It's nice size.
Boston's news radio. Welcome back Tangwae filling it for Ray Tonight. Thanks a lot, we appreciate it.
Six seven two thirty is a telephone number joining us right now is one of the great guys. Uh Tony V is our guest. He's hot off a huge gig.
What did you do? Just take the private plane back back from Vegas.
Yes, that's exactly what happened. I'm on the ninety three noise coming from the Sons of Italy and Quincy one of the others, you know.
The Sons of Italy, Hall and Rumford, Maine where I grew up, which you've probably played at one point.
Gary, you know, I know he said we weren't going to do bits or anything, but I actually have a bit about the Rumford, Maine Sons of Italy. We're here. I get a call and someone says to me, don't want to work the Sons of Italy and Rumford.
May you're kidding me?
And I go, no, no, And this is nearly a true story. I mean it's ninety eight percent true, okay, And and I go, no, that that'd be fine. I've you know, those people need to be entertained, and so that's not the weird price. Then they go, do you need the address? And I go, no, I've been there a bunch.
The Sons of Italy Hall, which I think my uncle, my uncle Frank Geronda belonged to. Yeah, the son of it, across the across the doorway, it was Sons of Italy. It was like all one word. They didn't have any spaces in between the words. That's what I just remember.
Yeah, and let's be honest, how many Sons of Italy are there in and maybe your uncle and his buddies.
Well, no, here's the thing Tony is. It's not like the North End. Okay, I'm not going to tell you that, but I will say this. Rumford was a milltown where a lot of immigrants came to work. So you had an Italian section which was Smith Crossing, and of course the baseball field at the time was called the Spaghetti Bowl. And I was right across from the Suns of Italy. And then so you had the I mean, it's crazy,
but my mother was Irish. The Irish lived in one section, the Italians lived in another section, the French lived in another section.
Hell Tony, I assume you're Catholic. Rumford was so get a load of this.
Rumford had a French Catholic church on one side of the street, and right across the other stride of the street, I swear to God was an Irish Catholic church.
Sure of course we can't be mixing those two Catholics.
And when my uncle married who was Irish, married my aunt who was French, his father said, oh my god, it was blasphemy. Why don't you marry one of your own?
That's how crazy it was, aren't you glad we lived through that?
Oh my god? I mean it was crazy.
Nuts Tony, I want to I want to talk about, like why all you guys are great, Like, you know, you're funny as hell, Lenny's funny as hell, Sweeney Rogerson, you know, Donnie Gavin, and then of course Dennis Leary he's Worcester, but will include him, Uh, we'll let him slide, like Burr Leno, Stephen Wright. What is it about Boston or this area that generates great comics?
Well, I think you know, for the very reasons we've been hinting at. Is you know this Boston's like a microcosm of the whole world. In a very condensed area, you know what I mean, Like, like everything you just said about Rumford, Maine is exactly the same as here in Boston, where we have you know, and we're separated geographically, so you can dump on any other part of the
city and have somebody laugh about it, you know. And everyone you just mentioned, we all came from similar backgrounds, you know, working class, probably the first generation of you know, my mother was born in Italy, my dad was from Portugal, and uh, you know, so I think we all grew up with a crip on our shoulders.
What I'm trying to say, Gary, Yeah, but you but it's but like, okay, it's very do you think let me ask you this then, do you think you can teach somebody to be funny.
Or do you just have to have the gene in order to to move on and do what you did?
You know? It's it's a you know, I've I have uh done stand up classes before, and I am uh I say right up front, like, look, I can't make you funny, but if it's in there, I can drag it.
Out of you, right, you know.
You know, so I think you just I think it comes from you know, uh have an a skewed view of the world and not taking it off too seriously.
Well, it also comes from as it also comes from pain. I mean, we understand that, you know, Oh yeah, yeah, So why.
Do you do it?
I listen when when I was on a completely different path. I you know, I am college into the comedy connection many many years ago, and I met the guys who would you know started you know, I thought eons before me. It was actually about six or eight months, you know, I found I found my tribe. I said to myself, I can't believe that I've met a bunch of people
who think like me. Because in the in the other in my other world, it was like people would look at me and go, what why would you joke about that? And I go, because that's how I cope, you know, And I think that a lot of it became a coping mechanism.
