Clean Comedy Chats
Join Drew Davis as he interviews members of the Clean Comedy Collective each week and gets to know each individual better as a person and as a comedian!
Clean Comedy Chats
Brinn Daniels
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Brinn Daniels is a comedian based out of Nashville, TN who has performed at Zanies, Don't Tell, and recently appeared on a live taping with KLOVE. Drew and Brinn chat about performing at Walmart, her upcoming special, starting out in Standup Comedy, and performing in Nashville and in Florida.
Check out Brinn's website here!
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You're listening to the live You're welcome.
SPEAKER_00You're welcome. Welcome back to the Clean Comedy Chat. This is the weekly podcast where we interview a different comedian each week from the Clean Comedy Collective, which is a virtual comedy network that spans all across America. We have 250 comedians from 40 different states and one from Switzerland. We're happy you're here. We're happy to do another interview. I'm very excited about my guest today. Um, because uh first of all, uh everyone give it up for Brynn Daniels. Hey Bryn, how's it going?
SPEAKER_01Hey Drew, thanks for having me.
SPEAKER_00Thanks for being here. Um Brynn is actually, I was thinking about the best way of saying this because it's gonna it's gonna make me sound like a jerk.
SPEAKER_01But I can't wait.
SPEAKER_00Um, but so when you do comedy, you have tons of like we're all charismatic, friendly, fun people. But like, I'll be honest, like as a comedian, I'm friends with like 10 of them, right? So Brent Bryn would make the list. Make the list of, I mean, you have you have you're you have the every you're friendly with everyone, but then you have the real comedians you count on that you are real, like you'd hang out with them outside of like I know your family, like we've like I feel like we we've gone to church. Yeah, you know my mom. You're one of my mom's favorite comedians.
SPEAKER_01So and that I wear that on my heart. Like that is a real that is the credit.
SPEAKER_00In addition to being a comedian, she's also uh works in film, you teach film. I don't I never know. Have you were you ever like you've always taught it, or have you you were like in it though?
SPEAKER_01Like you you're like I freelanced for a bit, I made music videos, um, a lot of uh kind of corporate and I did advertising for 10 years. So that was most of what I did. I got to do the fun stuff on the side. I was in advertising, I was in like the film department of an advertising firm for a decade. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Um did you did you like it back then? Like you it's so different than like you you teach and do comedy now. Like that's like those are different things.
SPEAKER_01I mean, I liked that because it was such a small company. There was like, I think when I was hired, I was the 11th or I mean it was very small. So I got to do a little, I sang jingles, I got to direct sometimes, I got to act on them sometimes, and it was really fun. Oh, cool.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And then by the time I left, I think there were like 35 people. And we were just having to travel more. And then it wasn't it wasn't as fun for a mom. Right. Like I just I just I just can't make this work. And missing, you know, having to choose between my son's birthday and you know, a shoot. And so I was just like, yeah, this isn't gonna work anymore. So then I decided to kind of scoot over into teaching.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Well, I guess it I mean it's like everything has a season, like it worked when you when you didn't have a kid to go like spend the birthdays with, it was more fun probably yeah. That's cool. So and then um, so something exciting about Bryn, um, and as it pertains to the Clean Comedy Collective, is uh Bryn is our second uh Walmart special that we've released on our YouTube channel. Uh you have a tight Walmart 10.
SPEAKER_01A Walmart special, words that have never been we're we're making it a thing. Sounds like a gross plate of food, but it's actually a very enjoyable 10 minutes of your life if you want to spend it.
SPEAKER_00We do a monthly comedy show in Franklin, Tennessee at a Walmart, at a at a podcast studio in a Walmart, so it's not like out by the produce. It is right, however, speaking of gross things at Walmart, it is right next to like sushi that you could buy that they keep telling me is good.
SPEAKER_01They keep trying to get us to buy that sushi and nobody's biting. No, no.
SPEAKER_00And you know, even last time I was there, I was looking around for someone, like, oh, does someone like like is it would they give it to you? No, it's just right out there in the refrigerator.
SPEAKER_01Just yeah, yeah. Maybe I bet they'll get you eventually. You'll hear it like for that 50th time. You'll be like, all right.
SPEAKER_00All right, I'll try the sushi, and then I'll come back to like, oh my gosh, that sushi was as amazing as they said.
SPEAKER_01Oh my gosh, that's what's gonna happen. They'll infect you with that, and then you're gonna tell every comedian, oh man. It's like it's like the wire, you know. Right, absolutely. You watch the wire and then you have to tell everybody how much.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's I don't, I don't know. I don't, I don't, I don't, I even good sushi, I'm a little weary of, so I don't know.
SPEAKER_01So but we can't sushi's not gonna do it for you.
SPEAKER_00Probably not. Uh but you know what they do have is a wonderful monthly comedy show that we're both part of it. And so one of the things we do with this show is uh we record all the routines and then we post it um online on our uh Clean Comedy Collective YouTube channel, uh, which some of you might be watching this podcast on. So you could just hop over. Hop over there. Yeah, Bryn's got a special that came out last Wednesday, and then I had a special that came out last week. I'll be honest, I put that special out there to just get the things rolling. Like I don't if you watch it and you're like, ooh, I don't know about this guy, watch another video. Like, but but then I knew like the the next four, like yours and Ashley and and and and Renard's and Rhonda's that that are coming out, like those are solid. Mine was like a good, good quality host set where you're warming them up. They they didn't know about laughing.
SPEAKER_01It's a tough thing when you're hosting, right? They aren't warm, you know, so you're not gonna get the same response. And we also did have uh just a room full of church people, right? Richard, they're I God bless them, literally. But they are they're quieter, they're a quieter audience.
SPEAKER_00They were a nice, nice they're very polite, very polite. They just don't they don't want to they don't want to interrupt your joke with their laughter.
unknownSo true.
SPEAKER_00They just they'll let you keep saying I did, I had such a uh you don't normally get nice YouTube or TikTok comments, but I had such a nice comment at one of my jokes where someone was like, that joke needed more reaction than it got. And I was like, thank you, strange man or woman.
SPEAKER_01How nice to get like a nice random person and not just the one under it said back to the drawing board.
SPEAKER_00So so they they like to keep you humble.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's like it's like having kids. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00The YouTube trolls are my kids.
SPEAKER_01YouTube trolls say the darndest things, right?
SPEAKER_00Absolutely. There we go. Well, um, well, so your Walmart special is already out. It's been out for a few days. Uh is it's extra credit, extra kid. Um, and she talks about both of those in her special, if you can believe it. Um, but what I also wanted you to tell us a little bit about was you have another special coming up in December.
SPEAKER_01I do. And it's gonna be twice as long, and it's gonna have some different jokes, and it's gonna be great. Uh, we shot it at the station theater down in uh Smyrna, Tennessee. Yeah. Love that place. Really, really beautiful theater. Great people down there. Um, and I'm gonna release it on December 6th because that is my anniversary, my seventh year of comedy from the first time trying comedy.
SPEAKER_00That's awesome.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so I'm very excited for the anniversary and to get that out on the anniversary.
SPEAKER_00I feel like, and I haven't known you for seven years, but I feel like I've known you for four or five years. I feel like I've been on, I feel like I've watched your comedy journey, but I I didn't realize I missed I picked up on season three and not season one or two.
SPEAKER_01Well, here's why because I started, I took a class at Third Coast, right? As a lot of us do. Uh, Mark Anunson was my teacher. He's great. Fantastic, super funny, great person to learn from. Uh, but that was December 2019.
SPEAKER_00Ah, yeah. Well I can't imagine what happened shortly after that.
SPEAKER_01That most people's careers were over for a year or two at that point. You know, when when the big wigs, like people who've been doing comedy their entire lives, are doing backyard shows. I'm not getting a spot on anybody's, you know, show. So uh, but yeah, but then I then I got hooked up with the Clean Comedy Collective because Bet that was when you guys were doing an open mic in East Nashville.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, at a at a juice bar.
SPEAKER_01At a juice bar, and I went every week, almost every week, um, and was able to try out new jokes, and you gave me a shot on some of your real shows from there.
SPEAKER_00We had you on the Third Coast, uh, one the Nashville All-Star Show.
SPEAKER_01Um we had several times on that one.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I play uh that one always opened with us playing All-Star from Smashmouth, and now I can't hear that song without thinking of uh but I remember the first time I met you at Juice Par at Juice PAL um and have never told you the story before.
