What's goody Hot Breath averse.
Joel ByersWelcome back.
Joel ByersIt is Hot Breath Live, your weekly comedy tune up with comedians Joel Byers and Yoshi.
Joel ByersSo there's Yoshi and we're here together every Tuesday at 5pm Eastern Time.
Joel ByersWe live stream our YouTube channel to answer your comedy questions directly.
Joel ByersSo if you want to get involved, join our email list linked in the show notes so you can get updates on when we go live and a lot more other Hot Breath happenings.
YoshiBoom.
Joel ByersBut today we're getting into some good topics.
Joel ByersBut first things first as we love comics helping comics.
Joel ByersThe hot breath of earth.
Joel ByersWorking with the Hot breath of Earth.
Joel ByersYoshi worked with Hot Breath OG Adam Mueller this weekend.
Joel ByersYeah, Adam Mueller's been on the show a few times.
Joel ByersHe has been doing comedy like seven or eight years.
Joel ByersHe's already produced two self produced two comedy specials.
Joel ByersThis guy's a grinder and a hustler.
Joel ByersYou can hear he comes from a finance background and he has a very analytical approach to comedy.
Joel ByersSo if you have not heard our interview with him or our live Q&As with him, you learn a lot in all of those.
Joel ByersSo it was cool to see you out there on the RIS with an OG down at side splitters in Tampa.
Joel ByersSo tell us, tell us about it.
Joel ByersHow, how did this happen?
Joel ByersHow was it tell?
YoshiIt was a good show, man.
YoshiIt was good shows all around.
YoshiThursday shows were definitely like the highlight for sure.
YoshiI mean, I don't know why, but it, it just sometimes feel like your first show is like where you kind of blow your cherry.
YoshiYou're like, oh, that was felt so, so good right there.
YoshiAnd then the rest of the shows may not live up to par, but they were still good.
YoshiSo that was how, that's how the whole weekend went.
YoshiBut it was just fun to like watch his process day after day after day.
YoshiRight.
YoshiSo like what happens after the Thursday show?
YoshiIt was, you know, he brought his own camera.
YoshiLike it was like he was his own camera crew.
YoshiSo he had like camera, a mic setup and then when he synced the audio, he cleaned up the audio, cleaned up the videos.
YoshiAnd so daily he basically made clips pretty much right after the show.
YoshiSo he would send me my part of it, he recorded my version of it and did clips out the gate.
YoshiAnd what I liked about watching that is like he's figured it out in the sense of here's all the things that I'm looking for from a clippable perspective.
YoshiAnd he just goes, finds it and then just puts it up.
YoshiHe doesn't put a lot of like crazy thought into, you know, is this great?
YoshiIs this not good?
YoshiHe just thinks about it a couple minutes and then boom, just kind of like edits it.
YoshiAnd he's been doing the editing for some time now that he just does.
YoshiIt just happens much quicker and just gets it out like quickly.
YoshiSo if you see just from this weekend, I want to say there's probably a clip every single day, maybe two clips that he put out every single day.
YoshiAnd it's most.
YoshiA lot of it is to encourage people to come back out or encourage people to come to the show who are.
Joel ByersOh, that's smart.
YoshiWell, yeah, yeah.
Joel ByersPost a clip to say, I'm still.
YoshiHere, still here, come check out the show kind of thing.
YoshiAnd just like.
YoshiAnd also, I mean, I think we're both very much like comedy nerds.
YoshiSo we worked on, like talked a lot about some of the bits that he was working on.
YoshiHe's already working on a third album and he's already got like a lot of fun stuff, like lined up for the third album, which is always fun.
YoshiAnd I was telling him that I have stuff ready for my second album as well.
YoshiSo it's just, I mean, it's just good to watch.
YoshiI'm always like, you know, a geek about watching people's process and how they update things and how they like set things up.
YoshiBut he's, I mean, as you said, he's comes from a finance background.
YoshiHe's got things organized, stuff is in proper folders.
YoshiHe doesn't have a million tabs open like here.
YoshiYeah, but just like things are organized.
YoshiLike it was easy for him to find stuff.
YoshiHe's like, oh yeah, yeah, I recorded this, this is what I did.
YoshiHe just, it was just very much like it's.
YoshiI don't want to say, like everything that he is doing, he takes it very, very seriously.
YoshiAnd he doesn't like take days off.
YoshiIt's like everything is set for sending things out, reaching out to people, putting clips out.
YoshiThe marketing aspect of it, the follow up aspect of it, like it's just sort of, just kind of a constant kind of thing.
YoshiBut then he also just.
YoshiI think what I recognized about his process is there's time set for that.
YoshiAnd then he's not worried so much about the other time because he's doing the work of like working on the content and the jokes.
YoshiSo it's like, oh, if I'm not too worried about this other part, I can just do this thing.
YoshiAnd then I showed him some AI tools on, like, some stuff to help him with Eclipse.
YoshiHe just bought it, started using it, like, so, like, which I love because he's not spending time trying to decide either, which I appreciate because you're like, oh.
YoshiHe's like, oh, this is a good tool.
YoshiImma just use it.
YoshiAnd it just started using it.
YoshiSo it's like, I think taking away that time of like getting or like introducing yourself to some new thing, then just deciding.
YoshiAnd he just decided, said, oh, I'll just pay for it.
YoshiI'll just use it.
YoshiIt was like no thought process.
YoshiAnd now he gets to use it in his everyday kind of like, grind.
YoshiAnd he was going to try to see if it saves him kind of the time that he was using from before.
YoshiBut it was just a fun process to watch and he was just good.
YoshiThe shows were great.
YoshiIt was a three, I mean, three man show.
YoshiThere was an opener.
YoshiI forget her last name.
YoshiHis name's Natasha.
YoshiBut she's very funny.
YoshiShe was our opener for the show.
YoshiI did 20, 25 and then 25 each night.
YoshiAnd then.
YoshiBut yeah, and then I.
YoshiAt least for my process, I just tried to do different stuff where if you came to all three shows, you would hear different.
YoshiOr all four shows you would hear different jokes.
YoshiBut it wasn't like completely separate jokes.
YoshiI just had some stuff that was like the staple, but I was interjecting, like, different things.
YoshiIt's a.