That's how I's how that's how I.
Come, that's how I cope, That's how I try to make sense of it by making fun of it. And oftentimes we end up making fun of stuff that's very data to us, you know, and people don't understand that. That's why I get mad when people you know, try to uh, you know, cancel people or whatever for saying the wrong things. It's just our coping method. That's really all it is.
You You sometimes you joke about the things that can hurt you the.
Most, that can hurt you the most, therefore you take the power away from it.
Wow, exactly, that's yeah.
Do you talk about that in your class or is that just something that happens Yeah?
Yeah, No, I mean I try to point that out, like it's funny. I've taught or mentored a couple of people who are on the spectrum.
You know, yeah and yeah the man Yeah, And.
They come in and it's like, well, I'm doing this you know too, you know, to try to show people that, you know that I'm I'm regular, I'm normal, whatever phrase they use. And I always say to them, no, no, no, lean into it. That's what makes you unique, that's what that's what colors your world. That's what your point of view is, and it's and it's needed and necessary from people that understand it.
Well, Amy Schumer, have you met her?
Yeah?
I did a movie with Amy Schumer.
Oh which one did you do?
I did? I feel pretty oh right?
Okay?
With Oh God, was what the guy from SNL and at Bill who did Barry?
I can't remember anyways, I digressed, but but.
But but I played, I was I was the uh dry cleaner in that.
Her husband is. She's talked about this.
I mean, it's part of the reality show, right, Her husband is on the spectrum and.
Or on the spectrum. And he's a chef.
Yeah, he's a chef. He's a great chef. And she says he's hilarious.
Yes, yeah, And I don't know why people want to deny that. I don't understand, you know, coming from my perspective, Why would you want to deny the thing that makes you funny? Why?
Right? Right?
Because she says he because he speaks the truth and there's no filter and there's no filter and she goes and he is just simply hilarious. So that's an interesting take. Tony, we're just getting started. We got a lot of we got a lot more to do. Tony v is with us. We're talking about just comedy in general, talking about his life, economy. I got a ton of stuff to talk to him about, including his big appearance on Seinfeld when he looked like he was like seventeen years old. That's all coming up
on wbz's night Side. Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World Nightside Studios on WBZ News Radio, Gary Tangway for Danton and I talking about his life in comedy. Tony v is joining us, and I want to tell you my brief experience with stand up.
You get it.
I tried it because I did two open mics. Okay, I did two open mics, and this is god. I was in my twenties. I was doing some sports radio. And what a lot of people don't know is when I got out of college, I was doing sports. And I love acting, as you know, because we've been actually you've seen each other on the sets and stuff. I love acting, but sports was always I got opportunities to do it, and I made money and I was able to live.
A very good life and it was easy. You know, it was fun. Yeah, it was good at it. You know, you came out, you did the show with us and stuff.
But you know, I've always written I love acting, and so when I was trying to figure it out, I bounced back and forth through New York. I went down and took some classes in New York at HB Studios and stuff in my twenties, you know, when they said find your inner animal. Ever done that Tony in an acting class?
Find your inner animal? Like roll around on a floor like a wolf.
So I, oh, there you go, Okay, same deal. So I said, you know, I'm going to just try to stand up because I just wanted to try it. And I, as they say, I did something at Remington's an open mic at Remington's by the Alleys.
Yeah, yeah, did Darty's room, the Comedy Vault.
And I did like ten minutes and I killed Tony. I killed, really I did. But and then I did another one at the Conquered Inn in Conquered Mass, different different crowd. I crashed and burned, hard bombed. And it was one of those nights where you know they had a guy playing the guitar. It was like it was like it was like not just comedy.
Yeah, they were doing poetry, you know, any right of it.
But what it did teach me though, was I didn't I didn't. I didn't want to put into work like I was like, okay. Because I talked to some guys that night. It was very I mean guys would like notebooks, notebooks of material.
I mean just So how did you start?
It's listen, you you hit on a very important topic there, which is its work. And that's where we usually lose people. It's not just getting up and talking. It's getting up and tugging with the desired effect, which is laughter. And once people realize it's work, and you've got to sit in clubs, and you got to hang around, and you've got to be ready at a moment's notice in case somebody candles and you get five minutes to while they you know, they can find somebody else to do it.