SPEAKER_01So this is a exclusive um Let me see if I remember it.
SPEAKER_00Well, uh from your perspective, it would have just been like you signed up for the open mic and I said, Hey, how's it going?
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_00But when you walked in, I thought you were a completely different person who I met earlier in the week.
SPEAKER_02I get that.
SPEAKER_00So I walked over with all like, hey, how's it going? It's great to see you. And and of course, you probably just thought, like, oh, what an overly exuberant hello or whatever.
SPEAKER_01Nice young man.
SPEAKER_00Right, absolutely. And then you signed up and you sat back down, and I thought to myself, that was not the person that that is a different white woman.
SPEAKER_01I get that a lot.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it was a different white woman. Yeah, yeah, it was, yeah, it was and and and but then what's funny is like then be we became really good friends, and I don't have a clue who the original person I thought you were was. It was like a different comedian who I was like, Oh, I'm starting a new open mic, you should come do it. Yeah, and uh I was so excited because I thought like someone I told about the open mic showed up. Uh she did not, but but but you but I did you did and I become one of your less than 10.
SPEAKER_01That's right, you friends in the middle.
SPEAKER_00You made it to my my less than 10 list. I like how all my lists, uh whether it's Walmart 10 or less than 10. 10 or less.
SPEAKER_01Is that from your old checkout days?
SPEAKER_00Is that what it must be? It must be the public's PTSD. It just fits, but but yeah, that's uh it's funny because I always remember because like we did become really good friends, but like the first time I met you, I you know, casually thought you were a completely different person.
SPEAKER_01So I'll take that. That's fine.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's okay.
SPEAKER_01I have that look about me. I've heard, yeah.
SPEAKER_00I don't I also have bad eyesight, and it that was a weird room.
SPEAKER_01Bad eyesight, bad sense of smell.
SPEAKER_00No sense of smell. So let's talk about comedy. Let's uh and you and comedy. Um, that is why we're here, after all. Um, side note, I didn't do half of my plug, which is like go to our website, cleancomedycollective.com. Both me and Brynn are in the Tennessee section, but you can check out wherever you're from. You can check out what comedians are in your area. Um, you can also see earlier podcast episodes, you can see what shows we have coming up, assuming I update it by the time you it is early September right now, which means it's still showing a lot of August shows, but like by the time you check it out, it'll be updated.
SPEAKER_01It'll be perfect by the way.
SPEAKER_00So perfect. Um, but yeah, we have a lot of cool things. There's also a donation function, and you can join our Patreon, get full episodes, and um uh eventually, sometime down the line, I'll have a new thing for patrons. But uh, we're not even close to that yet. Like, I need to actually do it, but um, and then I can talk about it. But it's it's just you know, you all just stick around until then.
SPEAKER_01Just make it sound really cool and secretive, and it'll just change your life for the better.
SPEAKER_00Everything you thought was good that you knew.
SPEAKER_01You'll want to be the first one in, stay tuned.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's gonna be great. So we I know we know you you started comedy seven years ago during uh during the pandemic, and then you came back to comedy a few years once it was safe again. Uh but w I always ask this to the guest, why? What made you think, like, uh, let's do some stand-up comedy?
SPEAKER_01I always wanted to do stand-up comedy. Like, I remember vividly when I think it was 1996 when Comedy Central became a thing. Like, I I remember it. I watched it all the time. It was my favorite thing. I just really got into stand-up comedy. When I went to college, I was in New York City. Um, and you would think that I would have started it there, but I was just too shy. I was like, no, I can't do that. That was like terrifying to me because it's all you and you are, you know, it's you're basically putting your personality up there. And if people don't like it, it's like that's terrifying.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01So I did improv and some other things. Um I when I was at NYU, actually, the person that I made become my best friend, we're in the very first class, and she's talking about herself, you know, intros. And she says, and I do stand-up comedy on the weekends, and I was like, Oh, I'm gonna make you be friends with me. And then she ended up being um uh she ended up being in my wedding. She's awesome, she lives in Turkey now. Um, but anyways, so I just always, always loved it, always wanted to try it, was always too terrified. And then being uh, you know, like you mentioned, I I'm a professor um at a university, so I'm an academic. So uh I, you know, had some kids, uh, you know, had my life change and everything, and was like, I need to do something for myself. Uh so I decided as an academic, I would take a class. I'm gonna take a class, and then and then if I feel like I can do it, I will do it. And I just I was like, why did I wait this long? This is amazing. I I loved it. I got the bug and I've never wanted to stop.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's I mean, like it is to me one of the best things ever to perform. Like it's just the feeling of performing. So then if you're talking to someone who's like kind of like you and shy and wants to try stand-up comedy, but like is is too shy quote unquote too shy to do it, like what is like what would be good advice you'd give them to get them like off their seat and onto the mic?
SPEAKER_01I mean, I think if you're shy, you just have to get up there and do it, you know? And the more you do it, the more comfortable you get with it. Um and if you're worried about what people think about you, like that just don't be, you know. Nobody they're all just thinking and this is the the secret about an open mic too, is that they're all comics. Right. Almost all the open mics, there are a couple exceptions, but they're all comics, and they're literally just sitting there thinking about the jokes that they're gonna tell. They're so worried about themselves, um, but that they're not really thinking about you. And if you can surprise them and make them laugh, you know, it's the best feeling in the world. And also you're not gonna be good at it at first. So don't don't worry about that. You it will bomb.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's like any other skill. Like, I think about like if I decide today to take a pottery glass, it's not the first thing I make on the a throw or whatever, I don't know, like the the thing.
SPEAKER_01I don't know what those are called. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Well, the first thing I do, it's probably gonna like crack and splatter and go all that, but like it's a new skill, like that's okay. And and a lot of people, I know because I teach them, a lot of people go into comedy thinking, well, I'm gonna kill the first time I'm up there, or like, or they get so bummed out if they bomb, or if they it's like it's like you're new to this. Like, that's yeah, it what kind of part of me is like, what do you expect to happen?
SPEAKER_01So like it's it's the same thing with any with anything. I tell my film students all the time, I'm like, look, here's the good, and I I have teach a lot of freshmen, you know, first-time filmmakers, and I go, here's the good news and the bad news. This class, this is gonna be the worst film that you ever make because it's all uphill from here. Yeah, it's just about getting reps, and even more so in comedy. Trying things, figuring it out. And like some things, I mean, as you get going more too, you'll realize that some things do really, really well in this room and not as well over here. Um, and it's just something that you have to learn to read the audience, and there's no way to do that except to do it.
SPEAKER_00And you yeah, you you learn by doing it. And and I feel like sometimes you learn by doing it incorrectly. Um for me, yeah. For me, um, I've I I have two church shows this weekend, and I feel pretty comfortable now doing like longer sets at churches, but like I feel like one of the main reasons I feel like that is because I have done enough of my material that I learned later, don't do that in a church because I didn't think there was anything wrong with it, and I did it and didn't get laughed. So I was like, okay, so don't do that one at church. Got it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, because it's not even about if you're necessarily going to offend them, there's just certain sensibilities where things are gonna land better or worse in different respects. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00I know that's something we've talked about in earlier episodes with um comedians that specialize in church, but it's like you're asking a lot in an audience in a church, like, hey, yeah, while you're staying with all the people that you want to think like you're holy and your pastors over there, right, laugh at this.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So and it's like they'll they'll you'll there's like always like a little pause because they're waiting to see if it's like appropriate.
SPEAKER_01Okay, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00So so um now, do you um you work do you work all clean or mostly? I feel like I've I feel like I've only seen clean from you.
SPEAKER_01So yeah, I I used to have one joke where I kind of like towed the line and it just it just felt like it wasn't me. Yeah, you know, and so I it it was pretty early on that I was trying it out. Um so I didn't really have my voice yet. And I, you know, quickly I was like, oh, this isn't working because it's not me. Yeah, it's not coming off authentic. That's it. So I dropped it, you know, pretty quickly. And yeah, I'm just all clean. That's that's just my personality.
SPEAKER_00And I think you hit the nail on the head with like, that's just me, right? Yeah. Like um, and I I do specialize and gravitate towards clean comedy, but like I realized a couple of years ago I'm not always clean. Like sometimes I feel I blame clever.
