Tim Bedore Radio Star of "Vague But True" Show #12

Another good interview show featuring headliner Tim Bedore from Minneapolis.  He started in Radio, became a good Headliner and is famous for his "Bob & Tom" Radio segments called "Vague But True". We get to hear one recorded live on the air.

Transcript

Announcer: 0:04

This is another episode of stand up comedy, your host and emcee, celebrating 40 plus years on the fringe of show business, stories, interviews and comedy sets from the famous and not so famous. Here's your host and emcee Scott Edwards.

Scott Edwards: 0:22

Hey, welcome to this week's show. I am so excited. One of my oldest and dearest friends in stand up comedy is on the phone with us today. He now lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the one and only Tim Vador.

Tim Bedore: 0:38

God bless. Thank you. Thank you all one for showing up. Thank you.

Scott Edwards: 0:44

The crowd is going crazy. It's so good to have on. It's going crazy. Yeah. Tim back in the house. Timber door for those listening to this podcast is a gentleman that I met through radio, I'm going to have him tell the story. But we turn from radio into stand up into real career for him and a long, lifelong relationship and friendship. And it's just excited to have you on the show today. Tim, good to have you here. How's life?

Tim Bedore: 1:17

Good, good, good, good. Long story short as I can make it I grew up in the Midwest, ended up in California. And then at a certain point, my wife and I said, you know, we would like to be able to afford a home and we left Los Angeles for the Midwest where you can't afford a home. Are we good?

Scott Edwards: 1:36

Yeah, no, I hear. It's incredible.

Tim Bedore: 1:40

Now, it's a wonderful place. My wife is from here. My daughter loves it here.

Scott Edwards: 1:47

So that's his lovely wife, Karen and his beautiful daughter, Claire, and they're all enjoying being near Karen's family Minnesota. So when it comes to comedy, as I alluded to in the intro, we met through radio, but why don't you share your memories on how you came to know laughs unlimited?

Tim Bedore: 2:06

Well, you know, it's interesting, because we're about the same age and we both were starting comedic endeavors at the same time in the same place your original Club, which was in the Delta queen was the name of it, right?

Scott Edwards: 2:23

Yeah, good memory, the the banquet room of the Delta Queen restaurant in old Sacramento. So I was on the air hopefully doing and I had always, not just wanted to be a disc jockey. Clearly I was interested in comedy, whether it was stand up or hosting a talk show or whatever it was. On the air. I did, hopefully, some interesting funny things that most disc jockeys don't do some little features, and they'll let them know to be what station were you on at the time at KZAP radio, which was a huge station at the time, was always one of the rockin best stations, I gotta tell you, I'm going to take a side course and let you talk again for a second Tim. But I wanted to let everybody know that one of the real advantages of having the comedy club in the early 80s with a radio station like ks app in town. In those days radio was so fun and casual. I was able to walk in to the studio where Tim or Bob Keller would be on the air. And I could literally hang out for an hour or two and we would just have so much fun. I'm sure you remember it that way.

Tim Bedore: 3:31

Oh, yeah. No, it was radio was healthy. It was making money. They were pleased to have comics interview. It was not as certainly as tight. I mean, I went from one being in radio and interviewing comics. To then being a comedian and traveling and of course, part of the deal was the club in town would get you on the morning show that that morning show or whatever morning show they could get you on. And it just radio got so strange, that over time, they did not want comedians on live anymore, because they were afraid of what you would say regressed to that point where if they would do an interview they wanted to tape it which was just the psychotic thing. But you know as radio as comedy, stand up comedy got dirtier and dirtier and more aggressive and whatever I guess

Scott Edwards: 4:32

it did change but so did radio for example. I was able to do live drop ins with ks app but also why 90 To the Paul and Phil Show and those relationships and that being on air where 10s of 1000s might be listening on the way to work in the morning really helped substantiate laughs unlimited and was really a strong marketing arm for me in the 80s but by the 90s radio got so corporate and like Like you said, got tight, that you know what I mean? You you want to walk in no get, you know, their security and bulletproof glass on the front, it was crazy.

Tim Bedore: 5:11

Yeah, it just how I was, but it definitely did that. And it got very concerned and very afraid of what comedians were going to say. Now, the story, I don't know if you remember this part, but you're bringing guys in. And what was interesting, you know, you were in the early days of club explosion, you were ahead of the curve by a bit the comics that so I would come out. And hope that wasn't even a stand up, I wasn't even doing joke you gave me you know, standard issue, the, here's how you ever see tip that I would just get out, and I was just so interested in it, and hosting your show. And I would have the comics on on the radio, and we'd plug it and push it. So you know, I made lifelong friendships with, you know, the cream of the crop, essentially,