You know, it's a dedication to stupidity that most people don't want to deal with.
How did.
Once they find out it's worked? That's where we lose people, because it's it's not it's not just I get I get up there and talking people laugh at me. It's not I wish it were that easy, you know. And you're all as good as your last set. Nobody cools about what you did the night before.
Nobody, Well, uh, Norm McDonald's book. Did you ever work with Norm?
I worked when I worked with Nor McDonald a lot and had the utmost respect for him.
Yeah.
Well, my buddy and I we were close to put as you know, we were trying to put together a movie and it was about a TV It involved a TV anchorman. It's not anchor man, folks, but it was a TV sportscaster.
Who loses his job. Uh.
And anyway, so I met We met with Norm at the at the casino up in Hampton, you know, and we talked for like an hour and a half after a show and he had like three red bulls at like eleven.
O'clock at night.
I'm like Jesus, say you're gonna sleep, and you know, and we were talking and I also read his book and he and he said sometimes it would take six months to figure out the best way to tell a joke.
Oh, easily, it can take that easily.
You know.
What's the process? What do you do? Tony?
Well, you know I tell people this all the time. There's an old saying about someone was tigging to a sculptor. Yes, And they say, how do you sculpt an elephant? And he says, well, I look at a block of stone and I take away everything that's not an elephant.
Okay, that makes sense, yes, And it's.
The same with with jokes or a bit. You start out with like you know the thought, and you start out with a story about that thought, and then as you find the wording to it, you find out the points that hit that get the laugh, that that make the joke and the smallest amount of time so you condense everything. And sometimes it takes work and work and work to find the right wording. And sometimes a joke can hinge on a you know, a word or a
phrase or a pause. You know, one thing I tell my students all the time is, you know how you say. What you say is important as what you say.
Have you ever given up on a joke?
Sometimes? I you know, I'm pretty stubborn. If I think it's funny, I will work it until I uh find a way to make it palatable for the audience. And uh, it can it can be painful because you can be having a good set then you go, I'll throw something out and then it give high flat and you go, oh boy, now I got to go try something else.
You know.
Uh.
I did a brand new piece tonight and it went fairly well, you know, so so I'm now I'm jazzed about that piece and I'll find it. I'll find a way to make that work, you know.
Uh, how do you deal with bombing.
You gotta you know, uh, you gotta just realize it's not it's not you. They're rejecting. It was this that set that night. You know, you can't take it too persons only.
Well, that's what I think makes you decide whether you want to go on out like I Okay, so I bombed at the Conquered In.
Like, so if we go back and we analyze that.
Okay, So I I was funny at Remington's for ten minutes, for ten minutes, which how long is you're set?
An hour?
I did? I just did about fifty minutes.
Yeah, okay, so.
Like I'm doing ten minutes like to write, and I'll ask you, I'll get to how long it takes to do to come up with fifty minutes. But like so, and then I go to the Conquered In and I bomb, and I say, you know, I don't want to do this.
I just don't. I don't want to put in the work.
But if I was a comedian, I would go, well, okay, it's the concored in. You know, they're drinking, they're you know, it's a different crowd. It's them, not me.
Different crowd, right, right, so I would.
Go like Larry Miller, like, Larry, did you ever work with Larry Miller?
I did work as Larry Miller. Yeah, yes, with him as well.
So Miller.
So he tells his story, right, he flies into some place like des Moines, Iowa. And and I say this with all respect, this is the story that he's dealing with. But and it was a state police convention. So he goes in and just before the police, just before they announce him, they do a moment of silence for a trooper who's for a trooper who's passed away. All due respect, all due respect to law enforcement. I mean, that's not
that's not funny. But his point was, Okay, we just did a moment of silence about a guy who passed away that these guys know. Now I got to go.
Out and be funny.
Oh sure.
And he's like I'm screwed, like I got no shot, you know what I mean. It's like, oh yeah, so you know, to me, if.
You come back from that, you want to do it like you you you know, you just that's that's that's that's that's the test.
Yeah, you don't want we're hinting at here, Garry it's a sickness more than anything else.
Yeah well no, yeahsted, Well you gotta be a little twisted.
