The Comedy Cellar: Live from the Table - The Art of the Warm Up Comic with Regina DeCicco

Episode Date: February 23, 2024

Regina DeCicco is the warm-up comedian for ABC's "The View," and she recently appeared on Sherri Shepherd's show as part of her "Laugh Lounge" segment. ABC News sent Regina to Philadelphia to warm up both President Joe Biden's and President Trump's Town Halls, and she has warmed up the audience for NBC's Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting for the last three years. Regina has also been a guest contributor to The Howard Stern Show on SiriusXM and performs regularly at The Comedy Cellar in NYC.

🎵 Live from the table, the official podcast of the world famous comedy cellar coming at you on SiriusXM 99 Raw Comedy. Formerly Raw Dog, now Raw Comedy. I think it changed for the better because I thought Raw Dog was a bit vulgar. This is Dan Natterman. I'm here with Periel Ashenbrand. Noam has, I don't say he has the night off. He's out of town. I don't know where he is. Where is he? He's on vacation.

Oh, he's on vacation. Okay. So it's me and Perrielle and we're expecting Regina DiCicco in a few minutes, but right now it's just me and Perrielle. I'm back from... Did we have a podcast last week? I was away last

week. Yes, we did. Who did we have? Oh, no, we didn't because it was Valentine's Day's day okay i was in florida for a week doing i had a few gigs down there um but i must say that i i kind of get the florida thing you know i'm i could see myself being a snowbird i mean maybe i'm a bit young for that but i i i find that every i just the winter i don't i don't need it you don't need it no i don't need it anymore No, I don't need it anymore. I guess I never really did.

What would you do? And I'm happy to, you know, I mean, the problem with Florida is I don't know people there. Well, there's a comedy scene there. You could, I'm sure. Well, it's not as robust as it is here, to say the least. But you could flit from show to show, sort of carve out a little. I don't know. We had an Airbnb.

I was down there with Dove Davidoff. I actually was, I did two shows where I was opening for him. I have no ego. I'll open for anybody if the pay is reasonable. Sure, why not? At these communities, you know, these Florida,

they have these, I don't know if there's any other place in the world that has these, but it's like these, it's a bunch of houses and in this gated community with a pool and tennis and all that shit. You know, those communities.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And there's tons of them and they have like, they bring in entertainment. So we did a couple of those, but we got an Airbnb right on the beach in Pompano Beach. And it's just very, it's just. And what was it? Why am I in New York? What was it like spending the week roommates with Bev? Well, it was all right.

I mean, I prefer my own space, my own bathroom in particular. I found myself actually going to the public restroom down the block to do certain things just because I'm uneasy doing certain things, you know, where others can, too much information perhaps. No, no, no, no. I mean, whether it's past, whether it's too much information or not. Why are you not booking an Airbnb with two bathrooms?

Because Dove booked it because it was his rodeo. Okay. And he invited me along and said, do you want to do these two shows for this money? And I said, oh, that sounds pretty good. I'm going to be in Florida anyway because I had a show in Key Largo a couple days thereafter. So I was like, fuck it.

I'll just go. I'll make a week of it in Florida. But you could have ostensibly. And he said, I got us an Airbnb. I said, okay, great. And then the Airbnb, it was a beautiful location. I mean, it was worth the location, was worth the inconvenience. Having to go to like a storage unit to go take a shit.

Well, you don't have to be vulgar. Well, I mean, Dan, for the love of God, call it what it is. No, I don't want to call it what it is. Certain things. Yeah, certain things. I didn't have to do that. I chose to do that because I'm a modest person. You're not that modest.

In that regard, I am. It's a little bit of a ruse. You say, oh, I like that they changed it to raw comedy because the other is a little vulgar. Now, anybody who knows you well and has really seen you. I just think it's a vulgar name for what it is. I mean, there is Rod... Like, why name

it that? There's no point. You can certainly have that kind of comedy on the channel, but you don't have to call it that, because there's all kinds of comedy on the channel. Some of your jokes are vulgar? Of course they are. So what's the... That has nothing to do with Nate, but I wouldn't... Yeah, some of my jokes are vulgar. Of course they are. So what's the...

That has nothing to do with Nate, but I wouldn't... Yeah, some of my jokes are vulgar, but I wouldn't want it... If the Comedy Teller called itself the Balls to the Wall Comedy Club, I wouldn't like that. You don't like that? No, I think the name of the club should be classy, and you can have vulgar comedy inside. You just want to keep it classy on the outside. Yeah don't think that's ridiculous i didn't say it was ridiculous you know you should you you can have a movie theater that shows rated r movies you don't have to call the theater you know um you know go ahead i don't know think of something go ahead

something um brown eye the Brown Eye movie. I don't know. Like, movie theaters have names like the Rialto, the Majestic. But you might show a film in there. What's the Brown Eye? Well, you know what the Brown Eye is. What's the Brown Eye? You know what it is.

I don't have to tell you what it is. I mean, I would tell you if I thought you didn't know, but you do know. So why are you asking? It just seems like so specifically... Anyhow. Grotesque. I like the beach. I like the warm weather.

I like Florida, despite what everybody says about Florida, and people make fun of Florida, and Florida's the butt of every joke, but it's warm, and yeah. I'm glad you had a nice time. I visited my cousin Arlene. She lives in one of those communities. Arlene? Yeah.

She's Canadian. Do you think that that's what the brown-eyed girl was a reference to? No, I think it was a reference to a girl with brown eyes. I don't think at all that that's what it was. Anyway, and other than that, in other natter news, since we're on me right now, and since I get to talk because Noam's not here. Yeah. We don't have to talk about stuff that I'm ill-informed about, which is typically what happens, you know, with Noam.

And those certainly can be interesting episodes. I just don't have a lot to add. Okay. Yeah, I got to do a, you know, like I got to, speaking of serious, they don't play my shit anymore. Because like I signed something, something with like, I don't know, this thing where they were like trying to, you know, this. What are you trying to say?

This thing where they're like trying to like, I don't know, like hold out for like more money or something. I don't know. I signed something. And then they stopped playing my shit. So I don't know if it's related. Like this, this company was like like oh you know they're they're playing our stuff on streaming and they're not compensating us properly so and anyway a lot of

people told me that if you sign that then they stop playing you on serious and okay so i don't know if that has anything to do with it would you rather so i need to tape something and then and then send it in but not under the auspices of this. I'm not making any sense at all. No, I don't know what you're talking about. Why wouldn't you rather, would you rather have them play you and not get paid? Is that what you're saying? No, I'd rather have them pay me and get paid,

but they're not paying. They were paying. I was making okay, like every month I would get money from them. And then they just kind of stopped on a dime playing my shit on Siri. Do you think that this- And people have told me,

oh, that's because you signed this thing. Do you think that- This thing people told me, oh, that's because you signed this thing. Do you think that... This thing that, like, they sent around saying... Again, I'm not clear, but I know I signed something. I just don't remember. Do you think... But the people told me that that's why they're not playing me anymore. Do you think that this is the appropriate venue...

Yeah, of course. ...to be discussing that on Siri? Yeah, I don't know. Yeah, why not? Okay. So I want to tape something here. You know, they do those nights where they give people an hour.

Yeah. And then tape it and then go to Lenny Marcus because he's got like, he set up like a record label. Yeah. Kind of a thing. And then just go through him

and maybe they'll start playing me again. But I think Regina is here. Regina is here. I just spoke to her. Okay. She's making her debut on our show. She is making her debut. I like Natter News.

I think that that's a good addition to the... Well, I wasn't pitching it as a segment necessarily. Well, it's not bad as a segment, although you've got to... Well, but arguably it's not bad, but it doesn't fit in with the format because most of the time it's like Noam talking to some reporter about things that Natter News wouldn't really fit in. We could do half hour after. We could do half hour after.

