WEBVTT

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Alright, welcome. It is Monday of Good News York.

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I am alone again because Matt is out beating

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people up at the soup kitchen. He's a real jerk.

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But that's perfect because I am joined, and I

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can say this, by an actual friend of mine. He

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is a comedian, a sketch comedian, stand -up comedian,

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actor, a podcast host. He does it all. I love

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him so much and I'm so excited he's here. Mr.

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Paul Valenti. Paul Valenti. It's a very weak

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clap because it's just me today. Paul, my man.

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Look at you. I know. I look so pale. You know,

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we... No, you look fine. I... You know, I sit

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here and I'm like and my friend and I'm like,

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you know I'm actually a shitty friend because

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we've only like talked through social media We

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haven't like we haven't really caught up like

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this, you know No, we've been meaning to over

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the years. I think that what it's safe to say

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that you and I both fans of each other Oh my

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god. Yes. I don't know about you. I'm a fan of

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yours. I'm a fan of yours. I Do you remember

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where we met? I do, and I've been excited to

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talk about that. I would love to hear your point

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of view, because here's my point of view. When

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I started doing comedy back in the day, took

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my first crack at it, I started... sweeping floors

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at a local comedy club and I became the house

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emcee there but my goal was I wanted to get to

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SNL or you know move down to the city and so

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I started looking up different uh you know I

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was trying to get gigs down there and I found

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this showcase to be an extra on SNL and it was

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at uh it was at a restaurant like we were in

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the back room of a restaurant and they had us

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do 10 minutes each. It was like, you know, eight

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of us packed in this back hall, back room of

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a restaurant. And I remember I watched you and

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I was like, this guy, I love this guy. He reminds

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me of a young Belushi. I really, and I still

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feel that way. And you and I, we hit it off and

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we kind of just started staying in touch. And

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then I made the stupid move of doing my music

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career instead of my comedy career. And now I'm

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back at the comedy. But I just thought you were

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amazingly talented and you were such a nice guy.

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And it's rare when you stay in touch with people

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over the years that you meet on a whim, especially

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in that situation. And I've done it with nobody

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else but you. And it's awesome. That's how I

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keep track of all my friends. I meet them once

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and then we're like, no need to meet up anymore.

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We're good. We're good. We have this action or

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whatever. I'll follow you on the apps, on the

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socials. And then that'll be it. That's it. Does

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that sound accurate though? Does that sound like

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the accurate? We've hung out a few times. It

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was a few. Okay. It was a few times. It was a

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few times because I believe, I know I went to

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that showcase. Twice I don't remember reforming

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I don't think you did. I think no you do is was

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it with Chris or did I do something else? No,

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you were you were alone. I'm pretty sure I think

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you did stand -up. I'm pretty sure But it no

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was it wasn't sad because I again I thought I

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was comparing you to a young Belushi. I loved

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this. I loved you That's high praise. Thank you.

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Well, let's talk crazy. Let's talk about that.

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So You know, there's a lot to get to between

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the Chris and Paul show, the Chris and Paul podcast.

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I know you do some off -Broadway stuff. You've

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got the workshops. Let's start from the beginning

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of you getting into comedy and how that all started.

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Because you live in Connecticut, right? Am I...

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Now I do. Now you do. Okay. I was living in New

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York City for 15 years. And I moved... I moved

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back just before COVID. Got lucky. Good timing.

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Because I would have got COVID right away. Like,

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yeah, I'm still on the subway. I don't care.

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I like the polls. I was actually at an audition

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in the city the weekend of the shutdown, like

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when it all started, when all the madness started.

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I was in the belly of the beast and somehow I

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escaped with no COVID. But anyway, enough about

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me. Wow. Yeah. Crazy. A lot right there. It was

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a lot. So sorry. Nothing. No, no, let me see.

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I want to say we met 2003, 2004. That's right.

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It was about 2003 or 2004. Yep. 2004. Okay. Okay.

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And I had no idea what I was doing. I knew a

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few things. I wanted to perform. I didn't know

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how. I didn't know where. I was very, at that

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time, very, very influenced by Kids in a Hall.

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Yes. And Chris Farley. And I had a lot of, well,

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my first experience to comedy was The Three Stooges.

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Good for you, man. Good for you for mentioning

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The Three Stooges. They don't get enough love

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anymore. They really were pioneers. for physical

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comedy and the thing, you know, the comedy, our

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brand of comedy. It was angry, but it was...

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It was brilliant. It opened my eyes. And it allowed

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me to be silly in school. And I learned about

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the Three Stooges in second grade because I sat

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next to this kid, Pino Soro, who I still, once

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in a while, keep track in the social medias.

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Good. So every once in a while, we'll... Give

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a little wave. A little hello. And a little hello

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or send a Three Stooges meme. Perfect. And he

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says to me, hey, did you ever watch the Three

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Stooges? And of course I wanted to fit in. So

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I lied. Right. And said, yeah, but since I moved,

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I moved to a new school. Since I moved, I don't

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know what channel it's on. So tell me. And he

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did. And I went home and my... Tell my mom, hey,

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wake me up at 6 30 morning, because I want to

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watch The Three Stooges. I love that. And then

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I came in and I said, hey, Pino, do you want

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to watch The Three Stooges? And we just hit it

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off, started talking. And my first episode was

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a Shemp. OK. Didn't discover Curly until maybe

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a few weeks later. And I was like, wow. Shemp

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still thinks Shemp is great. It's his own thing.

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Sure. He was outshouted by Curly because he was

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out for so many years. Yeah, that's how he got

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it. And then when I met you, I was probably in

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the city for, let's say, a year or two. But before

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I went to the city, I was actually in a play

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called The Three Scrooges, which is a Christmas

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Carol with the three Stooges. That's phenomenal.

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And I was like, oh my gosh, I got to play this

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role. And that was at this place called Curtain

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Call where I met Chris in 99. So I met Chris

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in 99. I did the show in 2001 and 2002, I believe.

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So just when I'm just trying to figure out, you

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know, acting in comedy and I remember auditioning

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and I did my impression of Curly and I made it

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to the final audition and the director said,

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if we cast you, would you shave? Yes. Yes. I

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absolutely will. Yeah. So. Because now I got

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into that show that the guys who directed it

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started opening me at my eyes up, too. I knew

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Abba Costello. I knew a little bit of Laurel

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Hardy. Sure. No, there was a whole world that

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I didn't meet, like Buster Keaton, Chaplin, Howard

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Lloyd. I mean, all these great comedians of the

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past, Sid Caesar, Red Skelton. I started knowing,

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I was like, oh, so now he started changing my

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mind. Sure. These guys can get laughs without

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being crude, and I'm not Gimsby, whatever. But

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I thought it's like, you have to work harder

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to get a laugh without saying anything, and I

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loved that. So I was trying to fit in that out

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when I met you. So I was probably all over the

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place, so I couldn't tell you. No. But you mean

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you could? No, that checks out because that's

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why I set a young Belushi. You were like an old

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soul to me. Like, I could tell that you got it.

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Like, you had all the characteristics of those

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traditional classic pioneer performers. And so

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obviously, you have talent, but obviously that's

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what you were watching because I could see that,

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you know, in your act. And I think that's awesome,

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man. I think it's great that you... you know,

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it's 2025 and people are still out there paying

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homage to the greats that, you know, we all wouldn't

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be here doing it if it wasn't for those guys,

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you know? Right. Of course. Absolutely. And I

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remember when you were on stage and you had my

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humor, because you were doing some physical stuff

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yourself. Yes, I was very physical. I don't remember

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what you were mimicking, but it was funny. And

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the way you were just like wriggling your body.

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Mm -hmm something yes, but I was laughing my

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ass off. You were the only one laughing. I think

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I think Yeah, hello, uh, I think I may have been

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doing like God this is awful. I think I was doing

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different porn positions. I think I was I Do

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I think I was talking about how like people watch

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porn and like they you know used to be just missionary

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And now it's like they're getting so creative

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and I think I got up on the stool. That might

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have been. That sounds like something I would

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have been doing then. But either way, you know,

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I do remember the casting director. We got done

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and I basically cornered him before he left.

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And I was like, look, I was like, I have dreamt

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to be on SNL. Please. Like, just give me that

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shot. And I scared the shit out of him. But it

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worked, because I got on twice as an extra. But

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that's when I met you. And then as the years

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went on, we stayed in touch. And it kind of seems

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like, like I said, you know, Paul Valenti, you

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know, sketch comedy, stand -up, actor, you're

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doing it all. But it seems like the Chris and

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Paul show... has kind of been your main gig for

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a long time and you guys were on just a few years

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back you were on uh you were one of the finalists

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on the mbc show bring the funny the funny which

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blew my mind because again we just talked about

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i knew you for all these years i knew your talent

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and then all of a sudden you're on an mbc show

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i'm like yes finally dude he fucking got his

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break and um you know i was so proud and it's

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funny because i have a friend of mine um, her

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and her husband watched the show, and they were

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talking to me about it, and they mentioned, they're

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like, oh, I love this Chris and Paul guy. I'm

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like, wait a minute. And I'm like, is that...

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That's how I found out you were on the show.

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So I turned... Yeah, no shit. And I, and I catched

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the highlights. I'm like, that's my buddy Paul.

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I can't believe it. So they thought it was the

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coolest thing that I knew you. And, um, then

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I told him he's really, he's not that cool, but,

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um... I'm kidding. He hides from me. He doesn't

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he doesn't that he's reading my texts, right?

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That's right. I know I'm bad at that. So anyway,

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I digress I You meet Chris in 1999 Talk about

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how the Chris and Paul show and and and all of

00:12:29.879 --> 00:12:34.019
this came together Okay, so I'm gonna give you

00:12:34.019 --> 00:12:37.139
the The end of version because there's a lot

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of things that happen dude. It's just you and

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me babe We got the time. Do you have a day? We

00:12:43.309 --> 00:12:46.850
have a day. Yeah, everything's very vivid to

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me. I do have this incredible memory of what

00:12:53.509 --> 00:13:00.210
happened in sequence, most of the stuff. But,

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you know, I'll put down my keys or my phone.

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What does it do to my phone? Where is it? But

00:13:10.039 --> 00:13:14.879
you asked me about most gigs, I do have a visceral,

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I don't know, it's like an emotional connection.

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They said the things you remember the most is

00:13:20.200 --> 00:13:22.039
the things you have an emotional connection with.

00:13:22.159 --> 00:13:26.220
Huh. Yeah. They, you know they, they all say,

00:13:26.299 --> 00:13:29.039
those people. Yeah, the theys. The theys, the

00:13:29.039 --> 00:13:33.460
theys people. They say. They're friends with

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everybody, right? When you're at the party. Who

00:13:35.899 --> 00:13:38.639
is there? Everybody. Everybody was there. Yeah,

00:13:38.759 --> 00:13:42.059
same people. Right, right. It's like a club.

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It's their club. And they say means no matter,

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it doesn't have to be connected to facts or anything.

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It's just like they say it. And if they say it,

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then it overrides everything. Well, they said.

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Yeah, well, they... Well, if they said, then

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I guess... That's such a weird phrase. I know.

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You know what they're saying? Yeah. You know

00:14:07.100 --> 00:14:09.769
what they said? I hate that. What do you say?

