VIDEO

COPERNICUS She's Not

This outtake from the 2014 shoot at The Mark Taper Foundation's David Henry Hwang Theater,, COPERNICUS SHE'S NOT didn’t find a place in any of the specials. The audio is straight off the camera mic so it's a little room-boomy.

A Child's Christmas in Brief

My literary hero and one of the kindest, most generous men I know, David Sedaris has invited me to open for him several times when he's been on the West coast.  This is one of those performances.  At the Valley Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles.  2015

ARC -

In March of 2010 I had the profound honor of being invited to perform at the New York Public Library's tribute to George Carlin. I performed a piece called ARC, which also shows up on my live CD, TRUE ENOUGH (available from Stand Up! Records). I am introduced by the wonderful Kevin Smith. The whole show was hosted by Whoopi Goldberg.

A Small Act of Courage -

A pandemic-era experiment in comedy and music. The first outing of a new format. June 2022. Stone Church Brattleboro, VT.

My Television Debut!

From the first line, I knew it would go well. When the applause break hit after I revealed that I was not approaching PMS from a purely misogynist perspective, I knew the whole thing was going to play, even though a problematically hack, conservative traditionalist had crushed right before me.

One chunk is cut from this set — it created transition from PMS to the political stuff and softened what feels like a lapse into misogyny in the last lines left (sigh) — It revolved around the stealth bomber and me being all excited. “It’s no bigger than a mosquito on Iranian radar!” She gave me that look that told me I was an idiot, sighed, and said, “All planes show up the size of a mosquito on radar.” Then as I processed this information she added, “You think the Ayatollah’s not gonna think twice about seven mosquitos headed toward Baghdad at thirty-thousand feet in formation?” It was a solid applause break. When I saw the cut, I felt as though I’d been censored by the government for speaking ill of their precious, newly announced aircraft. Nope. Turns out it was that a toothpaste company that bought ad time on the show also made the planes.

Why does nobody see it as censorship if it’s for profit rather than politics?

A&E’s Comedy on the Road with John Byner

I’m 29. It’s my first national TV appearance. I argued to do exactly this set. They made me cut the word ‘fuck’ from the poem about censorship. I wanted to have it in and have it bleeped. They gave in on everything else.

At first, they wanted me to do “stuff that would be evergreen. You know. do you have any stuff about socks in the dryer? Airline food?”

An earthquake messed up Los Angeles four days before I flew up for this shoot. My girlfriend moved in with me because her home had been condemned as too shaken to serve as proper shelter.

I was sure my career was about to take off. Between the day we shot it and the night it aired, 615 clubs shut down across the country. The comedy boom had ended. Carson announced his resignation.

I’m still proud of this set. Back-to-back set-up-and-punchline saying exactly what I wanted to say (except ‘fuck’) for 8 solid minutes.

Briefly on Episode 783