Well, we were doing that. Well, we could do it again. Yeah, but it really wasn't getting us anywhere, really. Where are you trying to get? You know, a bunch of new listeners or whatever. You don't know that. Huh? You don't know that.

I mean, you can't just do it. We did like eight episodes. Yeah, but there was no movement of the needle. So I just wanted to want to put in the effort. Hello, Regina. Hi, Regina. Hi, Regina. Dan, that's like going to the gym eight times and saying that you saw no difference.

Like, you can't just record eight episodes of a 30-minute podcast and be like, nothing changed. Yeah, but I didn't see any movement whatsoever. Regina DiCicco is with us. I'm here. Hi, Regina. Hello. She's making her debut on Live from the Table. Noam, regrettably, is not here, so you don't get the full experience.

On the other hand, maybe this is good news because Noam might try to steer the conversation into political areas. Okay, so this could work out. This could work. We miss it. If that's not your strong suit, then maybe it's best he's not here. Regina DiCicco, she's a comedy seller regular, and she does the warm-up on the view i sure do and so you know that's something we haven't delved into i don't think is the warm-up thing so maybe we should talk about that that

that could be something we'll talk about so let's do it let's do it uh so a lot of comics make their money or make a substantial portion of their money or make pretty good money right doing what's known as warm-up for tv shows be they sitcoms be they get game shows be they talk shows or what have you so so tell us if you would what does a warm-up do? A warm-up comedian. So I do a date. Wait, but first. No, no, no. Closer.

Closer to the mic. Closer to the mic. Oh, sometimes I feel like with my volume, I get nervous. I'm like, you sure you want to use this? Okay, perfect. So it's a daytime show for me. So I do before the show and then during commercials, which like the late night guys don't do commercials.

So I do that. So then it's like keeping people like into it, excited, engaged. But then also I feel like I do all crowd work essentially is what I do with them. And then I'm just like, you know, and the view is a little tough because obviously sometimes it's tough topics. So you're not really setting people up for a comedy show. You know, sometimes it's like we're laughing and having a good time and then it's like, okay, well, we're going to come in to no music and the ladies are going to be seated at the table

because it's like a terrible news day. So I feel like that's where I sort of get a weird balance of like super fun and then also it can be a little traumatic. So these audiences that go to see The View, where do these people come from? They come from all over. I guess the one thing about The View, too, is the show has Whoopi Goldberg,

so you get literally people that want to see a movie star that are coming from all over the world to see Whoopi. And it's free, and then they write in, and they say, I want to be a guest at The View. Well, now they do it all online, Dan. They don't write in anymore. No postcards. Well, write-in could be theoretically

one could write in online. Well, I was just thinking there was a time, too, where you would have to do it like via postcard. Right. Self-addressed envelope. Right. It's wild to think how they did that. Now it's just like all email. So it's like, oh, it's so much easier for them now, I would think. How many people are in the audience typically? Around 180

is like a full audience. And then you get a lot of tourists. So we get a lot of tourists and there are regulars, my friends. There's a lot of people that are just retired in New York and this is an activity. They do the talk show circuit. So you see them,

you recognize them in the audience. Yes, yes. What time is it taped? It's live, 11 to 12. That's the other thing too. Because it's live, it has to go. So I don't really usually ever get stranded out there because it's like, well, the show has to be live at 11.

So, like, I like live TV for that reason. There's not, like, a sitcom, you know, those guys could just really get stuck out there. I mean, every show that's taped, the warm-up could sort of be there forever. You know, I get lucky. So the object of the game with warm-up is to keep them engaged whilst uh during the commercial break or or well i know in a sitcom you know they have to i guess change the camera angles and shit or maybe they don't because if it's the three cameras right anyway whenever they're doing whatever they have to do yes the audience needs to be entertained right and kept uh kept uh you know awake and alert right

and your job is to do that right and then the ladies too it's like they also have to be looking at cards and they're finding out what the questions are for the interview so like they're not always free to engage with the audience either so it's like no matter what you'll have me maybe you'll get the ladies but you'll always get me. And so how much of you said it's mostly crowd work but you also do some of your

jokes your pre-written you know regular jokes in there too. Sure and I feel like too it's like this thing happens where like sort of the crowd work jokes almost write themselves you know, regular jokes in there too. Sure. And I feel like too, it's like this thing happens where like sort of the crowd work jokes almost write themselves. You know what I'm saying? Like there's enough scenarios where it's like, we'll pull this one back out again. Like what you say at one time and it's like,

oh, that'll work. Crowd work is not necessarily crowd work. Crowd work is sometimes pre-packaged. Right. It's happened before. It's not new. I'll give you an example. I'll give the audience an example.

Just a peek into the comedy world. Very often I'll say, who's here from somewhere else? And, like, not America. And somebody will say, I'm here from somewhere in Eastern Europe. It's not uncommon. And I'll say, oh, okay, well, that's, you know, like, oh, you know, no, I'm sorry. Let me back up. I'll say, who here is from Europe? We got a lot of Europeans here.

And somebody will say, oh, I'm from Poland. Or I'm from Estonia, or I'm from. Let me back up. I'll say, who here is from Europe? We got a lot of Europeans here. And somebody will say, oh, I'm from Poland. Or I'm from Estonia. Or I'm from one of those places. And I'll say, well, okay, you got me. That's Europe. Technically, you're right. But I mean, it's not Europe like when Americans say, we're going to Europe. It's not that Europe.

Nobody laughed here. But at the shows, they often laugh robustly. But it seems like it's off the cuff, but I've done it a million times when someone is from one of those countries. So that's an example of crowd work that really isn't. That's because you've seen the same shit.

We do this every night and the same things come up over and over. You've asked the question and you're not the first person to answer that way usually. The first time I heard somebody say, hey, somebody had their feet on the stage and someone said are you in show business and the guy says no he goes well then get your feet off the stage the first time i heard that i was like this guy's a genius yes and then you know at the second or third time like oh okay right you get yeah maybe he's not so much a genius but but it's like a magic trick

the audience doesn't know that it's been done before. Not to make the entire episode about Lenny Marcus, but he... Might as well. Might as well. Lenny told me, yeah, Lenny told me a long time ago, the only reason you ever should ask a question, really, of the audience is for something like that.

Like, you have... That's one point of view. Yeah. Lenny Marcus' point of view. Okay, that's fine. I, you have... That's one point of view. Yeah. Let's let Marcus's point of view. Well, okay, that's fine. I don't know that that's... I think what I will go as far as to say is you should have a backup plan

so you don't just stutter and stammer and say, well, I don't have a joke for that. Right. Which, by the way, always gets a laugh. Whenever a comic says... That's true. If the audience says something and the comedian will just say well i have a joke for that that always gets a laugh anyway right but i prefer

not to do that i but i usually have like no matter where they're from you know you i mean there's something you can say something pops into your head well you or that you have some a backup plan no matter what like you know, you're like. So how much time? You can always ask another question. You know, comedians will often say, if they don't get what they want from that question, they'll say, oh, well, what do you do for. They'll say, what do you do in. Right.

Toronto or whatever the place is. Meaning, what do you do for a living? And then maybe they'll get something with that. Right. So anyway. So that's crowd work for you, 101 in a nutshell. And sometimes something will come up that's truly completely off the cuff and inspired.

It can be amazingly fun. Sure, sure. Like the gems that come out of that. It's a different skill though, right? Yes. You're really trusting the process almost. I think we probably all picked the wrong person when you're like okay let me just move on and you know I feel like now people want that moment a lot

I feel like people in the crowd are now giving like what they think is a very funny answer like I've been getting that a little more and then I'm like oh you're watching too many videos where it's like your honest answer is always going to be the best answer yeah so how much time is it so you get there and then how much time do you do before

so I have 15 minutes before the show and then it's 20 minutes of commercial breaks in one fell swoop so how much are you how much of your day

is devoted to this it's still not a lot of time to be honest I mean I get there at 10 and then I'm basically done at 12 if there's no post-it oh Jesus no it's a while it's an amazing day I will never complain Not a lot of time, to be honest. I mean, I get there at 10 and then I'm done at 12. If there's no post-it.