00:14:10.330 --> 00:14:13.149
Nah. Yeah. Our language is so weird, because

00:14:13.149 --> 00:14:15.509
we say a lot of things. Sorry, I'm going veering

00:14:15.509 --> 00:14:18.129
off. No, it's fine. I love that. That was fun.

00:14:19.009 --> 00:14:25.509
I don't know. Quickly, I was diagnosed ADHD last

00:14:25.509 --> 00:14:28.850
July. Oh, dude, you're new. Welcome to the family.

00:14:29.590 --> 00:14:33.029
It's wild, isn't it? I was with my psychiatrist.

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I mean, my therapist. just 2018. And we've always

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talked about it, but she couldn't diagnose me.

00:14:42.929 --> 00:14:47.610
And then I realized how much problems I was having.

00:14:47.649 --> 00:14:50.830
Yeah. And then she says, well, let's see if I

00:14:50.830 --> 00:14:55.210
use a psychiatrist. And I did. And I'm medicated

00:14:55.210 --> 00:14:57.909
and it's a game changer. Though I forgot to take

00:14:57.909 --> 00:15:00.929
it this morning. Oh, good. Oh, you don't take

00:15:00.929 --> 00:15:05.389
it. I take a little I take Ritalin. I too. uh,

00:15:05.629 --> 00:15:09.549
got diagnosed in 2019. Even though my entire

00:15:09.549 --> 00:15:11.809
life everyone was like, ha ha, you've got ADD.

00:15:11.889 --> 00:15:14.309
Cause I was, you know, but the myth is everyone's

00:15:14.309 --> 00:15:17.330
like, squirrel. And, and like, yes, the focus

00:15:17.330 --> 00:15:20.669
is a very big part of it, but they don't understand,

00:15:20.669 --> 00:15:24.129
like, I don't know. Have you ever put your keys

00:15:24.129 --> 00:15:26.730
in the refrigerator? You know, like it's not,

00:15:26.850 --> 00:15:30.129
it's not just about focus. It's, it's emotional

00:15:30.129 --> 00:15:34.070
control. It's... It's racing thoughts. It's obviously

00:15:34.070 --> 00:15:36.809
the focus part of it. So I get it, man. And when

00:15:36.809 --> 00:15:40.029
I finally started going to therapy and getting

00:15:40.029 --> 00:15:41.909
Medicaid and getting a handle on it, it was a

00:15:41.909 --> 00:15:44.929
game changer. Because it's a superpower. Like,

00:15:45.409 --> 00:15:48.779
the way I explain it is like... It's the best

00:15:48.779 --> 00:15:52.399
and worst so it's like the same thing that allows

00:15:52.399 --> 00:15:56.299
me to be so fast and be able to improv and be

00:15:56.299 --> 00:15:58.399
able to think of outside -of -the -box ideas

00:15:58.399 --> 00:16:01.639
is also the same thing that I can't sit down

00:16:01.639 --> 00:16:04.360
at night and watch a show and relax because I

00:16:04.360 --> 00:16:07.820
have 54 ,000 thoughts on a conveyor belt going

00:16:07.820 --> 00:16:10.159
through my head, you know So I was always like

00:16:10.159 --> 00:16:12.639
I want to have quality of life, but I don't want

00:16:12.639 --> 00:16:16.740
to curb my creativeness, you know Right say for

00:16:16.740 --> 00:16:21.570
me Yeah, all of a sudden, my brain went... Mm

00:16:21.570 --> 00:16:25.269
-hmm. And I still had things to do, but I wasn't

00:16:25.269 --> 00:16:27.509
overwhelmed. Right. And I would have a bunch

00:16:27.509 --> 00:16:29.909
of things to do, like, oh, I got it. Right. And

00:16:29.909 --> 00:16:32.830
my place would be a mess, and that was my head.

00:16:33.129 --> 00:16:35.350
But every time I would organize my thoughts for

00:16:35.350 --> 00:16:37.370
a second, it would be nice, and it'd also get

00:16:37.370 --> 00:16:40.690
messy again. Now that I'm on it, I have things

00:16:40.690 --> 00:16:43.350
here, like notes here. Yeah, everything's organized.

00:16:43.490 --> 00:16:47.129
I have a to -do book. Every day that I write

00:16:47.129 --> 00:16:50.529
in now. Dude, I live by my calendar. My iPhone

00:16:50.529 --> 00:16:53.909
calendar. I mean, it's so bad. It's like, oh,

00:16:54.110 --> 00:16:56.950
two o 'clock, breathe, clip my toenails. Like,

00:16:57.190 --> 00:17:00.230
my wife jokes, like, I can't believe you put

00:17:00.230 --> 00:17:02.269
that stuff in your phone. And I'm like, I can't

00:17:02.269 --> 00:17:03.990
believe you don't understand that I need to put

00:17:03.990 --> 00:17:06.650
this stuff in my phone, you know? Whatever works,

00:17:07.049 --> 00:17:12.710
you know? When I went back to college, I talk

00:17:12.710 --> 00:17:16.630
texted my papers. Because I started to realize

00:17:16.630 --> 00:17:19.349
how the hell am I gonna write a paper? I don't

00:17:19.349 --> 00:17:22.450
I can't say I know what to write, but I just

00:17:22.450 --> 00:17:25.309
hate doing it dude I would take my phone. I would

00:17:25.309 --> 00:17:28.710
talk text my papers into my phone Email it to

00:17:28.710 --> 00:17:31.690
myself put it into Microsoft Word edit it and

00:17:31.690 --> 00:17:34.509
then and then submit it and I thought I was cheating

00:17:34.509 --> 00:17:36.490
and I told one of the professors I was like listen.

00:17:36.490 --> 00:17:38.529
I just want to be open and honest. That's what

00:17:38.529 --> 00:17:40.430
I've been doing and they're like that's not cheating

00:17:40.430 --> 00:17:42.250
Those were your own thoughts. They're like you're

00:17:42.250 --> 00:17:46.369
managing your ADHD. So Brother, I did it. Yeah.

00:17:46.589 --> 00:17:48.750
Well, that's what I started doing. It was always

00:17:48.750 --> 00:17:51.210
very hard for me. I had all these ideas for scripts.

00:17:52.769 --> 00:17:55.529
And when Chris and I would have ideas, it was

00:17:55.529 --> 00:18:00.410
so hard to write a whole sketch and rewrite it

00:18:00.410 --> 00:18:02.730
and rewrite it and rewrite it. And it was it

00:18:02.730 --> 00:18:05.170
was so overwhelming. And Chris and I, especially

00:18:05.170 --> 00:18:08.269
in the beginning, we would have shit ideas. I

00:18:08.269 --> 00:18:12.819
mean. Chris is an idea maniac. For every one

00:18:12.819 --> 00:18:15.019
idea that came up, Chris came up with five ideas.

00:18:15.960 --> 00:18:18.519
So we just had a pile of ideas. Then I just started,

00:18:18.519 --> 00:18:20.859
OK, just write bits down. And then Chris and

00:18:20.859 --> 00:18:22.740
I started rehearsing it. OK, let's do this, let's

00:18:22.740 --> 00:18:25.220
do that. But we do it so much that we would start

00:18:25.220 --> 00:18:27.539
memorizing movement. So that's how I was able

00:18:27.539 --> 00:18:31.779
to do that. So now I can write bits. So I accept

00:18:31.779 --> 00:18:33.460
it. Just write bits. Right. You don't have to

00:18:33.460 --> 00:18:34.900
work the whole thing and then take the concept.

00:18:35.000 --> 00:18:37.240
And that's why I think our show is great because.

00:18:37.450 --> 00:18:40.309
It's very loose. It's not like go here. We do

00:18:40.309 --> 00:18:42.970
have some structure, but when it comes to the

00:18:42.970 --> 00:18:46.930
physicality or anything else that pertains to

00:18:46.930 --> 00:18:50.289
that sketch, it's fresh all the time to us. That's

00:18:50.289 --> 00:18:53.829
great. That makes sense. Absolutely. You know,

00:18:54.170 --> 00:18:58.829
and I feel for you because, you know, I struggle

00:18:58.829 --> 00:19:02.670
so much. I have so many, you know, script ideas,

00:19:02.789 --> 00:19:06.569
some that I've started and... I try to explain

00:19:06.569 --> 00:19:11.109
to people that it's not like I don't want to.

00:19:11.269 --> 00:19:14.109
That's the hard part about it is I really want

00:19:14.109 --> 00:19:16.910
to write that and finish it. But my brain, I'm

00:19:16.910 --> 00:19:19.589
like in this paralysis where it's like I can't

00:19:19.589 --> 00:19:23.049
just sit and do it. And that tug of war can be

00:19:23.049 --> 00:19:25.069
debilitating, especially in the field that we're

00:19:25.069 --> 00:19:27.190
in, right? You know, the creative field. So I

00:19:27.190 --> 00:19:30.630
love that you found a way to manage it, you know,

00:19:30.829 --> 00:19:33.230
like you just explained. So... Let's talk about

00:19:33.230 --> 00:19:35.589
the Chris and Paul show. So, you meet Chris in

00:19:35.589 --> 00:19:38.390
99. Now we'll bring it back. We'll do like a

00:19:38.390 --> 00:19:41.829
Tarantino. Now we're going back. You meet Chris.

00:19:42.250 --> 00:19:44.250
How does this come about, the Chris and Paul

00:19:44.250 --> 00:19:50.369
show? We met through a mutual friend that was

00:19:50.369 --> 00:19:53.430
doing a show. And I knew of Chris, because we

00:19:53.430 --> 00:19:56.750
all ran around in the same circle. And the very

00:19:56.750 --> 00:20:02.200
first time I met him, I was in... I was in a

00:20:02.200 --> 00:20:05.980
lobby of the theater that we were performing

00:20:05.980 --> 00:20:09.099
at, and they were doing some construction, so

00:20:09.099 --> 00:20:11.420
there was boards that they were pieces of wood

00:20:11.420 --> 00:20:16.640
throwing out, and was showing off to all the

00:20:16.640 --> 00:20:18.960
girls in the cast, and I can break wood. Because

00:20:18.960 --> 00:20:20.640
I was into martial arts, then Teal was taking

00:20:20.640 --> 00:20:22.140
martial arts classes, and I'm like, yeah, I can

00:20:22.140 --> 00:20:25.079
do this. And then Chris comes in and he goes,

00:20:25.119 --> 00:20:26.359
hey, what are you doing? I was like, I'm just

00:20:26.359 --> 00:20:28.539
breaking boards. He's like, let me see. So he

00:20:28.539 --> 00:20:31.309
grabs a board. And I'm about to go and he goes,

00:20:31.869 --> 00:20:35.890
never mind. He ran out. And so that's the first

00:20:35.890 --> 00:20:39.769
our first interaction. And then amazing, I saw

00:20:39.769 --> 00:20:45.549
him in Noises Off. And I saw him on stage and

00:20:45.549 --> 00:20:48.849
I was like, holy crap, this kid is funny. Yeah.

00:20:49.049 --> 00:20:52.190
And then we then my friend Darren and I were

00:20:52.190 --> 00:20:54.930
in a play and we were tossing. I want to be like

00:20:54.930 --> 00:20:56.549
kids at all. I want to do a sketch trip. I should

00:20:56.549 --> 00:20:58.930
know what to do. Because you should talk to Chris.

