From Hampton Roads to Hollywood: A Comic’s 17-Year Grind, Hecklers, and Heart

We sit down with Tim Loulies, a Hampton Roads comic and teacher, to trace his 17-year journey from sticky-note premises to packed clubs, from the Comedy Store’s unforgiving OR to the Apollo’s infamous boo, and into the wild psychology of being a heel in professional wrestling. Tim opens up about stage fright, why you literally lose your breath at the mic, and how “mental cardio” makes or breaks your first minute on stage.

We dig into the craft: writing jokes that travel, building an opener that buys trust, editing tags that snap, and steering a room when chatter threatens the rhythm. Tim breaks down heckler control without punishing the crowd and explains why self-deprecation is a reliable on-ramp to shared laughter. He shares lessons from mentors like Steve Treviño and the late John Witherspoon, showing how consistency and energy turn a practiced act into something that still feels alive.

There’s heart here too. Tim’s work on PBS’s Comedy Boot Camp with the Armed Services Arts Program reveals how stand-up can help veterans facing PTSD take back their stories and connect through laughter. We talk about teaching at the Funny Bone Comedy School, building community, and using nerves as a focus—not a flaw. Plus, details on the new Virginia Beach club opening, upcoming classes, and how to watch Tim’s Amazon special, “Sugar Glider.”

Hit play to learn, laugh, and leave with practical tools you can use on stage or in any high-stakes room. If this conversation sparks something, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review to help more people find it.

Chapters

• 0:00 Meet Tim Lullees
• 1:12 Early Influences and Stage Fright
• 3:00 Handling Hecklers and Club Etiquette
• 5:05 Teaching Comedy and Beating Nerves
• 8:40 Fear as Focus and First Steps Onstage
• 11:25 Apollo Story: Booed and Baptized
• 18:30 Mentors and Lessons from Legends
• 22:30 Hollywood Improv and Comedy Store Trials
• 26:50 Favorite Room: Stardome Energy
• 28:30 Crossing Into Pro Wrestling
• 34:30 Craft, Writing, and First Laughs
• 38:40 PBS Comedy Boot Camp and Veterans
• 43:20 Why Teach: Building Comics and Community

Transcript

SPEAKER_02: 0:06

Hello everyone, I'm Al Neely and like to welcome you to the Listen Up Podcast. And today we have a local comedian, Tim Lullees. Yes, sir. And Tim uh met Tim several months ago and um he's is funny, he's amazing. Tim, how long have you been uh doing stand-up comedy? I'm going into my 17th year of performing stand-up comedy. Okay, yes. You're born and raised in the Hampton Roads area. Yeah. Yeah. So you're going 17 years. You started here. Yes. Oh, okay. And in those 17 years, everybody says that after 20 years, you're an expert at everything. You are um you're extremely funny, and um I enjoyed being there. You do a lot of stuff at uh Funny Bones, right? Yes, okay. Richmond Funny Bones, okay, and just they'll talk about a little bit about what led you into comedy and you also teach. Yes. Right? So what what got you into comedy?

SPEAKER_01: 1:12

Well, you know, it's not the popular thing to say nowadays, but uh my first experience of witnessing comedy is uh watching my family when I was about maybe three or four years old, watching my family um, you know, just hyper focused and drawn to the TV by watching Bill Cosby. You know, the Bill Cosby himself special.

SPEAKER_02: 1:38

Right.

SPEAKER_01: 1:38

Like I said, I know it's not a popular thing to say nowadays, but I'm just being honest and being real.

SPEAKER_02: 1:42

Bill was funny, and I'm telling you, I grew up doing the same thing. Fat Albert, love all of that.

SPEAKER_01: 1:47

I'm from Philly, you know, so Yeah, okay. And so, you know, just seeing my family just in tears and laughter, yeah, just you know, um drawn into him like that. I uh as a child, I'm I'm on the floor just looking at that like that's what I want one day, you know. So um then later on, as I grew up, you know, watching Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, uh the Saturday Night Live, things like that. It was something I always wanted to do, but the stage fright just held me back for so many years. And eventually it led to a point in my life when I was 30 to say, hey, you know, I gotta I gotta jump out here and do this. Right.

SPEAKER_02: 2:22

Everybody I talked to said that there's fright. Um, I think that same night you were doing the show, Kells was there, and she was so cool and calm, and she was talking to me. Her and I were talking at the bar, and then I actually got her on the podcast and she came in, she's like, I was terrified, you know. Yeah. And I even talked to Steve Steve's like, yeah, sometimes, but you know, once you get the first joke out, you you you get going. I I don't think people realize that. Comedians, that's that's a real fear.

SPEAKER_01: 2:52

It's not easy. Of course, you know, the longer you do it, the more you're able to, you know, collect your nerves and and just um, but it it's you're it's like you're focused on several different things at once. You're you're focusing on what you're what you're saying, then you're focused on how it's being said, yeah, and then how it's being received. And then at the same time, you know, when you were there that night, I had to handle several hecklers. Oh yeah, yeah. We appreciate that. Yeah, so uh, but because they were in everybody's set leading up to mine, and I was like, Yeah, you ain't gonna be here, you you ain't gonna continue this during my set. I got 45 minutes to do.

