Phil Hanley Returns To Punch Line

Ronn Vigh: Hey Phil, how's it going?

Phil Hanley: I'm sorry to hear the news. 

(He is referring to the likely closure and relocation of Punch Line San Francisco from it's Financial District home of 41 years. )

PH: I taped The Tonight Show two weeks ago and I promoted Punch Line. I had a poster printed up with the dates and then I got the news and it was such a bummer. Certain clubs have a certain magic to them and Molly (Punch Line's long-time talent buyer) was the first American booker to book me. I took note of that and I'm just grateful. 

 RV:  As a Canadian, did you ever struggle adapting to the American comedy audience? 

PH: Well I'm from Vancouver and if you played a show there and then in a rural (Canadian) area there would be a big difference. A rural area in Canada and then a rural area in the states, would be very similar, same thing for major cities in Canada and the states. When I first moved to the states, there were certain words I would say that would throw people off. Mind you, I would say certain things, traits, things here that inspire me to write about, I might also have to change a little bit when I go back home. I feel like when I moved to the states, the U.S. and Canada were a little more similar then they are now. I just think there are issues happening in the states now that aren't as global as they once were.

RV: Have you ever had a "why am I still doing this" moment in comedy?

PH: No, I'm blessed with no ability in any other area.

RV: Oh? So there's nothing else you could see yourself doing if stand up comedy suddenly didn't exist?

PH:  I'm dyslexic and couldn't read in school, so college was never an option. I finished high school and became a model. I lived in Europe for four years and that inspired me to find something that I was passionate about. I kept thinking, "What is it that I always wanted to do?" I realized that I always wanted to be a smart ass. I went into comedy without a back up plan. I think maybe that's why it is working out.

RV: You mentioned just taping The Tonight Show, what are some of your other goals for 2019?

PH: I would love to record a comedy album at Punch Line, so it's such a bummer.... but would definitely like to record another album before the end of the year. You know, The Comedy Mix in Vancouver, the club I got on stage at for the first time, just closed as well. 

RV: Maybe you could record the album in Sacramento or hold off until we relocate?

PH: The Sac club was clearly inspired by the SF club and they nailed it. It feels quite similar. There's just so much that goes into them that gets them the great- Punch Line and Comedy Cellar are examples of room that are set up perfectly. I don't know how complicated that is but I have great faith they will do the same with a new room. 

RV: What else do you like to do when you come to SF?  

PH: I love SF.... it feels like a combo between Vancouver and New York City, my hometown and adopted hometown. I love to do my shows and then I walk to City Lights Bookstore and Golden Boy Pizza.

RV: As a native New Jerseyan, I can't get behind Golden Boy.

PH: Really?

RV: Zucchini does not belong on a combo pizza. It should be mysterious meat that you're slightly afraid to eat.

Anyhow, I always like to wrap up by asking comics about any advice they have received or could give up and coming comedians?

PH: My favorite quote about comedy is, "Keep the jokes tight and the shows loose." People are adamant about the advice they give but it's really just what works for them. I'd listen to everyone's advice but take it selectively. The best thing is to just keep writing and find what works for you.

 Phil Hanley headlines at Punch Line San Francisco, June 5 – June 8. Prices and show times vary. Tickets can be purchased at punchlinecomedyclub.com

Catching Up With Louis Katz

Louis Katz: Hey Ronn, do you mind if I call you back in a few? I just wanted to grab some lunch.

Ronn Vigh: No problem. I’ll be here.

*25 minutes later*

LK: Hey, thanks for that. It took longer than expected because I accidentally locked myself out of the room.

RV: Oh boy! And you’re currently in Vegas, so that could be a two mile walk just to pick up a new room key. How is performing in Vegas for you? With all the extra stimulus, do you find it more challenging than somewhere like San Francisco?

LK: Well the main attraction here is not attractive to me so it’s not distracting in that way. Though, I haven’t done Vegas in 10 years. I’ve done Atlantic City and I forgot how much on another level Vegas is from there. Atlantic City is shitty Vegas on a dirty beach in the hood.

RV: Hey, watch it! That’s my home state and unfortunately a sad but extremely accurate description. Like most of us in San Francisco, you’re not originally from here but the cover of your first album, If These Balls Could Talk, looks very familiar.

LK: That’s the Broadway Tunnel. I’m originally from Los Angeles but went to school in the Bay Area and stayed there for three or four years after that doing stand-up. I had a photo shoot all around San Francisco. I try to be on top of all levels of production and aesthetics. I’m happy with all the album covers even if they don’t match the content. The title did a lot of the work for me, so why put a hat on a hat when it’s already ridiculous.

RV: A comic’s career typically sees a lot of highs and lows. You’re most recent album, Katzkills, came out last year and you’ve also had a variety of TV appearances from a Comedy Central half-hour special to late night. With such success, does a career in stand up feel more stable to you now or do those highs and lows just become more extreme?

Oh, there are so many highs and lows. Really, it’s highs and lows every second your on stage- every sixth word you say can be a success or a failure. That’s the microcosm of it. And the macrocosm is that it shouldn’t be about getting famous, it should be about the art. However, you have to become famous in order to get it to be about the art. Why should someone book you if people don’t come out? It’s simple economics. I get it. I’ve been doing stand up for so long now that it averages out and I’ve become more mentally able to handle those ups and downs, as that’s the constant. I still freak out though. I have all this work in the next three months then no work for infinity. At this point, I know somehow shit works out…. But I’m still quietly panicking.

RV: You’re from Los Angeles and live in New York City, which are fairly progressive and large cities. As a comic, do you ever find it challenging to relate to audiences from the “in-between” areas.

LK: I’m continually trying to step up my game to a whole other level. Well, it’s hard to do that here in Vegas because the quality of audience is up and down, since comedy is just a distraction from gambling for a little bit. However, I have found a lot of luck in smaller towns or cities that are liberal enclaves. My first album was recorded in Sacramento and I recently did gigs in Tacoma and found them to be aware, smart, progressive but not so uptight where they overthink things. They can still laugh at jokes! Though, I’m not really picky. If they want to pay me, I’ll show up and work it out.

 RV: You’ve been doing comedy for a long time…

 LK: 18 years in June.

 RV: Do you think the craft has changed, for better or for worse, since you started in San Francisco?

LK: Honestly, yes. The last time I was at a showcase, I noticed something that really bothered me. A lot of comics were starting jokes with an apology or a trigger warning. I only assume they are doing that because they feel a need to do so based on the audiences they’ve been in front of. To me, that ruins comedy. It’s adding unnecessary fat to the joke. So, if you’re adding, that’s the mistake. It should be a surprise. The set up should sound like either it is or not fucked up and then take a turn. There shouldn’t be a warning, the audience should be taken by surprise! As a result of this, I feel like comedy is becoming much more reserved.

