One of my first friends in Greenville comedy, Tommy Donovan is a standup comic, small business owner, husband, and father of 4. After nearly 50 years of real-life experience seeking the answers to life’s biggest questions, all Tommy has come up with is…more questions. By day Tommy’s does home inspections, and runs the Home Pros Radio Show. In a past life, Tommy was the mascot of both the USC Gamecocks and Sir Purr of the Carolina Panthers. Tommy is an avid fan and student of comedy. In today’s e...
Jun 20, 2022•1 hr 47 min•Season 1Ep. 59
Today we welcome Aaron Quillen to the show. Our first ever legally blind guest, Aaron is affectionately known by many in the Greenville Comedy Scene as “Blind Aaron.” He describes himself as the potato of comedy (because neither can see). He’s also a father, veteran, and all-around piece of sh**. By day, Aaron works as a massage therapist. On stage, Aaron delivers material based from his one-of-a kind perspective…including parenting, massage, sex, etc. In today’s interview, we discuss real estat...
Jun 13, 2022•2 hr 27 min•Season 1Ep. 58
Ladies and gentlemen…Liz Parke is on the show. Born in the mean streets of upper middle class suburbia Connecticut, Liz moved to Greenville in 2020 after spending 9+ years in New York City. By day, Liz works as an executive assistant to a GVL CEO. She entered the comedy scene in February of 2021. On stage she vents about culture shock in the south, dating, and horrors of driving her own car. Liz has a sarcastic, snarky, and confident delivery that makes her a natural at standup, even from her fi...
Jun 06, 2022•1 hr 26 min•Season 1Ep. 57
We recorded our first group episode with Ben Jennings, Bill Riner, and Jacob Noland. This was probably a mistake. I promise everyone means well, but maybe don’t listen if you’re easily offended All 3 of these guys are really funny and have been guests on the show previously. You can catch all of them on stage performing weekly in Greenville at the Comedy Zone. In this episode we talk about if Jerry Seinfeld is funny, Roe v. Wade, Jacob’s mom, and more. Hope you enjoy! #standup #podcast Follow Ou...
May 31, 2022•1 hr 43 min•Season 1Ep. 56
‘On a cold night in December 1994, a little round mound of chocolate was born by the name of Christian Williams. Christian then slowly grew into an average sized chocolate man who is also an improv and stand up comedian.’ His humor can be described as light hearted and silly. He’s also an expert in writing his own podcast intros. Christian has been doing comedy going on 4 years. I met him the Art Bar Open Mic in Columbia (Tuesdays @ 8:30PM), where he’s one of the local favorites. On stage, he’s ...
May 23, 2022•51 min•Season 1Ep. 55
We finally got Ben Jennings on the podcast. Ben is a local Greenville comic, and good friend of mine. By day, Ben’s an automotive engineer. When he’s on stage, he’s polished, dark, and also weird as hell (he was homeschooled, and loves Caillou for some reason). He started standup a few years ago, and now hits mics every week in GVL. I don’t know what else to put because it’s 1AM as I’m writing this. Sorry this isn’t a better summary Ben. I think it’s good enough though; we had a great interview....
May 16, 2022•2 hr 21 min•Season 1Ep. 54
Our guest this week is Ellen Williams. Big congratulations to Ellen for graduating with her Masters degree in Education this spring! She recently (like yesterday) moved to Orlando, FL where she will be continuing her post graduate career. Originally from Rock Hill, SC, Ellen began doing open mic comedy last September at the Art Bar in Columbia, SC, and she’s been in love with standup ever since. Prior to graduating, Ellen worked as the supervisor of RA’s at a university in SC. In today’s intervi...
