WTF with Marc Maron Podcast - Episode 1551 - Gareth Reynolds

Episode Date: June 27, 2024

Gareth Reynolds was struggling in show business as a comic, a writer, an actor, you name it. But not unlike Marc, he finally broke through when he started hosting a podcast along with fellow comic Dave Anthony, The Dollop, where Dave tells stories from history that Gareth knows nothing about. Gareth and Marc talk about what led to the creation of that show ten years ago, as well as Gareth’s years before, growing up in Milwaukee to British parents but absorbing a thoroughly Midwestern personality. Sign up here for WTF+ to get the full show archives and weekly bonus material! https://plus.acast.com/s/wtf-with-marc-maron-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey folks, if you're a full Marin subscriber, now you can get rare WTF episodes that haven't been available for years. These are live WTFs with folks like John Mulaney, Greg Giraldo, and Michael Ian Black. I'm very flattered that you think I'm funny. Yeah, it took a while. This is weird. It's very funny back there. This has been fun.

You guys are all very... You're a talented young comedian. Boy, oh boy. Is there anything I can do to make our relationship better? Well, in fairness, we don't really have a relationship. To get those rare episodes plus new bonus episodes twice a week and every episode of WTF ad free, go to the episode description to sign up for the full Marin on WTF+. This episode is brought to you by FX is the Bear on Disney+. In season three, FF+. This episode is brought to you by FX is the Bear on Disney+. In Season 3, Carmy and his crew are aiming for the ultimate restaurant accolade, a Michelin

star. With Golden Globe and Emmy wins, the show starring Jeremy Allen-White, Iowa Deberry, and Mattie Matheson is ready to heat up screens once again. All new episodes of FX is the Bear are now streaming, only on Disney Plus. With Vizzy Hartzeltzer, you can follow your vibe. Whether you're looking to bring the energy to your next pre-drink with our new 7% ABV Vizzy Max pack, or indulge in a leisurely afternoon brunch with our refreshing mimosa pack, Vizzy has got you covered. Discover

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What the fuck buddies? What the fuck? Nicks? What's happening? I'm Mark Maron. This is my podcast. Welcome to it. How's everybody doing?

How are you? Oh, are you okay? I'm okay. It was kind of a crazy couple days there. I know I, the last time I talked to you, I had just gotten to Seattle, but the next day, um, I had to fly back up here and then fly to Penticton. Is that how you say it? Is it Penticton? I guess it's like the high desert. Is that correct? I don't want, all I know is that the reason I flew to Seattle was I didn't want to drive. I didn't know how the border situation would be coming back up and Penticton is another five hours

from Vancouver. So I flew to Vancouver. I sat around at the small south terminal and then I took a small plane to Penticton. Am I saying it right? Penticton. I think so. It's a resort town up there. It's not up there. I guess it's actually west in what is, as I said, supposedly the high desert. It looks a lot like California in a way. And I made it up there and I ate some food and then I went to sleep and I woke up and I took a ride out into the country where I did a very short scene and then I got on another small plane and I flew back here and now I'm doing this. It was a lot between the show in Vancouver, then the show in Seattle, then recording Seattle, then flying. Anyways, I made it. I don't know why

it feels like some sort of victory every time you go on a prop plane. It's, it's crazy that I travel so much and still have a fairly real and baseline fear of flying. I just have to go into some sort of override and it's sort of a, a strange process really, especially on a prop plane, because I go either way with those. Sometimes it's like, wow, you can really feel you're flying. And that goes to like, there's only two propellers. And then that goes to, uh, well, you know, a lot of the planes they flew, I would say all of them in world war two were prop planes and they,

they hold up pretty good. They, they can work from what I understand. They're not dropping out of the sky. And that goes to me just, you know, screaming and realizing that I've got a few minutes, probably, or at least a minute, maybe 40 seconds to think about my life as I plummet to my death. But I basically just went into some sort of anxiety induced paralysis and kind of swept for about a half hour, but it was, it's nice. I wish I could just relax and not, uh, not freak out that anytime I get on a small plane that it's going to go down because they don't, they don't just go down.

It's rare that they go down. It's rare that any plane goes down, but that doesn't mean you're not going to be on the one, does it? That's how my brain works. How does your brain work today? Gareth Reynolds is on the show. I don't know him that well, but I know he's my buddy Dave's partner on a podcast and I know he's incredibly funny. Came to see me when I was in Milwaukee. He's from

that that part of the country. He's a comic obviously. He co-hosts that podcast with Dave the dollop. The dollop just celebrated its 10th anniversary. He also co-hosts the podcast here to help along with Jake Johnson It's a funny conversation. It's uh, it's it's funny. He's he's very quick. He's a very funny guy So since I last talked to you, I did the show in Seattle and I made a fairly Important amends on stage and I think I've told this story before but not with the contrition necessary. So I'm going up to Seattle and there are these two guys, brothers who lived down the street from me in the 70s

on Dakota Street in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I lived at 1204 Dakota and they lived down by the end of the street, which is almost right across the street from the elementary school I went to. And this was the Rosenstein family, Aaron, Josh, and Ruthie, and the parents. The dad was a psychiatrist, I believe, and his mom, I don't know what his mom did.

But you know, we knew them. We went to Hebrew school together, and I hadn't seen Josh probably since we were Jesus. I don't even know. I couldn't even tell you probably since 14, 15 years old, Aaron, I'd seen a couple of times because he had come up to, uh, to see me, uh, years ago in Seattle. And I think I told him this story, but, but they were both in the room and I was on stage and I thought it was an appropriate time to make an amends for something that happened when we were

kids to Josh specifically. And I'll tell you the story. Uh, it's, it's, it's not that heavy, but, but I, I think I got closure. So we used to be in a carpool with them, with Josh and his brother and sister for Hebrew school. And at some point, I remember we had a Chevy Blazer and Josh had left, I believe, a red windbreaker in the Blazer.

And somewhere between when he left it and when we got the call from his mother, we had taken some kind of trip with the dogs and we had these old English sheep dogs. My dad went through this period where he was showing old English sheep dogs and the, the champion was a Raglan who had several names. Cheerio Lord Raglan was this champion show dog, an old English sheep dog, that my dad would run around and do dog shows with. It was a thing he was obsessed with in his mania. It went on for a while. My childhood parts of it were just covered in hair and watching my dad comb out these dogs on a table. Now, during this particular outing,

for whatever reason, I don't know, but Cheerio Lord Raglin had explosive diarrhea in the Chevy Blazer, and it was bad. It was not a good situation. It was awkward, disgusting, smelly, and a mess. I don't know where we were going. I don't know why we were in the car, but I do know there was nothing to wipe up the diarrhea. This was a

problem. And Josh's jacket was there and it's not a great type of jacket to clean up diarrhea with, but that was all we had for some reason. So we did the best we could with Josh's jacket, pulled over the side of the road there and we threw the jacket away. We threw the windbreaker away. There was nothing else that could be done with it. So, a while later, my mom got a call from Josh's mom asking if Josh had left his windbreaker in the car.

And in that moment, I think my mother did probably the only thing she could do. She said, no, I didn't see it. And I believe she went out and pretended to look for it, but we all knew that it was in a garbage can covered in diarrhea somewhere on the road. And my mom got back on the phone and said, no, it's not in there, I'm sorry.

And I gotta be honest with you, that was a good call on my mom's part, because where are you gonna go with that? I mean, there's no, you can tell, I mean, either way, the problem was there was something outstanding. I don't begrudge my mother the white lie. My mother's kind of a liar, always has been.

But, you know, it was usually just because she didn't want to deal with the repercussions of telling the truth. I guess that's why people lie. But there was no way to tell the mom that. No, we used it to wipe up diarrhea in the truck. So she said, no, I didn't see it. But on stage, in Seattle Seattle in front of God and everybody

I told that story and I apologized to Josh and I said look, you know I'll give you my number after the show if you'd like me to replace the windbreaker with a like Similar type of jacket or with a hoodie or something. I'm more than willing to do that and And I think he you know, he texted me later and said he he probably liked a hoodie or something, I'm more than willing to do that. And I think he texted me later and said, he probably liked a hoodie or something. And now I have closure and I feel that, it's just a big burden lifted off of my heart. Sometimes it takes years, I mean, he's got to be 60. He's got to be my age, Josh.

And now it's like, I don't know how, how, how heavy that was, you know, on his heart, you know, just not knowing where that red windbreaker was, but, uh, but I just want everyone to know that, uh, we got closure. And, uh, when he decides what kind of jacket he wants, I'm going to get that out to him. I'll be in Tucson, Arizona at the Rialto Theater on Friday, September 30th, then I'm in Phoenix at the Orpheum Theater on Saturday, September 21st.

Go to WTFpod.com for tickets. And what else is happening? You know, I got back up here and I wanted to spend some time. It was a beautiful day. It's beautiful up here. I've got to just shut up and be grateful. The entire rest of the country seems to be on fire,

or at least sweltering with dangerously high temperatures. Up here, people are complaining when it's 78. These Vancouverites, these Canadians, it's going to be a hot one, and it's like 78, 78 degrees. And they're like, wow. And I'm like, you have no idea. It's like 140 in the states in some places. Maybe that's a little high. But to me, it's perfect weather.

And look, I don't wanna sound, I don't know how this'll sound, but, you know, I was just out there, and I was smoking a cigar, which I don't do that much, but I decided to do it because I got a lot of time up here by myself and a lot of thought goes into what I'm gonna eat and how I'm gonna get nicotine and also like, well maybe just have a cigar.

You're not gonna start smoking cigars again because you got the nicotine pouches going and they got those good ones up here. Why don't you just enjoy it and read your book? Go out and do what people do. Get off the fucking phone. Stop scrolling. Stop laying around. Stop taking naps You know you exercise now, you know, you you've gone to Whole Foods. That's half a day for you That's a pretty full day go out and just sit and enjoy a nice book and a cigar out in the public square here. I did it. I went out there, I was smoking my cigar,

I'm reading this book for a guest that's coming up, and it was getting near the end of the cigar, and I'd been out there a while, and I don't even know what kind of performers you would call them. It was just outdoors, and it was quiet in a way, and it was just perfect. And I just saw some guy roll up a boombox and and put it on the ground him and another guy and Turned it on and it just was bouncing all over the place

It was so loud and it was a karaoke track. It's seemingly of Bob Marley's greatest hits and It's seemingly of Bob Marley's greatest hits. And you know, the music's going, and then the guy who started singing, he's barely paying attention. He's not standing up, he's not putting on a show. He's actually, it seems to be scrolling around on his phone and kind of half-heartedly singing these Bob Marley songs. The other guy just kept fiddling with the boombox.