SPEAKER_01I've heard you say a couple naughty words.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I do. But I but my big thing always is like I don't want to like make people feel less than so or or right, I do believe there's certain rooms that not clean comedy is not appropriate. They don't want that, so you don't entertain people's number one. So yeah, yeah. No, I you we've been on some shows together. We did some um Florida shows. We've two years in a row. We've gone to Clearwater and um St. Pete Beach. We're that's like on our life.
SPEAKER_01That's our new rotation, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, well, you took me to the Hulk Hogan Museum.
SPEAKER_01I mean, when in Rome, you know.
SPEAKER_00We had Gator.
SPEAKER_01I I gave Drew Gator tale. Yeah, I wear in Clearwater, I had to.
SPEAKER_00That's just that so those that's always a fun time. We've been there twice. Um, and you were this last time uh on the way to St. Pete, you uh wearing the rental car with me, and you got to help me figure out like how to work everything. So that was fun.
SPEAKER_01That was fun. Oh, and I got you a Cuban sandwich.
SPEAKER_00That's right. Now, see, here's the thing. Um, it was a delightful Cuban sandwich, by the way. I didn't know until we were there that like that was what they were known for. Like I've had I've had plenty of Cuban sandwiches in my life. I didn't realize like that.
SPEAKER_01You haven't had a real one until then.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So now I can say I've had a real Cuban and that was was that in Tampa? Okay.
SPEAKER_01In Tampa, yeah. Because that's where uh the history of Tampa, like we had a lot of Cubans there. There were all the Cuban cigar factories. In fact, you'll still see them there, like the brick buildings with the smoke. Yeah, so that's uh that's kind of the delicacy. Yeah, we got the Cuban of Tampa. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00We ain't fancy folk, but we got Cuban sandwiches.
SPEAKER_01And a guava pastry. So next week, that sounds good. Get you a guava pastry.
SPEAKER_00That's that that's season three.
SPEAKER_01So yeah, so we we're actually started with Gatortail. It's only up from there, you know what I mean?
SPEAKER_00That's true. Gator tail, Cuban sandwich. Um we'll have guava pastry. Guava pastries. That's awesome. I'm I'm looking forward to that. So, but this is interesting. So, uh, first of all, when we go and we perform in Florida, especially at the Clearwater show, um, like everyone Brynn knows and grew up with just shows up at this show. So, like she three three she has lots of just uh people that come.
SPEAKER_01Well, you know what? It it's my dad. My dad is my biggest supporter. My dad will bully his friends into coming to see even if they were just there.
SPEAKER_00He seems so sweet, but you better believe he's got like backhanded blackmail tactics. He's like, Oh, I'll get I'll fill the room.
SPEAKER_01And he does, yeah. No, he doesn't. And then my mom, you know, my mom and dad come to every single show.
SPEAKER_00They are they're so nice. They're they're they're like, I I feel like at this point they're my Florida adopted parents.
SPEAKER_01Um oh yeah. My mom felt so, but she's like, I didn't buy a t-shirt this. I was like, Mom, I'll get you a t-shirt from Drew. So they just they love, but they love you because they they're like they they know how big a part of my comedy journey that you've been, and all the you know, all the uh shows that you've gotten me on and the confidence, you know. I mean, I mean, really have you to thank for a lot of that, and my parents also thank you. Really, really thank you.
SPEAKER_00It's funny because I'm thinking of like some of the really weird shows that we've done, and we're like, yeah, that's part of it.
SPEAKER_01That is part of it. But then we also got to do cool shows in St. Pete and other places. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So is it weirder for you? Because I mean, like, I'm not exaggerating, I would say, like, we'd look around the room and be like, oh, everyone Brynn knows us here. Yeah. Um, is it weirder for you to perform in front of a room full of people you know, or like a room full of strangers?
SPEAKER_01Now I don't think there's really a difference. I mean, I kind of they both feel the same because I feel so comfortable on stage. Um, but I also think that's something to do with being clean. I think I would feel very differently if I were, you know, talking about sex or like other other like doing drugs or something on stage. I think then it would feel very different.
SPEAKER_00But because it's but it's all clean, you don't have anything to worry about. Yeah, that's a good point. That's a another I don't think people talk about that enough when they talk about perks of doing clean comedy, is like, well, you can say your joke in front of whoever you want.
SPEAKER_01I can say the same joke in front of my kids. In fact, I run I have I do a lot of jokes about my kids, and I run those by the kids because they're gonna see it one day. You know, I want to make sure that they're not totally embarrassed by it. Um, and so far, they haven't vetoed anything.
SPEAKER_00So that's gonna be so hard. I I I know your youngest of the best out of the three of them. It's gonna be so hard when she gets to an age where she's just like, that one's not funny. Because she won't she won't say it in like a nice, delicate way. She'll be like, here's the thing.
SPEAKER_01She's very honest. Yeah. But she also appreciates a joke, you know.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01So I mean, all my kids do. They've grown up that way, you know. We have a saying in our house, and it is if it's funny enough, you will not get in trouble.
SPEAKER_00Ah, there we go. I like that. That's a good saying.
SPEAKER_01We use that, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Oddly enough, that can be true and stand up as well. Like if you so try to if you say, especially like a clean show, if and don't clean comedians don't do this. Like, I'm just saying, I don't even this is so such a stupid. She might not get hired again, but yeah. But especially definitely not at a church show. Yeah, yeah. Okay, so yeah, maybe but I'm just not gonna finish that statement. You're right though. But um so in life though. In life, though, yeah.
SPEAKER_01That's funny enough, you might not get it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, you can get I feel like a good charming good charming something will get you through a lot of a lot of things, I feel like. But but okay, well, I am I feel like I always uh feel way more uncomfortable, not like where I can't do the show, but like when it's a room full of people I know. Like I love going up there and performing in front of because part of me, part of the experience of the comedian is like you're molding like their whole like your persona is everything you've created, right? So everything from the start to the show to the end of the show, even before you get on stage, like you were putting pieces in place for them to have this experience with this character you've created, but then like if they know me already, it's so so I had a I did a show years ago, uh, and like all these girls, like all I should say, all these women from work showed up, and like that was the audience. And not a ton of them, but like they were that was the that was the audience. And then at the time, I the most of my jokes that I would do at book shows were all about like how I'm single and you know ways women have shot me down and stuff like that. And this entire front row, just instead of laughing, which is like aw.
SPEAKER_01Oh, because they knew you two once you're a real person, yeah. They called it. I was like, I don't like that versus strangers who are like hilarious.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, like that's hysterical.
SPEAKER_01He's giving us that's funny, yeah.
SPEAKER_00And I like I like being around people that just don't care.
SPEAKER_01Like, just let them well, that's why you're so comfortable with them in a room full of comedians, then yes, there we go.
SPEAKER_00I love it.
SPEAKER_01They do not care about you.
SPEAKER_00No, and uh so I don't um when we were talking about open mics earlier. Uh, one of the things that I I I want people when they go to open mics to realize is like you put on most of the pressure on yourself there because they you're right, they don't care. No, so you people that are so afraid of bombing or like what people think. Think I promise you they don't like comedians like half listen at open mics. Most of your open mics are gonna have mostly comedians. And I know myself, like I am kind of hearing, like I'm kind of listening. Like if something's funny to me, I'll laugh at it. But like I'm also thinking about my own routine.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Um so you're not laughing out loud. Like you're you're maybe chuckling a little bit because you're thinking, you're deep in thought on your own stuff.
SPEAKER_00Or like we're kind of desensitized to it. Like we aren't comedians don't be I used to I used to be someone that laughed in public. Like I used to I used to have a good laugh.
SPEAKER_01Oh yeah.
SPEAKER_00And now I'm just like, I can appreciate the humor, but like, and I'll enjoy it and I'll come up to you like that. But you'd probably think, like, we'll tell your face, you know.
SPEAKER_01You you become a British person in an audience at that point. Then you're just like, mm-hmm, yeah, it was good, you know.
SPEAKER_00I did have an awkward moment when uh I when I was in LA once and I I I saw I went, I knew I had to go see a show at the comedy store, so I went and I saw Anthony Jesselnik, and they of course they cram you in just with complete strangers, and so he had a real I don't I mean he had a lot of really good jokes. He had like one really good joke in particular that I turned to strangers and say, that was really good.
SPEAKER_01Well, the natural reaction would be to laugh.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and it was this like elderly couple, and I I think they think about that all like anytime. Like, remember that weird guy that just turned and told us that was good.