No, it's a while. It's an amazing day. I will never complain about. I mean, you make teachers look like hard work. I know. Well, actually teachers, I guess they got to degrade homework. So I guess they are. I mean, I don't want to.

Well, they also have to deal with. I don't want to malign teachers. Can you pick something else? A lot of teachers also. Teacher, a lot of teachers also just fucking run. They just run the fucking same lecture every year. Oh, my God. They're also dealing with school shooters. Not to mention they're teaching us shit we don't use.

Are they overpaid? I don't know. We uncovered something, Ted. This is pent up with you. No, I'm just saying i think look i couldn't stand in front of a group of obnoxious people like myself as i was at that age but but some of them are just they're some of them are just fucking phoning it in you know they're just like and then george washington did and they did the same thing last year you know the same this each day you you know, but

whatever. But I think math teacher is probably the hardest because it's really that you really got to interact. Anyway. And then we're just like, uh-huh. Yes. Keep going. I mean, of all of the jobs to malign.

We need to look at something else. I don't use any of that. What do you want from me? You taught me shit I don't use. I'm supposed to think your market value is higher than, I mean, the typing teacher, I use that. Well, if you weren't a comedian, you might use math. No, yeah. If you went into like finance.

Okay, math. Fine, math. Math, yes. Math. Okay, what else? English, right? Reading, typing. You don't use reading? I use reading. Never. Dan doesn't reading typing you don't use reading i use reading never

dan's never doesn't read yeah i use reading but i wrote a fucking book i yeah and i lost money thank you thanks a lot mrs bros and i think now we've gotten to the point of where this this is all going back to mrs bros isn't it uh book look, teachers, no, but they inspire us to love learning, I guess. Sure. More than, I mean. Don't you, do you remember a great teacher that you had? Don't we all remember? Well, there was Mr. McWilliams.

He, you know, he was. That dad? No, no, he was our English teacher. And, you know, he was fun because he treated us like, he didn treat us like students he treated us like colleagues almost you know um he talked to us you know anyway he was he was a drunk but anyway uh also inspiring we're getting off topic are we yeah so two hours a day yes and and this fun, I want to come watch you Oh, definitely Oh my gosh, yeah, everybody can come

What proportion of your income is derived from this? Most of it Most of it, okay, yeah So it's a good paying gig It's a good paying gig Okay, so And I do love it How do I get you out?

Get it! And me in. This teacher talk's not going to help, Dan. Would you like to do a job like that? Because you often complain that you hate doing stand-ups. Well, I don't love it, but. What about people, Dan? But if I'm going to do it, might as well do it, you know, make good money and not leave the city.

Well, you do that a lot as it is. Yeah, but I do it at the cellar, but the cellar doesn't pay anything. The cellar doesn't pay enough money to live. I got to go out of town and do shit. So you're saying that if you could get a job. If I could get a job that's in town. Yeah. That's a light load.

Right, right, right, right. Per day and pays good money. I think I would. But how did you get into that? I got very lucky. I had never done it before I auditioned for the job. So somebody, so they had asked like just people around the office if there were stand-ups that they liked. And somebody submitted, one of my friend's sisters worked there and like submitted my Gotham Access Live clip.

And then they liked me and they brought me in to do the job. And it was one of those things like I did it and I'd never done it before. But did you ever have that happen when you do something and all of a sudden you're like, wait, I know how to do this, even though I'd never done it before. And it just felt so right. So the first time I auditioned, I auditioned for two days. Well, I guess six. Yeah.

I know exactly how to do it. But that kind of a feeling where it was like, wait, I know what I'm doing. I know how to do this. Now you have to be very clean when you're doing this, right? So I feel like there's a little innuendo, obviously, because I mean, it's still people. Do you know what I mean?

There's always like innuendo, but like I don't curse, which is actually easier than I thought. Like I'll curse at night, but it's not so hard not to curse, honestly. Well, with me, it's not so much, like when people tell me I have to be clean for a particular gig, it's not so much. Like when people tell me I have to be clean for a particular gig, that's the easy part, is being clean.

The hard part is avoiding controversial topics, drug references, politics, these sorts of things that are going to offend them more than the F word. They'll say, oh, don't use the F word. The F word is nothing. Yeah. The F word is nothing.

An abortion joke. Now that, which they don't tell you F word. The F word is nothing. Yeah. The F word is nothing. An abortion joke. Now that, which they don't tell you don't say an abortion joke because they're not thinking about it. Right. They don't even know necessarily themselves. Right. But I know what they don't want to hear. Yeah.

I'm sure there's a lot of stuff that's just off the table. Right. Which is fine. That's why I sort of like take it about the audience because then it's like, okay, it's about you. That's not wrong. And then they feel involved. Yeah. You can it's like, okay, it's about you. That's not wrong. And then they feel involved. Yeah, you can't do like Trump shit.

Right. You know. No rape jokes. Right, no. Certainly not. And drug, you know, you can't, you know. No. And obviously abortion and various, this sort of thing.

Ukraine, Israel, Palestine. The thing is, is it's almost like you're doing a private corporate gig every show. Oh, that's the thing. I didn't think about it. But they are paying attention, so it's good. Which you also hate, I'd like to mention. I hate all of it. I'd better stay home and collect the residuals.

But you are, I mean, you are like for that kind of a job. You know, people wouldn't think of me for that because I'm a low energy comic. Whereas Regina is like high energy. There's a party going on. I'm the host and you're all invited. And you do that. You bring that here as a host, as the emcee. Yes.

Because that's mostly what you do here, right? I don't know if you do. I do. Yeah, I have a spot tonight. I do both. You do both. Okay. But even to, like, when I said to Esty, it's like, because I do warm up during the day,

I'm like, hosting is so easy for me because it's like, oh, I already did that today. Like, it's such a smooth transition for me. Like, I could, I'm always like, oh, yeah, like, oh yeah, I could just host at the drop of a hat, sort of, because it's like, great, yeah, I'm ready to go. But do you enjoy, because I had a host a couple weeks ago because somebody didn't show up, and

I said, okay, well, you know, I'm not going to say no, but I don't love it. Right. How was it? I remember that. I remember when you were going to do it. Oh, I just don't love hosting. Why not? Because, well, the first 10 minutes are okay. That's when you go up on stage before anybody and you do 10 minutes straight through.

Right. And sometimes they're still seating people and people don't know exactly, you know, they're still chatting, whatever. So, but it's okay. The part I don't like is going up in between each comic and doing like a minute or two and like there's no momentum it's like you kind of go up there and you know sometimes they know oh this is the mc so i'm gonna go to the bathroom i just i just don't love that part of right you know and so that's mainly what you know yeah i feel like for me too it's like when you know it's a skill that you have, you see how it benefits the show.

Yeah, that's right. Right? And then there's comics are so great, like especially here where they'll always say they're grateful. Like if I am hosting, like I have comics thank me, which I think was so nice when people do that. But it's like, they're like, oh, you're hosting. Great. Or like, I feel safe or good. And that's such a wild thing.

But it's like, oh, thanks. Because there's times when I've seen people, so I would be like just let me do it because you're sort of like i'll just because it's like you i don't mind like eating it a little bit or whatever you have to do or you know getting the room together you know that like taking that challenge to like i don't mind and then it's like i used to go on a fun ride together i used to be really scared to host and now i love it but it's true you. Your loyalty is sort of more to the show during the show. Well, what do you think?