I don't know what his job was, but he had a mic. And you know, he started singing, but he had a mic and uh, you know, he, he started singing, but he was off key. It was not a great situation. Look, I don't know what situation those guys are in. Maybe it's sad. I know that the performance was lacking and it was just, it was, it was horrendous and it ruined the day outside and I couldn't readjust to it. Look, if somebody's playing some music on a guitar, on an instrument or a pan flute or anything, or just engaged in the performance,

whatever their situation is, this just seemed very half-hearted and utterly intrusive. And I have nothing more to say on that other than like, I don't really know. Am I just being a cranky old guy? Should I be more empathetic? I was empathetic enough, but I was really sort of taken aback just about how easily an entire environment can be just sort of orally destroyed

by somebody, by something that I can't even imagine anyone who would want to hear it. But maybe that's just me. I don't have any problem with Bob Marley, but Bob Marley being sung badly by a guy reading his phone and another guy who's kind of singing out of tune with that guy to a boombox, it wasn't an amazing show. If you're going to do live karaoke in the park, lean into it a little bit. Let's put on a show. Put on a show. There's a reason we've been recommending Simply Safe Home Security for eight years as the

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round-the-clock monitoring inside and outside the home. Better yet, this whole home protection costs less than a dollar a day. That's a bargain for 24-7 professional monitoring. SimpliSafe already provides real peace of mind to us here at WTF and to many WTF listeners as well. I want you to have it too. Right now get 20% off any new SimpliSafe system with Fast Protect monitoring at SimpliSafe.com slash WTF. That's SimpliSafe.com slash WTF. There's no safe like SimpliSafe. So look you guys, Gareth, Gareth Reynolds,

who I didn't know that well, but I always knew that he was fucking funny, is very funny, and we have a funny conversation. The Dollop and Here to Help are available on all podcast platforms. You can watch the Dollop's 10th anniversary show at veeps.com. This is me talking to Gareth Reynolds. Wendy's has a new breakfast deal mix and match two items of your choice for only

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and Mattie Matheson is ready to heat up screens once again. All new episodes of FX is the Bear are now streaming only on Disney Plus. Today, I think I should tell you that I shit outdoors. So what's going on right now? What's that- this is... This is what I'm talking about. Yeah. This is... I'm intrigued. It's funny. Yeah.

I'm puzzled and I know it's new. No, it just happened. I was on the hype. Oh, really? Yeah. That's actually kind of a relief. Right. I thought maybe it was like toilets or no.

No, no, no. No, not like it's not part of my new hippie experience. Right. You know, I was on the hype. Up in Griffith? Right over, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, It had happened before. Wiping materials? Yeah, I did. You had a magazine? I had some paper towels in my bag and I was with another guy. Oh, that's a lookout. Well, it didn't work out that way. I didn't know if I was gonna tell him or not. Oh, what? Yeah, because he was kinda winded behind me,

so when I got to the top, I just ducked away and shit in the bushes. Wow. Yeah, but I thought it'd be a nice thing to talk about. I would imagine that Hiking Buddy, obviously it is, it's beautiful, but I would think Hiking Buddy- When's the last time you shit outside?

Well, on purpose, cause I'll tell ya, this is fucking horrible. Literally, I had shows in Sunnyvale, California last weekend. Roosters? Rooster Teeth Feathers. And right when I was packing up the van, I thought it was a simple getaway

and it turned out to be the cops were outside. Yeah, so that was the last time I shit outside, but it was not. You didn't prepare. No, no. I actually kept thinking, hopefully the ring camera didn't get that because watching my reaction in that time would have been like anyone across the street was probably like what happened to him?

He was packing a van and then he left the door open and ran like someone poked him. So you had to go clean up huh? Yeah. Wow that's good times. Yeah but that's strange so did you tell your buddy... I told him after but I fought with it. Because I was sort of like, where does it go with this conversation?

It wasn't a big deal. And he was like, yeah, he told me he shit before he came. It was actually the first day he- Outside? No. But it was no. But it was the first day he had used the public restroom at the area, which is not great.

You don't want to use it. I'd rather shit outside, to be honest. Yeah, but you gotta be ready for it to be comfortable. And because it had happened to me once before. But then it becomes sort of, I think what the shame of it was, if we're gonna talk honestly, was that I had several paper towels,

and I didn't overdo the wiping job. No, should you, yeah. Yeah, but I had to fold that up and travel with it back down. So that was what I was. Oh, that's a tough reveal. Yeah, but I had to fold that up and you know and travel with it back down So I that was that's a tough reveal. Yeah, that was so it's also what an anti litter bug you are That's actually very that's we thank you the world. Thanks you Might have brought us closer Where do you pocket there's a pocket in the water pack I have.

The camel pack? Yeah, it wasn't... Those pockets are tiny. I know. They're meant for keys and used for other people. Yeah, that's all. Yeah. But I was just happy I was prepared and I was happy it happened.

And it was pretty... It all made sense. Couldn't hold it? No, I don't think so. Yeah. Okay. What are you gonna do? Yeah, No, I don't think so. Yeah, okay. What are you gonna do? Yeah, well, I mean, this happens.

This is truly when you go on things like this, this is the fear. That what? The fear is that if you go somewhere, like if you go for a run or you go for like a hike or- Peeing's easy. Yeah, peeing's very for us. Yeah, when the other thing happens, it's tricky.

Yeah, no, but you were ready. Are you doing Zins too or no? Zins? Yeah, the nicotine? No. Oh, it's not you. No. Yeah, I got one in my mouth right now. Were you hoping we would be Zins-Brenner's?

Well, I just wanted to talk about the downside of it. What is the downside of Zins? Well, I don't know, I think maybe gum problems. Oh, really? I don't know. They burn a little bit, don't they? They do, a little bit. Yeah, you like the burn.

And you like the burn, then they make ones that don't burn, you're like, what's the point of this? Yeah. If I can't hurt myself. That's where I got to. I eventually was like, what? If I can't feel it. Well, I remember when I was smoking

and you would start to go, I would say probably 70% of the cigarettes I would smoke in a day, I would be like, I don't really want this. There were probably two or three that I valued. The first two. The first two, and then the one after maybe a drink or two or after a shit.

Yeah, when you wake up and you can smoke. Yes, coffee and cigarettes. It was like the best thing in the world. I did it forever. Oh, the best. But I can't even think about cigarettes. No, I can't. How long have you been off of them?

Fully off of them for probably like five years. Yeah? Not that long, not that far back. Well, but I had many ups and I had like, I went to a Russian hypnotist in my twenties. Were you able to be hypnotized? I don't know. Yeah.

I ended up quitting, but I don't know if I would credit him with it. Yeah, cause I don't know. I think it takes a certain sensibility to be hypnotized. I really wanted to quit, but I didn't like go under. Yeah. Like, so there's no, like he literally, he was like, I went into this room, he was called the Mad Russian,

this one, I went to school in Boston. Where'd you go? Emerson. Oh, that's right. And I went into this room and it was like, me and a lot of people wailed at me. The Mad Russian, he'd been in Boston forever. Yeah.

Like that guy is like, I remember that guy. Yeah, he must have been David Ortiz. It's him and David Ortiz. Must have been 100 years old. Yes, he was, yeah, he was old. He was old and everyone there was old. Really, at the office? In this like group.

Oh, okay, it was a group hit me. Well, and then he brings you in one-on-one. So he brought me in one-on-one and he's like, I want you to close your eyes. This is crazy. He goes, I want you to close your eyes and picture yourself smoking. And so I did.

He made a noise. I saw- Like what kind of noise? Like, whoa, like something like that. And I saw arms moving through my closed eyelids. And then when I opened my eyes, he was next to me. And he goes, you have an incredible ability to heal animals.

And I was like, okay. And then that was it. And then I paid $65 and then I left. And then I was like, the rest of the day, I was like, probably should have followed up like with a, what? Were you looking for animals? Were you like, oh, no, I keep waiting.

I keep waiting for my moment for someone to be like, the elk, it needs help. And I'll be like, is anyone have a straw? You know, it's just gonna be innate. Instinctual, yeah, yeah, yeah. But then I just see you shitting, but Mark! Hey! Yeah, I'm alright, take care of the elk.

You okay? Yeah. I can heal you! The elk needs help. Okay. Yeah, but then I stopped for like a year. And then I kept going back, year after year I kept going back, and then I but then I stopped for like a year. Yeah, and then I kept going back year after year I kept going back. Yeah, and then it like five years ago was the final like I was done done

Well, I think no tobacco is good. Yes, and the last inches were good But they're they're made of something that upset my stomach and now you're now you're fighting the gum war Yeah, now the gum war is happening and also like I did a six, you know, and I even threes a lot Yeah, they don't like perk me up, they're like fucking heroin. And I'm queasy. I was online at the restaurant last night with my girlfriend, and I'd done a six, because I ran out of threes, and I'm just like, I gotta sit down.

And I'm like, why is this a good thing? Why am I still doing this? That was always the battle too, was always the cigarettes I would eventually, you would just feel like shit. Yeah, no shit. It made no sense. Like people who didn't smoke would-

And if you had a, like, and some cigarettes felt great, but most of them just felt bad. Horrible. And then you wake up and your chest, you can always feel it. I can't imagine having that. Did you ever vape? No.

See, I went through that phase too and that is embarrassing. I don't even know what that is. Like even with these inns, like I don't know what the- Yeah, the vape is whatever. I think it's just powdered glass. But I know it's just... I wonder why it hurts your gums.

Well, I think nicotine in and of itself is debilitating to the good bacteria. But this is as clean as you're going to get, I think, with the poison. If you're going to put poison, you want a good delivery system. Like we're saying, it gets boring without poison. So how do you want it? I definitely for probably like... That should be the we're saying it gets boring without poison. Yeah, how do you want it? I definitely for probably like that should be the CD title. It gets boring without poison greatest hits I When I was doing the vape, yeah, I had like the car battery early version

It was like I was having like I don't know what's your flavor. No clue Like you and also your brain puts, somehow you trust, it's so fucked up the way your brain works. Like you get product loyalty, and then you're like, well they probably researched it. No they didn't. They have to. Yeah, well I was buying my like juice

or whatever you call it from a liquor store. Yeah. So I definitely was like, this guy knows what he's talking about. He's got incense, lighters, spoons. But even the company that makes them, it's like, you know like this idea that like, well, they must be looking out for me.

It couldn't be in a liquor store if it hadn't been vetted. Yeah. No, I definitely thought that. But then it started to hurt as well. It did. A different hurt. Really?