SPEAKER_01That was really good.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it was I mean it was good.
SPEAKER_01I was appreciating the art, appreciating it as an academic and an artist and not as a human being, unfortunately.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So my next question for you is I would love to know in your seven years of comedy what your like best experience is. And then also I'd love to hear like if they have any like terrible worst experience ever.
SPEAKER_01I'm really lucky that I I mean I've heard a lot of comedians' horrible stories. I'll have to think about that one because I I haven't had any that are quite that bad. But being a lady, I don't put myself in the same kinds of situations. Oh, I did just think of one.
SPEAKER_02Perfect.
SPEAKER_01I will not say where it was, okay, obviously. That's fair.
SPEAKER_00Uh but I'll go with the And I won't either because odds are I'm like, oh, I remember.
SPEAKER_01You're gonna know exactly where it is. And we're not gonna, we're not gonna let anybody else.
SPEAKER_00No, we won't know.
SPEAKER_01Uh, but I my best one, um I mean I there I've had so many good ones. I hate to even say my best, but I really loved, I got to host for a bunch of comedians doing specials for K-Love um at Third Coast, which is where I started comedy. Um, and just everybody on the and being a filmmaker as well, I was like, what cameras are you using? I got to, it was just such a lovely group of people. The comedians were hilarious, the audience was so hot. It was so, so, so much fun. And then to get to see those um, those specials later on. Yeah, and I got to use some of my TV skills because I grew up um when I was in college, I interned at a lot of like TV shows. Um, and so you know, they have people that warm up the crowds, and uh it was fun to like have them because like, well, we need to get some extra laughs. And I was like, Oh, don't worry about it. I worked at SNL, I will do exactly what those guys used to do, and we'll get I'll get you some laughs, I'll get you some groans.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Um, so I felt that's fun. So I felt like I was good at it, yeah, which was nice. That was my favorite.
SPEAKER_00You were a good fit for the host for a room.
SPEAKER_01Yes, yes.
SPEAKER_00And that is I that is when you have, and I'm like you said, you probably have multiple of these, like there's just something special about like a really good show. Like a really good because every comedy show is kind of like a unique experience. At the end of the show, it's like, well, that that exact thing is never gonna happen again. Like, cause it because it's this people that are involved, the comedians, that yeah, you know, how we're all feeling during the day that will dictate, you know, how we take this show. And so when you have those really good ones, it's a really special thing because you're like, oh my gosh, this was this was a really cool experience. I'm glad I got to enjoy it. And then like the longer you do comedy, the more you're like, oh, I get to have a lot of really cool, unique experiences frequently. So that's that's another way to do it.
SPEAKER_01And it is fun and it keeps you coming back. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00It is a hundred.
SPEAKER_01Those really good shows, you're just like, Oh, okay, well, every show could be that show.
SPEAKER_00Right.
SPEAKER_01And they really can be, you know. So and that that keeps you going in between when you're yeah, you know, when you show up somewhere and there's like two people in the audience or whatever, you know.
SPEAKER_00You know what though, I was uh I'm appreciative of the fact that I feel like I can say this about both of us. Um we know how to entertain those little shows with two people, like uh, because we we had a show like that uh l last week, or I said last week, like two days. A couple days ago a couple days ago, yeah. Um, and we all had fun, yeah. We all had a good time.
SPEAKER_01It was every comedian there, and that's nice because I know you've been on these shows too, where you show up and there's like two to four people, or maybe even five people, which is like they paid to be here, like they showed up, like let's be nice. And sometimes comedians will be mean, right?
SPEAKER_00They'll take it out on that showed up, yeah. They'll take it out on them that other people didn't show up. I'm like, those are your friends, they did the right thing.
SPEAKER_01They came, you know.
SPEAKER_00So and I've I I think part of it is because you you've been on a lot of the shows I've produced, and a lot of those shows have had been uh little turnouts. Uh and that happens to every person, but it like it yeah, but I feel like it gives us trains us to handle so whether you have two people or 20 people or 200 people, you know how to entertain them.
SPEAKER_01So yeah, for sure.
SPEAKER_00Um but it's we're no one will ever be like, I actually prefer the two-person show. We don't, but like when you have just those two people, they're ready to laugh, you know.
SPEAKER_01They are, they are, and it and it's a nice opportunity to like try some things out and like talk to the audience a little bit more because they they they are gonna be your friends. There's only two of them. You might as well talk to them and find out why they came and who they are, and and they have a great time.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and invite them to the next show. It comes always come back to when they're bring two friends. Yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_01But you both bring two friends.
SPEAKER_00I did, and I I love it as a producer when you see because this happened at my last show at Sweetwater's. Uh, we just had a handful of people come, uh, and you're always a little nervous, you're like, Well, yeah, we'll see. Yeah, as a producer, you're kind of looking at it and you're like, Well, I don't, you know, it's almost more it's more awkward as a producer than as a comedian. Because as a comedian, you're like, look, I'm here to perform no matter what, but as a producer, you're I we've talked about this, but it's like you almost want to apologize to the comedians. I'm sorry.
SPEAKER_01I'm sorry, I really did try to get people here. But and there's no rhyme or reason to because I know both of us too. We've we've put money on ads or not put money on ads, and it it doesn't seem there's no secret formula, it doesn't seem to ever always work if you do this one thing or that thing. You're constantly having to try to figure it out, and it's always different. Yeah. This market versus you know, that coffee shop versus and it's exhausting.
SPEAKER_00I and I I heard someone tell me that one time. Uh, I was really impressed with how they run their like comedy scene uh in Panama City. And I was like, can you tell me everything that you do to make this successful? Because like I'm trying to do something up here, and I'm and and and I I used to think it was like a rude answer, but now I'm realizing there's a lot of truth to it. He's like, I it's it's a Nashville's a different market than Panama City. There's no there what I do here might not work there. And I was like, that's exactly what you'd tell someone if you don't want to get like, but in Einstein, I'm like, that's very true, you know.
SPEAKER_01But uh the guy in Panama City is a super nice guy.
SPEAKER_00So yeah, absolutely, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Gemma Jason. Yes, yeah, Jason Jason Eddins wonderful. Oh, he does. He has created such a wonderful environment down there, and it has, you know, he's got kind of a span of areas um across the panhandle and in into more of the center of Florida. And I mean, what a lovely human being, and also just great promoter, great shows, great comedian. Like, I I couldn't say enough nice things about Jason.
SPEAKER_00I remember one of the last times I was there, I was there for two shows, like on a Friday or Saturday or whatever. And on the Friday, he was like telling me he was like the Friday was like a big turnout, and he's like, Well, just once you know, Saturday women sold a ton of tickets, so it might be one of those shows. But um, when I by the time I got there on Saturday, it was like tons of people.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I do feel like he when he says it's gonna be a small show, you're like, You don't know what small shows are.
SPEAKER_00That's true, that's true. Maybe it's like like I can take you to come up, come do this show with me. We'll show you yeah. But but then I asked him, I was like, Well, what did you do? And of course, I'm still asking the same questions like it. And he like he he's like, I was uh I was out all afternoon handing out flyers, telling all the people, just like going up and down the beach. I was like, that's hustle.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, man.
SPEAKER_00But um I was uh but because then I want to get to the uh the the the the the alternate of that question, the bad experience. But one of the things I was gonna say is I love it as a producer when you see when you are in those shows with you know five to ten people in the audience, and then each comedian can perform to those five to ten people, and then by the time I at the end of the show, everyone's like that was a good show, and it does and it doesn't matter that not a ton of people came to it. And I I'm learning to really appreciate that because that is that's the mark of a good comedian is if you can take your act and adopt it to whoever's there.
SPEAKER_01100%. Yeah, that is the mark of a good comedian, yeah. So and that's how you get fans, you know. I to a certain degree, like all the shows I've done where there's been like you know, hundreds of people there. First of all, they're usually not there for me. You know, they're there for the headliner, and I would love to be in that position one day, but I have not been the headliner for hundreds of people before.
SPEAKER_00Um and and so they just wait till you just need your Walmart special out for a little bit.
