Speaker A

I forgot actually that you did sing because the last big show I saw you at was in by the Sea.

Speaker B

Oh, yeah, Queen Elizabeth.

Speaker A

He opened it with singing.

Speaker A

Yes, I remember correctly.

Speaker B

Funny, because a lot of people obviously just think I'm a comedian and Kenny, hold a note.

Speaker B

And he's always laughing at me because he's like, why don't they know you can sing?

Speaker B

You can't sing.

Speaker B

It's not like it's bad.

Speaker B

And you know, the real reason is I've always admired like Jamie Foxx who does it all.

Speaker B

He sings, he plays, and I think those are one of the greats.

Speaker B

And I think when you come out with a talent and then your audience sees another talent, they kind of go, whoa, when did he find time to do this?

Speaker B

So I do do that and put it as a part of my entertainment when I perform.

Speaker A

Would you.

Speaker A

Are you going to continue to do that forever singing a comedy?

Speaker B

I think it works.

Speaker B

And you know, I had aspirations of putting out like what they call a mixtape, you know what I mean?

Speaker B

Combinations with me and some artists that are singing that you would never think, you know what I mean?

Speaker B

I'd like to consider my.

Speaker B

A second tier singer, a first tier comedian.

Speaker B

And having that opportunity to do an album with people, add a little comedy in the snippets and do an album that has me singing songs with some of my favorite artists would be wicked.

Speaker B

Like even a Canadian version, I think would.

Speaker B

Because I know everybody in the industry, I think I could put together a nice album that would have everybody on it.

Speaker B

Maybe that's something I'll aspire to start working on.

Speaker A

I think you should.

Speaker A

I'd really like to hear that.

Speaker B

Yeah, it'd be cool.

Speaker C

Maybe have like Gilbert Godfrey doing backing vocals.

Speaker B

Yes.

Speaker A

Or other comedians sitting with you.

Speaker B

Yes, other comedians.

Speaker B

And there's so many, like especially.

Speaker B

And I'm going to switch gears a little bit.

Speaker B

But this pandemic has allowed us to have a lot of more closer relationships with our American counterparts as comedians.

Speaker B

I've got to meet a lot of them, talk to a lot of them.

Speaker B

It just made it a more level playing field.

Speaker A

Right.

Speaker B

Because everybody used to think, oh, I'm killing right now.

Speaker B

I'm going on tour and I'm shutting down all these clubs so I don't have any time to take a call from a Canadian.

Speaker A

Right, right, right.

Speaker B

And now it's like, hey, what's up, man?

Speaker B

I ain't doing nothing, man.

Speaker B

You want me do show?

Speaker A

Yeah, I'll do two shows back to back.

Speaker B

Do back to back.

Speaker B

Y' all want to do.

Speaker B

Yeah, man, I'll do that.

Speaker B

Dude, you do have time for that, because you are waiting on a $1,400 stimulus check.

Speaker B

You don't have a guy named Trudeau that's setting you 900 to $1,000 every two weeks.

Speaker B

Homies.

Speaker C

That's.

Speaker B

That's why you have time for me.

Speaker D

I love it, man.

Speaker A

Have you talked to a lot of other.

Speaker A

Because I know now other comedians in the US Are starting to go back and work.

Speaker A

Have you talked to any of them going back?

Speaker A

What is it like trying to go back in this environment?

Speaker A

I know it's not everywhere, but I know Texas.

Speaker B

No, there's a lot.

Speaker B

There's a lot of places that are opening back up in the United States to do comedy.

Speaker B

A lot of my friends, some of them are Canadian.

Speaker B

Like, tricks.

Speaker B

He lives in Vegas now.

Speaker B

My good friend Ron Jossel, he did a couple stints in Vegas, and he said, you know, the first three times, both of them have said it like they got on stage, it's working your rhythm back.

Speaker B

It's like going to that heavyweight fight and getting your face knocked in because you haven't been working out.