Scott Edwards: 6:17

oh, we were lucky to work with the best in those days. All, you know, really, you know, all the top comics were coming through Sacramento coming up from LA, primarily. So then they certainly helped me out a lot. As I'm starting to come up, they would get me bookings on their shows. And, you know, that was a big leg up for me and learned a lot you'd sit around. I mean, literally, you're sitting around talking with shanling, or Bob Saget, who were the headliners. And they're giving you advice on how to develop your act and why you know, as a radio guy should get out and do stand up and whatever. So it was just hugely helpful, fertile, fun. Crowds coming out. I mean, this is all new stand up was this fresh, exotic animal that everybody wanted to be involved with? Yeah. And in your case, you're able to transfer or emerge from the emotion of radio and being an emcee to being an opening act, then a feature act, and you became one of my standard. Very, very funny headliners. Yeah. I mean, is that it was kind of like baseball, there was this, this practice by which you move up level, the level, and, you know, the group essentially, comics but club over who wanted to see people's progress and help out, you know, help that along, and there was a real system for it. Now, there isn't, because clubs are not as healthy at all. And it has changed the nature of what comedy younger comics do, because they're essentially now working in bars. Yeah, it's, it's gonna be interesting to see the last decade moving forward, where the future comedy world is going to go because that nurturing procession of open mics to night clubs, to being able to do a spot on a TV show, like Merv Griffin, or Johnny Carson, to maybe getting a sitcom is all gone, and all different. And that's where we were getting geniuses, like, you know, Robin Williams, Jerry Seinfeld, I can go on and on, that all work their way up through that progress getting better and better and better. And that doesn't exist anymore. And that's why I tell people I feel like we were a part of the golden age of stand up. Oh, yeah. Without a doubt, but you know, a lot of development. That was possible. Because of one there were crowds. There were crowds, four or five, six nights a week. And the other thing I was just talking about this, in fact, two days ago, with Jake Johansen, great guy was here. Great guy, great comic when 47 Letterman appearances. He's one of the best if you're in a comedy club, dedicated Comedy Club. And there's only four people left in the audience on an open mic night or a showcase night or whatever. You can still one, make those four people laugh. And to most importantly, learn something. Oh, yeah, definitely. But if you're in a bar, and the comedy is background music to four patrons, or there's 12 Comics in the back of the bar, and that's who you're trying to make. Wow. That is not going to help you progress. No, making comics laughs as your only goal, right, right. That's not a good. Actually, it would seem like it might be a good idea, but it tends to make people do far more gross or dirty, or horrible. Yeah, comics are a tough audience. And so you always have to take at least an edge too far. To even get something in, in being after the after show parties. And the things that we did privately with comics, we would see that all the time. And it was hilarious, but it wasn't the same kind of stuff you wanted to share with a paying audience? No, no, no, no. That's what that's what makes comics last thing that's more extreme, because we've heard it all. Right, right.

Tim Bedore: 10:44

But you had to go. You had to go a little extra.

Scott Edwards: 10:46

Here's, here's a quick I'm gonna share a quick side story, because that's what this podcast is all about. My memories come back. It was in the original room at the Delta queen. And Bob Saget. Dave cool. Yay, we're working my show together. Dave was featuring Saget was headlining, and it was after the show, and we're just hanging out having drinks. And all of a sudden I see Bob and Dave passing something underneath the table. And so we're talking and joking, but between them, they had their own joke going. And I finally called him on it. They pulled up that little little piece of paper and they'd gotten Bob was sending Dave, a folded piece of paper that had some Lenten stuff in it, and said, Dave, here's some of my pubic hair. I mean, it's it's funny between two comics that are drinking late at night, but kind of gross if you were just to tell your neighbor next door, right. Right. Now, I mean, that's the thing, because you know where it's coming from, you know, that the racist or the sexist or the ages. Humor is not the real thing. It's the thing that's funny to us about these things is the inappropriate, and that you went there? Yeah. It's crazy. Well, let's try to bring this back down to the the timeline. So do you have any? Okay, so here's what happened. I don't know if you remember this or not. But you were starting to have some success. Buts were happening and the people were showing up and Bruce Baum was coming up and I was playing Marty Feldman eyes on the radio, there was the synergy. And then the radio stations, said, No more free appearances. No more free plugs. He's got to start spending some money on advertising. I remand Yes, I do. And you didn't have that kind of budget. I mean, every week was a different week. You know, 50 people, 250 people show up. You're eating or you're not eating? Right, right. And back in those days radio was a premier entertainment format. So it was very expensive to advertise. It was expensive.

Tim Bedore: 13:00

Very expensive. So it was really kind of unrealistic.

Scott Edwards: 13:05

Did it lead to you getting fired? But here's here's, here's the story. So ks app was phenomenally popular. At that time. One in every two teams. Were listening to us. 30 plus percent of male female 18 to 34 year old 32 and 33%. Were listening to us. It was phenomenally successful, and hugely lucrative for the owners of the station. And we were not getting paid even remotely close. Oh, the DJ is always made minimal money. People don't realize, but at the the news talk stations at the country station. That was number two, I think in the market. They were making maybe three times more than the case that Oh, I didn't know that guy.