YoshiSo none of my shows were the same.
YoshiAnd it's very similar to his show as well.
YoshiLike, he didn't have all the same jokes.
YoshiAnd then also one of my favorite things that he did, he spent a lot of time, like right at the beginning, just kind of getting to know the audience right up top and just like conversing with them, just kind of like bouncing stuff off of them.
YoshiI mean, it was all crowd work stuff, but that's where he got and used a lot of the clips as well, so.
Joel ByersRight.
YoshiYeah.
Joel ByersYeah.
YoshiSo I think just like being conscious of.
YoshiWell, if you do the same jokes every single show, you don't need to put a clip of every single joke in a different room that you do versus if you do clips of crowd work and all these other things, those are easy and they come naturally.
YoshiAnd so just getting good about being on your feet is also a fun little, like, exercise and you never know what comes up.
YoshiAnd some of the stuff that came up was freaking amazing stuff.
YoshiYeah.
YoshiAnd just.
YoshiJust showing those natural moments too, were awesome.
Joel ByersYeah.
Joel ByersI went and watched Jeffrey Atmos this weekend.
Joel ByersAtmos.
Joel ByersOh, wait, Atmos.
Joel ByersRight.
Joel ByersI'm butchering some names today.
Joel ByersBut I went and watched him this weekend and I mean, he had like a three camera setup.
YoshiYep.
Joel ByersAnd there were like two people walking around taking photos of him while on stage.
Joel ByersBut he kind of.
Joel ByersHe kind of opened up similarly with like a little crowd work at the beginning, calling out some people and kind of getting to know people.
Joel ByersAnd then he would call back to them throughout the night.
Joel ByersAnd he kind of played it in that direction as well.
Joel ByersSo you're saying, like, Adam kind of being his own production team and Singapore's own camera.
Joel ByersAnd Mike, he.
Joel ByersI don't know if this is someone that travels with him or not, but they had like the recorder hooked up to the board to get the sound.
Joel ByersLike, I mean, it literally looked like a comedy special shoot just as his Friday night show, so.
YoshiFor sure.
Joel ByersYeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
YoshiI mean, and Adam has.
YoshiI mean, Adam just uses one camera, but he's got a, like a Lavelle mic and he's using like two and he's got like a recorder.
Joel ByersThat's hilarious.
Joel ByersLavelle or Lavelle Crawford?
YoshiOh, I think I.
YoshiLavalier.
YoshiYeah, yeah.
YoshiOkay.
YoshiYeah, he's got lav.
Joel ByersIf you're in the industry, we're both just butchering stuff today.
Joel ByersWe don't even know what we're talking about.
YoshiWe're just.
Joel ByersWe're making up these words as we go along.
YoshiWe got to do bell mic.
Joel ByersHe's got.
YoshiThat's that uppity microphone.
Joel ByersHilarious.
YoshiYeah, yeah, but he's.
YoshiI mean, but he's got microphones and, like, it was just fun just to watch him do the process.
YoshiBut, like, you could just tell he's done it so often that when he.
YoshiWhen we got back to the condo, there was in essence, sort of a process of dumping that stuff and then just getting rid of it and then just like shooting it all and then editing.
YoshiBut it would just like happen like, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.
YoshiEdit is done.
YoshiYou're no longer thinking about it.
YoshiAnd I think that was my favorite part of not overthinking all the stuff that you have to do after a show.
YoshiSo for, you know, not everyone gets, you know, a three, four day weekend of a show to do the same show, to do shows at the same venue.
YoshiBut it's like, oh, I can just get a lot done out of that.
YoshiRight.
YoshiAnd you know, he's a.
YoshiHe's a regular at the Comedy Store, so he actually had a show at the Comedy Store the night of seller.
YoshiSunday night at the Cellar.
YoshiSorry, at the Cellar in New York.
YoshiI'm just butchering everything I rubbed off on you.
YoshiYeah, yeah, yeah.
YoshiHe's a regular at the Mothership, guys.
Joel ByersBut he lives in New York.
YoshiYeah.
Joel ByersYeah, yeah.
Joel ByersHe is a lot.
Joel ByersComedy seller.
YoshiHe is a paid regular at the Comedy Seller.
YoshiI think this was a recent thing.
YoshiI think this just happened in 2024.
YoshiVery cool.
YoshiAnd so he's got, you know, he does gets to do the rotation with some of the heavy hitters in town in New York.
YoshiPeople come in town and so, you know, I, I think, you know, one thing that he mentioned is you never know who's going to show up.
YoshiSo you just got to bring it all, especially at the Cellar.
Joel ByersAnd so iron sharpens iron.
YoshiIron sharpens iron.
YoshiAnd yeah, he's just, you know, and then like, it's just fun just to watch, like, his joke writing process as well.
YoshiAnd I, you know, he gave me some tags.
YoshiI gave him some tags.
YoshiAnd I think he just appreciated sort of an outside perspective on some of this stuff because I was watching and I was like, oh, just.
YoshiIt's just fun to watch someone who you've also seen put in work for so many years, right?
YoshiLike, we, you know, when in 04, I mean, during the pandemic, right.
YoshiLike, we just saw how he was working at the craft.
YoshiAnd so I think it's just fun to watch, like, how work gets to someone who's really good at this and then you just see their process and you're like, okay, I see why you're successful because you've put in work.
YoshiSo that's always fun.
Joel ByersWait, all right, there he is.
Joel ByersHe has his own sound effect.
Joel ByersHe won.
Joel ByersHe won the hundred dollar joke contest so many times that he ended up getting his own sound effect.
Joel ByersAll right, so that just shows you how much this guy is putting in work.
Joel ByersYeah, it is really cool to see and very inspiring just to see a comic just out there creating their own success, which is what we're all about.
Joel ByersAnd it was really interesting us starting to talk in this direction because I got a DM from a younger comic this weekend and her name is Maddie B.
Joel ByersAnd she was actually asking, and this is on the topic of, like, clips and all this.
Joel ByersAnd just real quick, which AI tool did you tell him about?
Joel ByersWas it Opus?
YoshiYeah, I told him about Opus Clips.
Joel ByersOkay.
Joel ByersI know someone heard you say AI Tool.