00:20:58.970 --> 00:21:02.450
He's really funny He has he likes how many a

00:21:02.450 --> 00:21:05.210
lot and we all met there was like 10 of us that

00:21:05.210 --> 00:21:08.390
went over Darren's house and We all just sort

00:21:08.390 --> 00:21:10.630
of rating a show. We didn't know what we were

00:21:10.630 --> 00:21:16.009
doing but Chris Okay, I guess in the beginning

00:21:16.009 --> 00:21:18.869
of the year his senior year. He talked to the

00:21:18.869 --> 00:21:21.470
he talked to one of the The teachers and say

00:21:21.470 --> 00:21:22.990
hey, I want to do a comedy show at the end of

00:21:22.990 --> 00:21:26.299
the year. So is it yeah do whatever So yeah,

00:21:26.319 --> 00:21:28.539
it was the chris o 'neill comedy show. So for

00:21:28.539 --> 00:21:30.500
like months we're working or we're thinking well

00:21:30.500 --> 00:21:33.039
Where could we perform with or before and then

00:21:33.039 --> 00:21:35.700
before he just hits with us. Wait a minute I

00:21:35.700 --> 00:21:39.000
have a show the chris o 'neill comedy show at

00:21:39.000 --> 00:21:42.079
the end of the year and I we could do this there

00:21:42.079 --> 00:21:45.960
at stanford high chris's high school so with

00:21:45.960 --> 00:21:50.019
a great so we did that and We did we did this

00:21:50.019 --> 00:21:54.240
show on may 20th and 2000 and that was our first

00:21:54.240 --> 00:21:56.450
I guess time Chris and I were staging, we had

00:21:56.450 --> 00:21:59.630
the footage of one of the sketches we wrote called,

00:22:00.109 --> 00:22:03.190
Who the Hell is on First, where everyone's trying

00:22:03.190 --> 00:22:05.509
to explain the joke to me and I don't get it

00:22:05.509 --> 00:22:10.670
at all. Dude, that's great. That is great. Yeah.

00:22:10.869 --> 00:22:13.630
Who the hell is on first? I don't understand

00:22:13.630 --> 00:22:18.849
this. Yeah. Yeah. We're probably going to post

00:22:18.849 --> 00:22:21.509
it soon. We're actually revamping our socials,

00:22:21.509 --> 00:22:24.980
medias. Yeah. And we're going to start. Posting

00:22:24.980 --> 00:22:27.819
like old stuff. That's great. Yeah, so that was

00:22:27.819 --> 00:22:30.559
the first thing and chris and I I remember I

00:22:30.559 --> 00:22:32.559
I guess chris goes I knew I wanted to work with

00:22:32.559 --> 00:22:35.440
you because I came on stage at the end of that

00:22:35.440 --> 00:22:40.500
sketch with a lollipop and Chris gives me the

00:22:40.500 --> 00:22:42.900
line because would you like some and I took from

00:22:42.900 --> 00:22:46.099
it put in my mouth and you can see chris Almost

00:22:46.099 --> 00:22:49.420
break and the audience laughs and chris goes.

00:22:49.619 --> 00:22:51.019
That's when I knew I wanted to work with you

00:22:51.659 --> 00:22:54.460
I guess you'll do anything and I was in and then

00:22:54.460 --> 00:22:56.539
it was basically shrunk to where Chris died.

00:22:56.599 --> 00:23:00.079
We're mostly doing the most of the stuff together

00:23:00.079 --> 00:23:04.720
and And then Chris goes Let's go into the city.

00:23:04.819 --> 00:23:07.099
Let's let's go. I know a couple guys that go

00:23:07.099 --> 00:23:10.480
in we could do that, too So I called near comedy

00:23:10.480 --> 00:23:13.200
club and I said, hey, yeah, I manage these two

00:23:13.200 --> 00:23:17.500
guys and we would love to do a show He's a gay.

00:23:17.779 --> 00:23:19.319
I just could not bring three people like all

00:23:19.319 --> 00:23:23.579
okay exactly That's New York, man. Yeah. And

00:23:23.579 --> 00:23:25.779
then we started performing in the New York Comedy

00:23:25.779 --> 00:23:27.759
Club, but we didn't know where to put Skitch

00:23:27.759 --> 00:23:31.619
Comedy. So we did our two -man act on that New

00:23:31.619 --> 00:23:34.720
York Comedy stage. And then that's how we started

00:23:34.720 --> 00:23:38.240
to grow. We did this probably like eight years

00:23:38.240 --> 00:23:43.180
to find our voice, but we knew what we wanted

00:23:43.180 --> 00:23:45.359
to do. We just didn't know how to do it and how

00:23:45.359 --> 00:23:50.420
to mold it. Sure. Especially then, you know,

00:23:50.519 --> 00:23:54.460
you didn't have as many different choices of

00:23:54.460 --> 00:23:56.960
outlets, you know, it was, it's tough because

00:23:56.960 --> 00:23:59.519
that's why the dream for us, like, I like stand

00:23:59.519 --> 00:24:04.539
up a lot, but I enjoy sketch, I enjoy bits. And

00:24:04.539 --> 00:24:07.460
now with TikTok and, you know, Instagram and

00:24:07.460 --> 00:24:10.359
all that, you can do that on the regular, you

00:24:10.359 --> 00:24:12.119
know, but back then it was like, you either had

00:24:12.119 --> 00:24:15.079
to perform it live or there really was only...

00:24:14.920 --> 00:24:18.319
a show like SNL, which was obviously the toughest

00:24:18.319 --> 00:24:20.940
nut to crack. So I know what you mean in trying

00:24:20.940 --> 00:24:24.400
to find your way, but you guys did. And so you

00:24:24.400 --> 00:24:28.059
started performing. You would do that two -man

00:24:28.059 --> 00:24:30.759
show at comedy clubs. And then didn't you transition

00:24:30.759 --> 00:24:33.099
to theaters as well? Because I know you... Eventually.

00:24:33.460 --> 00:24:36.740
Eventually, we went to the People's Improv Theater.

00:24:37.660 --> 00:24:41.140
And our first show there, Chris actually had

00:24:41.140 --> 00:24:44.900
to miss a cousin's wedding for that. And it was...

00:24:44.799 --> 00:24:46.720
We did three shows in December. We're like, oh,

00:24:46.759 --> 00:24:50.660
wow, we have three shows in a row. So we got

00:24:50.660 --> 00:24:53.500
booked there. And we have it on film. And it's

00:24:53.500 --> 00:24:59.880
horrible. Well, it's the worst. But at the same

00:24:59.880 --> 00:25:01.619
time, you got to go easy on yourself. Have you

00:25:01.619 --> 00:25:03.940
ever met anybody who's turned on the tape of

00:25:03.940 --> 00:25:07.000
their first anything and been like, man, we really

00:25:07.000 --> 00:25:09.000
nailed it right out of the gate? You know, like,

00:25:09.000 --> 00:25:12.259
it's part of the deal. And I mean, I think it's

00:25:12.259 --> 00:25:16.009
better than you probably think. So, if I was

00:25:16.009 --> 00:25:18.930
to go to a Chris and Paul show now, what do I

00:25:18.930 --> 00:25:21.670
expect? It's a two -man show, obviously. Is it

00:25:21.670 --> 00:25:25.230
just straight improv? Do you have scripted bits?

00:25:25.309 --> 00:25:27.509
Is it a little bit of both? What am I getting

00:25:27.509 --> 00:25:32.809
at a Chris and Paul show live? So, Chris and

00:25:32.809 --> 00:25:37.609
I, we roughly do an hour, and a lot of it is,

00:25:37.609 --> 00:25:42.769
you know, more physical, dialogue when it's necessary.

00:25:42.910 --> 00:25:46.000
Sure. And a lot of audience participation. I

00:25:46.000 --> 00:25:51.180
love it. And if you saw the... What did we do?

00:25:52.339 --> 00:25:55.900
The balloon bit where we brought Chrissy Teigen

00:25:55.900 --> 00:26:00.259
on stage. Yes, which check that out. Yeah. That

00:26:00.259 --> 00:26:03.559
was one of our favorite bits and that's, gosh,

00:26:03.720 --> 00:26:11.920
that bit's probably 2009, 2010. But we... What

00:26:11.920 --> 00:26:14.299
I love about Chris and I, we're always tweaking

00:26:14.299 --> 00:26:16.819
the bits and see how can we shift it? Can it

00:26:16.819 --> 00:26:20.339
move? Is it done? Do we try to solve this? Do

00:26:20.339 --> 00:26:24.539
we throw it? So him and I are very good at knowing

00:26:24.539 --> 00:26:27.319
what's good, knowing what's still good, and knowing

00:26:27.319 --> 00:26:31.180
what can be improved on. And when we started

00:26:31.180 --> 00:26:35.160
doing the balloon bit, where Chris is a balloon,

00:26:35.279 --> 00:26:40.279
I blow him up, and then he flies away. We we

00:26:40.279 --> 00:26:44.240
felt like oh, okay What we can do more bits with

00:26:44.240 --> 00:26:47.420
the audience isn't have them Yeah, be part of

00:26:47.420 --> 00:26:50.299
them not make fun of them. Right what I love

00:26:50.299 --> 00:26:54.519
about that bit is and it works every time I'm

00:26:54.519 --> 00:26:57.240
not having given away now, but well, basically,

00:26:57.579 --> 00:26:59.880
you know they I give them the balloon and they

00:26:59.880 --> 00:27:03.359
and you know when I they go to clap and then

00:27:03.359 --> 00:27:05.380
They're realizing like over the string and that's

00:27:05.380 --> 00:27:11.099
when Chris goes off It it's so good the reaction

00:27:11.099 --> 00:27:13.299
because then I you know There's a point out the

00:27:13.299 --> 00:27:16.019
the the song has a big crescendo and I pointed

00:27:16.019 --> 00:27:18.140
the person they go Why did you let go of the

00:27:18.140 --> 00:27:22.720
bullet? And it just settles in but we we love

00:27:22.720 --> 00:27:25.220
to make people feel a part of it. Yeah, so over

00:27:25.220 --> 00:27:29.299
the years we've we've written Tons of sketches

00:27:29.299 --> 00:27:32.579
where there's audience volunteers. So now we're

00:27:32.579 --> 00:27:35.440
trying to do like half half but It was always

00:27:35.440 --> 00:27:37.700
a good three or four bits where people knew it

00:27:37.700 --> 00:27:42.160
was coming. So, yeah, so you had audience, volunteer

00:27:42.160 --> 00:27:47.700
stuff, a lot of classical music, a lot of very,

00:27:47.700 --> 00:27:51.140
very in tune with Buster Keaton and Laurel Harvey.

00:27:51.160 --> 00:27:54.440
Love that, man. But also some twists are very

00:27:54.440 --> 00:27:59.259
morbid. Yeah, and I love that. It's like a giant

00:27:59.259 --> 00:28:03.160
kids show. It's two giant kids. We're in this

00:28:03.160 --> 00:28:04.779
kids' show, then all of a sudden it takes a dark

00:28:04.779 --> 00:28:06.559
turn. No, see that, and that's why you and I

00:28:06.559 --> 00:28:08.779
get along. Like, I love that bit you guys did

00:28:08.779 --> 00:28:11.819
where you're... where you're at the funeral.