Yes, because what I liked for a while was I was like, I don't have that sort of like. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And then eventually I was like, it's bad. It's just like higher like a higher how which But you were never like a drug guy. I Definitely have done a lot of drugs

Yeah, I mean, I don't think you'd have your only cigarette of 20 years with me, but I've definitely had my share Yeah, no, I like you yeah, Milwaukee we started doing drugs What the fuck was Milwaukee though like I can't cuz like I want to Yeah. Yeah. Milwaukee. Yeah, Milwaukee, we started doing drugs. What the fuck was Milwaukee though? Like I can't, cause like I wanna, like when I go to these broken, these beat up old cities that no longer have a sort of economic base.

Yes. You know, those industrial cities, like they're always kind of amazing cause you're sort of like, this was something. Yeah. This was a place. The town that beer built. Yeah. Yeah. And Detroit's the same place. The town that beer built. Yeah.

And Detroit's the same way, and Pittsburgh with the steel. But they all, if they manage to come back a bit, they're kind of charming. And I feel like Milwaukee's been on the precipice of it for a while, but I don't know if it's fully happened. I think it is a great city. I mean, it's one of the, like, I'm definitely biased. But growing up there, like, I grew up in like the suburbs. So I didn't really start

Good. I once I started doing like improv Then I started going to like downtown and like starting to get it a little bit But no, we don't when you're growing up you're like you go in the city. Yeah, I don't even know if I really knew that what was there Yeah, I don't think I really even knew I think I was there anything There yeah, there was probably just a lot of breweries and I mean I remember when the first I went the first time I went to a brewer's game I remember I was probably like six or seven and the guy in front of me pulled got so drunk He pulled his pants fully down. Did he shit? No

Better to do it there than County Stadium bathrooms Out in the open. Oh yeah, right there. Yeah. They got a toilet paper guy I love with the hot dog guy. You know, he's like, TP, if you're shitting, grab your TP. I knew a guy that went to one of those games. There's a story I heard when I was on a teen tour or something. Wow.

One of the counselors was in like a medical school or something and they had procured from the you know from the autopsy like you know the study where you study bodies they'd gotten a cock and they And they they threw it in that petroff at the stadium Oh my god, it's imagine seeing a fucking live cock and you'd be like I shouldn't be pissing in this guys They got access But most guys are probably just piss around it Wonder what happened to that cat? Oh god guy's cock fell off near the urinal cake. Pissaronder. That's a pretty impressive prank though.

Well, I mean, you did, the idea of being on a teen tour and hearing that story. Yeah, because you're a kid. Some guy got his hand on a cock. Yeah, an amputated one. Yeah, that's important in the story too. So, but like, what did your old man do? He didn't go to the city? No, he worked for a toy company.

He basically ran this toy company called Brio, which was like wooden trains, like this Swedish, like. Oh yeah, the kind of collector stuff? Yeah, kind of. But for young kids. Yeah. Made out of wood. The ones before, the ones that kids get for a kids. Yeah. Made out of wood. Yep.

The ones before, the ones that kids get for a gift and they're like, where's my plastic toy? Yeah, the ones where, oh, and that was a lot of like the birthday presents I would give, obviously, because we got a discount. So kids would be like, cool. Yeah. It feels like I need blueprints.

Is there anything simpler? This is a little, I'm not loving it. It's mainly magnets and wood. It was like, well, the Swedes. It's really huge in Sweden, Carl. So I think you're gonna really find its legs eventually. Yeah. Yeah.

But no, so he like worked, you know, again in the suburbs. My mother was a toy sales rep, so she drove all over the place. So you were a toy family? I was a toy family. A toy sales rep for the same company? No, different company.

A different toy company. So Milwaukee was toys at some point. I guess, I don't know. I've never really analyzed that. What's the company your mom worked for? Well, she worked for a ton, because she was just a sales rep. So she would do, but the big one was Koosh Balls.

Koosh Balls. You remember those? I don't know, I don't feel like I was a toy guy. Well, come on, I bet you, they took over. What were they? They were like rubber bandy balls. And they were like, they were. A bunch of rubber bands?

Kind of. Yeah, no, I think that was after my time. Well, I still, it was out there, but maybe, you're probably doing drugs, honestly. Those are those things where you're like, how long did it take someone to get all those rubber bands together? Yeah, when you're high.

Yeah. When you're an adult, you're like, what the fuck? But yeah, so that was the big one. But so, yeah, so I had a lot of toys, but she sold like a lot of toys, but she sold like a lot of dolls and stuff too. So it was really like Koosh balls and wooden railway trains for me. Yeah. Yeah. And so I didn't really have much until I got older. I didn't really start going to like downtown until like, yeah, brothers and sisters. Yeah.

I have an older brother and then I have three half brothers and sisters. Oh, really? My father's second marriage. Oh, they're all younger? Yeah, so this is my way of telling you my parents' marriage didn't work out, Mark. When did they give up? When I, we don't love to put it like that, but when I was 13. So that's pretty mildly devastating. That's when the drugs start to come into play.

Yeah, how old are you? I'm 44. Oh, so you're not a kid. I don't, again, the reaction I don't love, I really, I feel like the last two reactions you could have worked on. Done better? Played it differently?

Yeah, could have been a little nicer. You know, here's what you want. I'm 44. You don't look 44. That would have been great, but no, you got the like, yeah, yeah, you're the king. No, you don't look 44. It's too late for that one.

You can't literally give me the line back. I'm 60. Ready? Yeah. You don't look 60 at all. Thank you. And even before this show, I told you how ripped you look. Yeah, well, I mean, the sad part about getting to a certain age is you realize you can keep trying.

You're doing good. Yeah. You just did a little bicep flinch too, so don't think I didn't notice that. That happened. So you're in Milwaukee in the suburbs. What kind of drugs are in Milwaukee in the suburbs? Well, you know, we started with the gateway.

Yeah. Marijuana. Weed. Weed. With seeds. Yeah. Back in those days. So you caught the seeds.

Yeah. Caught the seeds and the stems. That's good. See, that's a wisdom that not all kids have now. Yeah, that's right. To have a memory of seeds. Believe me, I let him know. It used to not be that easy. He used to get away from me. We used to break it up and there was a technique to it.

It's a whole thing. Get the seeds rolling. 30 minutes before we could even smoke the bag. So we started with that. Then drinking, you know, drinking probably preceded that a little bit. And then drinking as a teenager, how great was that? It was great, really loved it. Had to get a grown-ups to buy it for you?

Yep. I always talk about that, about who are those fucking grown-ups? Like if a kid came up to you outside a liquor store and said, hey dude, let me just grab a six pack. No way you'd do it. I don't think so. I bought cigarettes for kids once. Well that's different. Yeah, that's what I felt. They kinda you'd do it. I don't think so. I bought cigarettes for kids once.

Well, that's different. Yeah, that's what I thought. They kinda have to have those. That's what I thought. And then the guy in the place was like, it's not for those kids, is it? And I was like, no. This is horrible.

I came out, I was like, I can't do that again. What was it, was it American spirits? I must have been like, Marlboro Lights. It must have been what they already went in there and asked for, you know? Yeah, yeah. Because they're hanging around outside. I was like, can I get Marl they already went in there and asked for. Because they're hanging around outside.

I was like, can I get Marlite 100? The kids asked for that too. Because when you were a kid of 100, you were like, that's like eight extra cigarettes. You didn't realize it looked stupid? Yeah, it looked like you were like Aunt Kathy during Bridge. Well, that's good, you didn't buy booze for the kids. No, but no, we acquired booze through many ways

and then yeah, that's when the drinking started and then yeah, you know, then the drugs, then you know, Coke was probably honestly like, I mean, the first time I took mushrooms, I also took acid, so I kind of- At the same time? Yeah, same. So you couldn't really identify what was,

why you were panicking? I just was like, I'm giggling. Y'all good. I went into a full on free fall. I don't think I did enough. But I was at the Tibetan Freedom Concert, which- Where was that? This was in Alpine Valley in Milwaukee.

Oh, all right. And yeah, and it wasn't that bad. But don't worry, there were bad acid trips ahead for sure. Your first one was brutal. Well, it was like, I just grew to realize that, you know, you gotta be with friends. You kinda gotta be outside. Set and setting.

Yeah, and just don't engage with the, too many non-tripping people. Yes, that's key. Because there's no way they're not gonna be evil. Well, I one time was tripping around a bunch of non-tripping people, and a non-tripping friend of mine took me aside and I was having a bad time and he goes, remember, you paid for this and you took acid.

And I was like, that's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me. I was like, that was so important to hear. That reset me completely. I forgot about all that. You made a choice. This is supposed to be a good day. Right, right, yes. You made a choice. This is supposed to be a good day. Right. Right. Yes.

That makes sense now. I thought I was dying. That makes a lot of sense. And, uh, yeah, and then, and then, yeah, I mean, I really like, I mean, like, kind of what you were alluding to, like, being that age with my parents, I, you know, my father and I kind of were estranged for a while, so it was kind of me and my mother, and so I really did just go at it early.

Yeah, my parents didn't divorce till I was in my 30s, and it was hard to, who do I live with? Yeah, I know, what did you go with? All right, Mom, I guess it's you weekends and what Dad, Mark, you're in 30s. Yeah, I know, it's weird, because I don't even live here anymore. It's strange.

This is hard for all of us, but you guys made the decision. So I guess I gotta make my decision. Yeah. Where's the alimony? I think I get a cut of that, don't I? Yeah, I don't know. Yeah, I guess it was a long time coming.

It didn't have the effect on me that. Still strange, though. I guess. But I always envied people who had it at two. Yeah, because then you have no idea. It's just the way you grew up. I grew up being like... The guy left.

I knew it, and I knew it wasn't working. There's no part of me that was like, the perfect world, isn't it? But I was certainly like, wait, what? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And even back then, it wasn't nearly as regular as now. So my school, everyone knew. Oh, right. It was a thing. You were the weird divorce kid. So like my school, like everyone knew. Oh right, you were the weird divorce kid. Yeah, I was one of like the five, you know.

At our own table, it's cool. It's cool, yeah. This age as well. Where's your dad? Yeah, yeah, yeah. You left town, oh fuck, mine's still just over there. That sounds way worse. Charles has it worse.

Oh, fuck, mine's still just over there. That sounds way worse. Charles has it worse. But when did you start performing things? So then I started to like, once I found out about a place called Comedy Sports, which I think we talked about in the green. Yeah, because I drove by it. Yeah, so once I-

It's upstairs in a corporate building, right? Well, it used to be in this, I think it's moved a couple times, but yeah, now it is. It's all in that area where you were, like the third ward, basically. And I started doing that improv, kind of Whose Line Is It Anyway stuff

when I was like 14 in high school. It saved your life? Yeah, and then once I got to be 16, I got a job at Comedy Sports. And then I was around these people, and they had all these pictures of people I saw at Comedy Sports with famous people. And Robin Williams came in there one night. In Milwaukee? Yeah, Milwaukee Comedy Sports. That guy was a needy fuck, wasn't he?