RV: What do you remember most about starting out in comedy at Punch Line?

 LK: Oh man, I was so young when I started. At the time I didn’t think I was that young but compared to all the comics I felt young, I swear they were all in their early-thirties and there I was, 22.  When I was going to Berkeley, I didn’t leave the East Bay that much, so it was a lot of fun taking BART to the comedy club and seeing all kinds of crazy shit. There was a real romance to it. Then at the club, I would sit back and watch comics who were light-years ahead of my ability level. Those guys had acts, polish, people were paying to see them. It was more than just waiting around for my turn…. it was really special and really formative. It taught me much more than any school I went to. All of my success in comedy, whether it be getting on Comedy Central or a Just For laughs audition, it can all be directly linked to starting as a comic at the Punch Line.

RV: Does comedy feel more competitive than when you started?

LK: Yea, it is crazy how many people do stand-up now. It is great in the sense that more people do it and there will be more fans of it but to some extent that also waters everything down.

RV: Do you think social media and sites like You Tube are influential in creating more stand-up comedians?

LK: I think it’s directly linked to YouTube. Stand-up started in foreign countries because they couldn’t see it before then. It’s about 2009-2010, when it all changes. People are getting that DIY spirit and starting scenes in their towns but also there is a limit and a ceiling. It’s not like having a band. You can’t just stay in a garage and get better and better and better. You have to be in front of an audience.

RV: Has anybody ever given you a piece of comedy advice that stuck with you all these years?

LK: The very first open mic I went to, I saw Tony Sparks, who local comics often refer to as ‘The Godfather of San Francisco Comedy.’ He broke down the basic things for me: always have a notepad, audio and video record sets and listen to them. It’s very simple and basic stuff but valuable. I keep a whole document of comedy tips and philosophies…. It’s surprising how much I still keep learning. You think that you’ve hit a wall but then you figure it out…. Things like that keep me going.

RV: Oh, that is super advice! Has there been any advice along the way that you received, that you probably shouldn’t have listened to?

LK: Yea, I was still featuring (the middle spot) and a great comic said to me, “I don’t think that person you’re being on stage is really who you are.” For the next six months, I just toned down my whole stage performance to the point where it was just monotone. It turns out that me doing something “more natural” ends up seeming totally unnatural. I see what he was getting at, but it just wasn’t right for me. It’s great to get advice, but ultimately, you really got to figure it out on your own.

  Louis Katz headlines at Punch Line San Francisco, May 30 – June 1. Prices and show times vary. Tickets can be purchased at punchlinecomedyclub.com

Catching Up with Dan Cummins

Dan Cummins has a one hour Comedy Central special along with many other television appearances such as Conan, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing and more. Those are hefty credits that yield some serious street cred. Credits that the majority of working stand up comics will never see in their lifetime. However, in the grand scheme of things, how much do these ultimately matter in the pursuit of your dreams? I got to chat with the hilarious and hardworking Dan Cummins about his lengthy career in comedy and his upcoming shows at Punch Line San Francisco. Ronn Vigh: We initially met in 2003 when we both competed in the San Francisco International Comedy Competition. That competition is considered a big milestone for up and coming comics. Do you remember anything significant about that week or period of time in your career? Dan Cummins: I remember the first night that the competition was in San Francisco pretty well. I’d never been in SF before but I knew about its comedic history. I felt so out of place and that I had so much to prove. I didn’t want to be seen as some hacky tavern comic from Spokane, Washington. I remember coming into the competition with a HUGE chip on my shoulder. RV: Wow. Well, I was a really green comic myself at the time but for what it’s worth, I remember you being really nice to me. So, how has your point of view or style of comedy evolved since then? DC: Life has changed so much for me since then. I was still a long ways from making a living as a comic back then. It was all still just a big, beautiful, chaotic experiment. Such a big gamble. Every show felt so important. Like my (hopefully future) career depended on it. Now, after having literally thousands of shows under my belt and after making a living in comedy for over 15 years, I’m a lot more at peace with it. I feel like I have less to prove and I think I’m funnier on stage because of that. Back then, I was a joke guy because I was too afraid to commit to a longer form story. I was too worried about bombing. Now, if I feel like it’s entertaining, I’ll tell a ten minute story. I also feel like I have a lot more to say now. I’ve lived a lot more life. I feel more confident in my opinions and perspective than I did in 2003 and confidence in what you’re saying is so important to good storytelling. I’d like to think I’ve come a long way since then and hopefully, I’ve also retained a decent amount of the childlike wonder for the world I had back when I was 26 years old.   RV: I've known many comics who set a list of goals to accomplish by a certain time in their careers. Were you one of those guys? DC: I did make a lot of specific goals. Most of them early on. “Get on this late show, get this type of comedy special, sell this kind of [TV] show!” I’ve been lucky -- I’ve hit most of them (never could sell a show though). The last five to ten years my goals have gotten more artistic. I just want to get more skilled at doing whatever you would call my style of comedy, and reach more and more people who enjoy it, and have those people come out to shows so I can keep doing what I’ve devoted my life too. That’s really my only stand-up goal at this point. RV: I was a flight attendant and in that field they always say being a flight attendant is a lifestyle, not a career. I feel even more that way about stand up, especially for those who do the road so often like yourself. Did you ever have a "Why am I doing this? I should just quit now” moment? DC: I totally get that. Yes -- this life is a long ways from your average nine-to-five job. You’re living in hotels and working clubs and bars all over the world. I’ve thought about quitting many times. I thought about quitting after tough road gigs early on where I had driven eight plus hours to perform for less than 20 people who all seemed to hate me, and I didn’t make enough money to even pay for the gas it took to the make it to the gig. I thought about quitting when my Comedy Central hour special came out in 2010 and no one in America seemed to give a fuck about it enough to buy tickets. I was performing in Grand Rapids, Michigan a week after it aired in front of 30 people who’d never heard of me. I thought about quitting back in 2016 when my album was number one on the iTunes Comedy chart for several weeks in a row, I’d just killed it on The Tonight Show, and I was performing, again, in front of 30 or so people who had never heard of me (this time in Kansas City). I thought, “This is the BEST I can do and it still doesn’t matter!” I’d put out five albums of my best stuff at that point and it just didn’t seem to be getting me anywhere.  