Okay, so the goal of the emcee is to make everybody else look good and to make the audience as good as possible for the other comedians. What do you think is the best way to do that? Is to tell, like, Mike Yard just tells jokes. He doesn't talk to the audience at all

um but most comedians will do the where you're from who is from here blah blah blah blah you know so so a combination of the right two what do you think is the best combination is always good only because you want to set the other comics up because you know the next comic's probably going to come up with jokes right so i've heard some comics say like if the host doesn't do any jokes and it makes it a little harder. I mean, I've talked to enough comics too about what they kind of like or don't like. But then I feel like it's like the high energy being likable to like, I feel like being likable

is like a huge part of it where it's like, oh good. And then it's also like that safe space of, and usually sets don't go wrong, but like over the years I've had like a comedian, like once in a while someone will just do something and you're like, oh God, what did you just do? What was that? And then it's's like you come back and it's like oh thank the host is back like there's some sort of a safety in the host for the audience too if like a comic goes rogue or like makes a weird choice or something happens it's like why ends up being like oh the host oh my friend is back oh good like here comes my friend so I feel like

yeah it's a combination like that works you like kind of hold the room together yeah right if something goes on or and like normally it's fine like especially like here at the cell it's just like oh everybody's great it's easy to host but like going all over i mean we've all seen enough happen or things can go wrong and it's like i got you now here's a question uh the comic goes up and and he does about 10 minutes or whatever, and then you got to bring on the next comic. However, now, some emcees will say, are you ready to start the show? Implying that the show hasn't really started. Other comedians will say, are you ready for your first comic?

Implying that they themselves are not a comic. And other comedians say, are you ready for your next comic? Those are generally one of the three. Now, I prefer, are you ready to start the show? Even though technically as an emcee, the show's already started, but I feel like you're the emcee, you're outside the show. Right. Or are you ready for your first comic?

No. That's how I think is the best way to do it. Now, how do you do it? I say next. You say next. Only because I think it's that thing of you don you don't want to act like, it's like you're part of it too. Yeah. Right. But it is a funny thing. People are like, oh, you're such a great

host. And you're going to be like, well, I'm also a comic. But right, it's like a, but now it's sort of different at this stage or this level. But I remember like hosting early on. Or like people just like give you those backhanded compliments of like, you're a really good comic. Well, some people will say to the host, oh, you should do comedy.

Because they don't think the host is a comic, even though the host was making jokes. And they were laughing somehow because the host is seen as somehow outside the show. Sure, sure. People do that at The View all the time, too, actually, in the audience. They'll be like, you are so funny. You should be a stand-up comedian. Oh, my God. Right after you've done stand-up comedy.

For 20 minutes. Or sometimes someone will be like, oh my gosh, I feel terrible saying it. You really missed your calling. You should have been a comic. But the best part is if the crew is around, they love it. And they're like, Regina,

this lady's on to something. You should do stand-up comedy. So the crew will be like, right? Shouldn't she? They'll all like double down. But it is one of those things like, that is what we were doing. And this lady the other day, she's Shouldn't she? They'll all double down. But it is one of those things. That is what we were doing. And this lady the other day, she's like, no, no, I know that, but I meant professionally.

Oh my God. There was a time when I thought this show with Whoopi Goldberg was professional, but not today. I've done cruise ships, and I actually have one coming up. I haven't done them in years. But I do have one coming up. I haven't done them in years, but I do have one coming up. They thought that I was being paid by getting a free cruise.

Oh, that's funny. Right. Yeah. Like, what, are you kidding me? Yeah, there's so little people understand, I feel like, about all of it. Like, who we are, what we do, what it means. That's why I feel like you shouldn't say, are you ready for your first comic? Are you ready to start the show?

Because the show has started. I know, but somehow... Don't you want to inform them? Well, look, it's not about my ego. No, no, no, not at all. I just somehow feel, and I can't even articulate why, somehow it just feels more right to say, oh, you're ready to start the show.

But the show has already started. I know, I understand, I get it. But somehow, it feels somehow I just... Max, what do you think? Max is our... I don't know if you... Have you met Regina? I hear Max.

Max is our sound man. Love it. I usually, if I'm hosting, I would say your next comic. It could be our self-preservation as hosts, too, to be like, we're also a part of this show. No, I think it's also to let the audience feel like this is all happening as one cohesive experience. But I like the idea of, hey,

I'm outside the show. I'm like presenting the show. You know, I'm presenting a show. So I'm not the show because I'm presenting the show. No, you're part of the show. Or I'm like the pre-show. No, you're not.

Or I'm like, you know. You're starting the show. You're doing 10 minutes of stand-up. You're not wrong. I can't say you're wrong. And yet in my gut, in my heart. But I feel like if you've got them to where you need them when you say next comic, they will get crazy. They'll be so excited.

I don't know that it makes any difference whatsoever in terms of the quality of the show, but that's how I see it. I say next. Well, the rest of us say next. Okay. You might want to try that next time. Fine. I don't think it makes a difference either way. Are you excited for your cruise?

Yeah. Where's it going? No. The reason I'm doing it is because it's only two days. Normally, I would do a week. Sure. So now they have this new thing on Princess Cruises where you only have to do two days. And it pays the same money as a week.

Oh. So I'm getting on in Jamaica and getting off like two days later in Cozumel, I think. So I'm not getting on at the beginning and leaving at the end, which is what I had done in the past. Sure. I'm getting on in the middle and leaving in the middle. So we'll see, you know. And you're not excited about it no no well i'm not typically excited about those things stand-up comedy in general yes

um but always i like when i'm done that's enjoyable sure the done part sure i thought regina you don't know me you know as well but um i thought i was gonna be a sitcom so i figured i'd do a couple years of this shit right and they give me a tv show yeah alice seinfeld i mean seinfeld had been doing it say 10 11 years whatever when he got his show okay uh which seemed like a long time at that time but turns out it's not that long no because the average comic here at the cell is even relatively new comics have been doing it longer than 10, 11 years. How long have you been doing it? Probably close to 15 now. You're close to 15. Yeah. And you're like, you know,

you're one of the newer people. Right, here, yeah. You know, so it used to be that 10, 11 years in stand-up was a long time. Right. It was a different era. I would like... I mean, Roseanne maybe was 8 years in when she got her TV show. Okay, listen, I'm gonna throw you out a really

wild idea. The Dice Man, when he got famous, he was maybe 12, 13. I mean, nothing. I don't even want to say the number. The number is so horrifying. You know what? Whenever you go on this thing, it enrages

me so much. Why don't you write a fucking sitcom? I have written a sitcom. I've done that. That's not how it works. I'll tell you how it works. You want to know how it works? I'll show you. I'll tell you. It doesn't work like you write a sitcom and people say,

this is the greatest sitcom ever. I've got to fucking produce this sitcom. It doesn't work that way. Here's how it works. You've got 80 million followers on YouTube or Instagram or tiktok and they say i don't care what you write you got 80 million followers you could fuck a shit on a napkin and i'll say this is great right that's not sustainable though because if it's not actually great then but but but it might but i'm saying you're not gonna no one's gonna produce a sitcom based on a script that they don't know what's good.

How many shows have been made off of like shorts that people have put? Yeah, the shorts that went online and got a billion views. Well, the game has changed, I feel like, to your point. It's not like. But even back in the day, even back in the day, they didn't give you a deal. Back then, they used to give people $200,000, $300,000

development deal, they call it. Right. Which means they own you for like a year or two, and then they're going to try to make a sitcom. Right. Now, why do people get development deals? Because they wrote a script that everybody thought was great? No, because they would be seen in doing stand-up, and the executives would say,

we like this stand-up comic. They have a point of view, whatever they have. Right. And we will find writers for this comic, writers that we know, and we'll try to put together a sitcom for this comic.

That's how it worked in those days, back up through the early 2Ks, or maybe up even a little bit further, but that's how it worked back then. It never worked that you wrote a sitcom and somebody read it and said, oh my, holy shit, this guy. That's that's how it worked back then. It never worked that you wrote a sitcom and somebody read it and said, oh my, holy shit, this guy. That just never worked.