Tim Bedore: 14:00

Oh, yeah. With KZAP's popularity, you guys didn't get as much as the country station is the reason for it is that you know, you're young, you're starting out, you want to do rock and roll. And you were willing to do it for nothing to get started. But you know, the country guys or the news talk guys, they were older. They had families, if you wanted them to do that kind of work. That kind of just was you have to pay them more. And we were frustrated. We were making more money is up was making more money than anybody in town by the longer shot. So at a party one night, that party. Few of us were talking and half joking. A few of us were thinking well, what what about a union? Union in San Francisco, there was one or two union stations in Sacramento and that would raise up our pay from, like, $300 a week to 750 a week. And so we would start to see some money if we union. And it wasn't really super serious, but we did call the San Francisco local broadcast Union after and just ask what would be involved? Well, management got wind of that. And they didn't want that to happen. So they thought I was one of the ringleaders of this effort to unionize. And they conspired to fire me with cause. And the way that they did that. They had told me no more comics on for less than limited don't play respond album anymore. Unless they start buying ads. I said, Fine. If that's your decision, that's your decision. Can I promote when I'm hosting there? Yeah. So that was their dictum. I said, Fine. One day, I get a call from the program director, who says, hey, you know, what? Did your friend Bruce bomb at last and limited this weekend? Yeah. Yeah, go ahead and play Marty Feldman eyes and plug the show. Go ahead. Well, I thought we weren't doing that. Yeah, I can't go ahead. Oh, it sounds like I do it. I do that on Saturday, Monday, they fire me for breaking their rule about us. And they did it to set me up. So there because right, they thought that was put them in a better position.

Scott Edwards: 16:47

If you couldn't see what if something, you know, I knew the story about your work at lab somehow resolving to for you losing your job at KZAP, although you went on to a great comedy career. So the transition was probably going to happen sooner or later. But I didn't know about the union part. That's interesting. They are afraid of having to pay people a fair wage. Yeah, exactly. And, you know, at that point, then I quickly got a job. And you said, which is a far bigger market? And then actually, that's where I more or less started doing stand up. Instead of just posting, you know, writing more regular sets and writing. Yeah, I gotta tell you and your material was very memorable to this day, when Jill and I are golfing and I'm in a golf cart, and I take any sort of Hill, I yell out, Rommel, you Nazi bastard. I read your book. It you know, it was good that I got it forced me to move on. But it was, you know, kind of raw when it happened, that they would do that. But that's radio in a nutshell. I apologize for part of it.

Tim Bedore: 17:58

So that, you know, I go to Houston for a year. Bill Hicks and Sam Kinison were the hot comics at the local club that I was trying to get in with and did. And then I moved to San Francisco in radio, and then really dive into stand up. And then one of the first places after I got out of Radio In 85 stations were sold. And I thought, enough of that I just wanted to stand up. One of the first clubs I think I headlined was yours.

Scott Edwards: 18:25

Well, of course, that's everyone's first big gig.

Tim Bedore: 18:28

Yes, it really and you know, it was such an important cog in my life, that, you know, you knew this, this club, they were supportive, you know, whatever. So yeah, your club, and you and Jill loom large, and my comedic life. And one of the more interesting experiences in stand up happened for me, and I talk about it. I have a podcast now called an agnostic guide to heaven. We can talk about that a bit. But it primarily is a storytelling exercise. And one of the stories that I've always wanted to use somehow in my life, because I just find it fascinating and figure out the why of it. Please share it now. Yes, stand up comedy. You know, as long as you think you understand it, you think you know, everything after 10 years and then 15 years into it, you realize, you know more now than you did a 10 and then 30 years then is like well now I'm maybe understanding things in a four. You know, it's like golf. You'll never completely dominate this thing, but this one, I still don't understand what the hell could have possibly happened. That it's just fascinating to me. So I'm driving up from LA to do your club. I've got my car on the five going north. I've got The cruise control set at 83. Because if you keep it under 85, the CHP 10 You're responsible driver. Exactly. It's our drive. And I'm passing a cattle truck. That's going 82. So I'm inching past. And, you know, they got 100 ahead of Angus or whatever, the petal. And one of them is got his eyeball sticking out one of the air holes. And he's just staring at me looking at me. And as I'm entering path, my mind just went immediately to a telepathic communication with this cow,

Scott Edwards: 20:48

you and the cow connected,

Tim Bedore: 20:51

connected. And the cow is saying to me, Hey, man, get me out of here, man. I know where we're going, man. Stop the truck. I don't want to go to the slaughterhouse. Get me off this truck. I start talking back to the cow. conversation in my mind. Not Not kidding around. I mean, this is kind of how comics are people. This week, I started having a conversation with this cow. And I was trying to tell the cow that I can't stop the truck. I understand you don't want to go to the slaughterhouse. I get that. But I can't stop your truck. You know, you're in an 18 Wheeler, I'm at a Honda Prelude. There's really not a lot I can do here. And he says no, man. If you go up to the cab, beep an endpoint back. Like there's something wrong with the trailer. The drivers are trained to stop, they got to protect the load, he will stop. And I said, well, even if I could get that part of it done. You can't let 100 Cows run off. I mean, I can't let you guys all go out and be dangerous. You traffic? No, man. Don't let them all go. Just meet selfish cow. He said, Well, I don't mean to be insulting. But you all look the same. How will I know which one is you? He said, you'll remember me. I was the one that taught. So I thought, well, he's right there. Think about it, you stop the truck. You let 100 Cows off. 99 say Moo once told you at work. That's the guy. That's the watch. That's the cow. Oh, man. Now, though, this is happening. I'm driving up. And this conversation happened in my head. And I just thought when I woke up from it, kind of, I thought, oh my god, that was so funny. Or that's so rich, or whatever. So I kind of made notes or recorded thoughts on it. Couldn't wait to get to the club, I get there a quarter to eight. I'm on stage an hour later. And about 20 minutes into myself. It wasn't you know, Tuesday night crowd. Nice group having fun. 20 minutes in.

Scott Edwards: 23:22

I take a chance. You tell the cow story.

