InTALLerable

Ep. 103: Dressed to Kill - 4/20 Spectacular!

Three Austin comics, Connor Nutt (@goodguyconnor), Gabriel Kerr (@gabekcomedy), and Scott Wharton (@thisisnot_scott) rolled through Comedy Works recently as their monthly showcase: ‘Dressed to Kill’ hit the road. I was lucky enough to ask if they would be in town for the week — we ended up having a great hang for the Colorado holiday 4/20 & tossing some plastic at the legendary Beaver Ranch disc golf course in Conifer. 

This episode is reminiscent of the early days: full of raunchy jokes, devious thoughts, satirical political takes, and quality advice from comics further on the path. I learn about their journey in stand-up, how the three dudes met one-another working as door guys at Vulcan Gas Company, and the origins of their monthly showcase: ‘Dressed to Kill’ — Follow @dressedtokill on Instagram & go see them in Austin!

We discuss AI, the state of comedy, rampant evil in society, and Connor teaches me about the serial killer that has been killing young men around Austin. The after-hours segment on this episode is epic & fitting of the holiday. You won’t want to miss out as Gabe implores me to “lose-up,” Scott encourages me to only be put in the box when I am ultimately laid to rest, and Connor shares a story of how working in a comedy club brought him face-to-face with one of his favorite bands, Kiss. 

Gabe & Scott host a podcast called: Stoney Baloney — be sure to check it out!

I can’t thank these gentlemen enough for the joy they brought me to host them, feed them, and show off the beauty of Colorado! Definitely having them back on whenever they make it back to the mile high city!!

FO & BW

Ep. 102: A Dose of Steve Gillespie (Ft. Darwin)

Steve Gillespie brings the first four-legged friend — his dog Darwin — to Top Shelf Studios for conversation, wings, and laughter. Steve is a multi-decade veteran stand-up comedian who started in his early 20’s and never looked back. Follow him on Instagram @comicgillespie & check out his psychedelic comedy show — The Dose — touring all over the country! It’s the first show of its kind, so when Steve brings it to a city near you, do not miss out!

Since Steve grew up in the midwest, I was eager to ask about his experience within the midwestern lifestyle. From fish frys, learning bar culture too young, to hunting dogs, and the difference between “fake hunting” and real hunting; no Wisconsin’ stone goes unturned.

Steve is in his forties, but you wouldn’t know by looking at him. Must have something to do with the difference between our grandparents' generation and the world we live in now. The selection of skin care products has never been so all-encompassing, while the lack of coal-mine work is equally absent from our modern society. Just a theory. 

We talk about the evolution of social relationships and how the systems we have designed may hamper the continued advancement of our humanity — the laughter, pain, desires, and suffering that make us truly people.   

Go see Steve do stand-up! 

Tell someone how they matter to you today! 

That's a (polite) order!!

FO & BW

Ep. 101: Sam Cast (Ft. Sam Krason)

My guest, Sam Krason, is hot off a round of disc golf at Beaver Ranch in Conifer when I completely fumble his intro. I called him by the wrong name. Thus, my mistake will live on in infamy, in the mis-titling of this episode. 

Sam Krason is a baller, a shot-caller, a disc golfer, and one of the biggest Denver Nuggets fans I know. He is a graduate of Colorado State University, earning his degree in food science and nutrition. We were excited to talk about the Nuggs championship parade, why Sam Cast was on my mind, and the incoming NBA playoffs run to repeat.

Our conversation weaved into Sam’s feeling of being “stuck on the wheel,” as he thinks about the prospect of work & the future. We conclude that recognizing the wheel is essential and those who don’t see the wheel for what it is are NPCs. He tells an unexpectedly profound story of crashing into his garage door and we stumbled into discussing perspective & materialism in the modern world.

As a real fan of the show, Sam wanted to run back an O.G. bit — Situations! What a time to be alive!! This situation is an all-timer, as Sam finds himself as a 24 year old white woman on a flight to New York to start her dream job in the city, before a man sitting next to her… well.. you’ll just have to listen!

My heart is full of gratitude to reconnect with an old buddy. Since recording this episode we have played more rounds of disc golf together and Sam even joined me for a Nuggets playoff game. The lesson: Reach out to old friends and tell someone that they matter to you!

