S3 - Ep. 69 - Open Mike Eagle

I leave in I you wanna way back home? Either way, we want to be there.

Doesn't matter how much baggage you claim.

And give us time and a terminol engage aid.

We want to send you off in style. We wanna welcome you back home.

Tell us all about it. We scared her? Was it fine? Now? Porn? Do you need to ride? Do you need to ride? Do you need to ride? Do you need to ride? Do you need to ride? Do your need to ride? Ride?

Do you need.

With?

Karen and Chris welcome to Do you need a ride? This is Chris Fairbanks.

And this is Karen Kilgareff.

Hello, Karen, happy.

Hello.

Chris asked, have you been doing spring cleaning today? Would you say, is spring cleaning a thing because it's spring?

Yes?

Why is it?

Why is it?

Well, personally, I'll answer for myself. In the wintertime, I feel like everything is like you're all cold, and you keep using the same blanket over and over, and you kind of are like locked down a little bit. So when it's spring and you're thrown open those windows and kind of loving the weather and letting the opening the window let the air breeze through, then you start kind

Yeah, it's the only time I touck in my shirt is when I'm jamming my fingers in a drawer. And that You're right, it's a window thing. I don't know why I left the house solely to buy wind Dex, a thing I've never strive to yearn for, and I got so excited and I even grabbed You know, there's some of these lunatics that prefer newspaper on glacke.

That's that's the best way.

I don't agree. I just it leaves streaks of ink. You need newsprint.

Maybe, oh maybe they don't make them like they used to.

That that's why if I didn't sound elderly enough with just the topic that I've brought up. They don't make newsprint, I mean print. They say print is dead, but I really mean for the sake of cleaning mirrors. Yeah, the ink ink is dead. They use it.

I actually I had it because I have two tall windows or several tall windows, so I had a window cleaner guy. It came to get like all the body hard to get and I said, hey, I tried to clean these myself and it didn't work. And he was like, did you try to use like Windex and whatever? And he said, and this might be like a conspiracy theory, he said, Windex puts wax in their product. I shouldn't maybe shouldn't be name checking them, but so that you have to keep using it.

That's insane. That's that's like, uh, Carmex, you know.

That makes your lips hup.

Yeah, yeah, they put fibers of glass. Well, our love to the Carmex and Windex people were still available of unitas to give a shout out commercial wise, But you cut up together put on our windows. It's all been a lie.

You could have been the window guy, you know, propagandaizing so that I always used a window guy instead of trying to windox the windows myself. Yeah, anything's possible in today's America.

I forgot about window guys. Did they come up on a scaffolding with a top hat and you kind of oh, I'm in my neglige. Is it ever like that?

Okay?

Well, first of all, I feel like you're combining chimney sweeps in the top hat part outfit and.

You still live in a multi story house.

Right in Victorian English.

Yeah.

H what a strong start. Now I'll go ahead and be the reason for that just topic alone amazing. Anyway, I've been spring cleaning. I could have just told you that I'm very excited about our guest today, are you.

I am, yeah, very much so.

Yeah.

I think our opening conversation had a touch of self consciousness about it because we really like this guest.

Well last time we were self conscious and it was a great episode. So why I switched things up?

Why change it now?

Yeah? I agree, I'll go I'm going to introduce our guests, Karen do it, okay?

I will.

Our next guest is a podcaster, comedian and rapper. I use rapper. Everyone put your ears together for open Mike Eagle hio, Hi.

That I liked your adventure a lot?

Oh thanks, thank god?

Good?

Yeah, it was it was really great. You gave very practical reasons why you should like wash blankets, Like that's a really good reason because the reason I usually do it is if they smell right and I've waited too long. But if I think like you, then I'll be more proactive.

Yeah, just seasonally.

Seasonally, Yeah, at least I.

Mean a couple of times a year maybe.

And I did get the end. Sorry I was looking for. I didn't realize it was because I was starting to open my windows and then it's like everything must go because it doesn't get cold here in the winter. But yes, I used the same I didn't wash my sheets. I'm gonna stay at times for a couple months now. I know that grosses you both out.

I mean I can pretend like it grosses me out, and then that would make it seem like I do it a lot more frequently. Yeah, but that wouldn't be honest.

Let's at least be honest on this episode at the very least.

Yeah, I'll try.

But sometimes honesty gets into stuff that I don't necessarily want to admit publicly. And then what do I do?

Then just keep going, just keep feeling double down.

I feel like that's kind of what lies are for, is for stuff you don't want.

To make publicly, right, you know, so you're not revealing how gross you can be. That's really the main reason I lie.