SPEAKER_03: 3:26

Right.

SPEAKER_01: 3:26

So, you know, uh, so well, I had to handle that, but that's that comes from years of experience, and also, you know, luckily, uh I was gifted uh with the ability of a um uh of a strong stage presence. So many times I don't even get heckled, and at night I wasn't really getting heckled, it was just more people talking in the audience, but I had to still treat it the same way because you know, we could sing together, but we can't talk together, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_02: 3:54

So it's uh you come there to enjoy the show, everybody else just be courteous.

SPEAKER_01: 3:59

Yeah, exactly. Yeah, there's a lot of people, a lot of people just aren't especially when it comes to now that wasn't a bar restaurant slash restaurant, uh, especially when it comes to comedy and those type of venues. A lot of people, it may be they've never been to a comedy to show before, so they're not cultured for it. Yeah, and they've never been to an actual club where you know it's it's a controlled environment. So they think that they could just talk amongst their friends and everything during a comedy show, but it's the same thing as if you were to go to a live band and sit in front of the band with a bass drum and go boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. The two just doesn't mix, right? You know what I mean? So but a lot of people just aren't aware of that. And and and they're not trying to, they're not many times, it's not they're not trying to be malicious, they just don't know, you know.

SPEAKER_02: 4:45

Well, after your show, they'll usually they figure it out. Uh you're an instructor. Is that one of the hardest things to get um your your students past the fear of just getting up there? Absolutely. It is, yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 5:04

So like I I just started in a new class last night, uh, 19 students, and uh, which is a pretty large class, and uh only maybe five of them have ever been on stage in a performing aspect before. Yeah. So one of the first things that happens when you first step on stage is uh to perform is you lose your breath, right?

SPEAKER_02: 5:26

Really?

SPEAKER_01: 5:27

Yeah. And because is that common? Yeah, it's very common. Oh, okay. It's because there's something called uh mental cardio and physical cardio. Um, you know, but I've been in the professional wrestling business for nine years now.

SPEAKER_02: 5:39

Oh, yeah, we're gonna talk about that.

SPEAKER_01: 5:41

Yeah, and um, but I can tell you I've seen some some some some elite athlet people in elite athletic uh condition. Um, but if they're new, when they get in the ring, uh it's not the physicality and uh the movements that takes their breath away, it's their nerves, it's their mind, it's the fear. Oh, and it snatches the breath right out of your chest. So, you know, I've I've had people get on stage and damn near hypervilate before, you know, and I've I've experienced that myself. So that's one of the first things that goes. But that come that comes with, you know, during the court during the duration of the class, which is six to seven weeks, you know, they're on stage. I have them on stage every week. They're writing brand new stuff, they're up there getting the reps in and getting the reps in before they get in front of a live audience. So, but yeah, that's so that helps people before they go out onto their local singing, their local open mic, uh, you know, jump on a local open mic, things like that. So, um, but yeah, that's it's the nerve, the nerves, you know, they they it makes it very difficult to breathe. And then once you get through that, then it gets better, you know. The nerves will always be there, you know. And and in my opinion, I believe that when you're nervous, it it hones you in on something, you know what I mean? Because I believe that I believe fear is like the ultimate form of respect, you know. Okay. It's kind of like if you were gonna go skydiving, you know, the night before, days before, you're that's all you're focused on is jumping out that plane. You're like, oh my god, what happens when you go to bed? But it makes you it it h it it locks you in, you know. So I believe that no when you're nervous, it's a good thing. Times when I'm about to step on stage and I'm not nervous, I feel like, okay, you you need to snap out of this and you need to feel something because you're you're not you're you're not you're not focused on what's about to happen, you know. So I I believe I I I believe fear uh is is something that that uh that actually you can utilize that to your advantage.

SPEAKER_02: 7:45

Yeah. Yeah, I I don't know. I don't know. I usually buy if I'm I'm afraid of something, I'll usually just make myself do it. And then I'm like, okay, that wasn't that bad. Yeah, exactly. Okay. But uh in 17 years, you've uh been all over the country. Um you performed in this one is really good. Um the Apollo Theater in Harlem.

SPEAKER_01: 8:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 8:16

What era was that when you performed there?

SPEAKER_01: 8:18

So that was actually, excuse me, that was between the air, right when Showtime at Apollo went off air. Okay. There was a two-year hiatus, and it was still the whole format though, but it was just done locally and on for local TV and but also locally for for the you know New York City. Right. And um, so I wasn't on the Showtime at Apollo that was airing on national TV, but it was the exact same like amateur night type thing.

SPEAKER_03: 8:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 8:47

So um I went there to audition and it was like 600 people. I had to stand in line, like jump in line like five in the morning freezing.