RV: The last time I saw you was a few years ago and you were thrilled about returning with your family to your home state of Idaho. Has this helped, hindered, or presented any unexpected challenges for you as a working comic? DC: Idaho has been really good to me. It’s a little harder to get places because of where I’m living but I’ no longer distracted by all the entertainment possibilities of Los Angeles. I’ve gone back to focusing more on stand-up than I was for a while. Also, a lot of exposure has come via Pandora and my podcast Timesuck. I’m actually selling the most tickets to shows of my career by far. I’m working the best clubs in the country and many of the shows are sold out. I never thought that would happen after moving back to Idaho. It’s been incredible! RV: Tell me more about your podcast. DC: Timesuck has been a wild ride! It’s a deep dive on one subject a week and episodes come out Monday at Noon, PST. Episodes can be about anything interesting: criminals, historical figures, cults, current events, social issues, conspiracies, cryptozoology, the paranormal, etc. You learn a lot about one subject a week (me and the team I now have research the hell out of this stuff) and you get to laugh while you learn. I work hard to add a lot of humor to the narratives. We also have an online community that has become pretty interesting as well. It’s grown out of people who are intensely curious about he world around them and willing to question their beliefs wanting to meet other people who feel the same way. Our private Facebook group has close to 10,000 members and many have become friends with one another. Romantic relationships have formed out of the group. There have been some engagements! RV: In early 2017, you were nice enough to give me a guest spot on your show in Arizona. In the green room you spoke passionately about Timesuck as it just started a few months prior. In what ways has the podcast evolved and exceeded your expectations? DC: The podcast has exceeded my expectations in every way. It has evolved into this interesting humanitarian group. Listeners send care packages to and raise money for other listeners in need. They send in emails saying listening to the show has strengthened relationships with their spouses, siblings, parents and more -- giving them inside jokes to share and subjects to talk about. This past week we had an email from someone who found the courage to leave an actual cult they’d been in for years after listening to various episodes about cults I’ve done (Jonestown, Heaven’s Gate, Scientology, Order of the Solar Temple, The Branch Davidians, etc) We’ve had listeners write and say that Timesuck literally saved their life -- that they were suicidal but then became hopeful towards humanity again listening to the podcast. I never expected any of that. Not in a million years. I’m so excited to see where it goes from here! And you can always have a guest spot. You’re a funny guy! RV: Thanks. That’s all I needed to hear. Interview is over. So, does anything you uncover in the podcast wind up working it's way into your stand up?

DC: That’s just started to happen! I told a random story about having a sexual experience with a banana in high school. Yup, a banana. Fans went nuts laughing about it and teasing me. So I decided to tell the whole story on stage (after fans brought bananas to some shows and people started showing up wearing banana shirts) and now it’s one of my favorite new standup pieces. It is RIDICULOUS! RV: Can you give us a sneak peek of what topic you will be covering when you do the podcast live from the Punch Line? DC: Yes! I’ll be telling the tale of the Ant Hill Kids. A French Canadian cult mainly based in Quebec between 1977 and 1989, led by a psychopath named Roch Theriault. He was BRUTAL. It’s amazing what cult members endured at his hands and still chose to follow him. It’s a fascinating study in manipulation and I tell some of the darkest jokes I’ve ever written during this tale. It’s not for the squeamish! RV: What is your most favorite and least favorite thing about San Francisco? DC: My favorite thing about San Francisco is how smart the crowds are. They want good, intelligent comedy. They don’t need to be spoon fed. My least favorite is that San Francisco crowds can be REALLY sensitive. Too sensitive. They can take the social justice warrior ethos -- which is great -- and become a little too serious for their own good. It’s a comedy show, not a protest. Lighten the fuck up and laugh. Life’s too short to be pissed all the time...and this is coming from a pretty angry comic! RV: Well said! It’s always great to see you back at the Punch Line!

DC: I’m looking forward to some Punch Line shows! I truly do love coming to San Francisco. I have so many great memories of shows there over the years. It’s a home away from home and I look forward to it every year. Dan Cummins: The Happy Murder Tour at Punch Line San Francisco, May 1 - 4. Prices and show times vary. TimeSuck Live Podcast w/ Dan Cummins, May 4, 4PM. Tickets are $20 in advance. Tickets can be purchased at punchlinecomedyclub.com

A Gay Old Chat

From Jan 8 - 10, Punch Line San Francisco will showcase five of our favorite comedians from the LGBT community in a show called, “A Gay Old Time.” Here’s a little “gay old chat” with comics Irene Tu, Karinda Dobbins and Ronn Vigh, who are just some of the performers on this show.

Who are your favorite comedians and how have they influenced you as a comic?

Irene Tu: Ellen DeGeneres, Tig Notaro, Jerrod Carmichael, Dave Chappelle. Ellen was the reason I started comedy. I thought she was so funny and likeable. I love Tig’s delivery and I think Jerrod and Dave have such interesting takes on social issues.

Karinda Dobbins: Past: Moms Mabley, Marsha Warfield, George Carlin, Richard Pryor. Present: Gina Yashere, Hari Kondabolu, Roy Wood Jr. and Wanda Sykes. They have all influenced me in different ways. I think the most important way they have influenced me is that when I study each one of them they remind me how much you have to examine your life and what’s important to you to be successful in comedy. It keeps me mindful to be vulnerable enough to put every wonderful, awful, embarrassing and seemingly inconsequential morsel of life on display. 

Ronn Vigh: Joan Rivers, Phyllis Diller, Judy Tenuta and Wendy Liebman. They all had such unique and genuine voices. I admire them because they all straddle the line of being vulnerable yet super silly in a very distinctive way. When I was a young kid, I would bargain with my parents to let me stay up late and watch Joan fill in for Carson. As I got older, it was very popular for teenage boys to stay up late and watch the scrambled Playboy channel on TV and report back to your classmates the next day. My mom caught me up late watching TV one night and was about to ground me, until she noticed that I sneaked into the living room just to watch a “Ladies Night Out” comedy special.

How did you get your start in stand up comedy and has your career exceeded or fallen short of your expectations?

Irene: I started taking stand up and improv classes because a girl I liked in high school told me I was funny. I took a bunch of different classes in college but nothing spoke to me, so I just decided to keep doing comedy and see where it’d take me. I get to not have a “real job” and make money telling jokes, which always feels crazy to me. However, I thought I would have met Ellen by now!

Karinda: I started at Wood’s café in Oakland. It’s an open mic at a coffee shop/laundromat.  I never thought I would get to a point of opening for people I have admired and watched in movies and on television. I just thought I was going to do 5 min at an open mic, bomb, and that was going to be the end of it.

Ronn: I was raised in front of the television and always gravitated toward comedic shows and stand up. Aspiring to be on TV, I took some acting colleges in college and quickly realized that I was a really bad actor. In fact, I got kicked out of a Tennesse Williams play because the director said my Southern accent sounded Indian. During this time, I would take a train to New York City to practice voiceovers and stand up. The voiceover teacher told me that I had “too much of a regionalism” to do voiceovers. That was code for, “you sound too gay.” Fortunately, stand up allows ME to be exactly who I am and I’m very grateful to perform at comedy clubs and venues all around the country. Of course, I would have liked a late night set or sitcom by now. However, I always have to remind myself that so many people doing comedy will never even have a chance to get paid work at comedy clubs or write for their idols, like I did for Joan Rivers on Fashion Police.