Guys when you don't wash your sheets for let's just say one month. And that might not be true, But if it is, what color are your sheets?

That's the thing we got all the time.

Are they plaid?

Are you asking when I bought them? Or now? Oh that's gross because now they're tie died. It's like I brought my sheets to a guar show. I ate that is the issue, Karen. I have red like tomato red sheets hot. That is very sexy, thank you well. It goes with the theme in my room. It's an outdoorsy theme. And I got red sheets.

So if I had red outdoors, is it like rivers of blood?

Like outdoors in hell?

You're very very right to say that red is rarely a color that exists when you're in the woods.

But it's a poppy field.

It's outdoorsy with with lanterns and but red, uh, Gingham is the print, the classic let's have a picnic print.

Uh.

And I got red sheets to go with those red so and I have multiple sets of red sheets, so I think there's problem. My point is if I got white sheets, like a classic white sheet, which I've never had, I would.

All the carrying. Your sheets aren't white, No, they are not. Yeah, like only hotels and hospitals.

That's why I want them, That's why. Yeah, where am I more comfortable? Where do I get the best sleep? Maybe it's because it's a better mattress, but hotels.

Just give the sheets all the credit.

Yeah, And I'm gonna make I'm gonna make them real tight at the end, so my feet have to be horizontal like a ballerina or parallel.

Just flatten them out the pain and then I go right into blissful sleep.

Yeah. You spend the whole night trying to loosen them up, and yeah.

Sleep like an Egyptian.

Like when you are on tour? Uh do you first of all do you stay at like are you going to hotels constantly?

Yeah?

And do you like that lifestyle?

So I it's not that I like it, but I do miss it sometimes when I'm at home too long.

Yeah.

Yeah, I miss the sort of disorienting feeling of waking up in a blacked out room opening the window because I'm staying like downtown in some city and it really taking me a while to figure out what city. Yeah, Yeah, I missed that feeling sometimes because it's like a I don't know, it's it's it's a it's a little bit of it's like a chaotic prize. Yes you win.

You know, it's glamorous. It's showing you.

Could be in Boston or you could be in Houston. Yeah, you know, depending on what you like, that's either great or terrible.

Right, Yeah. I always say that's what I don't I like just doing the shows I hate. I don't like the travel part, but I do. I just don't like, Oh crap, I have to buy a bunch of flights today. That's it. I have to get to the airport. That's what I don't like, which used to be the premise of this podcast. Yes, record doing a thing we didn't like the least, but that staying in hotels and waking up in them is it feels.

Good because when you got the right hotel, it's hard to leave. Yeah, you know, if you got the nice one with a with a spacious room and a nice hotel bar situation, it's kind of cool. You know, maybe it's close to the venue, so it wasn't it wasn't a big to do to get outer in and you know, you're like, oh, I wish I could just take this hotel with me to the next city, you know, but that's just not how hotels.

Work unless you're staying at the Marriotte pretty much.

Yeah, Sheraton.

Yeah, yeah, I did a Marriott and when I was just in Milwaukee, but then in Cargo where you're from, right, Mike, Yeah, I stayed at Have you ever heard of the Ohio House?

I have not.

It's like an old motel, that kind where your car is right outside your door.

Those are usually scary, it.

Usually, but sometimes they get modified into a boutique situation, which means they just buy new lamps.

Yeah. I have feelings about that because it's like, I know what this used to be. Yeah, so why why am I paying like anywhere near a real hotel price when we all know what this is.

You're right, and I get fooled by it. I'm like, oh, no, I get It's so simple, and I'm on the ground floor.

And it's swanky, and they usually put little weird decorations places. They might have odd books stacked on the shelf. No, I get it, and I like it. I just think there should be some some price differential between what this is and what we all know it used to do. Yeah, yeah, you know.

Yeah, it was only like twenty dollars cheaper. But I drove away from the venue to get to it because I want I It's the thing as I was worried about this car that I tore out. It was like a fancy car. And there's I have a weird thing about paying as much for the room as the parking in the hotel. And they said, I just went free parking. And it's like, just showed a bullet hole riddled motel. Oh, maybe it's been renovated. And the it was, and my

They heard a real good joke.

Yeah.

The first step in that renovation, though, is the removal of the dirty microwave, which I'm a fan of. I like that, Yeah, I like that. My favorite one of these places, though, have either of y'all ever stayed at the I think it's called the Jupiter.

Yeah, Yeah, I love it.

