on both ends. privately producing, and somehow they wind up at the cellar. That's good. You know. I'm just saying it happens on both ends. No, I'm not blaming you for anything. Let's say someone parks on Bleecker and they're walking to the cellar. Are we supposed to know they're walking to the cellar when we say comedy tonight when they're passing in front of our place?

Listen, you do what you want within the law and morality, and I don't know if you're – I mean, I think that some things are pretty close to that line. When you go to a customer checking in for comedy, that's a line I think you've crossed a line there. But other than that, if it's legal to put people on the streets, I don't know that it is. But if it is and you want to put people on the streets, then put people on the streets. Licensed. Licensed. But, you know, and then, but i also don't have to book the same

acts you know and now listen we and he and i don't have any like he agreed to come on the show we have no bad feel first time you guys have really talked about this no we talked about i've heard uh no i'm talking admiringly of al in the past i actually do admire al yeah what do you admire about i mean i mean i'm gonna speak i'm gonna speak honestly and try to say i don't think it's it's uh um Al yet. What do you admire about him? I mean, I'm going to speak honestly and try to say, I don't think it's I don't think it'll be received outside the intention

of where it's coming from. Al is derided sometimes as being kind of the blue collar comedy owner, making deals with the flyer guy to go on stage and kind of like making something out of nothing to get his club. And people feel he should operate in a different way.

And I've always said, the guy stays in business. Everybody else flops. How can you be so arrogant to start criticizing a guy who's been a survivor and succeeded when so many other people fail? You can't argue with success. Yeah, I will never, and so i will success yeah i will never and i

have always and i thought i will never jump on the bandwagon of criticizing al because he's again he's got his family to feed but she to do it the way that some the genius comedians at the table think it should be done and then and then quietly go broke the funny part is some of these comedians that are taking these blue shot blue collar shots at me have been working for me for years and taking my money they take my money but yeah they'll take you know look i've heard it all the chicken wings on the george foreman grill i mean all the nonsense they happen to taste pretty good but you know i assume that wasn't true well it's nice that the barzinis and the cordelions could come together on this day

that's the second barzini comment you had the first one i do have one question so i will i will yeah we're gonna wrap you know i have some trade secrets that i i'm happy that you didn't uh force me to uh to talk about but i do have one thing it's common to the discussions of other comedy clubs and i and i do have a strong opinion about it. Why does everybody have check spots? I do not have check spots. You don't have check spots. I collect credit cards and take them to the register from the showroom,

and people have to come and pay at the register to get their credit cards. So while the show's going on, there's no... You just treat it like a bar. No, but I'm saying that you don't... There's a waitress that comes in, but we don't deliver the checks. They have to come out and go to the restaurant to get up because people tell people what you do in your club nothing we don't we don't do anything till the show's over we

explain to people who may not know what well there's a common practice at clubs and I understand I understand the reason for some of them in the early shows because there's you know time is so much of the effort to flip the room they they hand out the check during the last comedian or during the so much of the essence to flip the room. They hand out the check during the last comedian or during the last part of the headliner's act. But comedians hate this. Yeah, it's like 15, 20 minutes, 15 minutes toward the end. They hate it.

And so that's why we don't do it. But then I noticed that the same clubs, they even do it in their late shows. So why would they, you know, maybe you have to make that compromise in your early show, but why do it in a late show when you have no time constraints? Well, I mean, that spot gets treated like an audition in a lot of ways. I mean, I know Dan Soder speaks super highly of a check spot because that's how he got his sort of first

toehold in at some of the other clubs. I see, I didn't know that. I remember Judah Friedlander started the protest email. You signed the petition to get rid of the check spots. Oh, I didn't know that. He has that online now. Really? It's been there for a few years.

Chris, what about you? I mean, is it a matter of timing and changeover and that kind of thing? Yeah, I mean, but the other, I mean, you've worked the room, you've worked the room. It's really, it's not noticeable. And it's not noticeable because my philosophy is, look, you have people that are going to drink three or four drinks,

you have people that are going to have two. So if they have two and they're done, give them their check. You know, so it's not an actual check spot. They put out sporadically. And that's it. And there's really, it's not a definable thing. You don't see a waitress go out with a stack of checks and drop them all down. We don't do it that way.

Yeah. Because if you did, it would have come to a screeching halt. What about you, Al? Yeah, I mean, it's the same thing but uh you know it's it's also new york city for us at least you know in my experience you you have 200 people trying to leave the same time and you've got a show backed up outside waiting to come in with another 200 people well but no one's able to pull that off i mean not, not 200, but 100 and change. You know, for us, I wish I could figure out a way to do that.

I mean, you know, we do all, but we don't have, we do have, I think, a little bit like somebody said, we do have someone that kind of is experienced at eating, so to speak, the checks for 15, 20 minutes, and they do a pretty good job it's not interfering in any of the other main comics that are on that show

and if you've ever been a part of the turnover at the Comedy Cellar it is I mean let's not pretend it's like the smoothest thing that happens it's like Keystone Cops it's a zoo you really like yeah you have to be there a lot of yelling

it's very crazy it's something to behold It's a zoo. It's a zoo. I never noticed. You really like, yeah, you have to be there. A lot of yelling. It's very crazy. It's something to behold. Yeah. And in the underground, we have more time between the shows. Yeah. We have a half an hour. Still, a half an hour is pretty quick.

Right. Turn it over. Yeah, that is. That's a pretty big room. Well, I think we're. Good job, Paul. Oh, thank you. I was hoping you might start a little action, like a little fighting a little bit. Paul, very good.

Very good. You reset. You kept, you bit. Paul, very good. Very good. You reset. You kept your... Yeah, I thought it was good. You kept it moving. Excellent. I'm going to hug you. Al Martin, thank you very much.

My pleasure. On behalf of Gnome and the Comedy Cellar who put this together. Steve Calabria putting it together. Gnome, Dan Natterman, Chris Mazzilli, Rebecca Trent has come back in. Thanks. And Kristen Montella. I'm Paul Mercurio. This is the Comedy Cellar Show on Raw Dog, Channel 99.

Thanks for checking out. Hope you enjoyed it. Thanks. Thanks. Good night. Thank you. You're a pro, Paul. Good job.