SPEAKER_01As soon as my Walmart special comes out, my life is gonna change. Uh but but you know, they're there for somebody else. And it's not that, you know, I if I I know I enjoy making them laugh, and um, and those shows are fun too because they are there to see somebody very intently, and they're often easier audiences, which is interesting than you know, when you show up to a free show or a five-dollar show, and there's six comedians on the bill, and they're basically sitting there like, all right, we'll see. Yeah, you know, yeah, um, but yeah, but I love those. But then when you're in that intimate show, they're so in it, and I've gotten more followers off of those intimate shows, you know, one-on-one talking to somebody on it than I have in those hundreds.
SPEAKER_00And it is it's fun with like with the shows that we do with the clean comedy collective here, and over the years having done the same shows, some of those two or three people that come to like you see art seeing them all the time. And then, and then it does, they they feel you know, there's something, but they they feel more than fans. I I wouldn't go, they're not in the top ten friends, but like they but like they do, like they come in, like the there's folks that come into the sweetwaters, and I'll be like, How's your last month? And I'll be able to ask targeted questions.
SPEAKER_01And then I'm like and it makes them feel special too.
SPEAKER_00So yeah, and then someone one of the comedians like, how do you know that person? It's like, not really.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. But it does help. It does help. I know there's a comedian out of Georgia, Rich Brock, that we both know. Man, he's so good at that. He will go in. I mean, he a former pastor as well, so he's got that real pastor energy, but he will go in and talk to everybody before the show and after the show, and it makes a di like he has a very loyal fan base.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and his people absolutely love him. Yeah, that's very true. And it's so funny because doing him doing that works so well for him and his energy and his comedy character that he puts on and all that stuff. Like, um, I love that for him. I don't know if I'll ever be like uh like because I when I first started, I especially since I was working at church at the time, I was like, Oh, I'll just bring in like church welcome or energy. Yeah, and like other comedians were like, What are you doing? Like, that's you're not like when you get on stage, they've already made up their minds about you. It's like you, you know, and so but but but for Rich's character and and his persona in general, like that helps them. Yeah, so I I don't mind just like sitting in a green room until I come out.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, no, I don't mind.
SPEAKER_00And then becoming everyone's best friend, just because I'm more shy.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and then after, you know, it's you I think it is nice, you gotta thank people for coming. And you know, I so I do like that part of it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Okay, so that was a great comedy experience. You've had a lot of great comedy experiences. Has has a and in addition to this, uh uh, we can add to this question like some challenges that uh as a comedian you have to overcome. But like I would love to hear if you had like one like rough experience. Because everyone looks at you like she has nothing but perfection. She just she has her Walmart special out, she's dropping another one in December. Like, life is just so easy for her.
SPEAKER_01She performs for tens of people every week. No, yeah. No, and I I mean, and considering it's not really that bad, it was more like my experiences in the green room that were really bad. As the only female on the bill, which happens all the time, that doesn't make me uncomfortable. I've grew up with brothers and cousins, and uh, you know, it doesn't make me uncomfortable at all. But um, one of the comedians comes back and I I stand up to say, Hey, how you doing? And he starts laughing and says, Oh man, I did not expect you to be that short. I was like, Okay.
SPEAKER_00That's what a great first impression.
SPEAKER_01I can take a joke as well as the next person. I just let that roll off, you know. And then uh somebody else comes back and uh just starts telling and they they all know I'm clean, right? And just starts telling the dirtiest, most horrible story that any female would feel like I can't even tell you what he said.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, go ahead and just let our people know what it is.
SPEAKER_01You will get flagged so quickly. Uh and just and then one of the other uh comedians says, Hey, dude, she's a Christian. He look he goes, uh, it's not like she never heard it before, and just keeps going. And I I you know, I because the club owner is such a good person, I still felt safe. Right if I hadn't been so it could have been a lot of things.
SPEAKER_00If that was like your only experience with that.
SPEAKER_01Oh my gosh. And and it wasn't my first time there and everything, but like that was that was rough.
SPEAKER_00That is interesting in that, like as Christians, as people that kind of do prefer a little bit more just clean lifestyle for lack of I mean, even saying that sounds judgmental. It's like, but like there's a balance in stand-up when we're where like sometimes it's just like whatever. I know that they're gonna say it. If I go to an open mic, I know there's gonna be things with it. But then like there is a point where like I don't need to be around this, right?
SPEAKER_01Like so Yeah, I mean there's some negativity. I I would say there was I mean and I'm sure this happens to you as well. When you'll you'll be in a green room and and comedians are, you know, we're creatures of the night. Yeah, true. Not me personally, but you know, most of us are creatures of the mid-afternoon. I'm a creature of the mid-afternoon, yeah. I love a six p.m. show. But um and and you know, a lot of people have uh aren't Christian and have been hurt by the church, and I and I do have sympathy for that, but just really, really harbor resentment in their hearts for and will resent, you know, us for just because we choose not to just because we choose to be clean and make assumptions about us being judgmental and all those. I mean, I've you know, I've definitely been in green rooms where people are really, really bashing and uh and and even directly to me sometimes, and you just have to go. I mean, yeah, it's uh look, I know it's not about me, you know?
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So well, and it's it's just it's it's to me, it's not unlike when someone will like just bash a genre of music. Um totally and and like it's okay. Like we're like like their whole I mean that people have podcasts where they talk about their opinions on everything. Like it's this, um, but like it's like at the end of the day, it's like, well, you realize humor is subjective, right? There is no right answer with any of this.
SPEAKER_01Right. Yeah. And I yeah, I think it's fine what you're doing, and yeah, it should be fine. I'm I'm more of a live and let live person.
SPEAKER_00Right. I am I feel like I'm more like that now than when I was like in my early twenties. Like I was like, I mean, I'm right.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Like we're all right in early 20s. Yeah, yes, I f I think that from about 16 to 25, we are you have it all figured it out.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And then at about 26, you're like, I don't know nothing. Yep. And that continues well into your 40s.
SPEAKER_00So I now that I think of it, I I think my I don't know nothing happened at 24. Okay. And that it was a big existential crisis, and that's what led me to go into stand-up comedy.
SPEAKER_01So I don't sound perfect, honestly.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I don't know how that, yeah. I was just like, I I I don't know anything about what's around me. Let me go try something completely different and then open my comedy.
SPEAKER_01I mean, that's kind of how it happened for me too. I was like, I don't really have a life anymore. I'm I had just gotten divorced, you know, and uh just like, oh my life is in shambles. Um, I got nothing to lose. Why don't I try this thing that I've always wanted to try? Uh and I'm so glad that I did.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00It's cool. And you it's funny because you in addition to learning the skill of comedy, I feel like what we do as comedians helps you grow as a person. Whether it's yeah, you learn how to express yourself, you learn parts of yourself, but I feel like you also learn other people. It just you're in such a different end. So that's helped me out a lot. So have you, speaking of other people, have you figured out like your target audience yet? Like when you think of like people that should come see you. That's a t I feel like that's a tough question. I hate when people ask me, like, what's your target audience? And so in return.
SPEAKER_01Nobody wants to say everyone. Yeah, well, it's not. And it's not, yeah. I love uh I would, you know, yeah, I don't think the young, you know, 20s, because I talk about having kids, yeah. Uh, you know, being a parent and um, you know, jobs and like kind of that kind of straight laced, being married, yeah, you know, um, so probably 30s and up, 30s, which is still kind of big, but um still that, but I mean it's big, but it's I mean that makes sense because 30 and up is a different like stage of life than 20 and below. That's exactly right. It's not really the age, it's the stage of life here. It's not that you know, there are definitely 25-year-olds that have kids, you know, multiple kids and whatever. And and I even got I got a good laugh out of like a what is she a 17-year-old the other day when I was making fun of teenagers, and that made me feel good. I was like, oh, she liked that one. That's that's good, yeah. That's gotta be a keeper.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, when when the group you're making fun of laughs at it, you're like, that's that's a good joke.
SPEAKER_01I did it, yeah.
SPEAKER_00When they're not laughing and look at you staring sometimes, you're like, that's still a good joke.
SPEAKER_01They Yeah, but they just they need they need they need to hear this. Yeah, absolutely. You can read anything you want into it, which is nice.
SPEAKER_02Right.
SPEAKER_01And a lot of comedians do. But you want, you want to be able to get to a point where you can hit, you know, those jokes can hit even if you're looking at the person that you're kind of describing.