Yeah, that's my favorite, one of those. Yeah, and that's connected to my favorite venue is the Doug Ferns right

I swear to god, I think it was the last bridge Town and we were all staying at the Jupiter, and that's the first thing I thought of, And I was like, am I being perverted? But it's like this has a swingers vibe where it feels like here, take your key or whatever. Yeah, because because it's all kind of like out in the open.

Oh, I'm just leaving a pineapple outside my door. You know what that means? Wink wink, It means you're swingers. Did you know that about the pineapple?

Yeah?

I just found that out recently. I did the Joco Cruise, which if anybody ever had a chance to do it, it's fucking amazing. But there was, uh, there was this outbreak of pineapples being put on people's door way. Yes, like people who weren't necessarily into that lifestyle were suddenly being approached having the doors knocked on because there was a rogue person running around putting pineapples on things.

But like a sexual villain.

Yes, But it all ultimately unfolded and people found out who did it. The person who was doing it didn't know that that's what pineapples meant.

Oh, they were just delivered. I believe them.

They thought they were just they thought they were being festive.

Yeah, who doesn't want a pineapple? Everyone loves the sweetest fruit.

That's quite a mistake, though.

It is quite a mistake because there were people on the cruise who were into that ship.

Yeah right, I'm on that guy's side.

Though.

When someone said, don't you know what pineapples on the door means, which is what I just did to you two, he'd be like, what what? No, I was just giving out pineapples, not trying to make people swing.

I mean what do you think, Mike, what do you think that person if the if swinging was out of it the idea that he's they're just being cute like that, they're just kind.

Of it's a very cute cruise. It is. It's an aggressively Joco. People are going out of their way to like do cute ship all the time. So that I buy it. I buy it as as the reason.

Okay, I want what is the Joe cote, Not that you're to promote that.

But yeah I'm not because I don't know if they're booking me next year. Yeah, this is this is not a sponsored post. But Jonathan Colton, the musician, oh sure, organizes the Joco Cruise. They've been doing it I think like over ten years now, and they have musicians and comedians and improvisers and all sorts of folks on and then there's there's an audience for where they buy up the boat every year.

Wow.

This was my second time doing it in March, and it is fucking awesome.

It sounds like the vibe is very like theater camp, almost like I'm expressing myself and these are the people that want to support that expression.

Yeah, it is exactly that and Max. You've done the Max fun Con stuff, right.

I have done the Max fun Con one time. This this is like that on the water with Booze all.

Day, right, that's Jesse Thorne did do that one. There was like a cruise that we did and I think not a ton of people came as mostly comics. And then but then you're just kind of sequestered to half the ship. They didn't get the whole boat. Of course, who gets a whole boat?

Well when Joco started, they didn't have the whole boat either, but now they've grown to where they have the whole boat.

Oh wow, whole crucis.

It's really something and the staff is like shook and thrilled at the same time. Well, it's amazing.

It's too late. You've efficiently promoted it. And i'd like to submit that you be booked again next year.

Well, I'd like to clip this part and send.

It to you.

We will clip it on a lease clip market clip it, send.

It everything after the Pineapple things.

Right, right, don't tell them that we busted them. I like that idea, though. I think the Energy and Mike you would know this kind of best because you do comedy and you do music, but I think the energy between comedians and musicians gets very We all want to impress each other. We want to do what the other group does we want to which is kind of interesting

It's really fantastic. I mean it didn't get to pineapple levels in the green room, but it was very good. I mean maybe with some people that got the pineapple right.

I'm always shocked when musician that I look up to even considers stand up. I always think of it as a lower art form for some reason, because I.

Do it because you do it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you have no appreciation for it because.

You But the mutual the seeing anyone, even the biggest rock star, wants to do jokes in between songs, and I once I started to realize that more and more see it more and more, I'm like, oh, we both like the thing the other one does.

It's cool. Yeah, we call that banter, and banter is hard.

I've been messing around with friends singing old punk songs from skateboard videos, and it's fun. It's mostly for us to have fun. But man, with jokes, I tell in between songs. God, they it's so easy to get a laugh. I'm like, oh, man, I gotta how do I set this up to be the case all the time?

Yeah? The bar so low. People call the music shows. They don't expect laughter. They want to laugh, but they don't expect it. But care you you're right there in the middle too. You've seen it all.

True, true, I've seen it all well. I just it's just that I haven't done it in a long time. But I was thinking of you know, Largo and the Largo, the late nineties Largo days which had that kind of energy, or early two thousands where like the thing Chris is saying where it's like, oh, we're just the comedy show, So where's we're like the thing that either comes after

And it makes it so much better to put it on a confined place with beds, so you can make it sultry.

