Try! with Nate Dern

Try! with Nate Dern

By Nate DernComedyComedy Interviews
Download on the App Store

Try! with Nate Dern episodes

  • Will Hines Is Trying To Play Video Games
    Will Hines is an improv teacher and actor who lives in Los Angeles, and this past year he has been trying to finish a series of video games to 100 percent completion, including the cowboy survival story of Red Dead Redemption 2. We talk about the addictive quality of video games, how time just seems to disappear while playing, and yet how moving and immersive of an experience they can provide. For more Will Hines, check out one of his podcasts, like "I Will Write Your Book" or "Screw It, We're Just Going To Talk About Comics."
    31 min
  • Jon Gabrus Is Trying To Read More

    Today's guest is Jon Gabrus, a comedian (MTV's Guy Code, Comedy Bang! Bang!, TVLand's Younger) and a podcast expert (High and Mighty, ActionBoyz, Raised By TV). He is from Long Island. But we don't talk about that stuff. Instead, we talk about something Gabrus is trying to do: read more. Gabrus is both a nerd and a meathead, and we talk about how fantasy books by R.A. Salvatore got him into reading, and Stephen King's "The Stand" taught him that he could conquer any book he set his mind to. We talk about how to make time for reading when surrounded by distractions, and Gabrus recommends a couple books to check out if you're looking to get excited about reading again.

    This is the final "Try!" podcast of 2020, we'll see you in 2021 with more new episodes.

    40 min
  • Jo Firestone Is Trying To Drink Water

    Jo Firestone is a comedian who is trying to drink water. She prefers to eat rather than drink, and she gets her hydration from foods that have been wetted with a sauce of some kind. On this episode, we dig into where Jo's aversion to water comes from and, listeners, I think we have a breakthrough.

    Jo Firestone is a comedic writer and actress (known as a "writress") whose work can be seen on The Tonight Show, Joe Pera Talks With You, High Maintenance, Shrill, and more. For more Jo, listen to her podcasts "Maximum Fun’s Dr. Gameshow" and Comedy Central’s “Everyday Decisions.”


    29 min
  • Natasha Vaynblat Is Trying To Run

    In this episode, I talk to Natasha Vaynblat, a comedian and writer (Comedy Central, A Little Late With Lily Singh) about her effort to try to run. During the pandemic, Natasha found that since she could no longer go to exercise classes, running outside was a way to get outside of her apartment and sometimes feel that occasional runner's high, and also a way to get excited about her city again. This episode ends with an eight week check in where we see if Natasha has met her goal to making running a part of her routine.

    You can follow Natasha on Instagram: @natashavaynblat

    28 min
  • Albertina Rizzo Is Trying To Learn Guitar
    Albertina Rizzo is a comedy writer who has written for The Tonight Show, Late Night, and a couple Marvel series. But we're not here to talk about that. We're here to talk about how during quarantine, Albertina decided to finally pick up a guitar and try to learn how to play. Albertina is very honest about how she is still bad at guitar, but how the great focus required when first starting to learn a new instrument has been a welcome distraction during quarantine.
    29 min
  • Langan Kingsley Is Trying To Phone Bank To Get Out The Vote
    Langan Kingsley (a big time TV comedy writer for shows like ABC's The Goldbergs and Comedy Central's Corporate!) is trying to phone bank. She's making calls and sending letters in order to get out the vote for this November's election. Nate talks to Langan about why she feels motivated to phone bank (mostly guilt) and they discuss the connection between improv comedy and calling strangers on the phone. Langan would like it emphasized that she knows there are others doing far more important political work, and she stresses that the volunteering she does should be a minimum baseline.
    31 min
  • Tim Barnes Is Trying To Make A Web Comic
    Tim Barnes is a comedian and writer for The Tonight Show. In this episode, Tim talks about making a web comic for the first time, called "Uncertain Life." The comic follows a black man named Gordon - who bears a striking resemblance to Tim - as he navigates everyday adventures like awkward small talk with co-workers, as well as more surreal moments, like complaining to tech support when you can't get your crystal ball to print. The comic is illustrated by Grant Lindahl.
    26 min
  • George Zisiadis Is Trying To Replace Partisan Elections With Democratic Lotteries
    George Zisiadis co-coordinates an organization called of by for. They are advancing democratic lotteries as an alternative to our current electoral system. In essence, it would mean that a demographically and ideologically representative group of citizens are selected by lottery to serve as a decision making body for a set amount of time for the community that they represent. of by for is currently showing this in action in the real world, where in Michigan they've convened a Citizens' Panel on COVID-19 to make policy recommendations on the pandemic response. A documentary about the experience is in the works to be released later this fall.
    30 min
  • Sanji Moore Is Trying To Make A Game About Sandwiches
    Sanji Moore has been working on designing a card game based on creating the best possible sandwich for the last ten years. Originally called "The Sandwich Game" and now called "As You 'Wich," Sanji thought of the basic premise for the game in a moment of panic when she was trying to fill an awkward silence on a date. A decade later, after testing countless versions of the game with friends and family, while making updates and developing it outside of her day job, Sanji and her creative partner Janelle Jones are finally launching the game on Kickstarter, along with help from Studio 71 Games. You can donate to their Kickstarter up until Oct. 3rd 2020.
    35 min
  • Sasheer Zamata Is Trying To Roller Skate

    Sasheer Zamata (SNL, Woke, Creep) is an amazing comedian, but we don't talk about that in this episode. We just talk about how she's been trying to learn how to roller skate during quarantine with her best friend Nicole Byer (who also happens to be her co-host on the Best Friends podcast). And Sasheer doesn't just want to learn how to glide along, she is trying to learn tricks and classic roller skate moves like shooting the duck. We talk about how important it is just to play with your friends, and also about the importance of roller rinks to the black community in different cities, as explored in the documentary "United Skates."

    31 min

About Try! with Nate Dern

From the publisher's feed

Hosted by comedy writer Nate Dern, each episode interviews someone trying something new. It's dedicated to all of those who get outside of their comfort zone and try something different, learn a…