SPEAKER_00I like the to me, the skill of comedy is being able to take your act or parts of your act and do it in different rooms, right? In different kinds of rooms. So, like, even though this is the group that I really think I'm best for, I would, I would like to be able to work all the rooms.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Um, that being said, I do know that I I'm I've said this before in this podcast, like I don't do well with the extremes, the extreme dirty or the extreme clean.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Uh those two any it feels like everything in between I can make work.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00But like when I'm on the either I I because I I can think of being in a really, really, really conservative, clean like church show, and then them just looking at me like, why would you say that out loud? You know? And then I can then I I re I I have scarred memories of doing like a really, really crass uh dirty show at Raleigh, uh die bar and Raleigh. And they were it was so funny because they were the nicest audience ever, but nothing I had was and they were just so friendly and would like listen.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, just not Yeah, and I I yeah, I don't do well on a super, super dirty show either. But a normal, you know, normal show, it's like you have to learn how to you have to learn how to work clubs, you have to learn how to work coffee shops. Those two audiences are super different, super different. Yeah. And and if you want to work, um, you know, like Mark Norman, he he started his career with Seinfeld, he had to kind of tone it back for Seinfeld. So it's it's not about I think a lot of people think, oh, you're censoring yourself. Well, I'm not because I'm just not you know, sh do am I perfect? Do I not have you know dirty thoughts or do I not, you know, say a dirty word here and there? Sure, I do. But generally that's not you know my vibe, or at least it's not how I, you know, am most of the time in my real life.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Um, but somebody like Mark Norman, you know, can appreciate that like yeah, this is this is my style of comedy and this is where I feel most comfortable, but you have to be ready for those opportunities when they present themselves.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and I don't I I think good comedians, like you said, should be ready for those opportunities. I also think it's a a perspective shift. Like it's not all about me. Like, like these comedians are like, I shouldn't have to not say this. It's like, yeah, but no one came, no one paid you to come entertain yourself. You were paid to make these people laugh.
SPEAKER_01I'm entertaining these people and these people came for a clean show or this or that or whatever. Ooh, sorry, I hit the mic.
unknownIt's okay.
SPEAKER_01Nice little boom that you can cut out later.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, there we go. Edited podcast. Okay, but you know, the Patreon people get to hear that boom.
SPEAKER_01They get to hear all of it.
SPEAKER_00Oh, yeah. So um, no, but I because I do when people are like, well, you know, I'm an artist, so I should be able to say whatever I want. It's like, yeah, but they're paying you to uh do a clean show or something like that.
SPEAKER_01So and it's not yeah, yeah, you are an artist and and you should be uh you should be true to your authentic self and your authentic voice, and that ultimately is what is what's gonna get you fans. Um that's just proven true, you know, time and time again, especially nowadays. But being able to, you know, make a little bit of a shift, I think. Um it's uh it's just a different muscle. It's like exercising a different muscle.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So I agree.
SPEAKER_01I think it's worthwhile.
SPEAKER_00Now, do you have any um well I I wonder if and you can answer this and then change your mind years from now. Like you don't that we're not setting it soon right now, but in in the clean comedy chats podcast, if you say it, it has to happen. Um but um so you do I'm wondering what kind of goals you have set for yourself for comedy or entertainment in general for the future, and then like if there's any immediate things you like, immediate accomplishments or credits you'd like to have, and then like just in general, like what's your end game for comedy? Again, if you change your mind next year, too bad. You said it here.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. I don't know. I don't uh I would because I have kids, right? So I I can't I can't travel a ton yet. Yeah. That being said, my kids are getting older. Um, so I like the idea of like a Leanne Morgan who was able to be a good mom and do that thing and then and then kind of go and and do comedy kind of in a bigger um in a bigger sense later on. I haven't done a festival yet.
SPEAKER_02Oh yeah.
SPEAKER_01So I do want to do that. I want to try to figure out where I would be a good fit and and do that. Um you know, I work full time, you work full time, so you you do kind of have to pick.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, you have to you have to pick when to use that PTO, you know.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, which is which is a real thing.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Um but and I, you know, I've got that special coming out, which was one of my goals. And I would love to I would love to do a special. Like I'm I'm hoping K Love does more. I would love to do something with K Love. Love or um or I mean Nate Bargatsy or uh Dry Bar. I mean, that would be that would be amazing.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. And cool part is it's like you're I this is what I like about as you continue to do comedy, like you're around all that stuff. What might have seven years ago might have been like, oh, that'd be cool. I had no idea how I even, you know, but now like but now you can see how one can get from point A to point B.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and I'm not I'm not any necessarily I'm not well I'm even closer, but I'm not close to getting any of those things necessarily. But yeah, I know people at all of those places, and I have friends that have done all of those things, like close, so it's not it's not that far off.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's not like an impossible goal, you know.
SPEAKER_01No.
SPEAKER_00So I love that. So cool. And then another question I have, and then we're gonna get to asking um questions from the audience. Um, we'll do uh ask a comedian here in a second. But the last question I have for you, just and on my end, is uh because you've been with like the clean comedy collective since like season two. Like you're yeah, you're you're like pretty, like you're pretty like you've been pretty here dialed in from when it was just like a few of us doing shows at a juice bar, you know? Um so like you've so you've seen a lot of different clean comedy collective related things and accomplishments and like that. So like I'm just wondering, like if if what I I I don't I I hope this question doesn't sound arrogant because it's not. Um, but like I'm wondering what like your favorite thing about what we do as a clean comedy collective is, or like if you're telling if you're telling someone like a sales pitcher, like why what we do is important, like I'd love to know.
SPEAKER_01Like it's probably what a lot of people say, but my favorite thing is that you like we I really believe we have created a space, and you in particular and Sean have since before me, have created a space where people can develop themselves as clean comedians uh so that they can go out and get other opportunities as well. Like I I'm proud of the shows that we do, they're wonderful, but I'm more proud that we have a space and and we have shows where people can really, really hone the craft. Right. People that maybe wouldn't maybe they're not ready for zanies or you know, even comedian discovery, shout out to them, love them. Um, but I think we do a great job of helping other helping comics to reach those goals, and we create a very you know, friendly environment, which is nice. Um I agree.
SPEAKER_00I like that too. And I and I do see that where like someone is gonna well if they do when they do finally get to be on a Natlin Monday show, they are better off because they've done our shows.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely, right? And so that's cool.
SPEAKER_00And and and same with like the I mean, I know I know Comedian Discovery, they they work with a lot of the same people.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. He he's also he gives a lot of people shots too, and I love that. I mean, we're in such a unique market, you know, here in Nashville where there's so much comedy, probably too much comedy. For how many venues, and so we have so many pop-up shows. Um but I I don't know, I think that's great. And and we're and because of that, we we know so many, you know, comedians that like people outside of Nashville are like, oh, those are really big, you know, people into us, it's like, yeah, they're yeah, they're great. It's but it's just Tom or whatever, you know what I mean? Absolutely, absolutely. I feel that which is fun. But uh yeah, Nash but Nashville's a really unique. I have you have you had this experience too where you when you go outside of Nashville, it's so much easier to make people laugh.
SPEAKER_00Yes.
SPEAKER_01Everybody says this.
SPEAKER_00Yes, I I have a theory.
SPEAKER_01Um, tell me the theory.
SPEAKER_00And this uh this is there's no science behind this, this is just Drew's theory, but it's it's like a decade-old theory, it's well thought on my end, so it's probably true. Um, Nashville was originally you know, for music audiences, true. Um, and we did have kind of build up this culture of like music city, like coming here and listening to good music. Uh and what my musician friends have said is that as a result, their audiences are a little bit more snooty, a little bit more kind of I picture like cross your arms and impress me kind of style, right?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, sure.
SPEAKER_00Um, and then then comedy came around, and I think we inherited that odd that vibe that with like people come to shows and they do kind of want to be impressed. They do kind of like, well, I showed up here, now it's your turn to um, and then I think you I think also it being someone who's been around here my entire life, um on an entertainment perspective, one of the biggest fears for any entertainer is like, I don't want to be a sellout. I don't want to be, you know, someone like you know that you know isn't valued as a performer. Um, and as a result, the reason it's sometimes harder as a comedian here in Nashville in the comedy scene is because like we have such a care for each other that like we don't want any of us to be sellouts. Um so what I've seen to be true is if you stink, they'll let you know.
SPEAKER_01They will.
SPEAKER_00But even if you're good, they don't want it to go to your head.
SPEAKER_01It's so true.