That's right, you can have you can have pineapple to to mix. Everything goes crazy.

I think that the Jupiter it's to go back to that. I think the reason that has this vibe is the curtains. I remember, don't fully close against your will. You can as people walk by. How many situations are people It's totally normal to walk and you can be six inches from that crack in the in the curtains. So I think the reason I've had seen so many people have sex there and I have, it's because my face was pressed against the.

Glass, which which room had the most split curtains and you're going over there, not.

Walking by, but you can hear my nose goes. And my friend Katie and her her husband are part owners of that place. I've I've not that I'm bragging. I know people in real estate YouTube what I know. I know, Uh, she's from She's an old Montana pal and I've stayed there many times. It's a let's another shout out to the Jupiter.

And is it the Doug Fer has that awesome diner. So like yeah, in the morning, like when it's a comedy festival in the morning, everyone's going it. It has a very college dorm or college cafeteria vibe where it's like go get your waffles, people are coming or leaving or yeah, and it's so fun.

I've only performed a couple of times in that that venue, but I love it. It's that terroriced like semi circle. It's isn't it sunken down? Am I making up?

Yeah? It's in if you go downstairs and it's and it's like it's like a downstairs treehouse. Five Yeah. Yeah, like logs everywhere and shit, it's incredible and it sounds really good and it is legitimately my favorite venue in the entire world. Wow, it's no better, Like, there's no better place.

I don't know why I've forgotten about because I record my special in Portland and I just someone told me where to do it and it was a regular theater. I yeah, that's the best. It esthetically looks like a seventies Yeah, carpet covered like tree for it vibe.

Like a like a lodge. Yeah, it's like a lodge.

Okay.

When I did that venue, I totally agree. There's like almost a built in energy because of the way it's like they really mapped it out perfectly, especially for comedy, because I remember doing it, and I was just doing regular stand up, I wasn't doing music, and I was just its like, this is what I've been working on the least, and I don't have a lot of faith in it. I'm like, you can't not have faith when you go up there, because this place is packed, everyone's

It feels like, you know what, you know what reminds me of is it? A lot of places suck? A lot of places, aren't that? A lot of places are terrible. I know a lot of bad venues. When I go on tour, that place is fucking great. Yeah.

Yes, even venues that people I of course won't name names I probably well they'll just fly out of my mouth. But when it's like banquet seating, oh my gosh, and people have to look from the side, It's like, wait, is this the renowned. I almost said it, but it's like, I've heard so many good things. What if you have a stiff neck and you can't people don't want to turn like that and you're facing other people. Nothing will ruin a comedy show like facing your best friend's wife,

Are you talking about that place in Hollywood?

No? No, No, it was a I'll tell you later because it's in Chicago. I was like, oh boy, I was very much looked excited, and then I was like, oh, it's a dinner banquet hall. There's glass everywhere and I can see cars, and uh. I think it was a situation where I went to a place where there isn't always comedy and maybe it's better for like dinner theater lounge, you know, and improvised performance of David and Lisa or who murdered the chef? I don't know, but at.

David and Lisa, Yeah, I don't know. That is a pull from the late sixties.

I did it. I was in that once and I don't know.

What David and or Lisa do. I've never heard of this thing. Premise.

It's it was a play that then they made into a movie, and it's basically kind of about two disturbed is it? Are they teenagers or like young people?

All I remembered and correct me if I'm wrong. The audience was involved to interact. It was like a they not a choose your own adventure dictated by the audience. But if that hasn't been thought of, I just invented it. Don't steal my idea.

Poor man's copyright.

Yeah, that's got it to see what the circle around it. But I thought it was a I don't know what I guess. I don't know what dinner theater is except you're eating and watching.

No, no, no, it would be like that is a play, yeah, and but then it isn't. That's a very weird play because it's basically about two people that are at like kind of like an asylum that finned each other and follow it right, So to do that for dinner theater is kind of intense.

I didn't do it. I rehearsed it several times and then I was like, never mind, guys, and I moved to Austin then started doing stand up. It was a It was a in the world where thank God the devil top made the fiddle.

What I am? I am sort of sort of curious now. I feel like when I see asylums on television, they usually gender split asylums in real life have to be coed. But that seems like problematic. Yes, it seems like that could lead to all sorts of issues it.

For sure, I think. Yeah, although although I could be remembering this like I could be combining movies because I saw it as a movie, so I could definitely be combining plots. But I just know that they were both mentally unwell young people and that that found each other, right. But yeah, you don't want people like wandering around in robes are like you know, open back medical gowns, right.

Right, that that might have challenges that sort of don't compliment each other. Yeah, that seems like I could get messy.