SPEAKER_02: 8:55

Yeah. And um I would say coming from the south, and it would be a culture set, but you grew up in Portsmouth, so yeah, you you you know it's like you know, diverse community.

SPEAKER_01: 9:06

Yeah, yeah. I enjoyed I I enjoy myself, man. And and my family's from New York, so I've been okay I I I was I I travel to New York quite frequently as a child, so um, so I was you know, it wasn't a problem. Yeah. And um, so I get in there and we go up top, and first we go in through, we we we walk, they show us the stage, and it's just it's breathtaking because you think of everybody that's performed on that stage, you know, the the the Jacksons, um, yeah, everybody, you know. Right. And then they take you to the very top to where to do your audition. And the lady said, you know, I did my thing, I did great. She said, Hey, you're you're funny. She said, but I gotta tell you, this this show isn't very friendly to comedians. I was like, I understand. I was like, I'm I'm ready for it. So I'm supposed to go, that was in October or November, I was supposed to go back in February to do my my uh show. And that got snowed out. It got a blizzard. The blizzard's so bad in New York that they had to shut everything down.

SPEAKER_02: 10:04

Wow.

SPEAKER_01: 10:05

So they said, we're gonna bring you back on May 19th. I was like, okay. I didn't know what May 19th was. And on my way up, uh uh, excuse me, uh several days before I'm about to leave, they called me and they said, Hey, listen, if you have family and friends that want to come see you, they need to get their tickets now because we're sold out. I was like, You mean 50, 1500 sold out? Like, yeah, it's Malcolm X's 85th birthday.

SPEAKER_02: 10:29

Oh, so I'm sitting there trying, you said May 19th. I should know this, right?

SPEAKER_00: 10:34

Wow. So they said it's Malcolm X's 85th birthday. So we're doing some special stuff and all. Okay, uh this is this is gonna be good, you know. So uh, so I go up, uh we go up there, they they run us through all the formalities and everything.

SPEAKER_01: 10:48

And uh there was this lady that she was in the green room, she was kind of like a a figurehead, she's been there since like the 50s, you know. She just sits in the green room, talks to the talent, and all that stuff. And she said, Oh, you're a comedian, huh? I was like, Yeah. She said, You know, I remember this boy that came up here from Washington, D.C. She was like, God bless his soul. He was only 17 years old. Well, his parents had to carry him out of here crying. She's like, That was Dave Chappelle.

SPEAKER_02: 11:19

I was like, Well, but thank you for that. Yeah, but look at him now.

SPEAKER_01: 11:23

Yeah. So uh, so I get up. So I'm the third one up, and um, you know, you have to be completely clean. You get three minutes, and um the first gentleman, first guy gets up. He's uh rapping, he's a rapper, and he's talking about losing his father to cancer. Boo. Next person up is a 17-year-old girl. Yeah. Boo. She comes off crying. Here comes me, the white boy coming out, rubbing the stump, and I get the ooze, you know, like already, already, like the you know, and uh yeah. So they tell you, they tell you that, you know, if you start to hear a lot of loud noise to keep going because your your voice is actually projecting further than you think. Right. So I get through my first minute and I'm doing good, you know, and everything's going fine. And I'm like, okay, I got this, I got this. Then I start to hear a little bit of the top, and then I start to lose my place, and then all of a sudden it's woo. And when when 1,500 people boo you, you physically feel it. You feel it like a shockwave, like it's like and first of all, the light, the spotlight of the Apollo stage, it's almost like you're staring down a a battleship. You know what I mean? That's that's how the the spotlight looks, you know what I mean? Yeah, and so um, yeah, and then then they cut they did it wasn't the sand man, it did this was right after the sand man. So the the the person that got you off stage when I was there was called the executioner. And so there's still the siren ran and it came out in the ballerina twirling around me like this to to walk me off stage as I walked off the ballerina's turn around uh twirling around me. So uh but yeah, but you know, the the people, the talent scout there and the host was very they were like, hey, we loved your stuff. We just you know, you you had to do that. And it was actually out of out of nine acts, the only one person, the only one person that did not get booed was uh was a local um Michael Jackson uh impersonator and uh you know, dancer, singer, and everything from Harlem. So it was the hometown, yeah. And so that was the only person, you know, the only act that did not get booed off. Yeah. So um, but it was but you know, it was still I just wanted that for my resume. I wanted to perform there in that legendary venue, and you know, I had a great story to tell from it, you know.

SPEAKER_02: 13:44

Um, you worked for some people, you work with um uh guy, Tori. Yeah, and um I think I saw seen him, I think I seen him there. And of course I know him because he's from Philly, right? So what was it like to to work with him?

