Let's Talk About Sets!

THE SETUP

Undeniably funny, whitely awkward Geoffrey Asmus joins us to explore THE SETUP in stand-up comedy. Like most things in life, the bulk of the work goes into setting things up. If the punchline is the slide, the setup is the stairs to the top. But what is the setup for a joke? Information? Structure? Misdirection? A wink? Any of the above? Is the setup the premise, or is a premise just a part of the setup? We explore these comedy nerd questions along with some setup structures, and we bitch about people getting upset at setups without waiting to hear the whole joke. We also dig into some of Geoffrey's and Harrison's material to talk about how they reworked their setups to make their jokes land, and we have a great time listening to and frog-dissecting material from two opposite ends of the stand-up spectrum: Rodney Dangerfield and Ari Shaffir.

ABOUT THE GUEST COMIC

Geoffrey was selected as a ‘New Face’ performer at Just For Laughs Montreal and was featured on FOX’s ‘Laughs’ and Kevin Hart’s LOL Network. He has also performed at the Laughing Skull, Bridgetown, Limestone and Boston comedy festivals and won 3rd place in Atlanta’s 2017 Laughing Skull festival. Geoffrey has opened for Brian Posehn, Aparna Nancherla, Todd Barry, Daniel Sloss and Alonzo Bodden among others. Geoffrey Asmus began performing stand-up in 2013 immediately after wasting $143,548 in college. Within a short time, Geoffrey won Comedy on State’s “Funniest Person in Madison 2015” and Penguin Comedy Club’s “Funniest Person in Iowa 2015,” both times beating out the guy who invented meth, Quentin.

FEATURED BITS ON THIS EPISODE

- Rodney Dangerfield - The Stars Salute the President (1981)

- Harrison Tweed - Musicians

- Geoffrey Asmus - A Joke About Soccer

- Ari Shaffir - The Chicken Bit (2015, Passive Aggressive)

OTHER LINKS MENTIONED:

- Laughing Skull Comedy Festival in Atlanta: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DZyLKL6mS4

- Twitter War: https://www.facebook.com/TwitterWarComedy/

- Geoffrey's weekly show in Brooklyn: https://www.facebook.com/Airplane-Mode-1047421245414364/

And a huge thanks to to our guest, Geoffrey Asmus!

FOLLOW GEOFFREY ASMUS:

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/geoffreyatm/

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/filthyson

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/filthyson

WEBSITE: http://www.whitecomedian.com/

SEE GEOFFREY LIVE: http://www.whitecomedian.com/shows

Special thanks to Rodney Dangerfield's single premise and Ari Shaffir's mind-boggling joke structure.

Oh Salt N' Peppa, our souls shall unite, and you'll see how much we love thee!

SUPPORT “Let’s Talk About Sets!”:

If you’re feeling grateful, consider sponsoring us on Patreon:

http://www.patreon.com/letstalkaboutsets

Or, if you want to send us a one-time tip to say thanks:

Venmo: https://www.venmo.com/Jeff-McBride

Paypal: [email protected]

AND PLEASE DO SHARE US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

https://www.facebook.com/letstalkaboutsets

https://www.twitter.com/letstalksets

https://www.instagram.com/letstalkaboutsets

CHECK OUT OUR LIVE COMEDY AT OUR CHIC, RENOVATED PERFORMANCE SPACE:

https://www.brickspotcomedy.com

CREDITS: For this episode, our sometimes editor and executive producer, Bobbi Jeanne Misick, has our heartfelt gratitude. She's absolutely wonderful to work with--she's punctual, highly skilled, communicates clearly and with a great sense of humor, and on top of all that, she's goodhearted gem of a human being and a good comic. Thank you Bobbi Jeanne!To find out more about this badass, go to https://bobbimisick.squarespace.com/about

JOKE THEORY (PART 2 of 2)

Harrison Greenbaum shows how he actually applies all his theories from part 1 of JOKE THEORY to his stand-up writing and performance. We go step-by-step through some of his best material, laughing and geeking out the whole way. It's fucking awesome, so just listen to it. But make sure you've heard part 1 first, ok? (I'm so cranky, I've been working through technical fuckery on this second half for days.)