Comics who are gay, tend to be labeled as a “gay comic.” Does this bother you at all?

Irene: I don’t mind being called a gay or queer comic but I want people to think I’m funny first, gay second.

Ronn: I’ve always asked to be referred to as a “comic who happens to be gay.” It’s just one fraction of who I am. I’m very proud of who I am but I also think if you label me as a gay comic, it gives mainstream audiences the impression that “he’s not for you.” I want to be the comic for everybody. When I do LGBT focused shows, I for sure will dive into topics that appeal more to my community and that’s a great deal of fun. However, I don’t just talk about being gay on stage. I do just as many jokes about Football and living on a budget, so then why am I not referred to as the “football or broke comic?"

 With the shifting political climate, how important of a voice do you think comedians have in today’s world?

Karinda: I think comedians have always had a huge voice in changing political climates. We take the absurd and the horrific and for a moment in time we make people laugh and that is no small thing. I have had so many people message me after a show and tell me that they forgot their problems for an hour and people need to be able to do that when you have a former reality contestant ruining…I meant running the country. 

Ronn: When I perform outside of the Bay Area in places like Texas and Arizona that are more conservative, my mere presence on stage can already divide a room. Therefore, I usually avoid politics and religion altogether and explore topics that can help people realize that we are more alike than they think. I’ve never been a comic to do political material. I applaud all those who do it and do it well but I think the best part I can play in this whole mess is to just continue to tell the type of silly jokes I tell best and make people forget about their worries for as long as I can.

What are your hopes for 2019?

Irene: I hope people focus less on disgraced famous comedians and more on supporting really funny up-and-coming comedians.

Ronn: A TV credit and to teach my cat how to walk on a leash. 

A Gay Old Time at Punch Line San Francisco, Jan 8 - 10. 8 pm nightly. Tickets are $18.50 in advance. PunchLineComedyClub.com 

Sean & Sammy Side By Side

Starting stand up comedy a year apart and both hailing from the Bay Area, Sean Keane and Sammy Obeid return to their roots and co-headline Punch Line San Francisco. 

Ronn Vigh: Do you remember your first set at Punch Line San Francisco?

Sean Keane: My first set at the Punch Line was on an "Iron Comic" show during Sketchfest, which I was only on because Randall Wong (Fresh Off The Boat) got sick. I’d done the show before, which has comics write jokes on the spot from audience suggestions, but I don’t think anyone in the crowd knew who I was. I didn’t win, but I did well enough that the booker told me I could do the Sunday showcase some time. I said, “How about this Sunday?” because you strike while the iron is hot. I like that expression because it implies comedians know anything about manual labor. I’ve since done Iron Comic at least three more times at Sketchfest.

Sammy Obeid: I was less than a year into comedy.  My friend Hasan Minhaj asked me to host his show on a Monday.  I bombed.  After watching many Sunday showcases and seeing how fun and hot the crowd was, I was shocked that I was getting little to no response.  People consoled me afterward, saying "Mondays are tough" but it was probably mostly me just being less than a year into comedy.

How has starting comedy in the Bay Area and the Punch Line shaped the comedian you are today?

Sean: The Bay Area has a ton of places to perform and also has actual audiences full of people who read books and know things. I don’t think I appreciated how good the crowds are here until I started performing in other cities - you can get spoiled. Although it can also make you overconfident about how well jokes about NPR, polyamory, and food trucks are going to go over in Turlock. Oh, and it’s probably the city where you’re most likely to get paid in weed.

Sammy: The Bay Area is one of the best places to become a comedian.  It has so many different kinds of rooms and crowds. It also doesn't have the pressure and overflow that LA. or New York has, so you can really spread your wings, do longer sets, and grow. Punch Line establishes a goal for every Bay Area comedian to reach.  Hang out in the back on Sundays, work on your set Monday-Saturday, and one day you'll get called on to show your work so you can work your first A room.  The crowds at Punch Line are smart and the bar is high for originality... I credit a lot of my originality and intellect in comedy (I could be wrong and have none, but assuming I do) to coming out of the Punch Line.

Have you ever regretted telling a joke?

Sean: I used to do a joke where I made fun of the Raiders for an extended amount of time and at one point a woman in the crowd yelled, “They’re trying, OK?” Then I noticed she was sitting with a huge, muscular, scowling man, and realized I’d been directly roasting a member of the team. He probably assumed I was doing it on purpose and straight up picking a fight with an NFL offensive lineman. I regret hurting his feelings and am thankful he did not wait for me in the parking lot to discuss things.

Sammy: Not really. I've had bad responses to jokes, but it's never my fault, always the crowd's. I'm kidding, but seriously, for every joke there is a crowd that will laugh at it, no matter how bad it is.  The only way you'll know if it's the crowd for your joke is by telling it.  So no regrets.

What's the best piece of advice you could give to a new comedian?

Sean: Perform as much as you can, cut extraneous words out of your jokes, and never do bringer shows. If someone is making you bring audience members as a condition of performing, you might as well produce your own show. Oh, and learn how to apply for food stamps.

Sammy: There's a shit ton of comedians nowadays, so really think about what's gonna make you stand out.  And, don't tell math jokes, that's mine.

What are your comedy aspirations for 2019?

Sean: Become rich and famous. Actually I’d settle for solidly middle class and someone calling me an “undiscovered gem.”

Sammy: I want to get a special on TV (or streaming services).  A viral stand up vid or two would be nice.

Finally, you both have performed at Punch Line so many times. Is there any one night in particular that stands out?

Sean: Once, we got word that Dave Chappelle was going to drop in on a showcase but it wasn’t clear when he was arriving, and my assignment was to go up and perform until he arrived in the club. They said, “You might do one minute, you might do twenty minutes.” I think I did six minutes, and when Dave came in, I have never wrapped up a set faster. Also one of the comedians in the back kept insisting that Dave had brought his “Muslim spiritual advisor” along to the show, because he didn’t recognize Mos Def.

Sammy: There are so many but my best memory at Punch Line was the time I celebrated the end of my run of 1,001 consecutive nights of comedy.  I did my 1,001 night show at Punch Line, it was sold out and in my memory it was the best show of my life.

Sean Keane and Sammy Obeid co-headline Punch Line San Francisco on Dec 20, 21, 22. One show Thursday. 2 shows on Friday and Saturday. Tickets are $18.50 - $24.00 in advance.

Chatting With Lachlan Patterson

Ronn Vigh: So, I hear you’re currently in Canada?