May 09, 2022•1 hr 58 min•Season 1Ep. 53
Today I interview Lane Wilson. She is a transplant to South Carolina from Austin. Lane is a trophy wife whose hobbies include competitive lawn maintenance, hostile Facebook shaming, and cooking. After (unintentionally) making people laugh for over 50 years, Lane began doing open mic comedy in January of 2019. Lane appeared in “Take Five”, a play presented by the Oconee Community Theatre. With little or no acting experience, Lane hoped to parlay this opportunity into a lucrative movie contract. L...
May 02, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 52
Bill Riner is back. One of our local favorites, Bill has been on the standup comedy scene for just over a year now. He’s one of our quirkiest comics, to put it mildly. Bill is an avid fan of Batman, and his comedy is a mix of absurd sexual topics, comic books, his cat, and movie ideas. By day, Bill works as a tailor at a bridal shop, and by night he’s either on stage or creating content for his Instagram and TikTok followers (be sure to catch his patented “Toast Reviews”). In this interview, Bil...
Apr 25, 2022•2 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 51
David Koechner joins us for the 50th Episode of the podcast. David is best known for his roles as Todd Packer from the Office and Champ Kind from Anchorman 1 & 2. Off camera David is incredibly generous and down to earth. We sat down backstage before his last weekend show at the Greenville Comedy Zone. In this interview, we talk about the progression of his career, The Office, SNL, Norm MacDonald, and more. He also shares candid advice for anyone trying to make it in the entertainment indust...
Apr 18, 2022•29 min•Season 1Ep. 50
Whitney Rayner is back :). Whitney is one of our favorite comics who started standup in Greenville, SC. Now she is living in LA, working in advertising by day, and doing standup at night. In this episode, Whitney and I catch up about her LA transition, we trade heckler stories, she updates us on her relationship status, and a lot more. If you haven’t already, please follow Whitney at the links below, and I hope you enjoy our interview. #standup #podcast Follow Our Guest: https://www.instagram.co...
Apr 11, 2022•2 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 49
On this episode, I interview Brent Pella. Brent is a stand-up comedian and newest cast member of Nick Cannon’s Wild N’ Out season 16. Brent’s comedy sketches, celebrity impressions, and parody music videos have gained more than 100 million views online and have been featured on MTV, Funny or Die, BroBible, Worldstar HipHop and more. Brent puts out new comedy videos to his channel weekly, and also runs a podcast (see @ links below). I met Brent while he was headlining at the Comedy Zone here in G...
Apr 04, 2022•40 min•Season 1Ep. 48
Adam Schulte is back! On this episode, we’re glad to have Adam as our first ever recurring guest. Adam is a fixture of local Greenville Comedy. He has been doing standup for nearly 10 years since moving here from West Virginia. He’s our favorite driving-gun-wielding, Muay Thai training, PS5 buying, cat dick joking, southern Jew. Adam’s a good friend of mine, and one of the first people to encourage me to do standup. He runs a weekly open mic at the Radio Room, and has brought up dozens of new co...
Mar 28, 2022•2 hr 49 min•Season 1Ep. 47
On this episode of “I did this instead of killing myself”, I interview Kyle O’Renn. Kyle is a new comic on the Greenville scene, and he’s already making an impact. He’s been doing standup for 5 months, and just got booked on his first show w/Mr. Ken Wood @ the Inchoate Art Gallery, with many more to come. Kyle is a dad and soon to be granddad. He’s a retired drug dealer and self-described “hood nerd.” In this interview, Kyle attempts to explain Anime to me, we talk about Donald Trump, Bill Clint...
Mar 21, 2022•1 hr 59 min•Season 1Ep. 46
On this episode of “I did this instead of killing myself”, I interview Nestor Luis Vazquez. Born in Puerto Rico, Nestor has been doing comedy since 2020. He currently lives in Columbia, SC and regularly performs alongside the Certified Comics T.Link, Michael Garrick, and Mr. DaWayne Nettles. You can find him performing and/or hosting at The Joint on Mondays downtown Columbia or at The Comedy House. In this interview we talk bout Nestor’s skills with the ladies, his experience driving cross count...