But it's a lifestyle, not a job.
Yeah no, no, you have to buy into the lifestyle. And if you if you can't, I won't a don't, then your road's going to be long and windy.
Like.
But I also think go ahead to interrupted.
I was gonna say, I've had those moments. I've done charity events for like you know, uh, I won't say which children's hospital, but eight Children's hospital where I would I would say, like, whatever you do, please don't bring me up after the sick Kid video, right, you know, I know there's going to be a sick kid video because we had to raise buddy. But if we could just do something after that, And sure enough they show
the video. The screen's going up. Everybody's crying, including me, right, and they go and now the comedy stylings of Tony V and you know where you know what, And I just remember getting up on stage and going, hey, anybody want to strangle a puppy before I get started?
Oh my god, Oh yeah, you got it, Yeah, you got it.
You gotta run with it.
You gotta do something. Yeah, you gotta do something, you know, to let them know that, you know that you have to you know, you have to break that spell because it could be got awful. And I can't tell you how many times that's happened. It happens more times than I care to think.
About, you know.
And and the thing that people don't understand is everybody bombs leto everybody.
Yeah, everybody.
Everybody bombs at Sweeney's movie when Sweeney did it. You were funny as hell in that movie, by the.
Way, Sweeney killing Sweeney.
Yes funny. You guys are hilarious, you guys. And you had a lot of ad libs in that movie. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you were funny as hell. So after there was like a I don't know, I mean, but like I talked to you and you you just I mean, you got the line You're just funny.
You know.
I did a movie like I'm gonna really name drop here, but this past spring, uh Ella McKay.
Which is coming out next spring.
Uh.
James L.
Brooks directed I Get to play a Senator. So for a week, Yeah, for a week, I'm on the set with Jamie Lee Curtis and Albert Brooks.
Oh Oh my god.
Dude, I got and this she's gonna be a star. Her name is Emma Mackie. She was one of the barbies, but she's a star of this. So and you know, with with James L. Brooks, he shoots everything. I mean, he takes forever. He takes for ever, but he can because he's James L. Brooks. And and then of course you know I have I have like two lines and so but I'm there for the week because he just
you don't know what he's gonna do. So I we get in the van and I got you gotta say, and Albert Brooks jumps in with us, and I'm like, oh my god, this is Albert Brooks. Like, I mean, dude, legend right and like you and like all these guys like Lenny or whatever. We're driving and he's just he's commenting on on different people along the way. And I could have said the same thing he's saying and no one would laugh. But he says it, and and and I don't think it's like, oh it's Albert Brooks.
I gotta laugh. I mean he was.
Like like when we went through securities, all he goes, oh my god, security, He goes if he goes, you know, he said something like, if we were a bunch of terrorists, would be screwed. You know, it's just funny. So the point about Albert Brooks I want to make is I saw it. Did you see a special with rob Ryiner?
Oh? You got to watch it, Tony, you gonna It's on Netflix.
You got to watch it. You got to watch it. So he just like, you know, because he wasn't everybody's cup of tea.
And you know, he was a very strange cat, a very.
Strange cat, you know.
And and so Rhiner goes, you know, how did you handle it when people didn't laugh at you? Because he would keep going, and he said, I just believed that they were wrong and I was right, and eventually they would come around.
Yeah, that's the smartest thing I've ever heard.
It's arrogant as hell, but that's what, you know, because he was a little avant guard.
You know, he did different. He wasn't the mainstream.
No, No, I just I've seen old clips. I mean I remember seeing them in real time, but just recently seeing some old clips. And he was out there.
Oh yeah, like he does the talking the talking mind, you know.
Yeah, yeah, which he also did a ventriloquista where you know, his mouth was you know, he didn't pretend at all, right, he was a right right, Yeah, it was a little bit Andy.
Kaufman, Andy Kaufman another one. I never got him. I didn't get it. I didn't get it.
Not everyone does.
You know.
He was great on taxi, but the whole Tony whatever thing and the whole wrestling, Yeah, I didn't get it.
I was like, this isn't funny to me. Yeah, I don't know.
And I think that's what made it funny to him.
Right, you know Norman, Yeah, Norm was kind of like yeah, yeah.
And you know who else Larry David.
Larry David do you did you do you?