Lachlan Patterson: I’m in Calgary. I’m originally from Vancouver so I book a lot of gigs and have a lot of relationships out here. It’s great because I get to see the difference between the countries.

RV: Many headliners say they have to alter their act from city to city based on politics and demographics. Do you find that’s the same for performing regularly in both Canada and the United States?

LP: Some comedians definitely have to change wherever they go but I don’t really talk about politics. If you have to change something based on that for wherever you go, it just doesn’t feel authentic. I just talk about my life and what we as human beings can relate to. I want someone to hopefully listen to my album 10 years from now and still find it relatable. I recently watched a comedy special and the comic was talking about Trump running for president and how ridiculous it was. The whole premise didn’t really hold up.

RV: Oh by the way, I was doing some online research of you and there’s another Lachlan Patterson?

LP: Yea, I know of at least one other Lachlan Patterson. He’s a celebrity chef in Colorado. He’s been on Top Chef, Martha…. I got one of his credits on IMDB once.

RV: I’d love to be on Martha or even better on her cooking show with Snoop Dogg?

LP: What? She has a cooking show with her and a dog?

RV: Snoop Dogg. The rapper.

LP: Oh, but how much better would it be if it was like actually a cooking competition between her and a dog?

RV: I’d watch it. You mentioned that the stories you tell obviously shift with your life. Has the process of bringing these stories to life shifted at all through the 20 years you have done stand up?

LP: I still do the notebooks. I don’t do the phone.

RV: Yea, I never use the phone. OK, I actually did for the first time the other night when I was working on new stuff and it screwed me up. The phone kept locking and it would take me 15 seconds each time while delivering punchlines to figure out how to access my notes.

LP: Right and it also looks like you’re just looking at your phone, which is rude. They don’t know you have notes on there. And, if you’re a notes person, then accessing your phone during your set is the equivalent of pulling notes out of a briefcase on stage.

RV: Yea, I’m never doing that again.

LP: I don’t think you can switch once you do the writing process.  I’m always working on improving my stage performance and trying to bring more life to the jokes, more personality and more details. These days I’m taking more about my relationship. My girl being pregnant. It’s much more therapeutic and interesting if I’m sharing that stuff than talking about the George Forman grill. Though I really did burn my hand on that thing

RV: Congratulations man! Are you dating a comic?

LP: No. I’ve always tried to steer clear of dating comedians. There’s not enough room in a relationship for two insecure people. I couldn’t. I don’t know how people do it. I couldn’t imagine competing or thinking that my girlfriend is getting better at comedy than me. Or worse. That’s always awkward too, when something successful happens to one of you but not the other.

RV: I ask a lot of headliners this. Have you ever regretted telling a joke?

LP: Oh yeah, definitely! I used to tell a joke about fat people and I feel bad about even telling it now. As a young comic, you’re just trying to get laughs. I was just trying to get those laughs and feel what it’s like to succeed as a comic. What I’m writing now is more important to me. I can say this is why I wrote that and stand behind it.

RV: I find in the beginning a lot of comics, including myself, are just out for shock value and laughs more than depth.

LP: Right! I have to ask myself, why am I writing this? What’s the point of this joke? I love to have a set where there’s a point to everything… and it also crushes.

RV: On the road to becoming a national headliner, have you ever been given any bad advice?

LP: As a young comic, about five years in, I lived in L.A. and there’s a famous club where you have to line up all day once every four weeks for a spot. I’d get on and do three minutes, then I would have to go upstairs and listen to the owner give his opinion, which was always terrible. He would always tell me that I have to do tall jokes. That’s all he wanted to hear. I don’t agree with that because really on stage nobody knows exactly how tall you are. After shows, so many audience members would see me at the door and say, “You’re a lot taller than I thought you were.”

RV: If you were talking to a comic who was about five years in, what is the best piece of advice that you could give them?

LP: Instead of trying to develop, go through the material you already have and expand it. You want less setups and more punchlines. Why develop new set ups?

RV: I think that’s great advice. I look forward to seeing you in San Francisco. Anything else that you would like people to know?

LP: I’m going to be recording my album. People that are reading this come to the show please, your laughs will be recorded.

RV: Oh! Punch Line and SF in general is a great place to record!

LP: I’ve been listening to a lot of albums and an audience can be too good or too loud. I think San Francisco and Punch Line is great to record in because it’s got that sort of slightly critical, intelligent audience that does not laugh at just every little thing.

Lachlan Patterson performs at Punch Line San Francisco on Dec 6, 7, 8. One show Thursday. 2 Shows on Friday and Saturday. Tickets are $18.50 - $24.00 in advance

Funny Business With Greg Fitzsimmons

With over 30 years in stand up comedy, Greg Fitzsimmons graciously took some time out of his hectic schedule to talk stand up and the business of being funny with me.

Ronn Vigh: You're so busy... A stand up comedian, Emmy award winning writer, television host as well as hosting the very popular FitzDog Radio Podcast. Hey, do you actually go by FitzDog?

Greg Fitzsimmons: Yes, it’s actually a nickname from back in college. It just stuck. But, now people are starting to call me “Grapefruit Simmons.”

RV: Really?

GF: A woman called the club I was playing that weekend asking who would be on the show. They gave her a few names, including mine and then she asked, “Is Grapefruit Simmons the headliner?”

RV: Does it ever get hard to balance doing your own stand up act and writing for shows?

GF: It is hard to do both. I was writing on the show Crashing for the last few seasons where we had 14 hour days. Writing for yourself is really hard and even harder going out and doing shows while in production.

RV: For a comic, it's important to keep up with social media but a strong tweet doesn't always translate to a strong joke on stage. Are you able to integrate the two?   

GF: I think you tweet jokes and then that thought is something you talk about on your podcast. If it’s funny there then you try it on stage and maybe it all flows. It’s all one brain and you just got to pull it out and put it in different places. It’s like when you sit down and write and then go blank. Having these other mediums allow you to take a premise and fuck around with it. Turn it into something good and organic.

RV: I think a lot of comics try a bit roughly three times. If it doesn't work, they throw it out. Do you chip away at them and find the diamond in the rough?

GF: I stick with bits for a long time. It is amazing how it can change. Even if it bombs, if I feel like there is something in there, I’ll keep going for it. I have a bit about how millennials think technology is God. I like the premise and a couple of the jokes but it wasn’t really working. I slotted it in the middle, kept trying, things got changed, it eventually clicked and now it’s one of my strongest bits.

RV: So that's common for you or did you feel really passionate about that one bit in particular?

GF: If you have no strong feeling behind it, you have to ask yourself if it is really something you want to be saying on stage?

RV: Have you ever done a bit or joke that you regretted telling?