Tim Bedore: 23:25

I tell the cow story. Now. If it as a stand up, you've got your tried and true material. And let's say it typically get a response of x. That's the last value at no material typically might be 20. If you're good at it, if you experienced 5060 70% of x, but no material typically does not get up to tried and true material honed, perfected for a while it takes weeks of doing it and then suddenly the proper wording just finds itself. Tempo reframing everything confidence in just even just the confidence in your voice that you're delivering it with knowledge that it's going to get.

Scott Edwards: 24:17

But every bit has to be developed in in for any professional you know that you open with good material you close with your strongest material, but in the middle is when you can try new stuff. That's when you can slide stuff in and know the spots know how you're gonna get in and out of it with with, you know, driving through on the other side of the new bit. You know, it's there's a strategy and there's experienced doing it. So 20 minutes in I bring out this new that just happened you know, hours ago and in my head hadn't even written it out 120% of it was like the most prolific response anything that I've ever done? Absolutely. I mean, it was just Oh, yeah, it was just, you know, magic out of the box. Huge, you know, and it was such a unique concept. And you saw it, you're excited. You got this new bed. And it did. Nobody else could even come close to talking about this. This is so just you. And it could be the signature bit, and whatever. So you were we rewarded? Oh, yeah. I mean, it was just magic. And it was just, exactly. You know, what you want in that nobody else. No other comedian was going to do anything like that. It just would sound totally white. You know, we've got to admit, though, Tim, in those days, there was a lot of drugs going around. And the whole talking cow thing, you know, could have happened. But you know, this is your story.

Tim Bedore: 25:51

In that era, this is not 70s. This is you know, later 80s or 90s. This is. So I do this bit. And it just, just thing. It just is it's magic. And I can't wait for Wednesday night to bring out my new shiny toy. You'll remember. I was the one that talked about 20 minutes in a good crowd. Nice crowd doing well. I bring out the new best 50% of it. I don't know what happened. Maybe I just was too cocky. I should have written it out. So Thursday. I really kind of wrack my brain. And I'm thinking about what did I do precisely on Tuesday night, what was the wording and I write it out and I'm prepared. And Thursday night, about 20 minutes, then I'm going to reclaim the glory. You'll remember me I was the one that's 1% of that it's dropping, I can't believe what's happening here. So

Scott Edwards: 26:55

the bits going down fast. It's going down instead. Now, what's interesting is isn't the concept of a new idea. Like you said, you introduce it, and then you work on it, you hone it, you get the wording and the timing. And it's something that you lead progresses and gets better and better and better. And in this particular, you'll know me I'm the one talking is, is going down fast. Going out fast. And I'm working out. And I'm trying and I think Thursday night I did it exactly like I did Tuesday night. But it just, you know was not not there at all the Friday night. And it was just like the hottest of hot crowds. I mean, it was just nuanced. The stuff is getting out loud laughs and it's just like the hottest crowd ever. And I can't wait to get to the 20 minute mark where I pull it out and I reclaim some victory. Certainly this time, the glory of you'll remember me I was dilemma talk. And I launched into it. And I swear to God 00 For nothing, no refund went from huge hero to zero in four days. And four days. I don't do the bit. Again, I just you know it was just convinced it was a fluke. Now, literally 14 years later. I'm driving up to your club. So career trajectory, flat, but not going down. No, you're solid headliner. Go work at that. And at that point, you were starting on Wednesday night. Nice crowd having fun. I announced that my first ever comedy CD I'm going to be selling after the show. This is the first night I'm going to be selling it. And so I'm out in the bar with my little table, my CDs ready to sell a couple comes up man and wife to bring our 16 year olds that come up and they said Tim, great show. Love the show. But you didn't do the fit. Why didn't you do the bit? And I said What's it and they said three of them in unison said you'll remember me. I was the one that taught. And at the time, 14 years later, I was that mean? I don't even remember that. And they and they said yeah, it's the best bit ever and the man the husband clicked off but George Carlin bit I think a Richard Pryor bit and that bit is three favorite comedy. Oh, man. So now he's put me in this urine company there. Yeah. And I still I don't remember the bit and I said are you sure it was me? And he and he said Oh yeah. And that you were excited that the three of them do so that means they shared it with their kid. They thought it was so funny when it went Beyond that it had become they explained, it was their family philosophy. It was, it was their, their, their meaning of life. And if you if you couldn't apologize for something the wife would say to the husband, you'll remember me. I was the one that talks. You know, I never gonna be able to drive. Yeah, I'm never gonna be able to drive I five past a cow truck and not think of that now explaining that, how important it was to them. And they could always make each other laugh by just saying you'll remember I was about to end the whole thing. And as they're saying this, I'm kind of remembering it and coming back and Okay, that was me. And then I'm remembering how it played out that week. And then they kind of finished and say, Tim, why didn't you do the bit? And I said, So 14 years ago, you were you were probably there on a Tuesday night, right? He said, Yeah, we always got those first sight of the week. And I said, Yeah, well, let me tell you what happened. So they turned out to be the one night they felt the magic of the talking cow. Yep. I shouldn't have told him that. But I told him that I never did it again. Because by Friday night, people were looking at me like, there's something wrong with this guy. So I thought they will just be interested in the comedic, or how comedy works. But what I essentially did was that I told them, that their family's philosophy and core personality was based on a fluke. So you've really much destroyed the family dynamic right there. But they still bought the CD. And that's, that's the important thing is how powerful it was he, so he sign it. He turns away, and then he turns back, and he said, so you'll remember me I was the one that talked is not on here. So for now, I had told them that I recorded it six months ago, this is the first CD I haven't done the best in 14 years. But the he's so still wanted that I swear to you, of course, that that Tuesday night, it was the funniest bit that I've ever done. But I couldn't reclaim that I couldn't redo it. You know, it just? Well, it can be that simple and so important to them.