David would? I worked with him a characterizing star in the early days, and he would go up and sometimes purposely eat it just to see if we can get himself out of a hole.
Jezus, he's nuts. Yeah, if you wouldn't laugh, and he'd say, screw you, I'm leaving.
I'm leaving. Yeah, it walked all right.
I we got more, Tony, can.
You hang on?
Yes, I can do one more?
Break?
You got it all right, Tony V's we got more stuff coming up. Tony V.
Joining us talking about comedy. I have more questions for him on trying to be a comedian in today's day.
Na. That's next on WBZ.
You're on night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ Boston's news Radio. Thanks a lot, Al Gary tangling for Dan tonight up until midnight, Tony V. The Life of a Comedian, Joining us right now, Tony, how do you stay politically correct and don't get canceled?
Uh? You know, I try to stay away from the whole politics thing. H You know, I have my opinions, but you know, unless something is like a major story and I can find my spin on it, I don't. I don't. I leave it to people who know what they're doing. And you know, political stuff is uh for a love comic especially, it's rough because you know, most of that stuff is tackled every night by people who really know if they do it, you know, like like Kim O and Colbert and Bill Maher and stuff like that.
So I, I you know, sometimes you can you know something you're passionate about something, it'll it'll bleed through. But you know, well I'll tell you, let me tell you My only one political sort of thing right. This second is that I find odd and worth mentioning, is that the Department of Government Efficiency. Yeah, has two heads.
All you have to say is Department of Government Efficiency. And I laughed, Oh my god, it's oxy moron.
Charge.
Yeah, let's see, did I do we lose Tony? He's still with us?
Okay, I'm still here.
Okay, cool kid. How did you end up on Seinfeld?
That was a weird circum was out there in l a Uh. I did the nineties a fair number of guest spots on uh sitcoms, sink and you know, things that were popular at the time. Uh Unhappily, ever after I did a couple of episodes of that. And so I was reading for something and someone had seen me at the the Laugh Factory. The guy that was the talent coordinator for Seinfeld, just by coincidence, had seen me do a Tuesday night set at the Laugh Factory, and I was reading for something else. I think I was
reading for Boston Legal or whatever that show. You know, it was a drama and it was quite right to me or whatever. But Simeon was in the same complex. They're in the same bungalow, you know, and I'm sitting there going over my line for Boston Legal and this, you know, the casting director comes by and he goes, hey, didn't I just see you on Tuesday night? I go, I was there, blah blah blah, and he goes, hey, when you're done here, come around the corner. We have
something I think you might be right for. So I go, okay, you know, it was literally that quick. Then I finished up the audition there and realized that, you know, it went okay, and they go, you know, we'll call you blah blah blah. And then I go around the corner. They tell me to sit, They give me the lines. I go in. Everybody's eating lunch, you know, they you know, because they're working straight through, and you know, I do it and they go ahead, that was good. Could you
wait outside? And I go yeah, And I'm sitting there, and then more guys go in and they come out and they leave, and then eventually I'm sitting there by myself, you know, and I go, this is either really good or really.
Bad, right right right.
There's something going on that's leaving me the only one in here. And then literally they came out and they go, go, move your can a lot. We're gonna start rehearsing.
Fantastic. That's a thrill. That's a thrill.
Yeah. It was great. It was great and one of the one of the happiest sets I've ever been on. I mean they were everybody was. I mean, they were on top of the world. You know, they were heaven. You know. They would have a Sunday wagon come on a Tuesday afternoon on a Sunday.
Yeah, who doesn't, Oh no kidding. I was on an Adam Sandler set.
I was on an Adam Sandler set once, and they literally they brought around banana splits or Sundays or something.
I'm like, yeah, ok, god, what's going on?
Yeah? Yeah, yeah, it was a whole Sunday cut. I remember it all right.
Final question, Tony, and I know you gotta go. Who is the best stand up comic in your opinion ever.
Ever, other than yourself? Is it Carlin? Is it Carlin? Is it Prior?
I'm gonna say, I'm gonna say Prior. I love I loved Carlin too. I go back to Lenny Bruce as the like the five of what we end up doing, right, you know what I mean? Like without Lenny Bruce, I couldn't be doing what I'm doing right, There's no doubt about it. But for pure just enjoyment and moving the art form along. I gotta go.