00:28:12.420 --> 00:28:14.880
And, like, it's all emotional, and then I don't

00:28:14.880 --> 00:28:16.940
want to give it away, but at the end, like, it

00:28:16.940 --> 00:28:21.160
just, you know, it flips. And, uh, you're essentially

00:28:21.160 --> 00:28:23.140
making fun of some... I just... I love that.

00:28:23.220 --> 00:28:27.259
And, uh, I think dark humor has a place, uh,

00:28:27.259 --> 00:28:30.720
especially nowadays. Of course. So the Chris

00:28:30.720 --> 00:28:32.680
and Paul show how often are you guys performing

00:28:32.680 --> 00:28:35.359
now? Just a couple times a year. Are you I know

00:28:35.359 --> 00:28:38.400
you tour Are you primarily doing it in the city

00:28:38.400 --> 00:28:41.680
still? Where you at with that? No, we so we have

00:28:41.680 --> 00:28:45.259
a couple of venues. I mean Here's the thing and

00:28:45.259 --> 00:28:50.059
it Chris and I are pivoting more towards Social

00:28:50.059 --> 00:28:52.559
media now because that's wherever they were talking

00:28:52.559 --> 00:28:56.140
to our agent about it and That's probably the

00:28:56.140 --> 00:29:01.329
direction to go Well, because we found out before

00:29:01.329 --> 00:29:07.529
COVID, Chris and I would, well, remember, Chris

00:29:07.529 --> 00:29:12.130
was in Book of Mormon from 2012 to like 2017.

00:29:13.089 --> 00:29:15.970
On Broadway? On Broadway? Yeah, he did. No shit.

00:29:16.490 --> 00:29:19.450
He did two and a half years on the road. He was

00:29:19.450 --> 00:29:21.589
the first tour for Book of Mormon, the first

00:29:21.589 --> 00:29:24.329
tour Book of Mormon. And then he did Broadway

00:29:24.329 --> 00:29:27.900
for two and a half years. And when he came to

00:29:27.900 --> 00:29:30.819
Broadway, it was great because then, you know,

00:29:31.200 --> 00:29:33.460
I would produce some of these shows and I'd call

00:29:33.460 --> 00:29:35.559
Chris up. I'd say, hey, you want to come perform?

00:29:36.000 --> 00:29:37.180
He'd come do a spot for me. I'd say, yeah, yeah,

00:29:37.180 --> 00:29:39.099
yeah. So he would come right out for the show,

00:29:39.599 --> 00:29:42.819
Broadway show, and come do, you know, 15 minutes

00:29:42.819 --> 00:29:44.859
with me. That's amazing. It was the greatest

00:29:44.859 --> 00:29:48.339
because we just fell right into it. Chemistry,

00:29:48.500 --> 00:29:50.720
man. Yeah, it is. Well, that's the thing about

00:29:50.720 --> 00:29:52.779
it. The only thing, Chris and I, what's held

00:29:52.779 --> 00:29:54.519
us together, because even when we were younger,

00:29:54.829 --> 00:29:57.150
We were still trying to find our creative flow.

00:29:57.230 --> 00:30:00.069
Yeah. And there'd be a lot of fights, but we'd

00:30:00.069 --> 00:30:02.789
be done. We could figure it out. We get frustrated

00:30:02.789 --> 00:30:04.529
with each other. Like, no, no, we got to do this.

00:30:04.549 --> 00:30:06.630
We got to do that way. But every time we got

00:30:06.630 --> 00:30:10.690
on stage, I mean, we were just, it was flawless.

00:30:10.829 --> 00:30:14.089
And it shows. Yeah. We learned shorthand together.

00:30:15.230 --> 00:30:17.289
And then we started just agreeing together what

00:30:17.289 --> 00:30:19.730
works. And Chris figured how I worked. I figured

00:30:19.730 --> 00:30:22.759
out how Chris worked. And now it's just. easier

00:30:22.759 --> 00:30:25.200
to be on the same page with each other, get there

00:30:25.200 --> 00:30:31.039
faster. And yeah, so we were doing a ton of shows.

00:30:31.900 --> 00:30:33.839
And in New York City, we were selling out all

00:30:33.839 --> 00:30:37.019
the time. And we had our fan base, if you will.

00:30:37.700 --> 00:30:40.599
And then after COVID, it's been tough to sell

00:30:40.599 --> 00:30:43.220
shows. Well, it's not just you, though. I hope

00:30:43.220 --> 00:30:47.160
you know that. Yeah, I know. It's tough. You

00:30:47.160 --> 00:30:51.000
know, it's hard for me personally. uh, just as

00:30:51.000 --> 00:30:54.180
a human being, but also as a performer. I -I'm

00:30:54.180 --> 00:30:57.220
trying to get, like, everything feels weird to

00:30:57.220 --> 00:31:01.180
me since COVID, and I can't gauge of it, I can't

00:31:01.180 --> 00:31:04.059
gauge if it's, you know, is it my mental health?

00:31:04.480 --> 00:31:07.720
Is it post -pandemic still? Is it because I'm

00:31:07.720 --> 00:31:11.279
now in my 40s or I just had a second kid? All

00:31:11.279 --> 00:31:13.839
this shit happened all at once for me, so it's

00:31:13.839 --> 00:31:15.779
hard to, like, pull it apart and figure out...

00:31:15.710 --> 00:31:18.170
why things feel so different and, you know, am

00:31:18.170 --> 00:31:20.289
I not plugged into the scene as much as I thought

00:31:20.289 --> 00:31:22.670
I was or are people just not going out anymore?

00:31:22.710 --> 00:31:24.910
And I'm starting to find the more people I talk

00:31:24.910 --> 00:31:27.809
to that I think it's just... I think society

00:31:27.809 --> 00:31:32.150
was always heading in this direction with social

00:31:32.150 --> 00:31:34.549
media and not being out as more, but I just think

00:31:34.549 --> 00:31:36.910
the pandemic kind of microwaved it, you know?

00:31:37.609 --> 00:31:42.500
Uh, yes, it did. Yeah. I feel like... It's well

00:31:42.500 --> 00:31:45.380
and all it's also easier to connect with someone

00:31:45.380 --> 00:31:51.019
because I can go do a show. Mm -hmm We don't

00:31:51.019 --> 00:31:54.259
know it who's who's gonna show up and you're

00:31:54.259 --> 00:31:58.160
having trying to message people And but the whole

00:31:58.160 --> 00:32:00.079
thing about social media is you're looking to

00:32:00.079 --> 00:32:03.559
catch algorithm tail. Yes So it's it's everyone

00:32:03.559 --> 00:32:07.920
has the access to do everything, right? So we're

00:32:07.920 --> 00:32:10.039
on our own the same playing field. So we went

00:32:10.039 --> 00:32:15.259
to the We went to the theater and you had a good

00:32:15.259 --> 00:32:16.880
show. People would talk about it and go to the

00:32:16.880 --> 00:32:19.460
theater. Yep. And that's fine. Now they're like,

00:32:19.460 --> 00:32:21.200
well, I'm on social media. Aren't you on social

00:32:21.200 --> 00:32:24.000
media? I mean, if Chris Paul's on social media,

00:32:24.180 --> 00:32:26.180
I might as well just watch him there. Right.

00:32:26.779 --> 00:32:28.400
But nothing is better than live shows. I think

00:32:28.400 --> 00:32:30.640
maybe that's mentality. And now we have a whole

00:32:30.640 --> 00:32:32.059
group of people who don't know what it's like

00:32:32.059 --> 00:32:35.420
before cell phones. I know. So they've been connected

00:32:35.420 --> 00:32:38.559
where I still think a live show is great. But

00:32:38.559 --> 00:32:40.359
now we're looking, everyone's looking to kiss

00:32:40.359 --> 00:32:43.059
the algorithm. And now everyone has the same

00:32:43.059 --> 00:32:46.740
equipment. How do we get our head above? I think

00:32:46.740 --> 00:32:49.920
this competition is just more. Well, it's just

00:32:49.920 --> 00:32:53.859
oversaturation because, you know, for every five

00:32:53.859 --> 00:32:55.920
talented people on social media, there's probably

00:32:55.920 --> 00:32:59.039
500 who have no business being on there. And

00:32:59.039 --> 00:33:01.299
we're just oversaturated with that stuff. So

00:33:01.299 --> 00:33:03.980
it is hard to stand out. But it's an interesting

00:33:03.980 --> 00:33:06.539
time because... You know, in the music world,

00:33:06.880 --> 00:33:09.500
I've found the new thing I just caught on to.

00:33:09.779 --> 00:33:13.400
Some bands haven't even played a show yet. They're

00:33:13.400 --> 00:33:16.700
just like uploading, like they create their own

00:33:16.700 --> 00:33:19.400
music video or they take a video of them at rehearsal

00:33:19.400 --> 00:33:21.980
and they build, you know, hundreds of thousands

00:33:21.980 --> 00:33:25.319
of followers. And then the demand is, OK, now

00:33:25.319 --> 00:33:27.680
we can go out, which is actually the right way

00:33:27.680 --> 00:33:30.410
to do it. But back in the day, you used to. You

00:33:30.410 --> 00:33:32.670
used to go out and perform so people would buy

00:33:32.670 --> 00:33:35.269
your music and come to the next show. It's a

00:33:35.269 --> 00:33:38.470
strange... It's strange navigating this. We're

00:33:38.470 --> 00:33:42.910
going through a different... Something's happening.

00:33:43.890 --> 00:33:46.049
I don't know where it's shifting just yet. I

00:33:46.049 --> 00:33:47.690
mean, obviously everything's gonna go online,

00:33:47.829 --> 00:33:50.470
but what's Chance gonna do to live shows? Yeah.

00:33:50.769 --> 00:33:53.710
I mean, I just... I don't know. I mean, I'm curious

00:33:53.710 --> 00:33:58.029
what you think. I just have this... I have a

00:33:58.029 --> 00:34:00.759
theory, but maybe it's more of a hope. I can't

00:34:00.759 --> 00:34:05.680
ever imagine that live shows and face -to -face

00:34:05.680 --> 00:34:08.659
performance and socializing is ever gonna die.

00:34:08.800 --> 00:34:11.139
I mean, you need that as a society. I mean, do

00:34:11.139 --> 00:34:15.659
you feel that way? Yeah. I think this is... I

00:34:15.659 --> 00:34:18.760
think it's so important to have that human connection.

00:34:19.099 --> 00:34:20.639
That's what it'd be... I know we'll probably

00:34:20.639 --> 00:34:22.440
talk about it later, but Chris and I do workshops

00:34:22.440 --> 00:34:24.920
now. Yeah, I was gonna transition to that. We

00:34:24.920 --> 00:34:27.260
do workshops together. We have the Chris and

00:34:27.260 --> 00:34:30.360
Paul comedy workshop. Which we touch on physical

00:34:30.360 --> 00:34:33.019
comedy and then I do team -building workshops

00:34:33.019 --> 00:34:36.820
and other workshops, but what I love about improvisation

00:34:36.820 --> 00:34:40.360
is The connection that you can get working with

00:34:40.360 --> 00:34:47.400
people. Yep, and I feel like sometimes Yeah,

00:34:47.519 --> 00:34:52.239
that's that's missed because Yeah, it mean now

00:34:52.239 --> 00:34:54.420
this is doom -scrolling. So yeah, that's cool.