SPEAKER_01: 14:02

I believe I believe Guy, he he may have spent time, but I believe he is from St. Louis, but um that Oh, okay. Yeah, I'm thinking of you might be thinking of Kevin Hart. No, no, no. Um it's a joke. Oh, joke, yeah. Well, I believe they yeah, Joe Joe, I believe is. So yeah. Guy Torre, man, he's fantastic because he's still out of all his accomplishments, and as long as he's been in the he's still a student of the game. Right. And I appreciate he's come to the Virginia Beach Funny Bow many times. I've worked with him, and he's taken time um out of his schedule to speak to my students and stuff. And he's passed a lot of knowledge on to me over the years I've worked with him. That's what you know, his his his talents and his abilities, hey, they they speak for themselves. But what I really appreciate about him is he really has a passion of constantly learning this art, you know, and it never stops. And look how long he's been doing it.

SPEAKER_02: 14:56

Yeah, yeah. So who do you who would you say uh you've followed or maybe been mentors for you in the industry that are most impressionable?

SPEAKER_01: 15:09

Well, I I've worked with folks like um I've worked with uh names in the business like uh Steve Trevino. He's uh he was the first person that gave me my opportunity uh to perform on a funny bone stage.

SPEAKER_02: 15:21

Yeah and then um he does a lot of wife stuff. Yeah, oh yeah, yeah, yeah. I think my wife likes him that much.

SPEAKER_01: 15:26

Yeah, so and then he uh so also John Witherspoon, the late great John Witherspoon. I I worked a lot with Pops. He's amazing, yeah. I worked with him on the road too. And um What is it like to be with him? Just around him. Oh man, uh he's he's just like he is on stage, off stage. You know what I mean? Just uh when he gets on stage, he turns it up the energy. But man, he told me some he we were in the car together in Syracuse, and he was telling me stories about how he used to play basketball with the temptations and um how he was back in LA, you know, like how he was going to parties where Tupac was and stuff like that. And uh yeah, man, he uh man, what a great guy. And I actually was the one I worked with him. How was his last feature act, you know, the middle act for him in Richmond before he went back home and passed away. And it was uh, man, I and I was about to work with him again in Texas. And I tell you, man, it you know, him, you know, a lot of people don't, a lot of people think a lot of people have a misconception about comedy is that every city they go to, they say something different. They don't, you know what I mean? It's always an act. A lot of times we're we're saying the same things, but I could sit there and watch every one of John Witherspoon's sets. That just energy, the catchphrases you've heard a million times, it doesn't matter. Give me another three million, you know what I mean, of hearing the same thing, but just the way he would articulate it and the energy he'd bring. Yeah, you know what I mean. He never do go in the crowd or do any crowd work, he just got up and did an act, you know what I mean? But it was a fantastic act, it was an act that I'd pay for a thousand times to see. And I was so lucky to get to work with him and watch him perform so many times. Yeah, you know, it was just uh it was just amazing. You know, growing, you know, growing up as a teenager in the 90s, of course, um, you know, a lot of the movies he did Friday, Boomerang, things like that, you know, and then Wayne's brother, man, it just uh it was uh yeah, I even got him to sign my Friday DVD. And um, you know, it's uh it was it was just uh I'm I'm just blessed to be able to work to be able to work with not just in you know comedy but in professional wrestling with people that I grew up uh just you know enamored by and analyzed, man. It was amazing.

SPEAKER_02: 17:44

Yeah, yeah, I can see that. Yeah, he's you know you get to certain points and you're a student of whatever it is that you're in, you just appreciate greatness, right? And um some of those people you're you're talking about, I I could definitely see that. So you worked, you've uh performed in many places. What was it like at um Hollywood Improv?

SPEAKER_01: 18:09

That was pretty cool. I I um I was out there that stand-up or is it actually doing it?

SPEAKER_02: 18:16

You were doing improv. Can you do improv?

SPEAKER_01: 18:17

Oh no, I well, I'm not very good at improv. I'm more I'm one of those people that will uh the on the car ride home, I'll eat myself up saying, Oh, you should have said that, you should have said this. You know, I can handle an audience member on the fly, a heckler or something like that, but I'm just not good at on the spot. Yeah, I've seen you. You're good. Improv stuff. But improv stuff, I'm just not so Hollywood improv is just the name of the, but they do have a little side thing called the lab where they do improv comedy, but the improv is just a stand-up comedy chain. You know what I mean? So um I was originally supposed to um open for Christopher Titus here in Virginia Beach, but he at the time um was he just started bringing his fiance on the road with him. So I got bumped off. So we were getting our bookings from the Hollywood Improv for our clubs, and they said, Hey, well, we feel bad about your guy getting but if he you ever wants to go out here, come out here, we can give him some some um some spots on our stage. I was like, fantastic. I'll go out to LA and make a week of it. So I went out there, did three spots that week at the Hollywood Improv, uh, got to network and meet some fantastic folks. I was even able to get on at the comedy store on sunset.

SPEAKER_02: 19:27

Yeah, that's that's well renowned.

SPEAKER_01: 19:29

Yeah, that was that was quite an experience going in there and seeing all the names on the wall and stuff. And um, you know, uh I got to work in the the main room, which is the big big room where they have the bigger shows, but I got to work in the legendary what they call the OR, the original room.

SPEAKER_02: 19:44

Yeah, how many seats, how many seats, how many, how much that venue, how big is it?