Speaker B

So it's been a change for them, and I think it'll be a change for us.

Speaker B

But I think the only difference is that they didn't do a lot of online comedy.

Speaker B

They were like, we're straight stage comedians.

Speaker C

And you do a lot of online.

Speaker B

Now I am living on online comedy.

Speaker B

It's come to a point now that I've adjusted.

Speaker B

I.

Speaker B

I'm really good at it now.

Speaker B

Of course, when it started, everyone hated it, but it was the new normal.

Speaker B

It was corporately paying our bills, so we had to find that time and effort to do it.

Speaker B

And I think now I've never mastered it, but I'm quite one of the masters.

Speaker C

Well, what I was curious about with that is one, I listen to a lot of standup comedians talk in podcasts because I just find the job of a standup comedian, in a way, to be just above what other people do, because you just stand, especially in a world where we have iPhones.

Speaker C

You just stand on the stage and you talk and you captivate for hours.

Speaker B

Right?

Speaker C

But I do remember having an issue when comedians.

Speaker C

Not an issue, but being like, when comedians would say, I played this theater, and I played that theater, and I was like, play.

Speaker C

You're not a musician.

Speaker C

But then I started to understand that we're the instrument.

Speaker C

They're playing people.

Speaker C

And a big part of that is timing, and you tell a joke and you quickly assess, like in a way that a regular person can't.

Speaker C

Who's laughing, who's not, which direction should I take it in?

Speaker C

And you make split second decisions on what to choose.

Speaker B

Yeah.

Speaker C

How does that work online when there's as much as a two second delay.

Speaker C

Right.

Speaker C

You're so used to telling the joke and then you know how long it takes before the joke lands or doesn't land.

Speaker B

Right.

Speaker C

What do you.

Speaker C

Because even when we sat down before we set up the mics, you're like, I think there's a delay and we had to bring it down.

Speaker C

Right.

Speaker C

And that's just with your own voice.

Speaker C

So how do you play people online differently?

Speaker B

Phenomenal questions.

Speaker B

Again, you took the punches in the face the first three times.

Speaker B

Because I know my jokes.

Speaker A

Yeah.

Speaker B

And I know the laugh line that it gives me.

Speaker B

I know when it's a tough crowd, it's going to be two seconds.

Speaker B

When it's a good crowd, it's going to be like 5, 6 seconds.

Speaker B

Which allows you a chance to get a drink and allows to do exactly what you said.

Speaker B

Every comedian's mind is like, it's like you're, you're, you're, you're watching an iPad or you're watching Netflix and you're flipping through what to watch.

Speaker B

That's what our brain is doing between jokes going, no, no, yes.

Speaker B

That's kind of good.

Speaker B

No filter transition, swing up.

Speaker B

And hey, you know what I like?

Speaker B

That's how it works for.

Speaker B

So when you say that rhythm and now you throw us on screen where there is no laughter or they got a zoom meeting that you're in and they've paused all the mics and you're waiting for those that are laughing.

Speaker B

Then you got those three faces that are just looking like, God said no one loves you anymore.

Speaker B

I want everyone to know that God doesn't love me anymore.

Speaker B

And you're looking at them going, that dude's not even gonna smile.

Speaker B

And it throws you off your timing.

Speaker B

So the first three shows were horrendous.

Speaker B

And then corporations didn't know what to do with their time.

Speaker B

They're like, okay, we have a day meeting and you have an hour and you're like, an hour.

Speaker B

An hour online is three hours in.

Speaker B

Real, like no if, ands or buts.

Speaker B

It's just like, what do I talk about?

Speaker B

And by the end of it, like, once I got the rhythm in, I knew what jokes were good.

Speaker B

I knew when I could take a commercial break, because I can add that in.

Speaker B

As a part of my comedy and just go, hey, you know what, guys?

Speaker B

We're gonna be right back after these messages.