00:34:54.420 --> 00:34:57.400
That's cool. That's cool This guy's really funny.

00:34:57.639 --> 00:35:02.019
Yeah. OK, we'll go to a show. Right. Yeah, I

00:35:02.019 --> 00:35:03.739
don't know. So I feel like, well, here's the

00:35:03.739 --> 00:35:06.679
thing also, because a lot of people like the

00:35:06.679 --> 00:35:08.719
500 people that aren't funny, but they'll have

00:35:08.719 --> 00:35:11.699
this one great viral bit that they fart and give

00:35:11.699 --> 00:35:14.000
you the middle finger. That's it. And they're

00:35:14.000 --> 00:35:15.820
like, that's hilarious. And they show it to all

00:35:15.820 --> 00:35:17.860
their friends, but they wouldn't go to a show

00:35:17.860 --> 00:35:22.739
to go see a guy fart. I'm going viral. Right.

00:35:23.900 --> 00:35:27.900
It's so hard to navigate that, you know? It's,

00:35:27.940 --> 00:35:31.840
um... I don't understand it. No, it's an exciting

00:35:31.840 --> 00:35:34.300
time, but it's also nerve -racking, because you're

00:35:34.300 --> 00:35:38.320
just like... You know, I chalk it up to, like...

00:35:38.320 --> 00:35:41.159
I just remember being a kid and being like, I

00:35:41.159 --> 00:35:42.840
wonder what it's gonna be like in the future.

00:35:43.019 --> 00:35:44.760
And as of, like, the last two to three years,

00:35:44.880 --> 00:35:46.940
I'm like, I think we're... I'm finally in the

00:35:46.940 --> 00:35:49.800
future now. Like, I think we're here. We're there

00:35:49.800 --> 00:35:52.099
now just trying to, you know, it's like settling.

00:35:52.320 --> 00:35:54.500
It's still bubbling and trying to figure out

00:35:54.500 --> 00:35:57.699
it's... So I'm glad you mentioned the comedy

00:35:57.699 --> 00:36:00.000
workshops. That's where I was going next. I think

00:36:00.000 --> 00:36:02.400
it's amazing that not only, you know, do you

00:36:02.400 --> 00:36:04.880
perform as much as you do, but you're, you know,

00:36:05.059 --> 00:36:08.340
doing the justice of passing on your knowledge

00:36:08.340 --> 00:36:11.579
and teaching workshops. How do people... I know

00:36:11.579 --> 00:36:14.059
you can be booked. You can go to schools and

00:36:14.059 --> 00:36:16.539
do it. Do you do it privately? What's the deal

00:36:16.539 --> 00:36:19.960
for the comedy workshops? So when we do shows

00:36:19.960 --> 00:36:25.079
we also implement a workshop that we go to like

00:36:25.079 --> 00:36:29.159
we just came back from from the comedy Reno,

00:36:29.360 --> 00:36:33.179
which is in McKinley, Texas and our machinique,

00:36:33.239 --> 00:36:40.119
Texas and We We do the show if we do four shows

00:36:40.119 --> 00:36:43.219
and we do a workshop either Saturday or Sunday

00:36:43.219 --> 00:36:45.780
and it's all the people from the theater no,

00:36:45.880 --> 00:36:49.599
you know, yeah and It's great. And we've been

00:36:49.599 --> 00:36:52.239
there for three years. We absolutely love the

00:36:52.239 --> 00:36:58.699
comedy arena. Jared, who runs it, an amazing

00:36:58.699 --> 00:37:06.500
person who always treats his talent with the

00:37:06.500 --> 00:37:10.059
utmost respect and he's friendly. That's what

00:37:10.059 --> 00:37:13.719
you want. And so when we start doing our workshops,

00:37:13.860 --> 00:37:17.019
he's like, yeah, of course. By all means I think

00:37:17.019 --> 00:37:18.719
you're great. You guys should be doing this and

00:37:18.719 --> 00:37:25.260
and it's been successful I started teaching Workshops

00:37:25.260 --> 00:37:31.039
probably around 2012 13 I came I became fascinated

00:37:31.039 --> 00:37:34.000
with improv because I saw a lot of bad improv

00:37:34.000 --> 00:37:38.980
shows I bet but it was creating community So

00:37:38.980 --> 00:37:42.139
yeah, they do a show they do a $5 show and they

00:37:42.139 --> 00:37:44.760
all go and hang out and then we're you know joking

00:37:44.760 --> 00:37:48.440
around and You know, just being friendly. Okay.

00:37:48.860 --> 00:37:52.219
So don't care how bad your improv is as long

00:37:52.219 --> 00:37:53.780
as you guys are getting the other community.

00:37:54.039 --> 00:37:57.619
I was like, there's something there. Yeah. So

00:37:57.619 --> 00:38:00.400
it took me a while to try to figure that out.

00:38:00.420 --> 00:38:05.400
So I started teaching what I know, what I've

00:38:05.400 --> 00:38:06.900
learned from improvisation to what works for

00:38:06.900 --> 00:38:10.920
me. And then I started expanding that into physicality

00:38:10.920 --> 00:38:14.090
and what I love to do. And then I started explaining

00:38:14.090 --> 00:38:17.929
that to, OK, what is this really connection improv

00:38:17.929 --> 00:38:21.590
do? And it kind of meshed it with a philosophy

00:38:21.590 --> 00:38:25.750
for acting and performing. So see, art is all

00:38:25.750 --> 00:38:29.409
I spread it improv and I know like improv is

00:38:29.409 --> 00:38:33.230
everything. But I think improv, I know because

00:38:33.230 --> 00:38:36.909
I've seen improv helps with a crossword with

00:38:36.909 --> 00:38:39.769
everything it does, especially with human connection.

00:38:40.170 --> 00:38:46.480
I just did a a team building for a new Vance

00:38:46.480 --> 00:38:54.679
hospital. And it was 12 or 13 health educators.

00:38:55.019 --> 00:38:59.980
Wow. OK. And me going doesn't like tougher. Oh,

00:39:00.019 --> 00:39:06.659
more. But I told them my philosophy and I gave

00:39:06.659 --> 00:39:09.579
I was giving them games of example of how to

00:39:09.579 --> 00:39:13.539
connect with each other. And they were having

00:39:13.539 --> 00:39:17.320
a blast. And as soon as we got that first laugh,

00:39:17.559 --> 00:39:19.539
not because of what I was doing, because of what

00:39:19.539 --> 00:39:22.179
they were doing. And most of them were friends.

00:39:22.199 --> 00:39:23.699
Some of them met for the first time. A lot of

00:39:23.699 --> 00:39:27.980
people know each other from online. There were

00:39:27.980 --> 00:39:31.440
several educators from Zimbabwe who were doing

00:39:31.440 --> 00:39:33.639
something at the... I guess they were doing some

00:39:33.639 --> 00:39:37.099
classes there. And so there are people invited,

00:39:37.179 --> 00:39:39.670
hey, we're doing this team building thing. No

00:39:39.670 --> 00:39:41.789
problem. They just came and they were blown away.

00:39:42.010 --> 00:39:44.650
One of the dentists, she came to me and said,

00:39:44.710 --> 00:39:46.849
would you ever come to Zimbabwe? I'm like, yeah.

00:39:47.570 --> 00:39:51.190
Keep your problem in Zimbabwe? Yes, crazy. Yeah.

00:39:51.510 --> 00:39:55.429
Yeah. But it wasn't it wasn't like my first thing

00:39:55.429 --> 00:39:58.010
is, let's not be funny. Let's just connect. Sure.

00:39:58.329 --> 00:40:01.590
That's all it is. Simple connect. And I think

00:40:01.590 --> 00:40:04.690
that's what we miss. We miss out on this. I don't

00:40:04.690 --> 00:40:07.329
there's no judging it because we do have a lot

00:40:07.329 --> 00:40:10.190
of judging. In the world even before all this

00:40:10.190 --> 00:40:12.170
crazy stuff happened with politics. They were

00:40:12.170 --> 00:40:14.130
still jolly remember when I was a kid making

00:40:14.130 --> 00:40:17.989
fun of people Oh, and I go. Oh to me. That's

00:40:17.989 --> 00:40:21.050
cringing out. Yes, I know your friends like I'll

00:40:21.050 --> 00:40:25.210
look at that I just I know I know it's it's when

00:40:25.210 --> 00:40:27.829
I think back to you know I actually was saying

00:40:27.829 --> 00:40:30.789
recently Thank God there wasn't social media

00:40:30.789 --> 00:40:33.710
back when I was a teenager in my 20s like you

00:40:33.710 --> 00:40:36.269
know the dumb shit I would have said and done

00:40:37.190 --> 00:40:42.530
Things have changed so much. Have you gone back

00:40:42.530 --> 00:40:44.969
and watched some of your favorite 90s movies

00:40:44.969 --> 00:40:48.369
and been like, what did they just say? There's

00:40:48.369 --> 00:40:50.329
so much shit that went over our heads that I

00:40:50.329 --> 00:40:52.769
was like, that's not a good thing that we said

00:40:52.769 --> 00:40:56.469
there. No, but I think that's great that you

00:40:56.469 --> 00:40:59.570
teach. In other words, when you go and travel

00:40:59.570 --> 00:41:02.230
and perform the Chris and Paul show, you'll make

00:41:02.230 --> 00:41:04.289
a weekend out of it and also include workshops

00:41:04.289 --> 00:41:06.969
that weekend as well. Yes, that's and we have

00:41:06.969 --> 00:41:08.710
our little theater that Chris and I met at we

00:41:08.710 --> 00:41:11.829
do workshops there There's a theater as we're

00:41:11.829 --> 00:41:15.190
doing Now we just started working with this company

00:41:15.190 --> 00:41:18.250
called unthinkable unthinkable comedy. Okay based

00:41:18.250 --> 00:41:22.210
out of Westchester nice and it's his husband

00:41:22.210 --> 00:41:25.789
and wife Gary and Sarah who are amazing people

00:41:25.789 --> 00:41:28.730
who we were kind of running around the same circle

00:41:28.730 --> 00:41:33.789
we kind of knew each other and They were part

00:41:33.789 --> 00:41:37.619
of this the improv troupe that actually was part

00:41:37.619 --> 00:41:41.599
of my show is producing Sketch Block. Nice. And

00:41:41.599 --> 00:41:44.579
Gary sent me pictures. Yes, that's right. We

00:41:44.579 --> 00:41:48.480
did bump into each other. So when I sent them

00:41:48.480 --> 00:41:51.659
my resume, I was like, I know this name. And

00:41:51.659 --> 00:41:53.380
they're like, oh, I know this name. And then

00:41:53.380 --> 00:41:55.059
we friend them and then everything opened up.