Right, but now you have the opportunity that you could actually feasibly and realistically write, produce. Well, if you want to do that, yeah. For no money, Dan, you could do it all. Well, maybe. No, but I mean, and quite honestly, like all bullshit aside,

it would probably be brilliant and hilarious. And you know every single great comic would be thrilled to work on it. So I think that you like to complain. That's true. That doesn't exclude the possibility that I'm right. But in any case, well, I don't know. I think the easier thing is just try to go viral on TikTok, Instagram,

what have you. Now, how are you doing on the social media? I don't do a lot. I should do more on social media. And I don't know if it's because I have the safety of the day job

that I don't push as hard or post clips the way that I should. I know I should be more active. I'm not playing the game as much as I should. Not playing the game. I think it's just how it works. I think a lot of it is also people that got in early, maybe. They started doing that.

The first comics that started to do that, I think, had an advantage. I don't know. There's always somebody that kind of pioneers it like on twitter this guy rob delaney was like the first comic to kind of become the twitter guy right and um so he got like you know a lot of attention from twitter from tweeting um you know so i don't i don't know but um anyway, yeah, we're talking about, all right. I'm on this thing where I'm like, you should write. You're fired up. You're so fired up.

It would be so good. Well, maybe. Well, I'm Italian, huh? Yeah. You can be excited or don't. We'll go with it. So my parents expect me to marry an Italian guy. At a young age, my mom would hang up Tony Danza posters in my room.

He's a nice boy. I'm five. He's a grown-up. But who's the boss, huh? So they were not happy when I brought home my current boyfriend. Not Tony Danza. Not Italian. Never even worked at the Olive Garden.

I tried prepping them. Mom, Dad, I met a guy. Tony Danza? No. He's actually not Italian. He's Vietnamese. He's Vietnamese. This is Killio Nona. Mom, Grandma's already dead. She die again.

Oh, the father decided to Tony Danza. That dinner was so uncomfortable. My mom kept referring to him as different kinds of Asians. Is your Chinese friend okay with the forks? You know, you have this gig. I mean, how long you been at it? Five years. Oh, okay.

So it's like a long term. You could ride it out. I mean, I don't know how much longer the view. I mean, I feel like the view is doing well. So that's great. Yeah, and they're probably not going to get rid of you because. They seem to like me. So you can't.

You can't. So I don't travel a lot during the viewing. So it was funny when I first got the job there, they were like, oh, like it's going to mean you can't... So I don't travel a lot during the week. So it was funny. When I first got the job there, they were like, oh, it's going to mean you can't do colleges anymore during the week. And I remember like, oh, I'm an adult. No, I don't need to have chicken fingers for dinner on a Wednesday in nowhere Pennsylvania.

Let's do this job instead. I was so happy. I was happy to kind of leave that world. I feel like every college you did, you're like, well, the check will clear, but why am I here? Yeah, I did like one college years ago it was the thing it was in maine what's the big college in maine there's like a famous college in maine boden yes grinnell or one of the grinnells iowa but boden i think it was boden and i had to do an hour and i

was relatively new i mean i was probably relatively. I was probably 10 years in, but that seems relatively new, like I said. And I just didn't have an hour. And it was tough. And then they wrote a review. It was scathing review. Oh, my goodness. Review. Yeah, I guess in their college paper or whatever.

I would love to read that. But. Do the internet. Yeah, so anyway. But I did this thing, this NACA. Yeah, sure. There's NACA and then there's APCA. There's a couple different ones.

So NACA is this thing where you perform, like all these college students that are on the college entertainment committee or whatever, they come to a play. It's like a conference, and they watch all the acts, and then they book the acts that they like. The act showcase. Yeah, so I did the Southeast Conference with a lot of Christian schools, like Georgia, Alabama. I don't know why. This is the only one.

You submit your tape. Back then, it was a tape. It was literally a VHS tape. You submit it, and then they pick you or not. So I did the Southeast Conference and I had to pay my own dime to get their hotel and all that. And I thought I had a good set. I think you did 20 minutes or something. But I didn't get any work.

And I just was – I never got into the college market. But you were big in the college. I wasn't big when I was doing it. But those conferences were so funny too because then it's like there was a lot of like hypnotists yeah yeah everything right yeah like the cover band it is funny everything well you're always like oh there's a whole world here that i don't know about and i feel like hypnotists were really like really popular they were like really having a moment hypnotists and then the kids love it yeah and magicians yes oh my gosh yes And I don't think they have dancers,

but anything you might, any entertainment you might have at a college. I've understood that a lot of comics have really stopped liking to do the college circuit. I don't think anybody liked it. No, but with all this political correctness and stuff. Well, that's not helping, yeah. It's just like it's not fun at all.

I don't think it was ever fun. No, I don't think so. But it was a good paycheck. Yes. A lot of comics that like very new, but they were young. And so because they were young, they had a certain connection with college students. And they were able to make like a thousand bucks a gig or something. Sure.

And they're like, oh my gosh, I can pay the rent with this one. If I just get a couple of these, I'm going to be rolling in it. Yeah. So a lot of comics, that was how they initially stopped having to have a day job was these college gigs but i don't think anybody ever liked them and then i mean sometimes it'd be like noon in the cafeteria like a noon i mean they would i remember one time i had to do one my brother came with me it was in savannah georgia and it was their like midnight breakfast because the kids were like studying for finals so they took me early in the cafeteria and they like flicked all the lights on. They're

like, this is where your show will be. And my brother was like, I don't know what this is. And I can't watch. I'm going to be somewhere else. He's like, this is so insane to me. And it's like, they're trying to study for finals and you're like, Hey, like trying to tell your jokes while they're getting pancakes. But then you're like, whose idea was this? But you knew the check would come and it would clear and you could leave. And then I'm like, I don't have to think about it anymore. And they would make you do an hour usually in the colleges, which is like a lot of time. Especially for newer comics.

Sure. You know, but it's a really long time. Right. And I remember one time realizing I could, and it wasn't really crowd work per se, but one time they told me they thought the school was haunted. And then I was like, oh, has anyone seen a ghost? And then somebody raised their hand, and I was like, would you like to tell us the story? And then i was like oh has anyone seen a ghost and then somebody raised their hand i was like would you like to tell us the story and then there was like another kid i was like also please tell us the story and i'm like watching the minutes go by like look at yes

oh here's something we can do that's it yeah but that's like the only like in the world of stand-up comedy the you always have to do your time because that's the only way you might not get paid. Right. Because they can't say, oh, you weren't funny. Well, okay, but you didn't say I had to be funny. But the time would be rounds. You didn't do the 60 minutes. The contract didn't say you got to be funny.

The contract said you got to do 60 minutes. You didn't say nothing about funny. But you said 60 minutes, so I'll be up every 60 minutes. Don't you make them give you the check before, though? I don't think they usually do. But these are colleges. They're good for it. The only reason they might not

pay you is if you didn't do your time. I had a corporate gig in Salt Lake City two months ago, whatever, and they weren't even listening. Nobody's laughing. I had to do 45 in Salt Lake City two months ago, whatever, and they weren't even listening. And nobody's laughing. And I had to do 45 minutes. I'm like, well, unless the CEO of the company tells me I can leave. Right.

I'm staying up here for 45 minutes. You're not going to risk it. You're not going to risk something like, oh, we checked the contract. And it's like, you know what? I'll stay. I don't believe that nobody is laughing. I'm going to stand up here. I finally got them a little bit with making fun of myself.

I had to like kind of make fun of how this was going. This was awful. You know, and then they a little bit. I said, we had like the guy that book me. I guess you're out of it. You're you know, you're not coming back here next year either. You know, and stuff like that, you know. And then I know a little bit.