That was totally my takeaway. I was like, Jesus. He's in town. Must have been after Popeye. Yeah, he probably did a show somewhere and was like, I didn't get enough. By the way, that is so, I've never thought of that angle, but imagine, like if someone's like, do you wanna get like a piece of pizza after a show? I'm like, what do you think, I'm a machine?

But he went and did like legendary two hour improv shows. He did it around here, like when he was trying to kind of pull it back together, like he'd go to UCB and stuff. And it's so weird because like, one of the reasons I interviewed that guy was because I got tired of hearing young comics kind of like diss him.

That's crazy. Well, yeah, just sort of like, well, you know, it was sort of cheesy or it wasn't real improv. And it's sort of like, he's fucking Robin Williams. You know, but it is kind of interesting to know that there was this sense of arrogance to these improv crews, and when he was an older guy, you know, before he, you know,

not that long before he died, but he was kind of popping up, and I just picture all these fucking dumb hipsters being like, I guess we gotta do it. I mean. It's just crazy. You know? But well, for me hipsters being like, I guess we gotta do it. It's crazy. But for me, I was like, that really did, because he was my hero growing up,

that did spark something in my head of like, he was here, I was here. And then that place did give me a sense of like, okay, yeah, there is a place. Like, I never did that. So that's how you kind of learned how to be funny, was with other people. Yeah, which actually ended up not being helpful as a standup, honestly. No, but it's helpful to deal with Dave.

Shout out. Yeah. We could do a whole half hour on dealing with Dave. That's a side podcast. Dealing with Dave. I had to deal with him in a side podcast. Dealing with Dave. I had to deal with him in a different context. Yeah, well you were his boss.

Not according to him. He saved the show. If it weren't for him, that show that no one watched would have been even less watched. The Bedazzled Jacket was a little much, I thought. Where it said save the show in the back. I thought we could have done with that. Oh yeah, Dave's very good at taking responsibility

for inventing podcasts, being the main guy of my show. He was very funny and I always liked him. Well, and for me, I mean, he really did like that, meeting him was like completely transformative. Yeah, it seems like it. I mean, he never lets it go. No, but no, it really was. I mean, that was like, you know, after toiling in LA,

because I was writing on shows out here for a while. Wait, we can get to him in a natural course of events. Okay. So you're jumping around in high school doing improv games for what, audiences? Yeah, but then eventually I started doing like, you know, I started doing shows with like adults there. So there was two groups?

There were the kids? Well, I was like in the high school one, which was just for like your parents and friends. Then Friday, Saturday, it was like, it was, there was a comedy club there, but this like got legit audience. What was the comedy club? It was called the Comedy Cafe since it's gone. Yeah. But I was like, this place got legit audience.

Yeah. So I was like, you like, I would watch these people, they were like my heroes. The local improvisers? Yeah. Did any of them go on to stuff? Dan Harmon came out of there. Wow. So when I was in high school,

I used to go watch Dan Harmon in this group called The Dead Alewives. He's a Milwaukee guy? Yeah. No shit. And I would watch him and I would be like, this guy's playing on another fucking level. Really? Yeah, totally. Just Milwaukee guy? Yeah. No shit. And I would watch him and I would be like, this guy's playing on another fucking level. Really?

Yeah, totally. Just as an improv performer. Well, everyone there was like, he's the smartest guy here. Right. And maybe didn't always translate, but you could tell that he was something. On another level?

Yeah, another level. Wow. Yeah, and then I remember when I was, because I ended up, like I said, I worked at Comedy Sports, but I remember seeing him like go to LA and I was so like enamored with that concept. Oh, so that was the guy. Well, there were other guys there who like were telling me to get out. They were like,

look, I love what I do, but leave. Yeah. I've got a good job here. Yeah. Like I do like the local radio and like it's good, but you should go leave here. They saw the gift. I wouldn't even say, I wouldn't even frame it as that. I think they were genuinely like a little more like, I should have left. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

You should. Right. You're young. Right, oh yeah, sure. That was always on the comedy scene too. Regional acts like Dave Anthony started in San Francisco and I started in Boston. And both of those places had these guys that didn't leave.

When I got to San Francisco, a lot of people had left and did all right. But there's always this core group that out of fear or whatever, they end up eventually on local television or radio. I remember in Boston when I would like start trying to do stand-up, I bombed so much I couldn't do it. But I would watch some of those, I'd be like,

man, that's crazy, but they're like still there or they have- What, like Gavin and Sweeney and- Yeah, like there were local dudes who you would just be like, holy shit. Yeah, I started around those guys. Yeah, but then you were also like, I've got to like, keep going. Yeah, I don't know.

I can't, I don't know that I've ever been savvy to what the fuck show business was. Yeah. But I knew that like, well, New York is where it really happens. Yeah. Like I knew that Boston was where I could work because I had to do that when I moved to New York. I had to keep driving up there to do one-nighters and shit. But I didn't really know the trajectory. But that's interesting.

So you graduated high school? Yep. And because of... Of Harmon? Barely. Well, it kind of like, I kind of got my shit together a little bit. Like, I still partied, but the comedy sports, yeah. It really did make me...

And then I met, okay, and then I met this... So I was trying to do theater in high school too, and I met a theater director who then I met this, so I was trying to do theater in high school too, and I met a theater director who- Is this a trauma story? Well, I'm sorry. Should I sing it? How would you like to hand, no.

No, she was amazing. Her name was Miss Woodard, and she was like, she was like, you need to audition for college. Like if you wanna pursue theater. And then so she helped me get my shit together. Like both my parents are English, so even with, yeah. Really, like they talk like English people? Yeah.

Okay. Yeah, it's a nightmare. It's been hell. And so I think there was also the lost in translation of they didn't really understand, you know. Like when I got into Northeastern, my mother started crying. Like she just was like, you're gonna go somewhere.

Like, and I was like, oh no, I'm gonna try to like, actually get into like theater programs and stuff. She was like, you're not a failure. I was like, hey, Northeastern is not the highest bar, you know? But then, so this theater director, she kind of helped me audition. And then that was when, then so then yeah,

then I got into Emerson. Do you remember your audition pieces? Yeah, there were, one was just, go ahead. A classical one and then a regular one or a modern one? Yeah, there was a comedy one, which I actually don't remember what that one was, the other one was an Amadeus speech. And then when I went to-

Salieri or Amadeus? Amadeus. Oh, okay. And then when I went to. Salieri or Amadeus? Amadeus. Oh, okay. And then when I went to. Good one. North Carolina School of the Arts tradition, they're like, what's your song? And I didn't have one.

And so they were like, we'll come back with a song later. And then, so I came back later with Hello Dolly, cause I was in that musical in high school. Yeah. And it was, she faxed the lyrics over to our hotel, my brother was with me. Yeah. And we were in the room and I just started

and I just go, all right, hello Dolly, well, and we just started laughing like this is throw to the wolves time. And I went in there and they were so, they couldn't act for a theater program, they could not act like it was accepted. They were immediately like, okay, thanks a lot. This ends here.

And that was that. Good luck. Yeah. It sounds not for everyone is the good news. And- But you did it. I got it, yeah. And then I like, I got it at Emerson.

I got into a couple others and my grades were not good because of like all the drug use. Yeah. But Emerson, like what year were you at Emerson? I probably went there in 99, I probably started. So who was teaching? Well, a lot of the theater teachers were people taking classes at BU,

which was a red flag to me. I went to BU. Yeah, so I was like, it seems like that might be the better school if you're all. They had a really good performing arts program. Yeah, that was actually where I wanted to go. Really? Yeah, that was where like, it seems like that might be the better school if you're all... They had a really good performing arts program. Yeah, that was actually where I wanted to go. Really?

Yeah, that was where I wanted to go. I mean, I don't know, it was kind of like a secret, you know, because it wasn't listed as one of the great performances. But they had their performing arts center was great. Yeah. Because I took classes there as a liberal arts major. I took an acting class there. And who did I see?

Like Mike Chickless. Oh wow. You know, from that. The hair's Chickless. Yeah. You know that guy? Yeah. I mean, I don't know him personally.

He was there when I was there. The Commish. Yeah, the Commish. And I saw him do like some Brendan Behan play. Wow. And who else? There were some people that went there, but it was a real fucking theater school there.

Yeah, that was where I wanted to go. The guy who was running the program at that time, he genuinely was like, I want, he was the first, he was the only guy who was like, I want you to go to this place. And I just didn't have the grades for it. Oh really? Yeah, my grades were just shit.

Well that was one of those places that made you, you had to do all the other stuff too. Yeah, which Emerson, I got a math waiver, which I was like, this is so undeserved. And then my freshman or sophomore year, I took a class called weather, where I literally gave a report on tornadoes. And it was like, I was like, this is crazy.

I mean, I was like, even for me, This was at Emerson? This was at Emerson. A class called weather. I took a class called weather. You thought that'd be, that can't be a problem. No. Which one's going through the electives?

Weather. Well, I don't know how you approach classes, but I was like, what will give me the most free time to do the other things? And Weather jumped out. And when I was giving the report of the tornado, and I was going like, the cold air comes in and just fucking ruins the hot air's deal. You know, I was like, this is really bad. You did a performance?

Yeah, yeah. How'd you do in weather? I think I did pretty well. Yeah, the forecast was solid. I think I did well. I mean, I really described what a tornado does. I think the teacher of that class must have been like, look, I'm also not into this,

so let's all just get through this together. I just can't believe there's just a course called weather. It was crazy. They were just sort of like, you know, they weren't even hiding the fact like, we don't give a fuck. They were like, look. You're here to jump around the stage.

You're lucky there's a teacher. Yeah. This guy watches the weather. Did you take a standup class? I did end up taking a standup class. Who taught that? I can't remember the guy's name. Because I probably knew that guy.

I bet you did know that guy. And I bet you, you were like, no, I don't like this guy. Well, it's like, I know Leary taught there. Yep. At some point, you know, before. Yeah, I was there. Yeah, Eddie Brill taught there. But it had to have been one of those comics.

Yeah, and well, it's also like, as you know, like there's maybe some education you can get from a classroom on stand-up, but it's limited. Yeah, I never did it, but I don't think it's a bad deal, you know, in terms of, I think the benefit of doing these stand-up classes is that most of them, you get on stage. Most of them, like they're the big. Totally, and you're with a group.

Which really was what the improv also provided was that like kind of them. And you're with you're with a group which really was what the the improv also provided was that like kind of pushing. Yeah because I just know that like there's so many people that took uh listen Scott Rosenfeld's class uh in New York like big acts and and I think it just because the graduation is you perform at a club. Yeah. And that's all you really need anyways because the only other way to do that is wait around at open mics. Also feels like a class. It's the fucking worst.