Pryor he was.
Something else man. Yeah, I mean unbelievable, just unbelievable. Tony thanks for joining us. We know you work tonight, You're up late. I know you need, you need your sleep.
I gotta I got it. You know you don't maintain beauty like this on six hours sleep.
That's it, kid, you go, Tony C. Thanks for joining Tony V Ye Tony C played for the Red Sox.
Tony V. Thanks buddy, by the way, any time.
I appreciate it, Buddy, take care bye, Okay, we'll see you later. He's one of the great ones. He's just such a good guy, just a really good guy.
Uh.
Steven Aha jameson Rhode Island. You guys are gonna wrap up the show for me. Coming up next to you on WBZ.
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World Nice Side.
Studios on WBZ News Radio special.
Thanks to Tony V for joining us.
You worked tonight, uh and was kind enough to take some time and to talk to us about the life of comedy man. It's a special talent. I think it's the most difficult talent out there. It takes years months to write a set. I mean you you know you hear Mark Maron has talked about it. Nor McDonald's talked about it. Tony says, sometimes longer than six months to write a joke, to write a whole set fifty minutes, six months, seven months, eight months, that months a year,
and you got to do it every day. And the great ones make it look easy. I think it's harder than singing. I think it's harder than acting. I think it's the toughest art for him. Before we say so long, let's grab some calls. Stephen theahot has been waiting. Steve, you're up on wbz's night.
Side, Hey, or how are you doing?
What's up? Steve? How you doing?
Would it help you to know that I was driving home from the game when I heard.
You, Steve in the hot Steve, what's up though? How you doing it?
I'm doing great, great to hear you. But I was driving and I heard her I'm a button pusher. I heard Tony be on and I just want to say something about Tony V. Not only is he ridiculously talented, but he is an incredibly good guy, and I think when he's on stage that comes across. So I think that the audience is predisposed. Once you like the guy, you're predisposed to liking the material. You want to like the material, and then Tony he delivers the material as well.
But I think, you know, you can't divorce the two. I think with him because he is such a good guy. When he talks about the charity things. I have friends that run charity stuff and they always want to get Tony v because he never mails it in and he gives you a performance every freaking time. I've seen him a billion times. I'm sure you have two.
Yeah, I mean, Steve, and I know you're a fan of comedy in writing too and so forth. And I just remember him when he used to, you know, do the big old thing. You know, I can't even remember what Glenn did. The whole banquet, oh god, oh the whinies. I mean, he was great, he hosted that. He was great, you know. And you're right, he is just a good guy. There's there's no doubt about it. He's he's a good dude.
He's a good dude, so our Celtics tonight's game, Uh, give me your thoughts, because I had it on in here in the studio watching him, and I thought, Okay, the Bucks maybe you know, they had a slow start, but maybe they're going to make a statement tonight. So what'd you think of the end final six minutes Celtics took over.
Huh you're telling me that you were watching the game while you were working. That was That's unprofessional.
Yeah, it's totally unprofessional. You know what. I've been brainwashed. It's just the way it is.
Well, you're just a good multitasker.
Well, yeah, you have to be, kid, But boy, what a game tonight.
Down the stretch there was the Celtics had started to go to isoball, which was hurting them, and all of a sudden, the ball started moving. I just tweeted out about an hour and a half hour ago or so that people are going to look at Jason Tatum's fourteen points in the last quarter, but the three assists he had down the stretch were huge.
Yep.
And that's the point of stuff that, you know, that makes a team like the Celtics, with the depth and the talent they have, it makes a team like the Celtics unguardable.
No, you're absolutely right.
You know, people could talk about, you know, the Warriors in Minnesota and and and I felt bad for Tatum because for people who don't appreciate the game, the fact that he didn't shoot well in the finals last year, I was like, what are you talking about? The guy he got defensive rebounds. He was unbelievable. He was a complete team player, and that just I hope he's appreciated.