But even then it wasn't great. Because a lot of times at these corporate shows, they're there to mingle and mix. Right. Somebody thinks the comedy is going to be a good idea. And it's like, that's not what they want. They're like, we're going to sit around and drink and whatever, bullshit with each other. Right. And someone's like, but you know what we need.

It's like, but we don't though. Yeah, we don't. We don't. And they don't know. But you know. Right, you know. But you know what we need. It's like, but we don't, though. Yeah, we don't. We don't. And they don't know. But you know. Right, you know. But you know that there's a check. Sure.

Right. We'll do it. They're like, oh, you know what would be a great idea? We're having this, and we're going to surprise them with a comedy show. And you're thinking, that's the stupidest idea I've ever heard. Yeah, exactly. But they're like, oh, by the way, it pays 10 grand. Right.

And you're like, that's a great idea. You're right. But why don't you tell them not to make it a surprise? But sometimes it's delicate because first of all, they're all excited. Like, oh, I got this great idea. They think it's a great idea. And if you say that's a shitty idea,

they might say, well, then maybe I won't do it. You don't want to take the check. You're like, oh, this is going to be awful, but I want the check. And the person pitching it's like, and then what will happen is they're going to think it's dinner, but we're going to be like, no, it's Dan. Yeah. Sometimes they'll be like, I'm going to say we're going to bring up

the regional sales director. Jesus Christ. But it's going to be you. You're terrible, but let's do it. Your ideas are all terrible. It's like, how bad do you want the money? How much money is it. You're really terrible, but let's do it. Because your ideas are all terrible. It's like, how bad do you want the money? How much money is it? You're weighing all this shit.

You're like, okay, it's going to be awful, but then I get to go home with some money. Okay, but listen, and I defer because I know that you've been doing this much longer than I have, but any time I've done a corporate gig or a private gig based on what people who have been doing it much longer than I have have told me, they have told me that you have to tell them, no, it can't be a surprise. Everybody has to know that there's a comedy show. And then I get like information from like the HR person about like the specific people in the company and they think that is the funniest thing in

the world. Because, I mean, that sounds like such a recipe for disaster. Well, look, if you can persuade them and preserve the gig, then yeah, I guess if you feel comfortable telling them, no, no, it's got to be this way and this way.

And sometimes you do tell them that and they don't do it anyway. You tell them, okay, here's what you feel comfortable, you know, telling them, no, no, it's got to be this way and this way. Yeah. And sometimes you do tell them that they don't do it anyway. Right. You tell them, OK, here's what you need to do. Like this gig I had for these roofers, this roofing conference in Vegas. Oh, my God. That went great, though. You know why? Because they had a separate room that said anybody that wants to see a comedy show, go

to this room. If you do not want to see a comedy show, do not go to this room if you do not want to see a comedy show do not go to this room great and it was great because the only people that were there and i think i even may have charged something for it which is even better because then you really got a motivated audience but even if not you can't spring this shit on people you can't have people milling about and like hey everybody so and you can tell them that and you're right if you can tell them that and get them to actually do it. Yeah. But sometimes you get to the gig and they're like, they didn't do it.

And then what do you do? You go home? No, no. I said, and there has to be like, I had a private gig recently, like a corporate thing. I said, and there has to be like a special area with a stage that like, or ish that like people know. And I was basically performing, you know, out of like the bathroom. And they may not have a separate area depending on the space that they're,

they have. This was a huge conference in a hotel. They had plenty of rooms, but. So you like the roofers? It was a great audience. Yeah. I mean,

I think we talked about it. We did talk about it. But we can talk about it again. It's okay. Well, you know, I opened with like, Oh,

I'm really at the peak of my career. You know, with the roofer jokes. Did you have peak of my career. Roofer jokes. Did you have a whole arsenal of roofer jokes? I had a couple. I didn't even have to have them. I posted on Facebook, I'm performing for roofers, and people would... Oh, that's funny.

They made the jokes. They sent in these roof jokes. That's great. That's great. Can you tell us another roof joke? I don't know if I remember. Well, you know, if you want to put something about putting a slant on it. Anyway, you know, that kind of shit.

Right. There was before the show, I walked around to see, you know, just to get ideas. And there was this roofers in recovery table. Oh. Are you serious? Yeah. Whatever that says I'm into. It's a roofers in recovery table for roofers that are in recovery, right? So I just joked, where are the roofers in recovery?

I said, well, now, the roofers are not in recovery. They're not here because they overslept. Because it was in the afternoon. So I should have said that in the first place. But the roof was in rehab. I don't know. I made some joke about they're not here because they were up all night drinking. That seems like a very dangerous

job to do drunk. It probably is. It probably is. Like specifically. It would is. Like, specifically. It would be a bad idea. Anyhow. So they're not all bad, the corporate gigs?

No, but I would say at least 60-70% are bad. Are you? Maybe I'm just not good at them. I think some comics probably are good at those. Right, but I think it's the same thing. Sometimes you're just set up to fail because it's just like they think this idea is great.

And it's just not. Right. And it shouldn't be happening or they're eating or it's just something that's making it too hard. That's the other thing that I learned to say. You can't serve food while performing. Right, and you can say it and maybe they'll do it sometimes, but maybe they'll be serving food anyway.

Right. And what are you going to do? You're going to go home? No, of course not. And fight with them and say, well, you said it and maybe you'll get paid.

No, no, no, you're not going to do that. But I do feel like, especially you at your stage, you can have like a list of here's the con. Yeah,

you can have a list and then you get there and then they don't, and they're not doing it. Right. So what do you, again, you say, well, I'm leaving. No, you're not going to say I'm leaving. And then you fight and maybe, what are you going to take him to court? You're better off just doing the damn thing. Just start the clock and let the clock run out.

Let the clock run out. Let the clock run out. Just get up there and just like get through your fucking material. The hour is going to come and go. Yes. The hour will end with the 45 minutes. And, you know, and if you're still standing.

You will get paid. You're going to get paid. You know, and then, you know, have a drink and. And then it's over. You know, and then it's over. Yeah. I mean, that's really what you got to do. Now, you know, Seinfeld might be able to say, look, this is where it's going to be or I'm leaving.

Right. And you're going to pay me up front. So there's not going to be an issue. And maybe he's got the muscle to do that. But, you know, I don't. Do you have a list that you like hand them before you go? My manager, you know, tells them this is how it should be. And again,

we hope that they listen, you know, but they may not. So, and, and yet, but I still prefer the, as bad as though I still prefer that to doing a whole weekend at a club where you got to do like two Friday,

two Saturday, one Saturday, you know, like the whole, even if they're great shows, I'd rather do one shitty show than a whole weekend of amazing shows. Why? Because it's a whole weekend.

And it just gives you agita. I don't like it. Yeah, it's more agita. And I don't like two shows in one night. I know you don't. I know you don't like two shows in one night. And the whole weekend, you know. But you don't mind.

And oftentimes the corporate, and it's usually the same money. And oftentimes the corporate gigs, it's a nicer venue. It's a nicer, like a nice hotel. It's not a Hampton Inn. Like the roofers, I was at the Paris Hotel in Vegas. Well, shout out to the fucking roofers apparently.

Right. And it was a good show anyway, but I'm saying like the show in, you know, Salt Lake City, it's a nice, it it's not it wasn't the Hampton Inn they're treating you nice usually a nicer operation and you know even though the show isn't so great

but you don't mind like two shows in a night if it's like you're doing half an hour you just don't like doing an hour I don't like doing that I don't I don't want to have in my head that I got another show while I'm doing the doing that. I don't. Yeah. I don't want to have in my head that I got another show while I'm doing the show that I'm doing. I just I'm thinking about that other show.

And then sometimes I mean, I've done three, but not in a while and I won't. But I have done three 45 minute shows, which is just. Yeah. In one night. Just awful. Isn't that what you do on the cruises, though? Isn't it like a is just In one night? Just awful. Isn't that what you do on the cruises though? Isn't it like a couple of shows a night? They're half hour.