Yeah, the worst. There was a guy in Boston, Robin Horton, on the, it wasn't an open mic, but it was like a showcase night of local talent. And he had an office in the back of Catcher Rising Star, and then there was a list that you'd get there. We were all comics already. It was me and Cross and Kite Langer and I don't know,

maybe CK and a lot of people that went on to be writers, but he put that list up, and then we just knew what would happen. He'd start fucking with the list. You'd get there, you'd see your spot, and then he'd come out of the door and then start fucking with you, be like, oh. Why was he fucking with it? Because of what? Just kept changing the list. Like you'd get there, you'd see your spot and then he'd come out of the door and then start fucking with you. Be like, why, why was he, he was fucking with it because of what? Just kept changing the order. Cause of power. Yeah. People would come by or whatever or he,

he'd think, and all of a sudden there were arrows on it and you know, you could start like in the fifth spot and by, by like a battle plan. Yeah. Three, four times he goes out there, you're going last and you're like, what the fuck is this? It is the worst. There is some guys I resent forever because they were the gatekeepers then. But I bet you in their head, they're like, I made Mark the comic he is. I don't know, you used to see that guy,

he was a bipolar guy. Like he had problems, but my empathy is limited. Yeah, of course. But like, you know, he had this idea, they all think that they're helping you. But it was just such a mind fuck all the time. Well, it's also like time. Your time is so invaluable in those places.

I guess so, but it was more like we weren't going to be doing anything else. And you're already drinking. I mean, you're sitting there at the bar waiting for the phone. But that's a problem too. The first time I did stand up in Boston, I was waiting for so long, I had a fake idea and I started drinking. And I, because I was in theater school, memorized everything fully and then forgot it all. And so that first time of doing stand-up scarface.

Where'd you do it? At this above a Chinese restaurant in Hong Kong. Sure. Oh, the Comedy Union? Yeah. Yeah. Yep the Comedy Union? Yeah. Yeah. Rick Jenkins? Yep.

Oh, well that was probably a relatively safe space. No, not for me that night. I mean, maybe people weren't like as, it was horrible. Yeah. Horrible. But so wait, so you go into Emerson, you're doing acting? Yep, theater. Yeah, and you go through,

you do all the whole four years or whatever? Yep, but I also started doing a lot of sketch. You know, like- Did you learn how to write sketch? Yep, but not, I think I did take a class there, but it was really, I was in a sketch group. And we just- Were there several sketch groups? Yes, too many.

Yeah. It got annoying, for sure. Everyone had their name? Everyone had, and we, well, we were the swollen monkeys, but we, but the, it was, it was 1L. There was like, you know, you kind of grandfathered in, so I was like, I'm not proud of this name. There was the ECU, which was like Emerson Comedy, I can't remember them, but, and then there was like,

this is pathetic. Oh, that was, that would have been around a long time. Yep. Was that the one? They would fluctuate. Yeah. Like for a minute, I was in the one, and then've been around a long time. Yep. Was that the one? They wouldn't fluctuate. Yeah. Like for a minute I was in the one, and then I was in the one that nobody liked.

But I feel like This is Pathetic had been around since Cross was there. Probably. Swollen Monkeys probably were too, maybe. I remember I tried to start one at BU and I put flyers up, like, I think I called it No It's Funny or something, and I wanted to start one, and then I had this meeting of people,

and a bunch of people came and I realized, I don't know what I'm doing. I don't, I'm not. Is this the speech to them? Yeah, I'm not a leader. And I just let it fade away. I just was like, maybe this wasn't a good idea, but I'm glad you guys made the effort.

Oh yeah, cool, all right, this is a prank. No idea. Well, I glad you guys made the effort. Oh yeah, cool, all right, this is a prank. No idea. Well, I don't think I did either. I mean, I eventually was like running it, but I mean, I look back and like, you know, the first, I mean, the original sketches you would write were always like one guy who's like, I sell severed penises, and you're like,

buddy, that's a crazy job. And it was like like we wrote those. No, what we do is we go to the stadiums and we put them in the urinals. We're the urinal guys. We're the urinal prank guys. Yeah. But it's like for like two years,

I was like, man, we're doing some good stuff. Sure, oh really? I feel like every person is always like, you can't shit on my floor. That's crazy. And then so eventually. No character building, no. Not really, no.

Yeah, it's a whole different thing. But it helped, it helped you get the hours, the time. Yeah, but how, so did you go do stand up again there? No, I was so scarred by my appearance at the Hong Kong. Who was there at that time? Was it like Merman time or who was? No, like was so scarred by my appearance at the Hong Kong. Who was there at that time? Was it like Merman time or who was there? No, like Justin Willman. I don't know, Eliza Schlesinger was there then.

Really? Uh-huh. Was she going to school in Boston? She was at Emerson too. Really? Oh, she was at Emerson? Yeah, yeah. You knew her at Emerson?

I did, yeah. Now we can talk about something. Oh boy. Finally, now we can talk about something. Oh boy. Finally, the podcast starts. Mark just lit up a cigarette for those of you listening, by the way. First one's, it's Keith. Look, her and I are good,

but I do often wonder about what she was like as a younger person, because she's so focused and ambitious and like, you know, locked into the business of it and locked into how she does it. And, you know, I just, it's interesting. I don't know if I've ever met anybody that knew her then. Was she in the sketch groups and stuff?

She was in this, this other one started called Jimmy's Traveling All-Stars. It was like a new one. Yeah. And it got, it was the most popular one. It made me feel like... Oh, look at us. Well.

Yeah. Ooh la la. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And... I'm not giving up the shit on the floor sketch. Yeah, well listen, I know gold. This age is great. I didn't know her that well, but she, you know, like...

Was she funny? Yeah, she was funny. Yeah. Because she did a sketch show on Netflix. Yes. She's definitely got Moxie. She's definitely, like, she'll do shit. And she does characters, I was in a movie with her.

Yeah. Where she did a Boston accent, and that's pretty bold. She'll take chances. So that was it for you in Stand Up, the one shot at the union. For a while. And she was doing Stand Up there? I don't think she was, no.

You just knew her at school. Yeah, I just sketched. She was in the sketch shows. Were there other people at the school that were doing stand-up? Oh yeah. Yeah, there were. My buddy Dan Levy.

I know Dan. Not the Schitt's Creek. No, no. Yeah, comic Dan. Yeah, Dan was there. Dan was like doing stand-up and I was like, this guy. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

He probably hasn't bombed at the Hong Kong. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was like, this guy. He probably hasn't bombed at the Hong Kong. I was jealous of that. I knew the Hong Kong because of the scorpion bowls. The scorpion bowls were real. Anything that arrives fired. Yeah, and huge. With many straws.

Yes. Toxic. Horrible. There was no comedy club there when I was in college. It was once or twice you'd go for those scorpion bowls and it would just be shitfaced college kids. Well those were places too that were the, they wouldn't card you.

So like you could go, like it's the irony of like the one place where the liquor is the strongest, they're like, as much as you want. Yeah, come on kids. Yeah, and you'd be like you and nine friends just getting like low main and just, yeah. Red, I think the scorpion bowls were, it's a red liquid. Well, and then the middle shot

that they would light on fire was 151. Oh, it was? Yeah, that could be drunk. I feel like I was there before the fire, is that possible? I don't know, maybe. I didn't go a lot. That was a big day at the Hong Kong. The fire.

I think I was like, hey, let's recess the middle. Yeah, yeah. Blazing. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I got an idea. Yeah, it's like drink faj. The guy was like, hey, let's recess the middle. Yeah, yeah. Blazing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I got an idea. Yeah, it's like drink fajitas. Everyone's like, ooh. I think I remember when Bacardi 151 was invented.

That's wild. And that guy. Yeah, he changed the game. He's from a big change. Yeah, he started a lot of alcoholics going. A lot of weird stories. Yeah, when gas isn't ready. Enjoy the 151.

Yeah. Everclear, the mythic Everclear. Ugh. Everclear punch. Ugh. I guess that still exists. Yeah, and that's at the age too, when you're that age, you can drink those.

I guess, I could, like I always puked. I could handle it. Yeah, I was pretty big puking. I was training in high school. I trained in high school, but like I didn't like beer. That's bad. Because like I just, it. Yeah, I was pretty big puked. I was training in high school. I trained in high school, but like I didn't like beer. That's bad. Because like I just, it was too, it filled me up too much and I didn't love it.

Yeah, I get that. So I would always be the guy that's like getting a half pint of Jack. And you know, and just, and then you know, my friends are throwing me on the lawn next door while they went to a party. I mean, did that happen a lot? It happened once that I remember

Like where I just got too drunk too quick and I got sick and they just didn't want to deal with me so they're like we're going to the party and then if And then it's someone ran into the party said there's some guy dead on the lawn next door. Yeah, he hates beer. Yeah Yeah, put him in the car. He won't do beer. Yeah. I always think it's like crazy to think back on how fucking drunk at that age I used to get and survive somehow. And drive, right? Drive, yeah, absolutely.

If we're being honest, hello everyone. Yeah, drive sometimes. I can do it. Yeah, determined to play Pac-Man. So when you graduate Emerson, what's the deal? Back to Milwaukee? No, then I really wanted to move to LA. Like at that point-

With the desire to what? Do sketch and write. I wanted to write stuff. So I had my writing partner named Evan Mann, and we like moved to LA and we started a sketch group with some people who I went to college with. And then we were doing that at the Improv Olympic out here, which is now gone. But we really started doing shows there.

And yeah, and that, like, then I started doing more improv there, but that was, I was, I don't know if I necessarily even knew, I really wanted to act. So through that I got like a manager and an agent pretty quickly, and then I was in the pipe of never booking anything for a while. Who were those guys?

Joel Zadek was my manager, he was awesome. And then I had a small- Was it his company? No, this is when he was- Where was he? It was called Power Entertainment. There's so many managers. I don't like, that's an interesting world

that I don't really ever explore in terms of like talking to people about it. But you I don't like, that's an interesting world that I don't really ever explore in terms of like talking to people about it. But you always talk to people, it's like, who is your manager? Thinking you're like, you're gonna know him. You're like, no, it's Johnny, Johnny Thompson. He used to work at that place on Sunset. Well, he was very much like me.

He was like, look, I wanna be a big manager. And I'm like, I wanna be a big actor. Well, that's the thing, they're all climbing. They're looking for their end. But he did really well. Joel's done really well. Oh yeah? Yeah, yeah, he's like, yeah.

Leaving him with smart. With that company? No, with Prince of Potta Young. Oh, well that was a big one. Like I remember him when he started managing people. Yeah. Peter Prince of Potta used to come around Luna Lounge and he started like, who was he working for? But it's just so weird.