Tim Bedore: 32:35

No, it was it was it was the oracle that they built their family around. And yes, and you basically dismantled it right in front of you should have just pretended Oh, yeah, I remember that bit. You know, it's a bit old. But you know, what's interesting about comedy, and when you're on stage sharing something is it's all about imagery. And the the eye the cow looking through the air hole is an image that everybody has probably seen driving one time or another that wouldn't think twice about it. And after hearing the story, we'll never see that image again. I mean, we'll always see that image different now. And now when you see a cow through an air hole, you're going to go wonder if you can talk? Well, that's a great he wants out. That's a great. Yeah, I bet he wants out. I'm sure they all do. I'm sure that was a good story from the day of laughs Now after working as a headliner, you did a US your background in radio and your sense of humor in your good sense of timing with comedy and you tell great stories. You ended up developing a series called vague but true. And audience anybody listening to this podcast, you want to check it out? vague, but true, has many, many episodes, and you should go Google it and find it. But for this particular podcast, Tim, why don't you tell the audience a little bit about vague but true. Well, when I got to San Francisco, on the radio there, I always just loved little features. And that was very much a curse and influencing where you know, they would do cardiac, Teton movies, and flabby, all those things. And so I had Sacramento I had mother's little helper. I don't know if you remember that. But I played a doctor who was giving bad advice on how to eat well, always funny, but always hopefully fun. One. For a stressed out mother, a game they can play with the little kids is let's go camping. Where mommy plays the part of a bear that has wandered into the campsite and the kids have to play dead. Otherwise mommy will mull them so they just lay quiet and don't make a sound and then You get to leave and go have a cup of tea or

Scott Edwards: 35:03

I could see parents using that one. Well, so vague but true was was to to form one of my teachers in, in San Francisco I did on the radio and it was a mock commentary, this ad various, whatever topic and then a radio station in Los Angeles bought it from me. I did it on public radio and a show called marketplace. It's just a commentary, humorous, hopefully, commentary on whatever. Well, thanks to your generosity. I've got a couple of vague but trues queued up. So I'm going to play a couple for the audience and then we'll come back and talk about it. Ladies and gentlemen, sit back and relax and enjoy. Vague but true.

Tim Bedore: 35:49

Here he is a philosopher, a writer, a comedian, a man who plays a golf ball the size of hail, the host. But true Tim Bedore. Well thank you very much. Once again this year, my alma mater, the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point did not ask me to give the commencement address at their graduation. Neither did any other university junior college or technical institute. If even a beauty college or bartending school had called, I would have been willing, yet again this year. Nothing. I did receive an invitation from the Minneapolis School of Massage and bodywork. When I showed up they were not interested in me making a speech to their student body, but rather in my hiring one of their students to practice Rolfing my body yet undeterred I am now here to give our nation's graduates the commencement address I annually prepare and no specific university has asked me to write Chancellor insert real name here, distinguished faculty, Board of Trustees and most importantly graduates of the Class of 2005. As I look out on your smiling energetic faces, I have high expectations for your futures but no, not all of you can change the world. In fact, from the look of it, I am not sure some of you can make change or toasts. Being here today brings back fond memories of my own years in college and a philosophy final where an entire semester grade was determined by an essay question which asked Is the glass half full? And I simply wrote Yes, but of the wrong thing. And I got an A Aha. So what is the value of a college education? A college education should give you enough common sense to know you can't sell life insurance with a spider tattooed on your face. And yet, as I look out on the class of 2005 I see many of you will not be living off Commission's life is hard and your path will not be easy but never give into frustration. There is a Tibetan saying even if you have failed at something nine times you have still given it effort nine times. And this is a very productive way to look at life unless you're a surgeon or an air traffic controller or structural engineer or my accountant or well now I think we know why Tibet is a stone age country with bad plumbing. Okay, anyway, kids Good boy. Many commencement addresses are filled with high flying rhetoric about the possibilities of the human spirit which will be beaten out of you once you start working for the man. If you're lucky, you'll find full time employment as a slave to the system a system run by nerds turns and unmoral Nimrods. Management sucks kids prepared to be very unimpressed. Yet I guarantee you will have a happy life. If you get joy from your job. Even though the odds are you will not believe how many times you'll actually want to murder a co worker. So don't look to find happiness in your work, look to find happiness in your family and get them to help you buy rental property. For the true value of a man's well. The true value of a man's wealth is determined not by what he has in the bank by what he will one day inherit from his family and then put in the bank and use to buy more rental property. And never forget the story of the farmer who had a chicken and another chicken that was a little odd looking but he was sure it was a chicken hit it behave like a chicken. It was pecking away like other chickens. So we treated it like a chicken until someone who was knowledgeable in these things said to the farmer, that's no chicken. That's an eagle. And this knowledgeable man took the strange looking chicken and climbed the mountain and said You are an eagle fly eagle fly. And the strange looking chickens spread its wings and lifted off and soared and flew away into the distance. So I say to the class of 2005 rise to become eagles, not chickens. Unless of course you actually are an odd looking chicken. And after you're done tumbling down the mountain become some supposedly knowledgeable man toss you off a cliff. Once you recover, start laying eggs Have them because while it might be fun to be an eagle, there's lots of money to be made in eggs and rental property from Minneapolis, Minnesota where the introverts stare at their shoes and the extroverts stare at your shoes. I'm Tim Bedore, on the Bob and Tom Radio Network. Words to remember for young and old words, or national. Radio