ABOUT THE GUEST COMIC

Harrison Greenbaum been featured on America's Got Talent, Last Comic Standing, AXS.TV's Gotham Comedy Live, along with many other TV appearances. He's won numerous awards for his comedy, including the Andy Kaufman Award for creativity and originality in comedy, the Shorty Award from Comedy Central, and Best Emerging Comic from the New York Comedy Festival. He's got writing credits up the wazoo, performs in over 600 shows a year, and on top of all that, Harrison also saws doves in half and conjures flocks of women into the air as magic. Or something like that.

FEATURED BITS ON THIS EPISODE

- Harrison Greenbaum - Lightning Roy (Conan, 2018)

- Harrison Greenbaum - Excerpt from a performance in Jersey where he addresses some Trump supporters

- Harrison Greenbaum - Dead Dog (Gotham Comedy Club, 2018)

- Harrison Greenbaum - Gouverneur (Gotham Comedy Club, 2018)

HARRISON'S JOKE THEORY ARTICLES

http://harrisoncomedy-blog.tumblr.com/post/1005084660/the-secret-of-comedy-or-the-necktie-theory-of

http://harrisoncomedy-blog.tumblr.com/post/1353987057/why-we-laugh-or-joke-resonance-and-universal

http://harrisoncomedy-blog.tumblr.com/post/84849841005/the-twist-and-the-point-part-i-the-twist

http://harrisoncomedy-blog.tumblr.com/post/84940811000/the-twist-and-the-point-part-ii-the-point

And a huge thanks to to our guest, Harrison Greenbaum! What a mensch.

FOLLOW HARRISON GREENBAUM:

- INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/harrisoncomedy/

- TWITTER: https://twitter.com/harrisoncomedy

- FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/hrgreenbaum

- WEBSITE: http://www.harrisongreenbaum.com/

SEE HARRISON LIVE: http://www.harrisongreenbaum.com/tourdates.html

CHECK OUT HIS MAGIC: http://www.harrisonmagic.com/

And Salt N' Peppa, you complete my palate.

SUPPORT “Let’s Talk About Sets!”:

If you’re feeling grateful, consider sponsoring us on Patreon:

http://www.patreon.com/letstalkaboutsets

Or, if you want to send us a one-time tip to say thanks:

Venmo: https://www.venmo.com/Jeff-McBride

Paypal: [email protected]

SHARE US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

https://www.facebook.com/letstalkaboutsets

https://www.twitter.com/letstalksets

https://www.instagram.com/letstalkaboutsets

CHECK OUT OUR LIVE COMEDY AT OUR NEWLY RENOVATED SPACE:

https://www.brickspotcomedy.com

CREDITS:For this episode, our sometimes editor and executive producer, Bobbi Jeanne Misick, has our heartfelt gratitude. She's absolutely wonderful to work with--she's punctual, highly skilled, communicates clearly and with a great sense of humor, and on top of all that, she's goodhearted gem of a human being and a good comic. Thank you Bobbi Jeanne!To find out more about this badass, go to https://bobbimisick.squarespace.com/about

JOKE THEORY (PART 1)

The magically funny, wildly prolific, and hyper-analytical Comedy Cellar comic, Harrison Greenbaum, delivers a masterclass on JOKE THEORY! He's been doing comedy since he was 18 years old, and he wrote his Harvard psych thesis on stand-up! Harrison enthusiastically shares his favorite joke theories he's learned from others; and he generously outlines his own original theories. These are, truly, some of the best and most actionable approaches to jokes we've ever heard. Want to know why your joke doesn't work? Try his Three C's. What makes a joke worth telling AND laugh-inducing? Make sure it has both the Twist AND the Point. He talks about his dead-simple method of slimming down premises (which is forehead-smackingly brilliant), and he shares how he's always thinking in terms "audience processing time" to trim the fat off his jokes. And there's a lot more! His scientific approach to jokes gave us gem after gem of comedy craft. In this episode, part 1, we cover the theories. In part 2, we see them applied in his material.

ABOUT THE GUEST COMIC

Harrison Greenbaum been featured on America's Got Talent, Last Comic Standing, AXS.TV's Gotham Comedy Live, along with many other TV appearances. He's won numerous awards for his comedy, including the Andy Kaufman Award for creativity and originality in comedy, the Shorty Award from Comedy Central, and Best Emerging Comic from the New York Comedy Festival. He's got writing credits up the wazoo, performs in over 600 shows a year, and on top of all that, Harrison also saws doves in half and conjures flocks of women into the air as magic. Or something like that.