SPEAKER_01: 19:50

Well, it's it they have it's pretty it it's bigger than what it looks like from the outside, and because they have that big main room which sits probably about 200 some. Then they have the OR, which probably sees about 100, and then they have another place called the belly room over top of it. So it's actually three little uh performance areas in there. Okay. Um, so but the OR, the original room, is right there off of sunset, and people can just come in like toward like the rooms constantly, it goes, it runs from like six and out in the evening till one in the morning. So um people are constantly coming in and the audience is constantly changing right off the boulevard. So it's it's one of the hardest places. They say it's the tough, one of the toughest rooms in all of the country, or probably the world. But um, you know, a lot of people, you know, Chris Rock, especially, they uh, you know, he he he did a bunch whole lot of stuff out of the comedy store. Um, that's where a lot of people have developed their acts over the years. Um, you know, Joe Rogland was a was a regular there, um, a lot of the greats. And uh so but that that particular room, it's and then you have people from all different countries that come in, so you have folks that could barely understand what you're saying, and you know, to to try to get pull laughter out of that's pretty difficult, you know? So yeah, um, and it's just a concept. Yeah, so so yeah, that that was that was quite an experience. I I I enjoyed it, I enjoyed it out in California.

SPEAKER_02: 21:17

So what would you say your your favorite place is to perform has been?

SPEAKER_01: 21:24

I I tell you, I really enjoyed um the Stardome in Alabama, in Birmingham, Alabama. It's uh it's why it's a beautiful venue. Well, it's I can I can remember when I went there, this was before the pandemic. I was working a Tuesday through Sunday there. So like a whole week, right? And for a comedy club on a Tuesday night to put 400 people in the seats, they just had a great marketing um strategy where they targeted people for their birthdays and stuff to put them in the seats, um, you know, through emails, lists, things like that, promotions. But man, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Birmingham, Alabama, man, it was packed like 400 some people. And uh, it's just the way it was built out because it's built, it's not built like normal comedy clubs where you just got the stage and chair and seatings and stuff, it's got stadium style seating. So you're almost like you're the crowd is like coming to you this way, you know. The the the energy is coming to you straight ahead, you know. So it's wonderful. But in the the ownership there, um, the they're they're awesome people. That's where uh Steve Harvey came through, you know. Uh so uh yeah, I've the stardom in Alabama is probably probably the my favorite place I've ever performed.

SPEAKER_02: 22:41

Yeah. You um I was actually surprised one of your last posts, it said um you were working with wrestling. You said you've been in professional wrestling for about nine years now. Yes. Okay. And what aspect?

SPEAKER_01: 23:02

As a I as a mic talent, what they call it enhancement talent. So I I do an in-ring talk show segment, and I just now made my managerial debut uh managing. Um, and it was pretty awesome my first time getting to um being mentored and and uh uh taught by WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long. He used to be the um general manager of SmackDown. So uh yeah, and it was uh that was that was quite an experience. But yeah, I started in the in the backstage doing interviews, and I was really terrible at that. Um they you know they brought me over because we were doing cross-promotion stuff with the funny bone for my this roast battle thing I do that's kind of wrestling themed. So me and Virginia Championship Wrestling kind of teamed up with that. And then they say, Hey, well, why don't you come over here? We might have something for you on the mic. I was like, okay. So it was like first we did backstage interviews. I was like I said, I wasn't very good at that. And then I was like, man, put me in a ring and let me let me uh let me talk, you know, and so eventually they did that and they gave me a segment called the Lou Lee's Lounge, and um, you know, I have my own banner and everything like that. So I get out there, and at first I'm um I'm a what you call in there's what you call baby face, which is a good good guy, then you have a heel, which is a bad guy, right? So first I start off as as face, you know. I mean, I'm out there as a comedian trying to uh make the crowd laugh and all this stuff, but they wanted to see wrestling, and there's kids there, and they're like, hey, we just want to see wrestling, we don't want to hear jokes.

unknown: 24:29

Right.

SPEAKER_01: 24:29

So that went on for a little while, and I was like, turn me hill, man. I was like, let me let me give it back to them, you know? Yeah, so uh so when they finally did let me do that, I it was Christmas time, and I brought out this big bag of candy, and I'm about to throw out the the the candy to the audience and the kids and stuff. I was like, uh, well you have you guys been naughty or nice? You've been naughty or nice. And I was like, Well, you haven't been nice to me. And I just slammed the candy in the bag, and then I get my first boo, and that was pretty awesome. You know, in stand-up, that's the last thing you want is booze. Yeah, but in wrestling as a bad guy, you that's how you know you're doing your job. Yes. And then um, so the segment went on, and uh Carlito, uh remember remember Carlito from WWE, he comes out uh um with an apple and um spits it in my face and stuff, and then he throws out the candy and everybody's happy. And then from there, it just became a segment where uh go out there and I'll just instigate, poke the bear with the lot of the you know, the the good guys, the fan favorites. And then um, you know, uh once I I lost a certain amount of weight, they let me get physically involved. So uh now I've uh I'll occasionally get uh beat up and thrown over the ropes and stuff like that, or you know, uh things. So uh uh I'm uh you know I've done two roll uh battle royals, so I've gone over the ropes twice, and um that that doesn't feel yeah, felt it each time. Everybody, you know, is this fake or yeah?