00:41:55.320 --> 00:41:59.000
Great. So now they teach in schools. And so now

00:41:59.000 --> 00:42:01.860
I'm teaching kids from first grade all the way

00:42:01.860 --> 00:42:06.300
to 12th grade. Which is great. Do you feel that

00:42:06.300 --> 00:42:09.880
same fulfillment that you get when you're on

00:42:09.880 --> 00:42:12.519
stage and you're interacting with the crowd and

00:42:12.519 --> 00:42:14.980
you're connecting? Do you find that when you're

00:42:14.980 --> 00:42:16.739
teaching and you make that connection with a

00:42:16.739 --> 00:42:18.800
student, does it scratch that same itch for you?

00:42:19.500 --> 00:42:22.800
Oh, yes. Yeah. For both Chris and I. And also,

00:42:23.139 --> 00:42:27.079
it's easier in my body. Well, sure. I'm going

00:42:27.079 --> 00:42:29.039
to tell you what to do now. You do it. I'm old.

00:42:29.940 --> 00:42:33.659
You flip off that stool. Um, dude, yeah, I mean,

00:42:33.760 --> 00:42:34.940
well, I don't know if I noticed. I don't know

00:42:34.940 --> 00:42:37.679
if you see this. What do you got? Oh, my God.

00:42:38.340 --> 00:42:43.000
I broke my, uh, my wrist on stage. No. Yeah.

00:42:43.119 --> 00:42:46.639
Did you? During Bring the Funny. Oh, my God.

00:42:46.739 --> 00:42:48.599
Well, dude, you're killing it because that's

00:42:48.599 --> 00:42:50.500
literally where I was transitioning to next.

00:42:51.599 --> 00:42:55.360
Paul Valenti with me. You were on, uh, the NBC's

00:42:55.360 --> 00:42:57.960
Bring the Funny. You were one of the finalists.

00:42:58.340 --> 00:43:00.340
And I wanted to talk to you about that, but...

00:43:00.570 --> 00:43:03.590
We'll go back to the beginning of that Well,

00:43:03.590 --> 00:43:05.510
how did you break you you broke your wrist during

00:43:05.510 --> 00:43:07.949
like the recording of the actual episode? No,

00:43:08.090 --> 00:43:13.190
no We all right. So going into bring the funny

00:43:13.190 --> 00:43:18.429
Yeah, we get there I Think the third or fourth

00:43:18.429 --> 00:43:22.130
day we have to film our first bit. Okay, so like

00:43:22.130 --> 00:43:24.769
okay. So here it is We're gonna do your first

00:43:24.769 --> 00:43:27.989
bit and then if you don't make it you go home.

00:43:28.230 --> 00:43:31.570
Oh Wow Straight so Chris and I like art. Let's

00:43:31.570 --> 00:43:34.730
just put on a great performance. Yeah and Chris

00:43:34.730 --> 00:43:39.889
and I worked our asses off every day just to

00:43:39.889 --> 00:43:44.030
Just to make sure we stay on And then we had

00:43:44.030 --> 00:43:45.929
a being obviously staying for three and a half

00:43:45.929 --> 00:43:48.190
weeks and then we went back said we're gonna

00:43:48.190 --> 00:43:53.550
film the finale in September so Chris and I figured

00:43:53.550 --> 00:43:56.030
okay, what we're gonna do for the finale and

00:43:56.030 --> 00:43:59.690
Meanwhile, let's let's promote a show and say,

00:43:59.989 --> 00:44:02.489
so we want to get loose and practice. Maybe we

00:44:02.489 --> 00:44:09.449
can help us come up with ideas. And July 20th,

00:44:09.530 --> 00:44:11.789
we do a show at the pit. You know, it's bad when

00:44:11.789 --> 00:44:17.250
you remember the exact date. Oh, yeah. And we

00:44:17.250 --> 00:44:21.670
did the show. We did the show. And then at the

00:44:21.670 --> 00:44:23.929
end, we go, hey, we love that show so much, we're

00:44:23.929 --> 00:44:26.820
going to do it backwards. So we do this thing

00:44:26.820 --> 00:44:32.800
that feels called that that that that that that

00:44:32.800 --> 00:44:34.539
that that song whatever for you. Yeah, the horse

00:44:34.539 --> 00:44:38.739
racing. Oh, yeah. Yeah. So the head. So we do

00:44:38.739 --> 00:44:42.059
also backwards the way we're doing silhouettes

00:44:42.059 --> 00:44:45.039
of of of the bit like we'll do it a quick second

00:44:45.039 --> 00:44:50.219
to do backwards. I love that. And the third or

00:44:50.219 --> 00:44:54.239
second or third to last bit, I do a prep fall.

00:44:54.349 --> 00:44:56.670
But I'm pushing up as I'm going, I'm anticipating

00:44:56.670 --> 00:45:02.210
me bouncing back up. Right. Uh oh. And my whole

00:45:02.210 --> 00:45:05.449
arm fell asleep and I go to run towards Chris

00:45:05.449 --> 00:45:08.289
and I can't lift my left arm up. So I just keep

00:45:08.289 --> 00:45:12.650
on going. Whatever. And then we go, we clean

00:45:12.650 --> 00:45:16.530
up the stage in a choreographed way. Go back

00:45:16.530 --> 00:45:19.829
into the, there's a door on each side. We fix

00:45:19.829 --> 00:45:23.030
our ties and we close the door. And then two

00:45:23.030 --> 00:45:26.110
seconds were supposed to come back out. And I

00:45:26.110 --> 00:45:28.769
didn't come out. I fell to the floor. Oh, in

00:45:28.769 --> 00:45:31.449
pain. What the hell did I do? I must have dislocated

00:45:31.449 --> 00:45:35.269
it. I come out. I put my arm around Chris. Paul,

00:45:35.269 --> 00:45:37.409
where are you? Where are you? He looked at me

00:45:37.409 --> 00:45:39.969
and said, what are you doing? I put my arm around

00:45:39.969 --> 00:45:42.349
him. I told him. I said, I think he broke my

00:45:42.349 --> 00:45:46.130
wrist. And there's a picture of me telling Chris

00:45:46.130 --> 00:45:48.869
that I broke my hand or wrist, whatever it was.

00:45:50.519 --> 00:45:55.920
and go in, and my wrist is like... I dislocated

00:45:55.920 --> 00:46:01.300
it, not knowing that. Well, you did. Then I guess

00:46:01.300 --> 00:46:03.739
the structure holds it up, it went boom, and

00:46:03.739 --> 00:46:06.599
like this. I had no idea. So I'm trying to fix

00:46:06.599 --> 00:46:12.880
it, I'm like... Easy, dude. We know you've performed

00:46:12.880 --> 00:46:14.480
in front of healthcare professionals, but that

00:46:14.480 --> 00:46:18.980
doesn't make you a pro. Right. My God, man. And

00:46:18.980 --> 00:46:23.639
so we had a film in September. So I got the operation

00:46:23.639 --> 00:46:27.739
within that two weeks to fix it. But my hand

00:46:27.739 --> 00:46:30.980
was a balloon. And if you watch our finale and

00:46:30.980 --> 00:46:33.219
the balloon, the way I'm holding my hand, there

00:46:33.219 --> 00:46:35.460
was still, I had to take the cast. I think I

00:46:35.460 --> 00:46:37.900
took the cast off, but it was still weak. I was

00:46:37.900 --> 00:46:40.280
still going through. Sure. Need some therapy

00:46:40.280 --> 00:46:45.889
for that. So yeah. See? If you weren't sure if

00:46:45.889 --> 00:46:48.050
you were dedicated to your craft before we know

00:46:48.050 --> 00:46:51.909
that now Yeah, how did NBC bring the funny come

00:46:51.909 --> 00:46:53.349
about? I know we got to get you out of here in

00:46:53.349 --> 00:46:55.829
a minute, but I I want to I want to get to that

00:46:55.829 --> 00:47:10.869
so Yeah, excuse me Yeah, we well there was a

00:47:10.869 --> 00:47:15.070
guy who was at the pet Alan, who was awesome

00:47:15.070 --> 00:47:18.690
to Chris and I. He was one of the, he was the

00:47:18.690 --> 00:47:21.809
artistic director there at the time. And he says,

00:47:21.969 --> 00:47:24.730
hey, I have someone who are looking for sketch

00:47:24.730 --> 00:47:27.070
duos. They're doing a show next, sometime next

00:47:27.070 --> 00:47:29.710
year. And Alan says, I love the third game in

00:47:29.710 --> 00:47:31.369
Manhattan. I really like you guys. Awesome. Thank

00:47:31.369 --> 00:47:37.989
you so much. And he, so they reached out to us

00:47:37.989 --> 00:47:39.289
and we sent them a couple of videos. Didn't even

00:47:39.289 --> 00:47:40.710
think about it. Like, okay, here's a couple of

00:47:40.710 --> 00:47:43.360
videos, whatever. Over the years personally whatever.

00:47:43.360 --> 00:47:46.420
Yeah, we know it's like what we have to sit down

00:47:46.420 --> 00:47:49.159
comedy sensual We've had sit downs with agents

00:47:49.159 --> 00:47:53.099
managers. So we love you. We don't do you Sometimes

00:47:53.099 --> 00:47:56.420
whatever I get it man. Just another thing another

00:47:56.420 --> 00:48:01.260
thing like yep, and then and then Phone call

00:48:01.260 --> 00:48:03.579
started getting momentum and shorter and shorter

00:48:03.579 --> 00:48:07.260
and shorter. Oh, wow. They really like us so

00:48:07.260 --> 00:48:15.920
February February 12th we flew to LA and We know

00:48:15.920 --> 00:48:19.619
it's 13th 14 15th. Yes, right. I know Valentine's

00:48:19.619 --> 00:48:24.539
Day. Oh We audition for all the execs and isn't

00:48:24.539 --> 00:48:28.139
Chris and I were just We've been Chris's scheme

00:48:28.139 --> 00:48:30.099
off of I think look more at that time But we

00:48:30.099 --> 00:48:31.639
have really performed a lot that much because

00:48:31.639 --> 00:48:34.960
we're both in Connecticut now sure And so we're

00:48:34.960 --> 00:48:36.699
out of breath. We do wear two bits. We're out

00:48:36.699 --> 00:48:39.300
of breath You know and they're asking us questions.

00:48:39.300 --> 00:48:41.139
We're trying to keep your breath But we got a

00:48:41.139 --> 00:48:42.960
staring ovation, which was really cool. So we

00:48:42.960 --> 00:48:45.679
walked out and was this just for the just for

00:48:45.679 --> 00:48:48.960
the execs are in the room or on the producers?

00:48:49.619 --> 00:48:53.300
Yeah. And one of the producers comes up to us

00:48:53.300 --> 00:48:55.000
is going to produce our sing. And she says, you

00:48:55.000 --> 00:48:57.380
guys signed everything? Yeah, because you guys

00:48:57.380 --> 00:48:59.780
are on a show like why we used to walk down like

00:48:59.780 --> 00:49:03.099
they wanted us, which is amazing. So that whole

00:49:03.099 --> 00:49:06.480
experience there was so cool because I guess

00:49:06.480 --> 00:49:11.960
everyone liked us and It was such a great ride.