Scott Edwards: 40:33

Oh, yes. Wow, the"Vague but True". That is such a genius writing, Tim, and you were able to carry that on? Is that something that continues today? How many episodes of egba True have been produced? So well, what you heard is me on a morning radio syndicated program called the Bob and Tom show that's out of Indianapolis and at its peak was on 152. I think stations across the nation. That's a lot a lot of us, I hooked up with them. And in fact, there was a time where comics would tell you, you'll put more butts in seats in Des Moines or Peoria by being on Bob and Tom, than you would by being on Letterman or Leno. Had this morning show, and it was that strong. And they had comics on all the time. And so every morning people tune in to hear us. So I did "Vague but True" on Bob and Tom, from every week, from 2003 to 2016. So 12 years, and every week, so 52 times every week, a new year's like, I was writing a new, you know, three, four or five minutes piece and doing it via remote from here from LA and nationally. And then from Minneapolis. They would what was interesting about bobbin towel, I was doing a fresh piece, it wasn't stand up it was an essay, but they would have comics on and in conversation or if they were doing material to the group in the studio. If it went well went really well in the studio, they would replay that. For years and years. I wouldn't think that Stanhope could work that way. That you know what the joke is and still laugh. But they knew it. It was like song, they would repeat this. And so you didn't just do this as a one off thing. I appeared on a Tuesday and it went well. But that if you weren't listening on Tuesday that did, they would replay it for years. And so then their audience got to know 2030 comics that they focused on myself included. And a bit true became a staple, became a staple. And they wouldn't if it went well, like one of my pieces on the animal conspiracy. Just go viral. They would play it all the time. And so then there became this tour. And we were going out for a good 10 year stretch and playing theater. And three, four or five of us, was it you Bob and Tom in a couple comics. It was Bob and Tom would almost never go out. Oh, somebody from the show might be their house. But they were basically the hook to get people out. And then it was bad with the business and they were making money. They were making money. The station was making money in Des Moines or Casper, Wyoming or or Portland. And the show was making money in the comments. Were making money. And we would go in and each do you know 25 minutes, and three, four or five of us and sell out. In fact, one night, we were in Fresno. And we were there on, I think Saturday and sold out the 2500 seat theater. George Carlin had been there the night before, and didn't quite sell out. Wow. Which I felt bad about. But we were that potent. So it was just a terrific opportunity and time and it kept me writing every week regulations, Tim. Yeah, no, it was great fun. It was great fun. And so then I made my website called vague but true. And was all basically animal stories because the animal conspiracy piece is the one that really went viral. And so that was a piece where I was claiming that various species of animals, hate capitalism hate the West. They hate their writing, break down the Western democracy and they're led by the squirrel. And so, so I literally do a slide show. A keynote autogrowth called an inconvenient horror, the animal conspiracy where I show video and slides of why I believe AI is acting, misbehaving.

Tim Bedore: 45:11

Yes, yes, that doing 2003. And that's vague but true. And I, you know, I have a lot of the Bob and Tom appearances and then some other, you know, pieces I put together just for the hell of it.

Scott Edwards: 45:28

Well, Tim, you've been a huge success. And it's, it's rewarding for me to know that it kind of started with our relationship on radio legend to stand up working in the clubs and then vague but true. Now I know, because we talked about it a minute ago. But now you're, you've got your own podcast. Why don't you tell the audience a little bit about your podcast and why they should listen? Well, and I think, personally, it's the best thing that I've ever done. I'm happy with the writing then. Yes, I'm just, and I'll tell you what, the, the genesis of it, and I was resisting doing a podcast, I still believe in radio, and so, you know, whatever. So then Robin Williams, our many years ago now commit suicide? And it really, you know, I didn't know well, but I was in San Francisco. And, you know, with the rabbit all the time, and no one thought the world of them as a person and comic genius. Yes. And just just the nicest person. I mean, he just was a soul. Yeah, offstage, a lot of people don't realize that he was a real down to earth guy that would take the time to talk to anybody really, which a lot of entertainers especially successful ones, get an error about him and arrogance. And Robin, who did have to protect his privacy and didn't go crazy about it. But he always appreciated the the support, he got comedically from the audience and from the clubs and everybody.