Speaker B

And they're like, what messages?

Speaker B

And I play a track there that would have, like, a soundtrack of a commercial.

Speaker B

And I would do an infomercial commercial on high.

Speaker B

Are you suffering from sleepless nights?

Speaker B

Bloodshot eyes?

Speaker B

Instagram thunder keeps going and going.

Speaker B

Are you going through WhatsApp looking for two blue check marks?

Speaker B

So I memorized it all and they're all like, dude, he's going.

Speaker B

Like, he's going.

Speaker B

And I'd be like, well, you need to try.

Speaker B

You may be suffering from VF virtual feelings.

Speaker B

Virtual feelings affects every 1 in 10 people in this time of quarantine.

Speaker B

Like, I have it all memorized.

Speaker B

If you feel you're suffering from it, contact your doctor or physician immediately.

Speaker A

But that's brilliant.

Speaker B

Yeah, but it's the way I wrote it in to give myself a break.

Speaker A

Exactly.

Speaker B

Because technically speaking, it's a three minute bit.

Speaker B

But because I know it, like Bible verses.

Speaker B

I know it.

Speaker B

It was a break for me.

Speaker B

So I know that the audience is, like, going nuts because they're like, how did he pull this?

Speaker B

And we now return to your regular schedule program.

Speaker B

And I'm like, can I get a drink of water?

Speaker B

And that drink of water can be 20 seconds because they're still like, how did this guy do it?

Speaker B

So it took a while for me to work out the pain pictures and pieces, but you're so right.

Speaker B

You had to get your timing.

Speaker B

It switches.

Speaker B

So how do we switch back?

Speaker B

Is why everybody who went back to the stage is having a little bit of trouble.

Speaker C

Are there things you're going to keep from the zoom days on stage?

Speaker B

Most definitely.

Speaker B

Because they're wonderful callbacks and now they become a piece of your set.

Speaker B

That's.

Speaker B

Remember when we were growing up and we had those fun sticks and you'd, like, lick it and dip it in for powder.

Speaker B

That's going to be like.

Speaker B

Remember when we were in, like, Covid and we could do a show?

Speaker B

I had to do this bit.

Speaker B

Like, it's always gonna be in your repertoire.

Speaker B

And what's nice about that bit is it'll never end.

Speaker B

There will always be an infomercial with new drugs that make you have to go through all the side effects.

Speaker B

There will always be this.

Speaker B

This has been going on since we were kids.

Speaker B

So it is a bit that doesn't get stale.

Speaker A

Right?

Speaker C

Fun fact.

Speaker C

Then we move on.

Speaker C

Did you know that only two countries in the world allow for pharmaceutical commercials?

Speaker C

America and New Zealand.

Speaker B

Really?

Speaker C

Yep.

Speaker C

We don't have them anywhere else in the world.

Speaker C

American channels?

Speaker C

No.

Speaker C

Every other country's like, you can't advertise drugs.

Speaker C

Are you crazy?

Speaker A

It sounds crazy.

Speaker A

That's interesting.

Speaker B

Well, I'm.

Speaker B

Now that's a part of my set.

Speaker C

There you go.

Speaker B

I'm gonna take that information.

Speaker B

Please make sure you.

Speaker B

I'll be like, I am from Seden and we do drugs commerces all the time.

Speaker A

Like what?

Speaker C

I'm just gonna write that down and I'll fact check after this Better man.

Speaker B

Cuz I don't need somebody to come up on me.

Speaker B

And here's the commercials that I start in about 10 drugs.

Speaker A

It'll be one of those YouTube ones where you have it and then the person comes in and breaks it down while you're selling.

Speaker C

It was for sure true at some point.

Speaker C

I haven't checked in a while.

Speaker B

I hate this studio, man.

Speaker B

I would just go out the guy.

Speaker B

I would be like, well, look at you.

Speaker B

The only loser that walks around with your own commercial on in your phone.