Mar 14, 2022•1 hr 38 min•Season 1Ep. 45
On this episode of “I did this instead of killing myself”, I interview Jordan Ballard. Jordan is a 23 year old comedian out of Charlotte North Carolina. Jordan is hilarious…I don’t remember laughing as hard in any other interview as I did in this one. We talked about taboo words & topics in comedy, Jordan’s experience as a football player in middle school (he wore #69), his idea for a movie titled, “Big D Baby” – a crime fighting superhero baby, and a lot more. *Warning* - This interview con...
Mar 07, 2022•1 hr 43 min•Season 1Ep. 44
On this episode of “I did this instead of killing myself”, I interview Jas Gill. Jas is my favorite. She’s hilariously funny, always supportive, and extremely talented. If you haven’t followed her yet, you need to. Jas lives in Greenville and has been doing standup comedy for 5 years, and is now one of the top comics in the area. She performs at the Greenville Comedy Zone and on shows across the upstate and beyond. Most recently, she showcased on Kenan Thompson’s Ultimate Comedy Experience in At...
Feb 28, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 43
On this episode of “I did this instead of killing myself”, I interview Jake Kelley. Jake is an actor based out of Atlanta. I met him when he was working as a bartender and just beginning his acting career. In 2022, Jake landed a major role on season 2 of the HBO Series, “The Righteous Gemstones” starring Danny McBride, John Goodman, and John DeVine, playing ‘The Maniac Kid’ in episode 1. Jake is originally from Birmingham, Alabama and is now working & studying acting at SCAD in Atlanta. In t...
Feb 21, 2022•2 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 42
On this episode of "I did this instead of killing myself", I interview Dan Danner. Dan is one of a kind…currently living in Columbia, SC, Dan is a Dutch American, or American Dutchman, whichever you prefer. He tells jokes, and occasionally sings songs and plays the guitar. Dan is always wildly entertaining and unpredictable. Dan has lived and performed standup in Los Angeles, Miami, Savannah, and Amsterdam. He also was once a paid regular at the famous Comedy Store in Los Angeles, and passed by ...
Feb 14, 2022•2 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 41
On this episode of “I did this instead of killing myself,” I interview Cody Hughess. Cody is a comedian from Asheville, NC. He’s lived and done standup in Chicago and Atlanta. A lot of comedians like him, and a lot of other comedians have heard good things about him from comedians who like him. A few comedians don’t like him, and he can’t do anything about that. Oh well. He has opened for Lewis Black, John Oliver, Maria Bamford, and many others. This is the last time I’m letting a comedian write...
Feb 07, 2022•1 hr 55 min•Season 1Ep. 40
On this episode of "I did this instead of killing myself", I interview Jacob Noland. Jacob is one of the newest comics in the Greenville scene, and he’s a complete savage. By that I mean he’s a vicious roaster and joke writer, and nothing/no one is off limits (he’s actually a very nice guy, I swear lol). Jacob is 24 years old from a small town in rural South Carolina. By day, Jacob works in sales. His hobbies include golf and pool. He says his goal is to one day be as good with women as Bill Rhi...
Jan 31, 2022•2 hr 13 min•Season 1Ep. 39
On this episode of “I did this instead of killing myself,” I interview Rhys Folke. Rhys is a Charelston, SC / California based stan- up comedian. He’s currently a Junior in college at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. In a paradoxical twist, he is also a student of Theology. His podcast “Ramblings of a Mad Guy” streams on Spotify and Apple Podcasts (see links below). In this interview, Rhys and I discuss Buddhism, meditation/vivid hallucination, the comedy scene in LA, and a lot more. ...
Jan 24, 2022•2 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 38
On this episode of “I did this instead of killing myself,” I interview Rory O’Connor. Rory is a 21 year old engineering student from New Jersey who started stand-up when he moved to Greenville for a summer internship. He’s a self proclaimed music nerd fascinated by history, world language, and classic literature. Rory is also passionate about self care in the form of global cooking, meditation, fitness, and fasting. In other words, he’s a renaissance man at only 21 with a bright future ahead of ...