Tim Bedore: 47:11

And he really just wanted to be one of the guys. He just, he didn't want to be anything other than just another comic in the show. So in San Francisco, he would drop in on open mics. And, in fact, a lot he would do guest that, in shows on the weekend, he was around a lot in almost. In fact, one of the reasons I was thinking about this, because I remember specifically a week in 82, or 83, when I was just starting in radio in San Francisco, and I don't even know if I move up past open mic. Dempsey probably was add, but Robin and his wife were expecting their first kid and it was a difficult pregnancy, she was two weeks late, and they thought maybe the cord was wrapped, maybe it was going to be a problem, whatever. So it was and instead of being at home, I get this. The plan was on a Friday and Saturday night, he was going to do guests in the Four Club, comedy clubs in San Francisco. Nobody's gonna, he's gonna do five minutes in this club, get off stage, go to the next one to five minutes. For guests that's in for clubs on the weekend show, which means that if you were emceeing at the first club, you would basically say welcome, hey, we got to get that Robin Williams. He comes out does five, seven minutes, the crowd goes nuts. And now, as an emcee, you have to follow him. Yeah, that is work. Get that on Friday night, first show. second show. And on Saturday, both jokes. And people were thrilled with it thought it was a great gimmick, and it was great. I kept thinking, why isn't he with his wife? Well, as it turns out, he had anxiety issues, and fought depression. And if you've ever known a comic who's had depression, they will tell you that if they're having about the only time that they feel good during the day, is when they're on stage, because that's when they feel normal. Otherwise, then the depression Yes.

Scott Edwards: 49:33

Oh, yeah. Too much time. I think when you're on stage, it's all natural reaction and thinking and talking. You get offstage and you have to the rest of the world rushes in. Yes, you know, you're back to that thing that has taken you over. So being on stage is your Medicaid. And that's what I think one of the things that he did stand up so much was that he was just Medicaid now hugely beneficial to all of us, because we got the gym. And clubs are flourished because people were wanting to see Robin and you know, he was so funny and whatever. But when he died, I just remembered thinking, and then it was clear that, you know, he really did suffer from depression, that there is this driver for most common with him it was that, but with, if you weren't popular, or your parents didn't love you, there's a driver for a lot of Canadians. And I didn't, I never knew what mine was. I was not bullied, you know, horribly, my parents loved me, I was popular and not, you know, in school, we all have issues, but your yours one is deep.

Tim Bedore: 50:55

I couldn't figure out what mine was. But then. And I'd always been told that when I'm on stage, and I would always close with a chunk. And growing up Catholic. Exactly. I remember. People would always say, you're most alive. And in the moment on stage when you're talking about religion, and growing up Catholic. And I never knew the why of it. But now I kind of think I know the why of it. The church. And you know, I'm not making a statement on religion one way or the other. I am agnostic. I was, I think born agnostic. But I grew up in this Catholic world, where everybody was just thrilled to be there and filled with the Spirit. On a six year old kid looking up going, I'm not filled with the Spirit. And if you're not filled with the Spirit, you're going to hell. Because that's basically what they taught you. I was great. And night after night after night, I'd be thinking about, you know, the Green Bay Packers? Why are the Braves leaving Milwaukee? And then it would just drift into well, why do we have to SAP before communion if the host is a way for and cracker? Why can I have crackers and my stuff? And then I oh my god, I'm thinking about it. And it would literally put me into a panic and kind of a nightmare.