00:49:11.960 --> 00:49:14.000
We're like, you know, we're just here just to

00:49:14.000 --> 00:49:18.719
have fun and that even though it was funny because

00:49:18.719 --> 00:49:21.500
Chris and I, I think it was like bar to half

00:49:21.500 --> 00:49:24.139
bartending. It wasn't it wasn't really working

00:49:24.139 --> 00:49:29.539
out much. Our meals for the craft table. Yeah,

00:49:29.679 --> 00:49:33.739
baby. For sure. Yeah. So that was a great experience.

00:49:33.920 --> 00:49:36.730
We got to, you know, we. Got to perform with

00:49:36.730 --> 00:49:39.690
Michael Longfellow on SNL now. Yeah. Such a gem.

00:49:39.929 --> 00:49:42.409
He is a gem. I actually just saw him in Ithaca.

00:49:42.429 --> 00:49:46.849
He opened for Colin Jost. Yeah. I was actually

00:49:46.849 --> 00:49:48.309
just talking about him last night, actually.

00:49:48.530 --> 00:49:51.969
He is one of my new favorite cast members. Dude,

00:49:52.050 --> 00:49:54.809
that's an amazing story. You know, the other

00:49:54.809 --> 00:49:57.909
cool part of that is that sometimes the worst

00:49:57.909 --> 00:50:01.670
part is that time... Between you know the audition

00:50:01.670 --> 00:50:04.230
and when they call or don't call and you just

00:50:04.230 --> 00:50:06.869
have to sit there and question And you didn't

00:50:06.869 --> 00:50:09.010
have to like that's a very rare situation. They

00:50:09.010 --> 00:50:11.449
immediately tell you we want you so you must

00:50:11.449 --> 00:50:14.309
have nailed it I mean, yeah, I guess when they

00:50:14.309 --> 00:50:18.090
let what they saw man and the and the videos

00:50:18.090 --> 00:50:22.110
we sat down, but Yeah, we just kept on and doing

00:50:22.110 --> 00:50:24.429
our stuff the cookie. See that. Here's the thing

00:50:24.429 --> 00:50:27.329
quickly The cookies was our which are closer

00:50:27.329 --> 00:50:30.250
bit That's the only video from bring the funny

00:50:30.250 --> 00:50:32.449
that's not on YouTube because they couldn't get

00:50:32.449 --> 00:50:37.309
the rights because that John legends all of me

00:50:37.309 --> 00:50:41.710
we used and Our videos were getting like 30 40

00:50:41.710 --> 00:50:44.110
50 thousand night Can you imagine if we were

00:50:44.110 --> 00:50:46.289
able to show the cookie where that would have

00:50:46.289 --> 00:50:48.710
taken us or took us? I don't know the proper

00:50:48.710 --> 00:50:54.090
Yoko again I'm fine, bitch No, but yeah, so that's

00:50:54.090 --> 00:50:56.110
that's what happened. But you know, and then

00:50:56.110 --> 00:50:59.340
we got the balloon for the finale, but... Yeah,

00:50:59.400 --> 00:51:01.300
all in all, it was a great experience. What was

00:51:01.300 --> 00:51:02.739
the premise of the show? I mean, obviously it

00:51:02.739 --> 00:51:05.019
was a comedy show. I forget what the... Because

00:51:05.019 --> 00:51:08.619
I think it wasn't sketch comedy troops. You were

00:51:08.619 --> 00:51:10.179
one... It was stand -up, right? And then you

00:51:10.179 --> 00:51:11.900
guys were... It was everything. It was everything.

00:51:12.579 --> 00:51:15.159
It was any kind of comedy. Music lacks, stand

00:51:15.159 --> 00:51:18.500
-up acts, everything. And the grand prize was

00:51:18.500 --> 00:51:21.300
like... Grand prize was like money in a show.

00:51:21.639 --> 00:51:28.440
Only $250. Oh, that's all. I'm gonna have to

00:51:28.440 --> 00:51:31.119
split it with Chris though. Yeah, exactly. Fuck

00:51:31.119 --> 00:51:35.579
that. It helped us tremendously and it helped

00:51:35.579 --> 00:51:38.000
us put us on the map. Yeah, I was gonna ask you,

00:51:38.159 --> 00:51:42.199
did you notice a change after the show in being

00:51:42.199 --> 00:51:44.400
recognized, getting booked, popularity, anything

00:51:44.400 --> 00:51:47.559
like that? Well, yeah, our social media bumps

00:51:47.559 --> 00:51:49.360
and then we started doing some more social media

00:51:49.360 --> 00:51:52.559
stuff and then we started creating a tour. We

00:51:52.559 --> 00:51:56.250
got an agent and You know, he's he's helping

00:51:56.250 --> 00:51:59.250
us book places at casinos. We're getting places

00:51:59.250 --> 00:52:02.789
at theaters and everything's just moving and

00:52:02.789 --> 00:52:07.349
grooving. And then we we have a gig in Charlotte

00:52:07.349 --> 00:52:10.349
and we're like, hmm, everything's being weird

00:52:10.349 --> 00:52:12.510
with COVID. We just found out some people are

00:52:12.510 --> 00:52:15.849
getting COVID. We land in Charlotte and we found

00:52:15.849 --> 00:52:18.489
out that Tom Hanks had COVID. We're like, oh,

00:52:18.590 --> 00:52:23.150
oh, the guy from the the owner from the Charlotte

00:52:23.150 --> 00:52:26.190
club, he goes, Guys, we have like 30 cancellations.

00:52:26.429 --> 00:52:27.849
Like, should we still do this? No, no, you still

00:52:27.849 --> 00:52:30.030
have a good crowd up there. But this is what's

00:52:30.030 --> 00:52:32.650
going on. And so Chris and I implemented hand

00:52:32.650 --> 00:52:35.849
sanitizer in our act. That's phenomenal. And

00:52:35.849 --> 00:52:38.789
it went it went fairly funny. But then that's

00:52:38.789 --> 00:52:40.610
our last thing where Chris and I had a serious

00:52:40.610 --> 00:52:42.090
talk where it's like, I don't know if we could

00:52:42.090 --> 00:52:45.010
do this. Me, I'm like, no, it'll be fine. Yeah.

00:52:45.010 --> 00:52:47.769
But when I was feeling eerie watching the TV

00:52:47.769 --> 00:52:51.130
and Chris came down and goes, no, Danela, who

00:52:51.130 --> 00:52:53.230
was with us, she is she's our stage manager.

00:52:53.579 --> 00:52:55.639
We all sat there and I'm like, we can't do this

00:52:55.639 --> 00:52:58.760
anymore. We're kind of, we just don't know where

00:52:58.760 --> 00:53:01.360
to go. I know. That's when our tour shut down.

00:53:01.500 --> 00:53:06.300
We had 40 some odd shows booked. Uh, yeah. That's

00:53:06.300 --> 00:53:08.559
tough, man. That's what happened. So we've been

00:53:08.559 --> 00:53:11.320
crowing out of it ever since. We were starting

00:53:11.320 --> 00:53:14.159
to get some more gigs in 2022. And then I fell

00:53:14.159 --> 00:53:17.480
in a hole and I got a laceration on my leg. Bro!

00:53:18.599 --> 00:53:20.920
You, uh... Sorry. I know I'm going over time

00:53:20.920 --> 00:53:22.920
here, but there's a lot that's happened. Don't

00:53:22.920 --> 00:53:25.599
worry about that. You kicked the shit out of

00:53:25.599 --> 00:53:28.119
yourself. You broke your wrist. What'd you do?

00:53:28.360 --> 00:53:34.500
You fell on what? So, when COVID came, I went

00:53:34.500 --> 00:53:37.179
back to... Is Chris beating you? Blink twice

00:53:37.179 --> 00:53:40.139
if Chris is beating you. No, he's not. Not at

00:53:40.139 --> 00:53:42.360
all. Chris would never do anything. Uh -huh.

00:53:42.480 --> 00:53:47.320
Uh -huh. Uh -huh. No, no Chris Chris's is amazing.

00:53:47.320 --> 00:53:50.360
He's always been supportive of Of your injuries

00:53:50.360 --> 00:53:54.179
my injuries and my adventures. Yeah a lot of

00:53:54.179 --> 00:53:59.380
ventures him and I and Yeah, I might I saw it

00:53:59.380 --> 00:54:02.400
was I it was but bark bartending I hated bartending

00:54:02.400 --> 00:54:05.699
all that. Hey, I love bartending I hate it what?

00:54:05.769 --> 00:54:07.550
What the hell is going on with COVID? Because

00:54:07.550 --> 00:54:10.630
now people are being dicks. It's always tough

00:54:10.630 --> 00:54:13.889
to be in that world. People are expected more.

00:54:15.070 --> 00:54:19.750
And so my sister said, hey, would you like to

00:54:19.750 --> 00:54:26.630
work with me at this client shop? And I said,

00:54:26.630 --> 00:54:29.090
yeah, you know, maybe I need a change. She'll

00:54:29.090 --> 00:54:32.150
let you know with a nine to five job. I had nine

00:54:32.150 --> 00:54:35.969
to five jobs since like 2007. I was like, you

00:54:35.969 --> 00:54:40.210
know what? Yeah, you know, I'll do it. I'm kind

00:54:40.210 --> 00:54:44.750
of over the bartending and the scheduling. And

00:54:44.750 --> 00:54:50.909
so I was very lucky because that's Albano Appliance.

00:54:51.329 --> 00:54:54.650
Amazing people. They're a family owned business.

00:54:55.429 --> 00:54:58.030
And everyone I work with is amazing and so supportive.

00:54:58.409 --> 00:55:03.320
And they knew who I was. Who I was because of

00:55:03.320 --> 00:55:07.539
my sister and you know who I am. They're all

00:55:07.539 --> 00:55:09.679
very welcoming and they knew that this is what

00:55:09.679 --> 00:55:12.139
I want to do. Sure. So they were supportive of

00:55:12.139 --> 00:55:15.599
that. Yeah, yes. And their daughter's in Second

00:55:15.599 --> 00:55:18.719
City and she's super talented. So they understood

00:55:18.719 --> 00:55:23.079
all that. And so, yeah, so they knew my direction.

00:55:23.440 --> 00:55:29.119
Anyway, going to go into where I got hurt, I

00:55:29.960 --> 00:55:34.320
I was working in a we're delivering some appliances

00:55:34.320 --> 00:55:36.340
and there was a lot of construction going on.

00:55:36.659 --> 00:55:41.300
Someone opened a a water valve and didn't tell

00:55:41.300 --> 00:55:45.460
me. And as I was walking out, it was gravel.

00:55:45.840 --> 00:55:48.179
And then it was like it was like a hole that

00:55:48.179 --> 00:55:50.599
it was very it was cement. I couldn't see anything.

00:55:50.960 --> 00:55:54.519
Felt right in. And I go to grab my leg. I go,

00:55:54.519 --> 00:55:57.139
oh, they're going to end up going. This is not

00:55:57.139 --> 00:56:00.150
good. This is not good. And then I go. I fell

00:56:00.150 --> 00:56:05.969
in a hole. I mean, any reaction is warranted

00:56:05.969 --> 00:56:08.650
at that point. I mean, nothing sounds dumb. My

00:56:08.650 --> 00:56:12.409
God, man. So, blood, sweat and tears, literally,

00:56:12.469 --> 00:56:16.730
you've given to this profession. Paul, Valenti,

00:56:16.929 --> 00:56:23.409
I love you. Before I got in, I just got to tell

00:56:23.409 --> 00:56:25.630
you how amazing you are and I've been following

00:56:25.630 --> 00:56:30.489
you and how super talented you are. And I, when

00:56:30.489 --> 00:56:33.230
you got on Howard Stern, you and I were big fans

00:56:33.230 --> 00:56:35.269
of Howard Stern. Yeah, we still talk about Howie.