Joel ByersAnd then this whole time they're like, they're not going to say what the tool was Opus clips.
Joel ByersYes.
YoshiFor those of you, and there's many others, but that one is just the one that I use.
YoshiI've also used one called Minvo as well, but I'd say Opus has probably the.
YoshiBeen the most consistent for me.
Joel ByersYeah.
Joel ByersSo you're welcome.
Joel ByersFor those of you that had that seed planted.
Joel ByersI got you.
Joel ByersI know.
Joel ByersI know you.
Joel ByersI know who you are.
YoshiYeah.
Joel ByersSo her question was really.
Joel ByersI mean, she's super duper new to comedy, and her question is basically.
Joel ByersI mean, it's a whole paragraph, but it was essentially like, how do you.
Joel ByersHow does she know what to post versus not what to post?
Joel ByersBecause she's been doing comedy.
Joel ByersLet me even see if she says it's very.
Joel ByersI mean, very, very new.
Joel ByersMaybe done like within a.
Joel ByersIt seems like less than a year is what is.
Joel ByersI think, is what I'm picking up on.
Joel ByersBut she also thanked us for all the amazing resources within HOT Spread as well.
YoshiI mean, I think.
YoshiI think.
YoshiWell, I don't know.
YoshiI.
YoshiI know I'm gonna come off like someone who sounds like an old timer.
YoshiI don't think you should post clips unless you are on showcases.
YoshiYou shouldn't post of your open mic stuff.
YoshiOpen mic, like, clips and open mic laughs are not the kind of bar that you, I would say that you want to set because you're still working on your joke.
YoshiSo if you are on a showcase or you're on a show that's like, got a killer lineup or a lot of comics, and you're expected to do the, like, your best version of your five minutes, 10, whatever time you have, that's when I think you should post clips of, like, your material.
YoshiAnyone who's like a working comedian who's like, doing this regularly and, you know, getting paid and doing weekends and traveling, I mean, the formula has kind of been out there for some time now, but you post clips of your crowd work to get people to come to your shows, and then at your shows, you do your material.
YoshiYou're not always posting clips of all of your material because you don't want to necessarily.
YoshiNot that you want to burn them, but when people are coming to your shows, you don't want them to have seen everything that you've already gotten already.
YoshiSo which is the reason that's the Matt Rife formula, right?
YoshiEveryone was just posting clips from.
YoshiHe was just posting clips from all his crowd work stuff just out of the gate.
YoshiAnd the crowd work is what got people to want to come to his shows.
YoshiSo his shows became like 15, 20 minutes of crowd work and then the rest straight material.
YoshiRight.
YoshiBut you got to see a real comedian doing actual written material, but he does the crowd work stuff for like the people, you know, I'm saying the clips and stuff.
YoshiYeah.
YoshiLike it's for you.
YoshiLike I'm doing the clips for you guys so you can share it.
YoshiSo then people can come to my show and watch me do the work that I've put.
YoshiPut in.
Joel ByersYeah.
Joel ByersIt looks like she's based in New Jersey just for anyone in that area or whatnot doing comedy shows.
Joel ByersBut she's posted a handful.
Joel ByersMaybe like 9 or 10 so far as I was just checking out her account.
Joel ByersBut I think my advice to her was, I mean, I can't remember who we.
Joel ByersI feel like we just had someone on who was like, I would wait five years to start posting clips.
Joel ByersI don't remember who said that.
YoshiYeah.
Joel ByersBut I mean, the thing that.
Joel ByersI mean, the thing I told her was basically like, if whatever you post, just make sure you don't mind living on forever.
YoshiYeah.
YoshiLike it's a representation.
YoshiYeah, It's a representation of who you are.
YoshiAnd I'm, you know, I'm of the conscious state to know that not everything that I'm posting is like in a perfect state.
YoshiBut I'm also not posting things that I'm working on.
YoshiI want to post things that I feel like are at least in like a.
YoshiI don't know, be grade or an A grade.
YoshiThat's what I mean.
Joel ByersYou're also at a different stage.
Joel ByersI'm talking like she's super duper new.
YoshiYeah.
Joel ByersMaybe doing it less than a year.
Joel ByersYou know, I mean, I don't.
Joel ByersI mean, if I'm so glad my comedy a year in is not anywhere accessible to anyone.
Joel ByersYou know, you change and evolve so much as a comedian, you get better exponentially.
YoshiHere's what I'll also say is that if you are comfortable with the kind of reaction that you are getting on stage.
YoshiSo, like, I guess I'm also making a very bad assumption, and this is on me, that when you go to an open mic, you're not getting consistent laughs.
YoshiRight.
YoshiMaybe you're getting laughs on some stuff and not getting laugh on other things.
YoshiIf you are comfortable with the types of laughs that you are getting at a open mic, post it.
YoshiI think what's hard, and what I'll say is it's really hard for people to absorb comedy, that you're saying a joke and no one is laughing and there's silence afterwards.
YoshiThat's what I mean.
YoshiLike, and I think if you, if, if that's what's important to you, unless laughter isn't important to you, you're like, oh, I just want people to hear what I'm saying, then by all means put it out there.
YoshiThere's no rules to this game.
YoshiThere's no rules as to what is going to hit versus what's not going to.
YoshiLike, people have done stuff.
YoshiPeople have audio clipped in laughter and made it big.
Joel ByersPeople, people have literally performed in their room and added laughter and are selling tickets.
Joel ByersLike there's several comedians who post them doing stand up like in their room and just add laughter and they make it look like it's at a show and they're like, have big followings and they're moving tickets and stuff.
Joel ByersSo yeah, it, it's so hard for me to be in their shoes as like a super young comic and seeing, oh, this is what you do as a comedian, you perform and you record and you post clips.
Joel ByersBut I mean, in hindsight I would not want my early stuff out there because you will look back on what you, I mean we, even today, you know, at every level, we all look back on who we were a year, two years ago and what we're talking about and are like, oh, that's not even me anymore.
Joel ByersLike, I would never want that to be a representation of who I am as a comedian.
Joel ByersSo just keep that in mind when you post stuff.
Joel ByersWould you be okay, yeah.
Joel ByersWith being known for this forever, basically, because the Internet is pretty much forever.