And it happens I know from experience, not as a guest but a visitor of you know, assisted living facilities. People be fucking like, oh everyone has crabs right now. I'm not I'm not trying to be dirty or sultry. It's something my experience.

It's not sultry. So don't worry about.

That old people. That's old school crabs. No, So everyone fucks, let's talk about it. I all of a sudden, I'm holding a pineapple.

Because you've lost your mind. I know, I know.

I'm just saying, if you're in.

The mike, you sounded very passionate when you were talking about bad venues. Do you want to just describe like a worst case scenario bad.

There's there's another place in Portland that to me, it's like this is the ab like one of these places in Portland that I've played. I think I got tricked into thinking that, like all the places in Portland were cool because I played like a couple cool places and this one was like it was it was like a theater and you know, luckily for me, there weren't seats, but it had that same sort of like sterile vibe and like the green room was a very small dressing

You don't need a mirror to touch your own face and be like, come on, we can do this.

Yeah, there's no powder going on my nose at all. But the yeah, the vibe was too sterile. This like yeah, and it was a place where there's a balcony, would have bunch of seeds, and it was just like you could tell that this was a place that people go to because there's somebody there that they want to see.

Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, Like there's a formality to it that doesn't isn't conducive.

To what I to show you, Yeah, exactly.

It is funny. It's funny you bring up that light bulb blind mirror, because every time I see it, I'm like, oh, for God's sake, but they think I'm lines them in La thirty years ago. I gotta it showtime. Actually, it makes me nervous. Those things.

Yeah, it should be called crisis mirrors. Yeah, that's what they're there for.

Well, I.

To look back on your life and the choices that have led you to this moment. That's what they're there for.

And then put on your black Swan costume and go out there and dance, dance, dance.

That's so great. And I think I know exactly where you're talking about, but we'll wait until we're done recording. Are you what are you working on now? Are you? Are you have any albums? Or are you there? Yeah?

Well, yeah, I'm for any Oh gosh, I'm actually going to have a session with a couple of OG's tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to that.

But I've been saying who or do you want it?

Well, I don't want to say you might not come.

Yeah yeah, yeah, hey.

But you said and then you just get called on it.

Well, I guess it doesn't matter as supposed to come through sessions.

To me, that's that's who I wanted to go. I didn't, I didn't jink. It's okay. That's a lot of people are scared about putting things into the universe or jinxing thing. I think it's I think you did a good thing by saying.

Well, you know, I thought about it, and yeah, worst case scenario, he hears this, it would be or somebody, but it would be after it either happened or didn't happen anyway, so okay, and.

He already wouldn't be listening because I the last time when I said something about Freestyle Fellowship being comedic rap to me, it was that I still flinch when I remember I said that, and so why would I repeat it now? The point is my friends and I that's how we connected with that album. We were like, that is the funniest because you know, everyone was kids when there's you know, it's like probably sixteen or seventeen some of those songs, And I just liked the the it was comedic.

And I think, yeah, they had they had funny moments, they had little skits and sketches. Yeah, personality, Yeah, you know, I mean, I think, yeah, it's probably tough to call him, uh comedic because they were very technical, very technical rappers. So it's like, you know, if if you're a casual person, hearing them funny, isn't the first thing that's gonna come to your mind.

Someone's rapping, and then nice start saying it like that. I mean, come on, do you think everyone's going to be listening and turtle neecks? I go, yes, you know there was That's what I maybe laughed like all the Black Sheep did that too, and I don't a lot of those groups when they would break I guess it's sudden breaking off into song makes me laugh. Maybe that's what it is.

The Far Side must have been comedy raps.

I mean they legitimately funny lyrics, though there's no exactly.

Like they were. They were trying to be funny in the raps and also breaking into song.

I was. I was doing stand up at a cap aromo. Do you remember that, Karen? It was like a an open mic, but.

It was like was it upstairs?

It was ground level like a CD hotel, But I was talking. I don't ever do crowd work. But there was a guy with notebook and there was pieces of paper hanging out of it, and I was like, Oh, are you going up tonight? And he's like, no, no, I'm a musician. And then I realized in that moment it was fat Lip and I was like, and I nerd out. I've liked this guy since I was a kid, and I'm like, I started like shaking. I'm like, did

Said, wait, I'm sorry, this was during your set.

Oh yeah, oh shit.

I didn't put that together.

Either, told him wrong. I recognized him while talking, Hey, what are you but in my comic and I'm like, a fuck, I know your face.

Yeah, while you're doing crowd work and happened upon someone you were a fan of. Yes, that's like a nightmare you right.