FEATURED BITS ON THIS EPISODE

- Emo Phillips - How God Works (1980)

- Harrison Greenbaum - America's Got Talent (2017)

HARRISON'S JOKE THEORY ARTICLES

http://harrisoncomedy-blog.tumblr.com/post/1005084660/the-secret-of-comedy-or-the-necktie-theory-of

http://harrisoncomedy-blog.tumblr.com/post/1353987057/why-we-laugh-or-joke-resonance-and-universal

http://harrisoncomedy-blog.tumblr.com/post/84849841005/the-twist-and-the-point-part-i-the-twist

http://harrisoncomedy-blog.tumblr.com/post/84940811000/the-twist-and-the-point-part-ii-the-point

And a huge thanks to to our guest, Harrison Greenbaum! What a mensch.

FOLLOW HARRISON GREENBAUM:

- INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/harrisoncomedy/

- TWITTER: https://twitter.com/harrisoncomedy

- FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/hrgreenbaum

- WEBSITE: http://www.harrisongreenbaum.com/

SEE HARRISON LIVE: http://www.harrisongreenbaum.com/tourdates.html

- The Dark Horse Comedy Club in NYC on Fri, January 25, 9:00pm – 10:30pm

- Gotham Comedy Club in NYC on Mon, January 28, 7:00pm – 8:45pm

CHECK OUT HIS MAGIC: http://www.harrisonmagic.com/

Special thanks to Emo Philips' weirdly perfect jokes.

And, forever and ever, you spice up our lives, Salt N' Peppa.

SUPPORT “Let’s Talk About Sets!”:

If you’re feeling grateful, consider sponsoring us on Patreon:

http://www.patreon.com/letstalkaboutsets

Or, if you want to send us a one-time tip to say thanks:

Venmo: https://www.venmo.com/Jeff-McBride

Paypal: [email protected]

SHARE US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

https://www.facebook.com/letstalkaboutsets

https://www.twitter.com/letstalksets

https://www.instagram.com/letstalkaboutsets

CHECK OUT OUR LIVE COMEDY AT OUR NEWLY RENOVATED SPACE:

https://www.brickspotcomedy.com

CREDITS:

For this episode, our sometimes editor and executive producer, Bobbi Jeanne Misick, has our heartfelt gratitude. She's absolutely wonderful to work with--she's punctual, highly skilled, communicates clearly and with a great sense of humor,

COURAGE

Nationally touring, Brooklyn based comic Brian Enck examines COURAGE in stand-up comedy. Courage is the ability to do what frightens you, so facing fear--fear of failure, fear of non-acceptance, and fear of humiliation--are all central to getting on stage. It takes courage to start, to keep going, and to speak your "truth" or to speak candidly about your flaws, mistakes, or personal weirdness. Yet it's that vulnerability that can yield some of the most powerfully funny comedy experiences. What are some tricks performers use to get the courage to act despite those fears? Is there a difference between overcoming fear as a performer and failing to do in inside the confines of a bit? What is that bizarre, ironic juxtaposition between the courage it takes to perform and how funny it can be to display a comic's propensity toward cowardice? We cover this and a lot more via bits by Dave Chappelle, Tig Nataro, Brian Enck, and Jeff McBride.

ABOUT THE GUEST COMIC

Although he looks like a stuffy 1950's substitute teacher, Brian Enck is a very funny man with lightning wit that's tempered by self-effacing charm. He's a working comic who performs around the country and can be seen regularly in most of the major clubs in NYC. Originally from Rochester, NY, and he dropped out of film school for stand-up, and if you're looking for more bad decisions Brian has made, he used to be Harrison's roommate! He's also a producer at Bric TV.

FEATURED BITS ON THIS EPISODE

- Dave Chappelle - Kneeling During the National Anthem (The Bird Revelation, 2018)

- Brian Enck - Heckler interaction

- Brian Enck - Gun Control

- Jeff McBride - Bisexuality

- Tig Nataro - Hello, I Have Cancer (Live, 2009)

And a huge thanks to to our guest, Brian Enck!

FOLLOW BRIAN ENCK:

- INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/benck

- TWITTER: https://twitter.com/brianenck

- FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/brian.enck.1

- WEBSITE: https://www.brianenck.com/

SEE BRIAN LIVE: https://www.brianenck.com/dates-shows

Special thanks to Dave Chappelle's special mix of fearlessness and courage and Tig Nataro's unbelievably gentle bravery in the face of pain and grief.