GF: I don’t know if I ever regret it. You have to accept failures that come with trying new jokes. The victory is in trying. You can write all you want but you have to have the balls to go try it.

RV: You headline clubs all over. Going from city to city could be its own challenge?

GF: It’s part of the job. It’s why it is good to do it for a long time. You always want to be yourself but at the same time you have to pull from different bags of material and maybe adjust your attitude for a bit. Someone from New York City can’t be as aggressive in the deep South and Midwest.

RV: I mentioned earlier that you have the FitzDog Radio Podcast. Besides yours, what are some of your favorite podcasts to listen to?

GF: Obviously Joe Rogan. I listen to that a lot. Also, My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff. Oh and a podcast called Sleep with Me. You go to bed listening to it. The guy is the most boring guy in the world and he knows it.

RV: You have done over 700 episodes of your podcast, it's surprising you have time for others.

GF: I love podcasts because they are really organic. It gives you the chance to sit down with comics who are friends but you wouldn’t normally sit down for a hour in deep conversation with them. You laugh the whole time, it’s almost social. I also enjoy being a broadcaster. I like being in front of the mike, it feels like doing stand up and I just put it out there and it’s great to get the feedback.

RV: On your website, you have older clips of something you used to do called "Talk your way out of it" where you would give stand up comics some unusual scenarios to navigate.

GF: I want to bring that back. It’s a great way to break the ice. I just felt like you don’t want a guest to come on and give you the same stories they told a million times. It’s my way of saying that you’re going to have to fly by the seat of your pants on this one.

RV: Do you have any advice for newer stand up comedians?

GF: Make yourself uncomfortable. What would you be embarrassed to tell the audience? That’s the comedy I enjoy watching. Everybody is different. That’s your golden rule.

RV: It's really a whole process. You might be good at writing a joke or telling one but there are so many other factors that go into being a successful headliner too.

GF: Right. You have to really log your hours. The old saying is that you have to do something for about 10,000 hours before you’re really good at it. That 10,000 hours includes writing, driving to the gig, talking to comics, emailing agents. You got to look at it like it’s all going to add up to something. You got to think that this is who you are and what you do and don’t hesitate. Just commit. Things work themselves out in the long run and don’t keep score on what others are doing.

RV: Is there anything else you would like to add before I let you go?

GF: Yea, I was asked three times to make a video for the Punch Line’s 40 birthday and I haven’t done it yet.

RV: It was last month.

GF: I'm going to do it now. Happy birthday to the Punch Line. It’s a huge part of my world and my favorite club in the country. I love that it still has the same spirit that it had 22 years ago when I first started coming through.

Greg Fitzsimmons at Punch Line San Francisco, November 8, 9, 10. Showtimes and ticket prices vary.

Going Inside The Green Room

green room /ɡrin rum/

noun

Relax? Most comics can do no such thing. The green room at the Punch Line is much more complex than Oxford Dictionary defines. Let’s try this again:

Punch Line green room /Punch Line ɡrin rum/

noun

The green room is truly a place where memories are made, both good and bad. I reached out to a few of our regular performers and asked them about some of their most memorable experiences in the Punch Line green room.

Mo Mandel: I once snuck into the green room when Robert Schimmel was headlining. I chatted him up and asked him if I could do a guest set that night.  He said yes!  But, then the manager found out that I had gone in there without asking and didn't allow me to do it.  He also had me yanked off of an upcoming HBO showcase.  But now he doesn't work there anymore and I am on TV (sometimes).  Still never been on HBO, though.  Also, if any comic comes into the Green Room this weekend and asks me for a guest set, I'll have him banned and make him do fifty push ups.

Sal Calanni: Coming up in San Francisco as a comedian, the one guy I really wanted to work with was Bill Burr.. Eventually I got the opportunity to open for him at the club. The middle act was Todd Rexx. The three of us would do quotes from the movie Goodfellas all weekend, because it's the greatest film of all time. After the third show of the week, I walk into the green room where Bill, Todd, and the club booker were hanging out. Todd looks up and says, “Sal fuckin' Calanni!” Burr didn't see me come in and says, “Who the fuck is Sal Calanni?” And then Todd and the booker just stare at me. I sheepishly raised my hand and said, “I am, the guy who's been opening for you all week.” He brushed it off and said “I thought he was doing a Goodfellas quote” and everyone laughed. Then on the next show, he told that story, and crushed. Todd and Bill still reference it every once in a while and because of that moment, he's remembered my name ever since.

Joe Klocek: I remember being on a showcase night at Punch Line when Comedy Central was at the club looking at people for their show, Live at Gotham. In one of the handful of times in my life, I came off stage and walked into the green room where ten or twelve comics all looked at me with wide eyes and said that I just had a perfect set. Three weeks later Comedy Central called and I got the show. I remember the best advice I ever got in stand-up comedy I got in that room. If someone gets something you really wanted the only way to stop resentment and bitterness from setting in and ruining your adventure as a stand-up is to go up to the person and congratulate them. But for it to work you really have to mean it.

Dhaya Lakshminarayanan: I was riding along with comedian Karinda Dobbins when she opened for Dave Chappelle at Punch Line. He noticed me, invited me to the green room and asked me    about me and how long I had been a comedian. He was very kind and generous. I was of course a little reserved when he asked me if I wanted anything to drink, "No   thank you" I said. "Well do you want anything to eat?" he asked. There was a great spread of food in the green room but I politely declined again, “No thank you.”    "Well, you want crack? We got that too," he said in his special Dave Chappelle way and everyone busted up laughing. I said no but I did end up eating the food.

Matt Lieb: I remember for the first few years of doing stand up that I would see comics on Sunday (showcase night) walking in and out of the green room. Only passed comics were allowed to hang in the green room and its door was sort of the barrier that separated the “comics” from the “open micers.” While all of us lowly micers would be seated at the bar talking about which micers were rumored to be hooking up, the real comics with TV credits and famous faces would go directly to the green room and slam the door behind them. So I’ll never forget the first Sunday after I got passed. I walked directly to the green room, slammed the door, and proceeded to talk about which comedians were hooking up. It was magical.

Mo Mandel performs at Punch Line San Francisco on Oct 25, 26, 27. One show Thursday. 2 Shows on Friday and Saturday. Tickets are $18.50 - $24.00 in advance

Stretch It Out With Shawn Pelofsky

Ronn Vigh: Hey Shawn! How are you? It's been a long time!

Shawn Pelofsky: (singing) Reunited and it feels so good.....