I never Yeah, I can't believe that's a fresh one I've ever even shared with you, Karen. It was I've never heard that story. He was so sweet and he was like hanging out and talking to all the He was like, I love comedy and he went there to watch the show. I think he was there writing, you know, and then hey, there's a comedy show and he decided to stay, which that alone I appreciate.

Yeah, that's very nice.

Yeah, it's so funny. While trying to do my crappy what do you do for a living Oh my favorite of all time rap group.

Okay, yeah, it's probably harder because he's not like a household name, so like you're nerding out maybe by yourself, right on stage and people are like, what is going on? Is this a bit?

And I think maybe he appreciated that.

Yeah, that's fantastic. Yeah, that's fantastic.

That's hilarious. Also, what if the next time you heard uh, yes, he was in the far side. Sorry I don't know this.

Yes, fat well.

I did see them at a festival one time that was at like Northridge, because I went with like Brian Posaying a bunch of like a bunch of comics, And when their set started, it was as if everyone decided to start smoking pot at the same time. So this literal wall of pot smoke went up, like people were doing it here and there, but suddenly it was just like like there was a cloud in front of us in the middle of the day. It was one of the funniest, coolest things I'd ever.

Seen, but which I knew what song it was. Maybe it would help explain.

Maybe it's past the pipe.

Yeah, that would make sense if it would they open with that.

I mean maybe, yeah, I mean, was it a college Was it a college show? Because that that was I mean, they shouldn't open with that. It's not a way. It's not a great way to get booked again.

Yeah, yeah, you'd want to do the apple for my teacher because I knew I get a kiss one.

Yeah thats educational.

Yeah, yeah, I just realized that trick him into thinking that you're you're mostly an educational rapper that's going to talk about.

All these songs are about school.

They're all all about school teachers.

You know, that's our thing, libraries, hanging out in libraries.

Yeah.

Well, I'm excited for you to record in the studio tomorrow with the people you said that are going to be there.

Yes, he's the reason I'm a part of project though. Yeah, because a.

Yeah, that's that's terrific. I So I saw him here at the Virgil and it was really, really great. And I didn't realize a lot of those freestyle Fellowship songs were from when he was a kid, because he's like, oh I wrote this when I was seventeen, and him a skateboard, tennishe ice cream shop. Want just list of things that that is that cornbread?

Corn bread? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, it is. Yeah, him and Micah nine. They had a group before Freestyle, the Fellowship. Oh God, I can't remember the name of it, but yeah, they used to do routines. Like I was. I interviewed MIKEA and nine for my podcast. He was telling me about this one time in the late eighties where like they saw run DMC and a Burger King and they ran in and tried to battle them, and and they they yeah, they kicked their rhymes and run DMC was like, yeah,

We didn't want to battle. Yeah, we'll give you what you're looking for, a.

Good job, right, oh man.

But yeah, they saw me in a place and they're like that this is our chance.

They yeah, that's that's that's the fucked up thing about rappers were so competitive and it's and it's it started out as such a street corner culture that if you're really into it, you're expecting other people to be ready to do it right now, yeah, right now. Like Micah has multiple stories of running up to people and say it, well, so with the real b boy battle at their shows, at other people's shows, it doesn't matter. He was always trying to do it in half the time. People would

Oh well, but that's kind of I mean, that feels to me very reflective of comics riffing in that way of these are the people. There's not a lot of people that can do the thing that you can do, and it keeps you on your toes if there's the competitive edge to it, right.

Exactly that, right, exactly that Well, the anxiety that watches over me though when someone says, hey, rap right now, freestyle rap right now. There's been times where I will at least try, but usually I just will sweat. Karen and I have talked of jokingly we've done it. Please don't listen to those episodes. But yeah, same goes for if someone was like, you have to roast this comic. That's become a thing now that I think people are still into comedy roasts, right, roast battles.

I just I think it's become a niche, and much in the same way that like battle rap has sprung off and become these different niches within it. I think it's it's very similar.

Yeah, I don't want to. I almost did the boast boast battle.

Where you post rattle boast rattle, where you do the competent Yeah.

Yeah, that's what I instinctively like. Back when Eliza Skinner had a show at UCB here and I'm like, let's just compliment each other because you're a stranger. They there was a ringer from the audience that was a really good rapper, uh for just being hey, how about you? But they were raising their hand and jiggling it. But we just complimented each other's clothing and demeanor and face symmetric, symmetric.

I used to do that show all the time. That's how I met a lot of people in the comedy scene, is that I would do that. I would do elizas Oh okay, was it the beat beat down?