Joel ByersYou may be able to take it down, but if it blows up and gets reshared, it's, it's, it's a wildfire out there.
Joel ByersSo that was basically my advice to her was for sure.
Joel ByersYeah.
Joel ByersJust whatever you post, make sure it's something you're proud of and you don't mind living on in eternity for sure.
Joel ByersBut I don't want to stifle anyone's creativity or anyone's hustle.
Joel ByersSo yeah, it's like you said, there's, there's no rules to this game.
Joel ByersWe're all out here trying to find a way.
Joel ByersThere's no right way.
Joel ByersThere's your way.
YoshiBoom.
Joel ByersSo that would be a fun poll to post though, of just when I bet that would get some discussion going of like, when is it too early for comics to start posting or how could we word it to where it's implying Should a comic six months in be posting or should they wait a couple years?
Joel ByersI guess when is it Too early for comics start posting clips is that track.
YoshiI mean it feels a little leading.
YoshiBut I would just ask the question, just straight out, when should comedians start posting clips and then just put timelines on it like zero to six months, six months to two years, two years to five years.
YoshiFive years plus.
YoshiRight.
Joel ByersAt what experience level or.
Joel ByersYep, there we go.
Joel ByersCool.
Joel ByersWe should have just chat TBT it.
YoshiSure.
Joel ByersBut because that, I mean that's the thing like with Adam is he's released two full length specials in like seven or eight years of doing comedy which just a few years ago it's unheard of.
YoshiYeah.
Joel ByersYou wait 10 years, you put out a special and then you do.
Joel ByersYou do it that way.
Joel ByersYou know it.
Joel ByersSo it's a completely different game now.
YoshiGame changer.
Joel ByersBut yeah.
Joel ByersSo you do you.
Joel ByersAnyone out there, you boo.
Joel ByersLet's be sure it's something you're proud of.
YoshiYeah.
Joel ByersAnd Alvaro says in the comments there's.
Joel ByersIt's good to film yourself even if you don't post everything.
Joel ByersYeah.
Joel ByersIt's still good to record and like.
YoshiReview your sets and stuff to get into as well.
YoshiIt's just get in the habit of recording yourself and also like don't be afraid to watch yourself afterwards.
YoshiI know it's.
YoshiNo one likes it.
YoshiI hate it.
YoshiI still do not enjoy it.
YoshiBut it's a good exercise just to get through, just to watch your mannerisms, to watch your set.
YoshiIt's a good edit editing tool for you to know how the audience received your material as well.
Joel ByersVery, very valuable.
Joel ByersBut that's it.
Joel ByersYeah, that's a great.
Joel ByersOoh, that's a great topic there.
Joel ByersThat's a hot topic right there.
YoshiBars.
Joel ByersSo the question we're getting here in the live chat and we got comic.
Joel ByersWe got comics from El Salvador and South Africa.
Joel ByersYeah, we all over in here.
Joel ByersThis is a question that came up in the pre show before you got here but I think would be helpful is Drew Beechler had asked about how do you organize your jokes.
Joel ByersHe's tried Notion, then Evernote and apple notes and 100 others.
Joel ByersHe's just open to ideas which I'm.
Joel ByersI'm currently working on like a notion template to hopefully help comics.
Joel ByersI'm giving it a test run in this four week cohort I'm doing.
Joel ByersBut I'm trying.
Joel ByersThis is something we all kind of struggle with and I'm trying to help fix this.
Joel ByersBut Notion has been the best way I've been able to organize stuff.
Joel ByersSo I'm trying to create a template to kind of help keep track of shows and jokes and how they're graded and stuff.
Joel ByersSo I'll keep you posted on that.
Joel ByersBut I don't know if you have anything specific that's worked for you.
YoshiI would say the way that I have to get my first five minutes, I did an honest assessment of how many laughs per minute I got on a joke and what I rated that joke.
YoshiBasically kind of like I think, was it, Was it Steve Harvey?
Joel ByersWas it Earthquake Was talking about it.
YoshiEarthquake, yeah.
YoshiWho got it from Cedric?
Joel ByersI think he got it from Steve.
Joel ByersSteve taught him how to like great jokes.
YoshiYeah, yeah, yeah.
YoshiSo that's kind of what I do.
YoshiI just grade my jokes and for my first five minute set, I just picked the five, I think five or six best jokes.
YoshiI think they were about a minute long, five or six best jokes.
YoshiAnd then I ordered it literally number two, the second best joke, the third best joke, the fourth best joke, the fifth best joke, and then the first best joke.
YoshiThat's how I graded it and that's how I ordered it.
YoshiThat's typically how I order my sets in terms of how I do it.
YoshiNow if I'm doing like a super tight five or like a super tight set, like an eight minute set or even like a ten minute set, but for like longer sets, I organize my stuff based on themes.
YoshiI like to sort of tell a story from beginning to end.
YoshiIt's very similar to the way that my specialist shot is that I start sort of of my background.
YoshiHere's where I started and then here's where I moved to and here's what I'm dealing with now and sort of here's my future kind of thing.
YoshiSo it's like the immigrant experience, my family and then marriage and then kids.
YoshiThat's kind of how I order a lot of my sets today.
YoshiVery rarely will I talk about my kids before I talk about marriage.
YoshiSo for me it's also sort of like I'm also storytelling, but that's kind of the comedian that I am.
YoshiI'm a storytelling.
YoshiI would consider myself a storytelling comedian.
YoshiI have more stories than I have just straight one liner jokes or sort of quick hits.
YoshiA lot of my stuff is themed around big topics.
YoshiFamily, kids, marriage, hoa, suburban life.
Joel ByersWhere do you keep them organized?
Joel ByersLike, do you keep them in a Google Doc?
YoshiYeah, I use that up note.
YoshiEverything is an up note.
Joel ByersYeah.
Joel ByersAnd we talked about this maybe last week.
YoshiYeah, yeah, everything.
YoshiAll my notes are an up note and I just took them from Evernote which is what I used to use before, but they got stingy and wanted to charge away too much money.
YoshiSo I got up note and just moved everything in there.
YoshiAnd then I just organized everything in upnote.
YoshiI've been using Notion to organize like my long sets.
YoshiLike if I have like a 30 minute or 45 minute or I'm doing a weekend headlining gig, I will organize that inside of Notion.
