David tracks the messy evolution of his act, from joking about kratom and morphine drips to nearly launching a debate show on illicit substances. Along the way he revisits a live “Armchair Expert” set that almost tempted Dax Shepard off the wag...

Ever wonder what your teenage fashion choices revealed about your desperate need to fit in? David Walton takes us on a hilarious journey through the social currency of Z Cavariccis—those ridiculously baggy pants with multiple belt loops that so...

David runs a creative restraint exercise after stumbling on a Louis CK quote and finds a lot of potential standup material he's now excited about.

David speaks with the 7 year old that lives in his head and tells him an inappropriate joke. David is unhinged throughout.

Looking for inspiration David does a word perfect performance of Anthony Jeselnik's Bones and All 2024 Netflix standup special. 

David tries out a new joke about everyone being a liar and then does some comic perspective exercises that reveal he probably has a drug problem.

Kevin Christy is not only a world class stand up comedian but he is also more interesting than the Dos Equis man. Imagine if the Dos Equis man loved snow globes, stickers, and Disneyland and hated beer. Then listen to this interview.

Casey Watson is one of the fastest rising comedians in Maine. In 4 short years he has gone from open mic newbie to featuring for many big comics including Ari Shaffir and Big Jay Oakerson. He performs regularly at the Empire Comedy Club in Port...

On vacation with wife and kid so appropriate to rerelease the episode where I ask my wife to point out my flaws.

Sometimes doing nothing tells you where you need to go. A frank episode about putting comedy on pause while pursuing acting opportunities, featuring audition stories, a serendipitous mentor discovery, and why Maine's comedy scene deserves more ...

David begins the day filled with confidence and hope as he preps for his 20th open mic. By nightfall these positive emotions have transformed into face melting shame, but the warrior in him transmutes humiliation into strength and resilience. A...

Caleb Sherman is a comedian and has worked for almost a decade at the Empire Comedy Club in Portland, Maine, where he's become something of an accidental anthropologist of the open mic scene. In this conversation, we explore the str...

A fun week of development and performance.

David explores his high school experience for potential material. 

David mines his relationship with his dad for material. He also shares a few tips from Gary Gulman's 366 Comedy Tips. https://www.vulture.com/article/gary-gulman...

David discovers his old movie character, Dr. Rick, might be the perfect vehicle for exploring the ego-driven absurdity of modern spirituality.

David shares his favorite bits from the following comics:Sam Morrill, Pete Holmes, Geoffrey Asmus, JT Parr, Beth Stelling, Taylor Tomlinson, Jordan Jensen, Dave Attell, Ian Edwards, Aries Spears, Norm Macdonald

The episode provides a fascinating glimpse into the creative process, showing how raw life experiences transform into structured comedy bits through careful crafting and refinement. David's vulnerability and willingness to expose his inner conf...

David gets encouraging news.

From getting fired on Wall Street to becoming social media's favorite country club satirist - Walker Ward (aka Walksauce42_) joins us to break down how he built a massive social media comedy empire by perfectly capturing the chaos of Rivian wai...

David somehow puts together another amazing episode of Starting Standup freezing his ass off high on Mexican coke.

In this 14th episode David Walton shares updates from his comedy writing camp in New York City, including watching Dave Chappelle perform at the Comedy Cellar. He announces exciting changes for the podcast, including plans to feature more inter...

A comedian's job is to be funny - even when their hometown is on fire. In this raw episode, David copes with the LA fires by sharing a recent stand-up set about his emotionally reserved father, complete with generational observations about hugg...

David talks about being dumb and honest.Also he:• Examines Norm Macdonald’s approach to comedy and authenticity • Shares personal anecdotes involving aptitude tests and self-awareness • Discusses key comedic attitu...

David leads a short holiday meditation on cocaine.