YEA.

To do that all the time, that's great.

I always wondered how you kind of were.

Well, that was part of it. And then I used to do I used to beg them to let me be the asscat monologist, yes, and do music, you know, and so people like the other improvisers would see how well that went. Ye, Like my songs had funny shit in them, and so then they would invite me to do their shows. And then like I recorded, Like after the first time I did ASCAT, it went so fucking good. The next time I did it, I made sure that I had a video so I could like try to

That's so great. Yeah, that's the Those are the stomping grounds that I was focused on.

And then I snuck in a normal monologue.

It's like, oh, it's just more talking, and then they're gonna I think of music. Version is great.

Those are fun nights. Yeah, these were incredibly fun nights.

So wait were you were you taking suggestions from the audience and then improve.

Like no, I just I just came prepared to do songs of mine that worked in that environment, and then I would do the song and then they would say, hey, tell me a little bit about how you came up with that, and then they would riff of the song and the content text around the song got it.

For a second, I just thought you you were taking suggestions where I'm like, right, that's fucking impossible.

Yeah, it's so hard because I would not have wanted to video that at all. I would not have wanted to see that back after the fact.

And the times I've done it. You do as a monologist? Is that the right monologus?

I think sologe monologist sounds.

It sounds someone in the audience gives a word and that dictates what you talk about. Was that that way for you, Karen? I think, yeah, your version is better.

Yeah, well they let me do my ship and then they just ripped off of it and it was great.

Yeah, that is a really good idea. That's inversely, the first improv class I ever took, and like week three, the improv teacher made us all get up and freestyle wrap and I literally I was like, please don't make me do that's a.

Really hard that's a really tough thing to ask people to do if they've never done it. Yes, I could do it in front of people for the.

For the first time, and also I think for myself, first of all, taking this improv class was very I wish I'd done it years before because comedy is like just played into all my control issues and basically I decide and I'm going to plan it and blah blah blah, and it's memorization essentially. Improv, of course, is the complete opposite of that, and it was very difficult in and

Want to hear something interesting. That very line of thinking, right there is why in the last couple of years I have decided not to banter in my live shows, because I have learned the hard way that if I venture without a plan, I'm going to say something fucking dark, right, that's great, and I'm going to suck the fucking energy out of the room and dig us and dig a hole that I have to climb out of my job on this podcast.

Yeah, how often though, because there are times where I'm watching uh freestyle rap and I can tell some of the lines were sitting in the back pocket sure like, and they're plugging in some guys more than others, and the audience is all like, oh, this is freestyle, Like no, that wasn't and that wasn't them in between I mean supervise. But is anyone called out like it's yeah, if you were I'm doing a comedy show that's all crowd work, and you see someone doing their jokes, it's the same.

Not really, because I don't think people have the language to know how to call it out, like right, Because I did a thing for a long time where when I was on tour from from city to city. When I was in a city that day, I'd be trying to like make notes of certain things in my head that I would reference during the freestyle. Sometimes, like I would remember the four things so well and do a setup mentioned, set up, reference, set up reference that.

Like.

I had a couple of people ask me after, oh, did you write that before? Like, and It's like, no, I just noted some things and remembered them and kind of did them. But I don't think. I don't think people had the language to be like, hey, did you think of that particular line before you got it? You know, I don't know if they I don't know if people are able to ask the sort of specific question you'd need to ask to get the answer, even if they sensed maybe it was prepared. Yeah, I don't know if

Yeah, if I think of something that is funny in a town like that, I'm like, I'll ruin it if I actually overthink it. That's a funny premise. When my back's against the wall, my instincts comedically will know to say the right thing. I don't want to ruin it by actually writing a joke I've actually I should write more. That's the excuse I've given myself. Now, just work it out on stage. My riffy loose style will pull me through,

I've gotten to the point now where I don't I don't even like to do that anymore though, Like I like to freestyle, but I like to do it in a very pure sense of just letting my mind go somewhere, rather than trying to build it around this hyper local reference. Because I found myf it started to feel too gimmicky. Because I know people who like they really they really gimmicked the shit out of it, right, and I can't.

In the short form game. That's like the freeze tag of give me that. Oh it's a steering wheel and everyone laughed, yeah, because it's a plate, it's not a steering wheel.

But also the feeling like one of the best feelings. And I can remember like the night and the time where it was like probably my fourth year and stand up and I was doing I was middling for someone at the punchline at San Francisco, and as I was finishing a chunk and doing like that, I was on say, the third to last joke in this area, and then I thought of another joke and said it and it killed.