And, as always, we love you long time, Salt N' Peppa.

SUPPORT “Let’s Talk About Sets!”:

Please like us on Facebook and, if you’re feeling grateful, consider sponsoring us on Patreon:

http://www.patreon.com/letstalkaboutsets

https://www.facebook.com/letstalkaboutsets

Or, if you want to send us a one-time tip say thanks:

Venmo: https://www.venmo.com/Jeff-McBride

Paypal: [email protected]

CHECK OUT OUR LIVE COMEDY AT OUR NEWLY RENOVATED SPACE:

https://www.brickspotcomedy.com

CREDITS:

For this episode, our sometimes editor and executive producer, Bobbi Jeanne Misick, has our heartfelt gratitude. She's absolutely wonderful to work with--she's punctual, highly skilled, communicates clearly and with a great sense of humor, and on top of all that, she's goodhearted gem of a human being and a good comic. Thank you Bobbi Jeanne!To find out more about this badass, go to https://bobbimisick.squarespace.com/about

CONFIDENCE

The delightfully confident comedian, Sally Ann Hall, joins us to explore CONFIDENCE as it pertains to the craft of stand-up comedy. What is confidence conceptually? Why is it so critical for a good performance? Where does it come from and how can a stand-up develop it? How do you explain the relationship between portraying yourself as a low-confident person in your material while simultaneously displaying immense confidence as a performer and a writer? We fucking loved recording this!

ABOUT THE GUEST COMIC

Sally Ann Hall goes by Sally Ann, not Sally. She’s vivacious and spicy, a tour de force on stage and an absolute pleasure off of it. She bubbles with funny, energy, and joy. Born in Alaska and raised in Idaho, she is now based in New York and frequently hits the road. She’s got the performance chops of the “very good actor”* that she is. She’s a busy comedy bee, performing at famous NYC clubs such as Broadway Comedy Club, Comic Strip Live, LOL Comedy Club, The Stand, New York Comedy Club, Greenwich Comedy Club, Eastville, and Gotham. She is also the a winner of both the She Devil Comedy Festival and he Laughing Devil Comedy Festival.

*Verbatim from her website landing page.

FEATURED BITS ON THIS EPISODE

- Jerry Seinfeld - Confidence (On Comedy With Larry Wild, 2008)

- Sarah Silverman - If You Have To Explain It (Jesus Is Magic, 2005)

- Sally Ann Hall - Circumcision

- Mike Birbiglia - Delusion (Sleepwalk With Me Live, 2011)

And a huge thanks to to our guest, Sally Ann Hall!

FOLLOW SALLY ANN HALL:

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/hallabackearl

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/supersallyann

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/s.a.halla

WEBSITE: https://funnysallyann.com/

SEE SALLY ANN LIVE: She’s doing an hour on 01-22-2018 for Carolines Breakout Artist Comedy Series:

http://www.carolines.com/comedian/breakout-artist-comedy-series-sallyann-hall/

And check out her monthly show, “LEFT BREAST COMEDY HOUR!”, which is moving to The Knitting Factory in January: https://www.facebook.com/leftbreast/

Special thanks Jerry Seinfeld’s armor of self-assuredness, Sarah Silverman’s edgy lovability, and Mike Birbiglia’s storytelling genius.

And, as always, big thanks to Salt N’ Peppa. One day, somehow, we’ll join hands and sing our song together with the all-new lyrics we wrote for you in this homage/parody we’re so completely sick of.

CREDITS:

For this episode, our sometimes editor and executive producer, Bobbi Jeanne Misick, has our heartfelt gratitude. She's absolutely wonderful to work with--she's punctual, highly skilled, communicates clearly and with a great sense of humor, and on top of all that, she's goodhearted gem of a human being and a good comic. Thank you Bobbi Jeanne!To find out more about this badass, go to https://bobbimisick.squarespace.com/about

ANECDOTES

Newly-minted Netflix "specialist" Kate Willett gets down and dirty with us on stand-up ANECDOTES. Anecdotes are distinct from storytelling. They often lack a complete storytelling framework--a beginning, a middle, and an end. They're usually "pointless." There are no emotional expectations that then are either met or shattered. No one's life is changed by an anecdotal incident. Yet these flimsy, insubstantial retellings of inconsequential events are the backbone of a lot of the best stand-up comedy. Whereas a most people may simply relay an entertaining or provocative anecdote, a stand-up comedian mines that anecdote for unexpected meaning and connections. And the comic does so fallaciously; no logician would accept that seeing one crazy lady in a grocery store is proof that all grocery stores make ladies crazy. But if the comedian can make that claim seem sound for a moment, we laugh. Indeed, anecdotes are often not just fallacious in stand-up. They're routinely apocryphal as well; it probably didn't happen the way it's being told. There's something about an illogical flight of fancy that's just hilarious. We explore all this via bits by Maria Bamford, Brian Regan, and Kate herself.