SPEAKER_02: 25:56

I'm thinking you guys they're they're they're actually falling and getting beat up.

SPEAKER_01: 26:00

Oh, and you you're actually, you know, they these guys, they're actually really kicking and punching each other. It's real kicks, it's real punch, it's just they know how to take it, right? You know, and uh you're trained to learn how to take it. So the physicality is real, you know, it's it's absolutely and and what these guys do, man. I I tell you, it was it was a it was a great, it was a pretty easy transition going from stand-up to connery because if you take the physical aspect out of professional wrestling, it's almost the same thing. You know, you got to have a great you gotta be able to connect to the audience. Um, the business is very the same, is is the the businesses are very much alike, but you know, um those guys they travel, put their body on the line, man, they they have a passion for what they do, they they have to sacrifice so much for what they go through. Right. And I just I earned a whole new respect for those guys. You know, I always grew up with a professional wrestling fan, but when I actually got to work and see these guys in the back and stuff, man, they uh what what they give to the business is is quite remarkable.

SPEAKER_02: 27:02

Yeah. It's um I used to watch it a lot when I was younger. I have I haven't had a chance to do it recently, but um now that you're involved and you're around here, I think I'm probably gonna uh take in a little bit.

SPEAKER_01: 27:15

Yeah, we'd love to have you out in Virginia Championship Wrestling. So it's just I get to boo you, huh?

SPEAKER_00: 27:21

Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02: 27:22

Okay. All right. Um when we were when I was reading some information about you, something that I had never seen before, and I watched a few a little bit of it. The PBS um documentary, comedy boot camp. Yes. Yeah. So you're an instructor. We we'll come back to the instructor part, the instruction part of what you've been doing. But um let's talk about that comedy boot camp, because it was really interesting. I had no idea. Right. So now I'm probably gonna uh binge them all week long, but uh how'd you get involved with that and tell us about it?

SPEAKER_01: 28:07

So uh Armed Services Arts Program, ASAP, um they had contacted me when they were starting up their uh stand-up comedy because they they would are their stand-up comedy um program because they were already uh it's a great program that they do is um the way it started was uh it was available to uh former service members that were suffering from the effects of PTSD. So that is uh awesome. Yeah. And so they did, they did, they had music classes, they had improv comics, I believe they had acted, acting and writing. So um I helped them start up their stand-up um uh program, and we were shooting it from William and Mary. So um the second semester, I believe it was, was when they brought in when uh the local uh WHRO for PBS uh came in and filmed that uh documentary. And uh it was fantastic working with it. I I've I still have um you know so several of those students of mine are still, you know, lifelong uh friends. How long did it run for? It usually ran for about six to eight weeks, I believe. Okay.

SPEAKER_02: 29:12

And you know how many seasons was it? I mean it was one of one documentary, yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 29:16

It was just one semester, and they they they dove into the background of several of the um of the students and things like that, and uh and what they did and you know their their personal life and hobbies and things. And then we had the graduation, of course, at the Virginia Beach Funny Bow. So um, yeah, it was it was it was it was a privilege working with those folks.

SPEAKER_02: 29:35

Yeah, yeah. You know, we have an appreciation for it because of where we live. Um, and we see a lot of things that people don't normally see with the veterans. Um how effective was it for helping them like transition and then get over those those issues that they have?

SPEAKER_01: 29:54

How was it? Some of some of the well, you know, comedy is the cheapest form of therapy. You know, and when you can take a lot of your tra and I of course I can't speak on behalf of what the things they went through, you know, in the military, because I I've never served myself. But uh I can just say that, you know, in stand up, you know, you can take a lot of your traumas that you've been through in your life, and you can, you know, you can you can empower yourself through you know through stand up by providing laughter, turning it into laughter and foot for folks, with people that can relate to sometimes to what you're going through and stuff. And of course, like you said, here in this area, predominantly military, so a lot of it connects. Um, you know, here and I and and and you know, that was in Williamsburg, but a lot of you know, DC, all that stuff, a lot of people are are, you know, Virginia and whole military. Exactly, yeah. So yeah. So, you know, when they when they're able to man, man, they they gave they they had their lives on the line, you know, and they that some of the things they seen or or or been through themselves, uh, for that program to be able to offer them an outlet is just fantastic.

SPEAKER_02: 31:07

So yeah. Yeah, I think it's interesting. It was really interesting. I'm gonna have to check it out. The um another one of the things that I've was reading about you is that you're an instructor. What how'd you get into instructing?