Before I continue on, let me tell you that I've known Shawn for many years before this interview. I ran a comedy show at a gay bar for 10 years that Shawn would regularly perform at. We've shared stages and a few after-show drinks together where I would stare at her perpetually flawless hair as we would discuss all sorts of things. One night, a big topic Shawn fixated on was how I was in a two year relationship and still had not seen my boyfriend's apartment. Cut to 2018, that same boyfriend now lives with me and I never did see his apartment. After a week-long game of phone tag and email exchanges, we are finally on the phone together to chat about her upcoming shows at Punch Line. 

RV: Let's start with the basics. How did you become a working comedian?

SP: I didn't have a choice but to become a standup comedian because I grew up Jewish in Oklahoma.

RV: So, was it your upbringing that cultivated your sense of humor and dictated your career choices?

SP: My father went to medical school at Oklahoma University and my mother is from Brooklyn. My family had a good sense of humor and I was always an extrovert. I loved performing at a young age and making people laugh, watching SNL, the different characters and I really loved watching Bette Midler. She inspired me and made me want to be an entertainer.

RV: You perform for a variety of audiences but you're straight and have developed a very large gay following. Why do you think that is?

SP: You too can break your nose three times and look like Barbara Streisand and the gays will flock to you!

RV: Yea, but you just don't perform for a bunch of gay men. You really seem to be a part of the community.

SP: Well, In sixth grade, I became friends with the only guy who came out in class. I was always fascinated by gay men. Growing up, every Sunday in Oklahoma, my dad would pack up the Mercedes wagon and we would all go to the Chinese restaurant as good Jews do. There was a guy there named Sean which was weird because he was a "Gaysian." He managed the restaurant and loved my dad and would always float out to greet him as Dr. Pelofsky. I was obsessed and loved everything about him and his energy. I figured out early on the magic and honesty and loyalty that gay men and the community as a whole have. They don't pass judgment, anything goes, you can say anything and they will listen and laugh at a time where people are so sensitive. It's a time where you make the wrong step and say the tiniest wrong thing and people hold that against you forever. The gays don't judge, well at least they don't judge me.

RV: The hardest part for a comic sometimes is to figure out what their crowd is and often they will unfairly get pigeonholed into a one dimensional label such as "gay comic," "urban comic," "Jewish comic" and so on. That really hasn't happened to you though? 

SP: I'm lucky that I really do a lot of different gigs for different people. Yeah, I've performed for a lot of gay men and women on cruises and I really enjoy it. You get to travel in style and have fun and great experiences like none other. It's very different from other types of gigs I've done. I performed for our troops in the war zones. That's what I love about my life, one minute I'm performing for the military and the next I'm at a bear convention. People are people and you just need to assimilate to what person you are standing in front of. Cancer patients. Children. Masons. You've just got to be fast on your feet.

RV: You mentioned that you're Jewish. Do you do a lot of Jewish shows?

SP: To be honest, I try not to. I'm pretty sure they are all waiting for Shecky Greene and Mort Sahl to come out and I will just be a big disappointment.

RV: From what I've seen, you have a very loyal following and when someone sees you for the first time, they too quickly become a loyal follower. However, have you had any instances where an audience member wasn't quite as hospitable toward you or your comedy?

SP: Oh yeah, many times. I was performing at a base in Japan, entertaining the troops and within 20 minutes of my routine somebody pitched a cherry right at my face and it hit me hard. I went right out into the audience and threatened a six foot man's life while wearing Manolo Blahniks. They were drunk and rowdy and didn't care that I traveled 18 hours to perform for them after 9-11 but that's just another crazy experience.

RV: Good job! Despite all the successes, isn't it funny that sometimes it just takes one show like that to make you question all of your choices as a comedian. I used to get really down after a shit show like that would happen but now I just look at my comedic influences and some situations where they overcame adversity as an inspiration to keep going. So, is there anyone like that for you? Who are your current comedy crushes?

SP: Oh well, there's a few. I love to watch Vicki Barbolak. She is someone who I really admire and was just a finalist on America's Got Talent. She's incredible. Not only is she off-the-cuff funny and a great joke writer but she's a very beautiful person and someone who I aspire to be as good as. Also, Bobby Lee because no matter how the room is going, he will be that one person that brings everybody to their feet. Oh and Bryan Callen too because he's eccentric, random and different. He can do characters and voices and morph into a different person and make you believe that character is standing in front of you. It's hilarious. 

RV: You do characters too, don't you?

SP: Yeah, my biggest character is playing a 25 year old woman. Ah, Ronn, really I think I'm character enough. These days on stage, I'm into improvising with the audience more than I have been in the past and I just like to test myself and see how I can work on my feet. In comedy, bringing everybody together is the real art form. 

RV: Since I have known you for a while and follow you on Facebook, I do know that you have had a lot of highs and lows recently. For instance, you got married but your mother also passed away.

SP: Is marriage really a high Ronn? That sounds like two downers to me.

RV: Well, I ask this because when major life events occur I pretty much notice that comedians do one of two things. They either shut it off and ignore it and just do comedy as usual. Or, such as Laurie Kilmartin did with the illness and death of her father, they really incorporate it into their performances and find comedy through tragedy as a way to cope and entertain. I was wondering how these experiences have affected you as a performer?

SP: Comedically, it doesn't keep me from saying what I want to say. Thank God I had comedy during a time when my mom felt very ill. The only solace is getting on stage and finding the funny in those dark moments and I will never hesitate to talk about the experiences I've had. When your parents get older- it's really hard to see. And then there's my marriage- who knew that I would be married and to a Brazilian. Also so many people are surprised that someone actually married me. I proved everybody wrong. It's been such a juxtaposition, from my mom getting sick and passing and now feeling even more pressure to do well because she was my #1 fan. My special just came out and I shot it when she was alive. She actually opens it up. My mom is the funniest thing about my special and I'm so happy that she will always live on that way and the world gets to see her.

RV: By the way, your special which is available now on ITunes, Amazon, On Demand and more is called Stretch It Out. I've heard you say that so many times in your act but I never understood what it actually means?

SP:  "Stretch It Out" is a tag line that I've used for years. It means nothing. A lot of the gays have been asking for years. There's been so many times when a group will come up to me at a show and say, "Shawn, We all discussed it at dinner and we think it means that or this." It really means nothing. It's my own rim shot. It's just one more moment to kind of stretch out that joke I guess.

RV: And, you will be "stretching it out" at Punch Line San Francisco October 18th, 19th and 20th. Are you excited?

SP: Oh yeah, I love the political correctness in SF and that I will be the one to deface it.

RV: Since I've know you for years, I want to make sure that I didn't accidentally gloss over anything.. So, before I let you go, is there anything else you would like our readers to know?

SP: Yea, that I'm much skinnier now Ronn.

Shawn Pelofsky At Punch Line San Francisco on Oct 18, 19, 20. One show Thursday. 2 Shows on Friday and Saturday. Tickets are $18.50 - $24.00 in advance.