ABOUT THE GUEST COMIC

Kate Willett is a comedian, actress, and writer whose raunchy feminist storytelling is both smart and relatable. Her 15 minute special premiered on Netflix’s “Comedy Lineup” in August 2018. She was recently a correspondent for the JIM JEFFERIES SHOW at Politicon 2017. She’s been featured on Viceland’s FLOPHOUSE and her appearance on Comedy Central’s THIS IS NOT HAPPENING was on Splitsider’s list of “2016’s Best Late Night Standup Sets.” In the past, she toured with Margaret Cho nationally and internationally and has featured with comedians like Kyle Kinane, Jen Kirkman, Ali Wong, Dana Gould, and Greg Behrendt. Her comedy album “Glass Gutter” was released in 2017.

FEATURED BITS ON THIS EPISODE

- Maria Bamford - Super Confident People (How To WIN!, 2007)

- Kate Willett - Choking From The Heart (Glass Gutter, 2017)

- Kate Willett - Glass Gutter (Glass Gutter, 2017)

- Brian Regan - Me Monster (I Walked On The Moon, 2004)

Thank you, Kate! Make mistakes. We support you!

SEE KATE LIVE (soon):

- Austin, TX: Friday, November 30th 2018 @ The Velve Comedy Lounge

http://www.thevelveetaroom.com/show/kate-willett-0

- Burlington, VT: December 13th-15th @ Vermont Comedy Club

https://www-vermontcomedyclub-com.seatengine.com/events/25514

- and more at https://katewillett.com/calendar/

CHECK HER SPECIAL AND HER ALBUM:

- The Comedy Lineup on Netflix

https://www.netflix.com/title/80223138

- Glass Gutter on Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/album/1Y0pAm9cKOqjNJhyn4JQdW

FOLLOW HER:

http://instagram.com/kate.willett

http://www.facebook.com/katewillett

https://twitter.com/katewillett

VISIT HER WEBSITE:

https://katewillett.com

Special thanks to Maria Bamford's vocal stylings and Brian Regan's goofy lovability.

And, Salt N’ Peppa, you're the spice of my life.

SUPPORT “Let’s Talk About Sets!”:

Please like us on Facebook and, if you’re feeling grateful, consider sponsoring us on Patreon:

http://www.patreon.com/letstalkaboutsets

https://www.facebook.com/letstalkaboutsets

Or, if you want to send us a one-time tip say thanks:

Venmo: https://www.venmo.com/Jeff-McBride

Paypal: [email protected]

Lastly, CHECK OUT OUR LIVE COMEDY AT OUR NEWLY RENOVATED SPACE:

https://www.brickspotcomedy.com

CREDITS:

For this episode, our sometimes editor and executive producer, Bobbi Jeanne Misick, has our heartfelt gratitude. She's absolutely wonderful to work with--she's punctual,

SELF-DEPRECATION

Jacob Williams (MTV's Wild 'N Out, Colbert, America's Got Talent, & a lot more) KILLED it in this episode! We absolutely could not stay on topic, and so what? This conversation was UNDENIABLY funny! It starts to really pick up steam at about 30 minutes, Jacob has us in literal tears of laughter at the halfway point. Between all the goofing around, we hit every angle we could think of on self-deprecating humor in stand-up. We think Jacob is a grand master of it, and that's why we chose him for this topic. With respect to the theme, we cover:

- Relating to the comic's negative traits and experiences

- Comedic license

- Anger and self-esteem

- Being "ok" with the subject of the self-deprecating humor, be it a personality trait or negative experience

- Over-reliance on self-deprecation

- The role of shame

- The effectiveness of juxtaposing self-deprecating jokes with material that targets the same failing in someone or something else

ABOUT THE GUEST COMIC

He recently made his late-night network television debut performing stand-up on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS). Jacob first made his primetime network television debut as a stand-up comedian on America's Got Talent (NBC) and advanced to the Semifinals. He also performed on the Comedy Central shows Adam Devine's House Party and Roast Battle. Jacob has been a cast member on the hit improv/sketch comedy series Wild 'n Out (MTV) for eight seasons including the current one. He has also provided the voice of a cartoon character on the animated miniseries Football U (MTV Other). Jacob lives in New York City where he performs regularly when he is not on tour at comedy clubs, colleges, and corporate events across America.