Joel ByersNice.
YoshiAnd it's still themed.
YoshiAnd I think with my material, I always like, I have a separate place for my premise.
YoshiI have a separate place for my punchline.
YoshiAnd then I have a separate place for any kind of tags.
YoshiAnd then I.
YoshiWithin the tags.
YoshiI don't use all of them, but I have them just in case I need it.
Joel ByersVery nice.
YoshiYeah.
Joel ByersHopefully that helps you there, Drew.
Joel ByersWe have minor.
Joel ByersI hope I'm saying this right.
YoshiProbably not.
Joel ByersBut he's from.
Joel ByersThis is the gentleman from El Salvador.
YoshiLet's go.
Joel ByersHe calls it the great kingdom of El Salvador.
YoshiHe said.
Joel ByersBut his question is, I started about a year ago and performed a few times as an opener.
Joel ByersMy question is, should I join a group?
Joel ByersI'm realizing the scene is kind of cultish, if that makes sense.
Joel ByersHe says join a group.
Joel ByersWell, you're in hot breath.
Joel ByersSo.
YoshiYeah, I think it depends on.
YoshiI think the key to joining a group is basically making sure that you are getting something out of the group and the group is getting something out of you.
YoshiMake sure that this is a mutual relationship, that you're providing something to them and they're providing something to you as well.
YoshiLike, don't make it a one sided relationship when you join the group.
YoshiLike if you're joining the group and you're just joining them just so you can perform everywhere that they are, they may not keep you there because what kind of value are you then adding.
YoshiBut if you're adding value to the group and they're getting something from you, and I think that's.
YoshiThat makes it a bit more healthier in terms of.
YoshiOh, there's value both ways here.
Joel ByersYeah.
Joel ByersAnd even in our Facebook group, I've seen people posting about writing together or doing like a comedy book club together.
YoshiYeah.
Joel ByersSo I know there's people doing some meetups and stuff even within our Facebook group as well.
YoshiYeah.
YoshiAnd that's always good because.
YoshiWhich really what you're doing is just, you know, providing value to somebody else.
YoshiYeah.
Joel ByersAnd accountability.
YoshiAccountability.
YoshiWhich is super important.
Joel ByersYeah.
Joel ByersSo there's a few options for you there.
Joel ByersAnd he said.
Joel ByersI did pronounce it right.
Joel ByersI did pronounce it right, and he said, pedophiles get upset.
YoshiThat's really funny because his name is minor.
Joel ByersSo there we go.
Joel ByersYeah.
Joel ByersClean comedy.
YoshiClean comedy.
Joel ByersComedy.
Joel ByersNext we have a.
Joel ByersOh, this is a good one.
Joel ByersSpeaking of clean comedy.
Joel ByersTes McGee.
YoshiTes McGee.
Joel ByersTes McGee.
YoshiOh, my God.
YoshiReminds me of buttered ass.
Joel ByersI remember.
Joel ByersI remember that.
Joel ByersThat was very funny.
Joel ByersThat's a callback for all the hot breath regulars.
YoshiOh, my God.
YoshiYes.
Joel ByersTes McGee asks, Do you write punchlines first or.
Joel ByersThe setup.
YoshiTypically set up for me, but I've.
YoshiI have, like, done exercises while I write a punchline and then do a setup, because I enjoy the punchline as well, but probably, like, 80% for me is set up first, punchline later.
YoshiHow about you?
Joel ByersYeah, and it's.
Joel ByersYeah, it's kind of personal preference for some people.
Joel ByersStart with a punchline and then work backwards and vice versa.
Joel ByersI'm.
Joel ByersI'm not married to.
Joel ByersEither way.
Joel ByersIt's kind of how it organically comes out.
Joel ByersI'm like, I literally just had the thought yesterday there was a big recall on carrots giving you E.
Joel ByersColi.
YoshiYeah.
Joel ByersSo it's a recall on carrots.
Joel ByersSo now I'm thinking of, like, the.
Joel ByersThe joke or like, the punchline is basically how I have all these jokes about cereal.
Joel ByersSo now I'm thinking about the healthy food is actually the processed food, and the vegetables are the ones that's poison.
Joel ByersSo now I'm trying to figure out how to work backwards to get to that, but I think there's something there.
YoshiThere is, yeah.
Joel ByersOf, like, the truth is the act.
Joel ByersThe vegetables are actually the food that's killing us with all these recalls.
YoshiYeah.
YoshiThat's funny.
YoshiLike, my.
YoshiMy initial thought was, carrot cannot.
YoshiCan't do it.
Joel ByersCarrot cannot.
Joel ByersOh, my gosh.
Joel ByersThat's so silly.
Joel ByersThat's so silly.
YoshiYeah, because there's other things that have been recalled.
YoshiAnd so I think even if you did, like, just wordplay stuff on all the things that have been recalled, because it has happened, like, a lot, I think.
YoshiWhat was it?
YoshiMcDonald's.
YoshiIt was onions.
Joel ByersOnions.
YoshiOnions at the McDonald's?
YoshiYeah.
YoshiOnions make you want to cry.
YoshiOnions make me want to, you know, just something.
YoshiYeah, onions make me want to cry.
YoshiBack to, you know, make me want to cry about not eating at McDonald's or something of that nature.
YoshiLike, just.
YoshiThere's just something there, to your point about, like, each of the food that you have.
YoshiBut I like that premise, though.
YoshiI like the premise that the processed.
Joel ByersFood is the, the healthier option.
Joel ByersYeah, yeah.
Joel ByersIs like Tony the Tiger never got E.
Joel ByersColi.
YoshiYeah, yeah.
YoshiThat.
YoshiIt's so bad now that it's like, that's the option.
Joel ByersThe safe.
Joel ByersAnd dog food's healthier than all of it.
Joel ByersThat's the thing.
YoshiEven better.
Joel ByersThat's where it all ties in.
YoshiYeah.
YoshiYeah.
YoshiWhich is why RFK is going to lead that effort, because he does sound like a dog.
Joel ByersOh, I'm keeping that one.
Joel ByersOh, that's hilarious.
YoshiYeah, that's.
Joel ByersYou gotta eat.
Joel ByersEat your veggies, kids.