Yeah, the danger, the danger is where all the fucking energy is. And like that's to say, that's like kind of the same thing as like, yeah, I don't want local reference guard rails. Yeah, let's just fucking go somewhere. Yeah, let's just fucking go.

And I'm afraid I do that now, just because the looseness scares me. When I first started, I maybe didn't even know what I was going to talk about. I just had four beers and I started talking and random that's how I started. Yeah, I didn't know you were supposed to write stuff down. And there are times though that it fails miserably, you know, And so that's why, out of fear, I started making them, you know, the framework of comedy, which takes away that looseness.

But the reason freestyling is like its kind of a cheat code because as long as people are conscious of the fact that you are making it up. It's really impossible to bomb. Yeah, like you like the only way to bomb is that like you completely stop right like it's some awkward place like that's the only way to bomb. Like if you as long as you're continuing to do it, even if you're right fucking making up words, like, people are fucking into it. They see it is this is this is cool?

Yes, that right there is why when I was doing both, there was animosity with the stand up scene against improvisors because it's like, oh fuck, they could do say whatever up there because people loved improv and then and I loved I moved to Austin to do improv, but I realized it was two different camps and that was the that was the reason it was split. It's because yeah, they could say anything, and the audience was into it.

Know, question for for for both of you. Something that I've seen because I know some people who are like Jedi master freestylers that they're they can hit a new awesome thought every bar with a great setup and a great punch line, all completely off the head because they're that fucking good. But I've seen it where they lose a little impact because it's so good people don't realize

Then it's funny because this is exactly what when you said people come up to you and they're like, what how much of that was improvised? And what is written? I always, in order to feel comfortable improvising, I had moments in my act that we're once improvised that I'm retelling and pretending happened again by accident. For a while that was my material, But then it gave you room to actually take the risk of improvising, because you know, I have this planned improv but it's a bit but

Well. Also, that question makes me think because I started stand up in San Francisco and it was some of the smartest best stand ups. It was like, you know, the early nineties. So it was like we would go every night and get to watch like Greg Proops do forty five minute sets and he was he was absolutely riffing of four but three quarters of his set, and he was riffing on a level that he It was

And I'm one to testify that the living you can make off of other comics liking you is so lucrative that back of the room money didn't look at this place, That wallpaper didn't buy itself. It's funny you brought up Greg Proops because I've always wondered what that is. One of the main when I first would see him at Largo, I'm like, some of this has to be planned, but it might be fake loose so he can actually riff. You're saying he just was.

He jokes, but most of the time, and especially it shows like Largo, he would do whatever he wanted because he I think his IQ is like fucking two hundred or something. I mean, like he just is. I've just seen him so many sets of his that I it was proven to me that he is like kind of masterful. Yeah, in that way. So I think there are It's just hard. I think that people that are really really good at it are hard to recognize because being low key is part of their style. It's not the big like yeah.

Yeah, yeah right, they're not they're not telling you that they're making this up. They're just making it up. Yeah.

Yeah, I love I I guess I've always realized it, but I love how we are realizing right now what similar worlds hip hop and comedy are.

Yeah, well, you know, creatively and stuff. I'm pretty comfortable in both and also feel out of place in both.

Yeah, yeah, I love it.

Well, that went by really fast.

I knew what.

I agree.

That was one of our faster podcasts. But we're so excited to have you back. Obviously we're we're nerds for you, Mike, they just are.

It makes it makes my Philip with anxiety and intimidation.

No, you you make you make this easy. And we we were gloating about you after recording last time, and it's great to have you back.

Thanks for having me bag this is this is super fun and I'm way more comfortable this time.

Isn't that funny. Everyone's nervous. We were nervous here.

I was very nice. I love it.

Do you have anything you want to plug or like?

Aside from the well, you know what I'm I'm streaming on Twitch a lot, So if you don't know that, check me out there Twitch dot com, slash Open, Underscore, Mike Underscore, Egle. I'm doing it a lot.

Oh cool.

So I need to let people know.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's the that's the hardest part of this job.

That's the part.

What kind of a narcissist lets people know they're doing things. Thank you so much for being on.

Thanks for having me.

You've been listening to Do You Need a Ride? D y n Are. This has been an Exactly.

Right production, produced by Annalise Nelson, mixed by Edson Choi. Our talent booker is Patrick Coottner.

Theme song by Karen Kilgarrett.

Artwork by Chris Fairbanks. Follow the show on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook at dinar podcast That's d y nar Podcast.

For more information, go to Exactly Rightmedia dot com.

Thank you, Oh You're welcome.

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