Scott Edwards: 52:39

You were a child? Yes. I mean, it's just the traumatized, that traumatized me just to be part of that world and not having bought into it or organically, you know, feeling. So the church was my bully. It made me turn against myself, in terms and I never thought I was a bad kid. Or I was wrong. I knew I was better than these kids, I wasn't, you know, but at the same time, I'm going to hell because I don't feel what they feel. And so, you know, it took until about seventh eighth grade, when I made the break. And then, you know, kind of detached from the whole concept that they had this kind of control over me or whatever. But it was my driver, I really think that it was the bully that, you know, may be most interested in getting back. And that's why I do this by the first three or four episodes have been an agnostic guide to heaven, are telling the stories about growing up Catholic, and all my little fears and these moments where I'm looking at adult thinking, and they're either crazy, or I'm going to hell. Well, I remember your closing set, always just like every headliner is your strong piece. And I think that when you talked about Catholicism and your relation with it, that the reason it was a strong piece was not only were you committed to it, and that it was real for you, but a lot of people in the audience could relate to it. Oh, yeah. You know, there's many of us that you know, I'm I for one was dragged through the Catholic school system and in dealt with it similar to what you did, and yet, I'm not a churchgoer. I don't think I'm going to hell, let's hope but but, you know, agnostic, might be the definition that I fall in. I don't even think about it. But if you were touching on something that everybody in the audience could relate to. Plus it was funny, plus, it was real, and that's why it was your closing bit. Yes. And whether people the goal for me always was that you could appear to be a devout Catholic or Christian or Jewish or whatever, at least you'd recognize something of yourself in my thoughts, but recognize that and I'm not telling you, you're wrong, it was just wrong for me, one of the new pieces that I'm doing, and I just think it's true that it I say to people, this is kind of a new bit. So it's kind of fun to do. But let me give you an idea of if you don't know any Catholics, if you didn't grow up Catholic, and they give you an idea about the Catholic personality. We're the kind of people who willingly go into a dark booth and read on ourselves in order to be punished. This is what he Yeah, yeah, I mean, it. It's kind of ironic and doesn't make sense. But we do it. Yes. Without thinking, except for me, of course, I overthinking it, which is how I became a comedian by conference. So your podcast, it comes from this background? But obviously each episode is got its comic sense to it. Oh, yes. No, it's all for fun. I mean, it's really more or less a storytelling exercise, framed as I'm a life coach, and a spiritual guru. But it's just his stories that I couldn't tell in two or three minutes and Bob and Tom and never worked as stand up. But their stories I've always wanted to tell, including in ninth grade, I was roped back into. It's a long story. But I literally went to Boy Scout camp and got an archery merit badge on acid for masculine. But one of that's true. There's, there's a lot of these stories that I just have always wanted to tell, talk about find interesting, humanly interesting. And I'm telling these stories as examples on how to live your life or what you can learn from mine. And by the way, if you follow my advice, and you ended up in hell, because of anything that I said, total money back guarantee. You know, what more can the people ask for really? I stand by my, you do? Well, it sounds like we're gonna have to do another one of these interviews so that we can hear some of these stories. For right now, Tim, I'm going to break away everybody out there listening, be sure to check out Tim's podcast, agnostics guide to heaven. It sounds like you go to Stitcher or iTunes, you can either search it by me or an agnostic guide to heaven. And not trying to really talk too much about religion. It's just storytelling and fun. And if you need a life coach, who gives that advice? Well, you know, it's interesting that that you're doing a podcast, I'm doing a podcast now. For me, my title is celebrating 40 plus years on the fringes show business. You know, I really miss being active in the in business. And I had such a part of my life, sharing with people like you entertainers and staff members. And the whole comedy industry is a deep part of me, and I'm getting older, I'm a few years away from retiring. And this podcast really gives me an opportunity to not only share with the public, what I think were special moments and stories, but it's really, you know, mean something to me. Does that kind of why you do what you do. Yeah, I mean, it's, if you've got that bug, and it's not, you know, people think that the thing is that you got the laughs and it's so Oh, you feel good about yourself, or, you know, you're on stage and so you have power or whatever. I don't think for most comics is that it's, there is like sports or anything else. If you're on a big stage, if you're in a tense moment, if you're in endorphin, build adrenaline rushing, things, like stand up or being Bruce Springsteen on stage or a guy in a bar, doing a little rock show, there is just adrenaline, and there is connection, and there is energy from them coming back to you. You're giving it back to them. And so it is not a normal job and you'll never feel about most any other job, the way you feel about this type of performance. So you know, you just and so the people that you went through and came up with and you know, you were in boot camp with and we're in the minor leagues. And then you got up and you worked into a spot where you're on TV and whatever. The people that you went through that with are your army buddies, you went through the war together, you just have a relationship with them that you can't have with anybody else you didn't go through. Exactly. Yeah, you mentioned it perfectly when you said it's a bond it you know, I haven't talked to I haven't talked to you in over 20 years. And I feel like I just saw you yesterday, because there's a bond of what we went through together. And I felt that way with the the old staff, people I'm interviewing and other other comics, I've had the luck to interview. It's, it's, yeah, it's somewhat of bringing up stories and memories from 40 years ago, 30 years ago. But it really it's, it was like yesterday, there's such a connection. It is because it's so intense. I mean, every night you had a show, and every night the doors opened, and somebody had to walk out and 28 people or 258 people were, you know, you had to do this thing night after night. It wasn't like, you know, you're running a pharmacy, and you open the door, and people come in and, you know, get allergy pills and condoms. I mean, gratifying. But, you know, you lock the door, you don't go home, thinking I really did something. It was just your job. And that's in fine job. There's nothing wrong with it. But it's not this intense. Well, it's I think a lot of it's the creative aspect. You and I were talking about how it's you're you're sharing and interacting with people, you don't really know the audience, and other comics and other staff people. But the creative juices and off off air you and I were talking about, we're both getting to that retirement age or semi retirement age, and how trying to connect with everything we've experienced over these last 40 years, is something that feels like it's worth sharing, and it's a release of our creative juices. Yeah. And so if you are a creative person, you can't retire from that. If you retire from the job where you get to be creative, you better find some other way to do it. Because you are not being yourself. And you'll not be happy. If you're not yourself, being yourself means being creative, then you better figure out a way to get that, that that juice back out. And so you know, for me, it's more about the writing. That's, you know, what I've always focused on and like doing more than anything else. So I get you know, I write a 20 minute piece every couple of weeks and really finesse it and I get off the phone, I go back to the computer and do it again. Well, you're a really good writer and performer for me, it was the producing. I always liked directing and producing and bringing talented people people way more talented than me, but bring them to an audience. And that's what allows me to do with this podcast. So hey, everybody out there, be sure to check out timber doors podcast, the agnostics guide to heaven. Also Google vague but true and find some of those great short stories from the Bob and Tom show. Thank you for listening today. I think Tim we're gonna have to do another one of these down the road. But thank you so much for being on your host and emcee. And we hope I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. It's been great catching up. Oh, it's fun. Anytime, anytime. I'm more than happy to to do this is this great fun to talk and you know, we got that bond. So let's make it 20 years again, y'all know, we definitely won't. Hey, ladies and gentlemen, thanks for listening. Be sure to share rate review. We want to keep this going. And thank you, Tim. Thank you everybody. And next week, another episode comes out.

Announcer: 1:04:04

We hope you enjoyed this episode of Stand Up Comedy your host and emcee. For information on the show merchandise and our sponsors or to send comments to Scott, visit our website at WWW dot stand up your host and emcee.com Look for more episode soon and enjoy the world of stand up comedy. Visit a comedy show room near you