YoshiOr make sure there's no fluoride in your toothpaste, kids.
Joel ByersThere's no dyes in your doggy treats.
Joel ByersNo high fructose corn syrup syrup for your doggy treats.
YoshiYes.
Joel ByersOh, there's something there.
Joel ByersThere's something.
Joel ByersHe sounds like a dog.
Joel ByersThat's hilarious.
YoshiRFK sounds like the white dmx.
Joel ByersHe does.
Joel ByersThat's great.
Joel ByersI, I, I did.
Joel ByersI had a joke at one time that I think maybe past due now, but it was about, like, how dog food is healthier than people food.
Joel ByersAnd I was.
Joel ByersAnd then I said, like, that's why migrants are eating the dogs.
Joel ByersIt's the only healthy food we have.
YoshiThat's funny.
Joel ByersNo GMOs.
YoshiYeah.
YoshiI did a migrant bit, I think I might have told you about it, of just like.
YoshiAnd I started combining dogs versus like.
YoshiSo I had like, chimichanga Chihuahua.
Joel ByersOh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
YoshiAnd like.
YoshiOh, yeah, yeah.
YoshiThere was the one on Go.
YoshiGolden Doodle Noodle, I think.
YoshiOh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
YoshiThe chimichanga Chihuahua hit.
YoshiI actually did that this weekend.
YoshiYeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
YoshiThat's funny.
YoshiI think I can only do one once.
YoshiI did two, they were like, okay, that's enough.
Joel ByersRight?
Joel ByersAll right, move on.
Joel ByersOh, this is great.
Joel ByersMike Betancourt said they loved your special reparations on Ice Killed me.
Joel ByersYeah.
Joel ByersYoshi special is available now on the Hop Breath YouTube channel.
Joel ByersGo watch it.
Joel ByersGive it a view.
YoshiYeah, man.
Joel ByersLet's get it in the algorithm.
YoshiAbsolutely.
YoshiWe're working on it, baby.
Joel ByersNext joke.
Joel ByersNot next joke.
Joel ByersNext question from Alvaro.
Joel ByersWho?
Joel ByersAlvaro also said they've booked corporate gigs from their reels, which is interesting.
Joel ByersAnd Kim said she booked some local work from her reels.
Joel ByersKim Cattrall said that?
Joel ByersSo, I mean, yeah, there's value to it for sure, but Alvaro's question was, does writing jokes ever get easier?
YoshiI think so.
YoshiI think it definitely gets easier from the standpoint of it's easier to.
YoshiFor me at least, it's easier for me to come up with premise punchline, kind of like that setup.
YoshiWhat I would say gets harder for me is when I want to have like longer bits.
YoshiLike quick jokes and like small tags are easier for me now versus longer bits or things that I'm like, oh, this, I want to let this cook or has like a lot of legs to it.
YoshiThose take me much, much longer and harder to come up with.
YoshiBut I'll say when I get in the mode of just writing regularly, it becomes so much easier.
YoshiI think that's always works for me is if I'm having a hard time writing, I get back in a regular writing routine and it becomes so much easier to just spit the stuff out.
Joel ByersYeah, I think you get a better feel for how to write jokes and what to do with an idea and where you can maybe take it.
Joel ByersBut the actual work of writing and developing jokes is just tedious and incremental and at every level.
Joel ByersI mean, you even hear big time comics say once they release a special and they have to start over, they're like, oh my gosh, can I do this?
Joel ByersDo I know how to do this?
Joel ByersLike, we all go through that kind of insecurity of like, I have nothing or I don't know what I'm going to do.
Joel ByersAnd you have to just slowly develop the jokes over time on stage and reviewing and refining and rewriting.
Joel ByersSo you learn the skill of joke writing the more you do it.
Joel ByersBut you have to exercise that muscle to keep it essentially.
Joel ByersSo it's kind of half and half.
Joel ByersYou get better at the skill, but the actual showing up and putting in the work does not get easier.
YoshiYep.
Joel ByersYeah.
Joel ByersGood question there, though.
Joel ByersOh, we have Bobby Sutton back from Vegas.
Joel ByersWe shouted her out last week going to Vegas for the Keenan Thompson Festival.
Joel ByersSo that was very cool.
Joel ByersThat's so great.
Joel ByersShe said it was worth it.
YoshiNoice.
Joel ByersThank you.
Joel ByersShe got invited to the clean comedy set in Vegas.
Joel ByersOne of her biggest successes of her career.
Joel ByersOh, yay.
Joel ByersLove to hear that, Bobby.
Joel ByersCongratulations.
Joel ByersThat's so cool.
Joel ByersI love to see the hot breath of earth out.
Joel ByersVery cool.
Joel ByersI'm glad to hear it went well.
Joel ByersI know you had.
Joel ByersWe showered you out last week, so that's good to know.
Joel ByersAnd we also had Beardo in the live chat.
Joel ByersTalk about they were doing their first.
Joel ByersThey did recently did their first show as well.
Joel ByersSo a lot of.
Joel ByersA lot of exciting happenings for people in hot breath verse.
YoshiYeah.
Joel ByersSo next question.
Joel ByersAnd we can start to.
Joel ByersWe can start to run through these here we'll try to rapid fire as we're, we're running the light right now.
Joel ByersWe did start a little late, but never that.
YoshiNever that.
Joel ByersAndrew Morgan, I'm extremely indecisive and have trouble selecting which jokes to put into my set list.
Joel ByersAny tips on how you choose?
YoshiI mean I, the biggest thing for me is within a set list order is important based on the order of funny, not necessarily order of topic.
YoshiJust make sure that you're.
YoshiThe first thing that they hear is either the funniest or the second funniest thing that you have and the last thing that they hear is either the first or the second funniest thing that they have.
YoshiEverything kind of in the middle.
YoshiYou have sort of leeway to sort of go in and out about and it can be, you know, based on how you tell stories, based on how you deliver your jokes.
YoshiIt's all going to be based on that.
YoshiWhich is why it's important to watch your set, watch your material and ask yourself does this flow from one thing to the other and is that important to you?
YoshiRight.
YoshiI know many of comedians that are just one liner comedians and the topics go from variations or whatever.