Speaker C

I'll tell you guys what the listeners.

Speaker C

If the.

Speaker C

If that's not true, then I will pop in and say it wasn't true right now.

Speaker C

Yeah, but if it was true, then I won't say anything.

Speaker B

There you go.

Speaker B

So now you have to be at every show I do.

Speaker C

When I do that, put a marker down.

Speaker B

We're good.

Speaker B

There we go.

Speaker D

Replacing Betsy.

Speaker D

True or not true?

Speaker B

What's that?

Speaker A

It's true.

Speaker D

You think it's true?

Speaker B

Yeah.

Speaker A

What do you think?

Speaker D

Well, I thought it was true too.

Speaker A

But you're questioning everything now.

Speaker C

It was true when I learned it, but I don't double check.

Speaker D

Things change.

Speaker B

I'll say it anyway.

Speaker B

Everybody in the audience.

Speaker A

Won't be the first fact that I just made up.

Speaker B

Oh, I have a bag of those.

Speaker A

86 of all facts are wrong.

Speaker D

Convincing with his delivery though.

Speaker D

Yeah, this is.

Speaker D

This is interesting.

Speaker D

We got the comedy, we got the today's wizard.

Speaker C

I don't know what to call you.

Speaker B

He's got the kazoo thing.

Speaker B

I am kazoo or I am Oz Vap.

Speaker C

Oh yeah, here's another.

Speaker C

Just a kazoo that I pretend every time I inhale it goes.

Speaker C

You know, I'm going to fact check right now.

Speaker C

We're not.

Speaker C

You guys keep talking, I'll listen.

Speaker B

Yeah, give me what's up?

Speaker B

What's next?

Speaker C

Do you write sets?

Speaker D

Yeah, there you go.

Speaker B

Do I write sets?

Speaker A

Yeah, like.

Speaker A

Cause you're so naturally funny.

Speaker A

Is it.

Speaker A

Just give me a mic and let me Be funny or do you actually sit down and write?

Speaker A

Write bits.

Speaker B

All right, so we're gonna go back to the times when we were open.

Speaker B

Comedians have a lot of joke sets, like, I like to tend to be.

Speaker B

Not like Jerry Seinfeld, who officially writes an hour every day, regardless of whether he's performing or not, which is absolutely nuts.

Speaker B

And when he writes for an hour, it's not that he has an hour of material, but he writes for an.

Speaker B

Right.

Speaker B

The average comedian that's touring, I would say, has to have a new hour set every year.

Speaker A

Yeah, it seems to be the standard.

Speaker B

So you write a new set every year and you run from that set.

Speaker B

Some comedians, I'm not gonna say are whack, but they just don't get out enough and they write one set for five years.

Speaker B

I don't even understand how that can happen then.

Speaker B

You're hearing a whole set for so many years.

Speaker A

But that used to be the standard.

Speaker B

No, that was the standard.

Speaker B

And you know what's funny?

Speaker B

I'm going to tell you where I get critiqued like that.

Speaker B

My shelf life for a lot of my jokes wasn't long because I was performing them in front of larger audiences that were then bigger than the average comedy club with 100, 150 people.

Speaker B

Like, I never did a comedy club outside of Yuk Yuk's Nubian Night.

Speaker B

I've never done, like, open mics.

Speaker B

So all of my comedy was being seen by a church of 400 people.

Speaker B

Do you know what I mean?

Speaker B

So when you told a joke to 400 people and they told everybody at their church, he's coming to my church, you're going to get a lot of the same things.

Speaker B

And then, for example, material that you do at church is only material that you could do at church.

Speaker B

And that only goes so far.

Speaker B

So I'd get a lot of churches, be like, are you going to do the thing?

Speaker B

You're going to write something new?

Speaker B

And I'm like, dude, there's so many jokes I can write about.

Speaker B

King Nebuchadnezzar.