I've never done a cruise that sounds about right. The ones that I've done have been like 25 minutes to half hour. And if you have to do 45, it'll be two shows at most. It won't be three. And that And if you have to do 45, it'll be two shows at most. It won't be three.

And that also, you have to be clean and know politics and all that. Yeah. I mean, there is like one, like I'm told, like the one night you got to do clean, and then the next night you can be dirty. But dirty for a cruise is not the same as, you know, Jim Norton talking about sucking his wife's cock. Right. Jim Norton talking about sucking his wife's cock. Although maybe, I don't know.

It's dirty for them. Jim is one of the few comics I'll go listen to because I just, you know, he's, he, I mean, I've probably said this before. He,

um, him and Keith Robinson are the only right. And, and if David tell, but he always goes on later, I'm usually gone by then. But Keith and Norton, because they're both talking about shit that literally nobody else is talking

about. Keith about having a stroke and Jim about having a trans wife. I agree. And are you sitting there and cracking up? I might even crack up sometimes. Like, you know, but more I'm just like, this is interesting. This is like, I'm more into being, I'm more into interesting now than funny. I'm just, say something interesting.

Tell me about an interesting, you know, like Hannah Gadsby. Like, I didn't laugh, but that's kind of interesting, you know? Okay. You're learning in a way too. You're like,

oh, okay. So who are you, your go-to that you would most like to hear at the cellar? Well, it's funny.

I'll say, whenever it's late, if I'm close enough to when a tell goes up, then I'll stay. But it is that thing of all of a sudden, I'm like,

it's 2.30 in the morning. Yeah, he's always up late. What just happened? But yeah, because it's like, you want to see it, but I'm close enough to when a tell goes up, then I'll stay. But it is that thing of all of a sudden, I'm like, it's 2.30 in the morning. Yeah, he's always up late. What just happened? But yeah, because it's like you want to see it, but I'm like, oh, how can I not? No, but it is always fun to see Jim and Keith too. They usually go up earlier, so that's easier. Dave, like every people ask me who, you know,

the most common question comics get, I think, well, other than like, where do you get your jokes? Or do you write your own jokes? Is who are your favorite comics? And I will usually say Attell is one of them. And they never, they've never heard of him. That's crazy. Because, you know, now comedy fans maybe have.

Sure, sure. But, you know, a corporate guy like, you know, the manager of the country club in Key Largo that I played at. Oh, my God. Alfredo, Alfredo. Oh, my God. You know, he'll know Chris Rock or Kevin Hart or what have you, but they don't know what tell. He's like, you know, not not to say that he's not well known, but he's not famous like those guys. And yet especially we are not a comedy fan, I guess.

Like for me, I remember watching like Insomniac. Like there's so much of Dave that I feel like is the industry. Yeah, Dave is the comic's favorite. Yeah, Dave is the comic. Every comic will say Attell. He'll at least be in their top five, probably top three. For sure. I have never come across a comic who has not said that attell

is one of their favorite comics which is kind of the best compliment as a comic sure yeah right that you other comics think that you're funny right and and he certainly has plenty of fans and does well he's just not kevin hart in terms of you know, Kevin Hart's, I think, the highest paid comic in America. I mean, something like that. Not that anybody asked me, but I do enjoy watching you. I'm not just saying that. That's always really fun. And I love watching Yamanika.

Yes. She is really fun to watch. And Jessica Curson. And I don't know I like watching there are a lot of comics that I just really enjoy watching Maxwell how about you I've gotten to see Bobby Kelly a lot Bobby's great I love watching Bobby

I like Keith I got to see Keith's Netflix taping that was really fun and I like Att. I got to see Keith's Netflix taping. That was really fun. And I like Adele a lot, too. Oh, you saw Keith's special? Yeah, I went to the live taping at the Sony Theater, I think. No, I don't know where it was.

I think it was. It was. Actually, I went to Rachel's taping before that. She was also great. That was so fun. Yeah. Big week. I like watching Rachel, too. Rachel's great. I like watching Rachel, too. Especially since she started That was so fun. Yeah. Vigley. I like watching Rachel too. Rachel's great.

I like watching Rachel too. Especially since she started talking about her husband. Yeah. Fireman. Because again, I'm more interested now at this point. Sure, Matt. In this point, I just want to hear what's an interesting point of view or take

or Attell being the exception. He's just jokes. Right. Rachel, when Rachel was taping her special, there was Pete, her husband, there was, um, Pete, her husband was right in front of me with all of his fireman friends. And that was so funny to watch because they were just all, all the guys were just dying laughing and it was really fun. Well, she definitely got a lot of mileage out of that, um out of that marriage keep it going you know but uh and

and and well we're running out of time but um we can end on on your personal life oh my oh sure if you if you well regina well well well well well what is it you'd like to know well are you are you with someone yeah i'm married oh you married? I don't think I knew that. It'll be 10 years in September, which is crazy, too, which goes by fast. Is he DeChico? No, I didn't change my last name. Okay, well, why would you? My name is DeChico.

It's too fun. It's so much fun. Are you DeChico and Sons, the supermarkets? Yes. Oh, my God. You're my favorite supermarket. That's so funny. Where were you shopping?

Well, where's DeChico and Sons? They're in favorite supermarket. That's so funny. Where were you shopping? Well, where's the Chico? So they're in Westchester. So my family has a very successful supermarket business that I didn't go into, Dan, to pursue my dream. Oh my God.

I can't believe you're the Chico. This is your parents? Yeah. So my dad started with two of his brothers. So my dad, they were born in Italy

and my dad was born in Italy and then the business started here with like his two brothers. Do you love how starstruck I am right now? That's hysterical. And that's what I did growing up and I always worked at the supermarket. No way!

I never heard of this supermarket. Oh my god, it's so good. I'm going to take you. People like to say, I'm going to DiCicco's. It's successful, but it's not Gristiti's successful. No, but it's not gross like Gristiti's. It's like a nice supermarket. Is Gristiti's gross? Yes. Okay. DiCicco's but it's not Gristiti's successful. No, but it's not gross like Gristiti's. It's like a nice supermarket.

Is Gristiti's gross? Yes. Okay. Did Chico's, it's like high end. The Italians love supermarkets. Because they understand food. Yeah. Right, they're food people.

It's like Whole Foods, but Whole Foods isn't actually that good. Let's be honest. And then my brother does a lot of the buying, so he gets a lot of the Italian specialty items. Yes. Oh my god. That's so funny. So they literally made the De Chico and Sons. So then if I'm in Westchester, it's like, oh, everybody but Regina. That's what you...

That's hysterical. Not and daughters. Yeah, they did everything. I didn't go into it. But if you did go into it and Sons... Nobody calls a business and Sons and Daughters. Right. I don't know. it. But if you did go into it, nobody calls a business and sons and daughters. Right. I don't know. And kids and offspring.

And co. How about that? Like a gender neutral. Like a gender neutral. What do you mean co? Like and company. Like DeChico and company. Oh, can you do that?

Yeah, sure. Okay. Like there's something. But also and daughters, I've never heard. What do you mean? Russ and daughters? Yeah, sure. Okay. Like there's something and daughters. But also and daughters, I've never heard. What do you mean, Russ and daughters? Except for Russ and daughters. Right, except the one.

Except the one that proves the rule. I can't think of another one. The Chico family market. It's tough because we don't want to, we're not going to turn this into all being about the Chicos. There was like a family split. So then there's some that are, that's why then they like distinguish what's the Chico and sons. And I'd be like the Chico's. There was like a family split. So then there's some that are, that's why then they like distinguish

what's the Chico and Sons. And I'd be like the Chico family market. So it was like two different. But all like when it went from the first generation to the second generation, they'd like, I don't want to say housekeeping, but like did a little bit of a split.