SPEAKER_00So they'll kind of still feel so like you never feel so there is kind of like this tough grit in Nashville. And I know when you think Nashville, you don't think tough grit. You don't, yeah. But like as far as the entertainment scene, as far as the comedy scene, um, so as a result, it does feel harder to perform, it feels harder to get uh like accepted into the community. Yeah um, but but when you go and you travel elsewhere, and that's what I always encourage Nashville comedians, like you we have a cool radius of different places we can go to outside of Nashville. It does kind of feel like you're taking the weights off, and it's a lot easier.
SPEAKER_01That's a great way to describe it because that is how it feels. It feels like you can just be more free and yeah, you immediately you get in that room and you're like, oh man, this is so much easier. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So you know, me starting off here when I was like 24, I was like, this is just the most terrible, negative, hardest place. These people are so mean. Yeah. And like now, 15 years later, I can kind of appreciate it. I think I mean I do I can point to some instances where like, okay, that was maybe a little bit mean. Maybe I did see that, but like now I'm like, no, like I needed to toughen up a little bit, or I needed to get over myself a little bit.
SPEAKER_01And that's it is really good experience for the outside world because you do. I mean, it does Nashville, I think, does make you tougher. I can't imagine though, I have never I haven't performed in Chicago or New York, and I do wonder how it would feel.
SPEAKER_00And also, like, I feel like the problem is is anytime you go anywhere, you will be a t visiting comic.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So unless you like move there, right stay there for months, you because anytime you visit, even like because I have performed in uh like Chicago, I haven't performed New York City yet a perform in New York, but anytime you go visit places, like it's you're just you're just got it's like a little vacation mode, like like and people respect you kids like you showed up from somewhere else. Yeah. And so you don't get the full like, well, you're a Chicago comic now. Start acting like it, you know.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00But um, but I do I don't know, because cause like every what I do know is every scene will tell you ours is the hardest scene. So it's true. Um I don't I don't know.
SPEAKER_01I think it's I mean maybe it's a city versus suburbs thing. Maybe that's what it is. Because we are in, I mean, Nashville is a properly big city now. Yeah, it hasn't always been, but it is a properly big city. Um, but I think there's probably something to the music thing because people are used to being able to just walk in any. I mean, shoot, our churches have the most amazing, you know, musicians. Yep. Um, so yeah, I mean you're literally on every street corner, you're gonna get somebody writing the most amazing song you've ever seen.
SPEAKER_00So yeah, I did not realize that about churches until I was working at churches outside of Nashville because I was like, yeah, I uh what's wrong with these music ministries? They're not nearly as like well, it's like, oh, they don't have professional studio musicians who are volunteering on Sundays. That's what's but yeah.
SPEAKER_01That's what's wrong with them.
SPEAKER_00That's what's wrong with them. That's and that's okay. So yeah, but um well, now we're gonna do the section of the podcast called Ask a Comedian. Um and just a reminder for anyone who's listening, by the way, thank you for if you're still here, if you're listening. Um, I always I don't know. I'm hung in. I'm I I'm sure pl I know for a fact, objectively, plenty of people stay and listen to the whole episode because they tell me about it later. You guys are very nice with your encouragement and stuff like that. But in my brain, whenever I'm recording one of these episodes, I just I'm visualizing people just like changing the channel, or they got to their destination and they're like, Well, I don't so like that's why I'm always like when I get to this part, I just thanks, thanks for being here.
SPEAKER_01Thanks for maybe some people are right now driving from Murfreesboro to Nashville, and that means they have the time.
SPEAKER_00They have the time. This is the perfect amount of time. But uh, so the way this works is um you all are able to send us in questions to ask comedians, and it's literally any question you want, it can be comedy related or it can be not comedy related. Um, about once a month, I put things out on my social media where I just ask people to send in questions. Um, if you have a question and you you don't want to wait till that once a month, you're more than welcome to reach out to the Clean Comedy Collective on Instagram, Drew Davis Comedy on Instagram, uh find me on any of the like Facebook or whatever, or just email me. Some people have emailed me random questions. I suppose if you want to just like knock on my door or slide down, if you figured out where I live, that would be weird.
SPEAKER_01But um maybe don't invite that into your life.
SPEAKER_00So yeah, don't do that. But anyway, so uh we have questions that have been submitted to you uh before by you before the podcast uh started. Uh Bryn picked three random numbers and that dictated the three questions we're gonna ask her. So it's exciting. And I remember you gave us questions uh from low no high number to low number. So we'll start at the bottom. Um, this was an interesting question because she straight up didn't ask a question. She was like, present this statement to them and get them talking. And I was like, well, that's a weird okay. I was like, so we're gonna bend the rules because it was a good, it was a good state. I was like, okay, that's a good conversation.
SPEAKER_01Okay, I'm ready. Let's hear it.
SPEAKER_00But she was like, no questions. So um, so this is her statement. Crowd work is not comedy. You haven't worked through a set. Uh you you you need to know what works or what doesn't. It's just lazy. Then she puts disgust.
SPEAKER_01Oh, yeah. I I mean, I I do think it is comedy. I do. Uh I think in my case, I didn't even well, you know, when you're starting out doing a five-minute set, that's how everybody starts, right? I mean, you better have jokes. You better not be getting up there and doing crowd work because you're not good enough to do that yet.
SPEAKER_00It won't go well. It won't go like what you're doing.
SPEAKER_01It won't be comedy if you get up there and you don't. But if you um I mean, I don't think I don't think I started at all doing any crowd work until I had at least 10 minutes. And even then you're just, I mean, you're just reacting, you know? Can't really have a con if you have time to have a conversation in your 10 minute set as a new comedian. Yeah, I um yeah, I don't know. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00No, I do I I have seen people that are really good at like instigating crowd work and make it funny and stuff like that. That that's not I'm definitely more at playoff of a reaction that happens. I I do not like um, but I do think something that's important to note about crowd work is when they respond, when they do the funny part of crowd work, they are still speaking in punchlines, they're still saying funny things and that and and and they they might have a gift to be able to say it kind of on the spot more, which you meet people in public all the time that the that's just the things that come out of their mouth, it's funny. And so um, I I I think it is is a different skill. It is. It's like it's like um if if if we were relating comedy to music earlier, it's like a it's like a different kind of guitar, you know, like it's you still can play it on a show, but it's so I would I would say it is comedy. Um, I would say it's totally okay if it's not your style of comedy.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00I think I used to like crowd work, like as a consumer, as as I used to enjoy watching the comedian do it. Um, except for my one critique, I had this even before I did com uh before I was a comedian. Don't ever do crowd work when you're recording your special, because like that's funny for the people in the room, but like if I'm just listening to it while I'm dressed in most cases. So um, but um obviously it's good for social media. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01Probably why this debate has come up. Absolutely. A lot of comics, all they do, all they sh have online are, you know, their crowd work. And I think and I think that's usually probably for a good reason because they don't want to burn through all their jokes. They want, you know, right. And I and the authenticity and spontaneity is so important on on social media, and that's kind of what crowd work is.
SPEAKER_00I think that I think that's why on social media the crowdwork clips tend to do better than the like than the actual joke joke.
SPEAKER_01Because you you it's rehearsed and yeah, it's easy to do.
SPEAKER_00When you're watching it, like when you're watching it while you're on the toilet, you're like, this is an impressive. But when you're just watching it, you get to see something zany happen, you're like, all right, cool.
SPEAKER_01But it is it, but it is a skill. Like you're saying it's a different skill. It is a skill. Like I love watching our one of our local, you know, greats, Amber Audry. Yeah. Oh my gosh. Like, I love watching her do crash. She she has that gift. Yeah. You know. Um I agree.
SPEAKER_00I had her on um the Thurko show one time, and um yeah, and I remember I asked her, like, I always asked all the headliners, like, okay, like, can you give me an idea of your closing joke so I can kind of know when to get, you know, be ready to go back up there? And she well, I don't remember she told me, she told me the idea, and I am pretty sure she did basically 30 minutes of crowd work and then that one joke. Like, yeah, she just went out there and just like playing with them for the whole time. And like, that's impressive. Like that's so people who are like, that's not real comedy, to that I would say, are people laughing?
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Because if they're laughing, then we kind of have to call it.
SPEAKER_01Well, and yeah, because sometimes you'll get a comedian who thinks, you know, or or the room just isn't ready for it. If you don't have jokes to rely on and you're in that situation, yeah, then it's then it's not comedy because it's not always comedy. I guess that's what it is.