SPEAKER_01: 31:23

Well, I was uh I was a regular at the Virginia Beach funny bone, probably in my probably about a second year there, about a year in or something like that, with the new management that came in in 2010, 2011. And uh, yeah, 2011. And um I was out on the local scene producing shows and already kind of like uh even though I was relatively new myself, I was helping the com the comics coming on into the uh amateur scene, helping get helping them with their starts and things like that. And um the previous teacher there was removed and uh management came to me and said, Hey, how would you like to teach this thing? And at first I was like, man, I was like, uh, I don't know, man. I don't think I had the patience for that. You know, I don't mind helping people, but I was just like, I'm not for sure this is really me. I'd never imagined myself as an instructor or any kind of teacher in any way. So I got into it, and then it just became a real love and passion of mine, you know. That there was a time where I was on the um, I was on the road quite a bit, you know, before the pandemic. I I remember in a two-week span, I did oh man, around 4,000 miles on a road, you know, all over the country and um and driving, you know, and uh I was just living out of a suitcase and stuff. And um I was like, you know, I I love this, but you know, I was like, man, I sure do love teaching too. And you know, I I taught during the pandemic as well. Um, you know, uh how were you able to do that? Uh over Zoom, stuff like that. So we you know, throughout all of our clubs, we're the the fronting bone is part of a 17 club franchise. So um I I was teaching 41 people within a span of two hours online, you know. So um, but it just pass uh teaching just became this very rewarding aspect of my life, and it's hard to explain. You know, I I feel like as I teach, I also learn, you know? And um I just, you know, in my class, I always tell them this because before anyone pays to enroll, I always have them come out to have a free introduction class. And I tell people, I'm like, you know, yeah, this class may be centered around stand-up. I'm gonna teach you this art, but I want this to be a core life experience for you. I want it to help you in every aspect of your life and your uh your personal life, your work life, public speaking, things like that. And the the class, they they build a uh camaraderie to where post-class they always got and support each other and everything. And I love just this thing of seeing people where they start to where they finish, you know what I mean? And and a lot of times it's not the a lot of times it's not the person that's that's the the chirp or you know you see might be life at a party that you know you think, oh, that's a good community. A lot of times it's the person that's very introverted, the little mouse in the corner that's shy to speak at first, that ends up becoming the best, you know? And uh because I feel like they have so much more to say, they've just never known how to say it. And once they know how to tap into that and say it and and perform this art, you know, and write for stand up and relate all the things that they've had bottled up with all their life, it's just a beautiful thing, you know, and and you can't I I've learned uh to withhold a lot of uh judgments of people because I just feel like everyone's a lottery ticket, you just don't know what it is there until you scratch it. Right.

SPEAKER_02: 34:48

And uh yeah, they uh so somebody wanting to to get started in stand up, uh what would you say to them? What would you tell them?

SPEAKER_01: 34:58

Well, you can always you can absolutely just go jump out on an open mic. Um, but a lot of people like the to go through a course to where they're taught a lot of the stuff, a lot of the formalities, a lot of the etiquette, uh, a lot of the techniques, especially how to handle an audience, um, before they step out onto a local amateur scene. So you could go either way, you know. There's a lot of great people that've never taken a comedy class, you know, and you know, so they can you could just go drill out right on a local open mic and see how you do, or you could take a course and be taught how to do it correctly. Uh my my course, you know, I don't and this is another thing too. I never tell people I'm gonna make them a star or anything like that. In fact, I tell people about the end of this course, if you think you're a star, I've probably failed you, you know. I mean, because I teach them the the the ugly side of the business too, you know what I mean? So my course just simply cuts off several years of a learning curve of of their amateur years, you know. And um so uh yeah, there's but yeah, just jump on stage, see see what see what you got, you know.

SPEAKER_02: 36:02

What does it take to write your jokes? Do you when do you start writing your jokes?

SPEAKER_01: 36:11

I can tell you what well when I was I was in the mortgage business during the mid-2000s when the market was red hot. So I was uh you know, I I had a great career in that, but when I lost everything, I went to bill collecting. And when I was in bill collecting, you know, I was it was really taking a net uh a toll on me, you know, mentally and everything like that. Right. And I was started, this was when I was just about to go out on stage for the first time. I just for like a year, I was just saying, I said, you know, every time I get an idea for something, I'm gonna write it on a sticky note. And as I was working and I was just thinking funny things, I just write it down, the idea for it. So when I started staying up, I had a shoe box full of sticky notes, and then I just took it and you know expanded on each idea, and then I just threw it up there on stage. And I remember the first time I went on stage was at Kazzi's Comedy Club in Newport News, and um I like that place, yeah. And so it used to be just the first Thursday of a month, now it's weekly, but yeah, I went out the first, I went out in March and I rem of 2009, and I was too chicken to get on stage. So I said, I'll just watch. I watched, and then when I left that night, I said, I'm not gonna pass this up again. So I wrote out on a whole set and act and stuff and went there that follow April 2nd was my um first time uh 200 uh nine was my first time on stage. And I remember I I got there and there was 32 people on the list that were performing on that open mic. I was number 32. So I had to sit there for almost two hours with my nerves eating me up. And then I got on stage and you know, I got a little inebriated. I got on stage, you know, just trying to come there, got on stage, and I completely blanked and forgot everything. And you know, then I didn't know what to say. I had all the stuff that I practiced mentally and everything, and then I just went to the to my to my ace in the hole and I was just made a joke about my weight. I was like, hey, everybody, I don't know. Uh the staff may want to check it, but uh do these chairs seem a little bit wobbly to you, you know? And then once I got that laugh, yeah. That first I remember that was my first laugh I got in the stand-up. And once I got that, everything came back to me. Yeah, you know, and then um, so after that, you know, it's just uh every time I would have an idea, I just always grab it, you know.