He and Jason and sy Jalen Brown should have by all rights split the finals. MVP agreed because teams in the past had loaded up on Tatum and he didn't handle it well. But the fact he did handle it well in the finals and through all the playoffs and added that to his game made him. I think it took him to another level as a player. And trust me,
the people inside the NBA know it. I mean, the Celtics lost to the Warriors two years prior because you know, they ganged up on him and they made him bring you loading up on him because he was bringing the ball to the floor and took him in the Celtics out of the game in a lot of ways, Celtics should have won that series, those finals. But the growth and his game is what you know, was huge in them winning the championship last year. But I wanted to talk about Tony Z.
Yeah, I know.
Well come on, Steve, I had to. I just I had to grab your opinion.
Dude. Thank you so much, have a great holiday and thanks.
For calling Gary b Well, okay, bro, all right.
You got it, Steve, take care of yourself. All right, let's go to James and Rhode Island. James, you're up on WBZ.
How are you any buddy? Well, see from the Haunt. That's gotta be Steve Bullpatten.
Well it is, and I didn't.
I didn't want to out him, but he's the great pat, the legendary basketball writer for years with the Herald.
I'll out him anytime. This is James Montgomery from the band, a good friend to Tony V's. I just want to agree with you that it is the most difficult job in show business. You know, I've had a band for fifty three years. I can't have a bad night because I've got four other musicians up there who are playing along with me. But stand up comedians up there all alone and I remember an episode of Johnny Carton where Rodney Dangerfield is going. You know, Johnny, Johnny, you know
I bought a huge car. My wife's dress was in the back seat. But anyway, I remember him saying that even though people come to his nightclub to Dangerfields to see him, and he's told him the same material that goes over big one night and big the next night, but on a particular night, he bombs in his own nightclub with his own material and material that he knows that it works. It is the most difficult job and show business. And I love Tony V. He's a great guy.
And congratulations for him for continuing to deliver night in and night out.
James, I think I've talked to you before you did play in Roxbury, Maine, right, Yes.
I did, and I got burned by the promoter and I got paid in Moose Steaks.
I do remember the conversation Clytie Thomas, I played basketball with his son and Evelyn.
This is small town stuff.
Clytie Thomas and his wife Evelyn, which I think later became his ex wife. She was our high school. She ran the office at the high school. But James, I remember that, and I told you this before. I remember that concert you turn the whole area upside down.
I mean it was crazy.
It was like Woodstock for that small town. But anyways, it was crazy.
Yeah. And like I say, whether or not, there were two promoters. One claimed, the other guy left and I got paid in Moose Steak.
I remember that story. Just crazy. Hey, James, you have a nice holiday.
Tony be unbelievable, and I thank you for having Tony Beyond. He's one of my favorite comedians ever. And thanks for having me. And you also have a wonderful holiday.
Okay, you got it, James, We'll talk to you later.
I mean, you know, actually I remember that James Montgomery band played in Roxbury Main, which was on the other side of the mountain.
From where I grew up.
Now Roxbury Main probably has one hundred and twenty people in it, and I lived in a town called Fry, Maine at the time, which doesn't exist anymore, had eighty people in it. And Claudie Thomas's field was it's so crazy next to the Naps and the Naps. Richard Knapp was also our garbage man and I went to school with his. When the Montgomery Bank, everybody was like naked swimming in the Swift River. You swear to God like the growing up thought, like you know Satan was taking
over the town. Hilarious, Hall hilarious. And the fact that Clytie Thomas paid him in mistakes not surprised. Boy, that's a memory. Well, it's been a great show. Thanks for having me in, folks, I really appreciate it. Marita Laros a great job. Rob Brooks outstanding job as always, taking care of business. Dan is going to be back on Monday, I assume. So it was a blast talking. We'd like
to thank psychologist doctor Gregory Jance for joining us. Also, Boston Globe film critic Odie Henderson was a blast to talk to him about holiday movies and just hold in movies in general. Watch Conclave today, Man Ray fines unbelievable. And I didn't even get a chance to ask him what he thought about Wicked. I'm sure I can just google it and read his review. And thanks to the great Tony V for joining us right here on WBZ. So folks have a nice holiday, be safe, chill out,
be kind to one another. Turn I just turn off the politics every once in a while because Bill Flaherty he doesn't want you to turn off the news because that's WBZ, but just chill out on the politics once in a while. Okay, dance back next time, Rob, thanks for helping out. Good night from WBZ Dan Ratio