00:56:35.429 --> 00:56:39.489
We still talk about him. All day every day. Hey,

00:56:39.489 --> 00:56:42.469
Boner. Hey, Boner. I think that's my favorite

00:56:42.469 --> 00:56:44.650
drop. I think that's my favorite drop officially.

00:56:44.690 --> 00:56:45.889
Oh, definitely. It'll still be the one time.

00:56:45.949 --> 00:56:48.110
But I'm always going around, you know, saying

00:56:48.110 --> 00:56:49.989
I'm good for you, good for you. Good for you,

00:56:49.989 --> 00:56:52.429
me too. Or I'll just say, if someone says something

00:56:52.429 --> 00:56:55.230
about inches, I'll go, four inches is fine. Yeah,

00:56:55.409 --> 00:56:59.280
we have, I mean... Yeah. It's so great, but you

00:56:59.280 --> 00:57:01.900
and I connected over that. But when I saw you

00:57:01.900 --> 00:57:06.139
on our favorite show, it blew my mind. And your

00:57:06.139 --> 00:57:09.019
song was amazing. And your music is amazing.

00:57:09.179 --> 00:57:13.099
And you are such a great performer. Oh, man.

00:57:13.780 --> 00:57:16.300
And to be super nice, too. And you think you're

00:57:16.300 --> 00:57:20.380
just a hell of a person. Oh, man. So that's why

00:57:20.380 --> 00:57:23.730
I always wanted to say, oh, this kid. This is

00:57:23.730 --> 00:57:25.030
why I want to stay in touch with you because

00:57:25.030 --> 00:57:28.030
I think you and I relate in a lot of same ways.

00:57:28.130 --> 00:57:31.789
We're kind of like that. We have the same energy.

00:57:31.969 --> 00:57:34.309
That's why we connected to begin with. I think

00:57:34.309 --> 00:57:38.750
we had the same passion, same humor, same drive

00:57:38.750 --> 00:57:42.849
and ambition. And you have you have never had

00:57:42.849 --> 00:57:45.849
any reason to have to support me or believe in

00:57:45.849 --> 00:57:49.389
me. And you always have. And, you know. There

00:57:49.389 --> 00:57:51.809
was a time I was going through a lot the last

00:57:51.809 --> 00:57:54.510
few years before I took this gig and I really

00:57:54.510 --> 00:57:57.969
Took it. I was going through a lot mental mentally

00:57:57.969 --> 00:58:01.590
and You've you took the time to call me man,

00:58:01.750 --> 00:58:03.969
and you left the nicest voicemail because of

00:58:03.969 --> 00:58:06.969
course I didn't answer And I did mean to call

00:58:06.969 --> 00:58:09.969
back, but we ended up talking But but I just

00:58:09.969 --> 00:58:12.329
want you to know how much that meant to me, and

00:58:12.329 --> 00:58:17.409
I'm being completely serious that That honestly

00:58:17.409 --> 00:58:20.730
was something that kept me going and really picked

00:58:20.730 --> 00:58:22.489
me up when I needed it, and I'll never forget

00:58:22.489 --> 00:58:25.630
that. And I love you, man. I love you too, man.

00:58:25.949 --> 00:58:28.570
You're the best. You're the best. Before we go,

00:58:28.670 --> 00:58:30.570
though, tell me what's going on now. Give me

00:58:30.570 --> 00:58:32.670
the plugs, because we're gonna, when we edit

00:58:32.670 --> 00:58:35.489
this, we'll put up all the graphics on the screen

00:58:35.489 --> 00:58:37.829
and the whole nine. What's going on now? You're

00:58:37.829 --> 00:58:42.230
in a play, right? Yeah, I'm in a play called

00:58:42.230 --> 00:58:49.239
Jukebox for the Algonquin. It's amazing. It's

00:58:49.239 --> 00:58:56.579
Paul Strolli who is a brilliant playwright. He's

00:58:56.579 --> 00:58:59.920
actually done a one man show. Super funny. I'm

00:58:59.920 --> 00:59:01.460
actually going to meet him next week as he's

00:59:01.460 --> 00:59:06.559
coming to the show. But this is the first time

00:59:06.559 --> 00:59:08.179
it's playing in the Northeast because they did

00:59:08.179 --> 00:59:12.639
an opening in Chicago and then Jeff Daniels was...

00:59:12.489 --> 00:59:18.230
was doing it. Oh, wow. Yeah. So it's it's it's

00:59:18.230 --> 00:59:21.230
the art imitates life. I just got my dad involved

00:59:21.230 --> 00:59:26.909
with assisted living. So this play is takes place

00:59:26.909 --> 00:59:30.369
in assisted living. Oh, my God. Are you kidding

00:59:30.369 --> 00:59:34.750
me? That's amazing. I play I play this character,

00:59:34.750 --> 00:59:39.449
Tyler, and basically the the people in assisted

00:59:39.449 --> 00:59:43.719
living. basically want to sell weed and they

00:59:43.719 --> 00:59:48.139
use me so they can buy this jukebox for their

00:59:48.139 --> 00:59:50.380
housing. You know, you should lie and just tell

00:59:50.380 --> 00:59:52.480
the directors, like, listen, I'm such a method

00:59:52.480 --> 00:59:55.380
actor. I'm so dedicated that I put my own father

00:59:55.380 --> 00:59:58.079
in assisted living just so I could really, you

00:59:58.079 --> 00:59:59.840
know what I mean? So I could just really feel

00:59:59.840 --> 01:00:02.139
like the character. Dude, that's outstanding.

01:00:02.280 --> 01:00:04.679
So that's May 1st through the 18th I saw. Where

01:00:04.679 --> 01:00:08.579
will that be? A curtain call where Chris and

01:00:08.579 --> 01:00:12.179
I met. Awesome. Full circle, man. Yeah, and the

01:00:12.179 --> 01:00:15.639
director, Lynn Connolly, who's amazing. This

01:00:15.639 --> 01:00:18.019
is the first time I did a show with her since

01:00:18.019 --> 01:00:21.659
99 when I did Good Man Charlie Brown. So it's

01:00:21.659 --> 01:00:24.579
reuniting with Lynn, who's amazing too. So I'm

01:00:24.579 --> 01:00:26.480
very, very lucky that I'm still doing it, still

01:00:26.480 --> 01:00:29.039
get to perform. And Chris and I are doing a bunch

01:00:29.039 --> 01:00:32.860
of workshops and we're putting together some

01:00:32.860 --> 01:00:37.300
more classes eventually to teach. And then yeah,

01:00:37.300 --> 01:00:40.659
we're doing a lot more videos now we have We

01:00:40.659 --> 01:00:43.780
have a plan to put out some some more stuff on

01:00:43.780 --> 01:00:47.079
the socials consistently. Yeah a couple years

01:00:47.079 --> 01:00:51.539
during it during a pandemic we made a Was it

01:00:51.539 --> 01:00:53.920
called an apocalypse life, which we did a talk

01:00:53.920 --> 01:00:57.840
show in Apocalypse love so you can see us on

01:00:57.840 --> 01:00:59.639
video. You can see us in mostly Instagram tick

01:00:59.639 --> 01:01:03.219
-tock The YouTubes, all of them, you can see

01:01:03.219 --> 01:01:06.980
what we do. Chris and Paul's show, let me make

01:01:06.980 --> 01:01:10.079
sure I got the, is it chrisandpaulshow .com?

01:01:10.659 --> 01:01:14.559
And you got the Chris and Paul podcast. Again,

01:01:14.760 --> 01:01:20.179
Paul Valenti, actor, comedian. He breaks his

01:01:20.179 --> 01:01:24.519
limbs for you. Workshops, check him out on social

01:01:24.519 --> 01:01:28.139
media. We'll have all that info on the screen.

01:01:28.429 --> 01:01:30.329
Paul, thank you for your time. It was so good

01:01:30.329 --> 01:01:32.730
to catch up with you, buddy. You might think

01:01:32.730 --> 01:01:34.409
you're lucky that you're still doing this, and

01:01:34.409 --> 01:01:37.170
maybe to some degree, yeah, there's luck involved,

01:01:37.190 --> 01:01:39.389
but you're doing this because you're talented

01:01:39.389 --> 01:01:42.070
and you've put the work in, and this is what

01:01:42.070 --> 01:01:44.150
you're supposed to be doing, man. And I'm just

01:01:44.150 --> 01:01:47.550
happy that you could join me on Good News York.

01:01:49.710 --> 01:01:53.010
Maybe next time we do this, maybe I can do an

01:01:53.010 --> 01:01:56.710
in -person visit. Dude, that would be... We're

01:01:56.710 --> 01:01:59.449
gonna make it happen. I'm convinced you and I

01:01:59.449 --> 01:02:02.789
are going to perform in some capacity or be in

01:02:02.789 --> 01:02:06.010
the same room or stage at some point. It's going

01:02:06.010 --> 01:02:09.510
to happen. Well, I am. I'm actually working on

01:02:09.510 --> 01:02:12.590
a few shorts. That's my solo event. We'll talk

01:02:12.590 --> 01:02:14.710
more about that. Yeah, we'll talk. My people,

01:02:15.050 --> 01:02:17.329
you know, my people will call your people. They

01:02:17.329 --> 01:02:20.090
will call. They will call. They. The people that

01:02:20.090 --> 01:02:23.050
they tell us what to do. Yeah, they said we can't

01:02:23.050 --> 01:02:27.619
do it. But listen, Paul Valenti. I absolutely

01:02:27.619 --> 01:02:30.900
love you and thank you for coming on the show.

01:02:31.860 --> 01:02:34.760
Good News York, this has been a really fun episode

01:02:34.760 --> 01:02:36.739
and we'll be back tomorrow, Tuesday Newsday and

01:02:36.739 --> 01:02:40.940
a bunch of other shit. Mike Brindisi, Paul Valenti,

01:02:41.420 --> 01:02:43.699
chrisandpaulshow .com and we'll have all his

01:02:43.699 --> 01:02:48.019
socials on there. He's got beautiful teeth and

01:02:48.019 --> 01:02:50.900
scars to prove it. What happened there? Hockey

01:02:50.900 --> 01:02:52.900
injury. I was literally gonna ask you if you

01:02:52.900 --> 01:02:56.869
play hockey. Yeah, and I don't have a baby tooth

01:02:56.869 --> 01:03:00.130
there. It's not knocked out. That's part of the

01:03:00.130 --> 01:03:02.670
listing. My mom's like, well, we're not going

01:03:02.670 --> 01:03:06.750
dentists, so. No. Well. Not crooked teeth. There

01:03:06.750 --> 01:03:10.190
it is. Paul Valenti, The Toothless Wonder, here

01:03:10.190 --> 01:03:12.010
on Good New York. Thanks.