Speaker B

There's really one joke with that.

Speaker B

Shadrach, Me, Jack, and Abomigos.

Speaker B

So give me another Nebuchadnezzar, though.

Speaker B

How about Neil?

Speaker A

Neil.

Speaker B

So it was harder to write for churches because my church hour is just my church hour.

Speaker B

That one is going on forever.

Speaker C

Jerry's had the same hour for, like, 30 years.

Speaker B

Jerry Seinfeld, Yeah.

Speaker B

But he has so much material that he doesn't use.

Speaker C

So weird.

Speaker C

Like, he keeps talking about writing and writing and writing.

Speaker B

Right.

Speaker C

He has the same hour.

Speaker B

Well, a lot of people do that.

Speaker B

I find a lot of comedians, like, I'm not going to say their names to put them on pause, but I've been on tour with some of them, and they're like.

Speaker B

I'm like, come on, let's go get some food.

Speaker B

Nope, I'm writing.

Speaker B

I'm writing.

Speaker B

And then we go to the show together, and I'm like, this is the same set from, like, 10 years.

Speaker B

But you gotta remember, as comedians, it's the only thing that we wish we could do that musicians can do.

Speaker B

And I'm gonna tell you what it is.

Speaker B

The one thing that comedians wish they could do that musicians do is bang out their greatest hits.

Speaker C

This is going somewhere else.

Speaker B

Yeah, well, when I said banging, this guy's braided something else.

Speaker B

We need to have you psychiatrically assessed.

Speaker B

But, yeah, because you can't go and have the police on tour and not hear one of those.

Speaker B

Yeah.

Speaker B

And Roxanne, he can't.

Speaker B

No one wants to hear your new stuff, but comedy is the absolute opposite.

Speaker B

You know what I mean?

Speaker B

And we wish we could just, like, kill you with the greatest hits.

Speaker B

And it always bothered me when a lot of people are like, hey, you did that joke last time.

Speaker B

And I go, well, when you heard it the first time, how did that feel for you?

Speaker B

Right?

Speaker B

Because I'd like this next person to feel like how you felt.

Speaker B

You know what I mean?

Speaker B

And some writing is brilliant brilliance.

Speaker B

There's some jokes that I believe I have that are just brilliant, and because of the shelf life, I have to put them down.

Speaker B

You know what I mean?

Speaker B

So that aspect kind of hurts.

Speaker B

But, hey, it is what it is with writing.

Speaker B

But yes, as you said, I do write set lists for events.

Speaker B

I'll write, like, 10 bits that.

Speaker B

That I'll put in 10 bits from this chart of jokes that I have.

Speaker D

Okay?

Speaker B

And then I'll go on the show, and what I'll do after I perform is I'll come back and I'll be like, did I do 10 out of 10?

Speaker B

9 out of 10?

Speaker B

8 out of 10.

Speaker B

But even though it's there on paper, you.

Speaker B

Your brain sees it, but when you're in the flow, you just kind of grab what you grab.

Speaker B

And every favorite.

Speaker B

Every comedian or every person's favorite comedian draws from situations that are right off the bat.

Speaker B

Everyone wants to see a touch of freestyle.

Speaker A

Right?

Speaker C

Right.

Speaker B

So you gotta have room for that in your act to be like, what is that?

Speaker B

You know?

Speaker B

And every comedian, every audience, I find, likes to hear a comedian kind of, like, assess themselves.

Speaker B

Oh, my gosh.

Speaker B

I didn't see that happening.

Speaker B

When we do kind of fake it sometimes, right?

Speaker B

It isn't happening.

Speaker B

Like, I've done jokes where I'm like, I know my callback is going to be me faking.

Speaker B

Like, I never thought it was there.

Speaker B

It's the magic that happens.

Speaker B

And you kind of let everybody go, wow.

Speaker B

They're like, wow, how did he do that?

Speaker B

But it's kind of method.