FEATURED BITS ON THIS EPISODE

- Adam Sandler - some very early material from "Laughing Out Loud: America's Funniest Comedians" DVDs (YouTube)

- Jacob Williams - The Late Show w/ Stephen Colbert (2018)

- Jacob Williams - America's Got Talent (2012)

- Jacob Williams - Adam Devine's House Party (Comedy Central: season 3, episode 1, 2016)

- Demetri Martin - Late Night W/ Conan O'Brien (06/2004)

– Tom Segura - One Day (Mostly Stories, 2017)

- David Cross - Random Goofabouts (Bigger And Blackerer, 2010)

Thank you, Jacob! We learned so much about dealing with fame and wealth.

SEE JACOB LIVE:

- Week At The Creek (7pm 12/3 to 12/7) - http://creeklic.com/events/week-creek-jacob-williams-2018-12-03/

- Butterboy at Littlefield - November 26th - https://www.butterboycomedy.com

CHECK OUT HIS SUPERCUT OF GREAT LINES FROM WILD 'N OUT WITH 3M+ VIEWS:

- https://youtu.be/oc0mR9v1_yE

FOLLOW HIM:

http://instagram.com/mrjacobwilliams

http://www.facebook.com/ - search "comedian jacob williams"

https://twitter.com/MrJacobWilliams

VISIT HIS WEBSITE:

http://www.jacobwilliamscomedy.com

TO SEE JACOB LIVE AT YOUR COLLEGE, MAKE YOUR BOOKER CONTACT BASS/SCHULER ENTERTAINMENT:

- Email: [email protected]

- Phone: 773-481-2600

IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THE STUDY ON SELF-DEPRECATING HUMOR:

- fr. The Daily Mail - https://dailym.ai/2qJT1z4

- fr. The Independent - https://ind.pn/2FdQKWS

AND THE TED TALK WE REFERENCED ON GROWTH MINDSET:

- Carol Dweck - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiiEeMN7vbQ

Special thanks to Adam Sandler, Demetri Martin, Tom Segura, and David Cross.

And, Salt N’ Peppa, come snuggle with us.

SUPPORT “Let’s Talk About Sets!”:

Please like us on Facebook and, if you’re feeling grateful, consider sponsoring us on Patreon:

http://www.patreon.com/letstalkaboutsets

https:/www.facebook.com/letstalkaboutsets

Or,

PACING

Fresh from a set on the Late Late Show with James Corden and just two days after dropping his new Comedy Central Records album, “Innocence,” the highly credited and ridiculously funny Joe Zimmerman graced us with a wide-ranging discussion loosely focused on PACING in stand-up comedy. Also of note, Joe responded to John Mulaney’s fervent public wish that he could steal one of Joe’s bits.

Pacing is a feely thing. Some of it’s instinctual, and some of it’s learned; but you learn pacing by feeling it out. No one clicks a stopwatch to count the milliseconds between the setup and the punchline. Pacing gets even murkier because the effective pace of a comedic bit varies depending on how “hot” or “tight” the crowd is, which a comic can only ascertain by listening to the audience, and the comic can only hear the “tells” from lots of experience on stage. So from a theoretical comedy craft perspective, this topic was tough to do. But thanks to the brilliantly silly comedy of our very accomplished guest, Joe Zimmerman, this episode is a damn great listen. You’ll hear us talk about monks, self-help books, sexual attraction theories, Alfred Kinsey, Socrates, and so much more. We go through our favorite bits of his, digging into how he developed his material. We quiz Joe on how he employs his masterfully deliberate timing combined with a crafted naïveté that renders comedy like a laughy lullaby. Best of all, we laughed uncontrollably as we listened his two albums to prepare for the recording, and it made us feel lucky that we get to do this show.