FO & BW

Ep. 100: Centennial Gallery Tour (Ft. Lucas Mederos & Makana)

What a milestone! To celebrate, we explore the art gallery of sound drops collected through the first 100 episodes. Before reminiscing on outtakes, Makana calls-in from New York to give us an update on the tunnels, migrants, and everything the big-apple has to offer. Lucas Mederos ventured on high through razor-wire and land mines to make it to Top Shelf Studios for a momentous celebration. He was rewarded with having cake and eating it too. 

We discuss Amazon’s A.I. grab-and-go stores, as it was recently uncovered that ‘A.I.’ stood for ‘Another-Indian’ as 1,500 remote workers were fired from their team. It’s not shocking to learn that Lucas wants a colored-robe in whichever cult inevitably rises from the ashes of our empire, it’d be a shame for him to be “just another follower!” We touch briefly on the ‘Quiet on the Set’ documentary, before hearing about a clandestine church in China that Lucas will some day venture to, if only to get the hardest fit-pic for the ‘gram ever seen. 

I’d be remiss if I didn’t take the chance to express how grateful I am for what InTALLerable has brought into my life. The opportunity to talk with new & interesting people, learn new things I would’ve never thought to explore, open my perspective with personal stories, and to constantly feed my incessant curiosity has been more rewarding than I could have ever hoped. I am so appreciative of anyone who has been a guest, anyone who has listened, whether it be one episode or lots; thank you for sharing in creating this show with me. To everyone who has personally believed in me, my family, old friends, new friends; I couldn’t walk this road without you.

FO & BW

Ep. 99: Free Roll (Ft. Brandt Tobler)

My guest this week is full of stories from his fast-paced & fascinating life. Brandt Tobler is a Comedy Works pro, who just so happened to be the feature act performing on NYE this year, the night I proposed to my now fiancé! His book: ‘Free Roll’ is available on Amazon and at other retailers. Go support!

He is originally from WY. After working as a “runner” in Vegas — a job that no longer exists, where Brandt carried tens of thousands of dollars in cash up and down the strip, racing other sports “runners” to place various bets across the casinos on sports games each day — Brandt started performing stand-up comedy in Vegas. He moved to L.A., where he started his podcast, ‘The 31’, which is due for a good revival. Eventually Brandt made his way to the mile high city. 

I’m grateful to share in ideas, stories, and laughter with Brandt on this episode, but even more grateful for the chance to feed him a home-cooked meal on Easter. Think I might’ve caught him “rising” under the table, to be honest, but we didn’t record any EATIN’ segment this time around. So, no tape to review there. Sorry to the Patreon supporters but this one stays between Jesus, Brandt, and I.

Got my own little book incoming. Hope it brings some laughs. More details soon. 

FO & BW

Ep. 98: Mead Me Outside (Ft. Timothy Hamer)

My guest, Timothy Hamer, is quite the character. A hard-working job-juggler, Tim opted for work over college after high school, finding fun freelance projects with friends to keep his creative spirit alive while doing everything from stocking in IKEA, to managing an indoor Nerf arena during the pandemic.

We talked about Tim’s passions, mainly the ancient Japanese art of karaoke. Is Tim religious? What’s his favorite book? What might Tim do differently if he could go back to high school? Listen to find out all about the mythical man. The best part comes after Alek joins the show, though, as we learn ALL about Nerf warfare & Tim’s favorite job. Don’t worry, they only bring out the melee weapons during extreme nights, so your ears will be safe. 

Tim’s anthem is “Dancing with Myself” — he requires no additional passengers to set sail on his boat of positivity, and joy — Tim is a one-man-crew, dancing his way through whatever life throws his way. 

If you want to hear more of Tim, head to Patreon.com/intallerable for uncut episodes, vaulted guests, and EATIN' with new interesting people each week. 

Thanks to Tim for being himself and for sharing some time, food, and laughs with me. He’s a great dude with a huge heart. Tell someone how much they mean to you today.

FO& BW

Ep. 97: Ploognation (Ft. Steve Vanderploeg)

My guest is a veteran stand-up comedian, native of Colorado, and Comedy Works regular. He hosts a monthly showcase called ‘Rotating Tap’ at local breweries around the front range. Steve started off fiery, as we discussed our dismay for the current social media situation, especially the role that crowd-work clips have played in both reshaping the industry and creating careers. 

Steve’s first job was as a golf caddy. He hated golf, but his buddy found the job and it seemed like easy money for a couple of teenage boys. While Steve only lasted a week and a half as a caddy (because he hated it so much), his astute advice of “hit the ball in the hole,” stands as the best caddy tip I’ve heard. I am surprised a tour pro didn’t sweep him up with a winning mindset like that!