And I never really appreciated that whole part of show business. Like to me, it was all there to service my fucking angry ass disposition, so all these people that were assistants or just coming up, I was like, who the fuck is this guy? You know, like what the fuck's this guy hanging around? But I used to make fun of Peter Principato's jacket, because he always wore this leather jacket, I'm like, what the fuck's this guy hanging around? Everybody's gonna make fun of Peter Principato's jacket

because he always wore this leather jacket. What the fuck, what's with the jacket? Not even- There's lightning. Well, not even knowing that they're making mental note. And then they become the most powerful people in show business and they're thinking like, how about this jacket?

Well, but it's great. Do they have it in my size? Peter, I'd love to wear one. I'll be in the sidecar. But I think like, it says a lot that you did that and it didn't matter. Maybe it did for a while, yeah. Oh no, my mouth has fucked me up plenty.

Oh yeah, yeah, I mean, oh my God. Yeah, I got banned. But now it's part of your charm. Well, you know, it worked out for me. It didn't have to. You probably could have gotten there faster. Maybe. I don't know, I was still like, you know, not really a sellable guy.

I was just this angry guy. Oh, man. Well, that was the thing always I loved about Dave Anthony when I met him, because I remember I gave him a ride home once. We'd done some gig at a hotel outside of San Francisco. And he just had this, as a standup, he had this rare thing that you can't manufacture,

which is a crank who's not putting people off, like a charming crank. Yeah, right. You know, like he had that thing, which is built in. Like I was just an angry fuck, right? But you know, he was disgruntled. Yeah, you know and it had a certain charm to it But I just don't think he you know, he didn't like the life. Yeah, I don't think he did I didn't see I didn't know him as the stand-up

Well was it I think really in looking back on it was a fairly brief time Yeah, you know and then he got into writing and other things and every so often he'd be like gonna do stand-up again He just had no chops for it anymore. And he'd be like, fuck it. Yeah, yeah. They're wrong. Yeah, yeah. That would be the name of his book.

Yeah. Yeah. They're wrong. Yeah, yeah. The story of how I'm right. Yeah. Dave Anthony. Dave Anthony, yeah. In almost every situation. Yeah, yeah. The story of how I'm right. Yeah, Dave Anthony. Dave Anthony, yeah. In almost every situation.

Yeah, yeah. But, so you're out here, you're going on auditions and failing? Yeah, failing and like, I mean I didn't know, the theater audition stuff didn't help me because it was like, you know, it wasn't, I didn't- Too broad? Well I just didn't know how to do it on camera. It took me five, 10 years before I was like,

oh, it's a little more like this, a little more. Oh yeah. You know, there's a whole element aside from- I couldn't act it. Yeah, it's terrible. I just didn't, like I wanted to do acting and I don't even know if I had an agent really. I think I had agents that did my manager favors

and then I'd go out on one thing and I'd never hear from them again. No, that was also, that was like, I really had a crazy expectation for, cause I like got a theater degree. I was like, man, I'm really good. I thought like, this is gonna take two to three years. Yeah.

And then it was like, and then I started doing like kids birthday parties, like dressing up like for kids birthday parties. Dressing up how? However I liked. Yeah. I wasn't supposed to be there. So it wasn't a clown thing?

No, no, no, God no, no. I can't do it legally anymore. No, like superheroes or whatever, you know? Like work at those birthday parties. And like, that was like so gutting, because I ended up, I was like, this will be quick. And then it was like year six. And I was like, all right, this is,

like I have repeat clients. I'm a birthday clown. Yeah, like I have repeat people now who are like, Gareth, next year we have, I'm like, no, we're not talking next year at this one. And then, yeah, and then I think I are like, Gareth, next year we have, I'm like, no, we're not talking next year at this one. Yeah. And then, yeah, and then I think I really like, then, you know, then my writing partner and I,

we would like do, we started like putting sketches online and shit, and that got us a deal at Comedy Central, and then that got me kind of writing on shows a little bit. What'd you write? Well, I wrote on like, I mean, the big shows I've written on is like, I wrote on Arrested Development, the big shows I've written on is like I wrote on Arrested Development, You're the Worst, a season of I'm Sorry. The reboot of Arrested Development?

I don't like to tell, yeah. Yeah? Yeah. Well, that was fun, right? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I'm working for like, Mitch Hurwitz was, I worked with him on a show called Flaked with Will Arnett. Yeah.

And then I met him through that, and then he hired us for Arrested. So you were going, so you had a writing package? No, it's really weird. called Flaked with Will Arnett. And then I met him through that. And then he hired us for Arrested. So you had a writing package? No, it's really weird. I started writing on a show called Idiot Sitter for Comedy Central. Through that I met John Levenstein,

who is an unbelievable writer. And then through that I met Mitch Hurwitz. And then that just kind of got me in the blood there. And then once you write on Arrested, it's like you get different meetings. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And so you did a lot of what other shows? So then I did after Arrested, I did,

after Flakes and Arrested, I did You're the Worst. I did I'm Sorry with Andrea Savage. Yeah. That season like never aired. That was COVID. And then that was, and then I've been writing on a show called Royal Crackers for Adult Swim. But it's kind of changed.

Like I don't really write like- Andrew Savage, was that the, I thought I saw her show. Is it, was that- Yeah, three seasons were out. Yeah. We wrote a fourth season, they were shooting it, and then COVID hit, and then they never- Went away.

Yeah, went away. Oh, I wonder how she's doing. I don't know. Hmm. But- So you're in the, you were in rotation. Was in rotation, but I also started I really missed performing Yeah, like it was so I was doing stand-up the whole time. Yeah

And then you were yeah, I was but I was like, you know, I'm seeing your feature When did you finally get the balls to do it again? Well, I did one set at the Comedy Store Like I'm potluck? Yeah. Yeah. And didn't enjoy that. When you got here. Yep. You were like, I'm gonna go do it.

Yep. Three minutes at the Potluck, you're standing in line with a guy in a chef's hat. Yep. Somebody wearing shorts. And then this is when Tommy was running in. Yeah. And Tommy was like, hey, yeah, come back. I was like, okay.

And then it would be like three in the morning. I'd be like, where's Tommy? And they'd be like, Tommy left like two hours ago. I'd be like, how does this work? Can I have a friend here? Does anyone like me? I was like, is it possible for anyone? Is there like a, do we have like a, is there a system?

Is there something? You just hang out, man. You just hang out. You're a packet? Yeah, no packet. You think I could read to try to? No, just gotta hang out. Everyone hates me, right?

This is the vibe, nobody likes me. That's the comedy story. And so I- They're the Tommy times. So I did that for a little while me. That's the comedy star. And so I... Through the Tommy times. So I did that for a little while. I just couldn't take it. And so I stopped. You were hanging out? I was hanging out. Mm.

Hanging out. Name was on lists. Yeah, nothing. Nothing. Every now and then, they'd be like two people and I'd be like, So my dad has a weird accent. Sir, are you alive? Oh my God. You just would wait all night?

I'd wait all night. And then I was also like writing, I was probably writing on shows at the time, so I'd be there until like 2.30. And then I'd go do a writing gig, and I'd be like, man, I can't fucking do this. But then, I'd met Steve Byrne on a thing years before, and he was like the dude who was like pressing,

he was like, you have to stick with it. And then he was like, if you get 10 minutes. So it goes in when he says it, right? Well, he was like serious. He was like you get 10 minutes, you can see for me. A very serious fella guy, he was a serious fella. He was not fucking around with me. And I got 10 minutes and then he let me MC.

For him? Yep. On the road. Yep, and then when I got 20 he let me feature, and then that really gave me like, then I could do it. Wow, so it was Steve. So he helped me cheat. Yeah.

Well, it's not really cheating. It just means less waiting. Yes, which to me was cheating. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But I have no LA presence because of this cheat. So like I never do shows in LA, but then I got, but then I felt good. Then I could go do shows and I was good,

but still couldn't headline. Nowhere would have me headline. That wasn't a good job. Even when you go out as a feature for these guys, you didn't make any friends? Every now and then. I was trying. Yeah.

I never understood how that worked. It didn't work. Yeah. Turns out. Yeah. Who else did you open for? Burt? Well Well years later? I don't know I'd go on the road with Sam Tripoli. Oh, that's I would

I I mean that Steve Byrne really was like I went on the road with him for a shitload of time So it was really Him and then there were there were a couple others, but Tripoli's fun. Tripoli's a wild man Yeah, totally, but he gave, but you know. Tripoli's fun. Tripoli's a wild man. Yeah, totally. But he gave, I met Dave because of Tripoli. Uh-huh. Because I was on Tripoli's podcast. Yeah.

And then I met Dave through that. Yeah. And then it was like two years later, Dave asked me to host Walk in the Room for an episode. In the closet? Well, is that, you knew what I was about to say? Wait, what are you asking? That's what everyone says. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, so yeah. No, was it, wait knew what I was about to say? Wait, what are you asking? That's what everyone says.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, so yeah. No, wait, was Walk in the Room, I can't remember which was the one he did with Greg Barrent. That's Walk in the Room. Well, I did that in a closet, in Greg Barrent's house. With Dave? Yeah, I believe so. I don't know, I did it in a garage, so they.

No, like it was at the beginning of podcasts, we were all doing each other's podcasts, and I really think it was at Greg's house in in probably was yeah, I didn't do it with Greg I just did it I guest hosted With Dave because I knew Dave and then I did that. Oh, okay, cuz Greg was off Greg was off I wonder how that guy's doing. I don't know That I don't know. All right. So, okay So you're you're you're got chops, you're featuring for these guys,

and podcasting is just starting to happen, really? Or everyone's just starting to do them? You were established, but you know what I mean? Well, we look like 2010 or 11. Yeah. Well, because we're about, actually no, 20, I mean, I was starting probably doing Tripoli's around then, and then Dave and I started the dollop,

we're at our 10 year anniversary., right Dave saw you with Tripoli. Yep was like, oh, yeah, let's try this out You know, I did fill in for Greg did two of those. Yeah, and then the third one He was like I've been trying to do this other podcast called the dollop which he did in a closet alone for a while Yeah, and he was like I need a. And so I was gonna be the first one. We did it. Oh, as a guest. As a guest. We did it, it kinda clicked.

And I think it helped him with booking, you know, to have one guy. And I was like, nobody, I mean, I had, you know, not to disparage a small, I had like a thousand followers on Twitter, and then it just immediately started to like hit. Really? Yeah. Yeah, cause I think I remember when he started it,

and that was when podcasting started, according to Dave. That was the historic podcast. We refer to it as AD. There were BC times, but this is after Dave. I was BC. You were, yes. BD, before Dave.