PLUGGITY PLUG PLUG: Support brilliant comedy by buying his new album, Comedy Central Records, “Innocence”:

http://bit.ly/joezimmermaninnocence

ABOUT THE GUEST COMIC

Joe Zimmerman grew up in Morgantown, West Virginia, and started his comedy career in North Carolina. While living in the South, his stand-up group the Beards of Comedy landed a record deal with Comedy Central Records. He moved to New York City in 2012, quickly appearing on The Late Late Show and John Oliver’s New York Stand-Up Show, as well as performing at Montreal’s prestigious Just for Laughs festival. His resume has since grown to include The Tonight Show, Conan, Nickelodeon, Last Comic Standing, and his own Comedy Central Half Hour. Joe’s solo album Smiling at Wolves reached number two on the iTunes comedy charts and is played regularly on SiriusXM. His second album, Innocence, was released in October of 2018 by Comedy Central Records. Go get it!

Joe’s new podcast, “A Great Listening Experience” details his questionable attempts to attain infinite knowledge and power. Among his many podcast & radio appearances, he has recently appeared on 2 Dope Queens, The Dork Forest, Bob & Tom, The Todd Barry Podcast, and The Artie Lange Show. Joe is frequently touring, headlining clubs around the country, and occasionally opening for super stars Brian Regan and Ricky Gervais.

FEATURED BITS ON THIS EPISODE

– Todd Barry – Opening bit (Spicey Honey, 2017)

– Joe Zimmerman – Happiness (Innocence, 2018)

– Joe Zimmerman – Persistence (Innocence, 2018)

– Joe Zimmerman – Andrew Jackson (Smiling at Wolves, 2014)

– Joe Zimmerman – Pet Snakes (Smiling at Wolves, 2014)

Thank you, Joe! We had a blast, start to finish.

FOLLOW HIM:

https://www.facebook.com/ZimmermanComedy

https://twitter.com/joezimmerman

http://instagram.com/joezimmerman

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJA241zxsDMEVs1LYLD1CKw

VISIT HIS WEBSITE:

http://www.zimmermancomedy.com/

LISTEN TO JOE’S HILARIOUS PODCAST: “A Great Listening Experience”

http://bit.ly/joezimmermanpodcast

Special thanks to Todd Barry’s curmudgeonly wit.

And, Salt N’ Peppa, nothing tastes good without you in my life.

PERSPECTIVE

Award-winning comedy writer and stand-up comic, Dan Perlman, shares his perspective on PERSPECTIVE in stand-up comedy. Questioning, digging, zooming in and out, and navel gazing are some of the many methods stand-up comics use to quickly shift the perspective on a premise and elicit laughs from crowds. We discuss how providing a new perspective is at the heart of great stand-up. The most memorable bits are capable of briefly re-positioning audiences' mental lens, so we all collectively look at something from another race, gender, age, career, culture, or anything else imaginable. And we geek the fuck out on great material from Roy Wood Jr., Joe Rogan, and John Mulaney.

ABOUT THE GUEST COMIC

Dan Perlman is a stand-up comedian and writer from New York City. Dan was recently named one of the 2018 New Faces in stand-up at Montreal Just For Laughs and headlined Caroline's on Broadway. Dan created and wrote an animated series, That's My Bus!, which received a pilot order from FOX. Dan has appeared on TruTV, MTV2, and as a cast member on MTV's Vidiots. As a writer-filmmaker, he has had four projects featured in the New York Television Festival, most recently the award-winning comedy series, Flatbush Misdemeanors, in which he co-stars and co-writes/directs. On radio, Dan was a writer for SiriusXM's Bennington and Comedy Contributor for Neil deGrasse Tyson's StarTalk Radio. Dan wrote for the 2017 WGA Awards, hosted by Lewis Black, and the 2018 WGA Awards, hosted by Amber Ruffin. As a stand-up, Dan's festival credits include Montreal Just For Laughs, New York Comedy Festival, SF Sketchfest, Boston Comedy Fest, Limestone Comedy Fest, and Finger Lakes Comedy Competition (2015, 1st place).

FEATURED BITS ON THIS EPISODE

– Roy Wood Jr. - Black Patriotism (Father Figure, 2017)

- Dan Perlman - Pretty Without Makeup

- Dan Perlman - Suicide Hotline

- Joe Rogan - Marijuana Laws (Strange Times, 2018)*

- John Mulaney - Stranger Danger (Kid Gorgeous, 2018)*

*These are our names for these bits since they're pulled from Netflix specials.

Thank you, Dan, you thought machine!