And that was when the name change came. Well, what's your husband's name? John. No, last name. Coogan. Oh, Coogan. Right. And what does he do? He engineers fire sprink? John. Last name. Coogan. Oh, Coogan. Right. And what does he do?

He engineers fire sprinkler systems. Shut up. Oh my God. Did you meet him in a show? No, I wasn't doing standup when I met him, which I feel like was almost like a saving grace a little bit. So like we got into the world together and then he just like backed off.

He's like, yeah, do whatever this is. Whatever this is. But it was like enough where at the beginning he was excited and then he's like, I'm not coming with you all the time. Why? My husband felt the same way. He's like, this was not part of our deal when I met you. I don't know what the fuck you're doing.

But I think he's obviously it worked out. So it was like a bit of a gamble. But being married also, that makes the job at The View even more important because if you were single, you could go. Right. But it's so nice.

You're like, oh, I can go home and you're here. And that's great. No, very much. Yes. Yes. That's a great point. It's very true. A lot of male comics meet women at shows.

I think with female comics, it's less of a thing. I don't think it's as much. But it is fun to like, well, not fun, but I will see the women, like even at Olive Tree, spot certain male comics. It's like, you know, like they want to go over and talk to everyone. And it's like, it's such a funny, like that doesn't really happen. Isn't that such a funny phenomenon that nobody comes over to women comics? Like, oh my God, you're so funny. Well, his guys don't care.

Yeah. It's not as much of a. It's a different. It's a different thing. I mean, are you hot? I mean, that's the it's un-fucking-believable. Don't you think that's incredible? It's I don't know if it's incredible.

It's it's it's it's striking. It's interesting. It's, you know but um but unless you're a lesbian comic in which case it probably um does help i mean i will say that i'm a comic so i'm not starstruck by comics but but a female musician will get my attention more than like she would have otherwise. If she's hot, though. Yes, but it adds another point or two. It definitely adds another point or two. But funny, no. I'm a comic.

It's hard for me to say because I've been a comic for so damn long. You have no appreciation for the art form. No, I'm saying probably if I... It's hard to say because like I said, I've been a comic for a while,

but definitely like, you know, I met Sara Bareilles here. Okay. I hung out with her, matter of fact. Well, well, well. Because she was a friend

of another comic, but anyway, and she's cute, but, you know, she's not like drop dead gorgeous, but she's Sara Bareilles. Right. So I was like, yeah, I'll marry you.

Did you tell her that? No. Okay. The offer wasn't, I mean, I don't know that she would have been willing, but... You're like, alright, I'll do it. I'll marry you. But it added to her. She's cute anyway, but it added another point or two to the

whole thing. Do you think that it's like that in other industries, like surgeons? Do you think they're like, oh, that woman's such a good surgeon. Like that's kind of like a turn on. I mean, you know, for women. Being good at what you do as a woman is totally irrelevant. I don't think it's irrelevant. I think it adds a pointer to, yeah, for me. So if you met a doctor or a surgeon, like a woman is totally irrelevant. I don't think it's irrelevant. As I said, I think it adds a point or two. Yeah, for me.

So if you met a doctor or a surgeon, like a woman surgeon. Yeah, and they were attractive, that would definitely bump it up. Well, yeah, they got to be at least that, but it would definitely bump it up. Now, see, that's the difference, though, because men don't need to actually be attractive. Like, I think that's the difference, is that, like, you can be really funny or a great, you know. And a thoracic surgeon and the guy just becomes so much more attractive yeah that yeah the guy will be attractive that's right a guy that's like okay to like oh my god or like actively unattractive like like actually

like aggressively not attractive it doesn't fucking matter. That's the difference. I think a guy can make unattractive cool. Like, you know, Steve Buscemi. I don't think you could argue this man is a classic beauty. But he somehow pulls it off. That's what I'm saying, though. Peter Dinklage, the guy's a little person. He's cool as fuck. Right.

Nobody's saying that about, like like Rhea Perlman. Yeah. God bless her. God bless her. Like amazing and adorable. It doesn't. It doesn't. Yeah.

I know. It's terrible. I don't make the rules. Don't look at me. But it's interesting to watch. You're saying don't hate the player. Yeah. I hate the game.

I hate the game. And we have a title for this episode, ladies and gentlemen. There he is. Was that Peter Dinklage? Yeah. Yeah, he fucking. I've seen him here. Yeah, look at her.

She's gorgeous. I've never seen him here, but I did meet him years ago before he was any, because at the Luna Lounge, which you probably don't even remember. There used to be a show there every Monday. He's cute. You know, that's not the point. Or even like Philip Seymour Hoffman, right? Like, he wasn't like a good-looking guy,

but, you know, talent, yeah, that talent for a man takes it to another level. Nobody cares if you're talented. And, of course, again, don't look at me. You're naked. Stop, Dan. I know it's unfortunate. I'll agree with you. You're naked. Stop, Dan. I know it's unfortunate. I'll agree with you.

You're getting an argument here. I'm just happy we have a title for this episode. Under the gun, too. Almost seemed like it was going to go without a title. That or Shop at Tachiko. Well. The commercial. I'm trying to walk away.

Is there a commercial? I'm surprised you don't have one of those cheap local business commercials like 1-800 call Carmel now it's on a totally different level but when I was in high school yes there was a local commercial and one year they had

a little De Chico jingle and they sponsored the school closings because you would have to listen to school closings on the radio. So whenever school was closed, they play the DeChico's jingle. And then one year we like we had so much, you know, we missed a whole week of school. So every time everyone heard that, like the little song, everyone was like, there was no school. So then we had like I didn't participate in the talent show, but at one point something had gone wrong and everyone was like, regina get on stage like it took me a while to do stand up but i was always a funny person so they made me get on stage and then i sang the little jingle just to be like ridiculous

because there was a little now did you grow up in westchester no i grew up in rockland county actually so it used to be like the stores were not where everybody lived but then one by one everyone's kind of gone from Rockland to Westchester. Interesting. Okay. So DeChico's for all your food. Your food needs, your catering needs.

Listen, it's the real deal. They have kosher food, kosher food as well. Sure. For our religious listeners, our Orthodox listeners. Right.

Regina DeChico, thank you so much for joining us. Oh, no, thanks so much for having me. It was such a little treat. I thought so. I was like, oh,

I would love to come. Dan, you brought the energy. You know, you did a good job. I appreciate it. Thank you so much. You always do.

Well, I thank you for that. Yeah. So, you know, Regina, she's here all the time. Where can everybody find you? Here at the Comedy Cell. Yeah, right here at the Comedy Cell. And if they're not physically within Michael, what?

They could just Google Regina, R-E-G-I-N-A-D-E, that's where it gets complicated. C-I-C-C-O. D-E-C-C-C, is that your jingle? D-E-C-I-C-C-O. The Chico's is the place to go. Let's go record right now. D-E-C-I-C-O. The place to go.

That's like the quality of music you get with a local commercial. No, of course. You're not going to get a really really cool, you know, high quality jingle. Right. You're not going to get Band-Aid brand. No. I thought that was great. Or Catch That Pepsi Spirit.

If you remember that one from the 80s. Catch that Pepsi Spirit. Drink it in, drink it in, drink it in. Okay. Ladies and gentlemen. The Chico's markets. And Regina the Chico,

a Pyrrhal Ashen brand, Pyrrhal A-E-S-C-H-E-N-B-R-A-N-D. Very nice. Look at you. And Dan Natterman, his book, Iris Spiro Before COVID. Still available on Amazon. They have not run out of copies. And they never will. Because that's not how it works.

And we thank Max, the sound guy. Yes, we do. Thank you so much, everybody. Max. Marcus. What's your last name again? Marcus. Marcus, yeah.

Bye-bye, everybody. Bye-bye. Catch that glass of spirit. Drink it in, drink it in, drink it in.