Yeah, BD, before Dave, and then there was after Dave. That's where everything really picked up after Dave. Well, that's when we started to irrigate, we started to Yeah, BD before Dave, and then there was after Dave. That's where everything really picked up. Well, that's when we started to irrigate, we started to learn processes, how to farm. So, when do you, when does it, like, what do you guys, what's your schedule? Now?

Every week? Oh, the dollop once a week. Yeah. Yeah, we do that, and then we have another show called The Past Times, so we do like a side, I don't wanna call it a side show. Is it a Patreon thing? No. So you do advertisers.

Yeah. Yeah. Yep, yep. But when the dollop started, was it the same format? Weirdo historical stories? Yeah. Always. Always. That was Dave's thing.

Well, we learned. That was his angle. We learned pretty quickly that when he has the strength for history, I knew nothing. Like literally on one of the episodes, I was like, well, when Benjamin Franklin was a president, he was like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, and I was like, what? I'm not saying he was our greatest, but we should acknowledge the man for his presidency. He's like, buddy, whoa, whoa, whoa. So then we kind of like-

Did he just keep doubling down? Yeah. I think you're wrong. As a matter of fact- Let's take a look at a book. Yeah, why would he be on the 100, I believe this bill proves you wrong. Let me walk you through a tornado, sir. I think you'll learn my expertise in many levels,

meteorological, historical. So we were like, oh yeah, I know nothing. He knows everything. So then it was like, okay, he'll always reveal it. That's like the perfect relationship for him. Yes. I fell right into it. I was like, okay, he'll always reveal it. That's like the perfect relationship for him. Yes. I fell right into it.

I was like, really? I was a hasty. The big city? I was chewing the cigarette. It feels good. But then, so then that was like the gamesmanship. Like every week he kind of prepped this crazy fuck. He wanted it to be more of like, like our first episode we're discussing a thing

that I knew about. And then after that it was kind of like, okay, he's gonna reveal it. And you're gonna react. And I'm gonna react. Yeah. So I have that job where I just show up. And now you're one of the great comedy teams.

Yes, yeah, actor and reactor. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Creator of podcasts and reactor. Yeah, yeah. He's the straight guy and you're the goof. Yep. Yeah. By the way, alt title for the show would be straight guy and the goof.

It would totally work still. But when did it start, like, when did you, when did it really start picking up? Well, that was pretty quick. Like, at least for me, cause I had nothing, all of a sudden, that first year at PodFest, it was the first time where I was like, oh, there's an acknowledgement of me in a way

that is different. Right, the podcast nerds. Yeah, but I was like, come here, gather around, I'm real. I remember I did a couple of PodFests. Yeah, you did. Yeah. It was here, right? Yeah, it was like-

At a hotel. Yeah, I can't remember what it was called. I think the Soffitel Hotel? Yeah, it was like... At a hotel. Yeah, I can't remember what it was called. I think the Soffitel Hotel. Yeah, maybe. Yeah, that's right. Yeah, yeah, and I did, that's when I did the live ones with several people. Yes. Right.

Yep. I remember. It was Whitney and some other people. You were the, I mean, you were the top dog. You were! I mean, I remember walking, I was like, holy shit. What the fuck? It's Mark Maron.

I really was! That's not like, I remember walking, I was like, holy shit. What the fuck? It's Mark Maron. I really was. That's not like, I'm not joking. Yeah, I'm glad that it never went to my head. Cause if anything goes to my head, I'm unbearable. Yeah. I'm just barely bearable. Yeah. Regularly.

Okay, then I didn't experience that. What? Yeah, I wasn't like, woo Mark. Yeah. I was like, oh, this guy. Yeah. The cat guy. Yeah.

Good. Yeah. That's what I deserve. Yeah, exactly. He didn't seem like a big deal. That feels right, right? Yeah, yeah. Okay. He didn't seem like a big deal to me. Well, I remember the first, you don't remember this,

but the first thing I ever said to you was, I was like, I was following you at a Podfest standup show. Oh. Or before you or whatever. Yeah. I can't remember, but I go, I go, hey, Mark, I'm Gareth, I do the podcast with Dave. You go, yeah, I know who you are.

And I was like, okay. But I was like, that's awesome. Did I upset him? Yeah, that's a common experience. Yes, the standard intro. I was like, okay. But so, we are able to now... So, it picked up then, and then that, my manager at the time introduced me to my booking agent.

Yeah. Who's that? T.J. Markwalter, who I love. Oh, good for you. I love him. Love him. I love him. And he was like, yeah, I'll book you. Yeah. And then so that... I had a different conversation with T.J. Mark Walker early on. What was that?

Cause I saw like who he was repping back in the day. Yeah. And I'm like, well, he's got Ken Warden. Or maybe it wasn't Ken. I can't remember, but there was a roster that I'm like, he's gotta be a- And I said, hey man, could you, you know, book me? He's like, nah, I can't.

That's the, yeah, I know who you are. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, and I can't help you. the, yeah, I know who you are. Yeah, exactly. You know, I can't help you. And I'll never forget it. Oh yeah. Cause I've seen him around forever. And I was like, he's like of my generation. Yeah.

But he's the guy that's like, nah. That's interesting. And then I'll see it. Yeah, what's even more interesting is he said he would meet. But it's years later. Yeah, but still. I mean, it's a different thing.

And now he's over at Gersh, right? Yeah. Yeah. But so, so then he started booking me like headlining and then, you know, and then it's years later. I mean, it's a different thing. And now he's over at Gersh, right? Yeah. Yeah. But so then he started booking me like headlining and then, you know, and then it's been both. Then I started doing, you know, I was doing the dollop headlining. I got a new podcast and you know, that's like- Does Dave know about it?

And I haven't told him yet. Hopefully he won't listen to that. Jesus Christ, yeah. What is that one? It's called, We're Here to Help. Oh, oh, now I know that one. I was gonna do it. Did I do it?

No, but I like that. Did you ask me to do it? I'm going to. Is that where you just, it's an advice show? It's not just any, yeah. Yeah, it's me and Jake Johnson, who's from New Girl, and he's been a good buddy of mine for 15 years. And yeah, it's a call and advice show.

So we go in cold. Yeah. The caller's live on air. We can ask them questions. Did you guys invent that structure? I legally yes. Yeah. Legally I have to say yes.

Yeah. And don't look anything up. We like to say it's America's number one podcast. Don't look it up. So don't look up at it. Yeah, yeah. But we invented that. How's that going?

Really good. Yeah? Yeah, it's great. I mean, it's like, we're still under a year in, but it's really fun. What was that conversation with Dave when you were gonna break off and? Not break off.

No, I mean, but do your own thing a little bit. Well, well, well, we've been- What do you call it? Don't flap wings. That's not what we're, no. Fly? No. You're gonna, you're gonna leave the nest. No, no. I? No. You were gonna leave the nest.

No, no. I mean, I was riding, I was doing standup. There were nests. I was in other nests already. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. There was a conversation, wasn't there? Well, what do you think, Mark? I mean, I really would have loved to have done

the version where there wasn't. Yeah, yeah. Now Dave's got two set of numbers to check. You're going to have to keep that one, you know, make sure you don't. I don't know if I know a different, very supportive immediately. I did say, you know, I was like, yeah, look, I mean, because I actually was going to try to do it. It's weird. It's kind of like the dollop. Like I was going to do it on my own for a minute. Yeah. Um, but then I started talking to Jake, I'd been talking

to him for a couple of years because I was like, he would be so good on a podcast. Right. And then, so I talked to him and then, yeah. And then, you know, I said to Dave, I'm like, well, David had another podcast since the dollop too that he had done. So I was like, you know, I'm like, it helps. Everything helps everyone. I think like that's one thing that I've learned after years of going through the business is like, you know, you can't look at the things that, not everything that feels like a threat is,

and these things can kind of help. Oh, that's interesting. And so I think when I posited it in that way, it was a very simple conversation and he was very supportive, and still is. Yeah, the funny thing is, it's rarely a threat, but eventually everything fades away. And you can't blame things, necessarily.

No, I think that's totally, I mean, that's one of the things that I've learned as well, of struggling for so long, is keep throwing new irons all the time. But once you build your audience and if you keep delivering at a level, my audience hasn't diminished, and that's why we still do it. But it's not massive global numbers,

but we have a good audience. And I do audio. We don't do, I mean, that's a whole different thing too. Like everybody's shifted to video at some point, and then everybody just listened and watched things on YouTube, but you know, we do an audio show. And I think the dollop is too still, right?

Pretty much, I mean, we do like a Patreon with video, but. Oh yeah. Yeah, yeah. I mean, if I had your arms, I would be doing video. Really? Yeah. You've got the body for a video podcast. Yeah, I just don't, like there's a lot of things that have to happen, you know, and we really are audio guys.

No, I think that is, look, I mean, as you know, it's like, I mean, you're lucky in the sense because you know, you don't need to like do the fucking little clipping thing and all. Like you said, you have your audience. When I saw you at Turner Hall in Milwaukee, there were many things. One was like, your fucking crowd adores you,

and they give you that ability to be you so authentically. It is like, amazing. It's the goal. Right, but there's still part of me that's sort of like, I'm a comic, I gotta be able to work for anybody. Probably good to have that though, right? That's why I'm at the store all the time. And half that room doesn't know who the fuck I am really.

That's crazy. Well, I mean, you think, but- I don't know. Maybe I'm making that up. I think you, I mean, I think, when I told my best friend in Milwaukee and his girlfriend that I was gonna go see you, they were like, holy shit, can we get to,

like, I think you really do, it's hard to know, your own fame is a very difficult thing to kind of quantify. I'm glad, like, my producers always like that, like, he says things like that, and I'm like, yeah, I know that, but what does that mean, really? In reality, nothing, I mean, you literally just took a shit on a hike. I did.

Yeah, so I mean, in reality, it's not really. That's what my crowd wants. I wouldn't push it to that stuff. All right, guys, you know me, I close on the camel pack. Watch me drink water while I do. Jesus, Mark. What happened to him? He's still good, but I mean, it's not great.

Weird closer. It's a weird close, but he has to close on it. He can't open without one. Now he's the camel pack shit guy. Hey Mark, we're gonna hold for 10 minutes. No, we can't. I know. I'm ready now.

I need to go. I might do the closer at 30. But I know, I think like, I certainly don't feel the like, I don't feel comfortable in the business yet where I'm like, you know, my work is done or whatever. I feel like what you have, when I was watching your show, I was like, man, this is a perfect zone. You've got that crowd that fucking loves it. I am very lucky. My fans from the dollop come out for my stand-up shows and bring me to help. They've got to be pretty nice people.