FOLLOW HIM:

https://twitter.com/danjperlman

https://www.facebook.com/danperl

https://www.instagram.com/danjperlman

VISIT HIS WEBSITE:

http://www.danperlmancomedy.com

SEE HIS AWARD WINNING, OSCAR QUALIFIED, BE-LEAVED WEB-SERIES:

https://www.flatbushmisdemeanors.com/

Special thanks to Roy Wood Jr.'s brilliant mind, Joe Rogan's bro gravitas, and John Mulaney's perfect choreography.

And, Salt N’ Peppa, stay sweet. Never change!

SUPPORT “Let’s Talk About Sets!”:

Please like us on Facebook and, if you’re feeling grateful, consider sponsoring us on Patreon:

http://www.patreon.com/letstalkaboutsets

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Or, if you want to send us a one-time tip to say thanks:

Venmo: https://www.venmo.com/Jeff-McBride

Paypal: [email protected]

Lastly, CHECK OUT OUR LIVE COMEDY AT OUR NEWLY RENOVATED SPACE:

https://www.brickspotcomedy.com

THE ROOM

Carolines Breakout Artist Series headliner, Norlex Belma, breaks down THE ROOM in stand-up comedy. When comedians talk about the room, they're referring to a lot of performance parameters: the feel of the crowd, the kind of venue, the demographics, the kind of comedy scene, and the setup of the performance space itself. We thoroughly enjoy ourselves while we dig deep with our comedy nerd shovels into Norlex's experience performing all over the US, highlighting his first headlining hour at Carolines on Broadway here in NYC this summer. We kick it off with a seminal bit by Bernie Mac, and we close it out with a couple long chunks from Norlex's hour. This one was super interesting: we got to really focus on the craft.

ABOUT THE GUEST COMIC

With an even keeled delivery belying blistering takes, Norlex Belma has become one of the hottest comics working in New York City. Norlex got his stand-up start in one of the nation’s fastest growing comedy scenes, Pittsburgh, after attending Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Music, Now he's back in NYC. In 2016, he was featured in the PBS documentary, The Comedy Confluence, detailing the rise of the Pittsburgh comedy scene. Since then he has performed at clubs and colleges around the country including Zanies, Caroline’s, The Stand, New York Comedy Club, Broadway Comedy Club, Pittsburgh Improv, The Blue Note NYC, University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, SUNY Oswego, and NYU. Norlex has opened for national headliners such as Jermaine Fowler, Emma Willmann, Godfrey, Sam Tallent, Liza Treyger, and Rob Schneider. He has also been a part of the Burning Bridges Comedy Festival, New York Comedy Festival, Pittsburgh Comedy Festival, WDVE Comedy Festival, and Orlando Indie Comedy Festival. When Norlex is back in Pittsburgh, he is a regular on the WDVE Morning Show with Randy Baumann and has had multiple performances aired on iHeartRadio.

FEATURED BITS ON THIS EPISODE

– Bernie Mac - I ain't scare of you motherfuckers (Def Comedy Jam, 199?)

- Norlex Belma - Excerpts from his July, 2018 headlining set (Carolines Breakout Artist Comedy Series, 2018)

Thank you Norlex! You're a comedy tour de force!

FOLLOW HIM:

https://twitter.com/NorlexSaid

https://www.facebook.com/norlex.belma

https://www.instagram.com/norlexsaid/

VISIT HIS WEBSITE:

http://www.norlexbelma.com

SEE HIS TOUR DATES:

https://www.norlexbelma.com/shows-2/

And his portion the PBS documentary "Comedy Confluence"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCTytXhh2VE

Special thanks Bernie Mac's fearless swag.

And, Salt N’ Peppa, one of these days, you'll thank us in person for the song upgrade.

SUPPORT “Let’s Talk About Sets!”:

Please like us on Facebook and, if you’re feeling grateful, consider sponsoring us on Patreon:

http://www.patreon.com/letstalkaboutsets

https:/www.facebook.com/letstalkaboutsets

Or, if you want to send us a one-time tip say thanks:

Venmo: https://www.venmo.com/Jeff-McBride

Paypal: [email protected]

Lastly, CHECK OUT OUR LIVE COMEDY AT OUR NEWLY RENOVATED SPACE:

https://www.brickspotcomedy.com

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Carolines Breakout Artist Series headliner, Norlex Belma, breaks down THE ROOM in stand-up comedy. Using bits by Bernie Mac and material from Norlex's hour, we get into the crowd, the venue, the demographics, the room setup, and a lot more.