He implored on me the importance of patience during our conversation. As someone who has walked the long road of becoming a professional stand-up, Steve shares his insights on the value of patience, perspective, and persistence. Steve Vanderploeg will be running for mayor with the campaign promise of expanding Peña boulevard. Be sure to keep an eye out for what will surely be the most tasteful yard-signs around. 

We end on the story of Steve’s tattoo — ‘Dont Forget’ —on his leg. Might sound silly, but his friend tried putting effort into something he enjoyed, playing bass, and wouldn't you know it, it soon turned into an adventurous music tour across the US. Amazing what things humans create with just their passion. 

See Steve Vanderploeg perform! Follow him @ploognation  

FO & BW

Ep. 96: Nic Dean

We had a St. Patty’s celebration, gorging ourselves on corned beef, potatoes, and of course Guinness. My guest is midwest nice through and through, hailing from Nebraska. Nic Dean is a stand-up comedian who performs all over the U.S., if you get the chance to see him perform, don’t miss out! Follow him @dr.nicdean 

We discuss times in our life when police officers “gave us their card,” instead of ruining our lives, how the kill-em-with-kindness strategy can be utilized to send crazy rude people over the edge, and proper self-checkout etiquette. Apparently you only have to scan one of your oranges, not all of them — Who knew?!

Nic shares how he moved out of his parent’s home at age 10 and was raised mostly by his grandparents. He makes an astute observation that the greatest generation, our older grandparents, are working out their material. They tell the same stories, punching up certain parts over time, leaving out unneeded portions; our grandparents are rolling bits!

What was the best concert of Nic’s life? How is it possible that he knew his wife’s dog before they had even met? Did Nic use a fake ID to get into his first stand-up open mic? 

All the answers you seek can be found in Ep. 96. Huge thanks to Nic for breaking bread, sharing laughs, and connecting over our love for stand-up. He is going to be huge, so catch a show while you can afford to see him!

For bonus content with Nic, including our St. Patty’s meal, head to EATIN' - Bonus Content

FO & BW

Ep. 95: Adult Disneyland (Ft. Ashley Chapa)

Ashley Chapa and I barely knew each other before this episode, but now, she is someone I look up to. Her perspective towards others, her loving heart, her impact on whoever she crossed in life is clear and profound through her story. My guest is a manager of the legendary Comedy Works in downtown Denver, a talented photographer, and someone who riffed my socks off while also making me cry. Few people are as open and authentic as her. 

She shared about her life growing up. How she listened to the comedy on the car radio on days she was with her Dad. How that eventually led to her seeing her first stand-up show live, John Mulaney at the Paramount Theater, to her first club show at CW downtown three weeks before the pandemic in 2020, Pete Holmes. 

It all leads to an Ari Shaffir video urging people to work at Comedy Works. The club was re-opening following the pandemic and Ari was supporting their search for good people to work in comedy. Her story of how this one video, paired with her personality, experience, and work-ethic changed her life!

I couldn’t possibly fit enough in this description to do this episode justice. You’ll have to listen. Huge thank you to Ashley for coming on and for all she does to brighten the lives of others!

FO & BW

Ep. 94: Adolescent Vagrant (Ft. Evan Joe)

Evan Joe is a stand-up comedian from Denver, CO. He hosts a monthly show every second Tuesday at HQ on South Broadway called All-Fours Comedy Comedy - go check out their next show March 19th! They debut a new sketch every month and all four of the comics in their group are hilarious. 

When Evan was a young kid, yet to even hit double digit age, he began sneaking out in the middle of the night to explore the city. This free spirit, paired with a close-up-magic set he then received as a gift, would lead him to skipping school. He was performing close-up-magic on 16th street in Denver during the day, then switching his clientele base to strippers taking their smoke break in an alley. What a charming young lad he must’ve been. 

At 11 years old, he got a brand new bike for his birthday, a gift that represented an expanded freedom to roam. That same day, Evan and his brand new bike were kidnapped at gunpoint.

His journey to comedy is interlaced with his personal story; one of resilience, growth through continual adversity, and the evolving challenges of family. I’m grateful he shared his passion each step of the way, eventually leading him the story of driving across the country to interview for a door guy position at the legendary Comedy Works. 

We have a bonus episode for supporters at Pateron.com/intallerable - You won’t want to miss that one!

Follow Evan Joe @atevanjoe