YoshiBut there's many comics who just tell sort of stories around, oh, I've been dating so they tell dating stories for a little bit and then they tell stories about their own personal like.
YoshiSo there's like almost a theme to how they talk.
YoshiSo it just depends on how you deliver and what you're comfortable with which is why it's important to watch your material.
YoshiBut in terms of just picking, just pick something, just start with something and see what happens on stage, record, get yourself some feedback, watch yourself and see how you perform and then try it again somewhere else and see how you do and just keep tweaking.
YoshiOh, this works better there, this works better there.
YoshiEvery comedian, especially that headlines does this exact same thing every single weekend.
YoshiThey're always tweaking the order.
YoshiThey're always looking at how certain things go from one to the other, whether they should have set up with this joke.
YoshiThat way the last joke that they've got hits a little differently.
YoshiThat's a never ending process.
YoshiBut if you're super indecisive, I would say just pick something.
YoshiLike even if you make it random, just pick one thing to start off with and see what happens from there.
Joel ByersYeah, that is the rule of thumb is usually open and close with your two strongest jokes.
Joel ByersYou want to start with a laugh as quick as possible and then end on a laugh as well.
Joel ByersAnd a great way to test new material within your set, like in the middle and such is maybe you have an older joke, then you say a newer joke, and then you say like an older joke again.
Joel ByersSo you kind of couch it in between jokes you're more confident in in case that new joke falls.
Joel ByersYou can kind of bounce back to whatever degree.
Joel ByersI know when you're newer, you're like, gosh, this joke works 60% of the time.
Joel ByersWhich is more than all my other jokes.
Joel ByersMaybe I'll open with this.
Joel ByersSo it is kind of a trial and error and kind of using your judgment.
Joel ByersBut I will.
Joel ByersThe stuff I'm working on, I will, like put in the middle of my set and try to kind of tent pole my sets with something I know will get a laugh and get the waves moving at the beginning and then just kind of experiment in the middle from there and then try to close on something that I'll know at least leave them feeling good if the middle kind of sinks.
Joel ByersYou know, this is working out material.
Joel ByersThis isn't like a headlining set or something.
Joel ByersThis is more just out trying stuff.
Joel ByersBut the same rules apply of even longer sets.
Joel ByersYou want to open strong and finish strong and then try to weave in and out of trying things, but then also making sure they're still laughing at more established jokes.
YoshiYeah.
Joel ByersAnd the more jokes you get, the more you'll have to draw from.
Joel ByersSo it does take time to build up that library of material for you to then be able to start plugging and play a little bit more.
Joel ByersVery nice.
Joel ByersGood questions today though, man.
Joel ByersAnd Steve Polger.
Joel ByersI think I missed this one.
Joel ByersI need to remember to say this, but for people posting questions, be sure to put question in front of your question, or otherwise it'll just kind of look like a comment.
Joel ByersIt's kind of tough to decipher the differences.
Joel ByersBut I think Steve asked about.
Joel ByersOh, the.
Joel ByersThe Dr.
Joel ByersPhil Adam Ray special on Netflix.
Joel ByersOur thoughts.
Joel ByersI have not seen.
YoshiIt just came out today.
Joel ByersIt just came out today.
YoshiYeah, yeah.
Joel ByersBut I mean, incredible.
Joel ByersI mean, what he's done with that character to where it's now a Netflix special with the dude he's imitating.
Joel ByersI mean, incredible.
YoshiYeah, yeah.
YoshiI mean.
YoshiBut Adam Ray is also one of the most talented, like character free flowing.
YoshiHe does so many fun characters.
YoshiHe's good at stand up comedy.
YoshiHe's good at characters.
Joel ByersOh, yeah.
YoshiAnd just like.
YoshiAnd I mean, let's not get it twisted.
YoshiJust master improviser.
Joel ByersYes.
YoshiLike in terms of just being so quick on his Feet.
YoshiIf you ever watch The Adam Ray Dr.
YoshiPhil show itself, he's just asking a lot of audience members questions and he's just got zingers just ready for anything that they respond to.
YoshiAnd it's just like there are just bits and you could just tell he's just very seasoned at this.
YoshiBut, yeah, I'm.
YoshiI'm excited to see.
YoshiI can't imagine that it'll be bad, to be honest.
Joel ByersNo, yeah.
Joel ByersAnd shout out to Hot Breath alum Jeremiah Watkins as well.
Joel ByersI know he's been doing those shows with Adam doing characters and stuff.
Joel ByersThey just sold out the Beacon Theater and Jeremiah was dressed up like a apple pie.
Joel ByersAnd they had Jason Biggs come out on stage for American Pie and it was like their first time seeing each other since the movie.
Joel ByersIncredible, dude.
Joel ByersUnbelievable.
Joel ByersIs so good.
YoshiThat's so funny, dude.
Joel ByersYou could tell Jason was game.
Joel ByersLike, it was like a pretty scheduled skid and Jason, like went all in on it.
Joel ByersHe was a good sport about it.
Joel ByersIt was so funny.
Joel ByersThat is so funny, dude.
Joel ByersBrilliant.
YoshiGod, that's so funny.
Joel ByersSo let's see.
Joel ByersWe may be coming down to the last question here or so as we are running out of time.
Joel ByersI just heard my wife get home.
Joel ByersMy wife is home.
Joel ByersBut the soup is cooked, so.
YoshiIt's cooked.
Joel ByersThe soup is cooked.
Joel ByersThat's not a euphemism.
Joel ByersI just want people to know.
YoshiI think teach McGee the teacher have a question.
Joel ByersI thought they already asked one.
YoshiOh, yeah, they might have.
Joel ByersOh, I was just trying to make sure everyone got one.
Joel ByersOne in, I swear.
Joel ByersOh, here we go.
Joel ByersAdam Vale.
Joel ByersI post my set on YouTube because I heard it's the best way to copyright material so people don't steal it.
Joel ByersWhat is your opinion?
YoshiYes.
YoshiYeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
YoshiI mean, I forget who was.
YoshiWhat's.
YoshiThe guy from Comedy Central has his own show on.
YoshiCom on CNN now.
YoshiRoy Wood, Jr.
YoshiRoy with Jr.
YoshiYeah, he would post his jokes on draft in Twitter in case anyone would ever say that they had, like stolen a joke from him or something like that.