All of them are great people. Yeah, I mean, that's the benefit of never being appealing to monsters. Yes. And you know, because like so much of the big comedy is just sort of like this tribal fucking shit show. Yep. And there's still something to be said about cultivating an audience where, you know, there's that appreciates nuance, appreciates who you are.

Yep. And it's a great thing about the fragmentation of whatever the fucking media landscape was, is that you can kind of carve a place out for you. I do have these moments where I look at my audience and I'm like, they're all old. And then I'm like, dude, you're old. Bad news.

Mark, that's a shattered mirror out there. But I do, I mean, I have young people, but they're a certain type. There's just no yahoos really. But sometimes my audiences, one or two of them, could drink a couple of cocktails. And then you're sort of like, what's happening? Why are we having a conversation?

Ha ha! You all right? Yeah, yeah. I don't remember what happened in Milwaukee. Was there any crowd working that night? Oh man, I don't, there was one, well no, you had a couple great moments. There was one weird one.

It's the beginning of your show, and a woman gets up to go to the bathroom. And I just clock this knowing what it's like when you're trying to- Just starting, yeah. Just starting, and this woman gets up to go to the bathroom. You point out, I just started. Who's pissing in the first five minutes?

But then she's, her walk is labored. Yeah, I remember there was something, I didn't return to that. So this is what I, exactly. So I watched the labored walk and watched you do the math of, oh. She's got a problem. There's a problem.

And I got a laugh when everybody didn't know there was a problem. Yeah, but you saw me. And now we're all starting to dawn that there's a problem. And I watched you watch for a minute going like, is it fertile still? And no.

No. And then she got up again later in the show and it was another like, noop. Yeah. But I was like, I don't know how many of them were. But I was like, I said to my buddy, I'm like, he knows now. He's like, no, I can't know how many of them were, but I was like, I said to my buddy, I'm like, he knows now. He's just like, no, I can't.

It would work normally, but no, this is not the right person. Well, I had one the other night where a guy right up front, like, but a guy probably a little older than me gets up to go and his wife's there and I'm like, this is gonna happen all night, isn't it? And she went, yes. And then, but that was it. The next time he got up, I let him go. Well, because you kind of, like I've done that before, like where early in the show,

like if someone has a crazy laugh, and like you're 10 minutes in, and you're like, that laugh's weird. Well, what I always say is, that's the first time that guy's laughed, because I wouldn't notice. Well, that's why, like, if you do it early, the show, it's horrible.

Well, I did a show in fucking St. Louis, and in the back corner, there was a bridal, you know, bash or at party. And I saw the one who was running it, and she looks at me, and she's like, and I'm like, no, why, there's computers. Yeah. Did you go research me and say, this is gonna be good?

This is good. And I told them, I got up there, I said, look, I can't do the thing, because I have a lot of my fans here, so I can't do whatever you're expecting, but it's early in the evening, and you could go do something else. This is, see, but that is like the perfect, you response.

Right. That is the perfect crowd. And they laugh. Yes, that's fucking amazing. That is so fucking great to grant them permission. Like, it isn't for you. This is not dick whistle time. And you're good to get them out early on that. Well, they could have stayed, you know, and I can do that thing.

Oh, it was love. It's always too much. I always push too hard. I could imagine the divorce comes up. Their future divorce comes- Yeah, immediately. It's not gonna work great. Yeah, yeah.

52% end in divorce. I don't know if you heard me tell this story, but there was in Denver, I was at the Comedy Works, and there was a fucking huge bash for that party. And they were fucking with the feature a little bit. He was giving them attention. And I'm not really a diva, but I'm backstage

and I'm just sort of like, god damn it. I'm talking to the, I mean, keep an eye on them, man. I don't wanna fucking deal with this shit. I got a lot of fans here. But of course I go right out there and immediately just fucking level it. You know, for like 10 minutes. And I'm like, all right, good.

Can we move on? And then, and then it, and then at the end of- That's great for the staff too, to be like, what is our move? Mark was very clear. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Keep an eye on him. Yeah, well, and after I got off,

like, cause I didn't see or notice, you know, the security was like, you know, we had to throw somebody out. Oh, really? Yeah, and I'm like, all right, well, good, thanks, you know, cause I didn't want to deal with it. And then I go outside and, you know, a few of them out there and the bachelorette comes up to me.

She's like, hi, and I'm like, how's it going? And she says, they threw out my mom. And I'm like, well, that's a memorable night. Well. That's crazy. Yeah, yeah. That's a memorable night. Well. Well. Ha! That's crazy. Yeah, yeah. You're like, that's a tough one.

I didn't feel like she was mad. No, but it's also by the say, you're like, well, look, nobody's pleased with this news. I wasn't prepped for that. A lot of you should have gone, but she could have stayed. I just don't know why they keep coming. There's a story about Nick DePaulo literally making the Bachelorette cry.

Oh my God. Yeah. It's just one of these things, I don't know why they keep coming. There's a story about Nick DePaulo literally making the Bachelorette cry. Oh, my God. Yeah. It's just one of these things, I don't know who established the tradition. No, it's weird. Or why, you know, that's a thing. Well, it's weird, it's also weird to go, that you still run into that, where you're like, why are you here?

Like, what do you think this is? Well, I mean, but like, look, the thing I never understand is like, it's so easy. You know, you see the name of the comic, you guys feel like seeing comedy? Why don't we go look at some clips? You know what there should be? There should be a certification on the website of whether or not it's good for those things. Oh, yeah.

Whether it's like, RIDAL party accepted. Well, then it gets a little weird. Why? What's the matter? You know, then we're starting to hear it. Well, then, yeah, a little bit. You pay for that certify. I guess I can see the downside mark Well, I know but I mean like the thing is most of us. I mean I can certainly do crowd work

Yeah, and I don't mind it if it's organic. You know, usually I'm not you know, I you know, I don't like wooing So that causes some I'm not gonna seek it out Like but if I see it or I hear it, like the other night, like, oh my God. There's something about the nature of what you're talking about what I do, which is conversational, that some people, I don't know if it's parasocial or weird, but they think I'm talking to them,

if they're in the first few rows. And I'm about to do that, like, fairly touching Taylor Swift bit at the end. And, oh thanks, I don't know how I'm gonna get the fucking rights to that song, if I wanna do a thanks. I don't know how I'm gonna get the fucking rights to that song if I wanna do a special. I don't know how the fuck I'm gonna. That is tough.

That is an, okay. I gotta have a friend of a friend. Just show her the bit. I'll send you a video from my phone. Ah! It's a positive, it is positive. It's totally positive. Yes, totally.

But like I set it up, I'm like, you know, I do the thing like, you know, why is Taylor Swift so popular? And some woman upfront who's been interjecting a bit all night, but I know she's up front, no one can hear her. So I kind of shut her off. But I set up the table. She's like, my daughter's going to see her in Paris like this week. And I'm like, shut the fuck up.

I'm not having a conversation with you. And then I got to go like, that was the bad Mark. Let's go back to the thoughtful. Like that's what I was thinking. I'm not having a conversation with you. And then I gotta go like, that was the bad mark. Let's go back to the thoughtful. Like that's what I always say now. It's like, all right, you guys saw the monster. Are we gonna be? Can we all enjoy?

I'm also a little upset at what he did, but can we all come back? Come on, enjoy ourselves. I'm sorry, congratulations on the Paris trip. That's gonna be great for her. Yeah, I'm sorry. I don't know, some of the guys, sometimes that guy comes out. Look, and by the way, he was justified in what he said.

It's just how he came across. Yeah, yeah, we all have to forgive him, I'm trying to. Well, yeah, but I live with him. God's sake, it's a nightmare. Yeah. How can we keep him down so long? Well, I think that's pod, the podcast, our podcast does that too.

I, there are times where I'll be doing something and I'll be like, this is, we're not in your car. No, I know, it's wild. It's really great because you're like, oh man, you're so engaged. Great, I would not have you, I'm happy you're here. Yeah, exactly. You I need here needs to adjust to the environment.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, you can talk to me in the environment. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, you can talk to me in your car. Yeah, that's great. I love that. And I'm listening. Your daughter's going to Paris? For Taylor? What?

That's crazy. Kathy. This is awesome. Which daughter? Oh, please, send pics. You've got to. I'm dying. Yeah.

All right, well, we're doing all right. Yeah, we're doing. You're doing great. You're doing great. You're doing great. All right. Let's stop it. Okay.

There you go. That was fun, right? Fun guy. You can find all his podcast info and get his tour dates at garethrentals.com. Hang out for a minute, folks. Wendy's Small Frosty is the ultimate summer refreshment. And not because it's cool and creamy and made with fresh Canadian dairy. It's also refreshingly cheap.

Just 99 cents until July 14th. It's a treat for you and your wallet. From fleet management to flexible truck rentals to technology solutions at Enterprise Mobility we help businesses find the right mobility solutions so they can find new opportunities because if your business is on the road we want to make sure it's on the road to success. Enterprise Mobility, moving you moves the world. sure it's on the road to success. Enterprise mobility, moving you moves the world. Hey, listen, three years ago tomorrow, I had a great talk in the garage with Quentin Tarantino, which is episode 1239. And you can listen to it right now for free on all podcast platforms.

It's so weird that the balance of your fascination with that era of Hollywood, where you had all these studio players that were still around, some of them, isn't the guy in the bookstore one of the old timers? Oh yeah, yeah, Klugelliger. The subterranean story, the dark side of all this stuff is equally happening. And it's all part of it, the yin and yang of Hollywood, the illusion and what's behind the illusion, and the sort of terrible kind of tragic,

existential sad stories that happen. No, I mean, you've always had, in Hollywood, you've had great success standing right next to great failure constantly. And so you look at Aldo Rey, one of his big movies that's a classic, a film noir classic, it was the film Nightfall. And then, okay, so you look at him,

and in that movie, he's starring opposite Anne Bancroft. Okay, so now you look at Anne Bancroft's career in 1969, and you look at Aldo Rey's career in 1969. Then you look at Aldo Rey's career in 1977, when he's actually acting in a porn movie, and you look at Anne Bancroft's career in 1977, but there was a time that they sat on a bar stool together and they were leads. Yeah, crazy.

That's episode 1239 with Quentin Tarantino. And if you're a full Marin subscriber, Brendan and Chris have been rewatching all the Tarantino movies for the Friday show. To sign up for the full Marin so you can get bonus episodes twice a week, go to the link in the episode description or go to WTFPod.com and click on WTF plus.

And a reminder before we go, this podcast is hosted by Acast. Now let's spin the wheel and figure out which old riff we're gonna lay down for you now. I'm gonna play it. So So I'm gonna go. Boomer lives! And Monkey and La Fonda. Coming in for landing!