SPEAKER_00That's true. So yeah, there's a lot of people are there's really bad crowd work as well as I mean, we talked about the really good, but there's really bad crowd work too. Yeah. Um, and I guess what I was saying was um I used to like watching crowd work, but now I honestly feel like I've seen every single piece of crowdwork.
SPEAKER_01Every iteration that there is.
SPEAKER_00So help me if one more person asks, What's the secret to a good marriage while I'm in the room? I'm just gonna jump out a window. Yeah, yeah. Also, I forgot to say that comment came to us from Amber Thomas from Threads. Um, and I didn't I didn't I didn't, yeah, thread threads it's good that you're on threads. I am. I uh rarely like I just I poke in to ask people for random questions and I poke right back out. Occasionally I'll write like a really uh a Facebook status that I'm really proud of that's short. I'm like, let's throw that one on threads. Gotcha. So yeah.
SPEAKER_01I haven't made it over there or on TikTok yet.
SPEAKER_00Uh I I don't love either TikTok. I like TikTok better than threads. Threads is like there's so many negative people on threads, but no one who commented on this post is negative.
SPEAKER_01Amber sounds lovely.
SPEAKER_00She's she is lovely. Um okay, this next question uh come from Auntie Bobo, number one, also on Threads.
SPEAKER_01Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_00Um, why do many open mic comics read from their phones uh the same jokes that they've been doing for three years?
SPEAKER_01Oh yeah, that's interesting. Uh it's okay. I mean, I guess at an open mic a lot of people do read from their phones, and it doesn't bother me because they're just trying stuff out. Uh but yeah, I I have seen a lot of, or even like new material Monday, which that one, I mean, it's not it's not always supposed to be a hundred percent because you're still performing at a club for an audience and all of that. Yeah, but um yeah, I would hope that if you've been doing it for three years that you had a little bit better of a handle.
SPEAKER_00That last, but that was a good like I would have just said, like, well, it's an open mic and we're all working it out. It's like going to the gym, we're all getting the reps, and we're but to to that last sentence was like for three years. It's like Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, every now if you're changing it up, you know, this is probably what you're gonna say. Like, I know I've I've had jokes that I have been writing for two years, you know, and I've never quite gotten them right. And so maybe I'll pull it back out every six months and try it very slightly differently. Um so I would give grace on that because maybe you've just seen them, you know, one year apart and they had put some. I do that all the time. I put stuff aside.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, or I'll think of something I write goes really well with this thing that's like eight years old.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's also true.
SPEAKER_00You gotta try it out. So sometimes like I'll even be, I won't do the whole bit of like just imagine I said this and now I do this joke and then I do this one.
SPEAKER_01Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Just to get just because it's like I'm not I have four minutes at this open mic. I can't do a whole 10-minute set.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. But um Yeah, but I yeah, I would give grace in case it's something like that.
SPEAKER_00And sometimes uh what people have to realize also with open mics is you have any level of comedian there. You have professional comedians, you have people working to get to professional. You also have people that are hobbyists. This is yeah, they there. I I think of this guy uh who came to Spanky's Bar and Grill every Tuesday back when that was an open mic, uh, and his name, his stage name was Noah He didn't. And uh Noah He didn't was an electrician, big old pot belly, gray hair, nice, just he did the same, he probably was the person she's talking about. Right he did the same five minutes ever and he always ended with this terrible Arnold Schwarzenegger impersonation. Um also interestingly enough, he came in with like a different hot woman every every time we saw him. So like I don't know. I'm I'm fascinated by his one, but like well, so he had to give his best five every time.
SPEAKER_01So maybe that's why.
SPEAKER_00So maybe that's why they're they're coming in with a different hot woman every time. But like he did. I remember as a young comic who knew everything, I was like, why isn't he working on his material? Why isn't he trying new stuff? Why is he and like in hindsight, like he was just a dude that liked to get bio and like cheap drinks and tell some jokes.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, different goals, you know.
SPEAKER_00And so some of these people, and for a lot of them, um, the reason they do the same bit that they know that works is they're anxious to try something new.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And so, you know, I don't know what to tell you. You write a new five minutes, do it, make it amazing, and then give it to them and say, please do that next week.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, then they have no excuses.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's like I wrote you new jokes. Um, all right. This one comes from Facebook, uh, Jeremy Long, uh, who's a longtime follower of my old podcast. Um, Fast and Furious fan, though. Yeah, they were yeah. Welcome to this podcast. Um, we hardly ever talk about Fast and Furious, and really that's sad. Um so his question is simply uh where did I leave my keys?
SPEAKER_01You you probably left it in your last pants pocket.
SPEAKER_00Last pants pocket. I like that.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's in your last pants pocket. So check there.
SPEAKER_00Check there. All right. Jeremy, let us know if it's in your last pants pocket. That sounds sounds right though.
SPEAKER_01Plausible.
SPEAKER_00Um I I just envision he literally lost his keys while he's uh reading through Facebook frantically trying to find out.
SPEAKER_01He was doing uh talk to text and he's like, maybe they'll know.
SPEAKER_00I love that. All right. Well, thank you for doing that. The hardest one. I don't know. I don't know. You well, hopefully it's there. If not, we've shown the dark. If it's not in your pants, then I hope nobody clips that out. That's exactly what I thought. I was like, that's the clip.
SPEAKER_01That is the clip.
SPEAKER_00So oh yeah, I was outro in the body. So I was like, well, where were we before talking about Jeremy's pants? I don't um thank you.
SPEAKER_01Honestly, that sounds like a great alternative uh song.
SPEAKER_00Jeremy's pants or band. Oh yeah, I like that. Like Jimmy Eat Eat World opening is opening for them. I love it. Warp tour 2027.
SPEAKER_01But I'm sorry, you were doing an outro.
SPEAKER_00I was. I'm trying this time it'll work.
SPEAKER_01Try again.
SPEAKER_00Okay. Um, thank you so much for being on this podcast and answering all of our questions. Uh, this is your time to plug and point and direct us to anything. And for anyone driving and frantically wanting to get to Bryn's stuff, just know it's also in the episode notes, so you can go there as well.
SPEAKER_01Yes, and do that and comment and smash the like button or whatever the kids say. Uh, but yeah, you can find me on Instagram at Bryn Does Comedy. I'm on Facebook, Bryn Daniels, and please keep up with the Clean Comedy Collective to see all those amazing shows.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. And you know, Bryn's Walmart special, which is my Walmart special out this Wednesday. Yeah, it's it's it's already it's already out. My bad. Yeah, we're in the past.
SPEAKER_01I'm way on top of it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it is. It came out on Wednesday, and trillions of people have seen it. It's actually broke the internet twice, but um, it it is back up now, so you guys can go check the website out.
SPEAKER_01Um and my new special out December 6th.
SPEAKER_00Yes, December 6th. That'll be great. We'll make sure we can.
SPEAKER_01On my YouTube channel.
SPEAKER_00So yeah, so follow Bryn does comedy on YouTube or Brin's.
SPEAKER_01Oh, I should have done that. Bryn D uh, Bryn Daniels Comedy. Yes.
SPEAKER_00Uh, which you can if when you go to a Walmart special, you can link to there, which is great. Yeah, um, and we'll post about it on Clean Comedy Collective stuff. Speaking of Clean Comedy Collective stuff, uh, make sure you check us out at cleancomedycollective.com. Uh, if you're a comedian interested in working with us, there's a submission process and it starts by going to that website. Um, you can join our Patreon to get extra uh extra whatever podcast stuff. That's what's so many extra things. Yeah, it's the life changing. Your life will never be the same. Um, and you just get see our other comedians. Uh me and Brain are on the Tennessee section.
SPEAKER_01So um some of them are in Drew's top 10 actual friends.
SPEAKER_00Some of them, I won't tell you which ones, except for except for occasionally I'll let them know when they're on this podcast.
SPEAKER_01Um, but that's the only time we can be authentic in our friendships, is in public.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely, yeah. And there's gonna be some it's performative. Some person who's wrote down a 10 list right now and is already like putt Bryn down and then they're gonna start keeping up with whenever I'm in one day.
SPEAKER_01They're gonna be like, no, they're not, because this is 11.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely. So uh well, this has been fun. We'll see you all next week when we bring a different guest in. And I hope you have a great rest of the week and enjoy your life until next time. All right, bye.
unknownBye.
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