SPEAKER_02: 38:34

Your comfort zone. What's that? So your comfort zone, you you you think most comedians have like that one or multiple things that they could always go to where is a comfort?

SPEAKER_01: 38:45

Yeah, well the best thing is one of the best things is is in stand-up to to go for is self-deprecation. Okay. You know, yeah. So if you're able to laugh at yourself, you can have uh it's much easier to have other people laugh at you or with you or whatever. You know what I mean? So that's usually the first first thing you you dip from.

SPEAKER_02: 39:06

Yeah. A lot of people talk about their families because you get a lot of material from your family. Oh, yeah. You just be surprised. Yeah. Yeah. So your family is funny. So tell us what you have coming up.

SPEAKER_01: 39:20

Well, we're right now I'm I'm teaching another class right now. Um when do your classes start? Well, they just started here. Uh but you we'll be here locally in Virginia Beach. We'll be starting a new course uh when our new club opens uh in in January. So uh probably February, actually, is when we're the classes start. But our new club should be opening sometime in January. We're going from town center right across the street over to Pembroke, um, upgrading to a much larger venue with uh a draft cade on the side. Um a draft cage which just got all the retro video games and things like that with the bar area and everything. We have that up in Richmond at a Richmond location and several of our locations across the country. So it works very well. Looking forward to it. We're we're we're about to move into a real premiere venue, man. It's it's it's gonna be beautiful. So I'm excited about that. So that's when I'll be starting my next class. And um, you know, if you follow Funny Bone Comedy School, Funny Bone One Word, Comedy School other on Facebook or Funny Bone Comedy School on Instagram, um, you'll get notified, you know, you'll you'll see where we have our next classes coming up. I mean, our first class is always an introduction where people come out and hear about it before they decide to pay anything to enroll. So um right now I'm I'm I'm teaching that class. I'm be starting up in Richmond Funny Bone, uh teaching my courses in um the comedy school in early November. And then um I also have you know several several uh performance dates and things like that. But I also have coming up in November at Richmond Funny Bone, uh my what I call my baby, it's this the comedy smackdown roast battle. So this is uh it's a 12 comic kind of tournament thing where they just face each other and with insults and things like that. Yeah, and it's all wrestling themed. So we have the uh we have ring ropes, everything set up, uh bell, uh, you know, ring announcer, everything. They we got a real championship belt. Um and so yeah, it's uh but it's great. And it also that goes to benefit uh a nonprofit called Sloth, which helps assist veterans with PTSD as well. So um, you know, that coming up, um, you know, uh uh just uh you know, but teaching right now is is my main focus.

SPEAKER_02: 41:34

Okay. Are you planning on going out on the road at all?

SPEAKER_01: 41:37

I haven't been on the road in quite a bit, um, just for you know, going through some went through some health stuff and everything, but uh I plan to get that back on track. So you'll be locally performing though. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 41:48

Okay, we'll do. Good, good. And tell us how people can find you at big follow you.

SPEAKER_01: 41:56

Yeah, at big 44 comedy on uh Instagram, TikTok. I don't really mess with my TikTok too much, but I I should. But um, yeah, I should I should get on there. But uh yeah, at Big44 Comedy, Big44 Comedy on um on Facebook. Also, I have a special on Amazon that's streaming. Uh you can see that for free on Amazon. It's called Tim Lulli's Sugar Glider.

SPEAKER_02: 42:19

Tim Lulley's Sugar Glider.

SPEAKER_01: 42:21

Yep.

SPEAKER_02: 42:21

Okay.

SPEAKER_01: 42:22

We shot that at the Virginia Beach Funny Bone um back in October 2023 to a packed house. Uh it's really good, great special. Um, had a company called Armorloo from here at the um shot at Josh Fowler. Um, did a great job, him and his team um helping me produce that and stuff. So uh that that's that's my pride and joy. Tim Louley's Sugar Glider, available on Amazon, Amazon Video, and also on uh Spotify, uh YouTube, YouTube music, Apple Music, stuff like that.

SPEAKER_02: 42:52

Right. Okay, all right. Well, I appreciate you coming in. Um I'm very thankful and I can't wait to see you on stage. Thank you. And uh that concludes today's episode of Listen Up. Catch you next time on Listen Up. If you enjoyed today's episode, I'm gonna ask you to click on the links below, follow, subscribe, become part of the conversation. And remember, listen up.