YoshiBecause when you get bigger like that, people like, oh, that's my joke.
YoshiI want credit for this.
YoshiBlah, blah, blah.
YoshiBut it's like the Internet is like wild and crazy.
YoshiPeople on Reddit think they should be getting credit for jokes and things like that.
YoshiYou're like, yeah, you said the same thing that everyone else thought of.
YoshiAnd so I think, yeah, if you are worried about that, then post it.
YoshiAnd that way, you know, you're the first one to have the joke.
YoshiLike there's this.
YoshiI don't know if you seen.
YoshiDid you watch the Mike Tyson, Jake Paul.
YoshiSo literally, I don't know.
YoshiI think I've seen five people make this exact same joke about how the reason he lost is because they did the show at midnight and he would have won if they made it like a 4:30 show or like a 6:00 show, which is very funny.
YoshiVery, very funny.
YoshiBut it's like everyone did the exact same thing.
YoshiAnd I don't know who's trying to take credit for it or whatever, but it's like, yeah, we saw it.
YoshiBut also it's like, I don't know how you take credit for something when everyone had the exact same idea.
Joel ByersYeah, yeah.
Joel ByersOn that topical stuff.
Joel ByersYeah, it's.
YoshiYeah.
Joel ByersBut, yeah, that's.
Joel ByersIn short, that's not a bad idea, Adam.
Joel ByersYeah, yeah, yeah.
YoshiWhy not?
Joel ByersAnd I see the final question here from Theory House.
Joel ByersI'm writing a ton, but it's so scripted on stage.
Joel ByersAny suggestions for breaking free from this shell?
Joel ByersI feel like we've been.
Joel ByersI guess this is something people struggle with a lot.
Joel ByersI feel like we get asked a version of this as we're talking about original jokes.
Joel ByersNow we're talking about original questions.
YoshiYeah.
YoshiYes.
YoshiI think there's an element of people want writing scripted when they first start out, but not feeling like themselves when they are saying it.
YoshiI.
YoshiI have a hard time thinking that this is a problem.
YoshiAnd I.
YoshiPart of it is, I think you do the script for some time and then you just have to know your joke well enough to then break free from it.
YoshiDoes that make sense?
YoshiSo I just think, like, just make sure you know your joke and then be willing to try it.
YoshiMaybe in a different way more than anything else.
YoshiOr just like in the middle of your set, ask a question, like, derail yourself.
YoshiLike, actually make yourself do something different that you normally don't do in the middle of your set and it'll kind of keep you on your toes.
Joel ByersYeah, it's kind of a.
Joel ByersI feel like it took me several years to get conversational.
Joel ByersI feel like I was very scripted for, I mean, five or first five or six years.
Joel ByersI think all I did was like one liners and it was very just here's a joke and then there's a joke.
Joel ByersAnd I was just kind of learning how to write a joke and piece it together into longer and longer sets and it just kind of got conversational the more confident I got on stage.
Joel ByersSo I think it'll help the more you do a joke, the more it will become more conversational because you are more confident and you're not thinking about, oh, is this joke gonna work?
Joel ByersOr not?
Joel ByersOr doubting the wording and trying to remember it word for word, syllable for syllable.
Joel ByersIt's just kind of something you kind of.
Joel ByersIn my experience, you write a joke that works and you kind of say the joke, and over time, it kind of massages into being a little more conversational.
Joel ByersBut it kind of just takes time to really have that polish on your material.
Joel ByersI mean, even jokes now for me, as I develop them, they are a little more rigid at first, and you kind of find a flow to them and it becomes more conversational.
Joel ByersBut early on, it is still.
Joel ByersYou try.
Joel ByersIt's kind of on stilts, and it's a little wonky, and you're trying to figure out how to make it flow.
Joel ByersBut what will help is you to write jokes based on topics that you enjoy talking about anyway, so it will come off more natural because you are naturally interested and naturally exc.
Joel ByersExcited about talking about these things.
Joel ByersSo I think that's a shortcut to getting more conversational and less scripted is making sure you're writing about topics that you're excited to talk about and not just for the sake of.
Joel ByersIt's a setup punchline, and it works.
Joel ByersSo that's a good.
Joel ByersThat's a good place to start, is just what you're writing about, making sure it's something you could talk about.
Joel ByersEven if there weren't, it wasn't funny, you would just want to talk about it anyway.
YoshiYeah, I like that.
Joel ByersGood question, though.
YoshiBars.
Joel ByersYeah, that Bars.
Joel ByersIt kind of.
Joel ByersKind of just takes time to get that conversational polish on it, though.
YoshiYeah.
Joel ByersYou know.
YoshiYep.
Joel ByersBut it does come down to confidence, which is what comedy is all about.
Joel ByersAnyway, good stuff today, fam.
Joel ByersA lot of good questions.
Joel ByersEvery Tuesday, we're out here answering your comedy questions.
Joel ByersSo join us out here.
Joel ByersYou're doing it every Tuesday, 5:00pm Eastern Standard Time.
Joel ByersBut alas, we must land this plane.
Joel ByersIs there anything else you want the hot breath verse to know?
YoshiYeah, the Iron man mask is doing good.
YoshiIt's still in one piece because I did the iron I showed your son.
Joel ByersCame in the Iron man mass that day.
Joel ByersTaylor was asking about it.
YoshiYeah, it's still in one piece.
YoshiYes, all is well.
YoshiThey still have it.
YoshiIt has not broken, which I'm very surprised by.
YoshiSo, yeah, they got it.
YoshiSo all is well.
YoshiAnd yeah, go watch the special.
YoshiCome check me out wherever I am.
YoshiGo check the website yoshi.com also on Instagram yoshi.
Joel ByersSo yeah, and you can follow us at Hot Breath Pod.
Joel ByersIf you want to reach out with any questions, subscribe to our newsletter as well, where I update you on these lives and other Hot Breath happenings.
Joel ByersAnd join the waitlist for next month's 100 joke writing contest.
Joel ByersLinked in the show notes.
Joel ByersWe'll see y'all next Tuesday.
Joel ByersWe love you all.
YoshiBow Bye y'all.
YoshiBow by.
Joel ByersHot Breath.