The Punch Line and The Pit Bull

Bobby Slayton: (Picks Up Phone) You're 3 minutes late. It's 2:03. If you're 3 minutes late every day, eventually that's over 20 minutes late a week which is over 1,000 minutes a year that you wasted of my time. I'm a busy guy. I don't have time to waste.

That's actually the abbreviated version of how the infamously sharp-tongued comedian answered the phone. There was no attempt at a compulsory greeting. He was immediately (and hilariously) ranting, raving and calling me out on my tardiness. Slayton is one of the few comics that was both around at Punch Line's inception in 1978, and who has routinely performed here yearly since. Taking his lead, I didn't even attempt to slow things down and introduce myself. I just played along...   

Ronn Vigh: So, is this why you're known as "The Pitbull of Comedy?" 

BS: Well, Alex Bennett came up with that. He was a big SF radio guy in the 80s and 90s. He really was the first guy in the country to have comics on the radio and I was the first guy. Then one day, I lost the radio station a big account they had with McDonalds because I made an innocuous little joke about them. Who even knows what it was. That was when Bennett told me, "Slayton, you're like a pitbull. You bite the hand that feeds you." It just stuck.

RV: And, so you've been-------- 

BS: I don't really like it anymore. I told my people to take it off my website. So, what are we doing here? What's this for anyway? 

RV: Well, this is for Punch Line San Francisco's comedy blog. Since you're hosting our 40th anniversary celebration shows, I really wanted to get the chance to talk to you comic-to-comic and hear about the early days of our beloved club and how things have progressed or regressed over the last 40 years. 

BS: Yea, well when it started, the place was a real dump! There was a big club just next door - The Old Waldorf. Where the Punch Line is now was kind of the back stage area when there was a show. It was a beat up shitty bar with a big pool table. One Embarcadero wasn't even built yet, there wasn't action downtown, it was pretty dead. Jon Fox started doing comedy there first and he used me a lot and Bruce Balm, George Wallace, Elayne Boosler, we were all coming up and around then.... but it wasn't a nice place. I was kind of embarrassed. 

RV: We're you simply living in the moment and doing gigs at the club because they were available to you? Or, did you recognize early on that the place was a diamond in the rough?

BS: Yea.... I had started doing comedy about a year before that and was kind of the house MC. I was so embarrassed by the joint. There were plastic sheets nailed to the ceiling, old beat up couches with nails coming out of the side, the microphone was mounted from the ceiling and would fall down during the show. The place was a fucking wreck. The guy running the place was such a cheap fuck. So, I went out and bought movie posters, posters of old time comics and tried to make it look decent. When Bill Graham took it over, he finally put some money into it. 

RV: I technically started comedy in New York. However, Punch Line has been highly influential in my development as a comic during the 2000's. It sounds like it was both the infancy of your career and the club when you were performing here regularly. How do you think it has influenced your career? 

BS: When Old Waldorf was next door, they were paying like 25 or 50 dollars a set at both places and Dana Carvey, Kevin Pollak and I worked the rooms the most. You would go up before the band, then over to the Punch Line and back to the band and then back to the club for the late show. By the last show, between the booze and probably the coke too, I'd be on my ninth set and forgot what the hell I talked about already. But, that's what got me good.... getting a lot of stage time. It was kill or be killed. It was really very good training! 

RV: So, your career has spanned 4 decades. Being the "Pitbull of Comedy" that you are, have you found it harder or easier to do your act in more recent years? 

BS: It's really much harder now. You think at this point audiences would be better trained but the attention span of millennials is that of a fucking fly. 

RV: Yes but with the current political and social climate, do you think people tend to have more knee-jerk reactions rather than just listening to the material as a whole? 

BS: All they hear are buzzwords. Holocaust. Autism. AIDS. Then they are quick to judge and get all caught up in a fucking bandwagon. As far as I'm concerned, if you can't name any of The Beatles then you should be dead. And then the millennials will complain, "Oh well The Beatles were before my time." It's like fuck you! George Washington was before my time and I still know that he's on the fucking one dollar bill. 

RV: Do you think social media and sites like YouTube have ruined the live stand-up comedy experience? 

BS: I never liked social media. I tweet once a week and I lose followers once a week. I don't give a shit anymore. The whole game has changed. You had guys like (Don) Rickles and dozens of comics in the 60s who would go on stage in 3 or 4 piece suits, jacket and ties... Now it wouldn't even matter. Everyone is a slob, in dirty shorts. Flip flops. It's disgusting now. It was a different time, a different era. 

RV: In all 40 years, what are your best memories of performing at Punch Line? 

BS: Robin Williams stopping by all the time and a lot of hot waitresses.  

RV: I've heard stories of Robin popping in a lot. Though, I've also heard this club referred to as "The House That Bobby Built." 

BS: You know where that comes from, right? 

RV: Um. (Long Pause) I'm afraid to tell you no. 

BS: Didn't you say you were from the fucking East Coast? It comes from Babe Ruth. Yankee Stadium. The house that Ruth built. Listen, I don't know if I contributed that much to the long term success. I was certainly a part of it and so was Dana Carvey, Kevin Pollak, Jon Fox, Bill Graham. It really was a big group effort. 

It will certainly be a group effort again as we celebrate our 40th anniversary throughout October. Bobby Slayton is coming back to MC a series of shows featuring comics that have helped shape our club throughout its 40 years of serving up live comedy. 

Bobby Slayton & Friends 40th Anniversary Celebration At Punch Line San Francisco on Oct 11, 12, 13. One show Thursday. 2 Shows on Friday and Saturday. Tickets are $25 - $30.  

Our friend @mremilyheller is coming home for the holidays! Link in bio for tickets (at San Francisco, California)

Bring a new unwrapped stuffed animal for a discount $8.10 ticket to tonight's 8PM show! We have top shelf comedy from @thechipfranklin @pacoromane @clarabijl @ronnronnronn @reggiesteele (at Punch Line San Francisco)

Tonight's lineup is 💯 8PM show and doors open at 7PM so you can get your drink on! (at Punch Line San Francisco)

#TBT to August 12, 1983 when our neighbor The Old Waldorf had one last month on their lease before they closed and let celebrity chef Paul Prudhomme open up a pop-up restaurant "K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen" Photo/info from #SF Chronicle #sfhistory #theoldwaldorf #SanFrancisco #1980s (at Punch Line San Francisco)

Tonight we a have a bunch of comics to make you laugh for a good cause! #standwithpp (at San Francisco, California)

The lineup for Comedy Allstars this weekend is 💯 #kevinshea #joetobin #josefanolin #stephenfurey

@noahgcomedy this week and @bobbyleelive next 😍 Link in bio for tickets 👈🏾 (at Punch Line San Francisco)