Jan 17, 2022•2 hr 44 min•Season 1Ep. 37
On this episode of “I did this instead of killing myself,” I interview Leah Lynn. Leah is one of my favorite people I’ve met in standup. She’s based in Charlotte, NC and has performed in Charlotte, Greenville, New York, Myrtle Beach, and other venues throughout the south east. Leah placed 3rd at the Comedy Cabana Open Mic competition last fall, and continues to impress wherever she goes. On this episode, Leah shares her advice on finding happiness, relationships, her experience in standup, her b...
Jan 10, 2022•2 hr 18 min•Season 1Ep. 36
On this episode of “I did this instead of killing myself”, I interview Brandon Rainwater. Brandon is one of the most successful standup comics in Greenville. He began standup about 8 years ago, and has performed all around the south east. Recently, he’s started touring nationally with social media and standup celebrity Ginger Billy, giving Brandon a wider reach and growing presence on social media. When he’s not on tour, Brandon hosts and performs regularly at the Comedy Zone downtown Greenville...
Dec 20, 2021•1 hr 58 min•Season 1Ep. 35
On this episode of “I did this instead of killing myself,” I interview Travis Thuband. Travis is one of the most tenured comics in Greenville - 2022 marks his 10th year doing standup. If you’ve ever seen Travis on stage, you know he’s wildly funny, talented, and unpredictable. In addition to comedy, Travis also produces music for the Nasty Hooks: a genre-defying, provocative, group putting out songs with…nasty hooks. The podcast intro features one of their songs, and be sure to check out the res...
Dec 13, 2021•1 hr 56 min•Season 1Ep. 34
On this episode of “I did this instead of killing myself,” I interview Atlanta based comedian, Alex Turner. I met Alex through another friend and former podcast guest, Matt Addy. Alex has been doing Standup comedy for about 8 months, and just got booked on his first show. Alex has a quirky likability on and off stage, and I love his joke writing, which spans everything from canned oxygen to babies in strollers to St. Jude’s kids. On this episode Alex shares his true feelings for Queen Momo, we d...
Dec 06, 2021•2 hr 24 min•Season 1Ep. 33
On this episode of “I did this instead of killing myself,” I interview Colin Keane. Colin has been doing sketch and standup comedy in Greenville for the better part of a decade. He is a smart guy, with a dry sense of humor, and he hates the Broadway musical Cats…a lot. Colin’s day job focuses on the stage: he is a lighting engineer, and he specializes in all technical aspects of lighting for all types of stage productions in venues around town. He has toured around the country doing lighting as ...
Nov 29, 2021•2 hr 50 min•Season 1Ep. 32
On this episode of “I did this instead of killing myself,” I interview Travis “T.Link” Lincoln. T.Link is one of my favorite friends from the Columbia, South Carolina stand-up scene. He began his comedy career auditioning for Wild Out Columbia, a spin off from the popular Wild ‘N Out show on MTV. Within only a few years, T.Link has opened for comedian Steve Brown of Comic View, comedian/actor Ryan Davis, and comedian/actor/radio personality George Wilborn. T.Link is a regular feature and host at...
Nov 22, 2021•1 hr 51 min•Season 1Ep. 31
On this episode of “I did this instead of killing myself,” I interview Robert Taylor. Robert is a former U.S. Marine, basketball coach, teacher, triathlete, and now stand-up comedian based in Columbia, South Carolina. Robert has competed in more than 30 Ironman distances races, while qualifying for, and participating in multiple Ironman World Championships. Robert’s style of comedy is dark, edgy, dry, and hilarious. He spends a lot of time writing jokes that span race, religion, current events, ...
Nov 15, 2021•1 hr 39 min•Season 1Ep. 30
